Reason for Hope
Ideologies can become as debased as any coin inflated to the point that it costs more to produce than it can buy. From here, it seems the only believers are the naive and the mad, the innocent and those unable to perceive innocence in anyone other than themselves. Liberalism has become synonmous with corruption, socialism has become synonomous with banruptcy, capitalism has become synonomous with populism, and nationalism has become synonomous with mysticism. From here, it seems that the real Sodom is Jerusalem, where lip service is paid to the people and cash is paid to the powerful. And the temple of that passionate place is the Knesset, of course, where righteousness is the last thing anyone expects to find. Theodor Herzl was the Abraham of this state, and anyone who has ever read Altenuland should have no doubt that he wouldn't have needed any divine order to turn his back on Jerusalem and to not look back. Here, meaning the idea of Tel Aviv as Zionism's truest accomplishment -- the normalcy of a life freed from fear of the stranger, if not the need to keep any neighbour's concerns in mind -- Herzl might find something somewhat closer to his vision than the power struggles that Jerusalem inspires nowadays. Patriotism has always been a refuge for scoundrels who wrap themselves in flags as if a piece of coloured cloth was armour against criticism. There are few symbols of hypocrisy more repulsive than profiteers claiming to be acting in the name of the people and their ideals. At least in Tel Aviv, profiteers need make no excuses for greediness.
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