Arnold Rosen

Regarding your op-ed in the print edition of my NYT, I commend you for tackling the unpleasant issue of the paucity of black students at highly competitive high schools like Stuyvesant, which solely (and ‘blindly’) rely on standardized achievement tests like the SHSAT for admission. My granddaughter, who graduated a few years ago from Stuy, decided to take the test and leave a privileged Jewish day school because she wanted the diversity and challenge her fellow Stuy classmates offered. She found it and loved her experience. I am a neoconservative who hated to see racists take the raw numbers as proof that “analytical reasoning required by standardized tests is incompatible with blackness”. However, you explain that other confounding variables are present that dramatically and understandably shrink the pool of potential black applicants to these schools; like the fact that numerous programs early identify and sift out promising black students in public and parochial schools in order to funnel them into “scholarship programs at private schools, boarding schools and parochial schools intended to increase the diversity of their privileged student bodies”. I wasn't fully aware of that; I'm glad you found that to be the case; and thank you for the rigor of your analysis. My only qualm is your using Charles Murray as a punching bag for fighting racism. While reading Murray is controversial, (and taboo in some places), I’ve never found him to expound racist ideas. In my view, to say otherwise is unfair.

A lot of people out there think it's just inappropriate to make Black kids take a standardized test. Quite a few who think that are Black, and some even say it out straight. One of them is quite famous and wears dreadlocks. 1. They're wrong. 2. Do these people realize they sound just like the crowd who shout to the heavens that Black people are the world's dimmest (ON AVERAGE, blah blah - yes, but still)? nytimes.com/2026/07/16/opi…

[Groan…] I thought I knew who Gideon Levy was, but I wasn’t sure so I asked Grok: “How would you describe the political outlook of Gideon Levy, who writes for Haaretz in Israel?” Grok’s answer verified what I would have guessed: "He's a staunchly left-wing Israeli journalist known for fiercely criticizing Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. He calls himself a patriotic Israeli but argues that the country has become morally blind to the suffering it causes. Levy used to back a two-state solution but now supports a single democratic state between the river and the sea. He also backs boycotting Israel itself to pressure it to end the occupation." Apparently, the televising of Levy, the interviewee, has provoked the Egyptian media to bar Qassem, the interviewer, from appearing anywhere. It accuses him of violating “the code of [Egyptian] professional ethics”, and has pulled the interview from all platforms. From what I can see, Egyptian society is very quick to profess a preference for the West over Islamism, as represented by Iran and its proxies. Will they ever find the courage to stand up against the loud populist Islamic Brotherhood “Street”? Will the “Street” ever begin to modify its fanatic irrational ideology? [Groan…]

EGYPTIAN TV CHANNEL FACES BACKLASH OVER INTERVIEW WITH ISRAELI JOURNALIST An Egyptian TV channel is under fire after interviewing Israeli journalist Gideon Levy. The interviewer has been suspended pending an ethics investigation, and the interview was removed following public outrage. During the interview, Levy called Israel “an extremist terrorist state,” while also stating that Israelis do not view Sinai as belonging to Egypt, sparking further backlash.

All I can surmise about you is that you know Farsi and are knowledgeable about Iran. Your IP places you in France, and considering your age, what you’ve written to me, and your work, I would estimate that you’re very intelligent, have an excellent command of English, and are capable of logical thought. So, that narrows the possibilities to two: (1) you’re some kind of Iranian expat, or (2) you’re a member of the Iranian Secret Service trolling for people like me. I think the second possibility is unlikely, (I’m of no value for the effort), but unfortunately, I have to keep it in mind as in the realm of possibility. With that in mind, I’ll ask you a question. Today, I heard on Fox News that the vast majority of the Iranian population do not want the present government to be in power. They want to eliminate the fanatical ideology that rules the government and the society. Would you agree with that statement? A ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would seemingly answer my concern as to whom I am having a dialogue.

I am a civil engineer. My main experience is in the execution and management of civil engineering projects. This profession has taught me to approach complex issues based on data, analysis, and existing realities — an approach that I also try to apply when discussing social and geopolitical topics.

In Iran, we are dealing with civilian leaders whose predecessors patiently sweet-talked successive US administrations into acquiescing to Iran’s nuclear-weapons project.  Those who want to defy us militarily simply ignore what is negotiated. These sweet-talkers don’t have weapons, or control over the nuclear program, but the others do.  Hence the chaos in the Gulf. wsj.com/opinion/iran-i…

(I have to admit that I was surprised you followed me back; I wasn’t expecting that.) I will grant you that PressTV is anything *but* ‘diverse, independent, and unbiased’, but it’s in English and you can’t tell me it doesn’t reflect today's mindset of the Iranian ruling class… and that’s my focus, not Iran’s thousands of years of history. I have deep respect for Iranian ‘civilization’, and I accept the standard formulation, that aside from Israel, there are only 3 other countries in the Middle East — Iran, Turkey and Egypt — the rest are just tribes with flags (and possibly oil). And in the last 50 years, Egypt hasn’t really been much of a player. My ‘footprint’ on the Internet is pretty open for inspection. I see that you post both in English and in Farsi, which Google translates. What type of civil engineer are you? Are you open to defend your point of view on the Internet in public?

I suggest studying Iranian society, culture, and mindset through diverse, independent, and unbiased sources. Understanding a civilization with thousands of years of history cannot be achieved through the narrative of a single media outlet. Iran requires studying its history, culture, literature, and people’s lived experiences.

Indeed, you are correct -- no human being (particularly psychiatrists) are capable of self-recognizing that their thoughts and beliefs are delusional. For years, I have been reading PressTV regularly, (including reader's comments), to sample and test the prevailing Iranian psyche. In that spirit, I will start following you on X. (Should be interesting.)

@ArosenDoc @AmbJohnBolton Even psychiatrists, like anyone else, may sometimes need the guidance and support of a fellow psychiatrist.

@JSchanzer The psychiatrist in me wonders whether podhoretz’s image today of being trapped on a bipolar roller coaster (Trumps mind) is less metaphor than Occam’s razor reality. Scary.

You think?

Latest headline from Lebanon (Naharnet). Lebanon has always felt unable to act against Hezbollah, despite the fact that it has been destroying Lebanon by refusing to accept defeat. Hezbollah unleashed its lethal force against another (stronger) country, Israel, thinking (without reason, with delusion?) that it possessed the power to override a fundamental law of nature, like gravity. In Israel’s case, that fundamental law is ‘self-preservation’; and in Israel’s particular case, one death will evoke a massacre and an actual massacre (like October 7th) will lead others to accuse it unfairly of genocide — what else would one expect if Hezbollah’s ideology insists on martyrdom before surrender. Perhaps Lebanon is moving to accept the fact that only it can flip the switch to take away Hezbollah’s arms before putting it in the ‘quiet room’ — or else it will fracture and break into cantons. Others may help afterwards, but others can’t flip the switch for Lebanon. A Hobson’s choice is never easy to accept.

A few readers may recognize a recurring theme in my writing: taking an ordinary subject and examining it closely enough that it becomes something else. The essay is illustrated with original photographs and includes the complete frying process from potato to finished product. docrosen.substack.com/p/artisanal-fr…

At age 83, I spent weeks conducting experiments on French fries: Temperature, Oil, Potato varieties, Timing, Photography, Notes. The result was not really about French fries. It became an essay about curiosity and the pleasures of careful observation. It led into the fragility of memory. Artisanal French Fries: A Meditation and Photo Essay docrosen.substack.com/p/artisanal-fr…

A few readers may recognize a recurring theme in my writing: taking an ordinary subject and examining it closely enough that it becomes something else. The essay is illustrated with original photographs and includes the complete frying process from potato to finished product. docrosen.substack.com/p/artisanal-fr…

For several weeks I became obsessed with a question: Can an ordinary home cook make truly exceptional French fries? What began as a kitchen experiment turned into a meditation on craftsmanship, observation, trial-and-error, memory and forgeting, and the satisfaction of doing one small thing well. My newest Substack: Artisanal French Fries: A Meditation and Photo Essay docrosen.substack.com/p/artisanal-fr…

This interview was recorded after Al-Arouri's death (1/2/2024), so I find it more of a psychiatric exploration of an ideological delusion than than a replay of political opinions. Al-Arouri was behind many terror attacks and played a big role in 'October 7th'. The U.S. had designated him a terrorist in 2015 and offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. For this Fatah official to hold these beliefs about Al-Arouri and what constitutes 'catastrophe' for the Palestinians - [how about culture and 'mindset'?] - is indicative of why this conflict goes on and on. See my Substack, open.substack.com/pub/docrosen/p…

Fatah Official Jibril Rajoub: After a Century, Palestinians Now Have Opportunity to Confront the “Malignant Cancer” of Israel; Hamas Leader Saleh Al-‘Arouri Was a “Loss” to Palestinian National Movement

Here is where I believe things presently stand between Iran and the U.S. It’s on my Substack Notes. @arnoldr/note/c-267489681" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">substack.com/@arnoldr/note/…

New Note on Substack: thoughts on Iran, ideology, and why some conflicts may not respond to traditional diplomacy. substack.com/profile/245428…

I have a new 'musing' on Tyre and Lebanon. @arnoldr" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">substack.com/@arnoldr

Mojtaba Khamenei, in saying Israel will soon cease to exist, echoes exactly the words of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 that changed the game when it came to dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Not the thing you say when you want a "deal."

@VerminusM This cartoon connects to my larger exploration of cognition, memory, ideology, and the computer as a “second brain.” More of this and other stuff at: Brain, Bit, and Beyond docrosen.substack.com/?utm_source=ch…

@VerminusM <== Western Mindset Functional Units vs. IRGC Mindset Functional Units ==>

Perfect.

@sfrantzman If you watched Godfather II, you'd realize that the revolution 'succeeded' at the end of 1959 when Batista was run out of Havana. However, Fidel Castro first became prominent and began the revolution after his failed attack on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953.

Ummm? 1959 was the Revolution no