My problem with Shapiro isn't the Gaza War, where he is indeed near the center of the party. But his treatment of the pro-Palestinian student protestors is a genuine shanda. The voucher stuff is kind of creepy, but a tolerable quirk. Buttigieg is, AFAIK, still a left-neolib, of the Clinton-Obama-Raimondo persuasion. (These folk believe in high marginal rates and deregulation, which is arguable on paper, but in practice leads merely to deregulation.) Other than that, he is great.
I’m increasingly drawn to Walz, who also strikes me as the most Midwest-progressive of the bunch. Watch this video where he addresses a roomful of geographers last month: https://mediaspace.esri.com/media/t/1_d2sqkrju
I like the idea of building on the general excitement that the Harris candidacy has engendered. The “safe” choices dampen it. If Buttigieg or Whitmer go too far in that regard, Walz splits the difference in a non-threatening way.
And he’s got a dandy LtGov to take over for him in Minnesota.
Re your discussion of the term "Zionist": I don't know whether Israel has a right to exist, but I think that's probably a different question than, does Israel have a right to employ a policy of constant territorial expansion at the expense of the indigenous population. That IS the Zionist project. And the follow-up is, does it have a right to expel, imprison, or exterminate that population. Folks I know who dismiss those questions with the standard, "Israel has a right to exist / defend itself" are probably Zionists. People who defend the Zionist project of occupying and dominating an already populated country, and eliminating its population, are definitely Zionists.
It's true Zionism in the form of Israeli state policy has become something awful. We can argue about when that happened. What is also undeniable is that prior to the formation of the state, Zionism was diverse. Some Zionists themselves argued that formation of a state would lead to no end of problems.
As I said, I would not call one who roots for Israel as necessarily a Zionist. To be one, you have to intend to settle in Israel. Otherwise it's just hot air.
My problem with Shapiro isn't the Gaza War, where he is indeed near the center of the party. But his treatment of the pro-Palestinian student protestors is a genuine shanda. The voucher stuff is kind of creepy, but a tolerable quirk. Buttigieg is, AFAIK, still a left-neolib, of the Clinton-Obama-Raimondo persuasion. (These folk believe in high marginal rates and deregulation, which is arguable on paper, but in practice leads merely to deregulation.) Other than that, he is great.
Agreed. https://forward.com/opinion/640215/kamala-harris-running-mate-josh-shapiro-criticism/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEbnPRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHeEnMNe2RaJu-ABM_hDnZqz-484xgEKfK1flXxDrV2oNgpBdfKF9RIHxMg_aem_ztfCToS2g1Y0KUl7KuE-qA
I’m increasingly drawn to Walz, who also strikes me as the most Midwest-progressive of the bunch. Watch this video where he addresses a roomful of geographers last month: https://mediaspace.esri.com/media/t/1_d2sqkrju
I like the idea of building on the general excitement that the Harris candidacy has engendered. The “safe” choices dampen it. If Buttigieg or Whitmer go too far in that regard, Walz splits the difference in a non-threatening way.
And he’s got a dandy LtGov to take over for him in Minnesota.
Re your discussion of the term "Zionist": I don't know whether Israel has a right to exist, but I think that's probably a different question than, does Israel have a right to employ a policy of constant territorial expansion at the expense of the indigenous population. That IS the Zionist project. And the follow-up is, does it have a right to expel, imprison, or exterminate that population. Folks I know who dismiss those questions with the standard, "Israel has a right to exist / defend itself" are probably Zionists. People who defend the Zionist project of occupying and dominating an already populated country, and eliminating its population, are definitely Zionists.
It's true Zionism in the form of Israeli state policy has become something awful. We can argue about when that happened. What is also undeniable is that prior to the formation of the state, Zionism was diverse. Some Zionists themselves argued that formation of a state would lead to no end of problems.
As I said, I would not call one who roots for Israel as necessarily a Zionist. To be one, you have to intend to settle in Israel. Otherwise it's just hot air.
Hands off Moldova!