Daniel Lubetzky

Most of the world’s attention is zoned in on the US elections or on the Middle East.

But very worthy of concern is the increasingly destabilizing behavior of Hugo Chavez from Venezuela.

He praised FARC commander Raul Reyes as a "good revolutionary" hero.  The FARC is the terrorist guerrilla group that has killed thousands of ordinary Colombian citizens.  Every Venezuelan and Colombian I’ve spoken to over the last couple months has been warning that Chavez is aiming to start a war against Colombia, partly to prop him up after the electoral defeat when he tried to amend the constitution in order to stay in power.

Clive Crook’s column in the Financial Times today (3/3/08), "Clinton Gets it Sincerely Wrong," is sadly on target.  Senator Clinton does not have a particularly charming or personable personality, but that was not her greatest undoing.  Her greatest undoing was trying to become something else.  Margaret Thatcher was comfortable in her own skin as a tough cookie, and people liked that about her – and voted for her.  Senator Clinton instead has been switching personalities based on what the pollsters say.

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Cosmologist Martin Rees does not think that modern civilization will make it past this century.  Scientific and technological progress carry
with them the seeds of human destruction, whether through the harm we
cause to the environment, or straight out nuclear or biological
destruction.

So ironically, one of the core limitations to connecting with intelligent life elsewhere in the planet is our own unbridled ‘intelligence.’

You can make your own predictions about this at www.msnbc.com/modules/drake/default.asp  
Sent from my iPhone – pardon typos

I am printing this as a I got it, without editorialization:

World’s First Cross-Denominational Statement from Muslims to Jews in Modern Times

Religious scholars and Muslim leaders from around the world are to issue a statement to the world’s Jewish Community at the Centre for the Study of Muslim – Jewish Relations in Cambridge on Monday 25 February.

This demonstrates a genuine desire within the Muslim community to reach out to Jews. The letter describes itself as ‘a call for positive and constructive action that aims to improve Muslim — Jewish relations’.

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Robert Redford plays a Professor at a Stanford-like California liberal arts university with an urgent message for his students about the imperative of not leaving governance and public service to the despots, the bureaucrats and the political animals.  Even if, no, particularly if, things look bad, service is that much more needed, and giving it your best is what is important.

The title of the movie comes from an analogy from the World War I to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Germans in the first world war used to admire the British soldiers on the front as courageous and determined but they considered their generals mediocre.  One German General said something along the lines of, "Never have I seen so many lions commanded by such lambs." Redford’s character feels the same is true of the idealistic young men who volunteered to serve their country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Too bad the movie has several moments that feel contrived, either because of an overly didactic script or because of the editing.  But the movie is worth watching because of several compelling observations, even if some are forced in.

The core message of not turning to apathy just because things are bad is very much applicable to the world we live in today.  It is such an easy cop-out to complain and be cynical.  It takes more work to do something about it.

The rumors in the Jewish community about Barak Hussein Obama’s "Muslim" connection are embarassing, dumb, and wrong.  Every day I get email forwards with silly allegations and fear-mongering.  Very sad, not just because it is based on lies and ignorance, but also because it reflects deep prejudice and fear from a religion that has been unfairly tarnished by a minority of extremists who seek to hijack it.

But what nobody in the media has pointed out when they mention how much he has overcome and what testament to progress in America it is that someone whose last name rhymes with "Osama" Bin-Laden and whose middle name is the same as that of the late "Butcher of Baghad", Saddam Hussein, is that Barak has an Israeli first name.

Indeed, "Barak", which means "thunder" in Hebrew, is a common first name as well as a common last name.

So if people are going to make up stories, they might as well balance them out and talk about how he is the product of an Arab-Israeli love affair.

Almost every woman I’ve asked here in Texas supports Hilary.  Same with most Hispanics.  This is in contrast to the momentum Barak seems to be gathering according to the news.  The expectations for his success may be too high and could cause a significant setback to Barak, in spite of his accomplishment narrowing the big gap he had in the polls.

I have been arguing to all who’d listen that in the end of the day, the 3 remaining candidates are all formidable possible leaders and we are lucky to end with them.  They all have some weaknesses, but overall their strengths greatly outweigh their weaknesses.

There is nothing like a well-thought-out set of op-eds to cause you some pause.

With regard to Obama, David Ignatius raises some valid and challenging questions here.

With regard to McCain, George Will poses 5 core questions to him here.

And to Clinton, besides the many columns that Frank Rich and many others have been writing, this Wall Street Journal article from Peggy Noonan is quite devastating.  Clinton is a real policy-wonk, but inspiring the nation is a critical aspect of any presidency and there is doubt whether she can accomplish, or whether her presidency would be more defined by division.

Which of them will answer these questions best?

The articles are also pasted below.

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