When I first read extensive sections of the Talmud, even with the Jewish published translations in front of me, I did not want to believe they were authentic. I approached another Jewish acquaintance, Mark Cohen, and gave him a page of these quotations. He seemed equally upset by them. By the look on his face, I knew instantly that he was completely unfamiliar (and unsympathetic) with this Talmudic writ. He offered to ask his rabbi about their authenticity. The rabbi confirmed that the quotations were genuine but claimed that those views were not currently held by most Jews of today.…

Nous avons une autre carte précieuse en notre main, celle de l'énergie mais avec les prix volatiles des énergies fossiles et l'humeur changeante et narcissique de Poutine et Ben Salmane, nous sommes grandement exposés à des coups traîtres, donc il faut penser dès maintenant à changer notre stratégie énergétique et à compter le moins possible sur l'Opep et à coopérer uniquement avec les membres de cette organisation qui ont la…

While Afghanistan has largely receded from public memory, the two-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal revives the shocking scenes of bedlam at the Kabul airport as desperate civilians tried to flee the country. Amidst the confusion, thirteen U.S. service members were tragically killed in a horrific terror bombing attack. Some distraught family members recently traveled to Washington demanding answers from senior military and civilian leaders. In defending the Biden administration’s actions, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby conceded there was no easy way to end America’s longest war but “that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth doing.” This somber occasion provides an opportunity for reflection…

Washi n his inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson famously summarized the thought of George Washington in what is now known as the Washington Doctrine: “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” The last of the Founders to serve as president, James Monroe, formulated the Monroe Doctrine, in which he declared to the European powers that the Western Hemisphere would henceforth be the unique sphere of influence of the United States. Over a century later, with the United States having ascended to superpower status, Richard Nixon expanded the corpus of American foreign policy strategy with his own…

China’s Economic Crisis Accelerates In Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, a character named Mike Campell is asked how he lost his fortune. “How did you go bankrupt?” the hard-drinking war veteran Bill Gorton asks. “Two ways,” Campell replies. “Gradually and then suddenly.” This week investors began to worry that China had entered the second stage of Campell’s financial stress. Evergrande, once the largest property developer in China and is now thought to rank second, declared bankruptcy under U.S. law on Thursday. It is estimated to have around $28.1 billion of bonds outstanding, most of which come due in 2025.…