Thursday, December 26, 2019

Current Events Discussion Topics

An on-line "Zoom" discussion is conducted every Monday morning at 9:30am Chicago time through the North Shore Senior Center hosted by Ron Mantegna. You can enroll in this discussion session at   https://www.nssc.org/

Ron conducts a Northbrook Library zoom discussion every 1st and 3rd and 5th Thursday, 10-11:30am. Open free to all who enroll.  Contact the Northbrook Library to connect with Ron Mantegna.

Your thoughts about the historic Hurricanes and the Government response. Too many victims have no flood insurance. What valid reasons might motivate distrust we’ve seen in FEMA’s help?

Should Harris be separating herself more from Biden policies? What areas might she do this? Is her attack on Trump as being “unhinged” an effective approach? Do voters know enough about her policies and plans for the future? Is “I’m not Trump” enough to win this election?

How much might gender issues and “manliness” decide this election? How much does being a woman help or hurt Harris? Do we know how voters measure strength/confidence in a President?

Has Israel weakened Iran’s proxies to a point where Iran will ramp up a nuclear option? Israel says It will NOT attack Iran’s oil or nuclear sites. How can America best help Israel?

What is Trump gaining by having big campaign rallies in Solid Blue States he can’t win?

“Enemy from Within?” Trump promises to go after his political enemies. Trump warns that America faces real danger from “all the scum we had to deal with," including "radical-left lunatics. "It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary by the military."

Would President Trump actually be an authoritarian? Or would our democratic systems prevent him from being America’s first “dictator”? Mark Milley, Trump’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says Trump is a “fascist to the core and no person has ever posed more of a danger to the United States”. Trump has sent too many signals to deny that he prefers being an autocrat.

How dangerous to America are Immigrants? Trump says Harris is importing killers, rapist cleared out from dungeons, prisons and insane asylums all over the world. Is there proof of this? A majority of voters do support deportation of all undocumented immigrants. What are the ramifications? To rid cities of “Immigrant Gangs” Trump will impose the Alien Enemies Act that gives the presidential powers to detain non-citizens during times of war. How would we deal with the chaos?

How important is Crime as an election issue? Consider national attention given to TV’s being stolen off a stalled train in Chicago. Americans remain concerned about crime…yet there is a consistent gap between data showing decreases and the public perception of the problem.

Who would chart a better future for our Economy? The Business community is leery of Trump tariffs and the consequences of mass deportations. What might be the effect of tariffs Trump promises to impose? Most economists think inflation, interest rates and deficits would be higher under the policies Trump would pursue than under those proposed by Harris, according to a quarterly survey by The Wall Street Journal. But Conservatives strongly want cuts in taxes and regulations. Would Harris’s attacking “price gouging” be “Socialist” price controls?

What should we make of Trump’s alleged calls to Putin while out of office? Trump said he would not protect America's NATO allies against Russian attacks. Do most Americans want us to continue supporting Ukraine?

Does it matter that Trump has not released his Medical Records, while Harris has?

How significant is “The Ground Game” to this election? Who may have the advantage?

Should the Senate filibuster rule be abolished and allow elections to have more serious consequences?

Would her idea work? Harris "Medicare at Home proposal" focuses on having Medicare cover costs of home care services and nurses as a way for families to help avoid costs of nursing homes. Harris is pairing it with a plan she's already announced that would expand the child care tax credit to up to $3,600, and $6,000 for parents with newborns. 

What do you think? For ten years now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised a fully self-driving car. No steering wheel. No pedals. Thursday, the EV maker held its long-awaited "robotaxi" event, showing off a prototype of its "Cybercab," which will allegedly go into production in 2026 and cost under $30,000.  Musk also showed off a separate "robovan" that can carry up to 20 passengers.

Which VP Candidate may be more qualified to assume the Presidency?

How much of a plus is Musk supporting Trump? He appeared with him at the Butler Rally.

What does it mean that Trump has a Health Care “Concept”? Would he kill Obamacare?

Good idea? Harris said she would "get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements" for federal jobs to make more jobs available for people who have not completed a four-year college program.

What evidence suggests that Mainstream Media is more bias in favor of Harris/Walz?

Are we closer to WWIII? Biden may approve giving Ukraine long-range missiles. Putin says that would mean NATO is at war with Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine drones are bombing Moscow.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Israeli History/Israeli Current Events


Upcoming Discussion

Mark Gelfeld leads a Zoom discussion at the Northbrook Library 10am to 11:30am every 2nd and 4th Thursday. Signup is free at this link. A library card is not needed. 
https://visit.northbrook.info/event/4628524

Israeli Current Events will be discussed for the first portion of our session.
Then...we'll continue reviewing events related to the First Lebanon War
Links below allow you to review slides we show and discuss at each session.

Zionism/Israeli History through 1967  

Below is a list of books mentioned during our sessions:

· "The Arab-Israeli Wars" by Chaim Herzog
· "Kissinger and the Yom Kippur War" by David Morse
· "The Making of Modern Israel 1948-1967" by Leslie Stein
· "Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict" by Charles D. Smith
· “The Iron Wall: Israel & The Arab World” by Avi Shlaim
· “Transformative Justice: Israeli Identity on Trial” by Leora Bilsky
· "Six Days of War : June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" by Michael Oren
· “The Secret War Against The Jews: How Western Espionage Betrayed the Jewish People” by John Loftus and Mark Aarons
· “A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel” by Allis Radosh and Ronald Rados
· "Truman" by David McCullough
· “Louis D. Brandeis: A Life” by Melvin Urofsky
· “The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership” by Yehuda Avner
· “George C. Marshall” by Forest Pogue (a 4 volume work- the most definitive biography)
· “1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War” by Benny Morris
· “Woodrow Wilson: A Biography” by John Milton Cooper, Jr
· “A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East” by David Fromkin
· "Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews": A History by James Carroll
· “In the Garden of the Beasts” by Erik Larson
· “My Promised Land - The Triumph & Tragedy of Israel” by Ari Shavit
· "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power
· "The Physician" by Noah Gordon
· "Start-up Nation: the Story of Israel's Economic Miracle" by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
· "Eichmann in Jerusalem: a Report on the Banality of Evil" by Hannah Arendt
· "The Eichmann Trial" by Deborah Lipstadt
· "The House on Garibaldi Street" by Isser Harrel
· "Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices" by Mosab Hassan Yousef
· “Eichmann Before Jerusalem: The Unexamined Life of A Mass Murder” by Bettina Stangneth
· "Jaffa Beach" by Fedora Horowitz
· "Operation Thunderbolt:  Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport, the most Audacious Hostage Rescue in History", by Saul David
· "Abba Eban", A Biography by Asaf Siniver
· "Jerusalem: The Biography" by Simon Sebag Montefiore
· "The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine" by Ben Ehrenreich
· "Jabotinsky" by Hillel Halkin
· "Doomed to Succeed: The U.S. Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama" by Dennis Ross 
· "The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel" by Uri-Bar Joseph
· "FDR and the Jews" by Richard Breitman
· "No Ordinary Time" by Doris Kearns Goodwin
· "Remember the Liberty!:Almost Sunk by Treason on the High Seas" by Phillip F Nelson, Ronald G. Kukal, Ernest A. Gallo 
· "Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn" by Daniel Gordis
· "Every Spy a Prince" The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community by Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman
· "FDR and the Holocaust: A Breach of Faith" by Rafael Medoff
· "Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations" by Ronen Bergman
· "Then They Came for Me - Martin Niemoller, the Pastor Who Defied the Nazis" - Matthew Hockenos
· "We Stand Divided - The Rift Between American Jews and Israel" - Daniel Gordis
· "BiBi" - Anshel Pfeffer
· "Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the 40-year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East" - Kim Ghattas


















Thursday, March 6, 2014

WELCOME TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION



“Current Events” Code of Conduct

We respect each other and conduct our discussions with civility.

This includes:

      Never using loud, abusive, threatening or insulting language.
      Never offending, threatening, or insulting groups or individuals based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or any disability.
      Never being under the influence of anything but our best behavior.
      Never harming anyone, including fighting or challenging anyone to fight.
      Understanding every aspect of Sexual Harassment - This includes: • making inappropriate personal comments or sexual advances • using obscene or lewd language or gestures • staring at, or following anyone in a manner that reasonably can be expected to disturb him or her • exposing others to sexual Internet content.

Ron's Rules:

1. Civility means treating each other with respect. Hate the comment. Love the commenter. When you make it personal, I will stop you. Talk to the issue. Respond like this: “I disagree. Strawberry is not better than butter pecan. Here’s why. ….”  Responses like this are out of line: “You’re an F-ing idiot if you think strawberry is better than butter pecan!”   Our goal is to shed light more than heat.

2. If someone else makes your point, you don’t need to make it again.

3. I try to seek different views. In doing so, I will call on some folks more than others so there’s a chance to hear different sides. But I may not get to everyone for some topics.

4. If you’re seeking a “support group” to vent heart-felt rants, go elsewhere. Attend with an open mind. You don’t need to agree with what you hear—just do try to understand the other side. I’m preaching to myself here as well.

5. Finally, It’s perfectly OK to push back against my questions you feel are too slanted or flat out incorrect. That’s going to happen.  Just don’t be picky in the interest of time.