WIKILEAKS Says US is Behind Egyptian Overthrow. Be Careful What You Wish For!!

B"H

“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”

--Thomas Jefferson

Supporting "democracy," is not necessarily a good thing.  

Support for "democracy" in a country with no guarantee (or even the concept of) freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, or the protection of the rights of minorities is just plain stupid.

You can't just declare a "democracy."  There needs to be a structure in place, a constitution, a set of checks and balances, the education of the masses into what "freedom" means, and a leadership committed not just to the rights of the majority, but the rights and freedom of the minority as well.

Right now, I don't believe that Egypt can be considered a place where democracy can exist.  Perhaps democratic reforms can be made slowly and methodically, but "democracy" is an empty word in a place where freedom is as alien to the populace as moon rocks.

The United States does not have a "democratic" government.  We are a Constitutional Republic--a government balanced with a bicameral legislature, checks and balances between the different areas of government--executive, legislative, and judicial, and guaranteed freedoms of expression, the press, and religion. 

Lots of tin-pot dictators, from Yassir Arafat to Castro to Ahmadinejad, all claim they are "democratically elected."  But this means nothing in a place where there is only one candidate, no freedom of expression, the press is government controlled, and there are no secret ballots.  

Before we all jump on the "democracy for Egypt" bandwagon, let us be absolutely clear about what that democracy would represent.  

M

Russia Considers Burying Lenin . . . After 87 Years

B”H

Wow.  This would cause some sort of a halachic quandry, wouldn’t it?  

Lenin never asked for his body to be embalmed and displayed.  It was done without his consent.  So, if he was finally buried, would Lenin be buried as a Jew in a Jewish cemetery?  

If so, who would do it?  Who would pay for it?  Where would be he buried?

Can a Jew be buried after being embalmed for 87 years? 

For what reason would he not be buried as a Jew?  Did anyone ever say Kaddish for Lenin? . . .Could they say Kaddish if he was buried?  Who would be responsible to do this, considering that so much time has passed?

This would be a huge political and religious controversy, no question.  I’m sure there are a lot of issues I am not even considering.

M
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Goodbye Lenin? United Russia Considers Burial
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/goodbye-lenin-united-russia-considers-burial/429441.html
Peter Andrews / Reuters
 

Lenin may be turned out of his tomb if a campaign launched by United Russia members succeeds in closing down his mausoleum on Red Square.

DIPLOMATIC BOMB! GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER REVEALS ISRAEL-PA NEGOTIATION LEAKS OBTAINED FROM AL JAZEERA TV

B"H

The Guardian Newspaper has just released The Palestinian Papers--documents relating to Israel and the PA negotiations that they obtained from Al Jazeera TV.

The documents, which cover thousands of pages, document over ten years of negotiations and may lead to serious repercussions in the Arab world--especially at this delicate time with Tunisia in disarray, Lebanon on the edge, Egypt confirming a Gaza involvement in the Coptic Church bombings, Abbas holding on for his life, and Iran sending warships into the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.

I would not be surprised if this was the information that caused Abbas to pull back from his "Unilateral Palestinian State" proposal in the past few days.

It is clear that these documents may have wide-reaching impact, toppling regimes and destroying the reputations of politicians all over the world.  

There is a reason that diplomatic correspondence is kept confidential.

May G-d watch over us all .  .  . 

M

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Secret papers reveal slow death of Middle East peace process
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/23/palestine-papers-expose-peace-concession

The Palestine papers reveal the offer of concessions by Palestinian peace negotiators on areas such as the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount holy sites in Jerusalem.

The biggest leak of confidential documents in the history of the Middle East conflict  has revealed that Palestinian negotiators secretly agreed to accept Israel's annexation of all but one of the settlements built illegally in occupied East Jerusalem.  This unprecedented proposal was one of a string of concessions that will cause shockwaves among Palestinians and in the wider Arab world.

Jewish Gravestones Toppled, Cars Buried by NY Sanitation Workers. Post Says it is "Grave Mistake." I Say it is "Grave Anti-Semitism" trying to Get Back at Jewish Mayor

B"H

Well, the NY Post's headline is not exactly accurate, in my humble opinion.   This was not a "Grave Mistake" it was "Grave Anti-Semitism."  I think the sanitation workers knew EXACTLY what they were doing.  

One of my friends, who lives only a block from the cemetery told me, "They had the road closed off to the public as they did this.  I was coming home at 3 a.m. when I saw all the trucks dumping the snow on the cars.  This street/road is the only one in this part of Brooklyn where there are no residences, so the angry garbage men blocked the street and did this when no one could see."

I don't think it is a coincidence that they dumped the snow on a Jewish cemetery and on cars that they towed to the spot for the purpose of burying them.  I also don't think it is a coincidence that most of the streets around where this dumping occurred weren't cleared.  

These garbage men probably decided they wouldn't clean up the sections of Brooklyn where the Jews live because they could get even with the Jewish mayor and the Jewish city council members through "their people"--even the dead ones.

Would black or Asian communities take this abuse and say it was a "mistake"?  No.  

They would make a stink.  We should too.  If we don't demand justice, we won't get it.  They should all lose their jobs over this. 

M

Katzav Says Guilty Verdict Divine Punishment for Gush Katif Withdrawal

B”H

May all the politicians hear his message and heed it.  

There is a divine punishment for giving Jewish lands to our enemies and putting our people at risk.  There is no “land for peace,” when those you give land to don’t want anything but the peace of the grave for Israel and the Jews.

The US paid with the floods of Katrina, and the people who still stuffer displacement must know that they will not find a place to settle and call home until those who were displaced from Gaza find permanent homes.  They are connected.

Anyone who would give one inch of Jewish land to our enemies spits in the face of G-d.

There is a price for that.

M