I have been isolated from my newspaper and not as plugged into my news feed and blog roll while I was traveling. I’m now on my way home and eager to find out what’s been happening. We all know how much I love my news!
Please share links to stories you’ve read recently that sounded interesting and important. Thank you, my friends!
P.S. I’m especially interested in election news because here only outdated stories are being discussed.
I don’t know if you saw this but Republicans officials are starting to turn against Trump quite publicly. Here is the story: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/08/09/us/politics/national-security-gop-donald-trump.html?referer=http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/08/08/50-gop-natsec-officials-warn-trump-a-security-risk.html&_r=0
By the way, do you know this website? http://www.electoral-vote.com/
I love it. It provides synopses of and links to about ten domestic (mostly election-related) news stories a day. The authors of the site are two academics. So it’s well-written, frequently humorous, and leans left. They update every morning– 7 days a week. It’s how I stay updated on domestic news! They also keep track of the polls and update a projected electoral map daily. It’s great fun for election junkies.
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No, I’ve never seen this website. Fascinating, thank you!
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Richard Hanna is first Republican congressman to endorse Hillary: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/richard-hanna-to-vote-for-clinton-226555
Jill Stein and Micheal Flynn hanging out with Putin: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1259136
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Jill Stein, too. How sad. She might be a conscious supporter of Trump.
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And the best woman in tennis, Steroids Williams, is eliminated for the Olypics by an Ukrainian, Elena Svitolina.
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What’s your take about the role being played by the mainstream media (not Fox News) in this presidential campaign?
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One day I see a blurb on how Putin’s support is lagging in Russia and then in a day or two I start seeing articles about a Russian military buildup on the Ukrainian borders…. Funny how that works.
No links, I’m sure you’ve already seen or soon will see the stories.
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Yes, it always works like this. And the saddest part is that it always works. Such a primitive yet effective method of distracting people.
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Look at the contrast:
// The IDF published an aerial photograph via Twitter on Tuesday detailing a marina built by Hamas’s military wing in the northern Gaza Strip, which was financed with funds siphoned from the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP). The aerial photograph depicts the marina extending into the sea, not far from Zikim beach in Ashkelon (Israeli Jewish city), as well as a command and observation tower. //
VS
// As operations to retake the militant-held city of Mosul ramp up, Iraqi Christians displaced from the area by ISIS say that even if the militants are defeated militarily, the country will not be safe for minorities. […] On the edge of Irbil’s historically Christian neighborhood of Ankawa, 1,200 identical white trailers arranged in neat rows shelter some 5,000 people. […] “If organized migration were possible, then I can say that 90 percent of the inhabitants of this camp would leave,” said camp manager Father Emanuel Adel Kelo. //
Hamas gets plenty of money from UN aid and is currently threatening us with “serious consequences” if money flow stops.
Frau Merkel invites every Arab to Germany.
Yet everybody in Europe (and among Israeli Christian Arabs) is happily ignoring the plight of the Christian minorities in Arab (former) states. Where are invitations to immigrate and financial help from UN for them? Why are they ignored so much? Shouldn’t Germans want them more than Muslim Syrians and Pakistanis and etc.? Being a minority is an additional danger, so helping them first is even morally sound.
In practice, I read this:
Persecuted Syrian Christians Avoid Refugee Camps, Fear Muslim Attacks
…
When they go to refugee camps, they either end up being persecuted by Muslims who are also in the camps, or Muslims actually pose as refugees for the purpose of kidnapping young girls in the camps so that they can be used in sex slave rings.
As for Syrian immigrants to America, since the Syrian civil war, there have been 2,098 Muslim immigrants and only 53 Christians. The federal government generally depends on the United Nations during the refugee process, and so many refugees are Muslims since many Christian Syrians are afraid to register with the UN.
http://www.aina.org/news/20151126201117.htm
AND
Christian Refugees in Germany Report High Levels of Religious Violence
Sharing resettlement centers with Muslims can be dangerous for Christian asylum-seekers, Open Doors reports.
…
three-quarters of resettled Christian refugees—as many as 40,000 people—had experienced repeated attacks due to their faith.
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Open Doors and its partners are lobbying for separate resettlement areas to protect Christians and other religious minorities, like Yazidis, and better training for security staff to help keep the peace. Germany, though, does not currently register refugees’ religious affiliation.
“Many Christian refugees are frightened of facing more difficulties if they report incidents,” the group said. “Others have given up all hope of receiving help.”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2016/may/christian-refugees-in-germany-report-high-levels-of-religio.html
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I suppose paying attention to violence against Christians (!) within German shelters would force Germans to confront reality and stop idealizing refugees, while waiting for their eternal gratitude and economical-demographic contribution.
Since most migrants are Muslims any discussion RE their treatment of fellow refugees who are Christian is avoided, similar to the discussion regarding women’s rights. Wonder if it’ll ever happen.
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Conservative leaders call for burqa ban to fight terror
State interior ministers for the conservative Union parties (Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union) are calling for greater restrictions on Muslims living in Germany, including a burqa ban, as politicians mull tougher anti-terror policies.
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The proposal – which has already been criticized for reportedly suggesting a softening of doctor-patient confidentiality rules (allowing for doctors to report suspicions to police that a patient intends to carry out a crime) and ending dual citizenship – is set to be presented on August 18th.
http://www.thelocal.de/20160810/conservative-leaders-call-for-burqa-ban-to-fight-terror
AND
In a statement explaining the proposal, the interior ministers are set to describe dual citizenship as “a huge obstacle to integration”. “Whoever wants to engage themselves with the politics of foreign governments, we would advise to leave Germany,” the statement says, according to ARD.
The issue of involvement of German citizens in foreign politics has also become a hot topic in recent weeks after thousands of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took to the streets in German cities after elements of the Turkish military attempted to overthrow him in July.
Cafes in Germany affiliated with a Turkish Islamist preacher whom Ankara blames for plotting the coup have also been attacked.
http://www.thelocal.de/20160810/interior-minister-to-propose-terrorism-security-law-isis
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Funny:
I spent ten months in the US Bible Belt state of Kentucky when I was 17, studying at an All-American high school and living with American host parents – as well as a Slovakian host brother and five worryingly obese cats.
It was an incredible experience, including everything from a typical Kentucky horse race to planning how I would ask out a girl for Senior Prom (I ended up writing a cheesy poem).
But a few things really drove me crazy about America and Americans. When I returned to Germany at the end of the year, I noticed that other exchange students would fret about similar things.
http://www.thelocal.de/20160810/seven-american-habits-that-bug-the-bratwurst-out-of-germans-stereotypes
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Yes, Germans do freak out whenever WWII is mentioned. Which tends to get on my nerves. Since when are they suddenly the victim of WWII?
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Thought to recommend you this Israeli author and then read the article and discovered it says a great deal about Israel in its entirety:
Etgar Keret: ‘Israelis boycott me as a traitor, and foreigners because I’m Israeli’
The short story and essay writer on war, parenthood and the difficulties faced by the Israeli left
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/01/etgar-keret-books-interview-israel-the-seven-good-years
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Lieberman orders halt of IDF volunteer work with illegal migrants
Residents of south Tel Aviv managed to convince top brass to order the military to cease all volunteer activities with children of foreign workers and asylum seekers; ‘When I saw the soldiers playing with these children, I felt betrayed,’ says one resident.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4841203,00.html
This person in comments has a point:
\For all you people crying racisim, volunteer to host these economic migrants in your neighborhood with the associated crime, substance abuse etc.. Why should the poor residents of South Tel aviv be the only ones to “enjoy” this honor. Just to remind everyone they all illegally crossed into Israel from Egypt to look for work period. In Egypt their lives were not in danger.
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In case it’s relevant:
New WAZE feature to prevent children being forgotten in cars
The GPS app has installed a new feature reminding drivers prior to arrival at destination of presence of children in the back of a vehicle; WAZE; ‘We hope the feature will speak for your children who are unable to remind you themselves.’ Parking app Pango also adds similar feature.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4839061,00.html
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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