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Jan
13
Hopeful, but naive. Read his op-ed in Wednesday’s New York Times here.
Key portion:
Israel de facto recognizes Hamas’s right to rule Gaza and to provide for the well-being and security of the people of Gaza — which was actually Hamas’s original campaign message, not rocketing Israel. And, in return, Hamas has to signal a willingness to assume responsibility for a lasting cease-fire and to abandon efforts to change the strategic equation with Israel by deploying longer and longer range rockets. That’s the only deal. Let’s give it a try.
No, that’s not the only deal. You titled your book, The World is Flat, but Mr. Friedman, the Israel-Palestinian conflict is no more flat than the world you discussed in that book. Suggesting that, “in return, Hamas has to signal a willingness to assume responsibility for a lasting cease-fire and to abandon efforts to change the strategic equation with Israel by deploying longer and longer range rockets….” completely ignores political and ideological realities.
I continue to believe that Hamas failed in its leadership – certainly on the scores Friedman suggests (providing for the well-being and security of the people of Gaza) and that on that basis alone, the Palestinians needs new leadership. But from where?
That is the question I would love Friedman and others to tackle – where is the leadership? Who is the leadership? For my hope, my naivete, is to continue to believe that the Palestinians want better – better than what Hamas promises, or wants.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:42 pm January 13th, 2009 in Gaza, Israel | 7 Comments
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Jan
13
From the Some People Pay Me Department
Filed Under Cleveland+, Ohio, Parenting, Writing | Comments Off
From the December 2008 Cleveland Family:
What do you want to be when you grow up?
During the fall months, as my family and I observe the Jewish holidays, I ask that question, not only of my children as they enter a new school year, but of myself, too, as it relates to my relationship with religion, but also as I find I need to renew my self-confidence as a parent, especially as my children get older and their needs – and my resolve – fluctuate.
You can read the rest here.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:45 pm January 13th, 2009 in Cleveland+, Ohio, Parenting, Writing | Comments Off
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Jan
13
And there will be how many women in Middle East negotiation meetings?
Filed Under Foreign Affairs, Gaza, Israel, leadership | Comments Off
Tzipi Livni’s behavior can be interpreted as not necessarily having any impact one way or the other re: her gender, but given the Hamas preference for Turkey because it’s seen by Hamas as an Islamic nation, the concern about women’s involvement is legitimate.
Consider the success of this alliance with Hanan Ashrawi in the West Bank as well as her statements, like these:
“Arab countries have not mobilized,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a legislator and longtime Palestinian spokeswoman. “They have not used their political, much less their economic clout to help Palestinians. Economically, they have been helping, but not in a big way.
“Palestinians feel a sense of let down, even a betrayal,” she said.
Do you suspect anyone who is invited into these meetings is going to push that? I sure don’t get that sense. But I’d love to be proven wrong.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:01 pm January 13th, 2009 in Foreign Affairs, Gaza, Israel, leadership | Comments Off
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Jan
13
Palin: Still conclusory after all this time
Filed Under Blogging, Politics, Sarah Palin | 4 Comments
…Palin said she had adopted a philosophical attitude on the downside of the spotlight. “You have to let it go,” she said. “Even hard news sources, credible news sources — the comment about, you can see Russia from Alaska. You can! You can see Russia from Alaska. Something like that — a factual statement that was taken out of context and mocked — what you have to do is let that go.”
That statement wasn’t mocked over whether or not it was true. It was mocked because you were asked the following question:
CHARLES GIBSON (ABC NEWS)
(Off-camera) What insight into Russian actions particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of this state give you?
And you responded:
GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN (REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE)
They’re our next door neighbors. And you can actually see from land here in Alaska.
without following that up with anything that, you know, identifies why Russia, by virtue of being your next door neighbor, gives you, you know, insight – like Gibson asked about.
In other words, by simply repeating that Russia is your neighbor – which anyone who went to grade school, with the exception of Miss South Carolina, should already know, you are claiming that it is an insight to tell us that Russia is your neighbor and that that is the only insight you have into Russian actions as a result of that country’s proximity to Alaska, because, as you said, they’re your neighbors.
(Why am I making my head hurt?)
Well blow me over – you figured out that they’re your neighbors and that is an insight?
Just on the off chance I’ve never mentioned this before, you do realize that, again, your answer was conclusory. You needed to move on to say why having them as a neighbor makes any difference from them not being a neighbor, said difference thereby giving you – you know, insight. Like Gibson asked.
That’s why you were mocked. Not because someone can actually see Russia from Alaska or because Alaska is Russia’s neighbor, and, ya know, Russia is Alaska’s neighbor too. (This is just too easy.)
Eh -what the hey, Sarah – keep answering that way, and defending that way of answering. It just makes it that much easier to discredit you – along with that stuff you say about bloggers and, well, everything else.
NB: I’m helping my high schooler study for mid-term exams. I think I’m going to use this as a lesson in how not to answer an essay question.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:38 pm January 13th, 2009 in Blogging, Politics, Sarah Palin | 4 Comments
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Jan
13
The whole “prediction of news for 2009″ thing
Filed Under Blogging, Media, Ohio, WCPN/SOI | 2 Comments
Let me just get this off my chest: WCPN did it right – they asked listeners, what do you want us to cover in 2009?
These days every news organization has to do more with less. So that makes the decision about what to cover, and how to cover it, more important than ever. So, we’d like to hear from you: what stories should we cover? On the next Sound of Ideas; we’ll be joined by editorial decision makers from The Plain Dealer, WKYC TV and ideastream®. We invite you to join us to talk about what direction all of our news coverage should take in 2009.
Well done.
The Plain Dealer? Not so much, even though Susan Goldberg was on that Sound of Ideas (which you can listen to here).
They’re telling us what they think will be news. (Steve Koff’s ideas are of course all in the tank topics that can’t be argued with, but shouldn’t each and every one of those ideas be presented with a view to the local application, even if he’s the PD Washington Bureau guy?)
But repeat after me:
What they “think” will be news.
That’s a joke, right, as in, we should all smile and wink, wink at each other?
The PD has the filters and editors who decide what we need to know and how we’re going to learn about it and what it’s going to read like. Of course they can “predict” the news stories for 2009.
ARGH.
Sigh.
They really do not get it.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:38 am January 13th, 2009 in Blogging, Media, Ohio, WCPN/SOI | 2 Comments
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Jan
13
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Filed Under Congress, Marcy Kaptur, Mary Taylor, Ohio, Politics | 4 Comments
I want to know who Ohio’s junior U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown (D) likes for replacing George Voinovich (R) as Ohio’s other senator. Brown has knowledge and/or relationships with nearly all the possible Democratic and Republican possibilities. Don’t you just know he must have great things to tell us about the odds for each option – and who he really thinks would best serve Ohio?!
Personally, I still love the idea of Mary Taylor (R) v. Marcy Kaptur (D). Talk about giving Ohio some good juju. And while that match up might be one of the least likely, it definitely fulfills my hopes for getting more women into ever-higher positions of leadership and opening up spots where more women can continue to flow through the pipeline.
And, frankly, every time I look at a line up or photo that looks like this, I just can’t help think about how re-tread it is. Please, Ohio, break out of the retread. Or we have no one to blame but ourselves.
NB: I know lots of people are on the brink of going gaga over Tim Ryan (D) I don’t know him – only know of him. But my gut sense is that he’s as much a politician as any of the others, just a little younger, hence the references to energy and charisma.
And the whole John Kasich (R) for governor? Eek, seems completely like a dead end. Are people really forgetting just how many independent voters there are in Ohio? And then there’s John Boehner – would he do better, be more influential, as a member of the minority party in the senate?
Energy and charisma are nice and sometimes necessary. But there is in fact more to leadership than just those two things.
Say, like, experience and accomplishments.
And isn’t it interesting just how many of these names hedge building on the younger, new voters that came out? What was that all about? Shouldn’t we want to build on that – both parties? Isn’t that part of the talk Kevin DeWine was criticized for regarding how to change the appeal and direction of the Republican party in Ohio?
Sigh – the more I think about it, the more I’m very unenchanted by people’s thoughts on the replacement. Very uninspired for the most part.
Oh – okay – one more thing a la Columbo – oops – now it’s two – I keep editing into this post:
1. These names are like the idea of casinos – they keep coming back, round and round showing no creativity when it comes to giving answers to an evergreen issue (casinso – economy, elections – leadership).
2. And don’t you just hate we don’t start with: what do we need? what do we want?
Shouldn’t those be the first questions we ask before people start telling us that they think we need them and that we should want them?
This is so backwards. We’re looking at what we’ve got, rather than what we need. That is really wrong.
Okay – that’s it. For now.
No – it’s not.
This point about being backwards? Yeah – see – I asked about this regarding what the news should cover, just a week ago – here’s what I asked (and it was answered):
I would like to see our news outlets do a series on leadership, but not about the people currently in elected positions, corporate, non-profit or academic jobs, but rather an examination:
What does good leadership look like?
Where do we find and how do we support current and future leaders?
And yet what’s the first story jumped on?
All the currently elected or previously elected people we always talk about.
Bla. Bla. Bla.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:20 am January 13th, 2009 in Congress, Marcy Kaptur, Mary Taylor, Ohio, Politics | 4 Comments
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