14 thoughts on “Obama as Captain America, Saving Day for Israel – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
task-attention.png
Comments are published at the sole discretion of the owner.
 

  1. It’s time to reform the UN Security Council. The basic rights of peoples around the world cannot depend on just five states.
    A more just model for the UNSC would be something like the following.
    The world will be divided into something like 8 regional blocks: North America & the Pacific, Latin America, Western & Central Europe, Eurasia (CIS), South Asia, East Asia, Near and Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa.
    Each block will send two delegates to the UNSC. Each delegate will be the representative of a country that will obtain a majority of votes of the countries belonging to the block. For the purpose of electing UNSC delegates, each country will be allotted a number of electors, based on its population and its economic contribution to the UN. The population and the economic contribution will be revised each 4-5 years, so that the number of electors allotted to each country will change with time.
    The UNSC will consist of 16 members (2 per bloc). To pass any resolution, 2/3 of the members’ votes will be needed — i.e., the votes of at least 11 members. There will be a possibility to cast a veto by joint unanimous vote of two regional blocks.
    This model may sound unrealistic at present, but in the coming decades, the UN will have to move to something like it if it wants to retain some measure of relevance.

    1. The current UNSC rules, particularly the Veto privilege, were designed the maintain this body’s relevance.

      An international body offering the same weight to Micronesia and China would be a mere variation on the UNGA theme — a notoriously impotent sideshow to the real game.

      Besides, has it occurred to you that in your model, Iran-and-Israel will be enjoying the services of their common, very same, elected representatives?

      1. > The current UNSC rules, particularly the Veto privilege,
        > were designed the maintain this body’s relevance.

        It was 65 years ago, and it worked poorly already then (the Korea war, the farce with China being represented by the Taiwanese government-in-exile, another farce concerning the representation of Ukraine and Belarus — then parts of the USSR — in the UN).
        Now the UNSC simply cannot address some of the burning international crises because of the veto power of countries that won WWII (no, not only Israel/Palestine; also Moldova/Transnistria, Georgia/Ossetia & Abkhazia, Syria, etc.). If this isn’t irrelevance, what is?

        > An international body offering the same weight to
        > Micronesia and China

        In my proposal, “each country will be allotted a number of electors, based on its population and its economic contribution to the UN.” I have an impression that China and Micronesia won’t score the same on these counts.

        > Iran-and-Israel will be enjoying the services of their
        > common, very same, elected representatives

        That won’t necessarily be the case; countries may be allowed to choose their bloc. Supposedly, Israel will be represented in the Western & Central Europe bloc (as a country with a special EU partner status). The same may pertain to Turkey. It may be also relevant for Georgia (that with the capital in Tbilisi, not in Atlanta), which won’t be happy to be represented in a Russian-led CIS bloc.

  2. Remember 3 years ago I told ALL Presidents of the US end up following the same policies on the Arab-Israel conflict. You laughed. He who laughs last laughs best.
    Shana Tova!

  3. I actually think it’s an allusion to the Ten Plagues of Egypt.( Eser Hmakot). So instead of the Pharaoh it’s the Palestinian being hit and instead of B-R-D [Barad being hail] it is B-R-K [Barack]. Otherwise Obama’s first name would have been spelt differently.

  4. I’m afraid Richard’s missed the Hebrew pun here.

    The literal translation to the Hebrew “מכת ברק” is “lightning strike”, usually meaning a most unlikely turn of events coming true.

    This very pun is often associated with Israel’s own (Ehud) Barak, notorious for sudden changes of direction along with previously unthinkable abandonment of old allies.

    The other Barack, having been shown in no uncertain terms who’s the proprietor on Capitol Hill, is playing an unexpected role as the great black hope of the children of Israel (or, at least, the old men of Zion).

    The fake antisemitic myths of antiquity are being resurrected in front of our very eyes.

        1. This is quite basic Hebrew, Richard.
          Are you sure you know Hebrew as you claim? You seem to have very rudimentary knowledge of the language.

  5. i always wonder when i read this comment threads

    a) why u feel obligated to respond to borderline trollish comments

    b) on the flipside, why you’re so triggerhappy with the ‘ban.’ it’s kinda stifling to free speech and definitely facilitates teh echo chamber effect on ur comment boards.

    1. Have you read my comment rules? This isn’t the public square. There are comment rules & they’re there for a reason. When they’re violated people are moderated or banned. I don’t allow people to call me a liar. When they do I expect them to prove it. If they don’t, they’ve violated the rules & pay the price for that.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *