There is only one type of society that has ever existed where the Jews have been safe. Democratic societies are those places. When they grow weak, decayed and distressed, Jews become endangered. This has always been so, from antiquity through this American morning.
As an American Jew, I've been privileged to not have to fear for the safety of me and my family. My father told me many times that ther were would come a day when I would feel the fear that my grandparents felt. I never believed him.
This is a frightening time to be a Jew. Of course, it is also a frightening time to be Muslim.
What's needed now is compassion and understanding. We need to hear the pain from both Jews and Muslims. We cannot be indifferent. We have to be able to hold contradictory ideas in our heads.
Thank you again for your essay, and for quoting (at such length) Elie Wiesel.
Absolutely good point. My wife and kids are Black. I've always carried fear for their safety because of their skin color. Now I carry it because of their last name too.
Only recently did I learn that the the Nazis studied the Jim Crow laws before enacting their Nuremberg Race Laws and at first found the Jim Crow laws too cruel.
Thank you. I was born in the late ‘40s to a mom who drove jeeps at an AFB during the time my dad (both z”l) served in Europe. Tho too young to grasp the conversations of parents and neighbors - WWII veterans and Survivors - I knew enough to have nightmares of Germans hiding outside our house waiting to take us.
Jewish, we were restricted in our Midwest town of where we and our Catholic and our Black friends could live.
As you wrote, Barry, we too must be vigilant about what we were warned about and about others now too in danger by similar hate. My Muslim friends, especially those who are Palestinian American, are as afraid as we. One wrote yesterday that if their family in Gaza survives they will be shocked. They expect the worst.
Not knowing others, fearing others, and yes in Gaza and Israel and elsewhere fear that I am grateful not to have experienced tho antiSemitism I have, is not the same.
No answers. Lots of grief. Divisions in my family over these and like issues. How do we gain empathy without knowledge and learning of each other?
Barry, it is also a frightening time to be a woman, a person of color, an LGBTQ. It is a frightening time. Period. It is a time of anger. I am angry. Very angry at those who have brought this time of fear upon us. This is a time to look outward, to find our similarities. To find our empathy. To find our courage. The amount of hate in this world, in our country, in my town astounds me. Where does it come from? We must fight back against our despair. The key is to stay engaged. And to be kind to each other. And to ourselves.
I also believe being kind to each other and in doing acts of kindness .. my best friend has cancer and is on palliative care
…I’ve been a hospice grief counselor for thirty years .
Got training and give forty hours a week as a volunteer..my friend in fourth stage metastatic breast cancer spread to her bones and noe her liver she’s
Got five flashing red flags throughout her body but we sat on the concrete floor in her basement making blessing bags for the homeless EVEN in PAIN
She’s giving kindness and blessings.. grateful for your tender kindness🌹Marsha
Marsha, I am so sorry to hear that your friend is so ill. She is indeed kind and caring to spend her time reaching out to those in need. Loving thoughts and positive energy to you both.
Thank you Steve, for this essay. Thank you for reminding us about Kristallschnact, the history leading up to it, the horror of Naziism and Elie Wiesel’s wise words. And the danger of indifference.
No other form of government other than democracy has written individual rights into its doctrine. The pursuit of Life, liberty and happiness are not just words but the goals of our society. Our Constitution allows each citizen to live without fear of being victimized by the state because our government is of the people, by the people and for the people.
It saddens me to think that after almost 250 years of living under a banner of freedom we are under attack from within through dishonesty and with malicious intent. The Republican party has abandoned the Constitution in favor of authoritarianism. They spin lies and defend the indefensible to pay homage to a man who deserves vitriol not respect. The only political party who has taken away rights is the Republican party and their extreme right wing Justices on the Supreme Court.
Substacks to subscribe or even just read I respect & subscribe to Heather Cox Richardson..to the Warning.. to Michael Beschloss .. to Rick Wilson .. to TCinLA and to
Rachel Maddow’s Ultra and I’m reading her book Prelude it’s truly
Outstanding.. because we are a democracy and we realize we must Vote and be responsible citizens
We can work to VOTE to voice
Who we chose to support to try to save our extraordinary democracy
My grandchildren deserve to live in freedom with loving acts of kindness and tolerance even if we have different opinions we are
I grew up in the 1960's in Orange County, CA where, at the time, there was one reformed Jewish temple and one conservative temple. In the working class neighborhood where we lived, my house was egged, and my brother and I beat by neighborhood and school kids. I was taught then, "Never Again", and to "Keep a Bag Packed". Anti-Semitism has always been present, just scratch the surface.
This is a profound admission of the lack of education and awareness of WW2 Naziism and FACISM!! As November 11 approaches we remember all those that fell in the First World War...called The war to end All Wars was the clarion call! It was but a dream. So on the 11 month, the 11th day, the 11th hour take a moment to reflect on the tragedy of the deaths of Millions that fought for Democracy and Freedom in two World Wars!!
Fran, thank you for posting that article; it is quite disturbing but important to share. And you’re right, it’s a major part of the problem as history seems to be repeating itself.
We are reaping today the fruits of the failures of our education system. I’m 77 and had what I thought was a good private school education, there is hardly a day that goes by now that I don’t learn something new about our terrible past, that my parents generation risked their lives to defeat.
Indeed! The GOP had public education in the crosshairs for decades, filching funds to divert into private schools and religious schools. Then the SOB's went after higher education demanding parity between liberal prof.'s and unquestioning, narrow minded, far right (alas, I repeat myself) GOP "educators".
Isn't Betsy DeVos, Secy. of Education appointed by Trump, the best example recently of a GOP "educator?" Our public education system has been in trouble for a long time, and she did her best to finish the job.
Fran, this is shocking that so many Americans don't have an education about our history! This is an excellent article, educational in itself. Let's keep sharing it around. Thank you.
Thank you for this essay, and for including the beautiful words of Elie Wiesel. How wonderful it must have been to be with him and converse. I have been traveling this last month, - from Berlin, to Amsterdam, to Bayeux, and I am now in Paris. Visiting concentration camps, Holocaust memorials, and a WWII cemetery in Bayeux, -I thought this would be a “historical trip”. But it isn’t. We are NOT in a new chapter in history. We have merely turned the page in the same damn chapter that Elie Wiesel speaks about. Mankind is not so kind. We have not evolved or learned all that much. I am cutting my trip short here in Paris and flying to Tel Aviv on Friday morning, to be with my extensive family there. They are overjoyed, as am I, for the visit. It may, after all, become more than a mere visit. I may seek to move there one day soon.
Barry I m not black, but I've always had admiration towards black people. They are subjugated to violence and discrimination in almost every country, but unlike any other oppressed people, there is no escaping it because the color of their skin.
I am neither Jewish nor a historian. However, I had a need to understand how such a monstrous society could arise and so read extensively on the era -- fiction and non fiction. For the past several years I would say to friends and on social media, "We are like 1930's Germany. Can't you see the pattern?" I would receive blank stares. The most powerful defense we have against anti-semitism, terror and fascism is truth ... in the form of film and books. When TV shows refuse to show the gruesome acts of terror because it may be "disturbing" they are abetting the perps. The world must be shown the true nature and consequences of the monsters. "disturbing" images? GOOD! The more disturbed we are when seeing these atrocities, the better. Then maybe we will be motivated to confront such bestiality.
Thank you, Steve, for doing your part to bring these truths to light.
Well said Barbara, it is like the 1930’s all over again. The sanitization of our news so as not to disturb a viewer is a huge disservice, the public needs to be disturbed, that and the constantly repeating the background of what is happening as though the viewer just arrived from Mars and had no idea why what they were seeing was occurring. Do they really think their viewer just turned on the TV for the first time ever, it’s inane.
We are like 1930s America. See Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten History of the Christian Front (Charles R. Gallagher, Harvard UP). It’s a detailed history that reads like current events.
Have you seen the footage in Nacht und Nebel? It’s a film worth watching. I’ve seen the images from 10/7; I would not wish that on anyone, and I didn’t need to be convinced. It would be awful to have those images on cable news. Awful, not just because of the shock-you-into-believing aspect but because of the eventual numbing effect (think the Vietnam footage on t.v., first of its kind.) Now we see bodies torn apart in war and shrug and keep cleaning our kitchens. Respectfully, I disagree.
Gaye, you're welcome to disagree :). I agree that a constant stream can be mind numbing. OTOH American citizens were so involved in Vietnam because of the excellent coverage...including gruesome footage. Have not seen Nacht und Nebel. On Netflix?
I was at lunch with an Israeli friend when your query came through, so I asked her opinion. She and her family have lost multiple people both at the Nova music festival and in the kibbutzim; they also have nieces and nephews serving in IDF. She looked shocked and then teared up: “Please, no, no, no, leave the families alone; the last thing they need is to know is that images of their murdered loved ones are out there for folks — well-meaning as they may be — to look at, to use for their own political reasons, to use them to educate/inform others, to narrate descriptions of the horror over dinner, coffee, wine, or in hushed conversations. (and imagine that someone in their family stumbles across an image).” I mentioned the numbing effect; she agreed, yes, “we might get numb to the horror, but let’s show some respect and accord some dignity for the dead” — as the Jews do in their own culture.
Gaye, I remember Emmet Tills' mother refusing to have a closed casket for her mutilated son, when he was tortured & murdered by racist Southerners. Her reason was (paraphrasing) "I want the country to see what those monsters did to my son". The photos were horrendous, powerful and no one has forgotten Emmet Till and the white supremacist monsters. I think it had an affect on people who may have not considered the plight of black people.
The same case was made for New Orleans devastation from hurricane Katrina. The media wouldn't show pictures of floating bodies, etc for the "sensitivity of those who lost family & friends" thereby allowing the corruption to be buried and glossed over and those responsible to suffer no consequences.
My heart goes out to your Israeli friend but I would think she'd want those responsible to be held accountable. Further, identifying details such as faces are blurred out. Whatever, it's a fine line between truth and sympathy/prvacy for the victims.
And I am certainly not going to second guess what she should or should not want. That’s just cruel to think that even remotely she wouldn’t want those held accountable. Good heavens, does she need to hold them accountable only in the way you want? Let’s talk about the relatives who are in IDF shall we? I should not have shared her view with you, that was a betrayal of a trust. You are creating a dichotomy between truth and sympathy/privacy. Perhaps, just perhaps, truth is sympathy and privacy. Now I’ve given you a public document in The Economist 1843 account; I hope that satisfies whatever you are after.
I see you have a personal substack; I’d ask you not to repost my friend’s conversation. I hope I can trust you with that.
Sorry for the cryptic answer; I was at lunch (see above). I happen to have a DVD that I used with my students. I’m not sure where it’s available; Netflix is more likely to have something old and historical.
Thank you Steve for reminding me of indifference. Lately I’ve been so overwhelmed by all the trump news that I withdraw. I need to stay informed and active in the fight for decency.
I think we all need to take a breather for awhile. Then return refreshed and ready to absorb the many, so many, abuses by the former Republican Party. Then learn about the people and organizations that are fighting back. That is inspirational.
I like to think I am color-blind. I am prejudiced against no one. Certainly not Blacks whom I am more likely to admire. Not Jews who demonstrate great qualities of family unity, societal unity and initiatives that more often than not make them successful. I am pleased to see such a mix of colors among the people of Toronto, the most multi-cultural city in the world and a generally happy place to live. None of that means that I don’t find people or even large groups of people who repel me. One of those groups is die-hard MAGA idiots. Another is the present leadership of Israel. On television yesterday a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. said that Hamas had taught Palestinians to hate Jews. No, I argue, Jews taught the Palestinians to hate Jews. Apartheid was not defeated in the 20th century. It is alive and well in Israel. I wish I was more sure of my history but I surmise that Israel invented Hamas. No surprise. Jews, who were abused, like no other, became abusers at the first opportunity and no peace will occur till this is stopped. Calling out evil as found in the career of Bibi Netanyahu does not mean you hate Jews, even though they like to make that accusation to shame the critic. You can admire Jews. You can love Jews. You can still say the behavior of Israel in the past 75 years is wrong. No matter that Israelis cannot find a way to a government that is not wall to wall chaos, they must find leadership that will call on their innate initiative and find a way to create a world for Palestinians that is equal and fair and compassionate. Only then will they find peace for themselves. Let them begin.
Wow! Steve, this is one of your best essays. It’s clear that our beloved USA is in grave danger and requires all of us to put our shoulder to the wheel to save our country as we know it. It’s a huge country with its share of deplorables who know nothing and care about nothing except possibly self-aggrandizement at the expense of the rest of us. Yours is an important voice in the defense of our country and its ideals. But we need more. We need a concerted effort by thousands of Americans to rise to the defense of our country and the rejection of trumpism and of the remaining dregs of the GOP.
WOW! Powerful stuff! Thank you Steve for posting this speech to remind us of our duty in this time of hate and intolerance. I will save this and pass it on to as many family and friends as possible. It’s not so much that people forget. It’s the fact that there are so few left who lived during that horrible time in history. And that the history is not taught or at least not taught honestly.
Steve, you have outdone yourself with this piece! Wow! I always learn something in your writing that makes me think that much more intensely about the challenging path our world is on. History is always on the precipice of repeating itself! Thank you for doing this historical heavy lifting for us!
Steve, thank you so much for writing this.
As an American Jew, I've been privileged to not have to fear for the safety of me and my family. My father told me many times that ther were would come a day when I would feel the fear that my grandparents felt. I never believed him.
This is a frightening time to be a Jew. Of course, it is also a frightening time to be Muslim.
What's needed now is compassion and understanding. We need to hear the pain from both Jews and Muslims. We cannot be indifferent. We have to be able to hold contradictory ideas in our heads.
Thank you again for your essay, and for quoting (at such length) Elie Wiesel.
Never again. Never forget.
And please do not forget our black brothers and sisters!
Absolutely good point. My wife and kids are Black. I've always carried fear for their safety because of their skin color. Now I carry it because of their last name too.
And don’t forget atheists and liberals. Also hated by the far-right.
Only recently did I learn that the the Nazis studied the Jim Crow laws before enacting their Nuremberg Race Laws and at first found the Jim Crow laws too cruel.
Jeannette Kutner yes the Nazi’s studied how the blacks were treated in
Jim Crow America and they did find American Laws were too cruel to blacks..
I’m grateful as a white American that those atrocities are being brought
The attention they deserve
The KKK was a result of the whites anger over blacks getting rights to vote own land and to be treated with
Equality … Marsha
Jeanney Kutner Really?! WOW!!!
Thank you. I was born in the late ‘40s to a mom who drove jeeps at an AFB during the time my dad (both z”l) served in Europe. Tho too young to grasp the conversations of parents and neighbors - WWII veterans and Survivors - I knew enough to have nightmares of Germans hiding outside our house waiting to take us.
Jewish, we were restricted in our Midwest town of where we and our Catholic and our Black friends could live.
As you wrote, Barry, we too must be vigilant about what we were warned about and about others now too in danger by similar hate. My Muslim friends, especially those who are Palestinian American, are as afraid as we. One wrote yesterday that if their family in Gaza survives they will be shocked. They expect the worst.
Not knowing others, fearing others, and yes in Gaza and Israel and elsewhere fear that I am grateful not to have experienced tho antiSemitism I have, is not the same.
No answers. Lots of grief. Divisions in my family over these and like issues. How do we gain empathy without knowledge and learning of each other?
So sad... ((( )))
Yes. Then. My then. Now.
Barry, it is also a frightening time to be a woman, a person of color, an LGBTQ. It is a frightening time. Period. It is a time of anger. I am angry. Very angry at those who have brought this time of fear upon us. This is a time to look outward, to find our similarities. To find our empathy. To find our courage. The amount of hate in this world, in our country, in my town astounds me. Where does it come from? We must fight back against our despair. The key is to stay engaged. And to be kind to each other. And to ourselves.
777 thank you for your heartfelt
Respect an empathic response
I also believe being kind to each other and in doing acts of kindness .. my best friend has cancer and is on palliative care
…I’ve been a hospice grief counselor for thirty years .
Got training and give forty hours a week as a volunteer..my friend in fourth stage metastatic breast cancer spread to her bones and noe her liver she’s
Got five flashing red flags throughout her body but we sat on the concrete floor in her basement making blessing bags for the homeless EVEN in PAIN
She’s giving kindness and blessings.. grateful for your tender kindness🌹Marsha
Marsha, I am so sorry to hear that your friend is so ill. She is indeed kind and caring to spend her time reaching out to those in need. Loving thoughts and positive energy to you both.
Thank you Steve, for this essay. Thank you for reminding us about Kristallschnact, the history leading up to it, the horror of Naziism and Elie Wiesel’s wise words. And the danger of indifference.
No other form of government other than democracy has written individual rights into its doctrine. The pursuit of Life, liberty and happiness are not just words but the goals of our society. Our Constitution allows each citizen to live without fear of being victimized by the state because our government is of the people, by the people and for the people.
It saddens me to think that after almost 250 years of living under a banner of freedom we are under attack from within through dishonesty and with malicious intent. The Republican party has abandoned the Constitution in favor of authoritarianism. They spin lies and defend the indefensible to pay homage to a man who deserves vitriol not respect. The only political party who has taken away rights is the Republican party and their extreme right wing Justices on the Supreme Court.
Patrick P there is still hope we have
Substacks to subscribe or even just read I respect & subscribe to Heather Cox Richardson..to the Warning.. to Michael Beschloss .. to Rick Wilson .. to TCinLA and to
Rachel Maddow’s Ultra and I’m reading her book Prelude it’s truly
Outstanding.. because we are a democracy and we realize we must Vote and be responsible citizens
We can work to VOTE to voice
Who we chose to support to try to save our extraordinary democracy
My grandchildren deserve to live in freedom with loving acts of kindness and tolerance even if we have different opinions we are
Americans We Can Save Our
Country together respectfully..
Vote Blue ask how we can help
You already show you care by
Subscribing to athe Warning..
Heartfelt soulful thanks, Marsha
I grew up in the 1960's in Orange County, CA where, at the time, there was one reformed Jewish temple and one conservative temple. In the working class neighborhood where we lived, my house was egged, and my brother and I beat by neighborhood and school kids. I was taught then, "Never Again", and to "Keep a Bag Packed". Anti-Semitism has always been present, just scratch the surface.
So sorry... ((( )))
This is a big part of the problem...https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/survey-finds-shocking-lack-holocaust-knowledge-among-millennials-gen-z-n1240031
This is a profound admission of the lack of education and awareness of WW2 Naziism and FACISM!! As November 11 approaches we remember all those that fell in the First World War...called The war to end All Wars was the clarion call! It was but a dream. So on the 11 month, the 11th day, the 11th hour take a moment to reflect on the tragedy of the deaths of Millions that fought for Democracy and Freedom in two World Wars!!
Ontario, mini-trump premier and all, has just mandated holocaust lessons beginning in schools this fall. (Great move but he's still a mini-trump)
And I’ll second that. Thank you spelling it out clearly and succinctly.
Trudeau is a "mini-trump"??!!!
The Ontario premier is Doug Ford and part of the tangerine tyrant clan. (Trudeau is the country's Prime Minister - the federal leader)
Thank you! I didn't read carefully enough.
NP it gave me a chance to say what I really think!
And with book- and lessons-banning, it worsens. And about enslavement and college admission quotas.
I agree!
Fran, thank you for posting that article; it is quite disturbing but important to share. And you’re right, it’s a major part of the problem as history seems to be repeating itself.
We are reaping today the fruits of the failures of our education system. I’m 77 and had what I thought was a good private school education, there is hardly a day that goes by now that I don’t learn something new about our terrible past, that my parents generation risked their lives to defeat.
Indeed! The GOP had public education in the crosshairs for decades, filching funds to divert into private schools and religious schools. Then the SOB's went after higher education demanding parity between liberal prof.'s and unquestioning, narrow minded, far right (alas, I repeat myself) GOP "educators".
Isn't Betsy DeVos, Secy. of Education appointed by Trump, the best example recently of a GOP "educator?" Our public education system has been in trouble for a long time, and she did her best to finish the job.
Fran, this is shocking that so many Americans don't have an education about our history! This is an excellent article, educational in itself. Let's keep sharing it around. Thank you.
Thank you for this essay, and for including the beautiful words of Elie Wiesel. How wonderful it must have been to be with him and converse. I have been traveling this last month, - from Berlin, to Amsterdam, to Bayeux, and I am now in Paris. Visiting concentration camps, Holocaust memorials, and a WWII cemetery in Bayeux, -I thought this would be a “historical trip”. But it isn’t. We are NOT in a new chapter in history. We have merely turned the page in the same damn chapter that Elie Wiesel speaks about. Mankind is not so kind. We have not evolved or learned all that much. I am cutting my trip short here in Paris and flying to Tel Aviv on Friday morning, to be with my extensive family there. They are overjoyed, as am I, for the visit. It may, after all, become more than a mere visit. I may seek to move there one day soon.
Wiesel was close to being a saint, in my book.
And the cycle repeats, and repeats. It always has and, I fear, always will. How exhausting is the constant vigilance that is required?
Moving, heartfelt essay.
Barry I m not black, but I've always had admiration towards black people. They are subjugated to violence and discrimination in almost every country, but unlike any other oppressed people, there is no escaping it because the color of their skin.
I am neither Jewish nor a historian. However, I had a need to understand how such a monstrous society could arise and so read extensively on the era -- fiction and non fiction. For the past several years I would say to friends and on social media, "We are like 1930's Germany. Can't you see the pattern?" I would receive blank stares. The most powerful defense we have against anti-semitism, terror and fascism is truth ... in the form of film and books. When TV shows refuse to show the gruesome acts of terror because it may be "disturbing" they are abetting the perps. The world must be shown the true nature and consequences of the monsters. "disturbing" images? GOOD! The more disturbed we are when seeing these atrocities, the better. Then maybe we will be motivated to confront such bestiality.
Thank you, Steve, for doing your part to bring these truths to light.
Well said Barbara, it is like the 1930’s all over again. The sanitization of our news so as not to disturb a viewer is a huge disservice, the public needs to be disturbed, that and the constantly repeating the background of what is happening as though the viewer just arrived from Mars and had no idea why what they were seeing was occurring. Do they really think their viewer just turned on the TV for the first time ever, it’s inane.
We are like 1930s America. See Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten History of the Christian Front (Charles R. Gallagher, Harvard UP). It’s a detailed history that reads like current events.
I'm reading Rachel Maddow's "Prequel". An eye opener.
Prequel is a must read book …. For all Americans
I’m reading it also, Marsha
I ordered the audible book. It is Rachel Maddow reading. ❤️
Lisa you’ll have to tell me how to get the audio
With Rachel actually reading it .. I’d have both
Love & hugs, Marsha
Spent six hours at Hospice working long
Tough day but able to help grief stricken families it’s a blessing
Love,Marsha💖
Hi Marsha, your loving devotion to the families in hospice is such an inspiration to me and to many others, and a true blessing to those you help. ❤️
I ordered Prequel audible from Amazon Prime books audible.
Me, too. And I think used/interviewed Gallagher about his research for Ultra.
Have you seen the footage in Nacht und Nebel? It’s a film worth watching. I’ve seen the images from 10/7; I would not wish that on anyone, and I didn’t need to be convinced. It would be awful to have those images on cable news. Awful, not just because of the shock-you-into-believing aspect but because of the eventual numbing effect (think the Vietnam footage on t.v., first of its kind.) Now we see bodies torn apart in war and shrug and keep cleaning our kitchens. Respectfully, I disagree.
Gaye, you're welcome to disagree :). I agree that a constant stream can be mind numbing. OTOH American citizens were so involved in Vietnam because of the excellent coverage...including gruesome footage. Have not seen Nacht und Nebel. On Netflix?
I was at lunch with an Israeli friend when your query came through, so I asked her opinion. She and her family have lost multiple people both at the Nova music festival and in the kibbutzim; they also have nieces and nephews serving in IDF. She looked shocked and then teared up: “Please, no, no, no, leave the families alone; the last thing they need is to know is that images of their murdered loved ones are out there for folks — well-meaning as they may be — to look at, to use for their own political reasons, to use them to educate/inform others, to narrate descriptions of the horror over dinner, coffee, wine, or in hushed conversations. (and imagine that someone in their family stumbles across an image).” I mentioned the numbing effect; she agreed, yes, “we might get numb to the horror, but let’s show some respect and accord some dignity for the dead” — as the Jews do in their own culture.
Gaye, I remember Emmet Tills' mother refusing to have a closed casket for her mutilated son, when he was tortured & murdered by racist Southerners. Her reason was (paraphrasing) "I want the country to see what those monsters did to my son". The photos were horrendous, powerful and no one has forgotten Emmet Till and the white supremacist monsters. I think it had an affect on people who may have not considered the plight of black people.
The same case was made for New Orleans devastation from hurricane Katrina. The media wouldn't show pictures of floating bodies, etc for the "sensitivity of those who lost family & friends" thereby allowing the corruption to be buried and glossed over and those responsible to suffer no consequences.
My heart goes out to your Israeli friend but I would think she'd want those responsible to be held accountable. Further, identifying details such as faces are blurred out. Whatever, it's a fine line between truth and sympathy/prvacy for the victims.
https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/11/05/the-biblical-archaeologist-finding-the-victims-hamas-burned?fbclid=IwAR0j61zOe8VHsQcc89Coy6Bl3NBaPlIwqrBwZxx-KVHvQcOLGpvHd4m2L2Y_aem_AWDBkMbH68N3Y3dOdtAQcnmdqApR_NFcKwIpYrm_q2BisXlBTjibJb7_Do99_xvdjEY
And I am certainly not going to second guess what she should or should not want. That’s just cruel to think that even remotely she wouldn’t want those held accountable. Good heavens, does she need to hold them accountable only in the way you want? Let’s talk about the relatives who are in IDF shall we? I should not have shared her view with you, that was a betrayal of a trust. You are creating a dichotomy between truth and sympathy/privacy. Perhaps, just perhaps, truth is sympathy and privacy. Now I’ve given you a public document in The Economist 1843 account; I hope that satisfies whatever you are after.
I see you have a personal substack; I’d ask you not to repost my friend’s conversation. I hope I can trust you with that.
Cassandra pray your trust is
Protected for your wishes and privacy I’m heartbroken for your
Friend and her wishes of privacy
Blessings and prayers🌹Marsha
I'm done with this thread. Over & out.
I think Netflix.
Sorry for the cryptic answer; I was at lunch (see above). I happen to have a DVD that I used with my students. I’m not sure where it’s available; Netflix is more likely to have something old and historical.
Thank you Steve for reminding me of indifference. Lately I’ve been so overwhelmed by all the trump news that I withdraw. I need to stay informed and active in the fight for decency.
I think we all need to take a breather for awhile. Then return refreshed and ready to absorb the many, so many, abuses by the former Republican Party. Then learn about the people and organizations that are fighting back. That is inspirational.
I like to think I am color-blind. I am prejudiced against no one. Certainly not Blacks whom I am more likely to admire. Not Jews who demonstrate great qualities of family unity, societal unity and initiatives that more often than not make them successful. I am pleased to see such a mix of colors among the people of Toronto, the most multi-cultural city in the world and a generally happy place to live. None of that means that I don’t find people or even large groups of people who repel me. One of those groups is die-hard MAGA idiots. Another is the present leadership of Israel. On television yesterday a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. said that Hamas had taught Palestinians to hate Jews. No, I argue, Jews taught the Palestinians to hate Jews. Apartheid was not defeated in the 20th century. It is alive and well in Israel. I wish I was more sure of my history but I surmise that Israel invented Hamas. No surprise. Jews, who were abused, like no other, became abusers at the first opportunity and no peace will occur till this is stopped. Calling out evil as found in the career of Bibi Netanyahu does not mean you hate Jews, even though they like to make that accusation to shame the critic. You can admire Jews. You can love Jews. You can still say the behavior of Israel in the past 75 years is wrong. No matter that Israelis cannot find a way to a government that is not wall to wall chaos, they must find leadership that will call on their innate initiative and find a way to create a world for Palestinians that is equal and fair and compassionate. Only then will they find peace for themselves. Let them begin.
You nailed it again Steve. So grateful for you, your words and your thoughts.
Wow! Steve, this is one of your best essays. It’s clear that our beloved USA is in grave danger and requires all of us to put our shoulder to the wheel to save our country as we know it. It’s a huge country with its share of deplorables who know nothing and care about nothing except possibly self-aggrandizement at the expense of the rest of us. Yours is an important voice in the defense of our country and its ideals. But we need more. We need a concerted effort by thousands of Americans to rise to the defense of our country and the rejection of trumpism and of the remaining dregs of the GOP.
WOW! Powerful stuff! Thank you Steve for posting this speech to remind us of our duty in this time of hate and intolerance. I will save this and pass it on to as many family and friends as possible. It’s not so much that people forget. It’s the fact that there are so few left who lived during that horrible time in history. And that the history is not taught or at least not taught honestly.
Thank you Steve. Antisemitism like this is the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
Steve, you have outdone yourself with this piece! Wow! I always learn something in your writing that makes me think that much more intensely about the challenging path our world is on. History is always on the precipice of repeating itself! Thank you for doing this historical heavy lifting for us!