Admitting mistakes. Nothing stands in greater contrast to the present administration than actions which rise from humility and compassion. Humility demands genuine courage. It does not/can not rise from veneer-thin bravado which seeks only to gather and collect power as an antidote to fear.
The scenarios above involving AOC are icing on the cake you have delivered to us in your endorsement of van Hollen. Imagine Jasmine Crockett as AG within that mix. My mind bends..thank you.
Yet another poignant and beautifully written essay. Thank you for opening my eyes and brain to Van Hollen as potential POTUS. Admittedly, I am very deeply conflicted about Israel. I continue to share your wisdom in an attempt to resolve the conflict and move ahead. The difficulty is immense. I agree, you are doing the yeoman’s work of bringing forth the truth.
An excellent question, the answer to which is wrapped up in a 76-year life of religious and secular study what are quite often at extreme odds. Given the atrocities of the Nazi holocaust, I understand Israel‘s contempt of an Arab strategy to drive Israel from the river to the sea, annihilating all Israeli Jews. It is a strategy straight out of the Nazi playbook, destroy Jews and Judaism that they feel have brought so much damage to the world. And it doesn’t stop in the Middle East. Their strategy involves destroying Judaism globally, including the annihilation of all Jews, men, women and children. For that, I am truly concerned.
On the other side of the conflict is my deep and documented abhorrence of genocide. I am a staunch advocate for children, particularly in light of their inability to defend themselves in a genocide, regardless of nationality, religion, etc.
So, it appears that I don’t have a good answer for your good question. The inhumanity civilisation has always experienced will continue to be above all self-destructive. Thank you for your question.
May I ask why you are conflicted? I rarely come across people who I clearly am broadly aligned with politically but express hesitancy regarding Israel. Though I should caveat that because even the people I know who have very firm opinions on things like occupation and the likud party aren't as sure about what the best outcome would be let alone how to go about implementing it. But yeah, just genuinely curious and would like to learn where a progressive pro-democracy coalition should focus on finding consensus and preventing the extreme right from exploiting concerns/confusion/etc
Yes Evan Stern, I totally agree. Van Hollen was one of the early ones sounding the alarm to say that the items not being allowed into Gaza as aid were some necessary hospital supplies, meds, and other very essential life saving items. (Back in those lofty days when any aid was actually getting into Gaza. Not the pitiful contrivance that passes for aid now …when it is even allowed in) He also traveled along w Merkeley to the the Middle East region that was serving as the staging ground for the aid into Gaza to see for themselves. He does the work. He has the ethics. I think he’d be great!!
That’s harder. Of course I love AOC but would she really want to give up doing the good work in Congress and a potential senate seat to become the lightning rod for the president, as the vice seemingly always becomes?
A lot of people like Pete. He is a great debater but he seems to gravitate to the politically *safe* positions, and he is somewhat tainted by having just come from the Biden Admin.
I love AOC truly and deeply, I think she would complement the older, whiter and more established Van Hollen on the ticket. And their politics align. She can always run for senate in 2030, for the seat currently occupied by Gillibrand. But I don’t see her losing with Van Hollen. And unlike Biden with Obama and Harris with Biden, she would be well equipped to run as the party’s standard bearer in 2036 after two terms as VP.
Also, thank you for writing in that piece about the importance of acknowledging a mistake and apologizing for it. I feel like that is a really mindful way to say “I’m making a commitment to do better. Be better. I have learned a lesson and I’m going to employ the lesson learned. “ I think culturally we need to make this more acceptable. It’s not weakness. As you say in your piece, it’s a “superpower”.
And tho sometimes it feels bittersweet to hear an apology, (as we are now hearing more mea culpas from former Biden people. They feel a little *dollar short and day late*, but..) it’s still always better than no apology
You're doing yeoman's work with these. Keep up the good work. Honestly, despite my overall displeasure with the party at this moment, if Van Hollen were to win against AOC in the primaries, then I would absolutely vote for him after reading this.
However, as an aside, I do think there's probably close to a double-digit chance that what we should be doing instead of planning for the primaries, is preparing for a constitutional convention.There's certainly nothing to stop us from doing both. Like, at the very least, it is something our part of the coalition should be talking about.
Admitting mistakes. Nothing stands in greater contrast to the present administration than actions which rise from humility and compassion. Humility demands genuine courage. It does not/can not rise from veneer-thin bravado which seeks only to gather and collect power as an antidote to fear.
The scenarios above involving AOC are icing on the cake you have delivered to us in your endorsement of van Hollen. Imagine Jasmine Crockett as AG within that mix. My mind bends..thank you.
Yet another poignant and beautifully written essay. Thank you for opening my eyes and brain to Van Hollen as potential POTUS. Admittedly, I am very deeply conflicted about Israel. I continue to share your wisdom in an attempt to resolve the conflict and move ahead. The difficulty is immense. I agree, you are doing the yeoman’s work of bringing forth the truth.
“May I ask why you are conflicted?“
An excellent question, the answer to which is wrapped up in a 76-year life of religious and secular study what are quite often at extreme odds. Given the atrocities of the Nazi holocaust, I understand Israel‘s contempt of an Arab strategy to drive Israel from the river to the sea, annihilating all Israeli Jews. It is a strategy straight out of the Nazi playbook, destroy Jews and Judaism that they feel have brought so much damage to the world. And it doesn’t stop in the Middle East. Their strategy involves destroying Judaism globally, including the annihilation of all Jews, men, women and children. For that, I am truly concerned.
On the other side of the conflict is my deep and documented abhorrence of genocide. I am a staunch advocate for children, particularly in light of their inability to defend themselves in a genocide, regardless of nationality, religion, etc.
So, it appears that I don’t have a good answer for your good question. The inhumanity civilisation has always experienced will continue to be above all self-destructive. Thank you for your question.
May I ask why you are conflicted? I rarely come across people who I clearly am broadly aligned with politically but express hesitancy regarding Israel. Though I should caveat that because even the people I know who have very firm opinions on things like occupation and the likud party aren't as sure about what the best outcome would be let alone how to go about implementing it. But yeah, just genuinely curious and would like to learn where a progressive pro-democracy coalition should focus on finding consensus and preventing the extreme right from exploiting concerns/confusion/etc
Yes Evan Stern, I totally agree. Van Hollen was one of the early ones sounding the alarm to say that the items not being allowed into Gaza as aid were some necessary hospital supplies, meds, and other very essential life saving items. (Back in those lofty days when any aid was actually getting into Gaza. Not the pitiful contrivance that passes for aid now …when it is even allowed in) He also traveled along w Merkeley to the the Middle East region that was serving as the staging ground for the aid into Gaza to see for themselves. He does the work. He has the ethics. I think he’d be great!!
That’s harder. Of course I love AOC but would she really want to give up doing the good work in Congress and a potential senate seat to become the lightning rod for the president, as the vice seemingly always becomes?
A lot of people like Pete. He is a great debater but he seems to gravitate to the politically *safe* positions, and he is somewhat tainted by having just come from the Biden Admin.
Do you have someone you like?
I love AOC truly and deeply, I think she would complement the older, whiter and more established Van Hollen on the ticket. And their politics align. She can always run for senate in 2030, for the seat currently occupied by Gillibrand. But I don’t see her losing with Van Hollen. And unlike Biden with Obama and Harris with Biden, she would be well equipped to run as the party’s standard bearer in 2036 after two terms as VP.
Adam Kinzinger another important voice who would qualify for office.
Also, thank you for writing in that piece about the importance of acknowledging a mistake and apologizing for it. I feel like that is a really mindful way to say “I’m making a commitment to do better. Be better. I have learned a lesson and I’m going to employ the lesson learned. “ I think culturally we need to make this more acceptable. It’s not weakness. As you say in your piece, it’s a “superpower”.
And tho sometimes it feels bittersweet to hear an apology, (as we are now hearing more mea culpas from former Biden people. They feel a little *dollar short and day late*, but..) it’s still always better than no apology
Who for vice president? If Van Hollen is the man for the top of the ticket, who would you like to see as his running mate?
You're doing yeoman's work with these. Keep up the good work. Honestly, despite my overall displeasure with the party at this moment, if Van Hollen were to win against AOC in the primaries, then I would absolutely vote for him after reading this.
However, as an aside, I do think there's probably close to a double-digit chance that what we should be doing instead of planning for the primaries, is preparing for a constitutional convention.There's certainly nothing to stop us from doing both. Like, at the very least, it is something our part of the coalition should be talking about.
Consider yourself redeemed. (If you care)