Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 12.8.23
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
My contrarian views on free speech
Let me go out on a limb here and invite reactions. Actions, including harassment, by people advocating the genocide of Jews are not just disgusting but illegal. They are not protected by freedom of speech. But what about hideous statements advocating the genocide of Jews but not accompanied by any action? This is a tough call in my view, but as a very strong advocate of free speech I lean towards believing such statements should be allowed. I am guessing this is a minority view, thoughts?
New indictment against Hunter Biden
The new indictments against Hunter Biden are again a testimony to the strength of our government institutions. Could you imagine Chinese prosecutors bringing an indictment against a child of Xi Jinping?
Oakland City Council refuses to condemn Hamas attack
A friend posted on my page the sad news that not only did the Oakland City Council unanimously pass a resolution endorsing a cease fire in Gaza but also rejected a resolution criticizing the October 7 Hamas attacks. Are there any on the left besides Jews willing to take this on??? Not surprising the Jewish community is frightened about anti-semitism.
Chanukah greeting from China
Chinese friend sent me an online greeting for Hanukkah together with a menorah. I was really really touched.
“Mainstream” US Muslim organization?
The executive director of the allegedly mainstream major Muslim organization in the United States, the Council on American Islamic Relations, has made a statement praising the October 7th Hamas attack as "breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land." This is worse than appalling. Who within the Muslim community will step up and publicly denounce this?
PISA school tests and “neoliberalism”
Mexico's left leaning president has attacked the International PISA school exams as a creation of "neoliberalism." Mexican scores have declined since 2018.
Film awards in China and Taiwan
Two awards ceremonies for Chinese language films recently took place In China and Taiwan. The films from China were big-budget blockbusters heavy on special effects and nationalism. The films shown in Taiwan came from 5 different countries, including China. Amazingly, more than twice as many films have been submitted to the Taiwan awards as the China one, though the Chinese film market is 20 times the size of Taiwan's. China has now also banned mainland films from competing in the Taiwan awards. The Economist described the Taiwan-shown films as "thoughtful art-house films, suffused with social criticism." None of the Chinese films nominated applied for Chinese state approval, so they will never be shown in China. Does this tell enough about the differences between the two countries?
Frail at 70?
As I am getting towards the end of J. Edgar Hoover's life in the biography I am reading, I am noticing the many references to how frail he was at around the age 70. I didn't realize how much our health levels have increased since the 60s when Hoover was at this age. I like to think I am in pretty good health, I am 75 and do not really feel frail in the slightest, though my walking is impaired from my cancer a decade ago and I suspect I tire more easily. Thoughts of others around my age?
“Kippa walk” in Sweden with prime minister
Swedish TV had a story tonight about a "kippa walk" in Stockholm, which featured Prime Minister Kristersson wearing a kippa. Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson also participated, though her statement said she opposed both anti-semitism and Islamophobia.
China lobbyists in US: big business
An article in Beijing Review on Xi's visit to the US refers to a "welcome dinner" hosted by "friendly organizations in United States." This was all CEO's doing business in China. It is bizarre that the main constituency for China in the United States, run by a party supposedly representing the working class, is big business.
Grade inflation at Yale
80% of grades at Yale College last year were A's or A-'s.
Palestine posts
Are any other Facebook friends getting a large amount of Palestine posts? These are coming with some fairly large frequency into my inbox. Fortunately, very few of them have overt anti-Israel messages, though a few do. A lot of them are sort of soupy "beauty of Palestine" links.
Reader’s Digest
There is a reference in the Hoover biography I am reading to an article Richard Nixon published in the sixties in Reader's Digest about America's moral decline. That was a blast from the past -- Reader's Digest is a publication I don't think I've thought about for decades. I never read it when I was younger, my parents associated it with Life as a right-wing, low-quality outlet. But I knew about it. I was surprised to learn it still exists and has a US circulation over 3 million - plus many international editions. Anyone read it or have any memories of it then, or now?
Lloyd Austin warned Israel about the possibility of scoring a tactical victory but a strategic defeat in the war in Gaza. If anti-Zionism is antisemitism, then that narrows the possibility of allowed criticism of Israel here in the US to practically nothing. Free speech got lost somewhere along the line. A backlash is quite likely, especially if we keep seeing awful images from Gaza that overwhelm our memories of the horrors of 10/7.
If supporting free speech, including the speech we (justifiably) hate, is a minority view, I'm happy to stand with you once again.