Being neutral isn’t good enough

By Ted Belman

Donald Trump said yesterday that he wanted to approach brokering a deal by being neutral. He thinks that would make it easier for him to broker a deal.

To date that is what the US has always said, while at the same time, being anything but neutral. The US always ignores violations and incitement by the PA and pressures Israel to make concessions.

What is needed for the US to be our ally and any thing but neutral. The US must place the blame and the pressure on the PA. The US must also abandon the idea that Judea and Samaria are Occupied Palestinian Land and abandon the idea that the border should be on the ’67 lines.

When the US financially supports the PA no matter what, the US is anything but neutral. It is supporting the PA so that it can say no for ever and continue murdering Jews.

February 18, 2016 | 98 Comments »

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48 Comments / 98 Comments

  1. @ Felix Quigley:Your comments about the kibbutz are cute but really are ignorant. You clearly know nothing about them on a first hand substantive nature. That is why you nothing about all the fighters and officers in the IDF and its predecessor the Haganah and Palmach. You naturally would not know about the Mossad people who were kibbutzniks. You would nothing of the Kibbutz members who went to Europe to save Jews during the Holocaust.

    So you are unable to explain your love of Marxism. I was truly interested in why you are so passionate about Marxism. I personally find it contrary to the best of human nature as I believe free enterprise brings out the best in a society (by bringing mans natural desire to get ahead and progress).

    I am a fan of Adam Smith not Karl Marx.

    When I was at Kibutz Sde Boker there was this one fellow who would come volunteer for about six months at a time from (Ireland or NOrthern Ireland) he was IRA and said they wanted to learn about the kibbutz to create their own kibbutz. Did the IRA ever do this to your knowledge?

  2. On Trumps web sites he takes a position on these sites only.
    U.S.-CHINA TRADE REFORM
    VETERANS ADMINISTRATION REFORMS
    TAX REFORM
    SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
    IMMIGRATION REFORM

    Foreign policy, including Israel, is not among them. This is not an oversight but a choice. He obviously believes that to take a position, other than neutral, on Israel would not serve him well. Furthermore, on foreign policy generally he has refrained from expressing his vision other than to condemn the Iran deal, and ISIS. But he embraced Russia.

    It remains to be seen whether he will present a more detailed policy on Israel or Foreign Policy in the election campaign remains to be seen. I don’t think he will as he wishes to focus on his bread and butter issues above set out.

  3. I dropped off to sleep when kibbutz was mentioned. They were more like Buddhists. Or even early Jesus freaks. Or sonny and Cher types. Really! You guys have no idea. Do you ever read anything any more!

  4. Trump seems to say

    I am neutral

    I butt out

    I will leave it up to you to DO

    What then WILL you DO

    That is very healthy

    IF there are REAL Jews to DO

    But there are no such Jews any more

  5. Clinton says Trump, Cruz ‘missed the mark’ on Israel

    Last week Trump lambasted Barack Obama for his Middle East policies, telling Fox News that what the president has done to Israel is a “disgrace.”

    Trump said that it was a wonder that the Jewish state would still even talk to the White House, given what he said was shoddy treatment at the hands of the Obama administration.

    “Israel is so important,” Trump said in response to a question about the Middle East, before launching into fierce criticism of the president’s policies.

    “You look at what he’s done to Israel, with just this Iran deal, which is such a terrible deal. He has been the worst thing that’s ever happened to Israel,” Trump continued.

  6. bernard ross Said:

    the most recent support of Yaalon and eisenkot at the prodding of the left… followed by Yaalon or eisenkot stating the leftist position of the recent intifade of “desperation and frustration” of pals appears to be an omen and herald of more of the same to come. I expect some more concessions to the pals based on this MO.

    no sooner said than done:

    Israel reportedly preparing plan to boost Palestinian economy

    Finance officials from both sides propose new cooperation in medicine, tech and construction, among other areas

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-reportedly-preparing-plan-to-boost-palestinian-economy/

    Like I said…….. it is interesting that they took this approach at the height of a stabbing intifada…. obviously inappropriate which makes it appear to have been planned prior. Its almost as if they did not notice the current intifada. that this path has been chosen at such an inappropriate time indicates an agenda agreed before the intifada began.

  7. @ babushka:
    Onece you have recovered from ad hominem: what do you think of these problems, you never replied?
    bernard ross Said:

    Trump knows and identified the problem same as me… even though wealthy he is aware of what they did….. these are the problems:
    jobs, production and capital shipped to communist china
    open borders allowing immigration flooding
    Muslim atrocities worldwide and the need to stop them coming to USA
    The TPP
    the HB1 visa scam
    the continuing problem of national medical security
    and although he has not proclaimed himself for a national health system as I support he recognizes a medical need for the poor and he is unwilling, unlike the rest of the conservatives, to cut medicare and social security.
    I also believe he fully supports Israel and all his statements and behavior back that up. The “neutral” issue is a red herring distorted by frantic conservatives.

  8. babushka Said:

    The refrain of the parasite…….
    ….And so boys and girls, our next song is specifically for bernard from the Che Guevarra Junior High School Of Dialectical Materialism,

    ideologues must always resort to ad hominem

  9. babushka Said:

    it is fascism to reclassify their property as belonging to the state.

    “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
    ? Benito Mussolini

  10. babushka Said:

    Earn your own way.

    I always paid and earned my own way… the parasites are those that intentionally removed our protections and shipped our jobs, production and capital to communist china.babushka Said:

    There is no common economic community.
    There are individuals who transact according to self-interest.

    pure and utter rubbish…… money is printed and distributed by the community… licenses are issued by the economic community…. interest rates are set by the community… tariffs etc…… without selling into an common economic community there are no riches. It is the purchasing power of the consumer which creates the wealth… it is the purchasing power of america which created the 10% growth of communist china. No individual printed money…. money is the symbol of the economic community wealth and the distribution of the printed money is the allocation and distribution of wealth. You can only grow and eat so many chickens and cows on your farm… the excess, or profit comes from selling to others.

    babushka Said:

    The refrain of the parasite.

    were you referring to me or einstein?
    bernard ross Said:

    “A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of others.
    Albert Einstein

  11. the only way they can “make” that money is by selling into “OUR” common economic community.

    The refrain of the parasite.
    There is no common economic community.
    There are individuals who transact according to self-interest.
    That is the sole motivation for economic activity.
    No one pays more or accepts less than the best deal they can get.
    Society is comprised of autonomous human beings, and it is fascism to reclassify their property as belonging to the state.
    No one owes you a piece of their action.
    Earn your own way.

    And so boys and girls, our next song is specifically for bernard from the Che Guevarra Junior High School Of Dialectical Materialism, whose allegiance to individual liberty oscillates between zero and zilch:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Nma1lY8nw

  12. I actually argue against Trump because I do not trust him. 538.com has called everything correct I believe. Certainly New Hampshire and South Carolina. I personally called Iowa correctly. I do not remember what they forecast. You could look it up if you care. I think they forecast Cruz (early but thought Trump would win). They say caucuses are the hardest to forecast.

    My personal early predictions of this race (nothing from 538.com) just like must of the pundits in regards to Trump were wrong. He is the clear favorite at this point. By the way that is 538.com is saying. It is not over but is his to loose.

    According to 538.com latest polls-plus forecast, Donald Trump has a 64% chance of winning the Nevada caucuses.

  13. babushka Said:

    Allow folks to keep? Their own money? How gracious of you.

    “A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of others.
    Albert Einstein

    since you mentioned einstein…….perhaps you will listen to him?

  14. Bear Klein Said:

    Your #25 was a good presentation of your opinion by the way!

    thanks… I knew there was a core of brilliance within you 🙂
    but seriously, I commend you for your patience in the face of my many seeming provocations. It is not personal, I feel it is important to frame BB’s behavior in a different light so as to prompt others to make demands of him. If I am wrong, then wonderful, and if I am right perhaps he will be unwilingly prodded to do the right thing. However, i really doubt it.
    the most recent support of Yaalon and eisenkot at the prodding of the left… followed by Yaalon or eisenkot stating the leftist position of the recent intifade of “desperation and frustration” of pals appears to be an omen and herald of more of the same to come. I expect some more concessions to the pals based on this MO. I do not beleive BB is evil, I beleive he thinks that he will get a better deal from the Gulf arabs than the current one. That he will get more land. However, I think his whole MO is an error but I recognize that it is designed to be a cooperation with the gulf for the obvious reasons.

  15. Bear Klein Said:

    You are the assumption kid no disrespect intended.

    none taken… although I dont agree. i read your posts last time from 538 and this one and they dont appear to be panning out as prior predicted. As you are always stating that Trump will lose the next one, and so it appears do they I “assume” you get it from them.
    Bear Klein Said:

    Everything this site has said has been right on. Nate Silver is the best in business.

    Did their prior predictions of Trump come true?
    I think they like many others do not realize what is really behind the Trump phenomenon. I do agree and stated at the beginning that the GOP establishment will try and dirty deal Trump out of the nomination. However, I beleive that would knock out all chance of a GOP win. Consider that in many states where Trump is ahead with GOP voters that many primaries only allow registered GOP voters and many polls only poll registered GOP voters. Considering that Trump.. a de facto non GOP candidate has garnered such a massive lead from GOP registered voters is a very volatile fact which cannot only be answered based on past behavioral precedents.
    What have their poll predictions been on Trump in the past primaries?

  16. babushka Said:

    Do not cynically use the problem as a pretext to worsen the problem.

    Trump knows and identified the problem same as me… even though wealthy he is aware of what they did….. these are the problems:
    jobs, production and capital shipped to communist china
    open borders allowing immigration flooding
    Muslim atrocities worldwide and the need to stop them coming to USA
    The TPP
    the HB1 visa scam
    the continuing problem of national medical security and although he has not proclaimed himself for a national health system as I support he recognizes a medical need for the poor and he is unwilling, unlike the rest of the conservatives, to cut medicare and social security.
    I also believe he fully supports Israel and all his statements and behavior back that up. The “neutral” issue is a red herring distorted by frantic conservatives.

  17. babushka Said:

    Allow folks to keep?

    the phrase was yours
    babushka Said:

    Their own money?

    did they print that money? the only way they can “make” that money is by selling into “OUR” common economic community. we have a right to bar anyone from selling into our community. If we feel that their doing business in our community is harmful we can deny them the licenses. They organize the system to keep an obscene portion of the economy for themselves through bribing and blackmailing our elected officials which they choose for us. Read the CIA factbook to see those facts.
    babushka Said:

    How gracious of you.

    Indeed it is, as the Czars well know.
    babushka Said:

    Money leaves America due to excessive regulation and confiscatory taxation.

    Utter rubbish…. money leaves due to the intentional criminal collusion between bought pols and large international US corps and individuals who lied when they opened up our doors to china. They intentionally lied when they said it would improve our economy and deceitfully touted lower prices. They knew but intentionally omitted the real costs of dislocation, unemployment, welfare, lost production, lost capital, lost taxes, etc. It was an intentionally engineered agenda to build chinas economy off our consumption, off our labor, off our backs. They did this using us instead of their own capital in order to build a chinese consumption engine of 1.3 billion consumers to buy their products which will in future be manufactured outside the US. Having planned ahead knowing they might be cut off when the people realize their lies and criminal enterprise they have now formed the top secret TPP which is NOT a trade agreement but a series of deals to allow foreign based corporations to have full freedom and protection to continue their thefts in every nation from outside. Right now they have bought both sides in this venture… the TPP passed with a collaboration of Obama and the GOP and congressmen are not allowed to take it home to read. The secrecy surrounding it is unprecedented and a bigger threat than the muslims… in fact the whole muslim drama appears to have conveniently overshadow this crime.
    They also need to fire american workers and have them train foreigners to reduce the corporations cost and increase their profits. This is the HB1 visascam which your boy cruz supports. You are so steeped in ideology that you cannot see the forest from the trees or even recognize what happened. You still beleive the reagan bs of trickle down, the lying deception started by the fraud who first opened the US to china, and whose deregulation looted the US savings and loans of the eighties by the mafia of which I have direct knowledge and experience, made interest rates above 20% thus guaranteeing cash was king. Subsequent govs of both parties continued to ship all our jobs, production and capital to communist china.
    These corporations and pols intentionally removed the protections from the american people to enrich themselves at our expense and allowed communist centrally planned slave economy of china to economically rape the US. If they were in china they would all have been executed and rightly so.
    Such rapacious thieves must never again be allowed free rein to determine our future. the only reason I now vote GOP is Trump and that is more to do with Israel than other issues. The rest of the GOP will continue to be puppeted by the same creatures of the past. I voted for reagan and that was based on emotion of the hostage situation… it was a huge mistake. I also voted GOP for romney for Israel but my vote was squandered because there is little daylight between the views of the current right wing GOI and the democratic party
    Yaalon and eisenkot said the current intifada is due to the desperation and frustration of the pals which is exactly the view of the worlds left. I believe the current intifada is due to the lies spread by yaalon, BB, Erdan and rivlin when they all got up in chorus and unison and accused Jewish settlers of burning arab babies.

  18. @ bernard ross:You are the assumption kid no disrespect intended.

    Everything this site has said has been right on. Nate Silver is the best in business.

    I read many things about this subject and formulate my personal opinions accordingly.

    I suggest with all due respect 538.com is something everyone who is interested in statistical forecasting combined with political science could learn from. However, I suspect you are just trying to take another shot at me and are not really interested in learning but in one ups mans ship?

    Your #25 was a good presentation of your opinion by the way!

  19. Bear Klein Said:

    So after living in a socialist world for a real I was completly driven to become as independent as possible.

    I agree, although I hold some socialist positions as well as conservative positions my experience has shown me that socialists in practice tend towards being thought police when they steal from you whereas conservatives tend to just warn you out of their way when they steal from you. Being under the rule of socialists/communists tends to herd everyone into PC thinking, parroting clones, mental prison. I beleive that ideologues of both sides are to be avoided but that solutions to specific problems should be based on merit and not ideology

  20. Bear Klein Said:

    Just because past USA Presidents have not been pro Israel….

    all of them said they were pro Israel. Apparently words are not enough and not to be relied upon as a complete indication of future behavior. The GOP Reagan was bad for Israel and his admin put pollard in jail and framed him. Bush letter had no value and none moved the embassy to jerusalem but all promised.
    this is why I think Trump is pro israel:
    1-He said he is pro Israel and would be best for Israel.
    2-He understands, and had the strength to state, that there is a serious muslim problem globally and is not afraid to state a non PC solution. That is Israels problem too even though the GOI is afraid to say it.
    3- He stated that Israel was treated disgracefully by Obama.
    4- He praised BB who appears to be a right wing leader of israel
    5-He has stated up front that he is not invested in making a deal and that a deal may not be possible.
    6- he stated the prime impediment to a deal is arabs/muslims teaching their children hatred of Jews. I agree with this assessment.
    7-He stated that he will “Stay loyal to your friends and suspicious of your enemies.”. He already said that muslims are a threat.

    with these basic principles operating I see only the direction of support unless he does what all the others do when they are pressured by special interests…. and then we are back to square one as usual.

  21. Therefore, the money we allow folks to keep is circulating somewhere else and creating growth somewhere else

    Allow folks to keep?
    Their own money?
    How gracious of you.
    Money leaves America due to excessive regulation and confiscatory taxation.
    Do not cynically use the problem as a pretext to worsen the problem.

  22. Felix Quigley Said:

    That method of the interplay between sensual experience and our already existing “ideology”, which itself must change therefore not dogma, is what alone can lead to correct understanding. That method is badly needed today.

    the problem is that in reality those who belive in ideologies tend to be ideologues:

    an adherent of an ideology, especially one who is uncompromising and dogmatic.

    Ideologies by nature tend to be imperfect and full of error in reality. The fact that Trump does not solve his problems by applying a belief system (religion, communism, conservatism, etc) enhances his problem solving ability. I avoid ideologues when voting or listening as characterized by phrases such as:
    republican in name only
    not a conservative
    not a socialist,
    these are the types of evaluations I find irrelevant to solving problems scientifically on an issue basis. Trump doesnt follow a dogma or ideology, he applies his good judgement, analysis to state a problem and solution clearly without any reference or basis in a beleif system. His good judgement is based on his intuition and experience.

    Einstein:
    “The only source of knowledge is experience”

    “The only real valuable thing is intuition.”

    “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

    donalds non PC simple statements of problem and solution are a demonstration of his ability to state the bottom line
    his most recent is:

    we should boycott apple until they cooperate with the government to unlock the san bernadino terrorsts’ phones.

    apparently other great minds think alike:

    “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” Albert Einstein

    sorry, but babushka re introduced me to my college days idol A. Einstein and I seem to have now lost control of my admiration for his simple statements.

  23. babushka Said:

    Letting people keep their own money spurs economic growth which creates more taxable income.

    that was true before we removed the tariffs and allowed asia and foreign based corps to sell to us in our economic community and keep the bulk of the receipts abroad without paying taxes or tariffs. Therefore, the money we allow folks to keep is circulating somewhere else and creating growth somewhere else: the communist centrally planned economy of China grew for decades at a rate of 10% per annum which growth was fueled by the US consumer while we spiralled downwards…. the folks who told us about trickle down kept their money outside the US after making it here.

  24. @ Felix Quigley: Felix I looked at your website I see you do support Israel. That is great! I however do not understand all the Marxism fervor. I lived in three kibbutzim (which was real socialism) as a matter or pragmatical economics of living in Israel in the 1970s without a great deal of money. Overall I liked it peaceful, safe, rural, great place to raise kids and decent if you had a couple of close friends.

    I learned though that socialism brings the lowest level of work needed to get by for most people. A few leadership types still excel either out of idealistic desire or drive for power.

    80% of the kibbutzim are no longer socialistic. The only ones who stayed were because somehow because they created a large viable business that the kibbutz could live on. In other words they found out how to compete successfuly as a unit in the Free Market.

    Also big life decisions are always decided by a committee or some bigshot on the kibbutz. People who live on a kibbtuz can have this issue life long.

    So after living in a socialist world for a real I was completly driven to become as independent as possible. Within a few years I became a business owner.

  25. @ babushka: Such a knock down drag out would at least truly enlighten us to one is that a “Trump Toupee” (another failed business adventure) and who can throw a real man’s punch not a tweet (he is such a liar).

  26. If it comes down to Trump versus Rubio then all is lost, so let’s hope for a knock down/drag out no-holds-barred Roman Gladiator steel cage death match in which the combatants simultaneously hit each other over the heads with folding chairs and must be carried out of the arena unconscious.

    Literally.

  27. Trump Optimists And Trump Skeptics Are About To Go To War

    If you think the arguments between the Republican candidates have been bad, well, you’ve seen nothing yet. Pundits, reporters and political analysts are about to really have at it. Two competing theories about the Republican race are about to come to a head, and both of them can claim a victory of sorts after South Carolina.

    The first theory is simple. It can be summarized in one word: Trump! The more detailed version would argue the following:

    Trump has easily won two of the first three states.
    Trump is ahead in the polls in pretty much every remaining state.
    Trump is ahead in delegates — in fact, he may win all 50 delegates from South Carolina.
    Trump has been extremely resilient despite pundits constantly predicting his demise.1 He’s been at 35 percent in national polls for months now. That’s as steady as it gets!

    So, ummm, isn’t it obvious that Trump is going to be the Republican nominee?

    Not so, say the Trump skeptics. Their case is pretty simple also:

    Trump is winning states, but he’s only getting about one-third of the vote.
    Trump has a relatively low ceiling on his support.
    Trump now has a chief rival: Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

    What did the Trump skeptics find to like about South Carolina? Quite a lot, actually. They’d point out that Trump faded down the stretch run, getting 32 percent of the vote after initially polling at about 36 percent after New Hampshire, because of his continuing struggles with late-deciding voters. They’d note that Trump’s numbers worsened from New Hampshire to South Carolina despite several candidates having dropped out. They’d say that Rubio, who went from 11 percent in South Carolina polls before Iowa2 to 22 percent of the vote on Saturday night, had a pretty good night. They’d also say that Rubio will be helped by Jeb Bush dropping out, even if it had already become clear that Rubio was the preferred choice of Republican Party “elites.”

    “So what?”, sayeth the Trump optimists. Second place means you’re a loser! There’s no guarantee that the other candidates will drop out any time soon. And as Trump himself has argued, it’s a mistake to assume that all of the support from Bush and other candidates will wind up in Rubio’s column. Some of it will go to Trump!

    Indeed, other candidates remaining in the race would be a big problem for Trump skeptics. Bush is gone, but John Kasich is still in, and he may hinder Rubio in states like Ohio. More importantly, Ted Cruz is still winning something like 20 percent of the Republican vote. Although Cruz’s delegate math doesn’t look good — his strongest states are those that allocate their delegates proportionally, whereas Rubio and Trump are variously strong in winner-take-all states — he’ll stay in the race through Super Tuesday and possibly for a lot longer.

    Their other point is more of a strawman argument, however. The Trump skeptics aren’t presuming that Rubio will magically pick up all the support from Bush (and eventually, from Kasich and Cruz). They’re looking at polls that have consistently shown Rubio picking up more second-choice support than Trump does. In some polls, that’s enough for Rubio to tie or overtake Trump. In others it isn’t. But virtually all polls have the race getting closer as the field winnows. Likewise, almost all polls (both state polls and national polls) show Rubio with higher favorability ratings than Trump.

    I should note that the Trump skeptics find the Trump optimists a bit exasperating on this point. (Why are you talking about yourself in the third person, Nate?) The idea that Trump has a ceiling — or to be more precise, will encounter a lot of upward resistance as he seeks to gain more support — is not some type of special pleading. Instead, it’s a point the Trump skeptics have raised from the very earliest stages of Trump’s campaign. And they’ve seen some evidence to validate it from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, along with from recent polling.

    A reasonable person might adjudicate the case as follows: Yes, if the Republican nomination becomes a two-man race between Trump and Rubio, it could be pretty close. But that might not happen, or it at least might not happen for a while, not until Trump is off to a pretty big head start in delegates. What happens in a three-way race between Trump, Rubio and Cruz is a little murky. This reasonable person would concede that Rubio had a chance. But who’s the favorite? Trump!

    The Trump skeptics might bring up one last line of argument. They’d claim, perhaps more tentatively than they did before, that GOP elites still have some ability to influence the race. Maybe voters don’t care about what “the establishment” thinks, but individual Republican politicians can still have some influence — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s endorsement of Rubio very probably helped him, for instance. These elites have quite a bit of money to throw around, especially with Bush out. They have some more subtle advantages: They can pack a debate hall with Rubio supporters, for instance. Or they could try to rule by brute force: If the Republican race goes to a contested convention, which is not at all unimaginable, we’re suddenly back in the pre-1972, smoke-filled-rooms era, although probably with delegates vaping instead of puffing on cigars.

    Betting markets, weighing all of this information, see the Republican race thusly: Trump at about 50 percent to win the nomination, Rubio at 40 percent, and the rest of the field at 10 percent. I might quibble here and there, but that seems like basically a sound assessment. Now, let’s get back to arguing on Twitter.

    http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-optimists-and-trump-skeptics-are-about-to-go-to-war/

  28. Just because past USA Presidents have not been pro Israel does not mean a voter who is truly Pro Israel can not make that an issue. Discounting that is only a rationalization when one’s candidate is not Pro Israel and the voter claims to be Pro Israel.

    This is analogous to the Jewish Democratic voters who said they care about Israel but twice for voted for Obama. They rationalized it! Alan Dershowitz for a public figure is a great example (he kept assuring the Jews Obama was pro Israel). I have a great friend who even lived in Israel for a few years and married an Israeli girl and did a short stint in the IDF who twice voted for Obama. He kept saying well Obama is not really against Israel. After he voted for him twice he said, “I do not like him anymore he has hung Israel out to dry”.

    Felix it is “San Bernardino” it is in California (east of Los Angles) not France. Just thought you want to know because I know you are a precise person.

  29. NO, its the inevitable and predictable outcome of the last 3 decades of exporting our jobs, production and capital to Asia.

    Trump has subsidized the careers of the politicians responsible because he benefits financially. He is the pyromaniac now being hired to prevent fires. Trumpzoids are the kind of people who would hire Roman Polanski to babysit their daughter.

  30. Felix Quigley Said:

    Ted implies not on the 67 lines but on some other lines and the answer is NO, because there must be NO PALESTINIAN STATE and thereby no border at all. Get rid of this idea of a Palestinian State of any kind.

    This is the big problem in Israeli politics at present. It does not take a firm and clear position but takes about 20 different positions, all different variations of a Palestinian State.

    In my first paragraph I was staying inside the international community’s baseball park. That’s for discussion purposes only. Were I to nix altogether the TSS I would out of the park, perhaps in a different universe.

    I agree with your second paragraph. In my words Israel is keeping the TSS alive by minimizing our demands. We prefer to make it look like the TSS is doable rather than nixing it.

  31. TRUMP IS INTERESTING AND MOST OFTEN IS CORRECT BECAUSE HE OPPOSES DOGMA

    This is a very important issue. But the reason it is SO important perhaps is not fully grasped.

    For example there are those who look at a President of the US and demand that he take up precisely a pro-Israel position. But as has been correctly pointed out EVERY President has stated that he is pro-Israel. As we know that means nothing. Reagan said he was pro-Israel yet insisted on visiting the graves of the SS. All of them in one way or another without exception do this.

    Trump raises different issues. Looking at the massacres carried out by Jihadists in America Trump put together a proposal in response to that. Stop Muslims entering until…

    See http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35037701

    “Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has provoked condemnation from across the political spectrum, by saying Muslims should be banned from entering the US.”

    and

    “Rival candidate Jeb Bush called Mr Trump “unhinged”, while former US Vice-President Dick Cheney said it “goes against everything we stand for and believe in”. ”

    but the most relevant comment perhaps of all came from Ted Cruz:

    ” And another of the Republican frontrunners, Ted Cruz, praised Mr Trump “for standing up and focusing America’s attention on the need to secure our borders”, although he said he disagreed with the policy.”

    Therein lies the difference between Cruz and Trump. Cruz is still tied to the Bush genuflexion in front of Islam (why does he disagree with the above?). Trump is tied to nothing.

    Trump looks at the situation of Saint Bernadine. He sees that the massacres are coming out of Islam. This is INDEED SO and right there in that moment – a moment of truth for Trump. There is no relativism involved with Trump. He accepts what his senses are telling him.

    With Cruz and Bush Jnr. it was impossible to do this and will always be impossible. Perhaps there are too many ties with religion and religious method (the real dogmatists in the world) which also explains the “great silence” on the part of protestantism and catholicism on the stripping of the Middle East of their Christian brothers.

    Marxism and Trotskyism is an ideology indeed. But is is not and never could be a dogma.

    There is a serious confusion that often takes place here (see comment 48 by Bernard). It is the most serious confusion with the most far-reaching effects to confuse ideology and dogma.

    Every sentient being has an ideology. Cannot but have! This is how the path of knowledge must operate. It is necessary to accept the sensual information from an ever-changing reality and to place this new information from our senses onto our existing body of knowledge (WHICH IS INDEED OUR IDEOLOGY). Everybody does this. Animals also with their lesser reasoning-ability do this.

    Dogma happens when the existing body of knowledge, experience, has become set in its ways. It becomes a faith. It becomes like “faith”. Or it becomes dogma which is dead.This dogma is then IMPOSED ONTO reality. The result is distortion.

    This latter is not the method of Trump. On the issue of the Bernadine Massacre this was most obvious. He did not set out with a dogma (such as all immigrants are equal etcetera) He accepted the reality and on the basis of that changed reality he put forward a hypothesis…Islam is dangerous…it is necessary to not allow any more Muslims into America.

    Until we can figure it out. It was also true.

    That method of the interplay between sensual experience and our already existing “ideology”, which itself must change therefore not dogma, is what alone can lead to correct understanding. That method is badly needed today.

  32. This is a very important issue. But the reason it is SO important perhaps is not fully grasped.

    For example there are those who look at a President of the US and demand that he take up precisely a pro-Israel position. But as has been correctly pointed out EVERY President has stated that he is pro-Israel. As we know that means nothing. Reagan said he was pro-Israel yet insisted on visiting the graves of the SS. Allof them do this.

    Trump raises different issues. Looking at the massacres carried out by Jihadists in America Trump put together a proposal in response to that. Stop Muslims entering until…

  33. babushka Said:

    The problem is not low taxes. It is high spending.

    NO, its the inevitable and predictable outcome of the last 3 decades of exporting our jobs, production and capital to Asia. That is why it is not rebounding but is a fundamental structual economic change. Our only rebound is the result of the fracking. Under the current scenario a substantial change for the better can only come after asia is lifted to the position of buying from us.
    spending is not the problem, it is the loss of income and taxation resulting from the looting and theft of our economy. They knew this was the inevitable result but they didnt tell you that, they told you only that prices would be cheaper. they wanted to sell to the 1.3 billion chinese but that was not possible until they lifted their economy with our consumption engine. They, the corps, will be selling to china from outside the US, they have no loyalty to us after looting us and moving out. The TPP will enshrine and protect their position after they are all moved out. the old cycles dont work becuase it is not cyclical, it is fundamental.

  34. Trump’s Tax Cuts Would Add $24.5 Trillion to the Debt.

    America’s three most recent across-the-board tax cuts (Kennedy/Reagan/Bush II) generated an average forty percent increase in federal tax revenues. Letting people keep their own money spurs economic growth which creates more taxable income. The problem is not low taxes. It is high spending.

  35. Bear Klein Said:

    A financially weak USA is not a strong USA. A USA in trade wars is not a strong USA.

    we have seen what the trade policy which was begun by reagan, carried on by the pols of both parties, has done to the citizens of the USA while the american corps ran abroad with the receipts from US consumers. They decimated our nations economy and added insult to injury by being bailed out by american citizens. It is not our duty to take our consumption purchasing and ship the profits to asia while only retaining enough to put most citizens on welfare while the corps after the looting stow away the profits abroad and bribe our pols to create the TPP to institutionalize their looting into posterity and replace our workers with foreigners. My view is that those who colluded in this deeply evil grand theft should be given the chinese solution.
    american can supply most of its own needs without outside exports if necessary. I prefer a trade war to a continuation of the current grand theft by our corrupt bought pols and corps. We no longer sell much abroad made in the USA…. the chinese make our goods and took our foreign markets which caused our prior prosperity. That era is over and we must put americans first.

  36. Bear Klein Said:

    Trump’s Tax Cuts Would Add $24.5 Trillion to the Debt. Donald Trump’s tax-cut plan could add as much as $24.5 trillion to the national debt over the coming 20 years unless it is accompanied by steep cuts in spending and entitlement programs, a new analysis finds.

    an accountants mind……. obviously the cuts cannot stand alone without reversing the criminal subsidy of asian growth with american consumption.

  37. Bear Klein Said:

    Hey, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders agree on a lot of stuff, huh?

    me too, thats why I like Trump, he is not bound by ideology or donor interests… he deals with issues like me.

  38. Bear Klein Said:

    Trump sound like another big spender even though he claims he wants to balance the budget.

    Trump knows that the economic problem is not about balancing a budget but is about the loss of income. Accountants are for balancing budgets but businessmen know that you cant create profit by balancing books… you must have income. He knows that problem because he wants to reverse the criminal enterprise of shipping all the jobs, production and capital to china; reverse the replacing of american workers with foreigners; If he can achieve that money will be flowing again the US that we have been shipping to china and foreigners.

  39. Bear Klein Said:

    Ross I have been self employed now for close to thirty years.

    But you know better!

    I am shocked because if that were so you should know better. Do you employ labor and run an actual entity or are you just a self employed consultant… not the same.

  40. Bear Klein Said:

    But as they said in the past “Where is the Beef”

    LOL, trump just sent you the last 9 months of the bull run at Pamplona and even while being trampled by the “beef” you are unable to notice where the “beef” is.
    But then you also never notice or acknowledge that BB NEVER says that “JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN YS IS LEGAL AND LEGITIMATE”. It appears that “beef” also trampled over you, passed you by, without you noticing.

  41. Bear Klein Said:

    Professional business people start with concepts but nine (9) months later they have detailed plans or minimally presentation bullet points that they can speak to in detail.

    LOL, true, but that is 9 months after they actually start the job, are hired for the position. right now Trumps job, project and position is to win the GOP primary and the general election. I would say that he has proven exceptionally successful in an area where he has no prior knowledge or experience…. completely upsetting all those experts and donors who have ALL the prior knowledge and experience. I expect that he will use the same methods to achieve his goals once he is hired for that job. As it stands now, on the basis of the last 9 months… I would say that Trump has proven that he can deal successfully to achieve goals in areas where he has no prior experience….DUH???????

  42. Bear Klein Said:

    He knows nothing of any foreign policy yet alone the middle east.

    the only thing one needs to know are the REAL facts. It is the intentional obfuscation of fact and truth by leadership and media which give the impression that the issues are complicated. You can see the same in Israel where the real problem is no one can determine what is truth, what are the facts. The question always comes down to whether you are being told the truth. That is always the conclusion here on our forums…. once we know the truth and facts the subsequent sensible decisions and details are simple.