A Tale of Two Johns

Just a few days ago, two Johns were dispatched to Egypt, together with an American Business delegation, to look into supposedly purely the economic concerns and needs of the Egyptian people.  

Senators Kerry and McCain, fanatical supporters of Israel, purportedly also talked to General Tantawi about returning Egypt to civilian rule as soon as possible.  Well, let us hope so since America did not have any qualms about supporting the despotic Mubarak for the longest time, solely in the interest of Israel. 

The former POW McCain and Kerry were naval officers in Vietnam and were probably sent to Egypt to give it the once over.  It may be easier to convince a General to hold on to power than allow an uncertain wave of democratic change to determine the future of Israeli-Egyptian relationship.  

Taming the President

In Netanyahu's last visit to the White House, he was fuming mad and gave President Obama such a tongue-wagging that it established in the minds of the public the kind of power wields over the US of A. People will not soon forget Netanyahu looking straight into the eyes of Obama and saying with the utmost defiance “It's never going to happen!”  

The subject of contention was Obama's announcement that  Palestinian-Israeli border negotiations have to center on the 67 proposal.  The firm, steely-eyed confrontation was played down by the American media, but the affront caused David Rosenberg to write in the Atlantic, “Dear Mr. Netanyahu, Please Don't Talk to My President That Way.”  

The President toughed it out at the AIPAC (American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee)  meeting a few days later, where he received less standing ovations than Netanyahu at the Jewish-lobbied Congress a few days after.  AIPAC is the largest political lobbying group, one of many, that determines the direction Congress should take on issues pertaining to Israel.

As Gay as Gay Can be

In what has been hailed a historic event, New York lawmakers passed a Bill in the Senate to allow same sex marriage.  New York is the sixth State to recognize same sex marriage.  Governor Andrew Cuomo has been credited for this historical move.  Gays and lesbians celebrated the event with cheers and tears throughout the country. 

Homosexuality, which is seen as an abomination in most societies, is accepted in Western democracies, though the French has banned the uses of the headscarf in public schools and the Dutch, the Italians, the Spaniards, and the Australians have shown increasing discrimination against Islam, further confirming the inability of Western democracies to accept benign Islamic concepts.  

This stance has spread to the sports arena with FIFA entering the political fray by banning the Iranian girls soccer team from playing for wearing headscarves.  Western intolerance to Islamic ideas and ways foreign to theirs has caused confusion to those in the Islamic world as to what Western democracy actually stands for.

FORBES rejoices in Verdict Upholding the Right to Insult Islam

 Geert Wilders, the rogue politician, who rose to fame by calling the Quran “fascist” and comparing it to Hitler's Mein Kampf, was acquitted of all charges of incitement of hate against Muslims.  In a predictable decision, Judge Marcel van Oosten, ruled that Wilders act did not constitute “hate speech” against Muslims, but represented a “general debate” about “values, morals, and culture.”

  Abigail Esman of FORBES states that “the findings in the Wilders case are reassurance that the ideals of the Enlightenment and of all democratic people stand strong.” The ruling, according to van Oosten, is based on the “broadest context” of the law that allows to “propagate the message” of the film “Fitna.”  Wilders and his followers cheered the verdict and Wilders reiterated outside the court that he will continue to fight Islam.  

The plaintiffs are planning to take the case to the UN and European courts. This is one in a series of judgements made in the West in the past few decades which includes a stance against unintrusive Islamic rites and practices like the wearing of the headscarf and face veils which has no place in Western democracy.