Hi Humans, particularly Ms. Emma Thompson,
Recently in the news, it was written that a number of British theater people objected to the Globe Theater inviting the Habima Theater of Israel to perform at the Globe Theater because a few of Habima's performance were at a Jewish West Bank settlement. Ms. Thompson, I am directing this letter specifically to you because I never heard of the other people listed, and I actually have enjoyed your movie performances and consider you a great actress.
Ms. Thompson, if one were to follow your logic, then one should boycott the writings of William Shakespeare. After all, Shakespeare wrote in 16th Century England at a time when England was colonizing far away lands, killing and enslaving their native inhabitants. I am not aware that Shakespeare did any protesting against those misdeeds. In fact, he glorified England. The misdeeds done by England at that time were not to protect the existence of England but rather for greed.
Israel is a small country surrounded by nations and people who demonize Jews in their schools and who believe a Jewish nation is an anomaly in their midst. Israelis look around them and see chaos and cruelty in their neighbors. I do not agree with some of the decisions made by the current Israeli government including expansion of settlements. But no nation in this world is always correct. I do not live in Israel and am not personally faced with the existential danger that Israel faces. To attack cultural and academic Israeli institutions is counterproductive and attacks the most progressive voices in Israel.
As a dog living in a Jewish home, I can only hope that at some future time the Israeli and Palestinian people will make the necessary compromises to make a better life for everyone concerned. But it will require painful compromises on both sides. Boycotts against either side will not cause it to happen.
Anyway, I will still appreciate the work of William Shakespeare because boycotting him won't change anything (and incidentally the play to be performed by Habima was written by Shakespeare). Even my little doggie brain knows that.
Chloe
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Diplomacy and War
Hi Humans,
We dogs sometimes have disputes with each other as individuals, but not on the massive scale as you humans. Your disputes involve groups of millions of humans. We fight with claws and teeth. But you guys fight with guns and bombs and explosions. You have large armies and sneaky groups of terrorists. And you have these diplomacy games where each side has a different view of reality, and each side dances and maneuvers around to get the most out of the other. Also national pride and religious differences get involved and supercede the interests of ordinary individuals. It boggles the mind of a little dog like me. But I have to live in this world that you create. So I hope you can solve your problems and not destroy all of us.
Chloe
We dogs sometimes have disputes with each other as individuals, but not on the massive scale as you humans. Your disputes involve groups of millions of humans. We fight with claws and teeth. But you guys fight with guns and bombs and explosions. You have large armies and sneaky groups of terrorists. And you have these diplomacy games where each side has a different view of reality, and each side dances and maneuvers around to get the most out of the other. Also national pride and religious differences get involved and supercede the interests of ordinary individuals. It boggles the mind of a little dog like me. But I have to live in this world that you create. So I hope you can solve your problems and not destroy all of us.
Chloe
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Legalization of Marijuana?
Hi Humans,
You humans often allow politics and social feelings to decide real issues rather than practicalities. An example is the issue of marijuana and other "recreational" drugs. "Conservatives" tend to be opposed to any changes in the present system of regarding marijuana possession criminal. Other humans who consider themselves "progressive" favor legalization of marijuana in all cases and suggest that marijuana is not harmful. Trying to be objective, a perusal of PubMed will show articles that say marijuana can be harmful to the nervous system. The governor of California has pretty much said the same thing in opposition to legalizing marijuana. On the other hand, the present situation of criminalizing drugs has given criminals an opportunity to enter a business where honest merchants are barred, leaving the field open to the criminals.
So, this is what this dog recommends for you humans. Make marijuana and other drugs, tobacco, and firearms available to humans in a very restricted highly taxed way. They should be forbidden to children (including teenagers). Possession and use must be registered with the government. Misuse by anyone (especially children and teenagers) makes the registered owner liable for whatever harm is caused by them. Tax money received is to be all used to cure people of their addictions and to fight drug and gun cartels (none may be diverted for other purposes no matter how needed). In other words, partial legalization should not be construed as approval of drugs, tobacco, and firearms, but rather as a tool to counteract them.
Chloe
You humans often allow politics and social feelings to decide real issues rather than practicalities. An example is the issue of marijuana and other "recreational" drugs. "Conservatives" tend to be opposed to any changes in the present system of regarding marijuana possession criminal. Other humans who consider themselves "progressive" favor legalization of marijuana in all cases and suggest that marijuana is not harmful. Trying to be objective, a perusal of PubMed will show articles that say marijuana can be harmful to the nervous system. The governor of California has pretty much said the same thing in opposition to legalizing marijuana. On the other hand, the present situation of criminalizing drugs has given criminals an opportunity to enter a business where honest merchants are barred, leaving the field open to the criminals.
So, this is what this dog recommends for you humans. Make marijuana and other drugs, tobacco, and firearms available to humans in a very restricted highly taxed way. They should be forbidden to children (including teenagers). Possession and use must be registered with the government. Misuse by anyone (especially children and teenagers) makes the registered owner liable for whatever harm is caused by them. Tax money received is to be all used to cure people of their addictions and to fight drug and gun cartels (none may be diverted for other purposes no matter how needed). In other words, partial legalization should not be construed as approval of drugs, tobacco, and firearms, but rather as a tool to counteract them.
Chloe
Another Child Killed by a Gun
Hi Humans,
I hear in the news that 3 brothers in Cincinnati were playing with a gun they found in the house of their uncle. One pulled the trigger and the 8 year old brother was shot and later died. This is a clear case of negligence. Negligence by whoever owned the gun. Negligence by the lawmakers of Ohio for lax gun laws. Negligence by the NRA and other gun bullies for fighting against any attempt at gun safety. The law should state that if a gun causes harm to anyone, the owner of the gun should be severely punished. It should be illegal for a gun owner to give or sell a gun to anyone or allow anyone to use the gun without registering the transfer with the police. Any gun should be re-registered regularly with the police and if lost the owner should be receive a jail sentence.
Chloe
Monday, February 24, 2014
Two Radical Fundamentalists, Oliver and Ted
Hi Humans,
I would like to direct this note to 2 specific humans, Oliver Stone and Ted Nugent. They might be thought of as being at opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they are in many ways very similar. They are both radical fundamentalists in that they are certain that their point of view must be strictly adhered to. They see no room for compromise. They are both entertainers with a political point of view but do not have to deal with the political reality of making things actually happen. They don't allow for compromise because they don't have to. In fact, they are more successful by not allowing for compromise or reality in their make believe worlds.
Recently they both denounced President Obama. Oliver called the president "weak" and "spineless." Ted called him a "subhuman mongrel." First of all, neither of them really paid attention to what Mr. Obama is and was always about since before he ran for president. But most of the American people did, and that is why they elected him. They saw a pragmatic intelligent slightly left of center centrist who was out to correct some things that needed correcting (for example, the distribution of health care) without turning the whole system upside down. They saw the previous administration bring the country to financial ruin by 2 simultaneous wars (one in Iraq on the wrong battlefield) which were fought with heavy borrowing in order to keep taxes low. And this was perpetrated by people who still claim to be "conservatives." The American people also saw the need to bring the war on terrorism to a reasonably successful end because as we all recall 2000 innocent Americans were murdered in the twin towers on 9/11. However, they also realized that we have to do it in a sensible way rather than shoot first and think later. As you might recall it was on President Obama's watch that we caught Bin Laden and have wiggled most of the way out of the unnecessary war in Iraq. As for the Affordable Care Act, anyone who thinks that it could have slid in on ice without any stumbles was living in a fantasy world. On the other hand it is working, millions of people have signed up, and the rest are doing OK too. As for the National Intelligence Agency, I think most people don't mind if a few phone calls and e-mails are snooped on in order to keep them safe from the bad guys. One has to balance the benefit against the negative, and at this point in time, some snooping is necessary to keep us safe.
Anyway, as for Mr. Stone and Mr. Nugent, this is a free country where for the most part humans can say whatever they want, and the President is not really affected by them. Their words speak more about their own failings than those of President Obama.
Chloe
I would like to direct this note to 2 specific humans, Oliver Stone and Ted Nugent. They might be thought of as being at opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they are in many ways very similar. They are both radical fundamentalists in that they are certain that their point of view must be strictly adhered to. They see no room for compromise. They are both entertainers with a political point of view but do not have to deal with the political reality of making things actually happen. They don't allow for compromise because they don't have to. In fact, they are more successful by not allowing for compromise or reality in their make believe worlds.
Recently they both denounced President Obama. Oliver called the president "weak" and "spineless." Ted called him a "subhuman mongrel." First of all, neither of them really paid attention to what Mr. Obama is and was always about since before he ran for president. But most of the American people did, and that is why they elected him. They saw a pragmatic intelligent slightly left of center centrist who was out to correct some things that needed correcting (for example, the distribution of health care) without turning the whole system upside down. They saw the previous administration bring the country to financial ruin by 2 simultaneous wars (one in Iraq on the wrong battlefield) which were fought with heavy borrowing in order to keep taxes low. And this was perpetrated by people who still claim to be "conservatives." The American people also saw the need to bring the war on terrorism to a reasonably successful end because as we all recall 2000 innocent Americans were murdered in the twin towers on 9/11. However, they also realized that we have to do it in a sensible way rather than shoot first and think later. As you might recall it was on President Obama's watch that we caught Bin Laden and have wiggled most of the way out of the unnecessary war in Iraq. As for the Affordable Care Act, anyone who thinks that it could have slid in on ice without any stumbles was living in a fantasy world. On the other hand it is working, millions of people have signed up, and the rest are doing OK too. As for the National Intelligence Agency, I think most people don't mind if a few phone calls and e-mails are snooped on in order to keep them safe from the bad guys. One has to balance the benefit against the negative, and at this point in time, some snooping is necessary to keep us safe.
Anyway, as for Mr. Stone and Mr. Nugent, this is a free country where for the most part humans can say whatever they want, and the President is not really affected by them. Their words speak more about their own failings than those of President Obama.
Chloe
Pierce Morgan, Keep Fighting
Hi Humans,
Is it true? The rumor is that Pierce Morgan's show is being canceled because of his courage to tell the truth about American gun addiction. If that's true, what is happening to CNN? It used to be impartial. Is it turning into another Fox News? Or is CNN just becoming spineless? Anyway, Pierce, keep fighting the NRA and the gun lobby. And CNN, maybe you can redeem yourself by employing someone else to keep fighting the gun bullies.
Chloe
Is it true? The rumor is that Pierce Morgan's show is being canceled because of his courage to tell the truth about American gun addiction. If that's true, what is happening to CNN? It used to be impartial. Is it turning into another Fox News? Or is CNN just becoming spineless? Anyway, Pierce, keep fighting the NRA and the gun lobby. And CNN, maybe you can redeem yourself by employing someone else to keep fighting the gun bullies.
Chloe
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Stand Your Ground for Ducks
Hi Humans,
Ducks should be armed with bombs to defend themselves against duck hunters. If a duck sees a white man with a beard and a southern accent in Florida, could he drop bombs on that human and defend his action as a "stand your ground" even if the human were not visibly carrying a gun but looked like someone the duck would expect to be carrying a gun?
Chloe
Ducks should be armed with bombs to defend themselves against duck hunters. If a duck sees a white man with a beard and a southern accent in Florida, could he drop bombs on that human and defend his action as a "stand your ground" even if the human were not visibly carrying a gun but looked like someone the duck would expect to be carrying a gun?
Chloe
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