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An excerpt:

In resorting to the method of innuendo and trying to make their adversaries suspect by referring to them in ambiguous terms allowing of various interpretations, the camp-followers of Lord Keynes are imitating their idol’s own procedures. For what many people have admiringly called Keynes’ “brilliance of style” and “mastery of language” were, in fact, cheap rhetorical tricks.

Ricardo, says Keynes, “conquered England as completely as the Holy Inquisition conquered Spain.” This is as vicious as any comparison could be. The Inquisition, aided by armed constables and executioners, beat the Spanish people into submission. Ricardo’s theories were accepted as correct by British intellectuals without any pressure or compulsion being exercised in their favor. But in comparing the two entirely different things, Keynes obliquely hints that there was something shameful in the success of Ricardo’s teachings and that those who disapprove of them are as heroic, noble and fearless champions of freedom as were those who fought the horrors of the Inquisition.

The most famous of Keynes’ aperçus is: “Two pyramids, two masses for the dead, are twice as good as one; but not so two railways from London to York.” It is obvious that this sally, worthy of a character in a play by Oscar Wilde or Bernard Shaw, does not in any way prove the thesis that digging holes in the ground and paying for them out of savings “will increase the real national dividend of useful goods and services.” But it puts the adversary in the awkward position of either leaving an apparent argument unanswered or of employing the tools of logic and discursive reasoning against sparkling wit.

Ludwig von Mises, here.

Ayn Rand’s Political Label

In 1985, three years after Ayn Rand’s death, some of her former associates founded what they called the Ayn Rand Institute. It soon became apparent that the views of these “official” Objectivists on many of the most important issues of the day were indistinguishable from those of the Neoconservatives. For example, in response to Iranian clerics’ 1989 attack on Salman Rushdie and his publishers – an attack that proved ineffectual in the U.S. and was primarily an immigration problem – Leonard Peikoff urged that the U.S. take military action against Iran (“Religious Terrorism vs. Free Speech” New York Times 30 March 1989).  In “What to Do about Terrorism” (The Intellectual Activist May 1996) – that is, what to do about terrorism overseas – Mr. Piekoff wanted President Clinton to threaten Tehran with “the most massive air and missile attack that our military can launch.” [1]

In response to 9/11 Ayn Rand Institute writers immediately urged bombing Iran, with the rallying cry “We are all Israelis now.” Quickly realizing the political inexpediency of bombing Iran they switched their target to Iraq. After getting that war they’re back to bombing Iran.

ARI writers support the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act and other rents in the American fabric, by a refined silence. They demand that the U.S. government support Israel unquestioningly. They advocate U.S. torture as a moral imperative. Name a particular political stand of theirs and chances are you’ll find it in Norman Podhoretz or Irving Kristol.

Thus going on thirty years leading Objectivists, unmoored from what they claim is their source (Ayn Rand believe it or not), have been following the Neocon path in foreign policy and related domestic policy. An entire generation has grown up thinking Objectivists must be little better than Neoconservatives, because these days the leading, self-proclaimed, Objectivists are little better than Neoconservatives. [2]

Continue reading…

From ARI Watch, here.

Will observing the Torah make me rich? – Rabbi Alon Anava

Historic Change on the Temple Mount: By Moshe Feiglin

Although I anticipated that Netanyahu would remove the metal detectors from the Temple Mount,  and although I very much hoped that I would be proven wrong, things are developing in such an amazing and fascinating manner, that you cannot but think that perhaps we are on the threshold of an historic change of direction. I will even take the bold step and say that I am not certain that the Arabs will return to the Temple Mount.

Everything happening today on the Temple Mount is the opposite of what you would expect. After Israel liberated the Temple Mount in the Six Day War, then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan returned the keys to the Temple Mount to the Moslem wakf. They were in shock. Fifty years later, Netanyahu is begging the wakf to take the Mount back, and they are simply not willing to do so. This is inexplicable. Israel has already removed the metal detectors and has even taken down the security cameras. My feeling is that no matter what Netanyahu will do to try to get them to come back to the Temple Mount, they will not return.

The forces that rule Israeli society sincerely do not want the Temple Mount. Eight days ago, I wrote on my Facebook page: Did you really think that the person who prevented Trump from moving the US embassy to Jerusalem will insist on safeguarding the Temple Mount for the Jewish People? If the US had moved its embassy to Jerusalem, it would have been a major strategic coup for Israel. When the world’s superpower would have officially recognized that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, there would have been far-reaching, historic implications. But Israel’s current strategy is to get to 12 o’ clock at night with no major incidents. Deep down, Israel’s leadership is afraid of Jerusalem, afraid of Jerusalem’s message, of the connection between the Nation of Israel and its identity, its destiny and its vision.

Just as Moshe Dayan didn’t want Jerusalem, Netanyahu doesn’t want it, either. Jordan’s King Hussein forced Six Day War Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to liberate Jerusalem against his will – and all the stenographic records show that Dayan offered Hussein the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood. “Take it and just stop shelling us. We will be out of here in no time.” Actually, just as Hussein forced Israel to liberate Jerusalem, so the Moslem wakf  is forcing Netanyahu to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Temple Mount. What the wakf is actually saying to Netanyahu is, “I will shoot at you and I will not allow you to protect yourself.” This historic change can only happen to the Nation of Israel. It is simply amazing.

The problem is that Am Yisrael does not have leadership that is capable of understanding these historic processes and translating them into practical strategy: to a different strategic direction that translates into different tactics – leadership that is capable of taking advantage of the wondrous opportunities that have now arisen.

The Temple Mount is empty. After fifty years, it is in our hands. The Arabs are not there. Only Jews are on the Temple Mount. This is absolutely amazing.

The Moslem wakf is completely right about the metal detectors. For years, Israel has been saying that the Temple Mount belongs to the Arabs. So if it is theirs, why are we putting metal detectors at the gates of their home? The Arabs understand very well that the metal detectors are a flag that symbolizes sovereignty.  The entire situation on the Temple Mount revolves around sovereignty – not prayer. When Netanyahu folded and agreed to remove the metal detectors, he cut the rope that ties us to this Land precisely at that stake to which everything else is tied. All of the rights on this Land, all of our connection to this Land, to Zionism (Mount Zion – the Temple Mount), everything from which we draw our identity, all revolve around the Temple Mount.

From the moment that Netanyahu folded and indicated that the Mount is theirs, not ours, he opened the door, G-d forbid, to ever-increasing pressure on Israel. The US, which wanted to stand with us on this issue, will turn against us. Trump will turn against us now. It is not his fault – it is ours. We have just missed an extraordinary opportunity.

In my estimation, Israel’s weakness on the Temple Mount will bring a very serious conflict upon us with much more difficult starting conditions because, with the metal detectors, we have lost the sense of the justice of our cause. A nation that has lost its sense of justice cannot win – even if it has the most sophisticated army, the smartest submarines, the F-15, the F-16 and the F-35. A young Arab girl with a pair of scissors who knows what she is doing here will defeat an Israeli soldier with the most sophisticated weapon. Ultimately, justice is the best weapon of all. We have lost our justice on the Temple Mount.

I can only hope that Jews who were apprehensive about visiting the Temple Mount will now visit there. It was not very pleasant to have the wakf following every movement of one’s lips on the Temple Mount to make sure no Jew would pray there. Even now, the government has instructed the police to conduct the Jewish visits to the Temple Mount as if the wakf is still there.  Jews are still not allowed to move their lips in prayer on the Temple Mount. The police still watch their every move as if the Arabs were still there. They have not yet freed themselves of the servile, exile mentality that has prevailed there until now. Nevertheless, it is much more pleasant to be on the Temple Mount without all the violent Arab groups who would scream at and threaten the Jewish visitors. I can only hope that the Nation of Israel will vote with its feet and restore our sovereignty to the Temple Mount and to our justice, saving us from paying the price that we pay when the world sees that we are incapable of connecting to the most sacred place for the Jewish Nation.

The war for the existence of the Nation of Israel is first and foremost spiritual. It revolves around the question of the ownership of this Land. This war is not being fought today by the IDF, not the police, the Shabak or the Mossad. It is being fought by those Jews who are not willing to surrender their connection to the holiest place on earth.

From Jewish Israel, here.

A Few Tips to Bear in Mind While Browsing

(Keyword: safety) (Published: December 2012 / טבת תשע”ג)

Be aware. Driver’s Ed teachers generally begin their first class with this opening line: “A car is a lethal weapon.” The message is clear: The first step toward becoming a responsible driver is to become aware that a car has the potential to kill. If one is unaware of the potential dangers of the internet, he will not be able to protect himself against them. Acknowledge the dangers.

The internet is a microcosm of the world. Everything – good and bad – that can be found in the world can be found online. Having said that, it’s not surprising that 12% of all websites were designed for the sole purpose of disseminating internet immorality*. In addition, the internet also offers instant access to gossip, slander and other harmful content. Everything we read influences us on some level, even if we vehemently disagree. Keep a safe distance.

* i.e. commercialized explicit material

Staggering statistics. Besides for the breaches it causes in sanctity and purity, internet immorality breaks up families, destroys lives, and causes severe financial losses. 56% of all divorces in the United States involve a husband or a wife who is addicted to internet immorality.* One third of people who become addicted lose their jobs. And addicts are twice as likely to suffer from severe clinical depression.

* Study conducted by Matrimonial Lawyers Association

Don’t take that first cigarette. While smoking one cigarette won’t make you an addict, one exposure may be all it takes to jumpstart an internet immorality addiction. Experts say that recovering from an internet immorality addiction is more difficult than recovering from a substance addiction.

Think before you click. In the physical world, getting around takes time. If one is tempted to go to the wrong places, he has an opportunity to reevaluate and change his mind on the way. However, on the digital superhighway, all it takes is a split second. Get into the habit of “thinking before you click.”

Don’t be naïve. Many parents assume “my kid would never do that”. Recognize that it’s natural for every healthy child to be curious. Your child is a good kid, but he’s no exception. Don’t hand your child a loaded gun.

Don’t let yourself become a click-vegetable. Whether you use the internet for business, bill payments, or Torah study, maintaining a clear goal while browsing is crucial. Don’t just click for the sake of clicking or your brain will rot. Stay focused.

Patience is prime. Internet products are often advertised as “instant” and “with the click of a mouse…”. If having information readily available enables us to be more productive – that’s great. But it can also lead us to believe that “anything that’s not instant is not worth having”. Spiritual growth requires enormous patience.

Life is a tremendous opportunity. Don’t click your days into oblivion. Accomplish, grow, excel; make the most of your life!

The following resources offer a compilation of helpful tools & tips for safer browsing. Notice: The following links take you away from MyZmanim to other sites. MyZmanim does not take responsibility for any content provided by these sites.
Family safety center by		Venishmartem by

Comments? Feel free to contact us.

From MyZmanim, here.