Preserving American Values

Our nation stands under attack … not from without but from within. American values, our politics, and our culture have been corrupted.

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Websites: www.westillholdthesetruths.weebly.com; www.preservingamericanvalues.com; www.thepracticalbuddhist.com. A graduate of Brown U. and U. of Chicago Law School, I’ve had a varied career as a legal aid lawyer, survey researcher, nonprofit executive, management consultant, composer, teacher, and author. I have authored 7 books on topics as varied as Buddhism, child rearing, and politics, the latter of which received a pre-publication endorsement from James Fallows, National Correspondent, The Atlantic. My Buddhist blog was selected as one of the top 50 Buddhist blogs on the web.

Category: Foreign Policy

  • Is There No End to the Suffering of the Palestinian People?

    Trump sees himself as an international peace maker and covets the Nobel Peace Prize.  After the current Gaza cease fire and hostage deal was announced, Trump said, “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East.”  “The war is over.” At the time, I wrote a Letter to the Editor of The New York…

  • A Democrat’s Plan for Ending the War in Gaza and Establishing Peace between Israel and the Palestinians

    Trump’s 21 point peace plan for Gaza has not and will not go anywhere, despite its adoption by the UN security council. There are two reasons. One is that Netanyahu and his ultra-orthodox nationalist allies will not agree to an eventual Palestinian state in the occupied territories. The other is that Hamas will not stand…

  • Trump Scorecard: Week 9/21-9/27

    A while ago, I suggested that one thing the Democratic Party should do to counter Trump is to have a weekly new conference to highlight what Trump has done during the previous week that harms the people or endangers the country.  Democrats have not adopted my idea, so I’ve decided to put together my own…

  • How Should the Democratic Party Address the Israel-Gaza War

    At the DNC’s annual meeting this week, there were 2 resolutions on the Gaza War.  The Progressive wing’s resolution called for an arms embargo and the suspension of military aid to Israel.  The other called for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and…

  • Who Pays Tariffs – Another Big Trump Lie

    The newspapers are full of Trump’s saying that his tariffs are or will bring billions of dollars into the American treasury and thus help pay for many of the measures he is implementing which otherwise would lead to a substantial increase in the nation’s deficit. Yes … but with a big BUT.  During the 1st…

  • Attention Veterans Thinking of Voting for Trump!

    I’ve read several articles noting the support that Trump continues to have among veterans, despite his spoken disrespect of veterans and his not having ended the “forever wars” as promised by the end of his term as President.  He apparently gets your/their support because he voices support for peace through strength and for bringing many…

  • Is There a Solution to the Ongoing Middle East Crisis?

    For more than 75 years, since the founding of the State of Israel, there has been conflict in the Middle East, not just between Israel and Palestinians, but between Israel and most of the Arab countries surrounding it.  The cause of the ongoing conflict boils down to the following:  The Arabs who have lived there…

  • Israel’s Self-Inflicted Damage

    The response by Israel to Spain’s, Norway’s, and Iceland’s recent recognition of Palestine have been predictable.  “A reward for terrorism” has been the criticism and Israel has halted the disbursement of Palestinian tax revenue. Recognition by these member-states of the EU is not a reward for terrorism.  It is a rebuke of Israel for its…

  • The Palestinian/Israel Conflict – A Reality Check

    I have for decades been critical of Israel’s actions towards Palestinians, both as citizens of Israel and the Palestinian authority.   The founders of Israel were so caught up in the millennia of persecution, mostly recently the Holocaust, that Jews had faced at the hands of other governments and religions that they understandably wanted to create…

  • How the West Made the War in Ukraine Almost Inevitable

    The Soviet Union had collapsed, the former Communist countries of Eastern Europe were free, the world balance of power had changed; the cold war was over.  Russia was starting to work with the US and Europe as a friend. But then policy makers and Europe decided to take advantage of the situation and expand NATO right…