The Cholent: Attempted Genocide, Blood Donation, Bezos Wedding
It's been a wild month, but hopefully I am back on track now
Attempted Genocide
Last I wrote with all of you, it was filled with lots of optimism as Israel commenced its bombing campaign against Iran. What followed was harrowing, life-threatening, and psychologically manipulative. The nation of Israel (including all of its non-Jewish citizens and even non-Jewish victims) has been traumatized. When discussing this with a friend the other evening, I coined a new term called “Attempted Genocide”. The fact that thousands of Israelis weren’t killed (though the plans called for that expectation) is nothing short of a miracle both technologically and theologically (case in point, Jerusalem was wholly spared any damage). But it doesn’t remove the fact that if we did not have these layers of protection, the outcome could have very well been a genocide.
Yet it is no surprise that the world didn’t and doesn’t care. First of all, it was Jews who were the victims, so for the most part it is “good riddance” on that front. Second of all, the term genocide has been so overused, overplayed, and dissociated from its actual meaning that the word gets thrown around like a beach ball in a backyard pool. Words have meaning and some words should be reserved so that when those words actually need to be used, people pay attention. Not all wars are genocides. In fact, there have been very few genocides throughout history.
I started writing a post in the middle of the war, but I never got around to finishing it because I wasn’t very happy with how it was coming out. But one major issue here is how far removed everyone is from facts on the ground. Unless missiles are landing in your backyard, it is very easy to compartmentalize those images and consider them to be an alternate reality that only affects a few. This is patently not true when it happens to you or people you know.
We as a nation that passed through this experience, yet a lot of people (rightfully so) were upset that no time was given to decompress from what we endured. Now, a lot of today’s “snowflakiness” is a direct result of the inability to want or need to face things that are uncomfortable, but these past two weeks were not this. Again, we survived an attempted genocide, and that can on some level feel like almost being killed, and for some people that was their actual reality. I am not aware of any public resources or organizations that are focused on offering services to those who may not be able to “flip-the-switch” as they say from war to civilian life on a mass scale. We know there are issues with this for soldiers, but what about whole populations? I think this very much needs to be a part of war planning for future missions (remember, our leaders knew we were going into this). Perhaps directives from the home front command should also include helplines with staff who are ready to help and give mental triage. Perhaps there needs to be a national survey/sample to understand the mood and state of the populace from which more services can be provided. These are responsibilities of the state when the state leads you into war that takes place on your soil (and is not a third-world country, though really even they should focus on this, maybe it would help them).
Bezos Wedding
As I am writing this, festivities are kicking off for Jeff Bezos’s wedding in Venice. For some reason, this is triggering protests. I believe it is mostly because it is an easy way to virtue signal and get some airtime, but of course not actually accomplish anything of any good and possibly make things quite worse. Is some rich person (who did in fact work hard for his fortune) spending money really worth your getting arrested? Is it worth cancelling all of your weekend plans, when instead you could have been making yourself a better person and leading by example?
Now there is plenty wrong with Jeff Bezos, and how many Amazon employees are treated, and perhaps he is guilty of his own virtue signaling by riding around in a $50 million yacht, which pollutes at the same time he claims to fight against climate change. The irony is not lost on anybody, and that there is a class of people who think they are above everyone else is certainly the reality today. But punching buttons on your phone isn’t going to change anything! All of us (myself included) need to get out there and, as corny as it sounds, be the change we want to be! Want to make a change in the climate? Stop driving! Stop eating red meat! Don’t use disposable plates and cutlery. Volunteer at a community garden or support one with your funds instead of auto-donating to Greenpeace and retweeting Greta on a boat with a man 20 years her senior.
Donating Blood
Last week, I had the opportunity to donate blood. I honestly think that blood donation is one of the greatest PR failures of our generation. It is such an important act that has direct benefits (see previous section), yet so few people do it, mostly because they don’t know what it entails. To me, a great slogan for blood donation would be: “Save a life in a pinch”. I find blood donation fascinating (I have read a book on the entire history of blood donation - I’m pretty sure it was this one - in addition to having corresponded a few years back with the head U.S. government official who regulates blood donations. Part of the fascination stems from the fact that we have yet to create synthetic blood, even though that seems like it would be such a simple thing and one that would solve so many problems.
Plus, you get to eat snacks! Now, why there are never any healthy snacks available after blood donation is something I don’t understand. I don’t think there is science behind junk food and blood replenishment. Though, aside from feeling good that you just helped several people live through a surgery or trauma, and the fact that you have new, fresh blood running through your veins, I guess eating yummy snacks is just another incentive. Getting a free apple probably just doesn’t cut it for most people.
Stay Tuned
I have no good way to tie all of this together, and I wrote most of this last week, but I never got around to publishing it because I have been busy with work and some side projects, so thank you to one of my readers who pushed me to publish again (and to continue some projects I was working on before the war started, so stay tuned). Do kids even know what that means anymore? I barely know what it means. Time is moving very fast.
Buy stickers (https://the-cholent.printify.me/ - I think I also added one of my prints of Mitzpeh Ramon to the shop)because Amazon canceled my affiliate account because nobody bought anything and I don’t have 30 minutes right now to sign up all over again (though I did publish my Turning 40 series as an e-book, so go buy that)
Happy 4th of July! Thank you America for protecting freedom all over the world!