Welcome to a parliamentary system

For years, I've looked at the way the fringe parties in Israel force the near-but-not-quite-majority parties to do their bidding by demanding various things (cabinet portfolios, money for their pet programs, certain government policies) as the price of joining or staying in the governing coalition. And our two-party system has looked pretty good by comparison.

I just realized that the Tea Party is to the Republicans as Shas (I wanted to say UTJ, but they joined after the coalition was over 61 seats) is to Likud. Except that they are coming in by being elected as Republicans.

Nonetheless, I think that the US now has the governmental paralysis typical of the Knesset, and from the same root cause.

Welcome to a parliamentary system

For years, I've looked at the way the fringe parties in Israel force the near-but-not-quite-majority parties to do their bidding by demanding various things (cabinet portfolios, money for their pet programs, certain government policies) as the price of joining or staying in the governing coalition. And our two-party system has looked pretty good by comparison.

I just realized that the Tea Party is to the Republicans as Shas (I wanted to say UTJ, but they joined after the coalition was over 61 seats) is to Likud. Except that they are coming in by being elected as Republicans.

Nonetheless, I think that the US now has the governmental paralysis typical of the Knesset, and from the same root cause.

Author of "Hush" goes public.

The pseudonymous author of "Hush" goes public with her true identity in response to the murder of Leiby Kletzky. She is a very brave woman.

Author of "Hush" goes public.

The pseudonymous author of "Hush" goes public with her true identity in response to the murder of Leiby Kletzky. She is a very brave woman.

Thoughts on the end of shloshim

This past Shabbat, just after daybreak, I completed observing the 30-day "shloshim" stage of mourning for my father. ( Some reflections behind the cut. )

Thoughts on the end of shloshim

This past Shabbat, just after daybreak, I completed observing the 30-day "shloshim" stage of mourning for my father. ( Some reflections behind the cut. )