https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/10/30/the-excluded-middle/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 01:01:53 -0400<![CDATA[Israel has been described as the &#8220;canary in the coalmine&#8221; &#8212; a reference to an actual canary who was kept by miners to serve as an early warning system against the buildup of toxic gases because the canary would sicken before the larger men would &#8212; because it is an example of a liberal Western society facing an existential threat.  One of the questions the Israeli canary can be used to answer is what happens when a society becomes culturally polarized so that each part of it conceives of a different duty to a different nation. Caroline Glick describes the growing threat of a &#8216;Jewish Army&#8217; in Israel.]]>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:27:34 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2008/10/30/the-excluded-middle-n186342