Tag Archives: ISIS

March 27, 2016

Why it’s Too Late to Stop Terror

By davidgroen1

Explosions-in-Brussels-main

It’s somewhat encouraging to see the victories taking place against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.  Taking out their second in command and capturing the town of Palmyra are both significant accomplishments in the war on the territorial front. That part of the war can be won in somewhat conventional fashion.  The only question is what the best course of action is to win it.  Even the lesser military minds can see an end game.  The main questions are what strategy to use and how long it will take?  With the ongoing terrorist attacks in the west, operations have increased and have so far proven to be relatively successful.  The second war, the terror war being brought to Europe and as of yet on a lesser scale to North America is not a war that can be won any time soon, if at all.  The sad news is, it’s just too late.

It’s a harsh reality, one that may or may not ever impact people directly, but it’s a reality nonetheless.   Even if somehow ISIS would be wiped out in its various bases of operations, the exported terrorists, sitting and waiting for the best opportunities to strike are so spread out and in such large number, even if we were to just wait it out, be vigilant, and stop numerous attacks, there will are still likely to be numerous attacks that will be successful and wreak maximum havoc and suffering.  Just look at Israel, a nation dealing with terror for decades and arguably the most prepared and most adept at dealing with terrorism.  Yet despite the expertise there are still numerous terrorist attacks resulting in the deaths of innocent men, women and children.

There might have been an opportunity a few years back to stop the growth of ISIS, but the sad fact is that until terror hits home, or close to home, western nations are far more accomplished in rationalization than in positive results.  Terrorist activities against Israeli citizens have been rationalized as a fight for liberation.  Attacks against Israelis, Iraqis, Libyans, Pakistanis, just to name a few, are not viewed by the west with the same anger and horror as attacks against the French, Belgian or American. Even today, after 63 people, most of them women and children were killed in a terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan, CNN and FOX are providing minimal coverage and discussion.  In fact, a half day later, the terror attack isn’t even the top story.  That’s been changed to a story of how Donald Trump claims to be better for women than anyone and is accompanied by a picture of him kissing his wife Melania. Incidentally, the victims in Pakistan were Christians attacked by a splinter group of the Taliban and purposely done on Easter Sunday.  Iran, a nation with far greater experience and success in the development and exportation of terrorists is allowed to make a deal for nuclear energy and is somehow rewarded with the release of billions of dollars.  Even if somehow we do outlast what we say are hundreds but are more likely thousands of ISIS operatives ready to strike, if the entire approach towards terror doesn’t change, if we do defeat ISIS, we are likely to be left with another group, or even worse, country to fight.  For people who take the view that they can’t be worried about what happens to the “people over there”, they need to understand that it is the sons and brothers of those people the terrorists are radicalizing and mobilizing  against the west.

As is the case with many of my fellow Jews and many pro-Israel citizens in the west, I have argued for years that there is not enough value put on Jewish life.  I still maintain that, but the difference now is that I believe there is not enough value put on any life lost east of Germany.  I am not making a bleeding heart plea for sympathy, rather a legitimate call to arms against global terrorism, not just the flavor of the moment.  ISIS is by far the most active and dangerous organization in the world, but it is joined by so many other groups ready to take over prominence if they get defeated that without a long term global strategy against terror, we are doomed to live with it for the rest of our lives and very likely see it continue for further generations.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN THE DAILY COLUMN

JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

 

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

March 26, 2016

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

By davidgroen1

politics1

I’ve lost count how many times during this election cycle I’ve said the following words, “I’ve never seen anything like this”, only to follow up almost immediately with, “no one’s ever seen anything like this”.  We all know that this is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in an American presidential election.  The behavior of the candidates toward one another and the reaction of the population to the different candidates is unprecedented in American history.  What’s been lost in the discussion is the passion generated among regular people and the schisms caused not just among friends and acquaintances, but even families.

The days of agreeing to disagree are crumbling at an alarming rate.  No longer is it enough to say you are not voting for someone.  If you don’t philosophically smash them into the ground, call them a racist, a criminal or a degenerate, you yourself may be attacked.  Like Donald Trump?  You must be a racist and bigot.  Like Hillary?  You support murderers and liars?  Like Ted Cruz?  You must be a fascist and religious fanatic? Like Bernie Sanders? You must be a Socialist or Communist?  Like John Kasich?  Well then , you’re just a waste of time.

No longer can you support someone and not be called names by those who oppose your candidate.  To make matters worse, everyone is right?  Just ask them.  And I don’t mean the candidates, they’re supposed to say they are right.  I am talking about the people you interact with.  Heaven forbid you say something bad about Hillary Clinton to a Democrat.  You’re likely to cause a venom and anger that could ruin the relationship.  And don’t dare call out Donald Trump for his behavior.  You might be seen by your “friends” as an ISIS sympathizer.

There was once a time when people would disagree on politicians and the reactions would not be personal.  But nowadays, if you hold a different viewpoint, friendships can disintegrate into thin air.  After all, if your friends like Hillary more than Bernie, how can they respect you?

So how did we get here?  3 reasons.  Reality TV, Internet, and tough times.

The Reality TV part of it explains the ongoing craving for drama and sensationalism. It’s very much a part of what makes Donald Trump’s candidacy tick.  It certainly is what has helped him get all the attention he gets.  That and of course the aforementioned internet and tough times.

The Internet might not make everyone happy, but it’s a reality not just in American politics but in everything happening in the world today.  Nothing illustrates it as well as the fact that ISIS relies on it for recruiting up and coming terrorists.  So with all the exposure and information available, we now know not only more than we used to know about candidates, but probably more than we would like to know as well.

Lastly, the truth is these really are very trying times in almost every aspect of life. These difficulties breed tensions, and these tensions breed passion.  The issue of who will be the next leader of the free world matters more to people than maybe ever before, so if you don’t agree with your colleague, neighbor or relative, this really can turn into a big deal.

All I can hope is that people stay as civilized as possible.  In the meantime I hope to maintain as many positive relationships as possible with friends and family while still maintaining the integrity of my viewpoints.   I wish all of you the same good luck.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN THE DAILY COLUMN

JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

March 24, 2016

Time for the UN and the rest of the world to step up and call murder by its real name

By davidgroen1

menow

As the world heard the news of what happened in Brussels, Belgium, people were once again overwhelmed with feelings of horror, sadness and anger.  There is no question that most people are in agreement is that the death and destruction is an increasing reality that needs to be stopped.  Where the big problem starts, or should I say continues, is in the series of solutions proposed by the experts and politicians.  It seems everyone has an answer and solution.  However, in reality no one really knows exactly what to do.  That in itself may be the crux of why we are losing this war against terror.  To sum it up in one word, the biggest obstacle to preventing a global catastrophe is something ISIS and other terror organizations are not only counting on but causing.  That word is confusion.

Liberal or Conservative, Democrat or Republican, Hawk or Dove, most if not all politicians in the civilized world want the terror to stop.  Yet the philosophies and approaches differ tremendously.  Everyone thinks their solution is the correct one. Certainly most give the impression that they do.  But does anyone really have the answer?  Do we need to consider the possibility that in some ways it is just too late to stop this tidal wave of terror engulfing the world.  Some say Europe is already lost. The events of the past few days certainly lends credence to that argument.  Some in America, traditionally those on the left, believe a softer, kinder, less involved approach is the answer.  We don’t know for sure that this approach is the incorrect one, but should it fail, and considering the enemy we are facing a very strong argument could be made that it would, are we willing to accept the bleak future that would follow and be prepared to fight for our way of life and ultimately our lives?   Do we plan a strategy that does nothing other than postpone the inevitable or do we swallow the bitterest of pills and viciously and totally wipe out the enemy without concern for collateral damage?

The multitude of questions with even more answers is the most powerful weapon in the arsenal of the growing number of terrorist organizations across the world.  Earlier this week on CNN I listened to Michael Weiss, author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, as he explained how the terror organization’s specialty is not so much actual combat as it is manipulation and use of social media and its overall strategy in cleverly choosing what targets to hit and how to achieve the greatest bang for their buck.  It would be my personal assertion that other than totally destroying their command centers, nothing would damage ISIS more than a concerted and coordinated worldwide effort against them. Kind of makes you think the best leaders can’t only be the strongest, but must be the wisest as well.

In order to defeat terror, we much first recognize where it exists.  This sounds like it should be easy, but in reality it’s not only become the most difficult thing for the world to agree upon, it is turning into the foundation of the growing crisis.  With the United Nations taking sides against Israel in their fight against terrorists from all sides, American and European leaders willing to accept a deal with Iran, a nation that cultivates and exports terrorism, and a tolerance of hate worldwide, the chances of defeating this growing cancer are diminishing.   It’s not impossible, but without a unified army, be it a military or diplomatic one, we are destined to lose.  If ever the American public had the fate of the world in its hands it would be right now, for the next President of the United States may turn out to be one of, if not the most important person in solving this growing global crisis.

So assuming my assertion that everyone wants it to stop is accurate, the question remains, what do we do to actually achieve this Utopian goal.  It would be nice if for starters a zero tolerance for murder was recognized globally.  There will be instances when even the people we see as enemies may be able to claim self-defense, but why is it so difficult for people to agree that stabbings, mowing people down with cars, blowing up airplanes, setting off bombs in subways and airports are all examples of unquestionable murder.  Why did it take the world till just recently to say that ISIS was guilty of genocide when they have clearly been killing Christians indiscriminately for years.  If we are to defeat terror, it must start with a total agreement from every party involved in the fight that murder is unacceptable, period.  If Arab nations are not willing to recognize that Palestinians that stab Israelis are terrorists, than these nations will not be welcomed into the coalition.  Murder is murder.  If terrorists blow up cars in Baghdad killing dozens or blow up a Russian plane killing hundreds, or burn people alive in Nigeria, why is it more acceptable than a bomb in a European airport or subway?  I understand the poignancy and psychological impact of the Brussels and Paris attacks, but until murder is seen as murder, and the outcry and disgust is just as great when it happens in less chic places, nothing will truly be fixed.

So as a writer, and a person who would love to make a difference, I propose this challenge to the United Nations.  If ever there was a time to step up and truly matter in the world, if ever there was an opportunity to put all the corruption and inadequacies of this failing organization in the rear mirror, the time is now.  Let us learn from history. A precursor to the beginning of World War II was the collapse of an inept League of Nations.  In an era in which a different form of fascism is once again on the rise, the United Nations has an opportunity to wipe away its years of ineptitude on the world stage by truly uniting nations against evil.  But to do this they need to do a few things first.  Keep money from terror groups, even if it means temporarily holding back funds from people who may need it, make resolutions that clearly define and condemn any murder associated with terror groups or political extremism, and stop the biased attacks against Israel.  If the United Nations does this, they might actually stay in tact, make a difference, and help the world in the way in which they were originally designed to do. If not, they will likely fall apart, dissolve, and if history is to tragically repeat itself, be the lead into a full blown World War III.

If this all seems kind of grim it’s because the realities we face are extremely harsh. There is no longer room for misplaced tolerance.  The world needs to find a way to unite against evil and do so very quickly, otherwise all we will do is continue in a downward spiral towards death and destruction.  There is no more room for the kill them with kindness approach.  We are dealing with people who will merely laugh at us before they destroy us, and that means that as citizens we need to hold our leaders accountable and do so now.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN THE DAILY COLUMN

JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

March 23, 2016

The Party may be cancelled but Purim lives on

By davidgroen1

Beauty02b

I’ve always loved Purim.  The whole concept behind it is a beautiful one.  It saddens me, as it does so many others, that the terror attacks and subsequent atmosphere in Brussels has caused the cancellation of Purim celebrations.  But make no mistake. With or without festivities, there is no cancellation of Purim and what it represents, especially in these times.

Purim is a holiday based on events that took place in ancient Persia, now known as Iran, during a time when Persian leadership sought to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the planet.  Sound familiar? It should.  Besides being something that tends to happen far too often, a nation looking to rid the world of Jews, modern day Iran is testing missiles decorated with the words “Israel must be wiped out”.   Hard to believe that a nation like Iran could not have evolved further from its hatred of over 2,000 years ago, yet here we are again.

Of course what makes matters worse is that the cancellation of festivities is not directly connected to Iran.  After the most recent brutal attack by ISIS and the attacks in Paris, it is a wise bit of caution to consider European Jews to be in some significant danger. That too should sound familiar, as I am sure it does.  Europeans need to wise up to the dangers facing them, because last time they took a “levelheaded” and patient approach to rising fascism and violence, the continent was left in shambles.

The most beautiful thing about the story of Purim for me was always the fact that it is a story in which the Jewish people did not have to suffer greatly before their redemption. It’s impossible to know how today’s travails will end up, but if history is to repeat itself, my prayer for this Purim, is that the establishment of liberty and freedom for all people in the world, not just Jews, can happen with limited additional suffering.  In the meantime to my fellow Jews I urge you to remember this.  Even when the celebration is cancelled, Purim never is.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN THE DAILY COLUMN

JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

December 7, 2015

Open Letter to N.Y. City Mayor Bill de Blassio regarding comparison of Syrian and Jewish refugees

By davidgroen1

bbd10632385465_d1da5ecc56_b

Dear Mayor de Blassio,

I just finished reading how you compared the plight of Syrian refugees to the plight of European Jews fleeing the Nazis.  While I actually believe your intentions are good regarding this matter, I also believe you are making some gross misjudgments in your comparison, I believe these misjudgments need to be addressed, and to reference one of the most famous sayings of all time, I believe these good intentions may truly pave the road to hell.

Mr. Mayor, let me be very clear about something. This is not a racial issue, it’s a safety issue.  I am opposed to bigotry of any kind.  I consider myself to be a decent and compassionate person.  However, I also believe that each and every one of us has an initial obligation to the safety of our own people before we choose to be the saviors of another.  Being reckless and kind does not make us good people. During the recent outbreak of Ebola, our screening of people flying in from Africa was so detailed and so specific we even authorized taking a passenger’s temperature at the airport if they had symptoms of the disease. If they showed any signs of the disease they were subject to quarantine.  Two people died on U.S. soil at the peak of the outbreak. We treated the disease like a disease should be treated.  We prioritized prevention even if it seemed extreme.  There were many who felt our government overreacted, but since political correctness and world opinion didn’t play a large factor in our actions, we took aggressive and decisive measures to contain the disease. These actions may or may not have saved many American lives, but since the safety and well-being of the people already residing here took priority, these actions were deemed justified.

Prior to WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took no action to increase the quota on Jewish immigrants coming into the country due to what some felt was a reluctance to antagonize Germany a nation we were not yet at war with.  Many Americans did not want a large influx of refugees fearing that their needs would only add economic burden at a time when the economy was already depressed.  Subsequently many Jews were not able to enter the country and ended up dead in concentration camps.  Yet for many history tends to forgive the FDR administration, even though the Jewish people themselves posed absolutely no threat to American society.  If even 1% of European Jews were parts of groups sworn to the destruction of America, the comparison would be valid. Instead there had never been the slightest hint of any animosity from the Jews of Europe towards the US, and certainly none prone to influence by radicals sworn to its destruction.

No one worth listening to is saying that every Muslim is a terrorist, but the percentages of Muslims influenced by ISIS and other terrorist organizations is far too large to ignore.  The opportunity for ISIS to plant operatives within large groups of refugees is an unfortunate reality.  Let’s say for argument sake that a group of 10,000 Syrian refugees would have 100 members of ISIS hiding in its ranks.  To put the seriousness of this in perspective we need to stop and realize that it took only 2 people, 1 man and 1 woman, to kill 14 Americans last week.  Imagine the devastation 100 would cause.  As much as I understand your desire to be compassionate and decent, this sort of risk never existed with Jewish refugees escaping the Nazis.  This is by no means intended to say one group of people is better than another, merely to state that one group has segments that pose tremendous risks while the other group never did.

I feel sadness for the helpless plight of innocent people, particularly women and children regardless of where they come from and what religion they are.  However, I do not believe any of us are better people if we allow our compassion to compromise our safety.  In the time of Hitler’s Germany, since Jews never that caused that compromise to take place, your comparison is dangerously inaccurate. Furthermore, for us as Americans to believe we are to blame if we do not help these people is one more error in our political strategy.  In accepting any degree of blame we are taking some of the blame away from the perpetrators of evil  making these people’s lives unbearable, and I for one feel that plays right into their hands.

It’s a sad reality of the world we live in that sometimes doing good is not the right thing to do.  People such as yourself who want to help the refugees may very well be well-meaning, kindhearted souls pained by the suffering of others.  What needs to be understood is if that causes you to take or support actions that cause the suffering  of those people you and other politicians are sworn to protect, it is my opinion you would have made a catastrophic and unforgivable mistake.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON OPEDGUY.COM

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

December 7, 2015

How Hanukkah can Inspire us just when we need it the most

By davidgroen1

Oil Hanukkah Lamp

The Jewish holiday  of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a holiday that revolves almost entirely around miracles.  The miracle most people know about is the miracle of the Menorah, and how one day’s worth of oil lasted for 8 days.  But the bigger miracle of Hanukkah, and the one that is particularly inspiring in the world we live in today, is the battle fought by the Jewish people lead by the Maccabeess over Syrian and Greek rule, and the victory won when facing the most difficult of odds.

It is the story that actually relates today to not only the biggest fear of the Jewish people but for anyone whose freedom is being threatened. The leadership the Jews were fighting wanted far more than control, they wanted to eliminate any other religion or ideology other then their own.  The similarities to today’s radical Islamic groups is eerily similar.  Even the  fact that the leadership was Syrian, as ISIS bases itself in the Syrian town of Raqqa, draws similarities.  What’s important to take from this story however is not how similar the persecution was to the goals of ISIS, Hamas and the like, but the fact that evil was ultimately defeated.

If there is one holiday to take inspiration from in a time when terror is increasing and an evil group tightens its grips over large areas of land, it is the holiday of Hanukkah. I spend a lot of time trying to make people aware of the dangerous realities of the day, but today on the first day of Hanukkah I am happy to take this opportunity to make people aware of why they should be hopeful.  This is not a hope based in falsehoods.  It is a hope based on the great strength and courage of Judah the Maccabee  and his heroic followers.  A hope based on a Jewish army that understood what was at stake, knew what needed to be done, and had the willingness and capability to do it. As a result evil the oppressors were defeated and freedom restored.

On this Hanukkah I urge all of the decent people out there, the people who want a peaceful and free world, to take the following message into their minds, hearts and souls. That message is that as bad as things sometimes look, as hopeless as the future sometimes looks, good can and will prevail, as long as we believe in what is right and are willing to do what needs to be done.  In a time when things sometimes look as bleak as we can ever remember them being, learn from the miracle of Hanukkah and remember that anything is possible when fighting for a just cause and maybe most importantly, when we as a collective group want that victory badly enough.                                                               Happy Hanukkah (Chanukah)!

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON OPEDGUY.COM

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

December 3, 2015

The Climate Change we Need most has nothing to do with the weather

By davidgroen1

fvtlk5ywyq3dfgqw3yrp

I’m not cynical about climate change.  Simply put, I believe that I am in the majority when I say I just don’t know enough about science to understand how serious of a danger global warming really is.  I’m somewhat disgusted by how politicized its become, but that’s as much the fault of the citizenry as it is the fault of the politicians. One thing I do know however, based on what actual scientists are saying, is that it is likely not our most immediate danger. Not by a long shot.  That being said, the climate change we do need to address is the political, socioeconomic, and spiritual climate rapidly deteriorating around the globe.

I’m not a racist and I am not a barbarian.  I am a non-violent man raised in a Jewish home by ethical and moral parents.  I don’t like to see people being killed.  I am also the child of Holocaust survivors and somewhat of a student of that era.  That has played a major role in the formation of my views.  It makes it easier for me to recognize when one group of people is terrorizing another.  Is it possible that not all horrific acts committed by a Muslim would be classified as terrorist attacks?  Of course.  But with so many of the worlds leaders getting together to discuss a somewhat dubious threat, that being climate change, how come it is so difficult for the leaders to get together and discuss one that is clear-cut and blatant.

There is still much discussion as to exactly how dangerous and how imminent disaster caused by climate change is.  I will accept the claims by scientists who say it is a threat not to be ignored, but what I won’t accept, and neither should anyone reading this, is the refusal of of our leaders to recognize the serious threat posed by radical Islam. Last night I listened to M Zuhdi Jassar interviewed on Fox News.  This is the type of person that makes a difference.  A Muslim, not afraid to confront the evils in his own religion, Jassar seemed clearly frustrated by the direction things are going. The respect I have for him makes it easy to understand his frustration.  This is a man who is constantly preaching the right thing while getting very little support from the powerful people that matter most, let alone people within his own religion.  Scientifically speaking I have no clue what will happen to the planet if we ignore climate change.  When it comes to the world’s other climate, the climate of mind and soul, if our leaders continue to tip-toe around the problem, the world that leaders are claiming they are trying to protect at the climate change summit will hardly be worth saving.

Two people with Muslim names killed 14 people in a brutal shooting in San Bernadino, California.  This happened a few weeks after ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris. This happened soon after Muslim terrorists gunned down people in a luxury hotel in Mali. This is happening at a time when the average Israeli is more threatened by terrorist attacks by Muslim terrorists than ever before. This happened at a time when a Jewish man is punched in the face in a book store in the Upper West Side of Manhattan by a man who screams at him ” F— You Jews. I’ll Kill You; I’m a Muslim.”  I am not a guy who says all Muslims are bad.  I am not a guy who preaches discrimination of any kind.  But I am a realist.  This is a problem mostly emanating from the Muslim world. To put the tragedy in San Bernadino only on workplace violence and gun possession is irresponsible and short-sighted.  To be afraid to call it what it is, civilization under siege, is worse than irresponsible, it’s suicide.

As I see it now this ends up one of 3 ways, and only one of them is good.  1)Muslim extremists achieve their goal of world domination; 2)millions of people, many of them Muslims and most of them innocent, get killed in a devastating war; 3)the Muslim world changes from within.  Like any other decent human being I hope the 3rd option happens, but for that to happen world leaders need to get serious, take their hands out of the pockets of the rich and corrupt leaders in the Arab world, and most importantly help the good people in the Muslim world move a different direction.  How about having a summit about that?

Change the climate on the planet first, then worry about the weather.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON OPEDGUY.COM

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

November 23, 2015

The Impact of ISIS on American Politics

By davidgroen1

rfdiraq-sfSpan

Like it or not, ISIS is influencing the American electorate. It would appear that the horrific terrorists attacks in Paris had an effect on much of the country not felt after any of the many and equally horrific terrorist attacks in Israel. Suddenly the dialogue changed from attacks on “those people over there” to an “attack on us and our way of life”.

Don’t get me wrong.  I believe Americans to be good people.  I am proud to be one. When they do hear about terrorist attacks in Israel, a large percentage are for the most part supportive and compassionate.  But there in lies the first problem.  When an Israeli citizen gets gunned down or stabbed it’s not given the same significant coverage by many of the news outlets. Last week when 18 year old Ezra Schwartz, an American, was killed in a terrorist attack in Israel, CNN still headlining with the search for one of the Paris attackers, listed the other top stories on the bottom left of its website.  The terrorist attack in Israel and Ezra’s death was one story down from Carly Simon’s revelation that Warren Beatty was the subject of her 70’s hit “You’re so Vain”.   Hard to blame the average citizen if as a result many do not even know who Ezra Schwartz is.

Ironically the murder of Ezra, an American citizen would by itself not have done much to influence the average person nor most of the presidential candidates, but since the attacks in Paris national security and the war on terror have now become that issue the candidates clearly deem as the one they are choosing to exploit to get elected.

Forgive me if I seem cynical, but prior to the attacks in Paris the only Republican candidate I heard make mention of Israel in the previous debate was Ted Cruz.  Granted I didn’t watch the entire debate, and I am not saying there aren’t others who clearly support Israel; Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and Jeb Bush clearly have shown a tendency towards friendship towards the Jewish state;  but in this particular debate it was only Ted Cruz who appeared to make a point of the importance of the relationship between the 2 countries. All candidates expressed the importance of stopping ISIS, but since no one in either the Republican or Democratic field is a supporter of terrorism, I would expect nothing less.  What did strike me is that until Paris, no one seemed to be making it clear how important of a fight the fight against ISIS really is. Now all of that has changed.

With the threat of ISIS finally being taken as seriously as it should have been at least a year ago, presidential hopefuls are doing their best to impress the American electorate with their tough words and strategies.  The impact it seems to be having on the American people is when presented with a choice between a more mild-mannered intellectual approach or a loud bombastic aggressive approach, the polls suggest the people prefer the latter.  Henceforth the increasing popularity of Donald Trump.

I actually think the reaction of the people is just another example of what makes the United States of America such a great country.  In previous times when a global power was faced with bad economic times and the threat of an aggressor looking to destroy its country and kill its people, the backlash lead to vicious dictatorships and the murder of countless numbers of innocent people.  In America our backlash is Donald Trump. Might not be my first choice, but in today’s political climate worse things could happen.

The big question is, do any of the candidates on both sides of the political aisle have what it takes to defeat this global threat?  Loud words and exuberant proclamations may get someone elected, but when push comes to shove the actions taken and decisions made by the next president may very well determine the future of the entire civilized world.  With the increased attacks and ongoing threat from ISIS, it would appear that the Islamic State has, willingly or unwillingly, impacted how we choose to shape that future.  Hopefully the choice we make will be in our favor not theirs.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON OPEDGUY.COM

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

November 20, 2015

Now is not the Time to Judge Our Own, Now is the Time to Get Down & Dirty

By davidgroen1

ezra

Much is being written about the importance of maintaining our ethical behavior as westerners living in civilized nations. The issue of Syrian refugees has moved to the forefront and become a polarizing political issue. While the statements may be based in an unquestionable truth, to put too much focus on this now deflects attention from the bigger problems facing western civilization.  War is being waged against our entire way of life and to put too much emphasis on our behavior, be it in action or rhetoric gives those who want to kill us more time to implement their strategy and puts all of us in serious danger.   First we must deal with the enemy, then we can deal with ourselves.

I am writing this partially as an indirect response to an excellent article written by a friend of mine in which he discusses immoralities that we, as decent people have no right to commit.  The article shows his extreme decency as a human being and extraordinary intellect, however in my mind as much as I respect him for his words, I believe the timing of the message to be off. This is a message we need to save for when this war is over.

The reason I say this is because we are dealing with an enemy that knows no morality, no decency, and has no heart.  As much as I believe good ultimately triumphs over evil, that doesn’t negate the fact that sometimes you must fight fire with fire.  As is so often the case when I espouse this type of action, I feel a pang of guilt.  After all, I am likely not going to be one of those people committing what otherwise might be deemed as questionable acts or even atrocities.  That being said, I fear for our future and know that if we are, for lack of a better term too nice, we’re in very big trouble.

Maybe I am one of the bad guys after all.  I believe that if it us or them it’s an easy decidsion.  I recognize the tragedy in the millions of suffering people living in Muslim countries, and although I wish it were different, now is no longer the time nor is it once again the time for us to concern ourselves with their plight.  The time will come when we do once again have the prosperity of a peaceful life, but until that time comes once again, our priority must be protecting our way of life and even more importantly, keeping each other safe.  If that means becoming something that we do not want to become, as long as it is temporary, I believe it is something we must do.  A true victory means doing so under our terms as they exist today, not defeating the enemy and becoming like them in the process.  As long as we stay focused on what it is that needs to be accomplished, taking the harshest of measures to see it happen is acceptable.  If as a society we have to slip backwards morally, I am confident we can address and fix that later.

If leading by example, taking the moral high ground, not letting the enemy drag us into the mud could work, I’d be all for it.  Sadly we are dealing with animals and sometimes the only way to defeat an animal is to become an animal.  Once good triumphs over evil and we are free of the cancer plaguing our planet we can focus on demanding ethical behavior from each other and the rest of the civilized world.  Until then survival is paramount, almost at all ethical and moral costs. As well intended as those focusing on our behavior may be, our energies need to be applied to a ruthless and barbaric enemy, one that will only see our decency and morality as weakness and exploit it to a tragic end.  Preventing that from happening takes precedence over everything else, no matter how unethical it may seem.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON OPEDGUY.COM

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

November 19, 2015

TheThreat of a Terror attack and its Psychological Impact

By davidgroen1

New-York-Times-Square-Night-Life-1920x1080-Wallpaper

Yesterday ISIS came out with a video warning of an impending attack in New York.  A few days earlier in Washington, D.C.  No one in Paris will ever again doubt the threat of an ISIS attack until the organization is destroyed.  Part of the threat on New York is specifically aimed at Times Square.  Although one expert says the specific warning might indicate that there actually are not any sleeper cells in New York since no place that has been attacked received such a specific warning, I’d still be pleasantly surprised if a camera shot of Times Square this Friday or Saturday night would show crowds as large as what we are accustomed to seeing.  Terror cell or not, the threat is out there, and that scares people.

It should go without saying that an actual attack is far worse than a threat.  The devastation caused by last weeks loss of life and innocent people injured in Paris is as bad as it gets.  That doesn’t mean ISIS doesn’t have other ways of attacking us. Displaying an evil cleverness unlike any previous terrorist organization, it would hardly be surprising if ISIS was actually cashing in their psychological chips and using the threats purely as a way of damaging the morale and economy of people in western countries, particularly the United States.

Americans by and large are a tough people.  I think there will still be crowds of people at Times Square in the coming weeks, but I also believe that some damage will most likely be done just from the threats put out there.  If the nations of the world show a strong resolve and display an indignant attitude towards the threats, then at least we’ve won one of the battles.  Of course that’s easy for me to say, since I may or may not be at Times Square this weekend.  I’ll let you know on Monday.

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON OPEDGUY.COM

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Uncategorized