Let's jump in with a question: If politics is show biz for ugly people, what does that make journalism?
Ruth
Gordon? Yes, Ruth won the Academy Award. Two words, he could have
named her since she won the only Academy Award for the film and since he
brought up the Oscars.
But I'm talking about
"starred Mia Farrow as a woman who starts to realise her unborn child is
the spawn of the devil." See the problem with that? If you've seen
the movie, you should see the problem. Let me say "SPOILER" on a
fifty-something year old film but Rosemary does not realize her unborn
child is the spawn of the devil. When Mia's desperate to see Charles
Grodin, she doesn't realize that. And that's when she's on the run
because she has caught on to what they are. She is afraid that they
will take the baby and do something to it -- based on the book Hutch had
given her earlier in the film -- "All of them witches" -- remember and
that and her use of the Scrabble game? And she goes back to the Dakota
and thinks she's safe because she wrongly believes the known entrance to
the apartment is the only entrance. It's not. That's why the woman
who died in that apartment had blocked her closet. So they start
entering and she sees them and she's screaming and going into labor.
Then the baby's dead. But really 'dead.' They're pumping her breasts
for milk, remember all this? She's suspicious and she puts her spoon in
the pumped milk? She realizes there's another way and it's the
closet. She goes in there and takes down the towels and shelves and,
with her butcher kitchen knife, is now in Minnie's apartment. She's
heard a baby crying and thought it might be there and it might be her
baby.
With everyone at the year-one-Satan
party glaring at her, she walks over with the butcher knife to look at
her child and screams what have they done to the baby's eyes? He has
his father's eyes! But, she says, Guy's eyes are normal. And that's
when she's told that Satan is the baby's father.
She's no longer pregnant. She's given birth. She's now looking at her baby.
So,
no, the film is not about "a woman who starts to realize her unborn
child is the spawn of the devil." She only finds that out after the
baby has been born. That's why Minnie had been testing her with
questions once she found out Rosemary was Catholic.
Angela
Dorian plays Terry Gionoffrio who Minnie had taken in, remember?
Terry (who the news movie is about) met Rosemary in the basement of the
Dakota when they're doing laundry (it's Terry's one scene in the
movie). What happens to Terry? She leaps to her death. She couldn't
handle the plan to give birth to the devil's child. From Terry's
remarks (in that one scene), we're meant to see that she's far less
traditional than Rosemary. So if Terry -- 'wild' and 'out there' --
couldn't handle it, Minnie and her husband Roman know Rosemary can't
know because Rosemary gets offended at dinner when the others are making
jokes about the Pope.
So, no, it's not a film
about a pregnant woman who knows she's giving birth to the devil's
child. During the pregnancy, Rosemary has no idea, she only learns this
days after she gives birth.
That's
a direct quote from a friend who was an editor at NEWSWEEK. And, yeah,
it does matter. I was griping over the phone about how they'd
misrepresented the facts of a TV show and the reply was it's only a TV
show.
I
didn't ask Benjamin Lee to write about the new film. I wouldn't have,
he doesn't even see the point in it. Sorry, but Terry only has one
scene in the 1968 film and her character leaves an impression. They've
done a sequel for Rosemary and her son Adrian (TV movie that Patty Duke
starred in). Terry's the next obvious choice and, honestly, I will
watch the move -- even with Benjamin's bad review -- because I'm
interested.
But Benjamin is supposed to be a
journalist and his assignment was this film. So since it's a film, he
gets to toss aside journalism. His error is not a minor error. It goes
to did he even see the first film that he thinks was so amazing and so
much better than this new one?
NEWSWEEK.
I'm expected to
weigh in on it. I can't. I know nothing about it. I learned about it
from a friend who asked me this morning to note it.
Most
days, from an hour or so after this snapshot goes up until nine at
night, I'm speaking to groups to get out the vote for Kamala. So I
can't follow everything. I understand that the usual grifters and
hypocrites are trying to spin this to defend Elon Musk and that's
probably why I'm being asked to weigh in. According to Glynneth
Greenwald supposedly -- I haven't seen his Tweets -- the hypocrites (of
the left -- but that's always implied with Greenwald, right?) are
outraged by this and didn't say a damn thing about THE NEW YORK POST
article in 2020.
I did. And that's probably
why I'm being asked to weigh in. I defended the right of THE POST to
publish the article. Unlike Glenneth, I repeatedly stresses this was
not stolen material because I knew the press was using that lie about
the laptop to avoid covering it. I defended the right to publish the
article and I defended them from the Twitter censorship that followed.
And
I may do the same with the issue at hand now. But I'm going to have to
brush up on it because I know nothing other than what we just quoted
above. So we'll put that on my never ending to-do list and it'll be
addressed here or at THIRD.
I'm too tired this
morning -- and time's too limited -- to do the research required to
weigh in so we're putting a pin in it for now.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. (Applause.) Hi.
Well, it’s good to be back in Pittsburgh. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you.
Please have a seat. Please have a seat.
Andrea, thank you so very much for — for that beautiful introduction
and for your leadership. It really is my honor to be with you today.
Thank you.
And thank you to Risa and the Economic Club of Pittsburgh for hosting us today.
And I also want to thank Mayor Gainey for being here. (Applause.)
Mayor, you greet me each time I come to Pittsburgh. I thank you so very
much for that and — and your leadership. Thank you.
So, hello, friends. Let’s get started. (Applause.) Okay.
So, we gather at a moment of great consequence. In this election, I
believe we have an extraordinary opportunity to make our middle class
the engine of America’s prosperity, to build a stronger economy where
everyone everywhere has a chance to pursue their dreams and aspirations,
and to ensure that the United States of America continues to
out-innovate and outcompete the world.
Over the past three and a half years, we have taken major steps
forward to recover from the public health and economic crisis we
inherited. Inflation has dropped faster here than the rest of the
developed world. Unemployment is near record low levels. We have
created almost 740,000 manufacturing jobs, including 650 at the batty- —
battery manufacturing plant over in Turtle Creek. (Applause.) And we
have supported another 15,000 jobs at Montgomery Locks. (Applause.)
So, these are local, great examples of the work that we have achieved thus far.
And last week, for the first time, of course, in four and a half
years, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, which will make it just a
little easier for families to buy a home or a car or just pay down
their credit card bill.
But let’s be clear. For all these positive steps, the cost of living
in America is still just too high. You know it, and I know it. And
that was true long before the pandemic hit.
Many Americans who aspire to own a home are unable to save enough for
a down payment on a house and starting to think that maybe
homeownership is just outside of their reach. Folks who live in factory
towns and in rural communities who have lost jobs are wondering if
those jobs will ever come back. Many Americans are worried about how
they’ll afford the prescription medication they depend on.
All of this is happening at a time when many of the biggest
corporations continue to make record profits, while wages have not kept
up pace.
I understand the pressures of making ends meet. I grew up in a
middle-class family, and while we were more fortunate than many, I still
remember my mother sitting at that yellow Formica table late at night,
cup of tea in hand, with a pile of bills in front of her, just trying to
make sure that she paid them off by the end of the month, like so many
Americans just trying to make it all work.
Every day, millions of Americans are sitting around their own kitchen
tables and facing their own financial pressures because, over the past
several decades, our economy has grown better and better for those at
the very top and increasingly difficult for those trying to attain,
build, and hold on to a middle-class life.
In many ways, this is what this election is all about. The American
people face a choice between two fundamentally very different paths for
our economy. I intend to chart a new way forward and grow America’s
middle class. Donald Trump intends to take America backward to the
failed policies of the past.
He has no intention to grow our middle class. He’s only interested
in making life better for himself and people like himself: the
wealthiest of Americans.
You can see it spelled out in his economic agenda, an agenda that
gives trillions of dollars in tax cuts to billionaires and the biggest
corporations while raising taxes on the middle class by almost $4,000 a
year, slashing overtime pay, throwing tens of millions of Americans off
of health care, and cutting Social Security and Medicare.
In sum, his agenda would weaken the economy and hurt working people
and the middle class. You see, for Donald Trump, our economy works best
if it works for those who own the big skyscrapers, not those who
actually build them, not those who wire them, not those who mop the
floors. (Applause.)
Well, I have a very different vision. I have a very different vision
for our economy. I believe we need to grow our middle class and make
sure our economy works for everyone, for people — (applause) — like the
people in the neighborhood where I grew up and the hardworking Americans
I meet every day across our nation.
So, I call my vision the “opportunity economy,” and it’s about making
sure — (applause) — everyone can find a job and more — and more.
Because, frankly, having a job, I believe, in our ambition and
aspiration should be baseline, and we should aspire and have the
ambition and plan to do more.
I want Americans and families to be able to not just get by but be
able to get ahead — (applause) — to thrive — be able to thrive. I don’t
want you to have to worry about making your monthly rent if your car
breaks down. I want you to be able to save up for your child’s
education, to take a nice vacation from time to time. I want you to be
able to buy Christmas presents for your loved ones without feeling
anxious when you’re looking at your bank statement. I want you to be
able to build some wealth not just for yourself but also for your
children and your grandchildren — intergenerational wealth. (Applause.)
And here’s the thing. Here’s the thing. Here’s the beauty of it
all. We know how to build an economy like that. We do know how to
unlock strong, shared economic growth for the American people. History
has shown it time and again: When we invest in those things that
strengthen the middle class — manufacturing, housing, health care,
education, small businesses, and our communities — we grow our economy
and catalyze the entire country to succeed.
I have pledged that building a strong middle class will be a defining
goal of my presidency. And the reason — (applause) — but let me tell
you, the reason is not about politics, and it’s not about ideology.
From my perspective, it’s just common sense. (Applause.) It’s just
common sense. It’s actually what works. When the middle class is
strong, America is strong. And we can build a stronger middle class.
The American economy — we know this here — the American economy is
the most powerful force for innovation and wealth creation in human
history. We just need to move past the failed policies that we have
proven don’t work, and like generations before us, let us be inspired by
what is possible.
As president, I will be grounded in my fundamental values of
fairness, dignity, and opportunity. And I promise you, I will be
pragmatic in my approach. I will engage in what Franklin Roosevelt
called “bold, persistent experimentation.” (Applause.) Because I
believe we shouldn’t be constrained by ideology and, instead, should
seek practical solutions to problems, realistic assessments of what is
working and what is not, applying metrics to our analysis, applying
facts to our analysis, and stay focused, then, not only on the crises at
hand but on our big goals, on what’s best for America over the long
term.
And part of being pragmatic means taking good ideas from wherever
they come. Listen, you all know my career. Andrea shared it with you.
I am a devout public servant. (Laughs.) I also know the limitations
of government.
I’ve always been and will always be — and be clear about this — I’ve
always been and will always be a strong supporter of workers and
unions. (Applause.) And I — I also believe we need to engage those who
create most of the jobs in America.
Look, I am a capitalist. I believe in free and fair markets.
(Applause.) I believe in consistent and transparent rules of the road
to create a stable business environment. And I know the power of
American innovation.
I’ve been working with entrepreneurs and business owners my whole
career, and I believe companies need to play by the rules — (applause) —
respect the rights of workers and unions, and abide by fair
competition. And if they don’t, I will hold them accountable.
And if anyone has a question about that, just look at my record as
attorney general. (Applause.) Look at my record in California, taking
on the big banks for predatory lending — (applause); taking on big
health care companies for conspiring to jack up prices — (applause);
taking on a big for-profit college for scamming veterans and students.
At the same time, I believe that most companies are working hard to
do the right thing by their customers and the employees who depend on
them, and we must work with them to grow our economy. I believe an
active partnership between government and the private sector is one of
the most effective ways to fully unlock economic opportunity.
(Applause.)
And that is what I will do when I am president. I will target the
major barriers to opportunity and remove them. We will identify
commonsense solutions to help Americans buy a home, start a business,
and build wealth, and we will adopt them.
So, let’s start, then, with the first pillar of an opportunity
economy, which is lowering costs. So, I made that our top priority for
obvious reasons, because if we want the middle class to be the growth
engine of our economy, we need to restore basic economic security for
middle-class families. To that end, the most practical thing we can do
right now is to cut taxes for middle-class families and individuals.
(Applause.) And that’s what we will do.
Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a
middle-class tax break that includes $6,000 for new parents during the
first year of their child’s life — (applause) —
to help families cover everything from car seats to cribs. We’ll
also cut the cost of childcare and eldercare — (applause) — and finally
give all working people access to paid leave, which will help everyone
caring for children, caring for aging parents, and that sandwich
generation, which is caring for both. (Applause.)
So, I have a personal experience with caregiving. I remember being
there for my mother when she was diagnosed with cancer — cooking meals
for her, taking her to her appointments,
just trying to make her comfortable, figuring out which clothes were
soft enough that they wouldn’t irritate her, and telling her stories to
try and make her laugh. I know caregiving is about dignity. It really
is.
And when we lower the costs and ease the burdens people face, we will
not only make it then easier for them to meet their obligations as
caregivers, we will also make it more possible for them to go to work
and pursue their economic aspirations. And when that happens, our
economy as a whole grows stronger.
Now, middle-class tax cuts are just the start of my plan. We will
also go after the biggest drivers of cost for the middle class and work
to bring them down. And one of those — some would argue, one of the
biggest — is the cost of housing.
So, here’s what we will do. We will cut the red tape that stops
homes from being built and take on, in addition, corporate landlords who
are hiking rental prices. (Applause.) And we will work with builders
and developers to construct 3 million new homes and rentals for the
middle class because increasing the housing supply will help drive down
the cost of housing. (Applause.)
We will also help first-time homebuyers just get their foot in the door with a $25,000 down payment assistance. (Applause.)
Because the goal is clear: Let’s help more Americans afford to buy a
home, which we know is a critical step in their ability to grow their
wealth and intergenerational wealth.
And we will work to reduce other big costs for middle-class
families. We will take on bad actors who exploit emergencies and drive
up grocery prices by enacting the first-ever federal ban on corporate
price gouging. (Applause.) I had the experience of dealing with that
when I was attorney general.
We will take on Big Pharma and cap the cost of prescription drugs for
all Americans — (applause) — just like we did for our seniors.
Now, by contrast, Donald Trump has no intention of lowering costs for
the middle class. In fact, his economic agenda would actually raise
prices.
And, listen, that’s not just my opinion. A survey of top economists
by the Financial Times and the University of Chicago found that by an
overwhelming 70 to 3 percent margin, my plan would be better for keeping
inflation low. (Applause.) Objective economists have been very clear.
The second pillar of an opportunity economy is investing in American
innovation and entrepreneurship. So, for the last century, the United
States of America has been a beacon around the world. And as your vice
president now for almost four years, I’ve been traveling the world,
meeting with world leaders, meeting with foreign leaders, meeting with
business people in various countries with which we have partnership.
And I will tell you, America remains a beacon for what it means to
inspire and invest in innovation not only for our ability to come up
with some of the most breakthrough ideas but also our ability to turn
those ideas into — into some of the most consequential innovations the
world has ever known.
I believe the source of our success is the ingenuity, the dynamism,
and enterprising spirit of the American people. To paraphrase —
(applause). Yes, it is. It’s our nature. It’s our nature.
To paraphrase Warren Buffett: Since the founding of our nation, there
has been no incubator for unleashing human potential like America. And
we need to guard that spirit. (Applause.) We have to guard that
spirit. Let it always inspire us. Let it always be the source of our
optimism, which is that spirit that is so uniquely American.
And let that then inspire us by helping us to be inspired to solve
the problems that so many face, including our small-business owners.
So, as I travel the country, what I hear time and again from those
who own small businesses and those who aspire to start them is that too
often an entrepreneur has a great idea — not too often; that’s good —
and they have the willingness to take the risk, but they don’t have
access to the capital that they need to make it real.
And as Andrea said, not everybody was handed on a silver platter $400
million and then filed for bankruptcy six times. (Applause.) Oh, I
said that. (Laughs.) Right? I sa- — I actually said that.
Well, we can make it easier. We can make it easier for our small
businesses to access capital. On average, it costs about $40,000 to
start a new business. But currently, the tax deduction for start-ups is
only $5,000. So, currently for start-up costs, the tax deduction is
$5,000.
Well, in 2024, it is almost impossible to start a business on $5,000,
which is why, as president, I will make the start-up deduction 10 times
richer and we will raise it from $5,000 to $50,000 — (applause) — tax
deduction and provide low- and no-interest loans to small businesses
that want to expand, all of which will help achieve our ambitious, some
would say — but that’s okay; let’s be ambitious — our ambitious goal of
25 million new small-business applications by the end of my first term.
(Applause.) I know this is very achievable.
And for anyone here who is a small-business owner, works for a small
business, or has a small business in your life, you understand what I’m
talking about in terms of when we build up our small businesses, what
that does to entire communities to lift them up economically, civically,
culturally, and in every way.
Small businesses, the point being, help drive our economy, and they
create — (applause) — they create nearly 50 percent of private-sector
jobs, and they strengthen our middle class.
And if we can harness the entrepreneurialism of the American people
and unlock the full potential of aspiring founders and small-business
owners, I am optimistic that no one will be able to outpace us.
(Applause.)
By contrast, Donald Trump, when he was president, has been described
by one of the nation’s leading experts on small businesses in a piece he
published in a major paper as not being good for small business. In
fact, the title — (laughs) — the title — wait, because I’m burying the
lede right now. (Laughter.) One of the leading experts on small
businesses published a piece in one of the major newspapers, and the
title — I’m going to quote — “Does Donald Trump Hate Small Businesses?”
(Laughter.) And their answer was yes. (Laughter.) Their answer was
yes.
Because at the same time that Donald Trump was giving a tax cut to
big corporations and billionaires, he tried to slash programs for small
businesses and raise borrowing costs for them. Instead of making it
easier, he actually made it more difficult for them to access capital.
And that’s not surprising, because Donald Trump just does not prioritize
small businesses. He does not seem to value, frankly, the essential
role they play.
But, look, when I look at small-business owners, I see some of the
heroes of our economy — not only entrepreneurs but, as I said, civic
leaders, community leaders, part of the glue that holds communities
together.
The third pillar of our opportunity economy is leading the world in
the industries of the future and making sure America, not China, wins
the competition for the 21st century. (Applause.)
One of the recurring themes in American history is that when we make
an intentional effort to invest in our industrial strength, it leads to
extraordinary prosperity and security,
not only for years but for generations.
Think of Alexander Hamilton having the foresight to build the
manufacturing capabilities of our new nation. Think of Lincoln and the
transcontinental railroad. Think of Eisenhower and the Interstate
Highway System; Kennedy committing America to win the space race and
spurring innovation across our society.
From our earliest days, America’s economic strength has been tied to our industrial strength, and the same is true today.
So, I will recommit the nation to global leadership in the sectors
that will define the next century. We will invest in biomanufacturing
and aerospace; remain dominant in AI and quantum computing, blockchain
and other emerging technologies; expand our lead in clean energy
innovation and manufacturing — (applause) — so the next generation of
breakthroughs from advanced batteries to geothermal to advanced nuclear
are not just invented but built here in America by American workers.
(Applause.)
And we will invest in the industries that, for example, made
Pittsburgh the “Steel City” by offering — (applause) — tax credits for
expanding good union jobs in steel and iron and manufacturing
communities like here in Mon Valley. (Applause.)
And across all these industries of the future, we will prioritize
investments for strengthening factory towns — this is so important — for
strengthening factory towns; retooling existing factories; hiring
locally and working with unions, because no one who grows up in
America’s greatest industrial or agricultural centers should be
abandoned.
And understand what that means for real people — people we know,
people we care about. We don’t have to abandon a strength we’ve known
to achieve a strength that we plan. (Applause.)
And here’s what else we will do when I am president. We will double
the number of registered apprenticeships by the end of my first term.
(Applause.) Because I almost made it — a goal of mine — I — I am — I
think I am going to fall short, but trying to visit every IBEW Local in
America — (laughter) — because I’m going to tell you, those
apprenticeship programs, those are tough-duty, man — and women and
everyone. (Laughter.) They’re tough-duty.
I mean, talk about the skills that are about engineering and science
and math and just the most highly skilled folks who are in those
apprenticeships and teaching there.
And so, one of the things we must do, understanding that and
understanding the nature of that part of our educational system, is
let’s eliminate degree requirements while increasing skills
development. (Applause.) And let’s start with something I can do as
president — was ensure that we do that for the half a million of federal
jobs that are within our ability to make it so — (applause) — showing
what is possible and then challenging the private sector to make a
similar commitment to emphasizing skills and not just degrees.
(Applause.)
And we will reform our tax laws to make it easier for businesses to
let workers share in their company’s success. And I will challenge the
private sector to do more to lift up workers through equity, profits,
and benefits so more people can share in America’s success and
prosperity. (Applause.)
And not only must we build the industries of the future in America,
we must also build them faster. You know, there’s a time for patience,
and there’s a time for impatience. That’s not in Ecclesiastics [Ecclesiastes], but — but — (laughter).
Just went off script for a minute, Mayor. (Laughter.)
But the simple truth is, in America, it takes too long and it costs
too much to build. Whether it’s a new housing development, a new
factory, or a new bridge, projects take too long to go from concept to
reality. It happens in blue states, it happens in red states, and it’s a
national problem.
And I will tell you this. China is not moving slowly. They’re not.
And we can’t afford to, either. If we are to compete, we can’t afford
to, either.
As president, if things are not moving quickly, I will demand to know
why, and I will act. I will work with Congress, workers and
businesses, cities and states, community groups and local leaders to
reform permitting, to cut red tape, and get things moving faster.
Because, look, as I said, patience may be a virtue but not when it comes
to job creation or America’s competitiveness.
Many of you know — the Empire State Building, you know how long it
took to build that? One year. The Pentagon, you know how long that
took? Sixteen months.
No one can tell me we can’t build quickly in our country. (Applause.) I’ve got empirical evidence.
Now, look, my opponent, Donald Trump, well, he makes big promises on
manufacturing. Just yesterday, he went out and promised to bring back
manufacturing jobs. And if that sounds familiar, it should. In 2016,
he went out and made that very same promise about the Carrier plant in
Indianapolis. You’ll remember Carrier then offshored hundreds of jobs
to Mexico under his watch.
And it wasn’t just there. On Trump’s watch, offshoring went up and
manufacturing jobs went down across our country and across our economy.
All told, almost 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost during his
presidency, starting before the pandemic hit, making Trump one of the
biggest losers ever on manufacturing. (Applause.)
Donald Trump also talked a big game on our trade deficit with China,
but it is far lower under our watch than any year of his
administration. While he constantly got played by China, I will never
hesitate to take swift and strong measures when China undermines the
rules of the road at the expense of our workers, our communities, and
our companies, whether it’s flooding the market with steel, inferior or
at all; unfairly subsidizing shipbuilding; or hurting our small
businesses with counterfeits.
Recall Donald Trump actually shipped advanced semiconductor chips to
China, which helps them upgrade their military. Understand the impact
of these so-called policies that really are not about a plan for
strengthening our prosperity or our security.
I will never sell out America to our competitors or adversaries. (Applause.) Never. Never.
And I will always make sure we have the strongest economy and the most lethal fighting force anywhere in the world. (Applause.)
So, at this pivotal moment, we have an extraordinary opportunity to
chart a new way forward, one that positions the United States of America
and all of us who are blessed to call this home for success and
prosperity in the 21st century.
You know, there is an old saying that the best way to predict the
future is to invent it. Well, that is the story of the Steel City.
(Applause.) That is the story of the Steel City, the city that helped
build the middle class, birth America’s labor movement, empower the rise
of American manufacturing, and the city where Allen Newell and Herbert
Simon launched the first AI research hub at Carnegie Mellon — (applause)
— and created entirely new fields like machine learning. And Carnegie
Mellon is now home to the largest university robotics center in
America. (Applause.)
So, the proud heritage of Pittsburgh I so strongly believe reveals
the character of our nation, a nation that harnesses the ambitions, the
dreams, and the aspirations of our people; seizes the opportunities
before us because we see them, because we believe in them; and then
invents the future.
That is what we have always done, and that is what we must now do. And I know we will.
I thank you all for inviting me.
May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Thank you all. (Applause.)
Second, why wasn't Carly Simon's video in Thursday's snapshot? That refers to "Let The River Run."
The
plan was to include the video of the song that Carly won an Academy
Award for writing, and won a Golden Globe for writing and won a Grammy
for writing.
I honestly don't know if an
attempt was made to include it. I dictate the snapshots. Yesterday's
snapshot reference a DEMOCRACY NOW! video that was put in but in posting
not only did not show but also wiped out the transcript as well. Dona
came on and fixed that around one o'clock EST when she saw it.
Something similar may have happened with Carly's video. I don't know
but the plan was to include it.
One more thing that the media failed to note on CAIR's poll? Not all
Palestinians are Muslim. Most are but there are significant numbers who
are Christian. Palestinians, however, are Arabs. Meaning put a little
more faith in a poll of Arab-Americans if you're trying to figure out
where Palestinian-Americans might stand on an issue. There's a whole
thing we could go into here about holy wars and how categories can
provide the wrong impressions but we'll save that for another day.
A number of e-mails thought I was going to address "holy wars" today.
No, that was never the plan.
There
is something that I want to address regarding the Supreme Court but I'm
still thinking it through. That was a possibility yesterday of a topic
that might have made today's snapshot.
But there was no plan to address "holy wars" in today's snapshot.
In
the briefest way possible, let's explain that. It is not a religious
war -- what Israel is doing to the Palestinians. A lot of people want
it seen that way. Who benefits from that?
The
Israeli government because, if it's a "holy war," then every attack on
any area of Israel is an attack on the Jewish faith and, therefore,
Jewish people around the world are being attacked and are under attack.
The
Israeli government is led by a conservative War Criminal and that's the
biggest problem right now. Those who want to make it about religion
will need to make that argument without me. We have repeatedly noted
that Israeli government as an actor in these attacks. I do not equate
Judaism with the Israeli government. If you do, I hope you're on the
side of the Israeli government because that's who it helps.
That ends the update to this snapshot.
