Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 12.20.23
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
Trump should be allowed to run for office
I despise Donald Trump, but of course he should be allowed to run for President. To compare what he did on January 6 with the secession of Southern states, raising a large army against the government and fighting for years, with hundreds of thousands of deaths, is absurd.
Rallies by Israelis and Palestinians in Israel
A number of municipalities in Israel have prohibited solidarity rallies between Israelis and Palestinians being sponsored by an organization called Standing Together, jointly founded by Israelis and Palestinians. War time is seldom a good environment for civil liberties in almost every country, not just Israel, but I would like to see Israel do as much as possible to preserve freedom of speech.
Growth in India v. China and Korea
The Economist has an article this week noting that in the 1960s per capita income in India was on a par with that of China and South Korea. I remember the India-China comparison from the 60s, when I was in college; I was hoping democratic India could outpace authoritarian China. Today China is 3 times richer and South Korea 7 times richer per capita than India.
Fox civil war denialism?
Fox covered with apparent disapproval the planned removal of a Confederate monument at Arlington national cemetery. Are they now going in for Civil War denialism?
Harvard grads studying to be rabbis
I received an email from Harvard Hillel with activity updates. Very touched to see that two recent Harvard graduates are preparing for the rabbinate.
Peanut butter in Singapore
The main character in the latest Singapore crime novel series I'm reading has just bought a jar of Skippy creamy peanut butter at a local Cold Storage market. This is the leading supermarket chain in Singapore. Didn't know peanut butter was available in Singapore. I am a Skippy fan myself, though I prefer extra crunchy.