Year of Jubilee for American CEOs

It's a jubilee year for the "United States of Bailouts"
Nov. 13

I don't know if they meant to be spiritual or not, but the American government seems to be adhering to the biblical calendar. This is suspected by some to be the "year of jubilee" on the Hebrew calendar and, biblically, all debts are canceled in such a year.

I say 'suspected' because we've lost count of the actual jubilee year centuries ago. However, some rabbis and Christian teachers have somehow estimated this year, 5769, which began in late September with Rosh Hashana, to be a Jubilee year on the Hebrew calendar. And if that's the case, the U.S. government appears to be in line with the times and seems to have become super spiritual lately. With the financial "crisis" looming heavy, many CEOs are finding that they can weather this thanks to the scriptural principles being put into practice by the federal goverment! It's rather heartening.

Let's list the bailouts and possible bailouts this year:

• Fannie
• Freddie
• GE Capital
• GMAC
• Chrysler Finance
• AIG
• Morgan Stanley
• Goldman Sachs
• American Express
• General Motors Corp.
• Ford Motor Co.
• Chrysler LLC
• and U.S. auto-parts makers

And more to come, so we've heard. If you want some comic relief, or possibly, some great ideas on how to cash in on the bailouts, read this witty piece by Elizabeth MacDonald of Fox Business News.

Unfortunately Israel doesn't abide by the jubilee year so my mortgage still stands (thankfully only at 3 percent interest though).

Interfaith Intolerance

Judaism? In Israel??

Nov. 13

While Israeli President Shimon Peres tripped over himself to equate all "three" religions (the three major ones represented in Israel at least), the Palestinian representative, however, sort of forgot to mention Judaism. This all happened at the United Nations where the Saudi King Abdullah's organized this peace initiative, and even invited Israel.

Let's take Peres first (emphasis mine):

"In our region, children bear the names of prophets who are sacred to us all. Why should Moses, Moshe, and Musa, Avraham, Abraham and Ibrahim grow up as adversaries, in animosity? As our prophets asked: 'Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal deceitfully every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?' And Abraham added to his nephew Lot: 'Please let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.' That was the first call for peace among brothers in history. ... Religious belief requires that we recognize the eternal message that all men were created in God’s image. Harming a human being is tantamount to harming God himself. ... Inter-faith dialogue will elevate our spirits, bring a breath of fresh air to our peoples today and live on in posterity. Let us renew our faith in one God."

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad:

"Jerusalem is holy to two religions - Islam and Christianity. Jerusalem is home to the third most holy place to Islam, the place where Muhammad rose to the heavens, and the place where Jesus, the Christian, was resurrected."

He also said Jerusalem was "occupied" in 1967 and that a future Palestinian state capital should be located there. 

So, being this far apart on equality and religion, to the point where Fayyad, a moderate no less, cannot even mention Judaism (despite being in negotiations with a Jewish state), how will the two sides ever come to terms?