the definite article 29
politics (or course), cell phones in school, Germany's political crisis
Farley Weiss reveiws the archaeological, religious, political, and literary connections of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
https://www.jns.org/denying-jewish-sovereignty-of-israel-is-antisemitic/
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik reviews Jordan Peterson’s new book, “We Who Wrestle With God.” Mr. Peterson thus offers an important insight: A culture that forgets biblical teaching not only loses its own identity; it is in danger of becoming a hell. As such, whatever disagreements the biblically learned might have with his insightful work, all can agree that it is an unalloyed good that a book about the Bible could be so widely read.
An interview with Ron Dermer describes how Israel was able to turn things around in the Middle East in such a short time. The necessity of remaining vigilant, of cultivating a sense of national self-confidence, has kept Israel from developing some of the pathologies of other prosperous liberal nations. “You’re always trying to find the right balance between security and civil liberties,” Mr. Dermer says. “Then, as danger from abroad recedes for a time, you naturally concentrate more on civil liberties and all of these issues.”
The unprecedented and much publicized upswing of what advocates call “phone-free schools” is good news for anyone who cares about children. Scores of schools around the country now have, or are creating, rules to prevent students’ access to cellphones in classrooms and even throughout the day. Elected officials are crafting policies that will have a broader reach. And there has been a slew of mainstream media coverage of schools pondering or making the switch. The normalization of policies that eliminate, or at least limit, phone use in schools will provide vital relief for millions of kids in thrall to potentially destructive digital distractions, designed by Silicon Valley’s smartest engineers to be as addictive as possible.
https://prospect.org/education/2024-12-13-movement-free-schools-of-smartphones-winning/
Michael Oren analyzes the “peace at any price” approach to diplomacy that has characterized American and much Western foreign policy over the past several years - and has shown by Israel to be self-defeating.
Last week I linked a Yascha Mounk article about the political crisis in France. This week he gives us his take on the political crisis that will likely overtake Germany in a few weeks.
In an article titled “How to Move Away From the Worst of Identity Politics,” Conor Friedersdorf continues the analysis of how the Democratic party can fix things and respond to the needs of their constituency. At the height of the “Great Awokening,” as white liberals moved to the left of the typical Black voter on questions of race and racism, a faction of progressive intellectuals persuaded themselves that identity politics was the future of liberalism. They had noble intentions: They saw persistent inequalities in society, felt frustrated that change wasn’t happening faster, and so advocated for more and more radical measures to fix what they perceived as injustices. And they changed the Democratic Party.
This article by Charles Fain Lehrman describes the love affair between liberal democrats and progressive revolutionaries, focusing on th e’60s and ’70s. It’s an interesting read, and if you have time, follow the link to Tom Wolf’s article on the Leonard Bernstein dinner for the Weathermen. One also has to keep in mind that the Republicans have their own heroes of social and political violence.
