A friend once asked “were times ever good?” Every year it seems when one looks back on the year that is drawing to a close the question becomes “could it get any worse? ” Year after year one concludes, this year it was really bad. Needless to say one eventually becomes reluctant to declare “this is as bad as it could get, things cannot become worse” out of fear things will spiral downwards.
Yet, to focus only the positive and there are indeed positives only ignores reality. With the winds of hope and change, which captured the national consciousness in January, has turned to horror and chagrin, as ostensibly high-minded initiatives to benefit society’s health and environment are actually attempts to stealthily reshape the national character.
America, is built on the notion of the autonomous individual choosing to participate in limited government. The design which has caused a ground swell of popular opposition. e Both prongs of the present regime’s agenda seek to create a society dependant on government for basic needs. If successful, the government will control the growth of businesses, especially in manufacturing and consequently controlling employment. If the national government gains control of health care the focus shifts from concern for an individual’s needs for those of society generally. Instead of valuing the individual and a model built on individual rights one’s duty to the community/country will become public policy’s North Star.
A shift away from acknowledging the value of the individual combined with an apparent adoption of the Arab/Islamic narrative that the creation of the modern State of Israel was no more than the intrusion of Jewish interlopers seeking a haven in the aftermath of the Holocaust, cannot be viewed as being good for the Jews. The administration’s efforts to create Middle East peace has resulted in a 4% approval for the American President by Israeli society. Similarly, Prime Minister Netanyahu has found the administration’s demands so beyond the pale he has more or less has withstood the pressure applied against him. True in the Bar Ilan University speech the Prime Minister accepted the notion of a two state solution and even if that acceptance is so qualified that acceptance is restricted to February 30, 2011 at 13:00 am. Even so the hypothetical change is an ideological breach which is enough to start down a slippery slope
The Rabbis in the Talmudic tractate Megila observe the threat posed by the Persian King Achashveirosh authorizing Haman to attack and slaughter the Jews aroused more repentance that all the rebuke given by all the Prophets. Maybe this is the time for those who are apathetic to step up and claim their identity and heritage. Maybe a powerful person’s hubris is so powerfully disdain by a free people that it can galvanize a population to say a resounding “NO!!!!” So too it is time for Israel’s place among the nations is as an equal, a people of history , culture and destiny all their own. It is time for Israel to champion it own values, mores and sensibilities and stop aping what others’ hold dear.
Maybe this is the sliver lining both for the American and Israeli peoples attempts to demand a people abandon their unique character, values, mores, heritage or destiny will not succeed. The human spirit, the soul does not abide falsehood.
Blessings for being signed and sealed for a year full of blessings
