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Daily Lyric: ISMISM

Updated: Jul 25, 2023

Judaism lamaism

rabbinism mosaism

hebraism protestantism

yankeeism hasidism

zionism communism

arabism capitalism

papalism moralism

racialism socialism

pluralism loyalism

royalism cynicism

paganism satanism

feminism darwinism

classicism mysticism

occultism philosophism

rationalism nationalism

liberalism conservatism

democratism republicanism

epicureanism catholicism

asceticism agnosticism

patriotism atheism

progressivism imperialism

conventionalism universalism

americanism mohammedanism

antidisestablishmentarianism

Archaism commercialism

vandalism conformism

feudalism fatalism

pessimism cretinism

egotism barbarism

plagiarism nihilism

dogmatism despotism

puritanism fanaticism

Foolism stupidism

tipishism yutzmachism

shverheitism shpinkism

pishachsism scheisism

upheavalism restlessism

cataclysm doomsdayism

eulogism anachronism

bye-bye-no-moreism

Abolitionism Ismism

Pre-Emptivism Disasterism

©2023 The Hesh Inc.


"IZ'm," entry in the indispensable Poet's Manual and Rhyming Dictionary by Frances Stillman, 1965.
Too many isms and schisms.

This was written in 1987 as I sat in the sentry booth of my military base north of Jerusalem late one night, or rather early one morning, pondering the state of the world and all the political and religious "ISMs" that people held so close to their hearts that they would kill and die for them. It would be easy for me to make a blanket statement and say that ANY "ism" worth killing or dying for is NOT worth killing and dying for, but I don't believe it is exactly like that; I believe that any "ism" that is carried so far as to make one feel as if they have to kill or die for is not an "ism" worth holding on to. TOO MUCH of any of these and they become lethal.

Let this stand as a strong word of caution in these incendiary days of partisan tribalism, economic uncertainty, judicial reform in Israel, and rising international tensions. G-d help us all.

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