Merry Christmas to All

And A News Round-up of Sorts

I wanted to wish all my readers Season’s Greetings, etc., and also want to remind you that this book would make an excellent gift. I am still in recovery from our trip to Rome: both my credit card and my fat cells are in twelve step programs, and discipline for them and myself shall begin on January 1st. Or 2nd. Or Chinese New Year. It was tricky to come back from Italy and then segue right into the holidays, but I should not complain. This is what we used to call a “first-world problem.”

I remain dazzled at the speed of events in the Middle East, but also recognize how repetitive it can be - bad guy overthrown, locals rejoice, crazy people (possibly crazier) take over, orgies of spite and chaos get underway, media misses the point (most of the time), crazier people become like guy they overthrew…lather, rinse, repeat. Now, I should not be so cynical. After all, seeing Assad gone is a glorious thing and life for Syrians may well improve. Reports on that Sednaya prison alone should make the UN and ICC take notice, but…nah. Why bother, when they can obsess on Israel? At any rate, Assad’s fall represents a real blow to Iran - following the near destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah - which is terrific. For an example of voluntary media myopia, consider the vastly under-reported story of the Six Druze villages in Syria that have asked to become part of Israel. Of course, should they get their wish (unlikely), it will be used as an example of Israeli “imperialism.” Actually, this item reminded me of something that happened to me on my last trip to Israel - I wrote about it previously, but here is the gist.

Going through some old stuff and I found this column I wrote for the Christian Science Monitor about Gaza, back in 2005. I was in Israel when Israel was pulling its citizens out of Gaza, ending its occupation and leaving the area to what it hoped would be a better future, one in which Gaza could have become a Dubai or a Singapore, not to mention a decent neighbour. But the people there made different choices. On that trip, we also visited the north, including a Druze town. (This would have been very close to where a Hezbollah attack killed 12 Israeli children last week, an attack that has been covered with the usual contempt and lack of care by much of the media.) I remember we had lunch in a cafe where the owner’s adorable daughter - about six-years-old - kept hanging around us. The owner had told us that he had the choice to be a Syrian citizen or an Israeli citizen. I asked him why he chose Israel. He pointed to his daughter. “For her,” he told me. Those were hopeful times. Here is to hopeful times in future.

May Assad spend the rest of his days stuck with Edward Snowdon in a freezing flat in Moscow. Apparently he is going to work as an ophthalmologist there. Seriously - would you trust him in that capacity? Or any capacity?

We have our own drama in Canada, such as that drama is. I would like to say that while I am not a demonstrative patriot, Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st state have bothered me. I would have liked our prime minister to have responded by saying, “We are a great ally. We fought beside you in two world wars, in Korea, in Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia, Gulf War I and in so many other troubled spots as part of international forces. We share your values of free speech, assembly, religion. We are the best neighbours you could have. We deserve more respect.” Both Ontario’s premier and the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party made statements along those lines. I am not an economist, but I know enough from my economist spouse to not be a fan of tariffs - I think they can do a bit of good in one sector for a short period of time, but that’s about it. Overall, they are a negative - punitive and petty. Free trade makes far more sense to me, and not limited to North America. We’ll see what happens, though in Toronto we have other things on our minds. Like, another day, another case of shots fired at a Jewish school, followed by a platitude (if that much) from our mayor. If you have not already, read Terry Glavin’s madly depressing Free Press feature about antisemitism in Canada.

Speaking of antisemitism, how about the Pope and that keffiyeh-draped baby Jesus display at the Vatican? I am accustomed to this pope and his squishiness, but this shocked me, especially given the church’s attempts to break away from their sorry history of antisemitism. Yet, what could be more antisemitic than denying the Jewish identity of Jesus? What could be more insulting than to drape him in a symbol that has come to represent violence, and, in particular, violence against Jews? I mean, I understand that Francis has to pray for all of us and I am glad he does. But he has sent an unfortunate message here. And it is not a pro-peace message. He has been influenced throughout his life by liberation theology - i.e., social justice-y Catholicism. I recall after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, he made excuses for the killers and also made it abundantly clear he did not understand (or respect) a free press. Very disturbing. At least the Vatican removed the display, but that they ever thought it was acceptable is beyond me.

Finally, I must mention the glorification of the (alleged) killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Truly depressing. I wrote about this phenomenon here - the idea that if people are of a certain class or background or professional status, they should not be valued and they deserve what they get. I call it the “Ha ha, rich people died” syndrome. It is contagious among the useful idiots and keffiyeh-clad morons out there. I see a direct link to this and the way Israelis and Jews (among other groups) are not valued. This absurd notion many on the ideological extremes (both left and right) have: that there are groups of “privileged” - deemed so by others - people who do not deserve the same respect and protection of the law the rest of us should enjoy. What those who espouse this view do not understand is that the group that is deemed “not deserving” can change on a dime. It could be them one day. And then they will want that protection and respect. And decent people - such as the people they have despised - will want that for them, too, and fight for it.

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Now for something more important - Christmas! Guys, I love Christmas, especially as an adult. As a child and teen it was a rough time, but now it is truly heartwarming, a time of year to which I genuinely look forward. Some festive links: I made my mother’s famous “Norwegian cookies” today, cookies I wrote about here; also, I wrote about Christmas movies here and here; and Jeff Maurer tells us why Baby, It’s Cold Outside is awesome (he’s right). I leave you with all good wishes and I dare you not to cry watching this. Advertising can be so good.