I Read James Risen. Ed Snowden Told Me To.

In Laura Poitras' excellent documentary CitizenFour, NSA leaker Edward Snowden mentions how much he admires investigative journalist James Risen.

Neither Snowden nor Risen is any kind of leftist.  Risen is the national security reporter for the New York Times, for God's sake!  He was one of two reporters for The Times who in 2005 broke the news that Mr. Bush’s government had conducted warrantless wiretapping of American citizens. Bush hated that, but Risen kept right on reporting.

Now, Risen faces a possible prison term because he refuses to name the sources inside the CIA who helped him reveal a failed plot to give flawed and misleading nuclear blueprints to Iran.  If you want to know the full story, read chapter nine of Risen's 2006 book State of War--a book the U.S. government tried to suppress.

I'll be reviewing the book this coming week.

4 Ways New England Democrats Can Lead the Country

"D.C. power shift another blow to influence of New England, " reads today's headline in the Boston Globe. "Region's Democrats will be marginalized in GOP-run Congress."

It doesn't have to be that way. Here's how New England Democrats can make a huge difference over the next two years.

One: join the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Every single one of you. Michael Capuano, Katherine Clark, Joe Kennedy, Jim McGovern, and Bernie Sanders are already members. The rest of you New England Democrats should follow their lead.

Two: set your own agenda. Draft bills, create a budget, and use your mailing lists, email, speaking engagements and media appearances to tell the American public what you would do instead.

Three: talk about big ideas. For God's sake, this is New England, home of the educated and opinionated! Put that visionary thinking to good use. Let people know what America should look like. They already like your policies: they just don't know what you stand for. Make it clear.

And finally, on regional issues, make alliances.  Get together with Minnesota and Alaska to protect heating assistance. Get together with West Coast fisheries to protect East Coast fisheries too. Practice politics--which is a lot more than the art of getting re-elected.

Sulk for two years and the Republicans will win Congress again. Do these four things and you can not only win back Congress in 2016: you can make that victory matter.

To every age there is a blessing

Gary Fischman chose the perfect poem from Ronald Fischman's upcoming book to read at the funeral.

to every age

to every age there is a blessing
to the young hope is given
to the middle-aged, strength is given
to the old wisdom
each child blooms brightly, but
fades not, rather transforms,
being shown a mirror, perceives
a never-ending highway
evolving into his journey every
youth radiates his blessing
attracting strength for what’s at hand
attracting allies for what lies hidden
spectra interstice, multiply,
reinforce (this is called love).
multiplication is not addition
subtraction, like breaking, is called loss.
even loss can be gain because
with loss may come healing
with healing may come growth
with growth may come courage
when mist swallows the highway
and the rainbow thins to slivers
the product of life, love, and learning
survives though no longer visible

Happy Holidays--All of Them

Sending holiday greetings to your customers and community is a great way to let them know you’re thinking of them. But not everyone celebrates the same holidays.

What holidays are coming up over the next month? Some you may never have heard of!  Please read:

http://dennisfischman.com/2014/09/11/sharing-the-seasons-greetings-with-your-community-2/

Three Rules for Interfaith Dialogue

I was blown away to find that the Christian theologian had so clearly put into words the basic ground rules for really trying to understand another person's religion.

(1) When trying to understand another religion, you should ask the adherents of that religion and not its enemies.

(2) Don't compare your best to their worst.

(3) Leave room for “holy envy.”

By (3) Stendahl meant that you should be willing to recognize elements in another religious tradition or faith, elements you admire and wish might find greater scope in your own religious tradition or faith.

http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2010/05/krister-stendahls-three-rules-of-religious-understanding.html