Should America Have Stayed in Afghanistan?

After withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has defeated Afghan forces and taken over the country. Does this prove that the US should have kept its military presence in the region? Or did Biden make the right move? More at NPR.

The American departure may be a moral catastrophe, then, but it is not a strategic failure. The occupation failed years ago.

…so what? The unpleasant optics justify another 20 years of “nation-building” in that godforsaken place?

The central problem behind the sudden collapse of the Afghan government isn’t that the United States withdrew too soon or too hastily, but that it waited too long.

Do You Need a Third Dose of the Covid Vaccine?

As a fourth Covid wave (characterized by rapidly mutating variants) spreads around the world, a debate over the necessity of a third vaccine dose is taking place in the worlds of medicine and public policy. More at Times of Israel.

The third round, the booster, is not yet a definitive remedy for anything. But the world of COVID is a world in which decisions are made as if in the fog of war. Battalions of doctors must advance, and the citizen must decide if he wants to ride with them, of stay behind.

The crucial questions are whether people are getting the right dosage of vaccine for the best protection and whether multiple doses are better than one. These are the questions on which scientists should be focusing their research, and the public should be prepared for vaccination guidelines to shift with that science.

Not everyone needs a supplement booster, but it is very likely that everyone will ultimately need a durability booster: a reminder to our immune system to keep up the good work protecting us from COVID-19, a confirmation that we’re not done with this virus any time soon.

Should America Start Talking About Alleged Israeli Nukes?

In a recent op-ed for the New York Times (below), controversial Jewish columnist Peter Beinart argues that the time has come for America to speak openly about Israel’s alleged secret arsenal of nuclear weapons.

Perhaps a more honest American discussion of Israel’s nuclear arsenal will breathe new life into the distant dream of a nuclear-free Middle East. Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be bracing, after a half-century of lying by omission, simply to hear America’s leaders tell the truth.

He simply wants to deprive Israel of the ability to defend itself. Fact is, the State of Israel has not been attacked by any nation in the region since 1973, primarily because of its enemies’ understanding of its nuclear capabilities.

Iran couldn’t have asked for a better oped. The notion that an ‘honest American discussion of Israel’s nuclear arsenal will breathe new life into the distant dream of a nuclear-free ME’ is naïve. Connecting this to Iran is dangerous but not surprising coming from Beinart.

How Should Israel Respond to Poland’s New Law?

A new “anti-restitution law” in Poland will make it much harder for Holocaust survivors to reclaim property stolen from them in Poland. Israel has announced that it will be recalling its top diplomat in response.

Lapid and the rest of the cabinet members would do well to recognize that Poland is not alone in opposing restitution… many innocent Palestinians were forced to flee in 1948, and since then their homes and land have been expropriated without compensation through the Absentee Property Law.

In one fell swoop, Lapid is wrecking Israel’s relations with one of its most important allies, all to appeal to the “liberal” axis in the EU, the one that is hostile to Israel.

Warsaw needs friends in the international community just as much as Jerusalem does, after all. Enacting anti-Semitic laws is not the way to keep the Jewish state in its corner.

Twitter Talk: Where Is the Outrage for Afghanistan?

A number of Jewish social media activists have noticed a marked difference in the way the world is reacting to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan from the way it reacted to Israel’s most recent conflict with Gaza.

The Squad’s days-long silence on the Taliban taking over Afghanistan is the loudest statement they’ve ever made.

With tremendous ease it was and remains fashionable to spread Jew hate and trendily promote Hamas in the name of “humanitarianism”.

Celebrities, brands, the Squad and their consumers care zilch about Afghanistan or Lebanon. It’s shameless.

Isn’t it fun how everyone seemingly understands the concept of nuance unless Jews are involved?

Should Women Be Skeptical of “Female Viagra?”

A number of libido-enhancing drugs for women have been called “female Viagra” but many come with severe risks of side effects.

Most men experiencing a waning sex drive [.] have an effective, low cost, and easy to access solution in the form of Viagra… For women experiencing a loss of libido, it’s generally a very different story… there has been no approved female equivalent of Viagra, or anything vaguely similar

Everyone I talked to agrees that losing the spark that once kindled enjoyable sex is a real and distressing problem. Some doctors told me that they were glad to have drug options that might help enflame a woman’s lost desire. But Tiefer said in all 40 years as a sex therapist, she has never had a patient complaining of low libido who did not also have physical, emotional, or relationship issues.

There’s no “female Viagra,” but there are a couple of drugs approved to treat sexual dysfunction in certain women. There are many reasons for low sex drive in women. Before taking Viagra or any other medication, discuss it with your doctor. Ask about potential benefits and side effects of these medications.

Today’s Hot Issues

Should America Have Stayed in Afghanistan? Do You Need a Third Dose of the Covid Vaccine? Should America Start Talking About Alleged Israeli Nukes? How Should Israel Respond to Poland’s New Law? Twitter Talk: Where Is the Outrage for Afghanistan? Should Women Be Skeptical of “Female Viagra?”