Ask JTF for Sunday, June 27, 2010.

[Gam Bashan veGam Gilad]

Hello Dear Chaim, (:

Why, in your opinion, the music today is so shallow in comparison to music of 20-30-40 years ago? Is this regression tendency worldwide? What is the true explanation for that? Is it connected to the global "moral decay", or is it merely a lack of talents? What can we do to stop the descending and revive the creativity and high quality we once had in music, and is it possible?

Thank you and Shavu'a Tov!

Gam Bashan veGam Gil'ad.

[Maimonides]

Shalom Chaim and Thank you as always for your hard work and for answering my questions.

What is your opinion on the recent events involving General Stanley McChrystal, and his replacement General David Petreaus?

It appears that Gen. Petraeus is a favorite among many conservatives (especially the Neo-Cons) who are deluded into thinking his counter-insurgency strategy worked in Iraq, and there is talk he may run for President as a Republican. Do you think Gen. Petraeus will run for President or will Afghanistan be his undoing as there is no way for anyone to spin the facts on the ground in Afghanistan into a victory as was done in Iraq by Neo-Cons?

[Minuteman]

Dear Chaim,

I'm sure trying to get a mass movement started can be very stressful.  I have a relaxation technique that may help you.  You start by sitting down in a comfortable position.  You close your eyes and take a deep breath.  You slowly exhale and then count to ten.  After you reach ten, you envision in your mind Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League slowly getting crushed to death in a trash compactor.  Let me know if this helps.

God Bless America, Israel, and the West

Minuteman

[Secularbeliever]

Shalom Chaim,

Do you have any opinion on the feminization of society?  It seems to me that between feminism, affirmative action for women and the devaluing of strength and boldness by society, our culture is now one in which women are much more comfortable than men.  Nowhere is this factor felt more deeply than in the Black community where ridiculous proportions of young Black men are in prison, on parole or otherwise marginalized in society and Black women have very few suitable choices for mates.  While some might find this a reason to laugh at or put down Blacks, to me they are just the foreunners of society in general.  The freshmen classes at most major colleges, law schools, medical schools now are majority women.  The only place men still dominate are the few places where strength, boldness and aggressiveness are still paramount to success, gangs, hedge funds, the military etc.  I am all for women having opportunities to do the things they are capable of but we have gone way beyond that.  Men are in danger of collapsing and women will not benefit from that if you believe that society as we know it makes sense.

[Trace]

Shalom Chaim,

Would the world be better off if Africa had not been colonized by Europeans? I always hear the argument that "all of Africa's problems are due to colonialism." I've never bought this argument because I'm pretty sure that African tribes were fighting each other and eating each other long before Whitey ever came to Africa. Now they are just doing the same thing with modern weapons. What should South Africa, Rhodesia, Kenya and other former European colonies have done differently to maintain control of the countries?

Also: America has a blockade on North Korea just as Israel had one on Gaza - why aren't there any "Freedom Flotillas" to help the North Korean citizens who are starving?