It seems these days that wherever we turn, extremism and extremist rhetoric are on the rise all over the country and the world.
Donald Trump labels his political enemies “vermin,” and pledges that if he is re-elected president, he will eradicate them.
Historians note that Trump is once again using words the way Hitler did to promote his agenda -- the very same words used to justify the murder of millions of Jews during World War Two.
Meanwhile, the use by pro-Palestinian advocates of the phrase “From the River to the Sea” is cited by historians for its anti-Semitic connotations as well. People on all sides are angry about what’s happening in the Middle East and their anger easily spills over into hate.
But when I hear that phrase popping up again, I am reminded how easily it could be reconfigured to convey a very different message.
It was while I was traveling in India in 1971 that a Hindu man explained to me his religion’s philosophy about other faiths, including Islam, Judaism and Christianity, among others.
“There are many rivers but they all flow to the sea,’ he said, quoting a commonly used phrase. By that he meant it really doesn’t matter which faith you hold because they all lead to the same destination — God.
It’s hard at this point to imagine any kind of solution to the conflict in the Middle East, but I’m pretty sure using words and slogans of hate aren’t going to help. On the other hand, taking a deep breath and embracing the Hindu phrase just might.
HEADLINES:
Hospitals across Gaza are running out of electricity and supplies during the ongoing bombardment of the territory, as Israeli's prime minster tells CNN people should leave. (CNN)
Internal State Dept. memo blasts Biden, U.S. policy on Israel-Hamas war (Axios)
In Congress and on Campuses, ‘From the River to the Sea’ Inflames Debate (NYT)
US announces fresh strikes on Iran-linked sites in Syria (Guardian)
U.S. strikes kill Iranian proxies in Syria, officials say, a significant escalation (WP)
Former British PM David Cameron returns to government (MSNBC)
Biden meets Xi Jinping this week as more Americans see China as a critical threat (NPR)
Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini (WP)
Ex-Prosecutor Urges Judge To Call Donald Trump's Bluff On Latest Legal Move (HuffPost)
New Speaker Mike Johnson faces first test as government shutdown looms (WP)
F.B.I. Examining Whether Adams Cleared Red Tape for Turkish Government (NYT)
What recent elections and polls tell us about 2024 (NPR)
Pakistan opens new border crossings to expedite Afghans' repatriation (Reuters)
OpenAI’s six-member board will decide ‘when we’ve attained AGI’ (VentureBeat)
‘It is a beast that needs to be tamed’: leading novelists on how AI could rewrite the future (Guardian)
Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He’s Built (New Yorker)
Worried about AI hijacking your voice for a deepfake? This tool could help (NPR)
AI’s challenge of understanding the world (Science)
Spider Panics After Losing Track Of Human It Noticed Scurry Across Floor (The Onion)It seems these days that wherever we turn, extremism and extremist rhetoric are on the rise all over the country and the world.
Donald Trump labels his political enemies “vermin,” and pledges that if he is re-elected president, he will eradicate them.
Historians note that Trump is once again using words the way Hitler did to promote his agenda. Even when the words he chooses are the same ones that were used to justify the murder of millions of Jews during World War Two.
Meanwhile, the use by pro-Palestinian advocates of the phrase “From the River to the Sea” is cited by historians for its anti-Semitic connotations as well. People on all sides are angry about what’s happening in the Middle East and their anger easily spills over into hate.
But when I hear that phrase popping up again, I am reminded how easily it could be reconfigured to convey a very different message.
It was while I was traveling in India in 1971 that a Hindu man explained to me his religion’s philosophy about other faiths, including Islam, Judaism and Christianity, among others.
“There are many rivers but they all flow to the sea,’ he said, quoting a commonly used phrase. By that he meant it really doesn’t matter which faith you hold because they all lead to the same destination — God.
It’s hard at this point to imagine any kind of solution to the conflict in the Middle East, but I’m pretty sure using words and slogans of hate aren’t going to help. On the other hand, taking a deep breath and embracing the Hindu phrase just might.
HEADLINES:
Hospitals across Gaza are running out of electricity and supplies during the ongoing bombardment of the territory, as Israeli's prime minster tells CNN people should leave. (CNN)
Internal State Dept. memo blasts Biden, U.S. policy on Israel-Hamas war (Axios)
In Congress and on Campuses, ‘From the River to the Sea’ Inflames Debate (NYT)
US announces fresh strikes on Iran-linked sites in Syria (Guardian)
U.S. strikes kill Iranian proxies in Syria, officials say, a significant escalation (WP)
Former British PM David Cameron returns to government (MSNBC)
Biden meets Xi Jinping this week as more Americans see China as a critical threat (NPR)
Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini (WP)
Ex-Prosecutor Urges Judge To Call Donald Trump's Bluff On Latest Legal Move (HuffPost)
New Speaker Mike Johnson faces first test as government shutdown looms (WP)
F.B.I. Examining Whether Adams Cleared Red Tape for Turkish Government (NYT)
What recent elections and polls tell us about 2024 (NPR)
Pakistan opens new border crossings to expedite Afghans' repatriation (Reuters)
OpenAI’s six-member board will decide ‘when we’ve attained AGI’ (VentureBeat)
‘It is a beast that needs to be tamed’: leading novelists on how AI could rewrite the future (Guardian)
Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He’s Built (New Yorker)
Worried about AI hijacking your voice for a deepfake? This tool could help (NPR)
AI’s challenge of understanding the world (Science)
Spider Panics After Losing Track Of Human It Noticed Scurry Across Floor (The Onion)
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