Are You Syrias?
The situation in Israel is worsening daily, having now been attacked in the South by the Hamas governed militants and now in the north by Hezbollah, acting by proxy for Syria which acts as a proxy for Iran. Israel has responded with ferocious force, bombing key infrastructure targets and generally halting life and commerce as the Lebanese know it to be. In Gaza, infrastructure targets such as bridges and roads are already destroyed and now the hunt is on for terrorists and their leaders.
Naturally, the world leaders and the Pope have come out against Israel’s actions- as if they are even listened to at this point- but it signifies a distressing airing and confluence of international public opinion. Regardless, Iran is meddling at a high level and I have no reason to disbelieve Israel’s assertion that there are actual Iranian soldiers firing their missiles for Hezbollah. If it is a fact that Iran arms and supports these goons, then in theory Iran has all that is coming to them after their wild pronouncements of Israel’s demise at the hands of a mullah fired nuclear weapon.
Since the G8 is meeting and Iran is worried about the focus being on their desire for nukes, it makes sense that they would like a diversion. And since Iran and Hezbollah have the same end goal (i.e. the destruction of Israel), if Lebanon and Syria get obliterated that still does not mean that the end goal would change- or become less imminent in the eyes of Iran’s leaders.
I have no problem with Israel targeting infrastructure. Lebanon should have been protecting the border between Hezbollah and northern Israel and they have not lived up to their end of the bargain for 6 years. And now, if Lebanon’s roads and fuel depots get bombed because Hezbollah uses said infrastructure then forgive me if I care not one iota.
However, I have no doubt that three things will eventually occur:
1) Hezbollah will be weakened by the constant destruction of their safehouses and Lebanese infrastructure.
2) Israel will, in the next three years, launch a major strike on Iranian nuke sites with help from American troops and stations in Iraq
3) Something very serious will happen in Syria causing the death or outing of Assad and it could very well involve a major attack on Israel which will lead to the bombing and small invasion of Damascus
Things are coming to a head, and only one country can survive- Israel or the current Iran. My bet is that since Israel has the technology and the nuclear weapons already, they will draw first blood. I just hope it will be a devastating enough wound.
Ruth's Metrocard
My first bike ride of the summer this past Saturday took me from my parents place up to the George Washington Bridge (about 5 miles north) and then back again. But before I could put the rubber to the road, I needed to fill my tires. After three seasons of being stored in the basement, my tires were about as flat as Zarqawi’s heartline.
Biking up to the shop where they have a free air hose outside, my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of not being “doored” by parked cars and the party I was to attend that night. Pulling up to a red light at 94th street and Amsterdam, I spotted a Metrocard lying in the street. Normally this would not register on my radar, but this sported a picture of a woman and a big “R” indicating that it was a reduced fare Metrocard for seniors. Betraying my parents’ ages, but the only way I knew to differentiate this card from others is that both possess this seniors-only pass!
I picked up the card and saw every Jewish mom on the upper west side of Manhattan. Holding R. Fensterheim’s card, I knew it must be returned. While the hotline for reduced fare Metrocard's was closed on the weekends, in the age of Google and 411 it could not be too hard to locate this woman. Dialing the free information line on Sunday, her listing was found in less than 30 seconds. I left a slightly nervous message Sunday afternoon but received no call back. I decided to make one more attempt this afternoon and when a woman answered the phone and I explained that I think I had found her reduced fare card, I could hear the elation in her voice as she exclaimed, “oh thank you, I lost it on my way to Penn Station. When I doubled back to see if I dropped it, I didn’t find it, but I did make my train which was good.” I took her address, feeling confident that I restored some faith in New Yorkers with promises that I would walk it over to her apartment building after getting out of work.
A sweltering day in New York, I was already mopping my brow and neck with a handkerchief when I walked into Mrs. Fensterheim’s lobby. A small, friendly woman was standing there and when I cautiously asked if she was indeed missing a Metrocard she grew a big smile across her visage and shook my hand. I gave her the card and she presented me with a bottle of cold water because “it is just so hot out.” Thanking her, I walked out, feeling satisfied and finished the cold water before I got down the block.
America in 250 Wrds
To be an American does not mean that you were born here, that you are a citizen of the United States or even that you offer unconditional support to every action of our government.
Being an American today means that there is no limit to what a person can become if they have the right tools, education and maybe a little bit of luck. Why is this a distinctly American trait- because in most other cultures, class lines and social stratification is more distinct and generally accepted. The essence of America is that someone can come here or is born with nothing, and if they have a strong work ethic, perseverance and a will to succeed, that they can achieve an existence marked not by struggle and conflict but with a standard measure of living that includes shelter, sustenance and a small level of comfort.
In the larger sense, being an American also implies spreading the idea of democracy, free elections and rights for women and minority populations. An American believes that people have the right to voice criticism and that the opportunities afforded to the elite must in some way become a tangible prospect for the lower strata of the population.
In short, an American is someone who wants as much of a level playing field as possible for anyone willing to compete.
