Townhall Review | Commentaries

The first thing the new Brazilian President did after his inauguration was to turn and hug Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That—and the fact that Netanyahu was there at all—is extraordinary. It was Bibi’s first trip to anywhere in South America.

Adding to the sense of solidarity with Israel was the sound of the Shofar horn being blown by a rabbi.

Bolsonaro has made friendship with Israel a cornerstone of his administration: He, too, has promised to move their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.

Our friend George Gilder has argued in his book The Israel Test that someone’s attitude towards Israel reveals their attitude about entrepreneurship.

Because of his approach to market capitalism, his approach to Israel and the Middle East and his efforts to deal with cronyism and corruption, Brazil’s stock market has been the best performer in the world.

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Could the transgender revolution really be fueled by a social dimension?—a social contagion?

That’s what a current—and now very controversial—peer-reviewed study has found. The headline from the Economist in London was this, “Why are so many teenage girls appearing in gender clinics?”

The author of the academic study discovered that there is a clear social dimension, a contagion of what's called gender dysphoria, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.

So: What does it mean?

It means the recent spike in transgender identity may be attributable in large measure to the influence of other young women in the same place at the same time within a definable set of relationships or going to similar places on the internet.

You may have sensed this already by observation and intuition.

Now: The academic research supports it.

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On the last Sabbath of 2018, Jewish communities around the world read aloud a Biblical passage that, coincidentally, suggests a means to find guidance in 2019. In Exodus, Chapter Three, Moses tends sheep in the wilderness and spots a bush that burns brightly but isn’t consumed.

The text not only describes this wonder, but records the reaction of Moses. “I will turn aside now and look at this great sight,” he resolves. And only then, the Bible says: “God saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him….”

In other words, the Divine voice addressed him in direct response to his sense of wonder, his open eyes and open heart. In the year ahead, may we “turn aside to see” the miraculous developments in our world and listen for the deeper messages they’re sending us.

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During the holiday season, an astonishing legacy inspired Seattle. A single, childless social worker named Alan Naiman died of cancer at 63; he had become known to his friends for “unabashed thriftiness that veered into comical,” holding together his battered shoes with duct tape.

But when he died, he left $11 million to children’s charities that helped the poor, disabled and abandoned. He scrimped, saved and invested, while working three jobs, so he could help kids he never met.  Because he left everything to charity, government imposed no “death tax” on his wealth, but had he directed it to relatives, or even designated strangers, the State of Washington would have imposed its crushing estate tax.

This case demonstrates why government should keep hands off honestly earned, previously taxed life-savings, while honoring wishes of the deceased on their designated distribution.

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In Central California, a gang-connected illegal immigrant shot and killed a local cop who, with his wife, had just celebrated a newborn son. The 32-year-old shooter already had two drunk driving arrests and bragged on social media about his street gang membership. The Sheriff’s office that arrested him complained about California’s “sanctuary policies”—not because they deliberately protect criminals, but because they block cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration officials to apprehend the bad guys.

This tragic loss ought to persuade Americans—left, right and center—to rethink an obnoxious obstacle to law enforcement. It should also inspire bi-partisan efforts to draft new laws to keep firearms out of the hands of illegals; even the strongest defenders of the Second Amendment must recognize it was never meant to protect gun rights for those who live in the country illegally.

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Democrats are frustrated that they have lost the presidency in the Electoral College twice in the 21st century.  But instead of amending the Constitution, they are going to courts and state legislatures.

Four lawsuits claim that votes for the losing candidate in a winner-take-all electoral vote are not counted equally as required by the 14th Amendment.  Of course all the votes are counted at the state level, as the Constitution provides, so this should be a losing argument, but these days who knows?

At the same time they seek to pass the National Popular Vote Bill in state legislatures requiring electors to cast votes for the winner, not of their state vote, but of the national popular vote.

If you want to change the Constitutional requirement of electoral voting, it should be done by a proper amendment, not an end run or a legal power play.

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Human beings cannot help but notice the cycle of the year, and we cannot help but keep count. Just about every society on earth celebrates a new year in a major way. Thus, 2019 now arrives with gusto. We can do nothing to make it happen and we can do nothing keep it from happening. Time doesn’t ask for our permission.

Of course, we have no complete knowledge of what the year 2019 will bring. You can count on the fact that the 2020 U.S. presidential election cycle will begin with dispatch this year. Everyone will be watching the economy, and a host of problems will be inherited from 2018.

But the most important events of 2019, for you, will likely never make the headlines. The events of biggest meaning happen in our homes, our churches, our families.

Happy New Year!

May 2019 bring you and yours great blessings.

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2018 now enters the history books with more of a bang than a whimper. It was the year Brett Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court, President Trump restructured his cabinet, Democrats celebrated a “blue wave” in the House, and the partisan divide only deepened.

It was the year that titans in the digital world began to feel the heat of international scrutiny and the stock market scored a big zero. California was threatened by the deadliest wild fires in state history and disasters dotted the globe, but in Thailand, a soccer team including 12 boys and their coach were rescued from a flooded cave as the world watched and prayed.

There was a royal wedding in Britain and the world said goodbye to scientist Stephen Hawking and to both President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara. An historic age of world evangelism came to an end with the death of Billy Graham.

It was a year for the ages, and now it is history.

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“Lots of people would’ve told you to abort that baby. You didn’t do that. I know that was hard. I want you to know that no matter what, I know that you always did the best you knew how to do. And look how it turned out.”

Those are the touching words Oprah Winfrey used to say goodbye to her mother who passed away on Thanksgiving Day this year.

Look how it turned out indeed. Vernita Lee’s daughter is now a billionaire instantly identified the world over by the mere utterance of her first name. Oprah may not preach what her mom practiced but—thankfully—more Americans are choosing Vernita Lee’s example over her daughter’s.

In the last decade abortions in the U.S. have declined 25 percent, according to the CDC.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we should also celebrate that the culture of life is beating back cultural Marxism

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Politicians never learn. 

They win an election and overplay their so-called mandate with sweeping policy proposals. Senator Bernie Sanders wants the Democratic House to pass Medicare for all, free college tuition, and a $15 minimum wage. Not to be outdone, the new Socialist member, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wants a Green New Deal, remaking the American economy.

In California, the Democrats seek universal early childhood education, Medi-Cal for illegal immigrants, and a free year of community college. 

President Bill Clinton thought he had a mandate and sought major health care reform in vain.  President George W. Bush said he had earned political capital and tried to spend it on major social security reform.  That didn’t work either.

Just because you win an election does not mean the people want all your crazy ideas and spending.

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