Frank Rizzo
Updating a story published on Jan. 24, 2024: Crusading lawyer George Bochetto, who brought suit against the city on behalf of the Frank L. Rizzo Monument Committee, tells me a deal to return the statue to its rightful owner will be signed “within the next few days.” The city will
Bicycle Lanes
No one wants to see an unnecessary death — not a pedestrian, not a bicyclist, not a motorist. The question is, how far are we willing to go to prevent all traffic deaths, and severe injuries,, which is the beautiful, unattainable goal of Vision Zero. Why unattainable? Because people are stupid
Israel
A few dozen self-appointed left-wing zealots closed down Walnut Street for an hour on Tuesday, under the banner of the deceptively-named Jewish Voice for Peace. It is not a “Jewish voice.” It is a voice of very few Jews, it is opposed by most Jewish organizations, and it is not
Culture
On Monday, Fox News Channel ran with the story that former presidential press secretary Jen Psaki made an error, or lied, when her new book claimed President Joe Biden did not look at his watch during a dignified transfer of the remains of troops killed in Afghanistan. Fox went crazy,
Donald J. Trump
I admit I have not been following the Trump trial closely, not reading the transcripts. The time put in won’t justify the result, I think, and I am already on record as to the outcome. On April 30, I made the wise-guy but sincere prediction on Facebook you see
Politics
In my last column, I wrote about the paradox President Joe Biden has created for himself — promising “ironclad” support for Israel while simultaneously pausing shipment of offensive arms. I said he was going wobbly on Israel. Certainly one of the reasons is domestic politics. He told a reporter at the
Israel
President Joe Biden is facing a kobayashi maru problem, which Star Trek fans recognize as a choice with only bad outcomes. On the one hand, he has made Israel “ironclad” promises of support. This is because Israel is a long, valued ally, now fighting Hamas, a terrorist organization pledged to
Israel
The death of more than 34,000 Gazans, mostly civilians, has enraged much of the world, especially college campuses. That is understandable. The lack of context is not. That has not been widely offered — until now. Scott Galloway, a prolific, liberal professor of marketing at New York University, has just
Politics
By Andy Craig On Wednesday, the Libertarian Party made an eyebrow-raising announcement about its upcoming convention: the headline speaker will be Donald Trump. For the little-noticed third party, which has mostly been overshadowed this year by more prominent independent candidates, it was certainly an attention-grabber. It is unusual, to say
Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism is the oldest hate. In the past, it was naked. Today, it often hides behind “causes.” Historically, a hallmark of anti-Semitism was persecution, culminating in murder and the expulsion of Jews from much of Western Europe, including England, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. There was nothing subtle about it.
Israel
Vladimir Lenin reportedly devised the term “useful idiots” to describe people who propagandize for a cause without understanding its nature or goals. It perfectly fits the small number of radical Jews who support Hamas, by supporting pro-Hamas protests. I would characterize these Jews as chickens who side with KFC. They
Middle East
As we wallow in the bad news about pro-Hamas demonstrations on campuses, there is good news. The campus encampments have a ‘sell-by” date: The academic year is almost over. Even if nothing is done, the encampments will melt away in the summer heat. But that does not mean that university