Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 4.22.24
Steve Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro-Israel. Research improving gov performance, China interest. Blog reprints Facebook posts
"Defining moral challenge" for young people
A Times columnist today notes that many young people regard Gaza as "the defining moral challenge of their lives." I too see it as a moral challenge, but very different from the one these students see -- defending Western democratic values against fanatical religious and political extremists.
Word “doctor” disappearing from German passports
Germans with a doctorate will no longer be allowed to put "Dr." in front of their names on their passports.
TikTok ban
The proposed ban on TikTok is unworthy of our First Amendment traditions.
EU criticizes Hong Kong crackdown
The EU and the G7 foreign ministers have issued a statement lamenting the "‘deterioration of pluralism and civil and political rights" in Hong Kong.
Requiring ability to pay in cash for retail purchases in Sweden
Sweden is trying to prevent the disappearance of cash, now used in only one of ten retail transactions. Stores are being required to accept cash and banks to take cash deposits. It is the poor and the elderly who sometimes have no means to pay other than cash.
Malmo Sweden a bad place for Eurovision song contest
The Eurovision song contest is taking place shortly in Malmo Sweden. There will be demonstrations against Israel's participation. Don't know the history of how Malmo got selected as the venue -- it has a very large anti-Israel Muslim community, and some advance thought would have suggested the possibility of trouble.
“River to the sea”
It was awful to see images of students in Harvard Yard in front of Widener Library chanting the eliminationist slogan "from the river to the sea." Can't Harvard students demonstrate in support of Western democracy instead?
Hamas on “Muslim identity” of Palestine
The Hamas charter states, “We cannot give up the Islamic identity of Palestine.” They reject the secularism of the PLO. Sounds like a wonderful ally for American leftists.
High school exam questions in Hong Kong
Two-thirds of the first exam for Hong Kong high school students on "citizenship and social development" (imposed by the puppet authorities, replacing the previous material called Liberal Studies) involved questions on "national education and national security." The Hong Kong government has become a local outlet for China. Tragic.
Anti-semitic hate crimes
The FBI has opened three times the number of anti-semitic hate crime investigations since October 7 than in the three months prior to October 7.
“From the sea to the river, Israel will live forever!”