I’m starting to treat the news like you [Lisa] do. When a problem is finished, I’ll read about it. The overwhelming amount of violence, atrocity, stupidity, insoluble problems being addressed by self-serving incompetents or fanatics is now at overload – in Europe, in Africa, in the U.S. and in Israel.
Category: Politics
Election results
Yay! It’s a sweet feeling to have voted for a president who won the election. I’ve heard a few call-in shows in which callers have expressed their fears, their disappointment, their depression of Bush’s defeat. To them I say, join the club; now you know how we’ve felt for 12 years.
Many states (14, I think) voted in favor of term limitations for legislators. Yet only 12 incumbents lost! Over 100 new people will go to Congress, however, because many other incumbents retired or got redistricted out. Term limitations is just a gimmick. It sounds like an easy solution to a problem. All people have to do to limit terms is to vote for a challenger! … Turnout in Connecticut was 82% – phenomenal!
Two new senators from California: Jewish women! New senator from Illinois: black woman!
(more…)Presidential campaign
July 19, 1992
I know Bush/Quayle have a following but not among anyone we know. Everyone says he’s got to go! I voted for Paul Tsongas in the Connecticut Democratic primary, but I’ve been comfortable with Clinton for at least three months and picking Gore for VP was brilliant. His standing up to Jesse Jackson was another plus. Jesse is a great orator (to me demagogue) but he doesn’t speak for all blacks and you’ll now hear blacks say this. The women look good. Not all of them, of course; Pat Shroeder (Democrat) for example, gives me a pain! Anyway, it finally looks like it’s going to be an interesting, exciting campaign and election.
October 1, 1992
Well, Perot jumped back into the presidential race this afternoon. He’s such a putz!
Israel-USA
I am dispirited and depressed at the state of affairs in Israel and in the U.S. and between the two countries. I know I should write some letters to my congressmen and to the newspaper, but I can’t get a handle on any one thing.
… In the U.S. we are producing a lot of steam over flag burning, abortion, and obscene song lyrics, and hardly addressing the drug problem, the steadily failing savings and loan banks, education and environmental problems.
Tiananmen Square
1989 Tiananmen Square protests
I have developed an addiction to the China Story that I usually reserve for news from and about Israel. Of course comparisons arise. The non-violence of the Chinese students and the rock-throwing Arabs; the brutality of the Chinese soldiers and the restraint of the IDF.
A major thought of mine: the American Revolution has now been exported; it took 200 years to do it, while the Communist Revolution, looking for outlets from its very beginning about 70 years ago, seems to have petered out.
Iran-Contra affair
July 9, 1987
Col. Oliver North started testifying this past Tuesday. I have watched large blocks of the proceedings, being fascinated, repelled and amazed by this man. He loses no opportunity to give extended statements in answer to questions to explain, justify and extol his actions. He believes the policy he was implementing was the right one, that it had to be done covertly, that lying to and misleading Congress was a necessary part of a covert activity. He named Casey, Poindexter, McFarlane and others on that level as authorizing and knowing about everything he did. He said, “I don’t mind taking the blame that the goals weren’t achieved, but I refuse to be a victim of a criminal prosecution.” He assumes Reagan and Bush knew what he was doing since he sent 5 memos for their approval up the line and they never came back dis-approving. Of course they could have been shredded.
August 8, 1987
In the last letter Ruth asked me “Why is Oliver North considered a hero?” You had to see him “perform” on TV to appreciate his appeal. As often noted, his voice had the passion and cracked in just the same way that James Stewart’s did in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” He is very telegenic/photogenic. His main forte was the projection of sincerity, conviction , loyalty, patriotism, endurance and intelligence. He offered a very simplistic approach. And that is paradoxical because he gave the most complex answers to simple questions, often mini-lectures on his beliefs, feelings and motivations.
I kept close watch on the Letters to the Editor in both the new York Times and The Hartford Courant and was pleased to note that people were not taken in by Ollie. After duly noting all of the above, most said, “but he lied, he broke the law, he destroyed official documents, he subverted our Constitution.”
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