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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle 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
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
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The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 30, 2007
/ 18 Mar-Cheshvan 5768
Is America building an empire? That is a central question for the next president
By
William McKenzie
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
What happened at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology the other day does not seem immediately relevant to the presidential campaign trail. But if you accept the notion that what starts out at the academy ultimately can influence policies, I'd suggest this conference on the "theology of empire" was very relevant.
Neoconservatives certainly have shown over the last decade how ideas can jump from the ivory tower to the White House. In the 1990s, neoconservative writer Irving Kristol, his son William and like-minds started developing ideas about a strong U.S. military asserting itself in the world. Their notions about America establishing order began as part of the Project for the New American Century and eventually took hold in the Bush White House. From there, they contributed to soldiers hitting the front lines in Iraq.
So don't tell soldiers or their families that ideas can't have consequences. They do, sometimes big ones.
Which is why several academics and theologians have begun responding to what they consider an "empire theology" emanating from the movement and the Bush administration. In so doing, they are raising a question that gets to the rub of what the next president will face:
How far can America go in extending its influence around the world?
Whether it's Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, Barack Obama, John McCain or someone else, the next president will have to deal with that question from day one.
Sojourners magazine editor Jim Wallis, the nation's leading liberal evangelical, revved up this discussion in 2003, when he critiqued President Bush's post-9/11 foreign policy of rooting out terrorism this way:
"G-d has not given the responsibility for overcoming evil to a nation-state, much less to a superpower with enormous wealth and particular national interests. To confuse the role of G-d with that of the American nation, as George Bush seems to do, is a serious theological error that some might say borders on idolatry or blasphemy."
At SMU earlier this month, Perkins professor Joerg Rieger led a discussion along these lines. He has written a book on the subject, "Christ and Empire: From Paul to Postcolonial Times," and I caught up with him later by e-mail. This is how he sums up his views:
"In a nutshell, empires are efforts to take control of how people live and think, and so theology is always a natural part of empire. Empire theology ... tells people, `There is no alternative,' there is only one way to do things."
What's worth paying attention to is the "other way of doing things" that critics suggest.
For example, Dr. Rieger says the United States may run into the same problem Rome and other empires did by insisting our ideas about markets and democracies are the only ones. We could learn from others, he wrote.
The next president certainly must do a better job including other points of view. There will be another "big event," terrorist or otherwise, and we can't simply do everything on our own. Not after Iraq has so worn down our military.
But here's my problem with what some of these new thinkers are saying. It stems from an age-old question: How do we respond to evil in the world?
The critics I've interviewed or read preach the virtues of a global network, in which people listen to each other. But what if the more radical wings of Islam operate so far outside the realm of that global network that no amount of listening will make a difference.
What then?
Also, in taking a swing at corporations and the global economy, how do these critics ensure their views don't hurt, say, poor Mexicans working for the first time in good-paying jobs at multinational factories?
I don't think we are building an empire, but it pays to take this emerging group of thinkers seriously. For one thing, neoconservatives are alive and well, many of them advising Rudy Giuliani.
What's more, if a Democrat wins the White House, she or he will be under tremendous pressure to do something different than Bush did. At that point, we'd hear more from critics who believe America has gone too far in building an empire.
Under either scenario, I'd like to know a lot more about where these ideas would take us. After the neocon experience, it pays to listen.
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.
William McKenzie is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Comment by clicking here.
08/28/07: Don't let Gonzales' record taint all Bush appointees
08/16/07: Rove was half right: He got the big picture, but didn't belong in the White House
02/01/06: GOP needs changes, but it can't forget the big picture
03/31/05: Mexico fixes problems when it wants to
12/06/04: Bush's new team has a Texas feel
11/08/04: Second chances shouldn't be wasted
08/25/04: Bush could profit from being like Ike
© 2007, The Dallas Morning News Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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