Yom Hashoah, and the Days of Remembrance

The observance, in Israel, of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, began Sunday night, and continued throughout the day on Monday.

Observances in the United States--known as the "Days of Remembrance"--also began on Sunday, and will take place during the course of this week.

Earth Day, 1970

This is a magazine ad I saved in 1970, about the upcoming (and first) Earth Day. The ad is obviously damaged; it originally read, "April 22 is Earth Day. The beginning of the end of pollution."

Washington Post editorial: "Marine Le Pen’s loathsome rewriting of Holocaust history"

From April 14th:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marine-le-pens-loathsome-rewriting-of-holocaust-history/2017/04/14/ac6c602a-2080-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html

ISIS takes credit for terrorist attack in Paris

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-paris-police-shot-champs-elysees-20170420-story.html

George W. Bush, and the January inauguration

This story is a couple of weeks old, but it is one of the funniest stories I've read this year.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/george-w-bush-sums-trump-185628679.html

President Trump, and foreign policy

I mentioned, in a recent post, that while I have no affection for Mr. Trump, I thought the American military response, to the recent chemical weapons attack in Syria, was the right one.

While I still believe this, I am nonetheless struck by Mr. Trump's dizzying lack of consistency, and competence, and sense of understanding, when it comes to foreign affairs.

While this is not a surprise--this was all evident, during the campaign--it is still disorienting.

Mr. Trump said, after the chemical attack: “My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much."

One would have thought he would have sufficiently understood, prior to this atrocity, what Mr. Assad is like.  But then, this is a president who said in late February, "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated." Actually, a great many people did. And a great many people already knew what Assad was capable of.

Attacks on churches in Egypt, on Palm Sunday

ISIS has claimed responsibility, for the terrible attacks on two Coptic Christian churches.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/09/world/middleeast/explosion-egypt-coptic-christian-church.html

President Trump, and Syria

Despite one's continuing distress and alarm about (and aversion to) Mr. Trump's policies, words, tone, direction, and temperament, I believe his decision to attack Syria, militarily, was the right one.