By the people, for the people, of the people.

I signed up with the reservists protest and did a 3 hour protest vigil yesterday evening in the Modiin shopping center. I got about 80 signatures and had some good conversations with people. I convinced 3 people to change their mind, but most of all I felt that there is strong grass-roots support for reversing the current state of affairs to make Israel a country by the people and for the people instead of corrupt Bolshevik state.

A few asked me what will be gained by forcing Olmert, Perez and Halutz to resign and who will replace them? My answer is that "You and I will replace them. Israel is full of talented people who believe in their country and can get things done".

There is so much wrong with the way this government managed the war and with the way the general staff executed but the real problem is weak and corrupt leadership who have lost their way and who are looking for cheap fixes for root problems.

A million Israelis in bomb shelters for a month or displaced from their homes. Total apathy on the part of the government towards the people up North and refusal to declare a state of emergency. A prime minister committing to bringing back the kidnapped soldiers at the beginning of the war and then spinning us a story for the mentally-retarded about how this was a great victory for Israel. A Minister of Defense trying to bribe his way out of the bind with the reservists who are on a protest vigil - offering them grants and additional compensation. Shameful and insulting to our sensibilies.

The IDF had 6 years to gather intel on Hizbullah arms buildup and preparations to attack Israel. If they knew, then why did the Chief of Staff think it was a 24 hour war. If they didn't know then we're really in deep trouble.

Olmert's corruption and spin cannot change the fact that he and Perez and Halutz are weak and weak leaders resort quickly to violence.

A strong national leadership would have taken a deep breath after the kidnapping and worked out that perhaps Israel was not best served by trying to take on the Hizbullah right now, especially if they intended to do a prisoner exchange anyhow. A strong leadership would step back and think about steps that would improve our national deterrence and strategic posture. They would think about how to win this war against Hizbullah not how to lose it and make the country vulnerable to Iran and Syria, who now realize that not only did they have have great victories 6 years ago when Israel fled from Lebanon and last year in the disengagement but now they know that the Jews can be disgraced in battle.

We will never get the leadership we need without getting back to basics; the basics of democracy, making Israel a country for the people, by the people and of the people.

The biggest barrier to change in this country is inertia, we may have gotten used to the corruption and violence, but we must remember what Thomas Jefferson wrote over 200 years ago:

"We can no longer say there is nothing new under the sun. For this whole chapter in the history of man is new. The mighty wave of public opinion which has rolled over it is new."
--Thomas Jefferson