A few weeks before the Gaza peace deal was agreed, the father of a hostage held by Hamas flew to Qatar to meet the negotiators. It’s stretching a point and then some to infer he nudged the talks over the final line, but what he did is a salient lesson for the next stages of the deal.… Read the rest
New Year’s resolutions being notoriously unkept, 2025 can be better than the unlamented year we just lurched through if the media harkens back to what its job is, or at least ought to be, and peacemakers take on board the lesson of a 13th century papal conclave.… Read the rest
In the unlikely event the optimistically-designated “Cessation of Hostilities and Related Commitments on Enhanced Security Arrangements…” between Israel and Lebanon ever becomes an actual peace treaty, the preamble should include19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s admonition: “Beware of all those in whom the urge to punish is strong.”… Read the rest
The subtle ways Nature signals the inexorable reality of change, are useful lessons for anyone trying to sort out, or at least cope with the messy world of humanity before it’s too late.… Read the rest
The adage “You can kill the messenger, but not the message” purportedly traces its roots to somewhere in the Middle Ages. Its 21st century application is to do the literal killing blatantly, and disprove the second half of the admonition furtively.… Read the rest
In his totemic plea for us to imagine a better world, John Lennon insisted “It isn’t hard to do…”. Campus protests that commingle anti-Semitism and calls for ceasefire in Gaza belie that. So as a prism to see through the moral miasma, I recommend Covid.… Read the rest
History has shown, repeatedly, that the best the extreme left or right can manage is a revolution, which in the end eats itself and accomplishes little of lasting value. Three events this week prove the point that extreme views can be catalysts for debate, but casting change and progress comes from when the two meet in the middle.… Read the rest
The philosophical question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” was raised by the 13th century philosopher Thomas Aquinas. A metaphor for wasting time debating topics of no practical value, it sums up what efforts to resolve Gaza will be unless the U.S. actually makes “changes in policy”.… Read the rest
President Theodore Roosevelt’s famous advice; “speak softly and carry a big stick”, did not preclude using the stick if necessary, a point that seems to escape the Biden administration in its efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. One reason, I submit, is the enforced absence of the foreign Press in Gaza.… Read the rest
The only thing more useless than an opportunity not seized is an obvious lesson not learned. The Biden administration’s “plan” to deliver aid to Gaza without putting boots on the ground has managed both at the same time.… Read the rest