Utilitarianism and the So-Called Culture of Life

I was disappointed but hardly surprised to find that a local 'Bible-believing' church leader posted anti-Covid material on Facebook.

In this case he couldn't believe the 'libtards' made such a big deal about a virus that only had a .004% death rate.

The Ukraine War: A Double Windfall for Western Capitalism

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20230109-macron-s-pension-reform-necessary-changes-to-an-unsustainable-system

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50670613

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/macron-boosts-french-military-spending-by-over-a-third-to-transform-army/ar-AA16z12S

This double windfall for capitalism is most clearly demonstrated by recent events in France. President Macron has announced pension reform. He argues (contrary to the numbers) that the present system is unsustainable and as such he wants to raise the minimum retirement age and expand the contribution requirement resulting in lower payouts for some. The money just isn't there, he argues.

The Wagner Group, Africa, and Western Media

Russia's Wagner Group has been in the news a lot lately. It's painted as the ultimate evil – indeed all mercenary groups fall under that label. And interestingly many of the charges levied at Wagner could also be brought against organisations such as Blackwater (or whatever name it goes by these days), as well as DynCorp, Aegis, Paladin, and many others. Western media is particularly determined to paint Wagner with the darkest of hues and I don't doubt they're a nasty bunch. Whether some have prison records or not makes little difference. There are myriad American soldiers and veterans that are criminals whether or not they've ever been convicted by a court of law.

A Ukraine Miscellany XVI: Covering up Ukrainian Corruption and the Black Market Boom

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2022/12/9/russia-ukraine-live-news-west-is-exploiting-ukraine-putin

https://www.euractiv.com/section/all/short_news/weapons-sent-to-ukraine-may-have-ended-up-in-finnish-underground/

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/other/russia-ukraine-war-weapons-coming-into-lake-chad-buhari/ar-AA14IU3y

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/weapons-delivered-to-ukraine-beginning-to-filter-to-africa:

As is often the case, the real story is found in the lack of media coverage. With a few paltry exceptions, Western media continues to ignore reports of weapons bound for Ukraine ending up elsewhere.

Smoke and Mirrors: Drug Cartels and the State

https://www.democracynow.org/2022/10/12/mexico_military_drug_cartels_ayotzinapa_ministry

The GOP is screaming once again about the border. Biden visited El Paso on his way to a North American Summit meeting in Mexico City. The Right has been howling for months about his failure to visit the actual border. So then when he shows up they go on the attack.

'How dare he!'

'It was a mere photo-op!'

Undoubtedly this is the case. This is what politicians do. Here's the question. If Biden had showed up and took a list of demands made by the governors of Florida and Texas and agreed to meet all their demands, what would they say?

The Coup Plotters in Power: The Scandal That Wasn't

There's another missed story the media seems unwilling to focus on. The January 6 Committee (working parallel to the Department of Justice) largely focused on the foot soldiers and militia thugs who participated in the event. Consequently the committee provided a degree of cover for the high-level architects and congressional collaborators who participated in the attempted coup. Trump was certainly cast under a shadow but his allies in the congress, his cabinet, the Supreme Court, and even in law enforcement and the military were all effectively given a pass.

The Age of Midgets and Little Men

In the past when leaders made bold or revolutionary political moves, they either believed in their cause, or at the very least in themselves. They put it all on the line and risked all in order to grasp the power they coveted. Some were even willing to risk their lives.

Bandera's Birthday Celebrations and the Polish and Israeli Response

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2022-07-01/ty-article/ukraines-berlin-envoy-draws-israeli-polish-ire-with-comments-on-wwii-leader/00000181-baff-da42-abdd-bfffdbc10000

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/poland-pm-to-remind-ukraine-that-glorifying-bandera-unaccept

Even as Polish support for The Ukraine War has led to tensions with fellow V4-member Hungary, Warsaw is not entirely happy with the Zelenskiy government. 1 January marked the birthday of Stepan Bandera, the fascist OUN-B leader and Nazi collaborator whose paramilitaries (such as the UPA) were responsible for tens of thousands of Polish and Jewish deaths during the World War II.

Ukraine and Tensions Within the V4

https://www.politico.eu/article/moment-of-truth-for-polish-hungarian-toxic-relationship-approaches/

As regular readers will know, I have been keen for some time to follow the Visegrad Four or V4 group, a faction within the EU. The loose alliance came together as three nations in the early 1990's, and then became four with the Czech-Slovak split. All four nations joined the EU in 2004 – certainly with some mixed feelings. While the four countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary) have never been fully unified, the bloc was established to preserve common interests among these nations of Central (and once 'Eastern') Europe.

Christmas and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

There have been on again off again discussion for the past month or so over Christmas in Ukraine. And once again this has come up in the news cycle as a result of Putin's suggestion of temporary ceasefire for the Orthodox holiday.

CPAC and the Right-Wing International

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/11/25/the-world-according-to-cpac/

This article caught my eye because of the growing sense of a Right-wing International. And it's one that certainly incorporates the Evangelical community but is not exclusive to them.

The Acculturation and Moral Bankruptcy of Modern Evangelical Commentators

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/lessons-to-learn-from-great-britains-declining-christianity.html

Articles like this make you throw up your hands into the air. Christian influence on society has declined and as a result society has become morally ambiguous.