My Thoughts on America at 250

 

Today, of course, marks the 250th anniversary of American independence from the British crown. 

I have called the United States home for over 26 years now. Barring any unforeseen events, by October 2027, I will have resided in the U.S. longer than in Canada.

Most of my time in this country has been spent in Boston and Cambridge. As to my day-to-day life, I am satisfied. I consider this country to be my home for better or for worse.

Unfortunately, when it comes to my country things are worse - at least where it concerns things over which I have little or no control.

I distrust both the Trump Administration and its opposition in equal measure. I believe both intend harm upon people or at least certain segments of the populace.

A fundamental part of the American experience has been people from other lands coming here to make a better life for themselves and their families. Consider the lyrics from Neil Diamond's "America":

Home, to a new and a shiny place

Make our bed, and we'll say our grace

Freedom's light burning warm

Freedom's light burning warm

Everywhere around the world

They're coming to America

Every time that flag's unfurled

They're coming to America

Got a dream to take them there

They're coming to America

Got a dream they've come to share

They're coming to America

They're coming to America

They're coming to America

They're coming to America

They're coming to America

Today, today, today, today, today

The Trump Administration, however, has made it loud and clear that most are not welcome here unless you a white South African. That the Supreme Court has upheld birthright citizenship as constitutional means precious little. It certainly means little to those who lost their Temporary Protected Status by the same Supreme Court. 

Look for the Trump Administration to begin aggressively expelling Haitians from Ohio which might make the unrest in Minneapolis look like a Sunday school picnic. That Haitians have started businesses and contributed to our civic life mean nothing to Trump and his apologists who judge people by the color of their skin instead of the content of their character.

Under those circumstances, backing the Democratic Party might be a no-brainer. However, Democrats are more concerned with Gaza than good governance and are falling over themselves over who can accuse Israel of committing genocide the loudest or claim they won't take money from AIPAC. 

The result is the city with the second largest Jewish population in the world electing an anti-Semitic Mayor with Democratic primary voters enthusiastically nominating Senate and congressional candidates who openly support Hamas while being unable to condemn violence against Jews. I truly believe this will lead to October 7th style attacks against Jews in New York and elsewhere in the country.

This does not bode well for this country's future. Worse still, this is what we have chosen for ourselves. Needless to say, I cannot trust this country's welfare and well-being with anyone. Not our elected officials and not the people who put them there. Of course, I am all but powerless to prevent the horror which has already transpired and the horror which is to come. The best that I can do is to trust my own counsel to ensure none of this horror befalls me. But even I could not escape jury duty. Yet another constitutionally enshrined institution in which I have little faith.

One way to do so is to do my best to find the joys in life wherever I can find them. As for today, I had planned to go the Brattle Theatre to see their annual screening of Jaws, a movie I had managed to never see until three years ago. 

Unfortunately, I was notified this morning by email that the movie will not be shown due to air conditioning troubles in the theatre. I should mention that we are in the midst of a four-day heatwave including back-to-back 100 degree plus days marking the first time Boston has seen consecutive days of 100 degrees since 1944. 

Had I gone to the movie, I would have then proceeded along Mass Ave from Harvard Square to the Harvard Bridge to watch the fireworks. At this point, I am playing things by ear. Temperatures should start to cool after 8 p.m., but there is a possibility of thunderstorms. We shall see.

There are worst risks than rain. After all, when it comes to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness there is always an element of risk. The act of writing the Declaration of Independence was a risk. Many who did would lose everything for which they had worked. 

They may not have benefitted from their risks but millions upon millions of others most certainly have. The question remains for how much longer we will see the benefits of their risk much less be prepared to recognize them for it.

Will it be another 100 years? 50 years? 5 years? Or less than that? 

Only time and how we use that time will tell.

On Viewing Cape Verde's Near Upset vs. Argentina in The World Cup

 

For starters, I am not a soccer fan.

The game has simply never appealed to me. 

Oh, I remember occasionally playing on the schoolyard in Thunder Bay. But watching a soccer game has never drawn my interest.

Last night, however, for the first time in my life I found myself caught up in the excitement.

I decided to have supper at Pho 'n Rice, a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant in Somerville which I have frequented over the past five years. 

Normally there is contemporary music playing in the background, but on this occasion, the World Cup matchup between Argentina and Cape Verde was airing with Argentina leading 2-1 during extra time.

At first, I wasn't paying much attention. I was looking at my phone while awaiting my food. But then Sidny Lopes Cabral tied the match with a stunning goal.

As little as I know about soccer, even I knew the significance of this goal. After all, Argentina is the defending World Cup champion, and their star player Lionel Messi might arguably be the best soccer player who ever graced a football pitch. The thought that Argentina could be ousted by the 67th ranked team in the world with a population of all of half a million people off the West African coast was a staggering one.

Now I was vested. I wanted Cape Verde to pull off the upset. They gave Argentina everything they had, but Argentina went ahead eight minutes after Cabral's goal which the Cape Verdean goalkeeper deflected into his own net on a kick by Cristian Romero.

Cape Verde gave Argentina everything they had in the next 9 minutes but ultimately fell short as Argentina advances the round of 16 against Egypt on Tuesday evening. 

As I was about to exit the restaurant, the woman behind the register and I shared an almost identical thought. She too was not a soccer fan was exhilarated at what she had seen in her establishment. I added that Cape Verde might have fallen short but that it won't be the last we hear from their soccer team. 

Who knows? They might even beat Argentina next time.

Democrats in Colorado Nominate Candidate Who Won't Call Boulder Attack Anti-Semitic

Last night, Democratic voters in Colorado's first Congressional District unseated a 30-year incumbent in favor of a candidate who refuses to characterize last year's anti-Semitic terrorist attack in Boulder an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. Melat Kiros unseated Diana DeGette by more than 7,000 votes.

Kiros' entire campaign focused on Israel. To give you an idea of how focused, Kiros minimized the Boulder terrorist attack:

I don't know what was in the heart of the perpetrator. All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed. I don't even know what the people that were at that protest believed, too, In fact, most of them were just there to ask that the people who were kidnapped during Oct. 7 be returned home to their families.

Nonsense.

Had the perpetrator saw fit to throw Molotov cocktails at African Americans, LGBTQ persons or Muslims, Kiros would not hesitate to declare what was in the perpetrator's heart. Kiros simply cannot bring herself to admit the obvious and explicitly condemn anti-Semitism even if it is a matter of public record that the perpetrator made anti-Semitic utterances as he tossed the Molotov cocktails.

Alas, the same now goes true for most of the Democratic Party and it is only going to get worse.

The more Jews are physically attacked and injured by those doing so in the name of freeing Palestine or ending Zionism the more Democrats will refuse to call out the anti-Semitism screaming in our faces.

Why Hegseth Could Be Trump's Heir Apparent

The U.S. Constitution clearly states that a U.S. President cannot serve for more than two terms. But since when has President Trump felt compelled to be restrained by anything much less the U.S. Constitution? 

Lest we forget that Trump has publicly mused that it ought to be "terminated." Let us also remember that Trump has seen fit to unilaterally tear down the East Wing of the White House and install in its place a ballroom larger than the present White House. This is not the act of a man who intends to relinquish his office. In view of these facts, we cannot discount the possibility that he will seek a third term in office, the Constitution be damned. 

But let us assume for the sake of argument that Trump abides by the Constitution and does not run in 2028. Then it is question of who will succeed him at the mantel of MAGA. 

At the moment, the two most likely successors are either Vice-President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.  

Yet I am not so sure about either of them. It appears that Trump isn't sure about them either.

Vance comes across as a bully's accomplice as he best demonstrated when he falsely accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of not being thankful to the United States in the infamous Oval Office ambush. Meanwhile, Rubio's body language communicates that he didn't like Trump or Vance's behavior. But he also prefers to be in Trump's good graces. So, Rubio publicly demanded that Zelensky apologize.

Neither Vance nor Rubio project strength. Vance certainly didn't project it in his interactions with Iranian negotiators. Rubio does project an air of competence in an otherwise incompetent administration. While this might earn Rubio a salute from CBS news anchor Tony Dokoupil, I cannot see MAGA embracing him on account of his Latino background. Besides, since when does Trump give a shit about competence? For Trump, Rubio will always be "Little Marco".

In Trump's mind, in order to project strength, you have got to look good on TV. 

Enter Secretary of Defense, er, War Pete Hegseth.

Although Hegseth served in the military intermittently over two decades, Trump knows him best from his decade with Fox News. Trump views Hegseth as a youthful warrior full of machismo. It would not be unreasonable to believe that he sees himself in Hegseth even if he never served a day in uniform. Hegseth has shown a willingness to expunge all that is woke within the U.S. military. If that means destroying the Pentagon from within then so be it. Hegseth has been Trump's "good soldier" where it concerns implementing his agenda and Trump might very well reward him with command of the Republican Party and MAGA at large.

Well, up to a point. 

If Trump doesn't run in 2028 and the country ends up electing a Republican President, I still believe the real power will remain with Trump. Assuming it is Hegseth who becomes President, Trump will become Prime Minister Putin to Hegseth's President Medvedev. Or perhaps Hegseth will give Trump an honorific title such as "President Emeritus". I believe Hegseth will be more eager to go along with such a scheme than either Vance or Rubio. 

Of course, I do not believe that Pete Hegseth would be a good President. But the point isn't whether I think he would be a good President. It's whether Trump thinks Hegseth could play President on TV.

Mamdani's Disingenuous Statement on Israel

In an interview yesterday with Jonathan Karl of ABC News, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he could not support Israel as a Jewish state.

Mamdani said he “support[s] the state of Israel as a state with equal rights" but added, "I think any state that privileges one religion over the other is one that I can't tell you I support, whether it be Israel or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else.”

This statement is utterly disingenuous. 

For starters, Karl asked Mamdani if he supported Israel as a Jewish state due to the DSA not supporting a two-state solution. The DSA is not out in the streets objecting to Saudi Arabia as a Muslim state. The same can be said for Iran which DSA characterizes its Islamic regime as "a popular revolution." Needless to say, Israel is far more egalitarian than the Iranian regime which subjugates women and LGBTQ persons and yet DSA refers to Israel's establishment as "Nakba" while supporting "a liberated Palestine from the river to the sea."

Mayor Mamdani, like the DSA, directs his ire to one country in the entire world in both word and deed - Israel. How else does one explain why Mamdani characterizes AIPAC as "monsters" but not Hamas? He, like the DSA, does not support Israel in any way, shape or form. Mamdani and the DSA simply want Israel eliminated from the face of the Earth.

When I Was Contacted by a Mass Murderer

 

This morning I learned of the death of Valery Fabrikant. 

Fabrikant was an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Concordia University in Montreal. He was also an abrasive and paranoid man who had grievances with nearly everyone he encountered be they faculty, staff or students. In August 1992, Fabrikant shot and killed 4 of his fellow professors while wounding a staff member. 

I remember this horrific attack as I was living in Ottawa at the time where I was about to begin my second year as an undergraduate student at Carleton University. 

Fast forward to February 2010 when a similar attack took place at the University of Alabama in Huntsville which claimed the lives of three professors while injuring three other people. Like Fabrikant, Amy Bishop, who had been an assistant professor of biology, was a paranoid woman who had grievances with nearly everyone she encountered be they faculty, staff or students. 

At the time of the incident, I could not help but think of what had occurred at Concordia University nearly 20 years earlier. Indeed, I made a point of writing about it most likely on the blog of The American Spectator where I was contributing articles at the time. 

Alas, I cannot find the substance of what I wrote. But what I do know is that it infuriated Fabrikant because he contacted me in the comments section. As it turned out, Fabrikant's thoughts (such as they were) had been posted online mainly by his son and had been for many years.

How he managed to maintain an internet presence let alone continue to write academic papers I'll never know. Needless to say, I had no desire to correspond with a mass murderer. 

Now that he is gone, I will give him no further thought. Whatever thoughts I have regarding the Concordia University massacre will be with his victims and their families.

Phoivos Ziogas

Matthew Douglass

Michael Hogben

Aaron Jaan Saber

R.I.P.

Celebrating Mel Brooks' 100th Birthday at The Brattle

(YouTube screenshot from CBS Sunday Morning)

Today marks the 100th birthday of actor, comedian, writer, director, producer and all-around mensch Mel Brooks.

In honor of the occasion, I went to the Brattle Theatre both yesterday and today to take in several of his films - Young Frankenstein, History of the World, Part I and The Producers. 

Alas, Blazing Saddles was not part of this retrospective. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention seeing Blazing Saddles in the presence of the man himself in October 2016 when he was a mere lad of 90. At the time, I wrote, "Mel Brooks has lived a full life and yet he has so much more to do." Indeed, Spaceballs: The New One is due to come out in April 2027. Let us hope that he is there for the premiere. 

Until then, here are my thoughts on what I saw yesterday and today.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

The proceedings began yesterday afternoon with Young Frankenstein. I should mention that I saw Young Frankenstein at the Brattle during my Memorial Day Reverie in 2024. Since my last viewing of the film, both Teri Garr and Gene Hackman passed away leaving Brooks the last living link to the film.

There was enthusiastic and uproarious laughter to Young Frankenstein from start to finish. The laughter was spread around all the main cast members - Gene Wilder (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein - That's Frankensteen), Peter Boyle (The Creature), Marty Feldman (Eye-gor), Cloris Leachman (Frau Blücher) (cue the horse sound), Teri Garr (Inga, Frederick's lab assistant and later wife), Kenneth Mars (Inspector Kemp) and Madeline Kahn (Elizabeth, Frederick's fiancée and later the wife of the Creature). An honorable mention goes to Hackman who played a blind man who wishes to befriend The Creature who has unexpectedly come into his home only to cause The Creature one agony after another.

As hilarious as Young Frankenstein is, it remains faithful to the story crafted by Mary Shelley more than two centuries ago while also using some props created by Kenneth Strickfaden which were part of the original Frankenstein movie from 1931. As I noted in my previous dispatch on Young Frankenstein, the intro music produced by John Morris is melancholic. While it is among the funniest films ever committed to celluloid, Mel Brooks made it with the utmost care and seriousness. 

History of the World, Part I (1981)

This was the second half of the Saturday afternoon double feature with Young Frankenstein. I first saw History of the World, Part I 40 years ago during a Canadian Jewish Congress sponsored camping weekend outside Peterborough, Ontario. It was the same program which would culminate in my only trip to Israel two years later.

To give you an idea how well received History of the World, Part I was received, we watched it on two consecutive nights, and the second viewing was just as funny as the first. Early in the film there is a depiction of Sid Caesar dropping a stone on a young man's foot and he reacts by wailing. Immediately after this scene I exclaimed, "And this is how heavy metal was invented," to a big laugh. It was one of the first times I ever remember people laughing with me than at me. So, I did it again the following night. They laughed with me again.

History of the World, Part I was also popular in the Goldstein household. The film culminates with the early days of the French Revolution. In this vignette, Mel Brooks portrays both Louis XVI and Jacques, the piss boy. In the years which followed, if I ever found myself in an undignified position in a work setting, I would tell my family that I was the "piss boy". During my unpleasant two months with soon-to-be UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, I referred to myself as the "parliamentary piss boy".

Needless to say, History of the World, Part I holds a special place in my heart. Yet I was disappointed by the audience reaction to this film compared with both Young Frankenstein and The Producers. Perhaps they were uncomfortable with Dom DeLuise uttering "faggot" during his portrayal of Emperor Nero in the Roman Empire vignette. Or maybe they didn't like it when Mel Brooks would say "It's good to be the king!" after Louis XVI would make advances at various young, well-endowed women. 

I must admit that in a world of resurgent anti-Semitism, I did feel a tad uneasy with the musical number during the Spanish Inquisition sequence. There is always the risk of minimizing the suffering Jews endured. On the other hand, our ability to laugh even in the darkest of times has helped ensure our survival. 

Of course, certain actors will get a warm reception no matter what. In the case of History of the World, Part I this would apply to both Madeline Kahn as Empress Nympho during the Roman Empire skit and Harvey Korman as the Count de Monet (a.k.a. Count the Money) in the French Revolution skit. 

I suspect that most people prefer both Young Frankenstein and The Producers in higher regard than History of the World, Part I. But for me, History of the World, Part I is second only to Blazing Saddles amongst Mel Brooks' filmography.

The Producers (1967)

Fast forward to today which marked the first time I had seen The Producers in almost 25 years. I previously viewed it at the Harvard Film Archive which is situated less than a mile away from The Brattle. At the time I saw the film at the Harvard Film Archive, it had been revived on Broadway with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick playing Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, respectively. The Broadway production of The Producers would win 12 Tony Awards. Of course, Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder would play these roles in the film version.

Aside from the film's basic plot, I did not remember much of the actual story. The one thing I clearly remember from that screening was how big a reception Gene Wilder got when he showed up on the silver screen. Today wasn't that much different. There is simply something about Wilder's manic charisma which transcends generations. 

The film's basic plot has Bloom, a young high-strung accountant, join forces with failed Broadway producer Bialystock to produce a Broadway flop as they are convinced it will make them more money than a hit. In order to guarantee this outcome, they produce the most offensive play they can find - "Springtime for Hitler" written by an ex-Nazi soldier Franz Liebkind (Kenneth Mars). Bialystock and Bloom's plan backfires when "Springtime for Hitler" becomes a hit after L.S.D. (Dick Shawn) portrays Hitler as a stoner. 

As with the Spanish Inquisition scene in History of the World, Part I, I do have some unease with "Springtime for Hitler". Yes, Brooks is mocking the Nazis just as he mocked racism in Blazing Saddles and anti-Semitism in History of the World, Part I. Yet what struck me was Franz Liebkind's monologue comparing Hitler and Churchill:

Nobody ever said a bad word about Winston Churchill, did they? No! "Win with Winnie!" Churchill! With his cigars. With his brandy. And his rotten painting, rotten! Hitler, there was a painter. He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon! Two coats!

This monologue is as funny now as it was nearly 60 years ago. The difference now is that there is a critical mass of people who believe Churchill was the bad guy in WWII and this narrative is being legitimized by the likes of Tucker Carlson. 

Don't get me wrong. The Producers is a funny film. I'm only afraid of those who view the Nazis as the good guys having the last laugh.

Whatever my fears, Mostel, Wilder, Mars and Shawn deliver manic performances which continue to evoke manic laughter. The foundation of these manic performances was Mel Brooks' screenplay which would earn him an Oscar.

Epilogue

It is delightful that Mel Brooks made it to 100. Perhaps he will live long enough to become the 2,000-Year-Old Man after all. G-d willing!!!