Columnists

Does the British Labour Party and its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, have an “anti-Semitism problem,” or has the Party’s left wing been targeted by the Israeli government for its support of the growing boycott and divestment movement that challenges Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land? A group of Israeli lawyers and social activists would like to know the answer to that question and have filed a Freedom of Information action in an effort to find out.

Spearheaded by Israeli human rights activist Eitay Mack, the request targets Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “verify that these play no part in the de-legitimization waged in recent years on the UK Labour Party and Mr. Corbyn.”

The Labour leader has been called an “anti-Semite and a racist” by one of the Party’s members of Parliament, and in a recent tweet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Corbyn of honoring Palestinians who took part in the attack on Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics. -more-

Presidential elections reflect voter concerns, as well as candidate personalities. In addition, national election results often reflect changing American norms. While the 2018 mid-term election has been touted as the year of the woman, it also mirrors our collective concern about violence against women -- the rape culture. This heightened awareness has impacted the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.

It's useful to consider how we got to this moment. The 2016 presidential campaign pitted two unpopular candidates: Hillary Clinton with a reputation for lying and calculated ambition; and Donald Trump with a reputation for sexual abuse and bullying. Crooked Hillary versus "pussy grabber" Trump.

In retrospect it would have been better if voters had pushed the "none of the above" button and left the US without a president until two more acceptable candidates were presented. Sadly, that wasn't an option and Donald Trump narrowly won the election. One way to interpret this outcome is that voters disliked crooked Hillary more than "pussy grabber" Trump. Whatever the reason, Trump, in effect, got a pass on his sexist behavior. -more-

The concept of "good versus evil" is not unique to one culture. It is embedded deeply into Judaism, Christianity, and, apparently, a number of other religions. It forms the basis of much of the criminal justice system in the U.S., and it is incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. Also, most people think in terms of what is "right and wrong," albeit most seem to see themselves as right, and see those with whom they disagree as "wrong." -more-

Juicy stuff about Donald Trump continues to leak like a sprinkler system gone crazy. While not full of Trump White House administration leaks, former FBI Director James Comey’s book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth Lies and Leadership, started the anti-Trump books. In his book Comey calls the Trump presidency a “forest fire” that is doing serious damage to the country’s norms and traditions. “This president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values,” Comey writes. “His leadership is transactional, ego driven and about personal loyalty.” -more-

It's no solace, but the recent revelations about Donald Trump, and his Republican enablers, confirm our worst suspicions: Trump is a clear and present danger.

Of the new sources, Bob Woodward's Fear (http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fear/Bob-Woodward/9781501175510) is the most illuminating.

1.Trump is incompetent: Woodward's book, coupled with the anonymous New York Times op-ed, "I am part of the resistance..." (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html ), and Omarosa Manigault's tell all Unhinged (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-omarosa-book-summary-review-latest-tweets-white-house-unhinged-a8493286.html ) paint a chilling picture of Trump's mental state. -more-

When someone loses good health, it can be very tough to regain. This is true of both mental and physical health. In some instances, people lose their mental and/or physical health to the point where it isn't coming back. A lot of this has to do with age. When young, it is far more likely that you can bounce back from a health problem.

A doctor advised a relative to "stop and smell the roses." The advice was premature. That relative has gained a lot of ground after switching to another healthcare system.

If you are under 60, and if you have chronic health problems, it isn't necessarily too late, especially if you are able to sustain significant changes to how you take care of yourself. This conclusion is derived from what I have seen. -more-

Robert Mueller has made no public comment since he was named in 2017 to lead the Department of Justice investigation into Russian interference in last year's election and other matters. Instead, he has let his actions do the talking. -more-

Pelosi's Power

In an email to constituents sent on September 9, Nancy Pelosi revealed her secret source of power:

What fuels each of us is different. Me, I run on ice cream for breakfast. Dark chocolate, two scoops, in a waffle cone.

This leaves me wondering what constitutes a "Pelosi power lunch"? Devils food cake and chocolate-chip cookies polished off with a Magnum Double Chocolate ice cream bar and a mocha espresso?

On the March

It was great fun to be part of the 30,000-strong crowd of climate marchers in SF on September 8. We spotted a lot of creative, handcrafted posters. My favorite read:

"It's not the heat. It's the stupidity." -more-