When I first pursued my wife Lynn, I was engaged in a total commitment to conquer.  Having won the pursuit, I have backed off and in many ways no longer do what I did, i.e., I do not hold the car door open, nor am I as romantic as I should be, or say how nice she looks when she dresses up, etc.  I should, but I am comfortable and have let down. I know that is wrong, but we have been married almost 51 years and are like "old shoes" as the saying goes.

The love is there but the flame may be a bit lower. 

Lynn, being a teacher in her younger professional days, still makes an effort to change me and would like for me to wear the right shirt with the right pants, close my mouth when I chew, be more attentive, etc. but we both have mellowed because we are comfortable and secure and have accepted the fact that half a loaf is better than none.

Anti-Semites do not recognize the fact that Israel never got what it wanted/needed but was willing to accept half a loaf.  The Israelis turned Israel into a remarkable nation in many ways.

Palestinians and assorted tribes of Muslims and Arabs remained displeased over their portions and decided they would remain at war until Trump helped some get over their tribal/historic animosity and realized that half a loaf was better and less destructive than constant war, but obviously not Hamas. Furthermore, and tragically, neither have the majority of Gazans embraced this concept and now are paying a heavy price for their recalcitrance.

The Palestinian's leadership is corrupt, yet has become rich in the process because the world willingly paid them in the hope that they would accept half a loaf. Meanwhile, Israel has been blamed because it has been unwilling to give in to Palestinian demands they commit suicide and self-destruct.

Many in the world are angry because Israel became prosperous, strong enough to defend itself and unwilling to accept the constant threats and attacks from its bellicose Arab/Muslim neighbors.

Factually, Israel has been willing to accept half a loaf, help its neighbors in a myriad of ways so they too can come into the 21st Century and enjoy the prosperity of commerce instead of the economic pain of constant wars. However, Palestinians chose to embrace Hamas' destructive leadership in Gaza. Also, Lebanon was overcome by Hezb’allah military control and lamentably, Iran chose to aim at becoming a nuclear power and constant financier of terrorism. These societies certainly chose not to buy the half loaf concept and the world is now paying the price for allowing this to happen at Obamas' encouragement.

Consequently, the world and the many haters who inhabit it felt compelled to project their failures and maintained that Israel, and Jews in general, were a convenient whipping boy. 

Israel was left facing extinction and decided that was not an acceptable option, so it responded to the wanton and heinous attack by Hamas on October 7 and is seeking to end Hamas' control of Gaza. This decision has upset anti-Semites, brainless youth who haven't a clue what and why they are doing, which equally brainless Ivy universities have encouraged/tolerated.

Biden, to his credit, chose to help America's loyal ally and ignored the radical lefties in his party, up to a point, as long as the politics did not shift too badly. Now that shift has occurred and the Palestinians are suffering, with many innocents killed, because war can be and usually is, hell, 

Biden and several administration seniors are beginning to propose unacceptable options and united Israelis are creating diplomatic friction because half a loaf was acceptable but annihilation is not.  Hitler tried that approach and left an indelible mark (numbers on arms) and engaged in wholesale slaughter so "never again" now dictates Israeli leadership's behavior.  

After all, what have Israelis to lose?

Lynn also commented that my memos are all the same and predictable though she finds the videos and cartoons laughable. I responded that my focus is and always have been the same, i.e. the Middle East, politics, markets, and sardonic humor.

Image: Pixabay