Nice, Paris, Madrid, NYC, San Beridino, Orlando, Boston - How much more terrorism can we take?

There is not doubt that George W. Bush may have been wrong, in hindsight, about the way the war in Iraq was conducted.  Hindsight, however, is a two-edged sword. One of the tenets of W’s war against Islamic Extremism was to keep them on their heels ON THEIR TERRITORY by constantly and aggressively pursuing offensive military actions against them in order to keep them from our shores and eventually defeat them.

I blame Barak Obama and the European left for putting their heads in the sand and putting their idealism ahead of realism. There is the world as we “want it to be” and the world of “reality”. The deaths in Nice, in Paris, in Orlando, San Bernardino and Boston are testimony to the failed foreign policy of President Obama AND Hillary Clinton. Obama’s premature pulling out of Iraq and his indecision over Syria will become military legend in how the misuse of power has consequences. Obama has allowed an almost defeated enemy to flourish, expand and threaten the entire world. Under Obama’s leadership we have failed to adjust to the asymmetrical nature of this enemy that doesn’t need F-35s or cruise misses. Their demented faith and willingness to die has turned every car into a guided missile, and every public venue into a potential terrorist target. If ISIS’s goal is to make American’s and the West live in fear, they are obviously achieving their goal.

One thing you can say about Bush is that we felt safe when he was President. Under Obama, we have the reality of Islamic terrorism at home, a police who are afraid to conduct their jobs, a justice department that demands that local police “stand down” (Ferguson) and let rioting ensue in order to not exacerbate an already out-of-hand situation. The bottom line is that the thin veneer of civility that we take for granted in our lives is fragile and could easily disappear in seconds without swift and decisive law and order. It seems that law and order are secondary to the rights and feelings of rioters, thugs and terrorists.

Disclaimer: The BLM people have a legit argument regarding police brutality and they have the right to protest – legally.

Donald Trump's speech at the AIPAC Conference in March 2016

Just like Hillary said, "you can't be neutral on Israel when it comes to Israel's security and survival". AIPAC's refusal to advocate hard on Pro-Israel policy and let the cards fall where they may - could very well spell the end of AIPAC. I am an AIPAC Club member and I was a delegate at the March DC Conference. Clinton, Kasich, and Cruz all got standing ovations. The fact that Trump did his homework, gave the best (rehearsed) pro-Israel speech that commanded 6 standing ovations was not an insult to Obama. Lillian Pincus called it an "Ad Hominin" attack on Obama. If that was the case, then Trump would have made critisisms that had nothing to do with Obama having big ears or small hands - which would be considered an "Ad Hominin" attack. Trump critisized Obama's undeniable hypocritical bad policy regarding Israel AND his horrible treatment of Israeli PM Netanyahu. If AIPAC is so handcuffed by their desire to appear bi-partisin gives Comngressmen a free pass on the hill to legislate anti-Israel policy - then what good is AIPAC?

Many people believe that AIPAC failed to stop the Iran deal because AIPAC thought that if they played softball with the Obama administration, he would throw Israel a bone and do "something" that would allow Israel and AIPAC to save face and accept the Iran deal. Instead of a bone, Obama threw AIPAC a hand grenade.

Furthermore, many of the leaders of the anti-Trump movement at the AIPAC conference are founding members of J-Street AND AIPAC. These people and organizations ( I am a reform Jew and I am ashamed of the position of the URJ), have no problem with J-Street being totally partisan AND anti-Israel, yet they demand that AIPAC be bi-partisan AND not allow AIPAC to use it's full influence to affect American policy towards Israel. This is so obviously hypocritical that it has infuritated a lot of faithful AIPAC members.

Lastly, there was a lot people on open conference calls before the conference who wanted AIPAC to use a Q&A of the candidates so that they would have hardball questions asked of them, rather than a speech where the candidates could say whatever they want to pacify the crowd (which is what we heard). AIPAC choose to allow the speeches and AIPAC's steering committee who handled the candidates FAILED to tell the speakers that critisim of Obama was "off limits". When Lillian Pincus verbally spanked the 18,000 delegates on the wrist for giving Trump the respect that his speech deserved, you could hear the whispers of everyone who clapped for Trump feeling personally insulted. The blame for Trumps comments were not on Trump because he t old the truth, it wasn't on the delegates because they agreed that Obama has been horrible to Israel....the blame lies at the feet of the organizers of this AIPAC conference for incompetency on a lot of levels.

Times have changed, and if AIPAC's leadership can't find a way to take advantage of it, they will find themselves with with 10,000 people next year at the conference - even with them paying for 5,000 college students.

Just for the record, I am not for any specific candidate other than I will vote Republican.

Trump, the Protestors and the U.S. Constitution

The United States Constitution explicitly provides for 'the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and exercise their right to free speech in the First Amendment.

Common constraints on the right to assemble are a class of time, place and manner regulations. A second type of constraint is the requirement to obtain a permit, where coordination may be needed to ensure public safety.

I support the right of the Trump Political machine to hold their Presidential rallies and I support the right of those who dislike Trump to protest. What I do not support are anti-Trump protestors who are intentionally disrupting the Trump rallies with the express intent of depriving Trump and his supporters their right to assemble and conduct free speech. The protestors are legally obligated to get a permit to assemble “outside” the Trump events, presumably at a safe distance as determined by the police in order to avoid a confrontation - then that is fine with me. Going inside the events covertly with the express intent of denying thousands their civil rights is illegal and should be dealt with in a court of law.

What perplexes me are the actions of the political establishment on both sides of the aisle:  President Obama joined the fray of the mob-attacking Trump by justifying their “illegal behavior” because “Trump was asking for it”. It’s like blaming a rape victim for being raped.  Obama rushed to judgment on the side of rioters in Ferguson, Missouri. He called the justice department in to protect the rioter’s right to assemble (even though it was actually a criminal mob). Obama could have used his position of moral authority to make this a “teaching moment” (a term he uses often) – to chastise the radical left for making a mockery of our constitution and the first amendment. Hillary and Sanders were chiming in with the same Obama “Trump asked for it” logic, which says to me that they think that the constitution should be interpreted in political terms and not for all people.

The Republican establishment? Romney, Cruz, Rubio and Kasich have all chimed in that “Trump was responsible” for the protestors rioting. They are using, much like Obama and the Democrats, the constitution as a thin wall of veneer to obscure a lame attempt for personal political gain. How can anyone have respect for the Republican establishment?

People see in their Presidential candidate what they want to see, inflating their positives and overlooking their faults subconsciously. Conversely, people see what they want to see in their political adversaries, overlooking their strengths and inflating their faults subconsciously. The constitution protects us from ourselves and gives our country structure. Unfortunately the Constitution is only a paper document. We can’t look to President Obama for moral leadership at this time, and he won’t bring in the Justice Department to administer the law. Who does American turn to when the right too assemble has been taken away from the people and the authorities do nothing?

The Story (so far) about what happened to Jack and June Fargotstein

Information on Jack and June Fargotstein

This may or may not be news to you but it is news to me. I never really knew why Jack Fargotstein left Memphis and what happened to him and June or his family after they moved to San Diego, Ca. I will fill in a few blanks and tell you what I know. I expect that I will be able to add to this significantly after making more inquires….

Jack was the oldest of all of Sam and Sally Fargotstein’s 4 kids. Evidently, there was a family business dispute and he up and left and went down to New Orleans and opened up a successful Watch Parts and Jewelry Supply business. Evidently he had an opportunity to sell his company and cash out to take an early retirement and moved to San Diego, California. According to Donna Field, his former daughter-in-law, he was pompous. June was very nice and they had many friends and a good social life in San Diego. He was rather wealthy since they only had 2 kids and I am assuming that he invested well.

Jack and June had 2 children:

Stephen Samuel Fargotstein

Has a child named Aaron Xavier Edwards (18) who has cerebral palsy and lives in Loveland, Co.

Stephen shortened his name to Fargo at some point. He had a difficult life; he was married at least 5 times. He spent time in prison for insurance fraud and possibly other crimes. I will look in to it. He disappeared for years.  He had one child with Donna (Kornfield) Fargotstein. According to Donna, Stephen had moved to Costa Rica – possibly to avoid incarceration in the USA…at the time it was a haven for U.S. citizens fleeing persecution. Sadly, I am told that Stephen died in Costa Rica and Mark, their son, hadn’t heard from him in years and had no idea that he was even in Costa Rica. He found out about his father’s death via a Costa Rican government letter. Stephen’s ex-wife (Mark’s mother) now goes by the name of “Donna Field” and she lives in Denver, Co. (303-341-8050  / donnanmusic@yahoo.com). Evidently she is remarried and happy. They had one son, Mark Edward Fargotstein – who now goes by the name Mark Edward, but legally it is still Mark Edward Fargotstein.

Mark Edward (Fargotstein)

41 years old

Had one son, Aaron Xavier Edwards (18) who has Cerebral Palsy and lives in Loveland, CO., near his grandmother Donna Field (72 - in Denver).

Jill Ellen (Fargotstein) Taylor

Born 2/11/1943– According to Donna Field, Jill Fargotstein was very beautiful woman who was a model in England  and evidently she had a car wreck that ended her modeling carrer.  Evidently, since Stephen died first, leaving Jill and only child, she inherited a substantial estate from June Fargotstein and the story is that she had a drug problem and went throught the money. Neither Donna or Mark have heard from Jill in years as there is a lot of bad blood.  With that said, somewhere along the way Jill married someone named Taylor and they had a child named Lila Taylor who lives in Santa Cruz, Ca.

North Korea: Is obama getting in front of the Congressional riot and calling it his parade?

Both Democrats and Republicans in both houses of Congress nearly broke out into a non-partisan riot at POTUS Obama’s policy of “doing nothing” towards a belligerent North Korea who has broken every line item in the failed nuclear agreement orchestrated by former POTUS Bill Clinton. The successful ballistic missile test into outer space was the last straw for Congress and both the Senate and House passed a bill composed of sanctions that have already born fruit as China, rather than lose trade with the USA, has frozen North Korean bank accounts and stopped many Chinese countries of shipping certain items to North Korea.

President Obama, in a similar fashion as what happened when Congress brought Iran to it’s knees with sanctions, is trying to get in front of the Congressional riot and call it HIS PARADE. Obama has done nothing about North Korea’s violations of the Clinton nuclear pact for 7 years, but AFTER THE Congressional bill, Obama made an offer to North Korea to allow them to keep their nuclear program under international observation in exchange dropping of sanctions.

Not only has Obama done nothing on this important issue for 7 years, but he is also advocating papering over the numerous North Korean violations with a meaningless diplomatic clause that calls for “international observation” – a key point already in Clinton’s nuclear agreement and violated by North Korea before the ink was dry.

Obama’s lack of response to North Korea poses a risk to South Korea and to the entire region similar to the mess in Syria that some will say was caused by the lack of American leadership when Obama turned his back on traditional American allies and his red line evaporated – giving a “green light” to every tribe armed with a gun to fill the vacuum.

I do not advocate the U.S.A. military acting as the world’s policemen for the world, but I also do not advocate total abandonment of our allies,  or 60 years of  consistent foreign policy. The U.S.A. can give moral leadership, it can give assistance to our allies, and it can use its vast array of economic levers to keep minor conflicts from becoming major human disasters. The U.S.A. is not in decline compared to the rest of the world, and it is precisely in these types of times that we should use our ability to influence to make the world a safer place. That is the ultimate “human rights” act, and I hope some in the liberal Democratic left can see the logic in a robust U.S. foreign policy.

How to deal with Adversity. Everyone has to deal with it at many points in their lives.

I have never "reposted" anything on my blog. I pride myself on being original, but I received this "life lesson" ditty from my daughter, Molly, the other day and I value the lesson so much I am breaking my own rule. Maybe my grandchildren will read it and benefit from it!

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her – her husband had cheated on her and she was devastated. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’

‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

Her grandmother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The grandmother then asked the granddaughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the grandmother asked the granddaughter to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, grandmother?’

Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

The President Wears No Clothes

Secretary of State John Kerry recently announced that the US will go along with Russian President Putin’s demand that Assad stay in power, after numerous clear statements from Obama and Kerry over the past 2 years saying Assad MUST GO.  Security Council resolutions and the “Geneva 1 road map” drawn up in 2012 provided for a political transition in Syria without President Assad and a transitional governing council with full executive powers.

Whether or not Syria is better off with or without Assad, the consistent pattern of “inconsistency” in President Obama’s foreign policy leaves a credibility gap so wide that our enemies see it as an open invitation to ignore US interests, whether it is Russia in Ukraine, ISIS in Syria, or Iran’s blatant violation of the recently signed nuclear agreement with their launching of numerous ballistic missiles.

I was repulsed by Obama’s global “apology tour” after he received the Nobel Peace Prize shortly after winning his first election.  Before Obama, our friends knew we were reliable and would stand with them, and our enemies feared us.

It is not comforting to read Obama’s statement that he was “unaware” that American’s felt insecure because he “didn’t watch TV”. I am sure that Michelle, his children, his staff and his advisers watch TV. Problem is, they are all handpicked to agree with him, and they have seen “heads roll” of those who disagree with the President’s policies - especially those in the Pentagon and intelligence community.

Just like the fairy tale, President Obama has been running around the White House completely naked, but no one dares tell him. The public, unfortunately, sees it in high definition and it doesn’t make them feel good - or secure.