Category: World News
The Bookworm Beat — 08/28/14 comprehensive round-up (and Open Thread)
Despite my rather chronic worries about the state of our nation and the state of our world, I seldom have nightmares. Last night, though, I had a doozy. It was short, vivid, and had me waking dripping with sweat. I dreamed that my son and I got off a bus
Continue readingThe Bookworm Beat — 8/26/14 mid-day edition (and Open Thread)
Years ago, during the Bush administration, James Taranto read a despairing AP article in which the Progressive author opined that “everything is seemingly spinning out of control.” Taranto loved that phrase and used it to preface any link to crazy things, or things that made Progressive’s crazy. That phrase keeps wandering
Continue readingThe Bookworm Beat — August 22, 2014 mid-day edition edition
Climate change hysteria will make you crazy We all know that it’s wrong to laugh at those who are mentally ill, but doesn’t it seem like there should be an exception for those whose particular mental illness takes the form of aggressive, obsessive climate change mania? Tim Blair’s brilliant fisking
Continue readingIsrael’s friends need to keep a very close eye on Obama in the coming days
It’s already old news that Obama halted what was supposed to be an automatic shipment of rockets to Israel to re-equip the Iron Dome system that protected her citizens so well from the thousands of rockets Hamas aimed at Israel from schools, hospitals, playgrounds, and homes in Gaza. One shipment
Continue readingThe Bookworm Beat — August 16 Saturday Night Special
Yesterday, the phone or the doorbell rang every 10-20 minutes all afternoon and evening. We had a rotating cast of characters for dinner, one of my dogs hid for the day, and the other dog barked itself into laryngitis. I have no complaints, as I like a social house, but
Continue readingThe Bookworm Beat — August 15 Friday wrap-up (and, of course, Open Thread)
One of the things I’ve noticed about modern medicine is that, once doctors start poking around inside the human body, they find all sorts of things that aren’t picture perfect. I remember a long ago hearing an NPR story about a small town with a scary increase in the number of
Continue readingThe morality of Israel’s killing Palestinian civilians
I have been engaged in a Facebook exchange with someone who believes that killing civilians is always immoral. This moral stance means that, because Israel is killing civilians more effectively than Hamas, he believes Israel is morally more culpable than Hamas in the current conflict. He therefore cannot support her,
Continue readingFound it on Facebook: Who are the real Palestinians?
A Facebook friend of mine posted the following: I’m confused — Who are the real Palestinians? ISRAELI LEADERS: BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Born 21 October 1949 in Tel Aviv, Israel (formerly Mandate of Palestine) EHUD BARAK, Born 12 February 1942 in Mishmar HaSharon , British Mandate of Palestine ARIEL SHARON, Born 26
Continue readingThe Bookworm Beat — Operation Protective Edge edition
Israel has destroyed 31 tunnels. With her purpose in entering Gaza over, she’s pulling out, leaving a three-day ceasefire in her wake. It remains to be seen whether Hamas will lose patience before the three days are up. At this point, Hamas has pretty much shot its bolt. Although the
Continue readingThe Israel-Hamas war isn’t about military might, it’s about what’s morally right
Imagine you have two perfectly matched militaries. One fights on behalf of a country that values the individual, liberty, and civil rights. The other fights on behalf of a theocratic dictatorship that hates, demeans, kills, and/or taxes everyone and everything that doesn’t conform precisely to the theocratic ideology. Which country
Continue readingThe Bookworm Beat: From Israel to Indiana Jones
As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve re-jiggered these portmanteau posts, with a new name and a new image. I’d like to thank all of you for your suggestions. I’ve gone with a vaguely newsy title and a picture from one of my favorite illustrators, and it just feels right. I’ll continue
Continue readingWatch the miracle that happens when anti-Israel protesters invade New York’s Diamond District
It’s worth pointing out that the pro-Israel people never stooped to violence to rout their ideological opponents. They use violence only when necessary, not for the rapture of destruction.
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