I'll be heading to South Africa in February for a research trip -- and seeing relatives and friends. It will be my first visit in 9 years... kind of amazing, considering that I lived there for 7 years and became deeply enmeshed in South African life. I am looking forward to it -- but I am also a bit nervous about it.
When I first went there on my own as an adult, I was a Rotary scholar, interested to see the country's political changes, enthusiastic about the country's left-wing policies, eager to test Alexis de Tocqueville's ideas about democracy against a real-world example of democracy in motion.
Now I feel I am going there with a new question: given that people there keep telling me -- only half-jokingly -- about "collapse," is the South African experiment a failure? And if it has faltered, is it salvageable? Some people seem happy there; others seem terrified of what tomorrow might bring. We'll see.
Today's episode is devoted to the second anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks. It was produced before the announcement of a ceasefire deal, yet remains current & relevant.
Please listen, and #bringthemhome.
SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET (4-7 PT)
This week's portion is a beautiful poem, containing the Covenant between God and the people of Israel. But given the breaking news that Hamas may actually have agreed to release all of the Israeli hostages, I will devote my remarks to that.
One hopes it is true; if so, it makes this week's additional reading, from II Samuel 22, even more relevant: David's song of praise to the Lord for delivering him from the hand of his enemies.
"18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support."
So much to focus on this week -- and much breaking news. A peace deal in the Middle East, perhaps? Eric Adams dropping out of the mayor's race? And a looming shutdown as Democrats push their demands beyond absurdity.
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