Mort Laitner

The Quagmire

“Moshe, did you know that liberal American Jews are stuck in a quagmire?”

“Are you talking about the pervert on Family Guy?” Mordechai asked.

“No,” Moshe replied with a laugh.

“Then are you talking about the expression the media used during the Vietnam War, when they kept saying, ‘America is stuck in a quagmire in Vietnam’?”

“Exactly. That’s the one. I’m talking about liberal American Jews who feel trapped without a political home. On one hand, many can’t support Trump because they believe he represents values fundamentally at odds with their own, despite his strong support for Israel. On the other hand, they see a growing number of progressive Democrats—people like that self-hating Jew, Bernie Sanders, or that f’ing anti-Semitic mayor in New York City, Mamdani, or that witch,  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—calling for policies that, in their view, would weaken or even end U.S. support for Israel. To them, that raises an unsettling question about Israel’s long-term security.”

“Yeah, they’re caught in a real dilemma—a complex and precarious one. It’s like being trapped in quicksand. The harder you struggle to get out, the deeper you sink. They’ve lost the political party they once called home, yet they can’t bring themselves to embrace the alternative. Politically speaking, they’re homeless.”

“Do you think they’ll stay home on Election Day—keeping both their hands and their wallets to themselves?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Mordechai said. “But it wouldn’t surprise me.”

“The sad part,” Moshe said, “is that many liberal American Jews have always believed that every political problem has a solution. This time, they may be facing one that has no easy answer. They’re stuck in a quagmire, and if a solution exists at all, it may be a long time before it appears.”

About the Author
Mort Laitner is a writer, storyteller, and lifelong observer of the wonderfully unpredictable human condition. His writing combines humor, Jewish wit, personal experience, and a healthy dose of curiosity about the rapidly changing world around us. A South Florida writer and longtime member of the writing community, Mort writes about everything from technology and artificial intelligence to Israel, Jewish life, aging, friendship, and the everyday absurdities of modern life. His stories often begin with a simple question—and then take the reader somewhere unexpected. Mort believes that good writing should make readers laugh, think, and occasionally say, “I never thought about it that way.” His work has appeared in The Times of Israel and in literary publications and anthologies. Whether writing about Moshe and Mordechai arguing over the latest news, an encounter with artificial intelligence, or the peculiarities of getting older, Mort brings his distinctive voice, humor, and humanity to every story.
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