Culture

Making Broadcast News More Radically Decent

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It is stunning to realize how dismal “normal” ways of interacting are within broadcast news media – if the goal is to cultivate a meaningful and mutually respectful dialogue. Quite simply, listening and responding isn’t the media’s goal. Instead, the participants are collecting ammunition so that, as soon as the other person stops talking – or sooner, since interruptions are chronic – they can fire back, reiterating why they are right and he or she is wrong. What would happen if CNN, CBS, and other news outlets took meaningful steps to buck the system? Here are a few possibilities.

Christianity

Weekly Sermon: Learner's Mind — This Is Not The Way

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Soberly seeing how dreadfully easily we Americans utterly lose our way, pray for solidarity, that all who have faith see that there are more with us than there are with them. And do not think that politics will ever cool that violence in our nature which underwrites all the powers of domination and oppression. Only the spiritual, with learner’s mind, can see the way. Only the spiritual recognize no division between loving God and opposing oppression with all our heart and soul and strength.

Gender and Sexuality

Buffoon Politicians and the Saga of Anthony Weiner, et al.—A Systemic Disorder of Character

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In a culture that is tending towards equality, keeping one’s word and holding one’s vows as sacred and part of personal integrity has become ever more important. The excoriations for violations by public figures have also become more pronounced, even for lesser violations. Even so, I expected more revelations from Anthony Weiner and the possibility of his exhibitionism continuing. Yes, he could not stop—even after getting caught and suffering grievous harm.

Politics & Society

The Ruling Elite and the Crisis of Labor: Wall Street 2012 – 2013

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Last month, Goldman Sachs announced its second quarter profits doubled the previous year to $1.93 billion. The bi-polar world of rich bankers in the North racking up record profits and workers everywhere receiving a shrinking share of national income spells out the class basis of “recovery” and “depression,” prosperity for the few and immiseration for the many. By the end of 2013, the imbalances between finance and production foretell a new cycle of boom and bust.

Christianity

Nuns Who Commit Sexual Abuse and the Annexation of Mercy

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Unlike the vast majority of men and women who have survived clergy abuse, Steve Theisen was not sexually abused by a Catholic priest. He was sexually abused by a Catholic nun. Theisen’s testimony is gut-wrenching to hear. One of the saddest things Theissen told me was this: “The Catholic Church is supposed to be a community, but sex abuse victims are not treated as members of the community.”

General News

Israel Paying Students to Combat Criticism Online Rather than End Cause of Criticism: The Occupation

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The Israeli government is offering full and partial scholarships to university students who dedicate their time to posting Israeli propaganda on social media networks and online forums.
The program, funded by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office, will hire students to become social media warriors asked to target criticism of the occupation and its settlement enterprise, both of which have drawn international rebuke and boycotts.

Politics & Society

New York City Mayoral Strategy — A Call to Action

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Two decisions on Monday August 12th have offered possible opportunities to move away from the tough-on crime-policies that have dominated the American criminal justice system since at least the late 1960s. But we should not expect these rulings and decisions to magically transform America’s political, economic and spiritual culture overnight to a non-racist world of caring. For real change to occur, we need to begin a broad-based movement at least partly rooted in electoral politics led by the people most affected by the policies now being questioned.

Healing Israel/Palestine

Will Jewish Democracy Please Phone Home

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Universal human dignity, individual rights and collective responsibilities are the Jewish values of democracy that I was taught to take pride in as a Jewish youngster. During our current “Age of Zionism,” we have distorted Jewish ethics, forming a sort of Jewish Orwellian “doublethink.”

General News

Kerry Is Making Everything Worse

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Initially it appeared that Secretary of State John Kerry’s peace initiative was harmless. Although few Israelis, Palestinians or Americans expected it to accomplish anything, it was hard to make the case that it would do any damage. No more. And not just because the Israeli government keeps announcing the building of new settlements. Or that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues the litany of propaganda attacks on Palestinians, including the charge that the 23-year old “Arab Idol” winner, Gaza singer Mohammed Assaf, is a threat to Israel because he nostalgically sings about towns inside the 1967 lines.

Politics & Society

The Idiot's Guide to Embarrassing America

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There are many ways to embarrass the United States. For example, refusing extradition requests or illuminating its hypocrisies. And while such methods can work, they are one-hit wonders, unable to be sustained over the long haul.
However, one method for embarrassing the United States has been perfected so finely that it can be repeated, over and over, without fail, as Israel has done.