The big surprise in the latest indictment of Donald Trump is that it actually contained no surprises -- that it was a rehash of the Jan. 6 committee, which was a rehash of the second impeachment trial.
There is still no evidence of incitement; no evidence of sedition; and, crucially, no direct evidence that Trump knew he was lying about the election, though Special Counsel Jack Smith may wish otherwise.
The indictment looks like a political document, rather than a good case. Even commentators inclined to give Smith credit for his other indictments in the "documents" case were shocked at this one.
Smith damaged his credibility -- and, as Jonathan Turley pointed out on Fox News, that of Attorney General Merrick Garland. But why? And why go for charges that even include a potential death penalty?
My speculation is that the DOJ is firmly inside the DC bubble and that most of the staffers do not have a broad diet of news. They read the New York Times and the Washington Post and listen to NPR.
They don't know how the rest of the country feels; they don't even know that things they may believe are facts really aren't. They think they are saving the Republic. They can't see that they are hurting it.
This week’s portion launches the great story of Abraham, who is told to leave everything of his life behind — except his immediate family — and to leave for “the Land that I shall show you.”
There’s something interesting in the fact that Abraham is told to leave his father’s house, as if breaking away from his father’s life — but his father, in fact, began the journey, moving from Ur to Haran (in last week’s portion). His father set a positive example — why should Abraham leave him?
Some obvious answers suggest themselves — adulthood, needing to make one’s own choices, his father not going far enough, etc.
But I think there is another answer. Abraham (known for the moment as Abram) needs to establish his own household. This is not just about making one’s own choice, but really about choosing one’s own starting point. It’s starting over.
Sometimes we start over in fundamental ways even if much that surrounds us remains the same. Sometimes the journey we have to ...
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
