https://www.yahoo.com/news/richard-secord-retired-air-force-155848925.html
For those of us who remember the Iran-Contra Scandal and followed and studied the story of American clandestine operations during Vietnam and after - the name Richard Secord is well known. He was the consummate spook, an intelligence operative that was involved in some pretty amazing if sordid stuff.
https://theaquilareport.com/is-america-part-of-christendom/
There seems to be virtually an endless stream of articles like this - trying to tweak definitions or steer the conversation, but always missing the point.
I was in a coffee shop and noticed a copy of the Sunday edition (13 April 2025) of the New York Times. While perusing it, I came across a large ad placed by one Eileen Hamilton. It contains two columns, one reads 'Putin' and the other 'Hitler' meant to tease out analogies and make direct comparisons. It got my attention.
https://julieroys.com/aaron-renn-might-be-right-christians-face-negative-world-but-is-it-new/
After months of hearing on the radio and from podcasts and pulpits about 'the negative world' and Aaron Renn's interpretive paradigm, it's refreshing to discover at least a few voices that recognize his narrative as problematic.
https://www.propublica.org/article/mike-johnson-evangelical-pastor-steve-berger-roommates
Given
Berger's penchant and drive for Dominionist political activism, the
claim that he and Mike Johnson don't discuss policy is not credible.
Also, given that Berger is obviously connected (and this explains the
reason why Johnson stays there), the claim is even less believable.
Such arrangements are strategic - not expressions of generosity or
mere hospitality. And it's not because Berger thinks Johnson is just a great guy.
Though this story dates from February it is still relevant and still a source of concern. Increasingly Western governments are equating anti-Israel and anti-Zionist speech with being pro-Hamas and tantamount to expressing support for that democratically elected political organisation.
Listening to American Family Radio (AFR) in March, I caught a story about Ramadan fast-breaking being held at Windsor Castle. As expected the story was misrepresented. They were invited by Charles - though not without controversy. He is well known as an advocate of inter-religious and ecumenical projects. For some this is controversial as he is officially the 'Defender of the Faith' as head of the Church of England.
I heard one Chinese analyst speak truthfully - the end-game of these tariffs is war. Hopefully a 'deal' can be reached long before then but Trump's moves are a form of warfare - even if the bullets aren't flying yet.
I'm sure many readers have already seen these headlines about Evangelical funding being cut by DOGE - and no doubt many caught the fact that there's something poetic about these developments.
Marcos has committed his country to the path of war, and yet is this really what the people of the Philippines want? Do they understand what it will mean when the US has bases there - when it stages missiles batteries there?
This interview was informative to a point. It was also striking in that it attempted to spin the HTS takeover of Syria. The US Establishment is so ecstatic that Assad is gone, they are willing to spin the situation in order to assuage public fears. While Robert Worth suggested Israel is less than pleased - as demonstrated by their seizure of territory beyond the Golan Heights, and the numerous strikes to cripple that nation's military capability, I still felt like the whole question of Jolani/al-Sharaa was viewed through an Israeli lens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derna_dam_collapses
https://www.declassifieduk.org/why-the-media-arent-telling-the-whole-story-of-libyas-floods/
Since these events took place in 2023, it might as well be ancient history. Apart from those who follow the Middle East, this story was ignored and is by now largely forgotten.
But to ignore this is a mistake. Likewise if one wants to understand what's happening today in Sudan, Ethiopia, and what is brewing in South Sudan, the history needs to be revisited. Contemporary events cannot be understood otherwise.
https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Do-the-Chinese-really-want-Siberia-62318.html
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3654427-does-china-have-designs-on-siberia/
There is nothing particularly profound or revelatory in this article but it's worth considering and filing away. The issue of resources and the Russian Far East have come up before in history. There were those in Imperial Japan who coveted these lands and had an opportunity to invade from their colony of Manchukuo (the conquered realms of Manchuria) in the 1930's. In fact after the German invasion of the USSR in June of 1941, Stalin hesitated to bring the desperately needed troops from Siberia to the West, as he believed the Japanese would invade - something Berlin was very keen for them to do.
I was recently spending some time with an older man from a nearby town that I've known for many years. I've mentioned him before in other articles. He's one of those old blue-collar types that really has only one religion - America. He worships the flag, troops, firefighters, and law-enforcement. When I first knew him back in the 1990's, he liked Bill Clinton and supported Gore in the 2000 election. He's lax when it comes to morality in terms of things like homosexuality and abortion and yet takes a pretty hardline view when it comes to work ethic, foreign policy, and the like. He's pro-union if that even matters any more.
I was looking at the website of one of Scott Brown's upcoming conferences on Christian Entrepreneurship. It was the usual fare from these Agrarian-Dominionist Theonomic types. I've seen it all before. I decided to look up the background and credentials on the speakers and I noticed one has the last name of Botkin which is well known in those circles. The Botkin girls in particular have generated a great deal of attention.
The battle continues over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The courts in some cases resist the attempts to shut it down - in other cases the courts are facilitating its termination.
This story broke in December 2024 in connection with the fall of the Assad regime. CNN was caught red-handed in a lie. The whole thing was a set-up. One has to wonder how many other such episodes take place? It is certain though that it's getting harder to pull off. Amid all the negatives, it's certainly one of the positives of the Internet Age.
The other day I was working within range of the American Family Radio (AFR) signal and I caught some of Todd Herman's show. He suggested the globalists had taken over American foreign policy and that the United States had been actively involved in the manipulation of Ukrainian politics. He pulled out material and clips from 2014 of Victoria Nuland and others to make his point. It was almost like I was listening to Democracy Now or The Grayzone.
Meloni's policy has mostly been to tack toward the centre, which has given her great credibility and standing within the EU Establishment. But as the article points out, there's still a very ugly Right-wing side to her domestic policy. Politically it's brilliant as it doesn't allow domestic rivals like Matteo Salvini to outflank her, but I think it's also indicative of her true colours and the nature of her political pedigree.
https://www.saintstephenslutheranchurch.org/single-post/2019/08/14/where-does-religion-come-from
Virtually every time I turn on NPR there's an add for the 'Hidden Brain' show - I think it must be quite popular. Just from the clips they play, it's evident to me the show attempts to wrestle with various thought-related conundrums from an entirely materialistic standpoint. It is (needless to say) utterly godless in its approach to knowledge, ethics, existence, meaning, and a host of other questions. You are your brain - humans are just a mass of cells, and the attempt to extrapolate some kind of meaning, purpose, ethics, or hope from this model is an exercise in futility. In other words, the show is a waste of time.
https://www.patriotacademy.com/the-patriot-experience/
I am sorry to report that I have found this filth being promoted on Christian websites. If you click the 'about us' tab you'll find they believe they're promoting a Biblical Worldview.
I'm afraid this episode of Fresh Air typifies the increasing divide in American news coverage. No sober thinking person (let alone a Spirit-filled one) can possibly appreciate the manipulative and superficial quality of Right-wing media outlets such as FOX and Newsmax. And yet this episode of Fresh Air (which had every reason and opportunity to be interesting) proved tiresome and I became more fixated on the liberal materialist assumptions of the interviewer and guest than the actual issues being discussed.
This story is fascinating on several levels and yet there's something rotten about it. Even after reading the 43 page indictment, it doesn't add up.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/19/graham-military-action-iran-nuclear-program-00199181
This story has almost been lost in the flurry of events over the past month but the issue is still live and the bomb-loving Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is still pressing for a strike on Iran.
https://calthomas.com/2025/02/whom-to-blame-for-the-crisis/
Unfortunately I must report that Cal Thomas is still producing commentaries and this one appeared in our local newspaper the other day.
It's a case of classic bait-and-switch tactics. He ignores the issues surrounding the Constitutional Crisis and instead ventures down a dishonest rabbit trail of revisionism and spin. In other words, it's classic Cal Thomas.
This piece was written before Trump even took office and yet it has proven prescient - to a point. You won't read or hear about any of this on the FOX channel. Visiting their website is like a trip to fantasy-land - they are completely detached and divorced from the reality that the rest of the world sees and is dealing with.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/daniel-penny-vigilante-racist-jesus-good-samaritan.html
In the flurry of recent news this story has already been all but forgotten. Daniel Penny received some additional press when (after his acquittal) the then Vice-President-elect JD Vance invited him to a football game.
Contemporary Dominionists are using the Thomistic concept of Ordo Amoris in order to justify their nationalism - which is idolatry. Since Vance made his statements, there have been a rash of articles offering support and praise for both him and the concept - many of them issued from Reformed pens.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/24/trump-pete-hegseth-extremism
Hegseth first appeared on my radar under the first Trump administration as one of the voices defending American war crimes. The post-9/11 world has been a veritable golden age for US Special Forces and the growing lack of restraint coupled with psychopathic behaviour has led to some serious concern within the Pentagon. It's something I wrote about in 2020:
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2020/01/trump-1079-military-schisms-legality-of.html
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/11/g-s1-48112/john-bolton-greenland-national-security
I've been touching on this lately - but here's another example. The mainstream media (following the DNC) is tacking Right when it comes to economic and foreign policy issues.
https://americanreformer.org/2024/12/what-is-happening-in-germany/
This article typifies the misunderstanding on the part of the American Right with regard to the rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, its values, and its political platform.
We all knew that Trump was going to tear NATO apart. After less than a month in office the process has already begun in earnest. I watched coverage of the Vance speech in US media and let's just say they're not covering the real scope and impact of what the vice-president said - let alone the response or the larger context going back to the first Trump administration and before.
In keeping with the Establishment, DNC and media's shift to the Right (on certain issues) the once discredited pariah and pseudo-historian Jonah Goldberg is now mainstream and frequently appears on NPR. His 'liberal fascism' narrative continues to tickle Right-wing ears and though prima facie false, it is conveniently ignored by the Democrats and media who have at this point in time all but embraced the ideology of the Neo-Conservatives and their foreign policy.
This linked article comes from a Turkish news source. As expected this Wikileaks revelation isn't getting a lot of coverage in the West.
Some are happy to see USAID collapse because of it ties to US intelligence operations. The article (in the AKP-aligned news outlet) mentions Soros and yet a closer read of the historical record reveals that far from being some agent of Internationalist Globalism or Socialism, George Soros was one of the American Empire's 'point' men in the 1980's and 1990's in Eastern Europe. As soon as the Berlin Wall came down, the US sought to consolidate power in Eastern Europe and worked with Soros and many others to subvert politics, create political parties, and spread money around to quickly shift the former Warsaw Pact nations into the EU and NATO. It was highly successful and played no small role in today's tensions with Moscow.
The Trump administration has made the news recently with regard to South Africa and White farmers. I've been following the coverage and I must say I've found it frustrating. I think many outlets have more or less answered and/or explained the misleading nature of Trump's charges. A little more context would be helpful but such endeavours take time.
I recently heard one of the weekly Scripture-twisters on Christian radio attempt to defend Trump's immigration policies by appealing to Acts 17 when Paul on the Areopagus states that:
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
The right-wing lobbyist in question argues that since God set the 'bounds of their habitation' that therefore nations (and apparently nationalism) are legitimate and so therefore a draconian border policy (including deportations to Guantanamo Bay) is not only permissible but perhaps even some kind of duty or moral imperative.
As Ali Abunimah of the Electronic Intifada was being detained and ultimately deported from Switzerland for his 'Anti-Semitic' views, Moran Gez the Israeli prosecutor has publicly admitted they have no evidence to suggest that rape occurred in connection with the 7 October 2023 attacks.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/make-america-godly-again-the-maga-america-needs-now.html
Somehow we are to believe that godliness is cultivated by means of lies and the promotion of myths. I call this woman a witch because she teaches rebellion against God and weaves an ear-tickling eye-candy miasma of sorcerous deceit in order to win over true believers to her false Babel religion which is dressed up to look like Christianity. She is to be pitied because she is lost.
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1/10/jimmy_carter_indonesia_east_timor_genocide
The American support for Indonesia's genocide in East Timor is usually associated with Ford and Kissinger. The invasion famously began the day after Air Force One left Jakarta in December 1975. The Americans were fully aware of what Suharto was planning and many would go further and point to evidence suggesting the US encouraged the invasion. East Timor like Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea were Portuguese colonies up for grabs with the collapse of the dictatorship in the so-called Carnation Revolution of 1975.
In late November, Romania's presidential election resulted in Calin Georgescu winning the first round with 23% of the vote. He stood poised to win the second (run-off) round and yet before this could happen, the state intervened and annulled the election. After battles in the courts, it was decided that entirely new elections would take place in May of 2025. It is unclear as to whether or not Georgescu will be allowed to run again - even though he continues to lead in every poll.
https://religionnews.com/2024/11/14/elise-stefanik-jews-united-nations/
I recommend this article because even though it's far more pro-Israel than I would be, and far more critical of Anti-Zionism than I think warranted, the author nevertheless is sceptical of Elise Stefanik and her supposedly pro-Jewish credentials.
We will return at a later date to Franklin Graham's Balaam-inspired blasphemies and the Trump administration's plan to weaponize the justice department - the very opposite of what's being promised.
Gabbard was one of those interesting people that captured a lot of attention from the Left and within Alternative Media circles for her opposition to the war in Syria and her general scepticism regarding US foreign policy at the time. It was the second or late phase of the War on Terror - the fallout from the Arab Spring, the campaigns in Syria and Libya, and the war against ISIS. She was a backer of Bernie Sanders and generally speaking had become a pariah to the DNC Establishment. The GOP viewed her as something akin to a traitor.
This story of attempted assassination has all but dropped out of the news even while pro-Morales protests continue in Bolivia. It would seem that a Morales return remains a threat and as such he's been targeted. But by whom?
https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstan-authorities-seek-expanded-powers-to-regulate-religious-affairs
This new set of laws is in keeping with everything we've come to expect with the authoritarian states of Central Asia which emerged with the fall of the Soviet Union. The Eurasianet article is incorrect. Kyrgyzstan is not a secular society at all, but rather one in which Islam is the officially favoured religion with other traditional groups (such as Eastern Orthodoxy) tolerated.
The news broke today regarding a Gaza ceasefire. Let us pray that it holds true. I reflected for a moment when someone pointed out how the fire devastation in Los Angeles has struck a chord with the American public. The pictures look not unlike the devastation in Gaza which is many magnitudes greater - but it doesn't impact the American public the same way. There's no comparison. It makes one think doesn't it?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/7/indonesia-joins-brics-group-of-emerging-economies
Even as the US seeks to expand its Eastern footprint and re-establish and strengthen military ties with Indonesia - the new Prabowo regime is seeking a path of triangulation.
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/11/05/israel-blackmail-the-presidents/
Not a few historians, analysts, and commentators wonder just who is in charge? Who is calling the shots in terms of the US-Israel relationship? At times it almost seems like Israel has the upper hand and steers the American ship - at least with regard to Middle Eastern policy.
Right-wing and Evangelical media are already lavishing praise on Trump for the supposed stability that he's bringing to the world order. In the latest episode of delusion, these factions believe that Trump stands for stability and calm and that the US is respected while he stands at the helm.
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/04/nx-s1-5123626/christian-nationalist-election-workers-lance-wallnau
I know - everyone is tired of the 2024 US election. I'm no exception, but as the dust settles it helps to consider all the angles in order to understand what happened and why - especially in the context of the Church. This will help us (the Church) to understand what's coming in the years ahead.
It was something to see, a historic moment I thought. To see German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (along with French counterpart Barrot) walking about Damascus with HTS leader al-Julani should have generated a media buzz - but it didn't. The media is to be blamed for this lack of response - they have lulled the Western public to sleep.
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/10/18/police-escalate-britians-war-on-independent-journalism/
The recent Israel-Gaza War has been eye-opening. We're literally witnessing the normalizing of a genocide. I feel it's something of a watershed. This sort of butchery has taken place before - in Vietnam for example. And while everyone talks about the media's role in reporting that war and supposedly undermining it, the truth is they barely scratched the surface. The fact that their on-the-ground reporting was (and is) considered controversial by some is a testimony to how well conditioned the public was up to that point. It was not adversarial (by my estimations) but just the reporting and the footage was enough to upset the public and lead to a questioning.
https://rainforestjournalismfund.org/projects/army-jesus
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/rise-narco-militia-pentecostal-brazil-en/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/10/cpac-argentina-milei-maga-trump-musk
This is disturbing but not at all surprising. And given that within a decade Brazil will likely have the largest Evangelical population on the planet - it's a moment for sober reflection.
I picked up Timothy Egan's A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of Faith, because I have enjoyed such travel books in the past. Years ago I read many of HV Morton's travel works, particularly those in the 1930's and enjoyed the narrative, historical information, and the style of writing. Morton was not a Christian (that I could see) but was clearly interested in Christianity and its place in history.
This is just one of the endless outrages and hypocrisies associated with this war. One of the many war crimes ignored by the West as Israel pursues it genocidal campaign in Gaza.
https://www.politico.eu/politico-28-class-of-2025/
As expected, Giorgia Meloni is ranked as the most powerful person in Europe. When Angela Merkel stepped down it was Macron's time but he squandered it and was sidelined by his own domestic troubles. Meloni has (in part) triangulated the Right and as such stayed within the fold of the EU Establishment. At the same time her triangulation has allowed her to stay within the sphere of elements far to her Right but most importantly of all - she has successfully shifted the EU itself to the Right. Ursula von der Leyen has embraced Meloni for her own political survival.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/opinion/the-brief-europes-guantanamo/
Syria has been out of everyone's mind for a number of years and as such the public has forgotten about these prisoners - tens of thousands of ISIS members and affiliates still held in prison camps. The article is absolutely correct in pointing out that the Turkish backed militias could lead the Kurds to abandon these camps and thousands of these Salafist fighters could be once more on the loose.
https://reihotakeuchi.substack.com/p/the-new-japanese-prime-ministers
Ishiba who assumed the office of prime minister in October is important because he represents new thinking in terms of Japan's role in the Asia-Pacific and its relationship with the United States. A member of the Far-Right Nippon Kaigi faction (which has a significant presence in the ruling LDP), he seems to represent two tendencies - one, to strengthen Japan's relationship with Washington and build a NATO-type alliance in the Pacific, and two, resentment of US domination and a wish for Japan to re-establish its autonomy and take its place among the great powers.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/04/senators-response-chinese-hack-us-telecoms-00192728
Just as Trump prepares to enter office, the Blue Team, the Anti-China lobby has been given a gift. It's now confirmed that Beijing has been engaged in a major hacking/surveillance project within the United States. The Right-wing is calling for retaliation.
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/10/16/gaza_doctor
https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-doctors-gaza
Eighty years after World War II we have an army (ironically a Jewish one) behaving very much like the Nazis, and yet those who protest its actions and conduct are condemned and castigated for their immorality. The mainstream media supports this army and writes apologias for it and in some cases when it cannot stop the story - it censors photos or does whatever it can to soften the effect and the public's ability to perceive the nature and extent of Israeli war crimes.
