America Archives | MelaniePhillips.com

America’s abortion battle has hit boiling point

February 12, 2019 Melanieabortion, America, culture wars

In America, the culture wars have descended into farce. The top three ruling Democrats in the state of Virginia have been accused in rapid succession of racism and sexual assault and are fending off calls to resign. The local party finds itself trapped between the kangaroo courts of identity politics and losing its governing position to the Republicans. The issue that provoked this fiasco, however, has all but disappeared from view. That issue is abortion. Ironically, it would seem that the Democrats are now getting blowback from the race and…

USA

Will black be the answer to US Jews’ diaspora blues?

December 9, 2018December 9, 2018 MelanieAmerica, jews, orthodox, tikkun olam

In a recent speaking tour in the US, I kept coming across Jews who were consumed by anxiety that so many of their young people were turning against Israel. I had encountered such anxiety on previous trips, but this time it was worse than ever before. Their children, they said, were being hoodwinked by bigoted hostility to Israel — wildly ridiculous lies and libels that they were choosing to believe because these formed the default anti-Zionist narrative on campus. What was to be done to reverse this, the parents repeatedly…

Videos

Our crazy world: American hysteria, Brexit, nationalism

November 27, 2018November 27, 2018 MelanieAmerica, brexit, Crazy world, nationalism

Our crazy world: American hysteria, Brexit, nationalism Please join me here as I discuss with Avi Abelow of Israel Unwired the attitudes I encountered on my recent speaking tour in America. We also consider the importance of the idea of the nation and the way this is vilified. And of course, the ongoing crisis over Theresa May’s catastrophic handling of Brexit. Her betrayal of the people’s decision to leave the EU, by agreeing to terms which would deliver Brexit in name only but leave the UK under EU control, is…

USA

The muddled obsessions of progressive American Jews

November 16, 2018November 23, 2018 MelanieAmerica, progressive Jews, trump

Having spent the past week or so in Los Angeles, I have been struck once again by the deep anxiety in the American Jewish community over the intensifying demonization of Israel on campus and over self-styled progressive Jews. I have also been exposed to the even more intense divisions within that community over President Donald Trump. One of the most bizarre conceits among those who hate him is that he’s an antisemite, or at the very least knowingly encourages antisemites. A guest of the Hanukkah celebration at the White House…

Culture wars USA

Judaism under attack: the Orwellian hijack of tikkun olam

August 5, 2018 MelanieAmerica, jews, liberals, tikkun olam

Throughout the west, the left has a big problem with Israel. This much is well established. In America, the Jewish community has a big problem with galloping assimilation, intermarriage and the steady abandonment of Judaism by its children. This much is also now all too obvious. What’s less appreciated is the extent to which the two are symbiotically linked, and the disturbing implications of how that link works. It’s not just that so many Jews are leaving the faith. It’s not just that the loss of connection to Judaism produces…