Daniel Lubetzky

Interesting article from Ari Shavit about the new paradigm for conflict resolution.

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Gideon Biger, a Professor of Geography at Tel Aviv University, references three examples of how European States handled somewhat similar territorial challenges and ultimately achieved harmony.  While there are plenty of distinctions, these are all worth bearing in mind as Israel and Palestine seek to resolve their differences.

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Food & Wine Magazine featured KIND Healthy Grains in its trend-spotting section this month, confirming that KIND is perfect for both foodies and health nuts.  And to solidify that point, KIND Healthy Grains received praise from registered dietician Samantha Heller on NY1 for being a heart-healthy granola alternative to be added to yogurt, milk or even just eaten as a snack! 

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

“The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;  the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

-Abraham Lincoln

A recent stipulation in the ugly MF Global saga states that MFG Assurance should be able to pay defense costs that MF Global has incurred since its bankruptcy, even though MF Global customers are still missing $1.2 billion.  Consumer funds were treated improperly both in the way that they were illegally pulled, as well as in the way that they are being treated in the bankruptcy.  This stipulation just adds insult to injury.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

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CBS San Antonio could not get enough of KIND! Check out this great interview with Carly to see why CBS loves KIND and Do the KIND Thing:

By Adeena Schlussel

Shifting towards funnier quotes of the week…

"I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here." – Stephen Bishop

You don’t have to speak the language to enjoy these magic tricks with the iPad!

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, posted by Adeena Schlussel

NextStepU is a website that helps students navigate their way along the educational path that’s best for each individual.  Daniel’s insights in the interview below are undoubtedly helpful for these students as they explore their dreams and opportunities.

by Adeena Schlussel

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So much of our challenges in life has to do with balancing short term and long term priorities. Do we accept some pain up front in order to be stronger in the future, or do we defer the necessary but painful steps, only to make the problem increasingly bigger? 

A human being may face that tension in terms of a health matter that needs to be addressed (a painful treatment may be deferred, with potentially devastating repercussions if the disease ends up spreading), or in terms of a personal financial or business decision (ie, starting a business may take much longer to pay off than taking a job, but could in the long term be more rewarding). 

In the international fora, much of what we are facing today can be framed in terms of those choices.  Egypt, for example, presents enormous challenges. The repressive military regime is perceived to support the peace treaty with Israel, so both the Israeli and American Administrations support a strong alliance therewith.  The perceived (and in some ways real) threat of an alternative is accentuated by the rise of Islamic parties and their dominance in the first open elections in Egypt.  But those who rather promote the safety of the status quo ignore that military rulers are then incentivized to manipulate extremist parties and turn them into a bigger threat, as they help the military junta justify its existence and rally support for their continued control of the levers of power. 

Representative democracy has a way of building accountability into the system, thereby moderating those doing the representation in the longer term.  But that does not come overnight.  It requires enormous patience and will most likely involve a lot of pain and a lot of wrong turns along the way. 

Most worrisome, representative democracy can be used by authoritarian leaders to achieve power, only for them to cut the cord of representative government and cling on to power – as the Iranian Ayatollahs did after their revolution, as Hugo Chavez did in Venezuela and as many others tempted by absolute power often seek to do. 

The beauty of the US Government system is not representative democracy on its own– but the checks and balances of the system – guaranteeing relatively fair transitions of power.

Below is an interesting article that discusses the challenges the US Administration is facing in balancing its support of Egyptian democracy with its desire for stability.

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