Santorum Rallying Cry Seeks to Drag U.S. into the Third World

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum finally sounded the rallying cry, and the rallying cry of his Christian Dominionist (a small but vocal sect of Christianity) following last week.  That cry, odd as it may be for someone who is trying to get people to go to the polls instead of to leave their country is: "GET OUT"!  You can see it here.  The list of grievances any enlightened (or tolerant, or thoughtful) person (be they Jew, Gentile, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, etc.) would or should have with this message is far too long to produce here.  


The main problem with this speech, and with Santorum's overarching goal for the nation, is that it seeks to set the United States back millennia in every respect.  Many countries on earth seek, as Santorum's rallying cry advocates, to ostracize, excommunicate, or slaughter those who do not share the strict views of its rulers.  All of those countries, all of them, are incapable of feeding their people, sustaining growth, providing resources, judiciously adjudicating grievances, or contributing to the common good of their region, nation, continent, or planet.  A short list of countries that tout the same message: Syria, Somalia, and Sudan.  


Hopefully reason will win over barbarism.  With each step this nation takes, however, towards basic equality for all, engendered mutual respect for its inhabitants, and fulfilling the true promise of its founders, it sits poised to take one million steps back.  

North Korea's "Satellite" Launch Would be Laughable, if it Wasn't so Sad

North Korea announced this week that it would be exploring space for peaceful purposes by launching a satellite atop a rocket.  That rocket, of course, could also be used to carry a nuclear warhead, and this is most likely a rocket test/provocation under the guise of advancing the world's (or North Korea's) scientific knowledge.  The claim that North Korea needs a functioning satellite is ludicrous and we should remain dubious that a working satellite is even sitting atop the rocket. 

North Korea's need of a satellite is as asinine as a country in the stone-age needing, or being capable of maintaining a supercomputer.  This is where the humor ends.  North Korea's population (the large majority that doesn't work for the government anyway) is nearly as impoverished as any on earth.  The money and resources necessary to launch a long-range missile, much less a satellite, could feed millions or provide them with the most basic of services for weeks or months.  Not only does this launch impoverish the North Korean people but the six nations willing to provide food and other aid will likely walk away from negotiations and resource provision.  With the death of the most recent "Dear Leader" comes more of the same misery and nonsense with the next.     

Iran Benefits from Israel's Past Practices

Israel has eliminated two out of three known nuclear weapons facilities in the Middle East.  Only Pakistan escaped Israel's surgical strikes.  Iran learned well from Pakistan (keep everything undercover, underground, and deny, deny, deny) and from Iraq and Syria.  The latter two were short-sighted enough to leave their plants accessible to Israeli aircraft.  Syria attempted to protect their sites with SAM defenses.  Israel simply jammed and defeated the SAMs.     


Even the top Israeli brass cannot hope to have the same complete and lasting success against Iran.  Israel's threats, real at least to the extent that they are believed by the international community, may have a positive effect.  Negotiations with Iran may start as early as next month.  Should these negotiations fail, the only question will be whether the rest of the world will make amends for its historical inaction, always fresh in the minds of Jews worldwide.