A big week just passed on the east side of Manhattan. Heads of state from all over the globe gathered at the United Nations to meet, make speeches, and if you believe the New York Post, pay thousands of dollars to high-priced hookers flown in from Vegas and Europe.
Around 150 poobahs took part. Exalteds like US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Here’s my takeaway from this annual august gathering in September.
We’re in deep doo doo. And by we, I mean the world.
Is there one leader, one head of state, a president, a prime minister, a prince or a king, you admire? One who inspires, someone who is a visionary?
If there is one, please let me know. But from where I sit, the answer is, no, nyet, not one.
Hey, how about Joe Biden? After all, he did put together a coalition to defend Ukraine and he’s probably, maybe, going to get the Saudi-Israeli peace deal done. And at some level, he is still the leader of the so-called free world, isn’t he?
But did you listen to his UN speech? Parts of it were unintelligible as his brain wandered.
Would you say Joe Biden is a respected leader? An inspiration? A visionary? If you do, then please let me see the supporting documentation.
Okay then, what about Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel? He was in New York this past week, too. He met with Biden. He gave a speech at the UN. He has held the job of Israel’s prime minister longer than anyone else. He signed the Abraham Accords and he’ll probably, maybe, get the Saudi-Israeli peace deal done, too. So I guess at some level we can still say he’s a politician to be admired, isn’t he?
But when you look closely at Bibi, he’s a politician who has jumped the shark.
(Click the link below for the derivation of jumping the shark)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark
Bibi has become a clumsy politician. He recklessly tore his country apart over his judicial reform plan. He bungled it big time by building consensus for some of the changes that really were overdue. And because he’s so distrusted as a politician and as a human, he couldn’t find enough centrists for his coalition. So he aligned with extreme right wing whackos, who not only undermine him in public, but who also damage Israel’s image in the US and around the world.
Okay, so what about the third guy I mentioned, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine? (BTW, when did the Ukraine become just Ukraine?)
Zelensky deserves a good hard look.
He’s seemingly respected by many nations and by his fellow Ukrainians.
An inspiration? When Putin pounced, Zelensky could have easily gotten on the next flight to Paris and led the “free Ukraine” forces from France. Instead, he bought a bunch of green shirts and stayed in Kyiv to battle on. (BTW, when did Kiev become Kyiv?)
But here’s the prob with Vlod.
He’s been given gobs and gobs of aid to fight the good fight against the evil Russians. The US and the EU alone have committed an estimated $15 billion. Zelensky’s army gets sophisticated western military equipment, while the Russians have to ask the Iranians and the North Koreans for drones, bullets and missiles.
With all that and after 18 months of war, do you believe Ukraine is any closer to victory? What does victory even look like?
We all may hope Ukraine crushes the invaders and Putin gets pushed from a high-rise window, but are we so sure that’s going to happen?
Zelensky is to be admired for how he’s kept up Ukraine’s morale and how he’s kept up the pressure on western leaders to keep the aid flowing. But where’s the vision thing?
I need to hear from Zelensky what the endgame is to this terrible war. How the fighting and bloodshed can end. Until then, Volody Z isn’t on my list of GOATs.
I’m not going to even touch on Russia’s Putin or China’s Xi Jinping. They didn’t show up for the General Assembly and they don’t pretend to care what the world thinks of them.
Putin is a cold-hearted killer, dressed in president’s clothing. Xi is a ruthless authoritarian, a demolisher of democracy, whose economy shrinks as his power grows.
So, back to my question:
Is there one leader, one head of state, a president, a prime minister, a prince or a king, you admire? One who commands respect, who inspires and can articulate a vision?
I’m not feeling it.
You may not have liked Margaret Thatcher’s politics, or Ronald Reagan’s for that matter. Nelson Mandela certainly had his shortcomings. But they were towering figures next to the schleppers we have right now.
(Click the link below for the definition of a schlepper)
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/schlepper
I will say this, and hear me out before you run to cancel your subscription. When it comes to oratory inspiration, you can’t ignore Barack Obama. He may not have known what he was doing, but he sure sounded good.
Here’s the thing about leadership. Winning an election is hard, but leading is tens times harder.
Communicating a vision, matters. Telling the truth, matters. Inspiring your citizens and the citizens of other nations, matters.
Maybe at next year’s United Nations General Assembly, someone will emerge who we can point to and say hey, that’s a real leader.
Sure, and do you wanna buy a really nice old bridge over the East River not far from the UN?
Hate Has No Place Here…
…unless you hate Jews and Israel and were at the University of Pennsylvania this weekend.
University president Elizabeth Magill allowed the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, Palestinian Writes Literature Festival to take place, featuring some of the most virulent anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, Nazi-loving speakers in the nation.
Her excuse for letting the campus hate-fest go on? Well, of course, her university supports the “free exchange of ideas” b.s.
Apparently, seeking Israel’s destruction and the concomitant annihilation of millions of Jews, are legitimate discussion points that can be freely and opening discussed at the UPenn.
President Magill’s complacency in the face of such enormous hatred reeks of complicity. How disgusting.
And speaking of hatred, did you happen to read what the CEO of Adidas said about Kanye West and his anti-Semitism?
This past week, Bjorn Gulden, Adidas’ boss said, “I don’t think he meant what he said and I don’t think he’s a bad person. It just came across that way.”
Remember, Adidas had a hugely lucrative partnership with West and his Yeezy brand. When West spewed and spewed his hatred for Jews, Adidas came under tons of pressure and was forced to kick Kanye from the company.
(Click the link below if you need to refresh your memory.)
https://www.ajc.org/news/5-of-kanye-wests-antisemitic-remarks-explained
Mr. CEO, here’s the bottom line you should be focused on. If you make excuses for anti-Semites, you are one as well.