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July 3, 2008

Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget (TOUCHING!)

Jeff Jacoby: Israel still paying for its defeat

JWisdom:: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part IV by Rabbi David Aaron

July 2, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: Appeasers Make Poor Patriots

The Kosher Gourmet By Kathleen Purvis: Slaw, y'all: For BBQs or Sabbath dinner, these southern recipes are something else!

JWisdom:: Rabbi Mordechai Becher: Jewish Rx for A Simpler Life

July 1, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. I think it's important to leave a legacy to my children. How much should I save towards this end?

Paul Greenberg:A President who is history deficient?

JWisdom:: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Poland's Unique Antisemitism

June 30, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Remembering the architect of Torah Judaism for the modern world

Abe Novick: Hulk: Still a Jew?

JWisdom: : Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality, Part 2: The Abandoned Child

June 26, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Quantum leap to evil

Caroline B. Glick: Victimized families must not be allowed to dictate policy

June 25, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Today in Biblical History: King Jeroboam of Israel prevents pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Jonathan Tobin: Real Friends and Real Enemies

JWisdom: Raping of reason By Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

June 25, 2008

Steven Emerson: Kristof: Never Mind the Terrorists

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: Mediterranean Flyover: Telegraphing an Israeli Punch?

JWisdom: Rabbi David Aaron: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part III

June 24, 2008

Caroline B. Glick: What were they thinking!?

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Guilty knowledge

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Warping Innocence

June 23, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Diploma dilemma

Jeff Jacoby: A world without children

JWisdom: Rabbi Dovid Gross: Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality --- Introduction

June 20, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Man: The Crowning Glory of Creation

Caroline B. Glick: Israel's darkest week

JWisdom: We aren't worthy? by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

June 19, 2008

Rabbi Elazar Meisels: The saints who don't come marchin' in

Chris Christoff: Muslim woman demands an apology from Obama after camera snub

June 18, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: Still Dancing Around Jerusalem

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: Chilled fruit and vegetable soups

JWisdom: Souls Need A Check Up? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

June 17, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Baby Einstein

Caroline B. Glick: Bush's rhetoric, Bush's policies

JWisdom: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part II by Rabbi David Aaron

June 16, 2008

Varda Branfman: Bob Dylan, won't you please come home?

Diana West: Academic dares to question the 'religion of peace'

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Positive Backfire

June 13, 2008

Rabbi Berel Wein: Trading manna for whine

Caroline B. Glick: Peace with friends

JWisdom: From the mouths of … by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

June 12, 2008

Michael Feldberg: Meet Paul Revere's pal, the Orthodox Jew who played a key role in laying Boston's cultural and business infrastructure

The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: No need to be tempted by Wendy's mandarin chicken salad

JWisdom: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron

June 11, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: What would Hillel say?

Jonathan Tobin: UNRWA and NGOs: The Real U.N. 'Insult'

JWisdom: Sara Yoheved Rigler: Greatness Made Simple: How a momentary decision shifted life's course and destination

June 6, 2008

Rabbi Pinchas Stolper: Revelation: The basis of faith

Binyamin L. Jolkovsky: Mere hours after becoming Israel's new 'best friend' Obama backtracks on status of Jerusalem

Caroline B. Glick: UN choosing to protect rogue nuclear programs

JWisdom: Sameness in difference by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

June 5, 2008

David Lightman: Now Obama wants to be Israel's newest 'best friend'

Obama's remarks to AIPAC policy conference

The Kosher Gourmet By Ethel G. Hofman: Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Lokshen Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread

JWisdom: Why a Jewish Jerusalem makes so many nervous by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

June 4, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: A different sort of 'religious broadcaster'

Jonathan Tobin: Misgivings on the Road to Damascus

JWisdom: 44 Years Without An Argument? by Sara Yoheved Rigler

June 3, 2008

Daniel Pipes: Obama vs. McCain on the Middle East

Everything's Relative: There is a crisis growing in Orthodox synagogues worldwide, reveals Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkel

JWisdom: White Facades; Black Secrets by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

June 2, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: Lie to outsmart discriminator?

He writes the songs that make our souls sing:Gavriel Aryeh Sanders interviews Jewish music legend Ben Zion Shenker; includes stirring, uplifting song

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Of laws and lives

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review August 22, 2006 / 28 Menachem-Av, 5766

Don't practice legal terrorism

By Paul Johnson


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Eager as he is to keep America's free-enterprise economy healthy, President Bush should take a close look at what's going on at the Department of Justice. Is an antibusiness culture developing there? In the aftermath of the Enron scandal has America's law enforcement machinery begun to display a systematic animus toward big business and corporate bosses?


Looking at this from the outside, I've certainly gotten the impression that government lawyers are becoming too enthusiastic in bringing dodgy businessmen to justice — or at least in setting the legal process in motion. But the delays in bringing these cases to trial are in and of themselves becoming scandalous.


What's happened to the spirit of habeas corpus? Do big businessmen no longer enjoy its protection in the U.S.? Savvy legal friends in America tell me that these delays are not accidental. Government lawyers have a vested interest in exhausting the financial resources of defendants before they even get to trial.


Behind all this appears to be a suspicion, a hatred even, of the way big business operates and of the whole process of earning big profits and commanding large salaries. I get the feeling Justice officials think it is morally wrong to make a lot of money — unless, of course, the person making the money is a lawyer.


This attitude is something new in the philosophy of American government. One of the reasons America has been able to create the world's most successful economy, with its spectacular expansion for more than two centuries, is that its government — state and federal — has created a sympathetic climate for business.


Next to Alexander Hamilton's work in giving the U.S. a sound currency, the man who contributed most to making the country prosperous was Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall. The judgments he made and inspired during his long tenure [1801 — 35] formed a firm legal basis on which entrepreneurial capitalism could flourish mightily. There has been nothing to rival Marshall's creative work in the entire world history of jurisprudence — countless millions of ordinary Americans enjoy affluence today because Marshall gave capitalism the legal green light.


Because of this grounding Americans have never been made to feel ashamed of making vast sums of money through their enterprise and industry. And that in turn has led to a philanthropic generosity unique in the world, which has given America galleries and libraries, universities, parks and cultural institutions that have no parallel in number and quality elsewhere. Andrew Carnegie summed it up when he said that there was nothing wrong in becoming rich but that a "man who dies rich dies disgraced." Carnegie became one of the richest men of his time — and he gave the bulk of it away.


But philanthropy requires there to be accumulation in the first place. As Margaret Thatcher never tired of explaining, the Good Samaritan was able to look after the distressed traveler precisely because he was well-to-do. Pontius Pilate's Justice Department hadn't harassed him out of his wealth.


Modern business is infinitely complicated — and becoming more so by the hour. The opportunities for putting one's hand in the till and defrauding the public and shareholders remain ample, despite continual attempts to tighten the laws. Law enforcement must remain vigilant in scrutinizing the whole business of moneymaking and must bring the occasional villains to justice. But it mustn't develop attitudes of suspicion that imply that business itself is a fundamentally unethical activity and that the typical businessman is a person who operates close to illegality.


In fact, the complexities of modern business — especially the speed at which difficult financial decisions must be made — often create gray areas in which the law is unclear, and any legal advice may turn out to be wrong. In the end it is often a matter of opinion as to whether the law has been broken or not. That, of course, is precisely what a jury has to decide. But in complicated cases jury verdicts can be swayed by the aggressive tactics of law enforcement and by the weakening of the defense through long delays before the case is brought to trial.


Businessmen, of course, can always play it safe. But that is contrary to the spirit of capitalism, which, in the pursuit of success, depends on taking risks — often huge ones.


The future of free-market enterprise depends on the continued willingness of rank-and-file entrepreneurs and executives to take risks to launch and expand businesses, as well as to retain their businesses' competitiveness in increasingly crowded world markets.


If businessmen and -women become scared of breaking laws they imperfectly understand, or if they fear becoming victims of the Department of Justice's legal terrorism, they'll cease making the kinds of decisions that keep the U.S. economy energetic and pushing forward.


That would be tragic for the U.S. — and the world. So let's keep the legal bloodhounds active — but on a sensible leash.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


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Previously:

08/08/06: A summer rhapsody for a pedal-bike
08/03/06: Why is there no workable philosophy of music?
07/11/06: Historically speaking, energy crisis is America's opportunity
07/06/06: The misleading dimensions of persons and lives
06/06/06: First editions are not gold
05/23/06: A downright ugly man need never despair of attracting women, even pretty ones
04/25/06: Was Washington right about political parties?
04/12/06: Let's Have More Babies!
04/05/06: For the love of trains
03/29/06: Lincoln and the Compensation Culture
03/22/06: Bottle-beauties and the globalised blond beast
03/15/06: Europe's utopian hangover
03/08/06: Kindly write on only one side of the paper
02/28/06: Creators versus critics
02/21/06: The Rhino Principle

© 2006, Paul Johnson

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