Buerger Bites

From Lotus Land

I just returned from L.A., where I was attending the Milken Institute Global Conference (http://www.MilkenInstitute.org). It’s a non-profit, non-partisan economic think tank. The topics ranged from reforming K-12 education (featuring Maryland State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick as a moderator) to entrepreneurial philanthropy, and from energy to global warming.  There was even a whole track dedicated to Israel. (To read more, check out The Sun’s story.)

What struck me the most about the conference was the number of venture capitalists there specializing in “Green” technology. They’re all chasing the next great thing, looking for high returns in a market flush with cash and limited opportunities.

Yet, we also learned that in terms of returns, nothing beats good old fossil fuels. In fact, old-fashioned oil companies continue to generate record profits.)

In my opinion, both political parties get it wrong. Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, wants to create a windfall tax – that’s a stupid idea. And the Republicans want to let the market take care of itself. Equally dumb.

What Washington needs to do – and probably won’t because they can’t do anything right – is create incentives for the new technologies to be as affordable as the old polluting ones. There’s a small window for these VC firms to make money on clean technology.

Congress and the President have a chance – NOW! – to clean up our water and air, reduce dependence on terrorist-supplied oil, and hopefully lower global warming.

Shooting the Messenger

It didn’t take long. Last week, shortly after Jewish Times Executive Editor Phil Jacob’s, story hit the streets accusing the late Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro of abusing hundreds – and some have said thousands—of boys during his many years at a local synagogue and then the Talmudical Academy school, local Orthodox rabbis were stirring about how to handle the latest revelation.

All twenty-three members of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of Greater Baltimore signed a letter that was distributed within the Eruv over the weekend.  It was unprecedented that they all agreed in unison to say that sexual abuse existed in the community and parents should be wary of all those in contact with our children – teachers, coaches, and rabbis.

Yet, by Monday, we were inundated with angry e-mails and phone calls. Rabbi Moshe Heinemann posted a note his shul saying, “Based on last week’s vicious article in the Baltimore Jewish Times and other articles of the past, it is my opinion that it is totally inappropriate for this publication to be found in any Jewish home.” Another e-mailer said that the pain suffered by the alleged perpetrator was equal to the sexual abuse victims.

Me thinks thou doest protest too much.

I sympathize with those who are upset that the alleged perpetrator is dead and can’t defend himself.  Yet, the victims now carry a lifetime of suffering. We didn’t go with one person story. We made sure at least three unrelated people would speak to us on the record. More were interviewed, but not quoted.

I find it rather sick the some are circling the wagons and blaming the Jewish Times for shining a light on the horrible problem. It’s this self-protection that allowed the behavior to happen in the first place. Yet, the cover up continues, and in the meantime, more innocent boys and girls will be hurt. 

The Missouri Peace Proposal

After being dormant for so many years, several interested parties are now reinserting themselves into the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

I have always tended to be fairly dovish about the Middle East conflict and encourage such efforts to end the cycle of violence there. It’s curious that after six years of relative inactivity, the Bush administration is finally taking interest in that region.

Perhaps, President Bush, like Bill Clinton before him, is starting to see the sun set on his legacy and wants something to show for six years besides a failed trillion-dollar war (Bush) or a sex scandal (Clinton).

In addition, the Saudis want to be the new power broker in the Middle East. Saudi King Abdullah dusted off his 2002 plan calling for Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders, the establishment of a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, and a resolution to the Palestinian refugee dilemma.

In exchange, King Abdullah said, the entire Arab world would officially fully recognize the State of Israel and its right to exist.

Huh?! Full recognition?! I think I’ve heard that somewhere before. Perhaps before each attack on Israel.

Me, I like the “Missouri Peace Proposal” – The “Show Me State” plan.

Show me that the Lebanese government can control Hezbollah militia fighters in southern Lebanon. After Israel complied with every international agency’s recommendation that it withdraw from every inch of Lebanese territory, it was still harassed by Hezbollah.

Show me that the Palestinian Authority can control Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza. After Israel ceded every inch of the Gaza Strip (no easy feat, mind you), the Palestinians didn’t bother building schools or hospitals or businesses or anything resembling an infrastructure. Instead, they built underground tunnels to smuggle arms to kill innocent Israelis. (They’ve also done a pretty good job killing each other.)

I’d like to have the Arab world show me that they really want to live peacefully with Israel, and then I’ll be ready once again to give them more land.

Just show me. Please.