US and Israel: Candidates but no visionaries
Where are the Reagan's who make us gaze forward?
Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2016 9:28 AM
Anything missing from these debates? Or am I the only one who seeks but cannot find a vision, a sense of destiny among the candidates?
Promises, yes. But nothing to make us dream that even the sky is not the limit as we had it from JFK and Ronald Reagan.
That goes for both sides, Republicans and Democrats. Neither gives much besides tired rhetoric and clichés.
That, plus the sniping, the snarling and the feuding, as if making your opponent look bad makes you look good.
So what’s in it for us if Jeb got even with Trump? In football, yes, Cam Newton got his comeuppance. But we are talking about the future of the world’s two, yes two, great citadels of democracy, the United States and Israel, the only powers capable of saving the universe from total collapse into the arms Islamic strangulation.
Instead of gazing forward, politicians here and there have lost or forfeited the ability to THINK BIG.
Israel’s formidable man of gallantry Yaacov Katz wrote a wonderful piecein Arutz Sheva the other day where he listed his own complaints in respect to Israel’s wobbled sense of direction. He produced the perfect quote that sums it all up for both Israel and America, as follows from Proverbs 29:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
At about the moment that went to print, we heard from Israel’s Labor leader Yizhak Herzog that Israel has to start thinking small.
Retreat is not a vision, Mr. Herzog.
Nobody dreams about moving backwards, Liberals the exception. People need a reason to get up in the morning. So do nations. To aspire is to be human.
The Jewish State, in Liberal eyes, is too big. The Arabs don’t have enough room. The Arabs surround Israel with 22 countries, but that is still not enough.
They need half of Jerusalem and whatever else Liberals wish to give – which is plenty and a recipe for national suicide. Bibi himself will never dare speak of enlarging Israel. Israel is denied, or rather denies itself the quest of greatness, and that is a pity.
Which takes us to the comedy team of Bernie versus Hillary and Bernie was funny all right with Larry David on SNL and that’s where he ought to stay.
The Communist from Vermont was cut out for buffoonery. “Saturday Light Live” was made for silliness and is there anything sillier than a man running for president on the chance to raise taxes to incredible heights (up to 90 percent) for anybody who is rich?
For Bernie, anybody who earns a living, even paycheck to paycheck, is rich and too prosperous and must be punished.
That’s a vision?
Hillary? I have no idea what the hell she has in mind. We only know that she is trying to stay out of jail. That’s her vision.
I call a plumber when I need things fixed. From leadership I want some poetry.
What plans she has besides doing to us what Obama has already done – I don’t know. Obama got to us first, anyway.
We do know that thinking small is what got Obama into office. He came. He saw. He shrunk us at home and abroad.
Not so the Republicans, thank goodness. Give it to Trump to pick it up from Reagan to “make this country great again.”
Meaning what? When JFK promised us “a new frontier” he meant that America was ready to reach for the moon. He promised. He delivered.
Trump may still be my man. I like his swagger. Am I sure about him? No. But if nominated, I will vote for him, or for any Republican.
I like all of them on the GOP side. But I am not sold. I am not sure about any of them. None of them offers a big picture.
Republicans are friendly to Israel far above Democrats but Trump’s assertion that he would force Israel to make concessions is a worry.
Mostly it’s been about the economy, okay, and immigration, good, and Radical Islam, terrific. They are all about “fixing things.”
I call a plumber when I need things fixed. From leadership I want some poetry.
Reagan’s “shining house on the hill,” now that was poetry. That was vision. He gave us pride, prosperity and power.
He talked big. He produced big. How about some of that rubbing off on today’s hopefuls lest we perish?
Promises, yes. But nothing to make us dream that even the sky is not the limit as we had it from JFK and Ronald Reagan.
That goes for both sides, Republicans and Democrats. Neither gives much besides tired rhetoric and clichés.
That, plus the sniping, the snarling and the feuding, as if making your opponent look bad makes you look good.
So what’s in it for us if Jeb got even with Trump? In football, yes, Cam Newton got his comeuppance. But we are talking about the future of the world’s two, yes two, great citadels of democracy, the United States and Israel, the only powers capable of saving the universe from total collapse into the arms Islamic strangulation.
Instead of gazing forward, politicians here and there have lost or forfeited the ability to THINK BIG.
Israel’s formidable man of gallantry Yaacov Katz wrote a wonderful piecein Arutz Sheva the other day where he listed his own complaints in respect to Israel’s wobbled sense of direction. He produced the perfect quote that sums it all up for both Israel and America, as follows from Proverbs 29:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
At about the moment that went to print, we heard from Israel’s Labor leader Yizhak Herzog that Israel has to start thinking small.
Retreat is not a vision, Mr. Herzog.
Nobody dreams about moving backwards, Liberals the exception. People need a reason to get up in the morning. So do nations. To aspire is to be human.
The Jewish State, in Liberal eyes, is too big. The Arabs don’t have enough room. The Arabs surround Israel with 22 countries, but that is still not enough.
They need half of Jerusalem and whatever else Liberals wish to give – which is plenty and a recipe for national suicide. Bibi himself will never dare speak of enlarging Israel. Israel is denied, or rather denies itself the quest of greatness, and that is a pity.
Which takes us to the comedy team of Bernie versus Hillary and Bernie was funny all right with Larry David on SNL and that’s where he ought to stay.
The Communist from Vermont was cut out for buffoonery. “Saturday Light Live” was made for silliness and is there anything sillier than a man running for president on the chance to raise taxes to incredible heights (up to 90 percent) for anybody who is rich?
For Bernie, anybody who earns a living, even paycheck to paycheck, is rich and too prosperous and must be punished.
That’s a vision?
Hillary? I have no idea what the hell she has in mind. We only know that she is trying to stay out of jail. That’s her vision.
I call a plumber when I need things fixed. From leadership I want some poetry.
What plans she has besides doing to us what Obama has already done – I don’t know. Obama got to us first, anyway.We do know that thinking small is what got Obama into office. He came. He saw. He shrunk us at home and abroad.
Not so the Republicans, thank goodness. Give it to Trump to pick it up from Reagan to “make this country great again.”
Meaning what? When JFK promised us “a new frontier” he meant that America was ready to reach for the moon. He promised. He delivered.
Trump may still be my man. I like his swagger. Am I sure about him? No. But if nominated, I will vote for him, or for any Republican.
I like all of them on the GOP side. But I am not sold. I am not sure about any of them. None of them offers a big picture.
Republicans are friendly to Israel far above Democrats but Trump’s assertion that he would force Israel to make concessions is a worry.
Mostly it’s been about the economy, okay, and immigration, good, and Radical Islam, terrific. They are all about “fixing things.”
I call a plumber when I need things fixed. From leadership I want some poetry.
Reagan’s “shining house on the hill,” now that was poetry. That was vision. He gave us pride, prosperity and power.
He talked big. He produced big. How about some of that rubbing off on today’s hopefuls lest we perish?
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