Tag Archives: Joe Biden

I don’t often get political, but, Bad Bunny….

For over 25 years I have enjoyed saying that there is nothing cooler than a cool Puerto Rican. So when I tell you that I did not like Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico being floating garbage, I am speaking the truth. But if speaking the truth is what we are doing here, the direction this issue went after Sunday evening needs to be addressed. I am not referring to the comment made by President Biden, I am going back to something that happened before the current President went rogue on a laptop. I am referring to the importance put on the opinion of Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny.

If you had told me 10-20 years ago that I would be doing something in defense of Israel and the Jewish people in regard to actions by someone named Bad Bunny, I would have chuckled and thought you were crazy. Yet here we are in 2024 when that very person is not only seen as a critical spokesperson and defender of Puerto Ricans, he is also seen as someone the Harris campaign wants to have in their camp. I do not blame him or anyone for being offended by the joke, but if you are going to extrapolate that a bad joke at a Donald Trump rally is a reason to call him a fascist, hateful or another Hitler, dangerous and irresponsible wording, you must look at the other side as well.

I could write 1000 words about why the comparisons to Hitler being thrown around is an issue almost to the point of being a crisis, but instead I will take you to a recent Bad Bunny concert. At this concert, Bad Bunny who mixes with people who have made a point of always being on the side against Israel, displayed a Palestinian flag with blood red hands at a recent concert. In my searches I found no evidence that Bad Bunny even supports Israel’s right to exist. All I found is his unwavering support for the Palestinians at a time when Israel is fighting for its very survival. So I think it’s rather obvious whose hands he believes that blood is on.

Let me be very clear. So clear that I will designate this comment to a stand alone paragraph. To my fellow Jews who refuse to face this important truth, the survival of the Jewish people everywhere in the world, including the United States of America, is dependent on the survival of the State of Israel.

Your vote is your choice. But if you were all up in arms over Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico and attach it to Donald Trump, but choose to revere Bad Bunny and put importance on his endorsement of Kamala Harris, you are being naive at best, disingenuous at worst. As a proud Jew and Zionist, I have stood by long enough watching people get all up in arms over attacks against other groups that pale in comparison to the attacks against the Jews. And when I say attacks against the Jews, I am including attacks against Israel, for they are one in the same. If you support Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, that does not mean that you should accept hateful behavior by any supporter of theirs, no matter how powerful or how entertaining they may be in your estimation. And if you are Jewish or Pro-Israel, if you are not putting the safety and existence of the State of Israel at the forefront of your decision, you are making a tragic mistake.

Am Yisrael Chai

Never Again is Now!

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If you’re surprised at the attempt on Donald Trump’s life you are also probably surprised that….

If you’re surprised at the attempt on Donald Trump’s life, not only have you not been paying honest attention to what’s been going on, there is also likely a list of other events that have surprised you as well. With all the vicious vitriol taking place all over the political spectrum, an act of any violence should hardly be surprising to anyone. As someone close to me once said, if you truly believe Donald Trump is another Hitler, you are likely to feel that he should be stopped by any means necessary. While the motivation of the shooter has not yet been made public as I write this, how could anyone be that surprised that there was a shooter set on taking out the former President and current candidate. In light of this I say, if you’re surprised at the attempt on Donald Trump’s life you are also probably surprised that….

President Joe Biden performed the way he did at the debate.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Bronny James ( Lebron’ son).

The National Weather Service is saying this will be the worst year ever for hurricanes. (they say it every year).

Brighton, England elected a Muslim mayor.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for everyone to be fired today.

So many Hollywood elites, media types and elected Democrats are jumping from the Biden ship.

Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Rashida Tlaib smell an opportunity and are jumping on, and attempting to steer the Biden ship.

Gavin Newsom says he is has no interest in being president.

Israel is being pressured by people who claim to not negotiate with terrorists to agree to a cease fire with Hamas.

That there are anti-Israel riots in Europe.

That anti-Israel rioters are showing themselves to be anti-Jewish, not only anti-Israel.

That the United Nations is doing nothing to make the world safer.

I could go on and on, as there are so many more obvious events that have taken place that are seen as surprises by too many, but I am sure you get the point. If these things surprise, you are likely uninformed or unwilling to face the truth. We all have our reasons for not always seeing the obvious, but that does not mean it is not obvious. It should not be surprising at all that someone made an attempt on Donald Trump’s life, and with all the hate that exists in today’s world and all the intolerance for dissenting opinions, nothing should surprise anyone moving forward.

Am Yisrael Chai

Never Again is Now!

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When looking at the Crisis on College campuses, we need to be honest about how we got here

I am not going to lie. I hate every last one of the pro Hamas protestors on every American campus. But unless we identify those responsible for getting us here, it will be over for Jews in the United States, and after that happens the United States as we know it may ultimately be well on its way to a collapse.

I first started identifying a disturbing trend after 9/11. There were those on the right that blamed what they called failed policies by Bill Clinton. There were those on the left that attacked then president George W. Bush for not publicly showing alarm in front of kindergarteners when he first heard of the attack. Those that did that seemed too afraid or too political to go after those responsible for the attack, namely Al Qaeda and their leader Osama Bin-Laden. Why? Maybe because it felt safer to them to react in the manner. Do I hold young adults protesting on behalf of murdering terrorists accountable for their actions? Of course I do. But that can not let any one of us stay silent about those that either planted the seeds or fertilized the ground. We need to speak openly and honestly about how we got here.

First and foremost, let me be perfectly clear. Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. You do not have to like Israel’s current government, a large percentage of Israelis do not. But Israel is a strong and functioning democracy that can work it out for itself, and standing against it in what may be the most perilous time in the history of the Jewish state is ultimately calling for the death of Jews.

If you are a proud Jew and Zionist such as myself, one who makes every attempt to learn from history, holding back on speaking the truth should no longer be an option. The seeds of this cancer have been planted by Qatar, the most devious country on the planet. With its annual influx of billions of dollars to College administrations, this country, one that is playing everyone, has in essence bought the narrative of America’s future.

Then there’s the 10’s of billions of dollars of frozen assets released to Iran during the Obama administration, culminating with a massive airlift of cash in his last days in office, in essence supplying the money needed to fund Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and of course Hamas which ultimately led to previous wars, October 7th, and the current war in Gaza. This is not a truth many people want to admit to, but a truth nonetheless.

But let’s not forget the era in which we live. An era of Instagram posts and Tik-Tok reels in which Chuck Schumer, the highest ranking Jewish politician in U.S. history, calls for elections to replace Israel’s Prime Minister in the middle of a war. Students see and hear this. When Jonathan Glazer, a Jew himself makes an acceptance speech at the Oscars for Best International Feature Film and states that his Jewishness and the Holocaust are “being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people”, young college students see this clip. It is widely believed that when you follow the money, much of what does not lead back to Iran and Qatar leads back to George Soros, a Jew himself and one who escaped the Holocaust. Bernie Sanders, notoriously anti-Israel to the point of providing false statistics during previous conflicts, can only be described as a traitor, who, as one of my brothers so eloquently put, should rot in hell. Even if you want to say that many of those among my fellow Jews mean well and have even done a lot for Israel and the Jewish people before now, what they are doing today is fueling the burning and growing fire of Jewish hatred in America and worldwide. To put it more bluntly and to clarify how devastating this is, giving life and power to these protestors is likely killing any hostage still alive, because as Hamas sees the societal disaster taking place in America, they have increased incentive to keep the war going. Why would they accept Israel’s terms when thanks to the voices against Israel and the agitators protesting on campus, some of which are actually students, Hamas is in effect, winning the war.

There are the Jew hating celebrities like Roger Watters, Susan Sarandon and Jon Cusack, who repeatedly accuse Israel of committing Genocide and will insist that some of their best friends are Jewish. They are all cowards and fools, as displayed by Cusack who banned me from his X account after I accused him of being on the wrong side of history. https://x.com/HollandsHeroes/status/1785158544645378104 . They are cowards because it is truly my belief that deep in their hearts they see a world with growing Muslin extremism and they feel safer going after 8 million Jews. It is hard to argue with their logic if you only look at the numbers, but it brings their cowardice into focus.

Let’s not forget the squad and the loud and proud Jew hating voices led by Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, whose growing power have forced President Joe Biden into hiding during the crisis on colleges campuses.

The heroic voices of people such as Douglas Murray, Bill Maher and John Fetterman need to grow. Proud Jewish celebrities like Robert Kraft and Jon Lovitz need to be identified and supported for their position in favor of their people.

I recognize that America and the current administration has supported Israel since October 7th, and for that I am grateful, but if the people in power spend more time worrying about keeping their jobs than doing their jobs, this will only get worse, and history is flush with stories of empires that collapsed after they persecuted and either killed or expelled the Jews. Past is prologue, and those who do not learn from it are in essence digging their own graves. This is not meant only for Jews, but non-Jewish Americans as well. When protestors on campus are calling for Intifada, if you believe it is only directed towards Israel, you are a fool.

When I started watching the news last night, it was so disturbing that I wanted to turn off the TV. However, what happens if I and all of you choose to bury our heads in the sand will make what it happening now look like a picnic, so I kept watching. Silence is not as option. Never Again is Now.

Am Yisrael Chai

Never Again is Now!

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The critical question for Jews who voted for Joe Biden

While questions about the outcome of the election may or may not need to get worked out in the courts, Democrats celebrate a win by Joe Biden in the 2020 US Presidential race. Unlike the hundreds of thousands of experts on social media, I make no claim to know much about voter fraud and election rules. I am at the mercy of the news media to tell me what happens.  Unless I see evidence to the contrary, I am neither qualified nor irresponsible enough to question the legitimacy of the outcome. I do however have the ability to observe and read the reactions of people, and as I see many of my fellow Jews declare their joy over the election of Biden, what I have not seen in many of their statements are the words “the Jewish people” or “the State of Israel”.  While  I do not sit in judgment over what makes someone a good Jew or a bad Jew, as it is not my place to do so, I do find this to be curious, and can’t help but examine and indeed question, why this might be the case.

Everyone of course has their reasons for feeling as they do and saying what they do. I know many people who have done a lot for Jews worldwide that fall into that group that voted for Biden, and I recognize that, but the appearance it gives is that for many Jewish people in America, the best interests of the Jews and Israel were just not an issue of major importance to them in this election. To be clear, I am not merely coming to this conclusion based on reactions to the result, but also from discussions or debates I had in person, on the phone or in social media prior to the election. If anything it appears as though one issue was more important to them than anything else. Their hatred for Donald Trump. 

Some make the argument that Trump is bad for Israel and stokes the flames of anti-Semitism in the United States. The debate has been conducted ad nauseum and I have no intention of restarting it, but I will say that this reminds me of something an old friend once said to me when we worked together as salespeople.   People buy with emotion, and justify it with logic. I present this concept here because I have to wonder if the hatred for the sitting president is so great that Jews around the country just convinced themselves he was bad for Israel and the Jews in order to justify their vote against him. Or do they really believe that a man that moved the embassy to Jerusalem, something promised by administrations for decades, recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel, ripped up a deal that paved the way for Iran to have a nuclear bomb, and made peace treaties increasing security and prosperity for the Jewish state is actually an anti-Semite who is bad for Israel, or as many of his haters call him, another Hitler?

I don’t presume to know anyone’s motivation for what they say or do not say, but when one of my fellow American Jews goes on a rant about all the reasons they chose Joe Biden over Donald Trump, and the issue of Israel and the Jewish people is either an afterthought or an omission, I can’t help but get the impression that those issues were just lower on their list of priorities, if there at all.  I know the responses many will give is either a list of all the reasons they see Donald Trump as an awful human being, as an existential threat to American democracy and all the reasons they feel the things he has done do not actually make him good for the State of Israel. I’ve heard and read them all. What I have not heard from my fellow Jews and Zionists is why, as part of one or two of those groups they are happy that Joe Biden looks to be their next president. I, as both a Jew and a Zionist am not, and it mattered enough to me to be reason alone to vote for Donald Trump.

While I am not writing this to argue the merits of hating or loving Trump, it strikes me that the number one reason people have grown to hate him is more because they don’t like what he says than it is what he does. I won’t litigate the various issues that people apply this to, but I will say that as a Jew and son of Holocaust survivors, nothing seems more irresponsible to me than choosing someone who sounds nice over someone who has your back. I said before the election that I felt that no matter who wins the election I believe there are dark days ahead for the Jewish people in America. As a Jewish man who is not convinced that Joe Biden will have our backs, I express no optimism over how he will be good for us in the coming years. So naturally I didn’t express any optimism. But for my fellow Jews that voted for him and also didn’t express that optimism, are you holding your breath and hoping for the best, or is it just not an issue that mattered to you enough to dictate your vote?  That is a question that each and every one of you can only answer for yourselves.

Ultimately I tend to believe people vote for what they perceive to be in their own best interests.  If any Jewish voter doesn’t see the security of Israel and the protection of their Jewish communities as being in their own best interest, then they’ve learned little to nothing from history.   

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No matter who wins, I’ll still love you (or like you)

No this is not a post telling you to vote. I start that way because a lot of similar sounding blurbs usually are precursors to telling Americans to exercise their constitutional right to use their voice in the ballot box. However, the concept I will speak of, the concept of not relinquishing your power is not only meant for Americans. It is meant for anyone out there who is so caught up in what is thrust upon them in news and social media that they are in danger of losing sight of that which they actually can control.

As someone who generally does not allow what I read online or see in the news to have too much of an impact on my mood and overall outlook, I have not been someone who has sworn off social media and the multitudes of “news” sources. That being said, I sometimes think that all I am doing is wasting time I could be spending on more productive activities.  Maybe so, but what it really comes down to is what does it take to make my life better? Who do I hold responsible?  I know a lot of people who come across as though their future totally rests in the hands of the upcoming election.  While I have my own very strong personal opinions and believe the outcome of the election will have serious consequences in the future, I go into November 3rd being somewhat indignant.  I refuse to allow my entire future and happiness be dictated by who wins and who loses on election day.  I intend to control my own outlook and state of mind.  And I urge you all to do the same.

I recently posted the following on Twitter.

No matter what side you support in the US, tens to hundreds of millions of people are on the wrong side of history. That’s scary regardless of who is right.

While I do believe that, I also believe the United States of America is plagued by 2 very significant problems. First of all, many people struggle to think for themselves. Group think is a real thing. People find their influences and often duplicate the thoughts and words they pick up from those influences. Some might accuse me of the same, but the mere fact that I am willing to see fault in both sides helps me to believe that even if they’re correct about me, it could be a lot worse.  In order to prove my point and piss off most people who are reading this in one sentence I will make the following statement. Calling Donald Trump a Nazi and Joe Biden a socialist are examples of group think, and both incorrect statements.  You may insist you came up with either belief on your own, and it is not for me to say that you didn’t, but many believe and say one of those things as a result of being part of group think.

The other problem plaguing us, and I believe this is a problem that transcends politics and is very possibly one of the most harmful aspects of our current society, is the tendency to always look for someone to blame for what is wrong in our lives.  Of course sometimes someone is at fault for hurting you or your loved ones.  It would be naïve to say otherwise.  But the mindset of always looking for someone to blame, besides generally being futile, also causes us to move away from the most important thing we can do for ourselves.  And that is to become better people.  There are 2 kinds of people in our world that blame others for where they are in life.  The first are the kind who were hurt by a person, people or institution in a way that impacted their life significantly.  Not only do we tend not to judge those people, we find ourselves having tremendous respect for their ability to overcome the disadvantage their history afforded them.  The other kind of person is someone who uses blame as a crutch, always finding culpability in everyone other than themselves.  With politics as heated as it is, and as much at stake in the upcoming election as there is, people are all set to use the outcome of the election as the reason for why it all goes wrong moving forward.

While I recognize the importance of our leaders’ decisions, I urge each and every one one of you to make the following pledge to yourselves. Pledge to yourself, should you have the medical and psychological capability to do so, that you will be the one that controls your mindset.  That you will recognize what it is in your life that makes it special and meaningful.  Rather than using your energy on blaming others for what can and does go wrong, focus on working hard on making yourself better and stronger.  Be kinder, more considerate and more loving, and watch in joy as it ultimately comes back to you from somewhere, be it expected or not. Don’t allow a very self-serving media, on both sides of the aisle, to terrify you into action or lack of action. And make the most of today, because no matter who wins on election day, no one is promised tomorrow.

Finally, while I believe in God and it personally provides me with some degree of balance and strength, I know some high quality people who don’t necessarily share that same belief.  I say this because while my belief in God may either contribute or be at the core of what centers me, there are others that need to find something else to center them. I urge them to do so.  Hopefully that center will allow you to realize that if you are fortunate enough to get another day to live and hopefully improve your life, you have something to be grateful for and something that can, and should be motivating moving forward. And of course please know, that no matter who you vote for, if I love you today, I will love you equally the day after the election, even if one of us doesn’t get the outcome we wanted.

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Calling the President’s bluff on Netanyahu’s Speech

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I am not naive.  I realize that the reasons people are showing opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled speech to the U.S. Congress are at least partially based on an anti-Israel sentiment.  That being said, I am somewhat pleased as to what has transpired.  First of all, I am all for the concept of smoking out the enemy, so to speak.  I don’t necessarily believe that those boycotting the speech are automatically the enemy of Israel, but if nothing else they are the enemy of common sense.

The most high-profile politician to state that he will not be attending the speech is Vice President Joseph Biden.  Not that I ever saw him as a credible candidate anyway, but should he declare himself as running for president in 2016, it’s good to know that not only can Israel not count on him when needed, but that he didn’t even have the character to admit it openly and honestly.  Biden’s reason for not attending the speech is “a scheduling conflict”.  I guess when an administration has chosen to dumb it down  for this long, why stop?  No reason to stop insulting our intelligence now.

It just so happens that there is a solution to all of these so-called political maneuvers.  That solution is rescheduling.  The only thing not to be rescheduled should be the Israeli elections.  As of now everything seems to be running in 2 week intervals, with the elections smack in the middle.  Bibi’s speech is scheduled for March 3, Israel’s elections for March 17, and an outline for an agreement with Iran for March 31.  If the president is sincere about all of these issues then the best solution is the following.   Reschedule the target date for the proposal with Iran for one month later and reschedule Bibi’s speech for after the Israeli elections.  In doing so it would appear as though everyone is getting what they want and the accusations of politics being injected into a crucial security issue can be dismissed.  That would be great were it not for one very important factor.  Politics is always part of the equation.

First of all, despite the fact that I, as a supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu appreciate Boehner pushing for the speech, I also am aware that he has spent most of his time over the past 6 years fighting this administration.  Therefore it is clear that in circumventing the White House he gains satisfaction and at least in his mind some political gain.  That being said, of all the important issues surrounding this matter, Boehner’s tactics are the least important, and the least dangerous.  There are 2 other parties that are happy keeping things exactly as they are today and have far more impact on our future.

The first party that wants today’s status-quo to remain intact is the current President of the United States.  Whether it is out of a Chamberlain-like mentality of appeasement or the extreme view some hold that this is some master plot to destroy the U.S. as we know it, the president seems to want to make a perceived nuclear deal with Iran part of his legacy.  Common sense would dictate that it makes no sense to negotiate nuclear deals with a nation that not only sponsors worldwide terrorism but calls on the destruction of Israel and its allies in the west, but unfortunately the only way any of this makes some sense is if we believe those in charge are dangerously naive or that they have the very worst of intentions.  Should the rescheduling take place, calling the Obama administration’s proverbial bluff, I have no doubt that we would find that when all is said and done this has very little to do with whether or not the American political structure impacted Israel’s elections.  I am confident the opposition to the speech would remain.

The second party I see resisting a rescheduling of events is Iran.  It makes more sense that Iran would prefer to keep Netanyahu in power than to see Israel run by a more liberal and pacifist government.  No one in their right mind believes Iran is honest about their intentions, and should an Israeli government be elected that is willing to capitulate to Iran even in some fashion, Iran’s bluff would be called as well. Israel could have a government that would openly declare the willingness to do anything they want for peace, and Iran would still declare their desire to wipe Israel off the map.  So with a more conservative Netanyahu-lead government, Iran can continue its international deception of being a country dedicated to peace.

Regardless of anything else that happens, the one thing all the hoopla surrounding the speech has given us is a clear picture of where everyone stands in future U.S. elections.  Since Iran is a threat to American and Israeli security, I hope all those with a vote realize the larger statement being made by those putting a misguided policy ahead of what keeps all of us safe.  That statement seems to be that sleeping with the enemy is more important than working with your friends.  A very concerning and ultimately tragically dangerous approach.

 

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Almost Joe, Almost

if-joe-biden-were-elected-the-nations-45th-president-hed-be-74-years-old-when-he-assumed-officeEither Vice President Joe Biden isn’t running for president in 2016, or he is and just doesn’t care if he wins or loses.  When you are on the edge of showing a toughness and a clarity displayed by his initial statements last week and then you backtrack, you’ve made a critical political blunder.

Last week Biden made the following statements regarding the involvement of the United Arab Emirates and Turkey in the growth of ISIS.

“They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad. Except that the people who were being supplied were al-Nusra and al Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world,” 

In regard to  Turkey he said the following: “President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan told me … ‘You were right. We let too many people (including foreign fighters) through.’ Now they are trying to seal their border.”

When UAE and Turkey got all bent out of shape, VP Biden apologized to the 2 countries for saying they are partly to blame for the growth and development of ISIS.  But was he wrong?  Have these countries really done anything other than facilitate their development?  Is Turkey not more focused on showing venomous hatred for Israel than they are on not letting ISIS recruits travel through their borders?

At a time where the populations of countries in the western world are desperately looking for strong leadership, Joe Biden stood up and said what needed to be said.  Then the 2 countries he said it to got mad and he apologized.  So close Joe.  Oh so close.   It’s a lot like a school teacher trying to break up a fight in an out of control class, reprimanding the instigators of the fight, and then apologizing to these very same instigators when they get upset at him for the reprimand.   He almost took the necessary and strong action, he just decided against it when challenged.

Unfortunately the end result makes someone who came close to displaying the strength we need in these difficult times look very weak instead.   But he almost did what he needed to do.  Almost.

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