Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Running Out of Gas (in More Ways Than One)
In the corner of my kitchen, I have an Easter lily that always tells me when it’s thirsty: it droops. And when I get busy, I don’t always give it the attention it needs. But when its leaves touch the floor, I hurry for the fertilizer water and give it a good douse. Within an hour or two, it springs up and lives to see another day.
Lately, I’ve been wishing that I had a treatment that would benefit me in the same way as I provide to my lily. I feel beaten and beleaguered by the onslaught of bad news about the Biden administration and how it is mismanaging our country. I may be projecting my feelings on my friends here at Ricochet, but I don’t think I’m alone in my reactions. In one way or another, I think many of us are feeling bruised and discouraged by the news; that attitude shows up in posts and comments.
In the last 18 months, I’ve swung from the mindset of bitter and hopeless, to resting in the comfort of detachment. As a person who tries to be realistic and resilient with a sprinkling of optimism, I’ve experienced my usual equanimity to be slowly eroding.
For those people who thought there’d be no civil war in this country, I think they’ve been proven wrong. We aren’t fighting with arms, but the discourse is as brutal and vicious as I’ve ever seen. Every day there is a new report of the skirmishes that have taken place, of the people whose lives are being destroyed, or of the reputations that have been wounded. It’s difficult to describe this time in our country as anything but a war.
Every month I’ve been leading a group on Zoom to discuss some aspect of Judaism that we all may not know much about. Although some of my research describes familiar practices and beliefs, almost everyone learns something new. This month we discussed Chanukah, which begins very early on the secular calendar on November 28. We reviewed not only the familiar stories, but I realized that everyone, American Jews and non-Jews alike, have opportunities to reframe the way we see our lives during a season that is holy for many. These are the insights that emerged for me.
“began the ending” of our nation, but when the Left became more blatant in their accomplishments, expectations, and efforts, the period of our naivete came to an end. And we entered the in-between time.
“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over a loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by Dictatorship.
“Justice Thomas, who also faced false last-minute allegations during his nominating process, has spent more than a quarter-century on the court doing his job, staying true to his judicial principles, and not giving a damn what the Washington Post and CNN have to say about him. It’s unfortunate that the newest justice faces a similar task, but I’m guessing he’s up to it.” — Jason Riley, Wall Street Journal