The Power of a New Idea: Maimonides ⋆ Politicrossing
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The Power of a New Idea: Maimonides

The more innovative the idea you wish to introduce, the more you first need to contemplate and study the landscape

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The name Moses Maimonides is lost to our contemporary masses, who might know the names Nicolaus Copernicus, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, or James Madison, but can barely cite their accomplishments.

Maimonides was born in 1138 in Cordova, Spain. Under Muslim rule, Cordova was considered one of the intellectual centers of the Western world. When Maimonides was ten years old, a warring sect invaded and conquered Cordova, forcing all non-Muslims, including his family, who were Jewish, to convert, depart, or face execution.

Many Travels

For nearly two years, Maimonides’s family lived a fairly nomadic life, traveling throughout southern Spain and eventually settling in Morocco. At the age of 28, when he had already started to establish himself as a philosopher, author, and serious thinker, he relocated to Cairo, Egypt.

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His first masterpiece, the Mishneh Torah, provided an organizational framework forthe Torah’s commandments and highlighted that each part of Jewish law provided a rational and fundamental purpose.

Maimonides showed that none of the laws were constructed simply for the sake of obedience, an observation apparently true of many other religions.

Book One of the Mishneh Torah, also known as the Book of Knowledge, laid the foundation for Jewish philosophy, offered a theory of morality, implored the study of the Torah, spelled out laws regarding idolatry, and expounded upon the importance of repentance.

Book Fourteen, known as Judges, proclaimed that the true Messiah would come and restore sovereignty to Israel, make peace with surrounding nations, and lead the modern world in scientific and philosophical inquiry.

Articles of Faith

Maimonides presented 13 principles that he believed all Jews needed to adopt, including the existence and eternity of God; that God communicates through the prophets, of which Moses of Egypt was the greatest; that the Torah was offered by God and is immutable; and that there is divine providence, as well as divine punishment and reward.

These articles of faith were the first of their kind. His views were vexing to European in the 12th century and ignited an ongoing controversy in Judaism. As such, critics questioned and repudiated Maimonides for much of his adult life.

In 1190, at the age of 52, he wrote and published The Guide of the Perplexed, which began as a letter he wrote to a graduate student who couldn’t decide between studying philosophy or the teachings of Judaism.

The guide reviewed biblical terminology that seemed to endow God with corporeal qualities. It also discussed prophecy, creation, jurisprudence, and providence.

Maimonides believed that Jewish law was designed to improve the soul and body. He felt  literal interpretations of the Bible resulted in viewing God as a material conception; nothing more than idolatry.

Resistance Rises

Like the Mishneh Torah, The Guide of the Perplexed sparked controversy and was banned in many Jewish communities.

Some Rabbis feared that Maimonides’ arguments raised the question as to whether the true meaning of the Torah could be understood by typical worshippers, which implied that the Torah might only be taught to an educated few.

Maimonides published his treatise on resurrection, one year later, in which he discussed how his concept of the afterlife represented an intellectual, but not bodily, resurrection.

His letter on astrology debunked the widespread belief that celestial bodies had influence over human events.

Innovation Requires Contemplation

In his mid-60s, Maimonides died in Fostat, Egypt after a continuous battle with exhaustion.

Today, much of his content hardly seems controversial. However, Maimonides was a brilliant and serious scholar, and he did not offer his innovative views of God and humankind and their intertwined relationship to rile existing powers. Rather, they represented his best ideas from years of study and contemplation on the nature of God, existence, and divine law.

What are we to learn from one of the great thinkers of the ages? The more innovative the idea you wish to introduce, the more study and contemplation you first need to do.  Controversy can dissipate in the light of rational comprehensive arguments, but those don’t come easily.

If you have passion for your innovation and have faith in your concept, brave the criticism and stand by your ideas.

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Jeff Davidson is the world's only holder of the title "The Work-Life Balance Expert®" as awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He is the premier thought leader on work-life balance, integration, and harmony. Jeff speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management. Visit www.BreathingSpace.com for more information on Jeff's keynote speeches and seminars, including: Managing the Pace with Grace® * Achieving Work-Life Balance™ * Managing Information and Communication Overload®



 
 
 

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News

Allen v. Farrow and the American Quest For Truth

Through his own words, Woody Allen reveals himself.

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In an era where truth is a rare commodity, and nothing seems to be definitive, it’s illuminating to watch a four-hour, four-part HBO series: Allen v. Farrow. In methodical fashion, the long-running legal wrangling between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow over his alleged molestation of seven-year-old Dylan Farrow is explored.

The telecast, first aired two year ago, is absorbing for anyone who’s seen more than one Woody Allen movie, knows anything about the controversy, or has any interest in coming to resolution.

A Pedofile Revealed

Much of the broadcast features Dylan, now 37, married with a child of her own. As she reflects back on her experience at age 7, she is coherent and credible. Mia Farrow, who starred in 13 Allen films, comes off as more balanced than the press has allowed us to see in nearly three decades.

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Through his own words and deeds, Woody Allen, birth name Allen Konigsberg, reveals himself: He was obsessed with the young Dylan. He spent much time alone with her. He couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

He claims that he never ‘took her up to the attic,’ there was ‘no train set’ there, and that everyone who has made such observations is wrong. Yet, we learn about the train set in the attic, and that other Allen contentions are wrong.

The Attempt to Normalize His Obsessions

Why was Allen shielded for so long, by so many media outlets? He made so many movies in and about New York that he became a favorite son and easily one of New York’s most popular celebrities. He brought jobs and economic activity and, in virtually every movie, he showed the upside of New York. Few people wanted to believe he was guilty.

All of Allen’s 60+ films, original scripts, notes, and everything related to the making of his movies is archived at Princeton University, as other producers and directors have their film works archived at other universities.

During the telecast, the curator at Princeton makes a compelling observation: Most of Allen’s films focus on an older man with a younger woman, and Allen has been grooming us for 50+ years to accept his worldview. Following his Oscar winning film in 1978, Annie Hall, Allen’s next film was Manhattan, which many people regard as among his best.

Manhattan depicts the 45 year-old Allen dating a 17 year-old portrayed by Mariel Hemingway. This film, like so many of his others, is Allen’s attempt to normalize his preoccupation with vastly younger women. He married Soon-yi, the adopted daughter of his then-girlfriend, Mia Farrow, when he was 56 and she was 21. He met Soon-yi when he was 53 and she was 18.

In Woody Allen films such as Crimes and Misdemeanors, we see Martin Landau as an older ophthalmologist in a relationship with airline attendant and mistress Anjelica Huston, some 20+ years younger. In other Allen films, the same scenario plays out.

Quite Conclusive

After watching all four one-hour episodes in a single night, it became obvious that Allen, now age 87, is guilty. He has used his money, power, and influence to portray himself as something that he is not.

While dating Mia Farrow for 12 years, he steadfastly maintained that he didn’t want to provide care for her children. Yet, once the allegations related to Dylan surfaced, Allen takes Farrow to court to gain custody of three of her nine children: Moses Farrow, an older Asian boy that Mia adopted; Ronan Farrow, Allen’s only biological son; and Dylan Farrow, the young daughter at the center of the controversy.

I personally recall that during the custody trial, the presiding judge asked Allen if he could name any of Dylan’s classmates or neighborhood friends. He could not. He could not name any friends of Ronan Farrow or of Moses Farrow. Further, Allen had never taken any of their children to the dentist or for a haircut. Not one of the children had ever stayed overnight at Allen’s apartment.

Thoroughly Neurotic

What kind of man would take somebody to court to claim custody of three children about whom he knows nearly nothing? This is the kind of man that Woody Allen was and is: a faker, a charlatan, and so neurotic that the elements of his neurosis revealed in his movies don’t even begin to describe his daily afflictions.

As soon as Ronan Farrow, now a renowned investigative reporter, weighs in and defends Dylan’s assertions, Allen’s then 29-year ruse is vanquished.

Allen, like others in high, high office, is a pedophile with zero jail time. The crowning grace is that he’ll go to his grave knowing that he’s been exposed. He cannot spin the voluminous amount of information and testimony presented; a conclusive body of evidence that lays out the truth for all to see.

Comprehensive Coverage?

If only HBO and other major producers would feature comprehensive exposés of, say, Bill Clinton, James Comey, Robert Mueller, Christopher Wray, John Brennan, Andrew McCabe, Eric Holder, Kamila Harris, Merrick Garland, Loretta Lynch, Alejandro Mayorkas, John Kerry, James Clapper, Christopher Steele, Bruce Orr, Susan Rice, John Podesta, Charles Dolan, Christopher Wray, Merrick Garland, Alvin Bragg, Michael Hayden, Sally Yates, and Susan Rice.

Or, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Nelly Ohr, Jussie Smollett, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,  Dick Durbin, Eric Swalwell, Jerry Nadler, Sheldon Whitehouse, Antony Blinken, Ilhan Omar, George Soros, Katie Hobbs, Liz Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Gates, Tom Steyer, Andrew Weissmann, Marc Elias, Andrew Cuomo, David Axelrod, Barack Obama, James Biden, or maybe, gosh, Hunter Biden.

You know, scoundrels like those.

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Elections

Treachery Plagues Our Nation: Democrat Election Tampering is Rampant

Top Democrats believe that they alone must control who governs and that the American electorate cannot be trusted

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On this Memorial Day it would be comforting to believe that the 1.3 million U.S. combat deaths sustained in all wars, and the 1.4 million wounded, some severely, occurred in the preservation of our representative republic, and in the safeguarding 0f free and fair elections. We must confront the reality, however, that our election process has been tainted by treachery.

The Grandest Illusion

During the 2016 campaign Hillary Clinton and her backers conspired to frame Donald Trump and portray him as a Russian colluder. Then, EVERY DAY, for the rest of his administration they relentlessly hounded him and unforgivably pursued everyone connected to him.

After her presidential election loss, Hillary Clinton went on dozens of major media interviews claiming that Donald Trump was an illegitimate president. She, above all, knew that he was not. She knew that every time Adam Schiff and others opened their mouths about Trump, they told lies.

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If only the ruse went that far. For at least six years now, top Democrats have enjoyed the perpetuation of this treasonous hoax and, sadly, nearly half of Democrats still believe that Trump colluded with Russia.

Obama, the Corrupt

Barack Obama was aware of the scheme from the outset, in 2016, while he was still in the White House. Joe Biden knew about it as did James Clapper. CIA Director John Brennan briefed Obama, Biden, FBI Director James Comey, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and other senior administration officials.

These top Democrat office holders went completely silent as the FBI initiated Crossfire Hurricane on the wild and unsubstantiated claim that Donald Trump was somehow a Russian agent.

The Mueller Commission knew about the scheme and proceeded anyway. After two months of searching they knew they had nothing on Trump, but shamefully continued for two years, daily badgering and intimidating his key staff people and his family. They interrogated Trump’s advisors and hit some of them with totally unrelated process crimes.

Andrew Weissmann, Mueller’s chief degenerate bulldog, knew as well that he had nothing on Trump and yet he continued to harass the Trump White House, forcing hundreds of hours of testimony, wasting millions of tax dollars.

The Lapdog Press

The New York Times, under the sordid and twisted leadership of Dean Baquet, made Trump-Russia collusion a daily topic. Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC, and Anderson Cooper and Chris Cuomo on CNN, along with so many other talk show hosts, interviewed legions of ‘expert’ guests, who all repeated the claim that Trump was a Russian colluder.

Adam Schiff, on every single Sunday morning political talk show, repeatedly and emphatically said that he had evidence, had seen evidence, or knew of forthcoming evidence. Yet, he had nothing.

Let us be clear: These elected officials are traitors, and these media darlings are no better. And they are much wiser than you. They believe the American electorate cannot be trusted. They’ve decided that they alone must control who governs; the essence of treachery.

The Unending News Cycle

Today, it’s easy to overlook how vigorously the Left maintained this treachery. In the era of the 24-hour news cycle, we all glom on to what’s next and what’s next after that. Even Covid, vaccines, and mandated masks now seem like distant events.

Long after Robert Mueller appeared before Congress, and without offering a shred of evidence thoroughly embarrassed himself on national TV, the Democrats continued on. Hillary didn’t apologize. Obama never spoke up. Biden and his crime family kept enriching themselves by selling out America.

Brennan and Clapper haven’t come clean to this day. Adam Schiff is still playing the same tune and wants to run for the senate. Biden’s henchman are still badgering and persecuting Donald Trump with groundless lawsuits that no other president has had to endure for the same ‘offenses.’

These scoundrels, collectively, do not have an ounce of integrity within them. They could care less that their treachery has been exposed by the Durham Report, because the mainstream press, always providing cover for them, won’t touch the topic, and Attorney General Merrick Garland is their bag boy.

Neither Rachel Maddow nor anyone on MSNBC or CNN has recanted. Anderson Cooper is as self-righteous and bamboozled as ever. Surveys show that most rank and file Democrats remain in the dark.

Saul Alinsky’s Disciples

How can a free nation continue to thrive when half of its citizens are led by such abject liars? How can a representative republic remain intact when so many of its leaders are thoroughly corrupt and willing to stay corrupt?

A Chinese proverb says may you live in interesting times. They are infuriating times. Talk to liberals and they say, “There must have been something between Trump and Russia, otherwise why so much coverage?”

Like the Nazi axiom, repeat a lie often enough and people will start to believe it. Top Democrats are all Saul Alinsky advocates now, in league with the devil. None are worth saving. Many of them belong in prison for treason and most of them should be barred from public office.

Fraudulent Elections, 101

Make no mistake, if this array of top Democrats was willing to go as far as they did to stop Trump, and mask their treachery for seven years now, 2016 is not the only election in which they’ve conspired to interfere in our elections. Not by a long stretch.

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