I can't agree more about how the Arab terrorists really don't understand America. They think America is only about Wall Street, the Pentagon and full of Jews, (we only make up about 2% of the population here... if that). That's why they chose the targets they did on 9/11. Horrible as that day was, if they really wanted to hurt us and start the apocalypic jihad, they should have, (G-d forbid), blown up several elementary schools in Nebraska. But they do not know how we Americans value our children, they do not know how we are a nation of many religions where you have to be a malcontent on wheels to not enjoy religious freedom, they do not know we are not only about money.

Jake:

On 9/11 they chose three targets of "American power" The Twin Towers, The Pentagon, and The White House. I actually think these were well chosen symbols and played well in the Arab world.

When I say that the Arabs don't understand America, of course I'm talking about our children, that goes without saying. I'm talking about Jeffersonian Democracy, I'm talking about baseball, I'm talking about the melting pot, I'm talking about the guts of America that just scare the hell out of these barbarians.

Have you heard the new spiritual song our armed forces chaplains have been introducing to the troops? "We Shall Overwhelm"

Have not heard it, but I like the sound of it.

Have you read Ian Buruma's "Occidentalism"? It's a slim volume, but I think it summarizes this situation very accurately.

Many are now trying to compare that 80-day struggle to what we face now with Iran. It's not the worst historical comparison I can think of. It's a shame we let things go as far as they have in Tehran.

Irina:

Have not read it. I will thanks.

Jake:

When Iran starts the "cascade" process with the enriched uranium, that is Israel's red line and then we'll really be in an 80 day period, heck we'll be in a five day period. That might happen within 6 months.

All Buruma's books are good, actually. He's written very interesting stuff on China, Japan, and India as well.

Mr. Avrech: I found you from doing a search on Meir Har-Tzion because my husband found a book about him. This brought me to your posting about him. I sent it to Ichud Le'umi (National Union/National Religiouis Party).

I live in Israel and recently saw on tv a program about England during the early years of Hitler's power. There had been a soccer match between England and Germany. The British players actually made the Nazi salute on the field! And England has a great deal of responsibility for the mess here in the Middle East.

It must be difficult for you being in Hollywood surrounded by the 'politically correct.' I applaud you for your stand. Thank you.

Hag Sameach.

Michael:

I'm ordering Buruma's books right now.

Chaya:

Thanks so much for your note.

There were plenty of Nazis in England during the mid to late 30's. When Churchill became Prime Minister, one of the first things he did was imprison the traitor Sir Oswald Mosley and quite a few of his followers who urged that England come to terms with Hitler.

However, whatever England, France, and the other Colonial powers did or did not do in the Middle East, well, it does us no good to place blame. We have to deal with the world as it is.

Let the Arabs play the blame game for ultimately that seriously retards the progress of civilization. We must not fall into the same trap.

Chag Kasher V'sameach.

I'm not sure how much Robert and the gang here likes the movie "The Remains of the Day," but it told the story of a Nazi-sympathizing British nobleman through the eyes of his butler. I thought it was an excellent film, and sadly Christopher Reeve's last breakthrough role as a serious dramatic actor, (he played the U.S. ambassador). I thought it was better filmmaking that year than Schindler's List.

Jake:

Here's the thing about that film: I admire it. I don't particularly like it. I like/love "The Godfather." I like/love/admire "Seven Samurai," You get my drift? "Remains of the Day" is effective for what it is, and for that type of movies it's absolutely one of the best. The scene where the Jewish maids are fired just sends me through the roof. For that scene alone the film is worth watching.

My favorite scene is when the English noblemen scoff at the Christopher Reeve character behind his back because he's a self-made man.

"What did he make his fortune in? Meatpacking? Cosmetics?"

As if being born into wealth is the only respectable way to become rich.

You mean it isn't :)?

Any more comments like that, and I may have to refer you to that "Fop" blog again. Man, that was funny if short-lived. Maybe I should resurrect it on my own.

Jake:

Maybe you should write the Jewish version? The possibilities are well, either truly antiSemitic, think David Duke's version, or just Jakelyhalarious.

True, George Bush does not have the oratory skills of Churchill

That is a fundamental issue, flaw if you will. His inability to articulately express the who/what/why is part of why his polls are so low.

Too bad that Tony Blair cannot speak for him.

Most people look for the quick soundbite. Most are unwilling to spend time looking for the deeper and more complex answers.

Most are unwilling to learn the history and to try and understand how it applies to us today. Pity.

Jack:

You really should read this book, you'll get knocked flat by some amazing facts.

For instance:

1. Churchill's oratory skills, which we take for granted. Well, at the time, most of the time, the British Ministers just yawned. They found Winston's speeches to be "war mongering," "tiresome" and "vulgar." It was their way of calling him a "cowboy." I'm not kidding.

2. It might be true that most look for the quick sound bite, but that's because they have been conditioned for this by the media. The news is nothing more than a division of entertainment. Ask our friend Jake. He knows.

3. I do not believe that we need to spend a great deal of time studying the deeper and more complex great issues of the day. One only has to recognize the existence of evil and be willing to confront it head-on. Unfortunately, this seems to be a hurdle well beyond a certain class of people. These political dead-heads are still not able to comprehend that we are at war with political Islam.
This is a life and death struggle.
This is a simple fact.
The only questions are: where to fight and when.

The odious Iranian government has stated that they wish to destroy the state of Israel. They are now on the nuclear road. One class of American and Europeanse rely on the so-called "world community" to handle the problem. And I trust that they will -- as they so ably handled the genocide in Rwanda. The only question now is when to attack and destroy Iranian nuclear facilities.

And make no mistake about it; those facilities can be destroyed. Back in 1940 the intellectual appeasers on the left, as George Orwell noted with disgust, also said that England could not possibly fight Hitler. These same people said 1n 1948 that the new state of Israel could not possibly withstand the onslaught of five Arab armies. And now these same tiresome intellectuals inform us that America and or Israel cannot possibly destroy the Iranian nuclear program.

Really, the defeatists among us never tire of, well, being defeatists. Don't they ever tire of being wrong all the time?

So Jack, you see my point. These are not profound arguments I'm making. I write as I'm about to leave the house for Karen and I are about to visit Ariel's grave. I'm in a hurry. But the issues are really quite simple and require just moments of my time.

Good vs. evil.

Killing them before they kill us.

Another duel.

Again, I wish you and yours a very meaningful Pesach.

Robert you bring such clarity to issues with few words. You do it much better than I could. Hey! You should be a writer, how's that for a career path? May God bless you and Karen with His peace today.

Hi Robert,

I am not surprised to hear that about Churchill, but frankly I don't think that you will ever hear/read anyone lauding Dubya's oratory skills. They are abysmal and that is a problem. He is not nearly as effective as he could be.

It might be true that most look for the quick sound bite, but that's because they have been conditioned for this by the media. The news is nothing more than a division of entertainment. Ask our friend Jake. He knows.

I think that it is more than that. I think that our schools do not do enough work on logical thought and critical reasoning. And we are poorer for it.

I do not believe that we need to spend a great deal of time studying the deeper and more complex great issues of the day. One only has to recognize the existence of evil and be willing to confront it head-on.

That works well when evil is plain to see. I don't know that I think that it is always that easy, although I am reading a book called Blink that addresses snap decisions. I am really enjoying it, but that is a side issue.

But I do agree with you about Iran. Let them talk. Let them eat their cake and have their tea and others will do the work. It has ever been like this.

"The scene where the Jewish maids are fired just sends me through the roof. For that scene alone the film is worth watching."

My mother and her mother were maids like that, but fortunately didn't get sent back, needless to say. They left Vienna in 1939, my mother was 24. They got work visas to England and spent the war as cook and maid in houses like the ones in the movie. My grandmother stayed in Cheltenham after the war was over until she died in the 1970s. My mother got a job with the American Occupation Forces in Germany, where she met my dad, also a Holocaust refugee working for the occupation forces. (His family had a long saga I will tell another time.)

Suz:

Thanks so much. I'll think about your notion about becoming a writer.

Yehudit:

Aamzing story. You should write about this on your blog.