THE FURTHER CORRESPONDENCES OF MARC SUSSELMAN PART 33
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13 May 2025
MS said:
Those who regard themselves as students of history are aware of the numerous events of utter savagery, brutality, and indescribable barbarism which characterize the efforts of homo sapiens, throughout the centuries, to live among each other. That history is marked by tribalism, conquest, oppression and dominance, but mostly by violent death. A lot of death. There were the conquests of the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Muslims, the Mongols, the Ottomans, and on and on. The savagery of the Goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Scythians, Parthians, Huns, Magyars, Mamluks, and on and on, is hair-raising. Vengeance and acts of retribution are repeated over and over again. In 455, Gaiseric, leader of the Vandals (the fitting source of the word “vandalism”) sacked Rome, plundering, killing and raping everything in sight. This was repeated in 1527, during the Reformation, when the Lutheran Landsknechte sacked Rome with such savagery, it “would have moved a stone to compassion.” As reported by Barbara Tuchman in “The March of Folly”: “The soldiers looted house by house, killing anyone who offered resistance. Women were violated regardless of age. Screams and groans filled every quarter; the Tiber floated with dead bodies. … Priests, monks and other clergy were victimized with extra brutality; nuns dragged to brothels or sold to soldiers in the streets. Palaces plundered and left in flames; churches and monasteries sacked for their treasures, relics trampled after being stripped of jeweled covers, tombs broken open in the search for more treasure, the Vatican used as a stable.” Again and again, throughout history, the veneer of humanity has been stripped off, revealing homo sapiens as the descendants of apes.
Amidst all this barbarism, a culture emerged which distinguished itself from its neighbors for its emphasis on a code of ethics, encapsulated in the Ten Commandments – the Jews, referred to as “The Chosen People,” chosen not to reign over their neighbors, but to disseminate their ethical code and their belief in a monotheistic deity, devoted to justice among the peoples of the Earth. They controlled a sliver of land for a mere 900 years, from approximately 800 B.C. to 100 A.D. During that time period, they did not engage in extraterritorial conquest, but were themselves conquered and forcibly dispersed across the world. They were succeeded by another religious culture, the Christian culture, which diverged from its Jewish genesis in many doctrinal ways, primary among them being the doctrine of “turning the other cheek,” a doctrine supposed to embody the rejection of vindictiveness, a doctrine which Judaism in turn rejected as in effect facilitating immoral conduct, by succumbing to bullying, rather than ethically resisting it.
This all changed in 1948, the year I was born, with the memory of the Holocaust still fresh in the Jewish psyche, and, after having been dispersed for 1,848 years, the establishment of a new Jewish nation, a nation devoted to the culture of justice, and self-defense, at its religious core. Growing up, I remember my fellow Jews criticizing the German people for having been complicit with the Nazis, by succumbing to, rather than resisting, its anti-Semitic program. A message embodied in Rabbi Heschel’s famous pronouncement, “Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” This pronouncement, by a rabbi, is presumed to represent a core teaching of Judaism itself – although I am not aware whether Rabbi Heschel attributed any particular passage in the Torah or Talmud as its source.
Recent events in Israel and Gaza are concerning, concerning regarding whether Israel, which, whether we like it or not, is seen by the world as the embodiment of Judaism and of Jewish culture, is living up to its religious and historical commitment to justice, even in the context of self-defense. After the Hamas attack of October 7, an attack reminiscent of the sackings of Rome in its brutality and savagery, I steadfastly supported Israel’s right to self-defense, and to its military invasion of Gaza with its primary objective of releasing the hostages, and dismantling Hamas. I was vehemently critical of those in the Jewish community who were critical of Israel’s military tactics as being disproportionate. I castigated them for forgetting that Jews do not believe in turning the other cheek, that retaliation can be ethically justified as necessary in order to prevent future death and destruction at the hands of modern-day Vandals.
Events in Gaza, and the policies of the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, however, have begun to give me pause, and to give me reason for reflection regarding what Judaism stands for, and its commitment to “Justice, justice shall you pursue.” Particularly difficult to deal with, and to justify, are the images of Palestinian children in Gaza, starving to death. For several months now, Israel has limited the amount of food being allowed to enter Gaza. Humanitarian organizations are warning that they are running out of food, and of an impending devastating famine. Prime Minister Netanyahu has defended Israel’s policies regarding the delivery of food, claiming that it is being stolen by Hamas. The reports I have read regarding the accuracy of this claim are mixed. However, let us assume the claim is true, that a large amount of the food is being stolen by Hamas, does this justify the policy of limiting the amount of food being allowed to enter Gaza? Rather, does it not instead demand that the amount of food be increased, to compensate for the theft and to insure that enough food gets to the Palestinians in order to survive, to prevent the starvation of innocent Palestinian children? How would allowing more food into Gaza constitute turning the other cheek, rather than a reaffirmation of everything Judaism stands for?
When I see Prime Minister Netanyahu speak about the justification of Israel’s policies, I see no sign of humility, no sense of empathy in his smile, no compassion in his demeanor. I see, unfortunately, a bully, the eternal enemy of the Jewish people. I see a man, an imposter, bent on doing everything he can to stay in power, to prevent an adjudication of the claims of fraud and corruption which have been levelled against him. I see the repudiation of everything which Judaism is supposed to stand for. And it sickens me, as I assume, it sickens many of you.
Since October 7, though feeling somewhat estranged from the religion I was raised in, I have attended several Shabbat services at different denominational venues. I have yet to hear any sermon by any rabbi confronting, directly and head-on, what Israel is doing, asking whether Israel’s policies, at the direction of Prime Minister Netanyahu, are in keeping with the tenets of Judaism recited every week from the Torah. I have immersed myself in the reports in the Forward, Tablet magazine, the Jerusalem Post, and Haaretz. While Haaretz has been critical of Netanyahu and Israel’s policies from a political standpoint, I have yet to see any article analyzing, in any of these publications, whether those policies are in keeping with our Jewish religious values. Why? How long can Israeli and American Jews continue to avoid this question, central to the very reason for the existence of the State of Israel, as a light unto the nations? How long can we allow Prime Minister Netenyahu’s use of starvation as a tool of war to continue without recrimination and denunciation? How long can we allow him to reduce the Jewish people to the likes of the Goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Scythians, Parthians, Huns, Magyars, Mamluks and a descent into barbarism? How long until we live up to Rabbi Heschel’s exhortation that, while we may not all be guilty, we are all responsible? How long?
Marc Susselman
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15 May 2025
MS said:
Today, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on the question of the status of the birthright provision of the 14th Amendment.
The arguments, and the Justices’ questions, will be historic, and will indicate in what direction the Justices are leaning regarding Trump’s antics.
The oral arguments start at 10:00 A.M., and you can hear them at the link below, just click on the Live icon
"Oral Arguments..."
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MS said:
"CNN Video..."
I used to dislike this guy, but the enemy of my enemy, i.e., Trump, can be my friend.
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16 May 2025
MS said:
Former White House ethics lawyer reacts to Trump’s plans to accept plane gift from Qatar
"CNN Video..."
Trump’s acceptance of a $50 million gift from Qatar is clearly unconstitutional and violates the emoluments clause. Only Congress can approve such a gift. If Trump does not seek Congressional approval of the gift, can it be prevented in court?
The answer? Essentially nothing can be done to prevent the gift in court. No individual American citizen, or group of American citizens, would have standing to sue Trump in court. The only entity which could sue Trump in court for violating the Constitution would be Congress, and only Congress. And the lawsuit would have to be brought by a majority of the members of Congress – any group of Congressmen/women less than a majority would not have standing to sue. This was decided in 2019 when Senator Blumenthal and Congressman Nader sued Trump regarding his receiving various gifts of hotel reservations without Congressional approval. The D.C. District Court denied Trump’s motion to dismiss. The D.C. Circuit Court reversed, holding that Blumenthal and Nader, as individual members of Congress, did not have standing to sue the President, citing Raines v. Byrd, 521 U.S. 811 (1997), and Va. House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill, 139 S. Ct. 1945 (2019). This Republican controlled Congress is not going to sue Trump. Nor will it impeach him.
This leaves the question – what is Qatar getting in return? We have a President who is willing to sell American interests to the highest bidder, and there is nothing we can do about it at the present time. The only solution is to change the composition of Congress in the midterm elections.
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MS said:
The Boss tells it like it is!
"CNN Springsteen Video..."
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MS said:
Donald Trump Calls Bruce Springsteen ‘Dumb As a Rock’ After Musician Slams ‘Treasonous’ Administration
The politician also wrote that The Boss is "not a talented guy" as well as a "pushy, obnoxious JERK."
What’s that saying about the pot calling the kettle black?
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20 May 2025
MS said:
Noem Incorrectly Defines Habeas Corpus as the President’s Right to Deport People
Another id### in the Trump administration.
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22 May 2025
MS said:
The Supreme Court just issued its ruling regarding the constitutionality of religious charter schools supported by taxpayer money. The ruling is a 4-4 split, which means the decision of the Oklahoma Supreme Court that the legislation authorizing religious charter schools was unconstitutional stands. Since the decision is what is called a “per curiam” decision, there are no written opinions and we do not know how each of the Justices voted. My bet would be that Justice Roberts voted with the 3 liberal Justices – but we will never know. I frankly find it astounding and incomprehensible that 4 Justices did not conclude that the state law violated the Establishment Clause.
But this may be a short-lived victory. It is highly likely that another of the Red states will pass similar legislation, which will not require Justice Barrett to recuse herself, unless the same professors from Notre Dame, where she taught law, participate in that case.
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24 May 2025
MS said:
I received the article below in my email feed this morning.
In 325 BC, Alexander the Great led his army into the desert between India and the Persian Gulf. The famous Macedonian leader hoped to easily reach the central regions of the Empire, but the march turned out to be more difficult than expected.
The lack of food and water began to weigh on the soldiers, who also suffered from the heat and the boiling sand, so much so that some began to perish under the scorching desert sun. The historian Arrian recounts: "Alexander himself, gripped by thirst, led the troops with great pain and difficulty and yet on foot; so too the other soldiers, as usually happens in similar circumstances, tolerated the fatigue better given the same suffering. In the meantime, some lightly armed men, who had moved away from the army in search of water, found it collected in a shallow cavity, a modest and unknown spring. Having taken it without difficulty, they ran to Alexander, as if they were carrying something precious. Then they poured the water into a helmet and gave it to the king. He took it and thanked those who had brought it, but then spilled it in front of everyone. After this, the entire army regained courage to the point of making it seem as if the water poured by Alexander had been drunk by everyone".
Thus Alexander the Great, thanks also to his leadership spirit, finally managed to lead his men out of the desert.
I don’t know, but this does not sound like great leadership to me. I would have marched my men to where the spring was.
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Michael said:
I believe the story goes that before leaving the desert Alexander marched his Macedonian Army to the shoreline, dug some deep pits on the beach & got water that way. Sand acts as a fresh water filter for sea water if it's deep enough.
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MS said:
"CNN Video..."
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26 May 2025
MS said:
I sent the message below to all 53 Republican Senators, as well as several Democratic Senators, and the two Independents.
This Memorial Day weekend is a farce. This country under Trump’s leadership is not what past patriots died defending and protecting.
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28 May 2025
MS said:
Last night I attended the annual meeting of the Ann Arbor Jewish Federation. After the meeting, I sent the below email to its President and Board members.
Marc M. Susselman, JD, MPH
43834 Brandywyne Rd.
Canton, Michigan 48187
marcsusselman@gmail.com
May 28, 2025
Re: The annual meeting of the Jewish Federation and Israel
President Eileen Freed
Rabbi Asher Lopatin
Board Members Larry Adler; Jeremy Bloom; Debra Chapp; Susan Fisher; Jack Fuchsman; Julie Grand; Bruce Kutinsky; Murry Rebner; Maria Linderman Richelew; Jennifer Rosenberg; Marty Shichtman; Alicia Simon; Annie Wolock
I attended the Federation’s annual meeting tonight. I left in utter disgust. Not a word was said regarding Israel’s immoral use of food and starvation as a weapon of war, a desecration of the Torah and Talmud.
Although I have vehemently supported Israel’s right to exist, and its right to retaliate against the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7 by invading Gaza with the intention of destroying Hamas, Israel, in its nationalist zeal, has gone too far. Starving thousands of Palestinian civilians, including thousands of innocent children, is not to be condoned, EVER. It calls for vigorous condemnation by Jewish organizations which claim to uphold the Ethics of Our Fathers. Silence is nothing more than complicity – just as the Germans who remained silent became complicit in the Nazi atrocities. Yet not a word of condemnation was spoken at tonight’s meeting, while you all kibbitzed and patted each other on the back.
Why? Has the anthem Israel right or wrong replaced Deutschland, right or wrong? How can Judaism survive when its soul is being eviscerated by Jewish authoritarianism and nationalism in Israel? Why did no one at tonight’s meeting speak up and condemn it? Why? Are you fearful that disunity among the Jewish people in the name of morality will threaten our survival? What are we saving if we destroy the Jewish values which preserved us during the Diaspora?
In utter disgust and disappointment,
Marc Susselman, JD, MPH
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30 May 2025
MS said:
President Eileen Freed
Rabbi Asher Lopatin
Board Members Larry Adler; Jeremy Bloom; Debra Chapp; Susan Fisher; Jack Fuchsman; Julie Grand; Bruce Kutinsky; Murry Rebner; Maria Linderman Richelew; Jennifer Rosenberg; Marty Shichtman; Alicia Simon; Annie Wolock
For new parents, the aid crisis in Gaza is hitting hard
"TheForwardAssociation"
“There’s no comparing my life to the profound suffering that people in Gaza have endured for more than 600 days. My son and I are safe with plenty to eat. And yet I am not the only new parent of an infant — the postpartum period still so acute in so many ways — who is struggling with the number of dead or starving babies they scroll past all day, every day, online.”
While we continue to remain silent regarding the Netanyahu regime’s use of starvation as a tool of war.
Make sure to celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai Sunday night. After all, we would not want to lose sight of our ethical roots.
Shabbat Shalom.
Marc Susselman
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31 May 2025
MS said:
All sorts of crazy ideas are coming out of the woodwork.
"AntiDemocracyBlogger..."
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1 June 2025
MS said:
Rick Derringer playing Rock N’ Roll Hoochie Koo!
He passed away this week.
"MrDerringer..."
Ah, memories.
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MS said:
I posted a sign in my front yard today with the message below.
I encourage everyone to do the same (even if you are Canadian or Chilean) – it only cost $7.00 at Office Max.
WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY BY A LAWLESS AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START SPEAKING OUT – BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
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4 June 2025
MS said:
Friday is the 81st anniversary of the landing at Normandy.
Is this the country they died to preserve?
"YouTube..."
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6 June 2025
MS said:
"Politics1"
"Politics2"
I love it! Mutually assured destruction, indeed.
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8 June 2025
MS said:
"CNN..."
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Michael said:
Both men may be reconciled with one another if there is a mutual threat that appears on the horizon. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' is not a proverb that has to be static. It can mutate and become dynamic. Of course, if they do get back together, Republicans would most likely be worried about another future rift in the relationship.
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11 June 2025
MS said:
The current immigration raid crisis in Los Angeles provides an example of how the misuse of language can lead to confusion and erroneous conclusions. In the interview at the link below between Jake Tapper and Dr. Phil, Dr. Phil explains how he had access to the internal operation of the raids being conducted by ICE and several other federal agencies. Regarding concerns that Trump has shifted the focus of the raids from deporting immigrants who are criminals and dangerous, to undocumented immigrants generally, he explains that the raids have been conducted pursuant to warrants issued by courts, and have been focused on arresting immigrants who have been identified as previously convicted of a crime, and in the process they have arrested other immigrants who are undocumented, whom he describes as “illegal immigrants,” whom he claims the law requires that ICE arrest.
"LAProtests..."
The use of the term “illegal immigrants” to refer to “undocumented immigrants” is an erroneous conflation of the terminology. Undocumented immigrants are not guilty of any crime, and therefore are not properly subject to arrest. Being an undocumented immigrant is a civil, not a criminal, offense. Moreover, the status of an alleged undocumented immigrant cannot be determined until the individual has been afforded a hearing before an immigration judge. Referring to undocumented immigrants as “illegal” immigrants implies that they have already been tried and convicted of a crime, and therefore are automatically subject to expulsion. They are not. For an explanation of the distinction, see:
"Illegal..."
Trump is deliberately confusing the terminology in order to dispel the fact that he is not living up to his campaign promise to restrict the expulsion of immigrants to “illegal” immigrants who have already committed a crime, and to justify his federalization of the National Guard and the deployment of the Marines to Los Angeles. It is a prime example of 1984 double-speak, the warping of language for political ends. What he is doing in Los Angeles is a precursor for what he plans to do in Houston, Chicago, Miami and NYC, in order to provoke protests, which he can then use to invoke the Insurrectionist Act and take over the country.
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12 June 2025
MS said:
Judge Blocks Trump From Deploying National Guard in Los Angeles
The restraining order delivered a sharp rebuke to President Trump’s effort to deploy thousands of National Guard troops on the streets of an American city, a move that has contributed to nearly a week of political rancor and protests across the country.
The battle has been joined.
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16 June 2025
MS said:
A JUSTICE APART
New York Times, June 16
Justice Barrett is turning out to be this Court’s Justice Souter.
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19 June 2025
MS said:
In a previous comment, I included a link to reflections by Christopher Hitchens on anti-Semitism.
During his discourse, he mentioned that Gore Vidal, whom he referred to as a former friend, was anti-Semitic, and had written an anti-Semitic screed to Thomas Keneally, the author of Schindler’s List. I was surprised to learn this, so I did some research regarding Vidal (whom I have regarded as a great historical novelist). Among some of the items that popped up, was the below – a letter written to the New Republic criticizing the magazine for accusing Vidal of being anti-Semitic. The letter is authentic – I kid you not.
Letter sent to the New Republic
UNFUNNY FARM To the editors: I came across your article in which you accuse Gore Vidal of "anti-Semitism" and proceed to insult him viciously ("Patriotic Gore," April 28). The final sentence reads: "This man is ready for the funny farm." I resent the fact that you equate "anti-Semitism" with insanity In the first place, Gure Vidal is anti-Zionist, not anti-Jewish, and in the second place, being opposed to Zionism (which is both racist and militaristic) is not a sign of mental illness. If anything, it is patriotic. The term "funny farm" is not funny. It is derogatory, and using such phrase* makes you, not Gore Vidal, sound twisted The easiest way to defame someone and his opinions is to label him as "loony" and "ready for the funny farm." It happens to me all the time. The opinions of Gore Vidal and myself are just as valid as yours, and just because we disagree with you does not mean we are crazy.
JOHN HINCKLEY JR. St. Elizabeths Hospital Washington, D.C.
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20 June 2025
MS said:
A critical question regarding justification for Israel’s attack on Iran is the following:
What is the maximum level of uranium enrichment required in order to have a nuclear electric generation program?
I found the answer here:
"IranNuclearProgram..."
“Pran Nath, Northeastern University’s Matthews Distinguished University Professor of physics, says it’s first useful to understand the uranium-enrichment process.
One of the biggest differences between a nuclear facility being used for energy production compared to one building nuclear weapons is the percentage of enriched uranium needed to perform the tasks. You only need uranium to be enriched to about 3% to 5% for power plants, while you need above 90% for nuclear weapons, Nath says.”
Therefore, if Israel is correct that Iran is enriching its uranium considerably above 5%, it is either foolishly spending its money, or its actual intent is to build a nuclear weapon. Given Iran’s threats of Death to Israel and Death to America, it is unlikely that its intention for such a weapon would be purely defensive – justifying Israel’s attack.
Post-script:
Who is ultimately responsible for this debacle?
Our Supreme Leader, Donald Trump, for withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which was negotiated with Iran by the Obama administration.
Under the terms of the JCPOA, Iran agreed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% and not to build heavy-water facilities. For 10 years, uranium enrichment would be limited to a single facility using first-generation centrifuges. Other facilities would be converted to avoid proliferation risks.
IAEA inspections indicated that Iran was complying with the treaty’s terms.
Then, in 2018, Trump announced that the U.S. was withdrawing from the treaty, acting with his typical bravura and ignorance, removing any incentive for Iran to continue to comply.
Then, when re-elected, Trump sought desperately to get Iran back to the negotiating table, in an effort to get the genie back into the bottle, which he had released. Why would they? This forced Israel’s hand to react, as Iran’s level of uranium enrichment increased.
Place the blame on Trump.
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22 June 2025
MS said:
I’m sorry, but I find celebrating the U.S. attack on Iran as short-sighted. Trump violated the Constitution, by commencing a war against Iran without having first obtained Congress’s approval, as required under Article I of the Constitution. Jews should not be congratulating themselves when our President violates the Constitution, especially when it is done at the urging of a Jewish national leader of another country. Israel had already degraded Iran’s nuclear program by several months, if not years. There was no emergency. Our Constitution should not be made the sacrificial lamb of Israel.
"SenatorBernie..."
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27 June 2025
MS said:
Post-script:
If being born in the United Starts does not automatically make one a citizen, what is Trump?
Article II of the Constitution states: “No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption if this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Offic of President[.]”
If Trump is not a citizen, he does not qualify to be President.
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29 June 2025
MS said:
A University of Florida law student won an academic honor after he argued in a paper that the Constitution applies only to white people.
"NewYorkTimes..."
The law school’s interim dean “defended the decision earlier this year, citing Mr. Damsky’s free speech rights and arguing that professors must not engage in ’viewpoint discrimination.’”
What a stupid idea. The concept of intellectual merit is based on viewpoint discrimination – some viewpoints have absolutely no intellectual or academic merit, and therefore should be discriminated against.
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30 June 2025
MS said:
This morning, I found myself thinking of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. In our grief, we sought comfort in the belief, and hope, that in their death, the policies and values for which they advocated would live on and protect us. And here we are, with Donald Trump.
This reminded me of the deaths of the Brothers Gracchus, reformers of Roman policies during the second century, B.C. Tiberius Gracchus championed agrarian reform, and was bludgeoned to death. His younger brother, Gaius Gracchus, championed urban and administrative reforms. He was either killed or forced to commit suicide. And then came the death of the Republic and the ascension of Augustus Caesar.
Is history repeating itself?
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1 July 2025
MS said:
Paramount to Pay Trump $16 Million to Settle ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit
What utter cowards! Disgusting!
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2 July 2025
MS said:
I just emailed the below message to CBS.
CBS, and its parent company, Paramount, are a bunch of cowards. Trump’s lawsuit was totally frivolous, and you caved, just to protect Paramount’s proposed merger. In so doing, you have aided and abetted a fascist tyrant, who is destroying our democracy. What is particularly irksome is that I am Jewish, and to see a Jewish executive make a deal with the devil in order to make more money reinforces the anti-Semitic stereotype that Jews will do anything to make money, Shame on her, and shame on all of you!
I will NEVER watch CBS News or any CBS program again, including one of my formerly favorite programs, 60 Minutes. You have brought disgrace and dishonor on your network.
You can all go to ####### hell!
Marc Susselman, JD, MPH
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6 July 2025
MS said:
A Palestinian debates Palestinian supporters.
"YouTube..."
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7 July 2025
Michael said:
The POTUS seems more like Marcus Crassus than Julius Caesar ever was. Early on, Caesar wanted to overthrow the government with the aid of others like Marcus Crassus himself. Caesar even once wanted to be Crassus' Master of Horse--a second in command to the future Dictator whom never became Dictator in the end. He was a subordinate to Cataline as well during the Conspiracy of Cataline. However, Cataline was defeated by Cicero in the Roman Senate.
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7 July 2025
MS said:
Christopher Hitchens on freedom of speech. Brilliant.
"CH..."
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MS said:
Another brilliant analysis of anti-Semitism, and the role of the liberal left, by Christopher Hitchens.
"CH2..."
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8 July 2025
MS said:
Jon Stewart mocks Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
"JonStewart..."
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her,
Through the night with the light from above.
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10 July 2025
MS said:
Trump Administration Live Updates: Judge Blocks Birthright Citizenship Executive Order Nationwide
"NYtimes..."
Bravo!
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MS said:
Eileen, Rabbi Lopatin, and
Board Members Larry Adler; Jeremy Bloom; Debra Chapp; Susan Fisher; Jack Fuchsman; Julie Grand; Bruce Kutinsky; Murry Rebner; Maria Linderman Richelew; Jennifer Rosenberg; Marty Shichtman; Alicia Simon; Annie Wolock
Children among 20 people reported killed overnight by Israeli strikes on Gaza | BBC News
"YouTube..."
This atrocity occurred today, July 10, 2025. It was not caused by frightened 18-your old IDF soldiers. It was deliberately conducted by the IDF, by our fellow Jews in Isael.
When are you going to end your silence about these atrocities, caused by our fellow Jews in Israel? When are you going to show some courage and stand up for the Torah and Jewish “values”? When are you going to end your silent complicity in the immoral, unlawful actions by this renegade government in Israel????
I am sick and tired of your procrastination and your lies. It is all BULL####!
Shame, Shame on all of you!
Marc Susselman, a proud Jew and supporter of Israel, ashamed of its commission of war crimes and angered by the continued silence of American Jews, including the Ann Arbor Jewish Federation.
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11 July 2025
MS said:
The dumbing down of the American populace, facilitated, in my opinion, by the increasing role of social media and smart phones in how Americans obtain their information, rather than by reading books, has claimed another victim – the resolution by the National Education Association, the largest teachers’ union, to break its ties with the Anti-Defamation League, another deplorable example of how ignorant people seek feel-good spiritual salvation by conflating anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Why a major teachers union voted to break ties with the ADL
"Gaza..."
The ADL has, for years, provided teaching materials to schools regarding anti-Semitism and the propagation of hatred. The ADL also supports Israel. The stupid, supposedly “progressive” liberal leaders of the NEA see in that concurrence a causal link, which requires the condemnation of the ADL and the rejection of its teaching materials. Now, I am all for appropriate criticism of some of Israel’s policies, including some of its tactics in its war on Hamas in Gaza, as anyone who has read my comments on the subject would know, but I would never be so stupid as to convert my criticisms of Israel as a justification for rejecting knowledge about, and denunciation of, anti-Semitism. But that is what the simple-minded leaders of the NEA are doing.
So, this is the brave New World we are living in. A world in which analytic skills are being eroded by the temptation to learn about complicated issues on the fly, replacing serious contemplation and thought with the obsession with speed and convenience. Today, the victim is opposition to anti-Semitism. Tomorrow, it maybe the survival of our democratic way of life itself, as self-serving politicians persuade the ignorant that black is white, and up is down.
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MS said:
How Netanyahu Prolonged the War in Gaza to Stay in Power
"NYTimes..."
There was a time, in my naïve and callow youth, that the idea that a Jewish leader, a bar mitzvah and student of Torah, could be so self-centered and egotistical as to put his own political ambitions ahead of the interests of the Jewish people was inconceivable and impossible. I was, however, ignorant of the history of the Jewish people, and had not heard of the sibling rivalry between Hyrcan II and Aristobulus, a rivalry which resulted in the forfeiture of the Jewish state to the Roman empire. So, Netanyahu’s abuse of power is not unique in Jewish history.
The question remains, however, when confronted with such a leader who uses the pretense of protecting the Jewish people as a strategy to maintain and expand his power, what should the Jewish people do? Should they disregard what their senses and intellect tell them is happening, and play along to get along? Or should they vociferously and vehemently call out the imposter and denounce his machinations and selfish abuse of power, in the interest of preserving Jewish values and honoring the Torah? I, for one, advocate the latter course.
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MS said:
"Politics..."
Is it racist to note the absurdity of this position, a Black Man advocating for lifting restrictions on restrictions which impede the right of Black people to vote?
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MS said:
"The First Shakespeare Plays I Ever Saw Were in Yiddish": Harold Bloom on M. Schwartz as Shylock
"Shakespeare..."
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MS said:
I just sent the below email to the President and Board of the Ann Arbor Jewish Federation. I have repeatedly urged them to issue a statement condemning Netanyahu and the IDF for their transgressions against Palestinians civilians. They have ignored me.
In Saul Bellow’s novel, “Mr. Sammler’s Planet,” Arthur Sammler is a Holocaust survivor, living in New York City and working as a lecturer at Columbia University. He is confronted every day by the degradations of urban life, as he contemplates the sufferings of the human soul, something he deeply and profoundly knows about, giving his experience with the Third Reich. At the end of the novel, Sammler converses with God, and says, "For that is the truth of it - that we all know, God, that we know, that we know, we know, we know.”
Many have questioned the meaning of that final passage. At a lecture many years after the novel was published, Bellow said of that passage:
You read the New Testament and the assumption Jesus makes continually is that people know the difference immediately between good and evil. … And that is in part what faith means. It doesn’t even require discussion. It means that there is an implicit knowledge – very ancient if not eternal – which human beings really share and that that if they based their relationship on that knowledge existence would be transformed.
Everyone reading this comment has an implicit knowledge of the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong. None of you can prove its validity syllogistically, but still, you know it. I question whether the Nazi soldier who opened fire on Jews in front of a trench they were forced to dig, and then pushed them, some still living, into the trench, and buried them, had that implicit knowledge of the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong; I question whether Hitler and the Nazi officers who devised the Final Solution, or the Nazi guards who executed the Final Solution, forcing naked Jews into the gas chambers, and then dumping their lifeless bodies into the crematoria, knew the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong.
But we Jews are supposed to know, implicitly, the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong. We pride ourself in that knowledge, that we are, after all the Chosen People, charged with disseminating that knowledge throughout the world, even if it means that we will be ostracized, condemned and even killed, for alerting the world regarding what their moral obligations are, since homo sapiens do not appreciate being told what their obligations are.
So, we know, when we read and see reports of Palestinian civilians being deprived of food, without evidence that they are members of Hamas, or that they participated in the October 7 atrocity, that such conduct has crossed the line between good and evil, between right and wrong; we know when we see starving Palestinians being fired on, not just by scared 18-year old IDF soldiers, but by Israeli jets firing rockets into their midst, that such conduct has crossed the line between good and evil, between right and wrong; we know that when we see videos of Palestinian children being brought to a hospital, with their limbs severed by IDF rockets, their bodies burned by IDF firepower, that such conduct has crossed the line between good and evil, between right and wrong. And we know, implicitly, that we, as Jews, who have been the victims for centuries of pogroms, of expulsion from numerous countries because of who we are, who have been corralled into ghettoes, and then sent off to death in gas chambers and ovens, that we have a moral obligation, as Jews, to speak out and condemn conduct which crosses the line between good and evil, between right and wrong - even when the perpetrators are fellow Jews in another country, fighting for their survival in a harsh and hostile environment, that, notwithstanding the transgressions by some – but not all – of their enemies, that there is still a line which demarcates good from evil, right from wrong, a line which must not be crossed. And we know that Israel is now crossing that line on almost a daily basis. What is our moral obligation given that knowledge? What do we say to ourselves in the darkness and silence of night to assuage our conscience, to justify our silence and our failure to openly and vehemently condemn as immoral the crossing of that line by our fellow Jews in Israel, led by a Prime Minister concerned only with his political survival?
What do we say to Mr. Sammler, and to all of the six million Jews who were slaughtered by the Nazis, and to Hashem, who tell us “we all know, God, that we know, that we know, we know, we know” to justify our continued silence?
I apologize if this comment disturbs your desire for a peaceful and tranquil Shabbat.
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MS said:
My emails to the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor, and its rabbi, urging them to issue a statement criticizing Israel’s current military tactics in Gaza, have been rejected. I was accused of engaging in “bullying,” a common term used to reject my exhortations for what I regard as the demands of moral conduct. Below was my response:
This experience has further illuminated for me the power of conformism, and how it was used to silence dissent in Nazi Germany.
You both prefer the acceptance of your fellow members in the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor, rather than risk rejection and ostracism by openly criticizing what Israel is currently doing in Gaza, killing innocent Palestinians in the name of Israel’s survival, when Israel’s survival is no longer threatened by Hamas. You prefer conformism over facing the moral truth.
This experience has led me to question my devotion to Judaism as it is currently being practiced, and my loyalty to Israel, a country which is being ravaged by its current desecration of Torah.
Shabbat Shalom,
Marc
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12 July 2025
MS said:
A father mourns 2 sons killed in an Israeli strike as hunger worsens in Gaza
"APnews..."
"YouTube..."
The above incidents occurred in the last two days. These were not actions of scared teenage Israeli soldiers. These were the actions of IDF jets. Israel has changed from victim to oppressor, and you both continue to maintain your silence on Israel’s transgressions. By your silence, you have both proved yourselves to be morally bankrupt. And you accuse me of “bullying.” Well, if demanding that two Jews stand up for the Torah and moral conduct, then so be it, I am bullying.
I never thought I would see the day when my fellow Jews, including a rabbi, would betray the precepts of Torah and fail to speak out against immoral conduct, even by their fellow Jews in Israel, who are being dominated by a corrupt, fascist leader – a leader who himself is repudiating Torah, just as our fascist leader in Washington is repudiating the Constitution. I repeat what I said in an earlier comment – Shame on you, same on both of you.
Marc Susselman
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MS said:
I just learned that Zohran Mandani’s mother is Mira Nair, the producer and director of such films as Mississippi Masala, and Monsoon Wedding. I have seen the latter movie several times and regard it as a very fine film.
There has been controversy regarding Mandani’s attitude toward Israel, which he has claimed is committing genocide against the Palestinian people, a claim I regard as despicable, and a warped use of terminology, despite my criticisms of some of Israel’s current military actions in Gaza. There is an important and significant difference between the commission of war crimes in the course of a war, and the commission of genocide, the deliberate and intentional policy to annihilate a group of people based on their ethnicity and/or religion. Israel is not committing genocide against the Palestinian people, and to claim that it is an anti-Semitic slur.
According to Wikipedia:
In July 2013, Nair declined an invitation to the Haifa International Film Festival as a "guest of honor" to protest Israel's policies toward Palestine. In posts on Twitter, Nair wrote: "I will go to Israel when the walls come down. I will go to Israel when occupation is gone...I will go to Israel when the state does not privilege one religion over another. I will go to Israel when Apartheid is over. I stand w/ Palestine for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) & the larger BDS Mov’t." Nair was praised by PACBI, which said her decision to boycott Israel "helps to highlight the struggle against colonialism and apartheid." She subsequently tweeted "I will go to Israel, soon."
Query: Would Ms. Nair refuse to travel to Saudi Arabia, or to Iraq, or to Iran, or to the Vatican, each of which privileges one religion over another?
While a parent’s views cannot automatically be attributed to an offspring. I think it highly likely that Mr. Mandani’s views regarding Israel have been influenced by the views of his mother.
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13 July 2025
MS said:
What have I learned about Judaism over the last two months?
I have learned that Judaism, and religion in general, is a farce, and I have learned it from a rabbi and the CEO of a supposedly religious Jewish organization.
Growing up after WWII and the Holocaust, I heard it said multiple times that the German people were to blame for not standing up to Hitler and Nazism early on. That they chose conformism and avoiding risk, over standing up for morality and doing the right thing.
Yet, in the face of Israel’s obvious religious transgressions and violations of the ethical precepts of Torah, by using restrictions on the distribution of food in Gaza as a military tactic; by firing rockets from jets into crowds of Palestinians desperately seeking to obtain food, in order, the IDF claims, to kill one Hamas terrorist, at the same time killing dozens of innocent Palestinian civilians, including children.
Yet this rabbi and this CEO, when urged to make a public statement condemning Israel’s unethical conduct, prefer to remain silent. And they do not even face possible brutal retaliation from Nazi storm troopers or the Gestapo. Do they fear that the Mossad may come after them, accusing them of disloyalty and betrayal of Israel, or that they will be ostracized by their fellow Jews for doing what Torah demands of them? No, they prefer the comfort of their administrative titles and positions to doing the right thing, to doing the thing which their purported devotion to Judaism demands of them.
So, I have concluded that Judaism is a farce, it is a religion of hypocrites, just like the Germans who did not have the moral courage to speak out when it would have mattered.
During the next High Holy Days, I will not be attending synagogue services. I will not be seeking forgiveness from Hashem. I will not seek to atone for my sins. Why should I, when my fellow American Jews, including a rabbi and the CEO of a major Jewish organization, are unwilling to speak out against the atrocities currently being committed by Israel, are unwilling to take a moral stand against immoral behavior, are unwilling to condemn immoral conduct being committed by a fascist, authoritarian Jewish leader and his government, just as the Germans were unwilling to do. They would rather rationalize their silence and make excuses for their lack of moral courage. They would rather play along to get along.
It is all a joke and a farce. And thank you to the rabbi and the CEO for enlightening me about the truth of religion – it is all meaningless.
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MS said:
Earlier today I watched a biography about Oskar Schindler, of Schindler’s List fame. The biography reported how he risked his life multiple times by breaking German law in his efforts to save Jews from the concentration camps, from the gas chambers and from the incinerators. After the war was over, he returned to his home town in the Sudetenland, where he was scorned by his fellow Germans, for his having befriended Jews. He received death threats. He never expressed any remorse for what he had done.
Every year on his birthday, he visited Israel, where he was received like royalty by the several hundred Jews, and their relatives, whose lives he had saved. There is a memorial honoring him as one of the Righteous Gentiles at Yad Vashem. He requested that he be buried in Israel, where his grave can be found.,
Where, I ask, is the Jewish Schindler, willing to risk his or her life, willing to risk ostracism by his/her fellow Jews by speaking out on behalf of the innocent Palestinians, the innocent Palestinian children, who are being killed by Israel’s immoral military tactics against them in Gaza? Are there no innocent Palestinians in Gaza? Where is the Jewish Schindler in the Jewish community in Washtenaw County willing to speak up for the innocent Palestinians, for the innocent Palestinians children, being ravaged by Israeli rockets as they desperately gather to obtain food rations to stay alive, willing to condemn Prime Minister Netanyahu as the fascist that he is, repudiating the dictates of Torah in order to preserve his political power, and willing to risk ostracism by his/her fellow Jews? Where is the Jewish Schindler in the Ann Arbor Jewish Federation, willing to speak moral truth and openly condemn what Israel is currently doing in Gaza, willing to risk sacrificing the comfort of their cushy position as administrators in the Jewish Federation, as prestigious members of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation? Where?
The most famous line from Oskar Schindler’s biography, the line uttered to him from the Talmud by his accountant Itzhak Stern, and highlighted in the movie, is, “He who saves one life saves the world entire.” Such inspirational words. What is not often uttered is its corollary, “He who takes one life destroys the world entire.”
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MS said:
A heartening human interest story.
"Sunday..."
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The End.