I Don't Believe In An Afterlife. I

I Can Still Boss People Around. I Can Still Write. I Can Still Read. I Can Still Eat, And I Can Still Have Very Strong Views.

The 60s Were A Continuation Of The 50s Much More Than People Realized. Certainly In Some Countries, Like Britain, There Was Still A Culture Of Deference, Whereas In The 70s We Really Are In A Time Of Angry Transition. The Generation That Came Into Young Adulthood In The 70s Couldn't Find Jobs; That Wasn't True In My Generation. They Entered A Time When Two Depressing Things Hit Them Both At The Same Time.

All Modern U.s. Presidents Are Perforce Politicians, Prisoners Of Their Past Pronouncements, Their Party, Their Constituency, And Their Colleagues.

The East European Small Countries Have A Sense Of Betrayal, Of Having Been Forgotten By Western Leaders.

Judaism For Me Is A Sensibility Of Collective Self-questioning And Uncomfortable Truth-telling. I Feel A Debt Of Responsibility To This Past. It Is Why I Am Jewish.