Peru, China, and the Pentagon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlZl-NkrdNk

Dina Boluarte spent years on the Far Left connected to Marxist movements within Peru and from 2021-2022 she served as a high-ranking official in the Castillo administration. Beset by political turmoil and an ongoing constitutional crisis - including attempts to impeach him, Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve congress, seize control of the courts, and order a national curfew. He reached too far and did not have sufficient support - especially from the military. Even though she was his first vice president, Dina Boluarte did not support him or stand by him. Castillo's plan quickly collapsed leading to his arrest and impeachment in December 2022. He remains in detention as of this writing.

Uribe, Right-wing Paramilitaries, and Evangelical Media

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/8/14/ivan_cepeda_colombia_uribe_guilty_verdict

This is a topic that I've already touched on in the past, however this court case has simply confirmed not only what was already known but expanded upon the nature of the corruption and cover up.

Church Attendance under Ceaușescu

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/32218/in-communist-romania-i-was-made-an-example-of-religious-persecution

This article inadvertently reveals some of the misperceptions of life under communism. You certainly could attend church but if you did, there was a price.

Along with the bulk of the public, as a church attender you would not be a member of the Communist Party. In addition you would find many jobs and places to live closed to you. You could live and make a living, but as a Christian you were part of an underclass.

The Latest Echo of the Shapur Effect

https://www.churchinchains.ie/news-by-country/middle-east/iran/iran-state-media-accuses-recently-arrested-christians-of-espionage/

In the 3rd and 4th centuries large numbers of Christians lived in Persia - and given that the Roman Empire persecuted them, they were welcome. Rome and Persia had already been engaged in centuries of war and it would continue until the 7th century and the Islamic conquest. Persia was a haven for these Christian communities.

Project Esther's McCarthyite Campaign

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/31/what-is-project-esther-the-playbook-against-pro-palestine-movement-in-us

Likud has long collaborated with the GOP, not only on issues such as Project Esther, but in partisan politics as well. Time and again, Israel has helped Republicans undermine not only presidents' Clinton, Obama, and Biden, but other figures connected to the Democratic Party. They work in tandem, with common interests.

Media Cover-ups and Fragmentation over Gaza Policy

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-civil-war-erupts-over-gaza-as-gop-rep-says-starve-away/

In some respects it seems like the situation in Gaza is getting less and less coverage even while the situation remains acute, with at least dozens dying every day, killed by bullets, bombs, starvation, or other forms of deprivation. The media is derelict and refuses to properly cover the story nor the fact that Israel has killed over two hundred journalists, and is clearly unwilling for anyone to do on the ground reporting.

German Christians and the AfD

https://cne.news/article/4807-may-german-christians-vote-for-the-afd

Huizinga is an activist associated with the Acton Institute, Federalist Society, and other Right-wing think-tanks. As such, his attempt to muddy the waters regarding the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is unsurprising.

Evangelicals and Misquoting the Bible in Public

https://religionunplugged.com/news/link-relcanonical-hrefhttps/the-department-of-homeland-security-quoting-the-bible-on-instagram%E2%80%9D%20/%3E%20%E2%80%9D

It's a shame, but Evangelicals in their persistent misguided zeal love any public quotation or reference to the Bible - even when it is being tortured, manipulated, and abused by politicians or celebrities. They think that somehow they've scored some kind of culture war victory because someone used Scripture - usually to justify something they're doing that has nothing to do with the verses in question.

An American Military Presence in the Caucasus Sold as Peace

https://eurasianet.org/trump-brokers-potentially-game-changing-deal-with-armenia-azerbaijan

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/07/us-deal-armenia-azerbaijan-00499285

I must say if this deal holds and comes to fruition, it will be quite the feather in Donald Trump's cap. Or if it goes wrong, it may be viewed by historians in terms of folly and provocation.

Right-wing Fallacies Regarding Population and Social Ethics

https://breakpoint.org/the-fallacy-of-controlling-population/

This was but one of many BreakPoint episodes touching on the issue of population control. At times it almost seems as if they (and many on the Right) have an obsession about this issue. It's ironic given the fact that it seems clear to everyone else that they really would rather not see some segments of the population reproduce but rather are frustrated because the kind of people they want to have big families - are choosing not to do so.

And why is this? I can't decide if they really don't understand or are deliberately resorting to smoke and mirrors in order to shift the blame.

The Christian Right in Europe, Book Recommendations, and a Case of Confused Worldview

https://cne.news/article/4772-seven-books-to-sharpen-your-christian-worldview

The article's set-up leads me to believe that once again the evocation of 'worldview' is not in the sense of a comprehensive and coherent system of thought but rather the rubber-stamping of an agenda. As such, it is in keeping with its frequent use within American Evangelicalism.