Not ancient | Valerie Block

Idea: “President Biden has thus far declined to impose consequences on Netanyahu for his repeated disregard of U.S. positions and interests. Ending the double standard which sets a lower bar for Israel, and requiring the mutual recognition of the right to statehood and compliance with the other Quartet Principles, would be an even-handed place to start. It is essential for the U.S. to enforce this mutual recognition, as it seeks to not merely end the current war, but set a course to finally resolve the underlying conflict, and ensure that the horrors suffered by Israelis and Palestinians never happen again.”

Both the Israeli and Palestinian governments should be obligated to recognize the other’s right to statehood— Dylan Williams in the Forward

Idea: “It’s tempting to see Navalny’s apparent murder, as some American analysts have, as a sign of weakness on the part of Putin. But a dictator’s ability to annihilate what he fears is a measure of his hold on power, as is his ability to choose the time to strike.”

The Death of Alexey Navalny, Putin’s Most Formidable Opponent — Masha Gessen in the New Yorker

WORD OF MOUTH: Mid-Winter

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Posted on January 29, 2024 by Valerie Block

NONFICTION: DOPPELGANGER: A Trip into the Mirror World — Naomi Klein

YES! A Handy Manual for Republicans Commenting on Mass Shootings — Jamie Raskin

TV: Schmigadoon! Season 2 — Ken Daurio, Cinco Paul

TV: The Brothers Sun —Brad Falchuk, Amy Wang, Brian Wu

MOVIE: The Woman King — Gina Prince-Bythewood

PODCAST: “Chaos Theory Explains It.” Brian Klaas, author of Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters, on the Brian Lehrer Show.

SPIRITUAL REWIRING: Train Yourself to Always Show Up — Rabbi Sharon Brous

IDEA: “The spread of lies and conspiracies online is now so rampant that it threatens public health and, quite possibly, the survival of representative democracy. The solution to this informational crisis, however, is not to look to tech oligarchs to disappear people we don’t like; it’s to get serious about demanding an information commons that can be counted upon as a basic civic right.” — Naomi Klein

IDEA: “It’s time to pass the universal background check and restore the expired ban on military-style assault rifles, which was constitutional and effective. Weapons of war are unnecessary for hunting, recreation or self-defense in the home, which are the purposes of individual gun ownership outside of military service protected by the Second Amendment.” — Jamie Raskin