tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23191721063921325102024-03-19T04:47:54.569-04:00The Pilgrim Underground Dispatches and Discernment From the Wilderness WayProtoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.comBlogger1677125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-39833667027811198642024-03-16T20:00:00.001-04:002024-03-16T20:00:18.790-04:00New Information Regarding the 2004 Coup in Haiti<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://thegrayzone.com/2024/03/01/secret-cable-cia-haiti-coup/" target="_blank">https://thegrayzone.com/2024/03/01/secret-cable-cia-haiti-coup/</a></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">See
also:
<a href="https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-dominionist-evangelical-distortion-of.html" target="_blank">https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-dominionist-evangelical-distortion-of.html</a></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This
piece from The Grayzone is timely as we see the US is poised to
insert itself once again into the politics of Haiti. This time the US
is attempting to utilize a proxy and has put a great deal of pressure
on Kenya to take the lead in peacekeeping. Why? Because the US public
does not want to see American soldiers on the ground in Haiti - at
least not in significant numbers. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a>
<p></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">There
is also the unspoken belief that Black Africans will have greater
success in an environment like Haiti - and the optics are better as
opposed to troops from traditional European-race imperialist powers.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">For
Kenya (though it could be argued the mission has very limited public
support) it's an opportunity to 'step up' and take a leading role
within Africa and to boost its profile by allying more closely and
openly with Washington - which has long exerted a powerful hand in
the affairs of the East African nation and its region. This is not
controversial as outlets like The Atlantic Council openly express
this.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">At
Washington's behest, Kenya invaded Somalia in 2011 and the US has
maintained close ties with the Kenyan military and also has various
facilities and/or bases in country. So while Haiti is the current
focus, the Kenyan role is tied to a larger set of geopolitical issues
in Africa - and even in the larger struggle with China in the African
theatre.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Though
it seems unlikely at present, you can be sure the US does not want to
see Cuba intervene as it would have decades ago under Castro. It's
worth noting that it was Aristide (who was overthrown in 2004) that
attempted to normalize relations with Havana. The story of the
US-orchestrated coup is told in the linked article. Interestingly or
perhaps ironically (given the present situation on the ground) gangs
were employed at the time to attack Aristide supporters. The 2004
coup wasn't the first time the US had played a hand in overthrowing
him. It's a wonder he's still alive given the American track record
for assassination and how this man has been a thorn in Washington's
side.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a name="firstHeading"></a></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Time and time again Haiti
attempts to reform and heal its societal wounds. And yet this means
the public backs a leader that is inevitably disliked by Washington -
and thus there's some form of intervention. The US has long ruled the
country through dictatorial proxies and the strong hand of the
military - and yet is not above using street thugs. And to no one's
surprise the assassins involved in the 2021 killing of Jovenel Moïse
were connected to the United States and Colombia - which has a long
legacy of US-connected Right-wing paramilitaries. Other figures
involved in the US-instigated 2004 coup were also involved in the
Moïse affair. In other words, Washington's (or more properly
Langley's) fingerprints are all over the killing.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's
all rather ironic given the coverage in Evangelical circles of
missionaries being rescued. One is reminded of the Boxer Uprising in
China more than a century ago. The West manipulates and mangles these
societies and then when there's resistance, they cry foul and claim
innocence. I would never for a moment wish to sanction attacks on
missionaries. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. But I would hope
these missionaries are truly independent and not working
hand-in-glove with American government authorities or business
interests connected to them. Some are and others are part of
denominations that are. Regardless it's not hard to understand why
the perception would be negative and I think of all the countries in
the world to send missionaries to Haiti - the United States should
probably be last on the list.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The
Bush administration crippled Haiti in 2001 when Aristide returned to
power by means of economic stranglehold and sanctions. Aristide was
ousted and then just a few years later Haiti suffered the terrible
2010 earthquake. The country has never really recovered and is not
permitted to.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">There's
a great deal more in the article - the agent on the ground involved
in instigating the 2004 coup is a US intelligence operative with ties
going back to Reagan-era actions in Central America and deeply
involved with the narcotics trade and the various scandals associated
with those operations. For readers familiar with this history, the
article will read like a broken record.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Finally,
while The Grayzone piece is a must-read, I offer it with hesitation.
The site is not what it used to be. Like so many outlets, the
combined Trump-Covid era has sown seeds of chaos and confusion and
while there are good and informative articles on the site, there are
also some bad ones. And more than once I have been disheartened to
see names associated with the site appear with figures like Tucker
Carlson and Glenn Beck - thus undermining their journalistic
integrity. While I'm sure such appearances give a huge boost in terms
of traffic and book sales, they demonstrate an unprincipled
willingness to collaborate with elements that are every bit as evil
and deceptive as the 'powers' they would speak truth to. The power in
a society as complex as the United States is multi-faceted and
picking one faction over another is myopic to say the least. You
can't speak truth to power when you simply ally yourself with one of
the political factions. At that point you're not a journalist -
you're a partisan. Trump may seem anti-Establishment but his fascism
is just as much a threat to society as a whole, and indeed the world
- as is the Establishment. And Trump is not nearly so far removed as
many tend to think.</span></p>
<p><style type="text/css"><font size="6">p { line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; background: transparent }</font></style></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-17591597159327212872024-03-13T17:24:00.000-04:002024-03-13T17:24:11.540-04:00Evangelical Misunderstandings of Modi's Relationship with the US<p><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.christianpost.com/voices/indias-pm-modi-wages-war-against-christians-with-impunity.html" target="_blank">https://www.christianpost.com/voices/indias-pm-modi-wages-war-against-christians-with-impunity.html</a></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pardon
my cynicism but if Trump were president I don't think this criticism
would be levied with quite as much zeal and earnest as we see in this
piece from the so-called Christian Post. In some respects the article
was refreshing but in others ridiculous.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's
been in my queue for months and as I write this Modi has augmented
the number of troops along the Chinese border. Modi frequently angers
Washington with his joining of BRICS and his continued relationship
with Moscow. But he's a favourite of Wall Street and willing to
oppose China - even at the expense of a BRICS member it would seem.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">India
was non-aligned during the Cold War and this earned a great deal of
enmity from Washington. In the early 2000's New Delhi moved away from
this position and oriented itself toward the West.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But
remember, Moscow was still degraded in the early 2000's and China
while rising, was not yet the power that it is today. The situation
has changed and slowly but surely New Delhi has moved back in the
direction of non-alignment - on certain points. Modi is unwilling to
simply become a US client state and yet his nationalism and economic
policies have revivified the old antagonism with Beijing. Like
Türkiye, India is seeking to carve its own geopolitical place within
its region and vis-à-vis the East-West divide.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Make
no mistake, Modi is a monster, a persecutor of Christians, the head
of a Hindu-fascist network that employs a paramilitary wing (the RSS)
that wages low-grade war against Christians and Muslims.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I
am left somewhat baffled by the author's suggestion that US foreign
policy can be spoken of in connection with words like morality and
humanity. It seems clear enough the author is unfamiliar with said
policy and its long history of exploitation, bloodshed, and rank
hypocrisy.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">For
this reason perhaps more than any other the author loses credibility
and cannot be taken seriously.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">For
a lobbyist such as Curry, it would seem either he's an ignorant
hireling or corrupt - perfectly willing to speak out of both sides of
his mouth. Either way it does not reflect well on him.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Reading
the article, Curry does not strike me as ignorant and as such I must
conclude that he is being selective in how he chooses to frame the
issues - a tactic which smacks of corruption and self-interest. He is
promoting his lobby, taking some well-deserved swipes at Modi, but
perhaps most important of all he's using the occasion of Modi's visit
to attack Biden and thus score points with the Evangelical Christian
Right of which he is a part.</span></p>
<p><style type="text/css"><font size="6">p { line-height: 115%; text-align: left; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-bottom: 0.1in; direction: ltr; background: transparent }a:link { color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline }</font></style></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-14319867686729077392024-03-11T21:47:00.003-04:002024-03-11T21:47:26.767-04:00Shame on the UMC and on these Congregations Trying to Leave It<p><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/court-rules-against-42-churches-trying-to-leave-the-umc.html" target="_blank">https://www.christianpost.com/news/court-rules-against-42-churches-trying-to-leave-the-umc.html</a></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ostensibly
these congregations wish to leave the apostate United Methodist
Church. But then in the process of making their moral stand they
violate Scripture and drag the Church into the secular courts.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">If
they had real Biblical convictions and the UMC won't let them have
their buildings – then just walk away. The judgment is on the UMC.
It's just a building after all - it's not the Church.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But
instead they place all their stock in their mammon and investments
and in their status. And in their pride and bitterness they turn to
the secular courts to seek 'justice'.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The
judge was right to reject their lawsuit and shamed them in the
process. It's outside of his jurisdiction – a point the judge
rightly recognized.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What
a disgrace that a judge in a secular court has more spiritual
discernment than these would-be ex-United Methodists.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">No
one is stopping them from leaving. The issue is their own lack of
discernment.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's
quite a testimony. Let's just say I'm not too optimistic about these
congregations. Clearly they are already far removed from Scriptural
thinking. This is patently the case when I regularly drive by a
Global Methodist Congregation with Rev. Heidi listed on the sign. I'm
glad they rejected the sodomitical theology of the United Methodist
organisation, but this does not mean the Global Methodists are
conservative. Mark Tooley may be excited, but I think it's existence
has just added to the already extant confusion and given false
comfort to a lot of already misguided and in some cases deceived
people.</span></p>
<p><style type="text/css"><font size="6">p { line-height: 115%; text-align: left; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-bottom: 0.1in; direction: ltr; background: transparent }a:link { color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline }</font></style></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-30491962576757128502024-03-10T05:37:00.001-04:002024-03-10T05:37:00.182-04:00Sacralism versus Satanism in Iowa<p><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/man-who-toppled-iowa-satanic-display-responds-to-critics.html" target="_blank">https://www.christianpost.com/news/man-who-toppled-iowa-satanic-display-responds-to-critics.html</a></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Reading
the Christian Post is wearisome but often revealing. This story keeps
gaining traction and yet no one seems to understand just what is
happening here.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">As
many will know a Satanic display was put up in the Iowa Capitol
building. This kind of defiance is in reality an act of provocation
against the campaigns of the Christian Right. I'm not excusing it but
I know why pagan people are doing this – they're trying to get a
rise out of the Evangelical community which so dominates the politics
of their state.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">And
they succeeded.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This
veteran who is (as expected) painted as a 'hero' flew to the capital,
went in and toppled the display. I'm not going to get caught up in
his narrative and reasoning as it is immaterial to the question at
hand. Personally I don't care if he's charged with vandalism or
exonerated. It makes no difference to me.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The
issue here is this: It was only important to him because the display
was in the capitol building. Why? Because he has a sacral
understanding of America. He views it is a holy land, set apart by
God and as such this represents a rival claim and he was filled with
religious (I did not say Christian) zeal and indignation.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In
truth there are thousands of examples of Satanic monuments in
government buildings and all along places like the National Mall.
Many of these blasphemies even have Bible verses chiseled into them.
These upset me but not for the reasons that motivated this man who
has a certain zeal, but not according to knowledge.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">His
actions tell us one thing in very stark terms. He and those who
support him lack discernment and have confused the Kingdom of Christ
with the politics and claims of Babylon. He doesn't understand that
putting a cross on the top of the Tower of Babel does not make the
tower (or what it represents) into a Christian edifice. It's still
the Tower of Babel.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">America
is an evil empire. To my mind, the erection of a Satanic display is
entirely apropos. I don't condone it of course, but I'm certainly not
going to tear it down. America is a land of abomination-monuments and
lies which celebrate her countless crimes.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I
do not celebrate the actions of this zealot. Instead I pity him and
those who think him a hero. He accomplished nothing apart from
stoking the already dangerous fire that is burning with the dark
recesses of the American Right.</span></p>
<p><style type="text/css"><font size="6">p { line-height: 115%; text-align: left; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-bottom: 0.1in; direction: ltr; background: transparent }a:link { color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline }</font></style></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-72347316577848639482024-03-09T09:50:00.001-05:002024-03-09T09:51:07.029-05:00The Truth Americans Don't Want to Hear About the 2024 US Presidential Election<p><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/12/31/i-dont-care-who-wins-the-us-presidential-election" target="_blank"><span>https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/12/31/i-dont-care-who-wins-the-us-presidential-election</span></a></u></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mitrovica's
editorials often catch my eye and he's usually interesting though I
often disagree with him. I found this piece to be germane and its
cynicism morally justified – even refreshing.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mitrovica
aptly compares and contrasts the absurdity of Biden's deeds and words
at a children's hospital and juxtaposes it with the slaughter the US
is supporting in Gaza – a preposterous kind of scenario that is so
frequent as to be commonplace.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">How
could Biden's handlers have allowed such a contradictory episode –
one sure to invite criticism? The truth is the hubris and moral
blindness that characterizes the ruling class in incapable of
understanding the criticism nor can they fathom why anyone would find
it offensive or obscene.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">At
this juncture Mitrovica's confession can only be described as
refreshing. He has acknowledged something very few on the Left seem
able or willing to entertain. And it's this – just because Trump is
an evil buffoon does not mean that Biden is somehow his moral better
or a man of character. They are cut from the same cloth and what the
choice really amounts to is one of bad versus worse – two
unfortunate options, both representing something vile and
filth-ridden.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trump
will wreak havoc that is certain. Some think his war on the system
and the chaos it engenders will lead to less determined policies and
less war and militarism. The truth is much of what's happening right
now in Gaza is the direct result of his machinations, born of
ignorance and a myopic understanding of geopolitics, history, and
much else.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">That
said, Biden's record has clearly been militaristic – in keeping
with the norm of all US presidents.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Some
rejoice in Trump's breaking of the system but as I've always said, be
careful what you wish for. It will likely generate something worse.
Trump is a fool and surrounded by fools and yet not everyone in his
camp is simple. Some are cunning and opportunistic and as such his
next administration (should he win) will not be what many think.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Once
again I am far more concerned regarding Trump's effect and influence
on the Church – and the corruption of ecclesiastical leaders
selling out the Church to these evil forces.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">And
Mitrovica is absolutely correct – nothing will change, not really.
The same mandarins will be running the bureaucratic ship of state and
the same praetorians steering and manipulating its course. The
presidents have an impact but the empire is a colossus – much
bigger than any one man. </span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trump
could really shake things up but he's too much the simpleton to do
this – he doesn't know what to do or how. He has no principles.
This not merely because of ignorance but in a very literal sense he
has no principles, ideological, moral, or otherwise.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mitrovica
thinks it would be fitting for Trump to return to the White House. It
is entirely fitting that this nation would be led by such a man – a
moral degenerate, a criminal, and rapist. It's what America deserves,
because it's what America is.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">And
I'll say the same in a decade if the country stands poised to elect a
sodomite like Buttigieg. It's what America is and what it deserves.
And when I say that, I wholeheartedly include the sycophantic
Right-wing elements that are given over to idolatry – they are the
fawning obsequious slaves of nation and mammon. Their idols have led
to the sodomy that now dominates the culture.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Though
they are the last to see it, the end result is the same – decadence
and perversion.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">America,
behold your gods.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><style type="text/css">p { line-height: 115%; text-align: left; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-bottom: 0.1in; direction: ltr; background: transparent }a:link { color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline }</style></span></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-32823250239925205452024-03-05T19:31:00.000-05:002024-03-05T19:31:15.314-05:00Appropriating Tolkien by Means of Anachronism<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/inside-giorgia-meloni-hobbit-fantasy-world-lord-of-the-rings-fratelli-italia-brothers-italy-politics/" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/inside-giorgia-meloni-hobbit-fantasy-world-lord-of-the-rings-fratelli-italia-brothers-italy-politics/</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As one who has been reading Tolkien since elementary school,
and even now enjoys discussing his works with my adult children, I am beset by
many emotions when I read something like this. I feel as if someone has
hijacked something from my childhood or like a memory has been violated.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet, I must confess that as the years have progressed and
I have reflected more on Tolkien's Middle-Earth and learned more of the man, my
feelings are increasingly complicated. I am unwilling to dismiss the works
regardless of the many valid criticisms that can be levied at them – as well as
the criticism due Tolkien himself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But this... there's something wrong about it, something
opportunistic, something exploitative.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tolkien himself expressed admiration for the likes of Franco
even while he detested Hitler and the way in which the Nazi movement polluted
the magnificent heritage of Germanic folklore. This touches on the complicated
discussion regarding how fascism itself is defined. I would argue Franco was a
fascist leader and yet his fascism was obviously of a rather different stripe
than the Third Reich in Germany.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And so it's complicated and yet I feel like with Meloni's
appropriation there is something dishonest at work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is Tolkien a voice or pillar in defense of Christian and
Western identity against modernization, globalization, and invasion by foreign
peoples?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's interesting how elements on the Left can embrace such
notions (minus anti-immigration) but read it all through a rather different
lens. And make no mistake in an earlier generation it was the Left that really
loved Tolkien. There were constant allusions to the Lord of the Rings in
elements of hippie culture and many will be familiar with the references found
in the songs of Led Zeppelin and other folk artists.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On some level, Tolkien did represent the aforementioned
reactionary notions associated with today's conservatives or Right, and yet I
don't believe the Lord of the Rings was written as a means of addressing these
questions. Tolkien's values and experiences shine through and thus the book
cannot be divorced from his life-context. And yet he was primarily attempting
to create a grand fantasy epic in a coherent world with its own culture and
history that seem very real to those who interact with it. And yet it was not entirely
unique nor can Middle Earth be classified as sui generis, as its history and
cultures are patently derived from and dependent on real-world examples. Once
again – it's complicated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I find it hard to imagine JRR Tolkien approving of someone
like Meloni and the course she has chosen in life but at the same time it's
certain he wouldn't have appreciated the way a group like Led Zeppelin latched
on to and made use of some of his themes and imagery. When I reflect on
Tolkien, there are problems to be sure, but when in the midst of his world
these contemporary angles and dilemmas seem out of place. Was he a Libertarian
as some would have it? Only by imposing a libertarian read on the medieval
peasantry can one think so – an interpretation that is highly problematic and
yet can seem plausible when used as a foil vis-à-vis industrial culture and
sociology.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings during the war
years and after, the story's foundations precede it. The Hobbit and the
material that would later be published as The Silmarillion were written before
those events. As such we might argue that the attempts of later movements
whether Right or Left, conservative or libertarian are all engaged in
anachronism. Tolkien for all his flaws had a rather wide purview when it came
to notions of history and culture. The man was rooted in the Middle Ages and in
the culture of myth. While some borrow from this iconography and appropriate it
for nationalist purposes, I think it's impossible to argue this is what Tolkien
was doing and as such there is a degree of recognizable absurdity in what
groups like the Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) are attempting to do.</span></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-32708560054039438302024-03-02T20:19:00.001-05:002024-03-02T20:19:28.353-05:00A Ridiculous Essay About Anti-Trump Evangelicals<p><a href="https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-resistance-will-be-organized" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-resistance-will-be-organized</span></a><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">I think I've just about had my fill of Aaron Renn and for
that matter the on-line rag known as The American Reformer. After reading
several of his pieces, I think I've more or less grasped where he's coming from
and I don't see that he has a lot to offer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">This piece was pretty characteristic of what I keep
encountering – more Right-wing boilerplate material.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">There's a great sinister plot at work – all kinds of dark
money funding the anti-Trump Evangelical movement.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Actually I'm not terribly convinced of this – though I think
it more likely that it picked up as the country neared the 2020 election.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Is Renn unaware of all the Right-wing secular money that
flows into the coffers of Evangelical ministries and denominations – into the
Christo-Trumpian Right? Is he really unaware of how money from big oil companies
and other corporate entities is funnelled into sundry think-tanks which partner
and pair with ministries? Study the tax forms of these non-profits, read the
journalistic investigations. That money – effectively ends up funding
propaganda on the airwaves of Evangelical radio and it even makes it into
Sunday School curricula, pastor's conferences and the like.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The irony here is that some of these anti-Trump conservatives
(no doubt communists in Renn's book) are actually motivated by the same kind of
patriotic motives that he is – and therefore just as confused.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet they rightly understand that Trump weakens America
and is destroying what little was left of Christian ethics in the Church. The
Evangelical movement has all but destroyed the conscience of its members over
the past several decades but Trump's rise was Rubicon-moment to be sure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">But the people who are upset at this are all closet Leftists
and elites – or so we're led to believe.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Mind you I don't think well of any of these people. I'm not a
fan of Brooks, Hunter, Moore, or Keller – and never have been. And yet, in a
moment of crisis I was surprised to see that at least some of these people had
a shred of decency left, they had some notion of morality and a commitment to
character.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Does Renn think Trumpism is going to produce a positive
change in America? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">I've listened to Alberta being interviewed. I'm pretty
certain that I'm not going to agree with him on many things but I found his
conviction and concern to be somewhat refreshing. Does no one stop and reflect
on just what has happened over the past thirty or forty years – and how much of
a departure Trump is from what Evangelicalism was supposed to be about?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">I'm not an Evangelical but I grew up in those circles and to
watch this downgrade and sprint into all-out apostasy has been both startling
and disturbing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The Renn essay just gets worse and worse as you read through
it – by the time we're done, we're off into Covid anti-vax looney-land.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">I detest Silicon Valley millionaires too and shame on Moore
or any of them if they collaborate with such. Of course I'm sure everyone on
the Right avoids Peter Thiel like the plague – right?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet here we are in 2024, and still there are people like
Renn that apparently do not understand what happened with the Covid virus –
they're still trapped into thinking that the leaders of the American Empire
have a suicide wish and want to bring it all down and spend what remains of
their lives loafing about in Mao suits.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, Renn is among those that is so Biblical in his
thinking (and such a patriot too!) that he had no problem with over a million
of his countrymen dying because he couldn't be bothered or inconvenienced – or
because he was far more concerned with controlling and promoting a political
narrative. I'm glad he got vaccinated and boosted but he's still promoting lies
that led others to reject even the most basic protocols and acts of mitigation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Russell Moore is a longtime Democrat. Wow. Do you know what
this tells me? This tells me that Renn is ignorant of basic US political
history. All Southern Conservatives were Democrats and only began to migrate
into the GOP during the 1970's, 80's, and 1990's. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Is he aware of the difference between conservative and
Right-wing? There is a difference though I doubt he could elaborate upon the
issue.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Trumpism is a Right-wing movement. It's not conservative by
any stretch of the imagination. People who put up F--- Biden signs in the yard,
and F--- Your Feelings stickers on their cars are not social conservatives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">History gives us examples of this Right-wing/Conservative
divide and even explains why conservatives eventually fell in with and
supported the Right-wing movements. The history is found in the rise of fascism
but the American Right has so clouded the discussion that it's almost an
impossible topic to explore at this point in time. It requires humility and a
return to some basic history and political theory and let's just say Trumpism
doesn't promote intellectual exploration and it despises humility. It's very Christian
that way isn't it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Renn falls into non sequitir and thus invalidates his entire
essay. The analogy of Right-wing billionaires funding Black politics or the
like is false. What he's calling 'Left' is not left. The problem is that he (in
keeping with the GOP) has moved so far to the Right that even those who are in
fact hard-right actors and yet unwilling to leap off the Trumpian cliff are
being considered Leftists. Liz Cheney is not a Leftist. Paul Ryan and Kevin
McCarthy are not Leftists. But the GOP has moved beyond the pale and these
people have been alienated. It's not because they've gone 'woke' – it's simply
because they have some understanding of what the system is all about and how it
works. I don't agree with them either but I'm not going to write them off as
Left-wing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Renn's argument fails and exhibits a real blindness as to the
realities of not just anti-Trump conservatives but the real nature of
Right-wing politics and the relationship of its elite with the Evangelical
movement.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-28146748971668084182024-02-28T00:02:00.002-05:002024-02-28T00:02:00.129-05:00Mike Johnson, the Evangelical Speaker of the House<p><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1211536399/speaker-johnson-christian-nationalism-evangelical" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1211536399/speaker-johnson-christian-nationalism-evangelical</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">With so much happening in the news, stories like this have
almost slipped under the radar. Four months into his tenure as Speaker, some refer
to Johnson as a moderate and when compared with some of the Trumpites in
Congress he seems rather tame, and yet this misleading. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">His style is more subdued and restrained but the policies he
supports are in line with the extremists. The story of Mike Johnson is
connected to the larger (but mostly ignored) scandal of those in congress who
facilitated the January 6 coup attempt. Johnson has been at the forefront of
efforts to subvert the 2020 election, has ties to the coup plotters, and has
played a role in damage control.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">It is truly astonishing to see how this treacherous and
anti-constitutional faction has maneuvered itself into power and in the post
January 6 environment not only have they avoided punishment, they're all but
calling the shots. These are the people who impeded Kevin McCarthy and
eventually ousted him and these are the people behind Johnson – he's one of
them too, but to what degree is less clear.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Some have already started to turn against him. This only
demonstrates the self-destructive nature of the camp – it can be in opposition,
but clearly they cannot govern.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The Evangelical community has been ebullient over Johnson's
ascent to the Speaker position and believe that he's a key player in their
larger delusion about 'turning the nation around' – a plan that involves an
alliance with a fascistic criminal, rapist, adulterer, and liar.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">For such a time as this</span></i><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> – the refrain from Esther is always
whipped out in moments of frenzy even while they practically reject Paul's
declaration that the powers that be are ordained by God. They only seem to
accept this when the powers that be are ones they are in agreement with. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">To paint Johnson as some kind of saviour figure is not only
absurd, it's offensive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">As far as Dutch Sheets the 'pastor' mentioned in the article,
he's a false prophet (and would-be magician) infected with the worst forms of
Dominionist Theology – imported into the Charismatic movement by Theonomic
elements within the larger Reformed-Calvinist sphere.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">It seems clear enough that Johnson is also drinking from
these polluted wells. And that fact that he rushed to the Hannity show to give
his first interview as Speaker reveals the nature of his Christian profession –
one that has little if nothing to do with the religion of the New Testament.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather he (like so many within his movement) is given over to
idolatry, mammonism, and host of beliefs and ethics outside the boundaries of
New Testament Christianity. Pray for him by all means but not that he succeeds.
Rather pray for his soul.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact that he opposes sodomite marriage and some issues
along those lines is nothing to celebrate. His faith is flawed and as such I'm
as excited about his morality as I would be a Roman Catholic or Muslim. There's
nothing to celebrate when it comes to Mike Johnson. In fact the end can only be
negative. The article rightly mentioned Tom DeLay who I've been thinking of as
of late and in connection with Johnson. DeLay was supposed to be a Christian
witness within Congress. Like so many others he went down in shame, overtaken
by his corruption.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">One wonders if Mike Johnson won't eventually end up on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dancing with the Stars</i> like DeLay – a
pathetic burnout (and sellout).</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-67744507747569763602024-02-27T18:39:00.004-05:002024-02-27T18:39:50.908-05:00The Age of Lithium, India, and Argentina<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/eye-on-china-india-inks-first-overseas-lithium-mining-deal-for-five-blocks-in-argentina/articleshow/106874549.cms?from=mdr" target="_blank">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/eye-on-china-india-inks-first-overseas-lithium-mining-deal-for-five-blocks-in-argentina/articleshow/106874549.cms?from=mdr</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Milei is eager to please the Western and international
banking establishment and he needs to generate revenue for the coffers of the
Argentinean state.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet like many of his ilk he is walking contradiction – as
free markets and nationalism don't always go together very well. Many
nationalists hate to see their resources being sold off to outside parties –
all the more if it's at the expense of domestic development, nascent
industries, and domestic economies. Look at the farmer protests in France –
Macron's nationalism is also in conflict with his market orientation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Free Market-ism is technically internationalist and yet you
will also find many in these circles decrying globalism – apparently unaware
that it is but the next level or trans-national stage of the economic system
they advocate.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet many so-called globalist economists, bankers, and
investors, nevertheless retain national loyalties and a sense of
prioritisation. They rely on the 'home' state for its laws, regulations,
diplomacy – and in some cases its army.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For some in the US-Europe nexus this 'loyalty' falls under
the aegis of Atlanticism – a limited trans-nationalism, or even something a bit
broader like the G7.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the case of Milei, he's written a big political and
economic check and he wants to make sure it doesn't bounce. He needs money and
investment to flow into Argentina and if that means selling off sectors of his
economy, then so be it. In this case he would probably argue that he can use
market principles to bolster the national interest. He wouldn't be the first to
do so.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And the deal is certain to please elements in Washington –
maybe less so in Manhattan. But for many, the fact that India is making this
move and it effectively blocks China – then so much the better. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The article mentions the MSP or Mineral Security Partnership
which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada,
Finland, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. And of course now India has
joined and one wonders if Argentina won't soon be signing on to this
American-led club? It is but another mechanism of the Empire meant to check
Beijing's influence and aspirations. I'm certain that one of the rules of the
club (if unwritten) is that China takes a back seat and the US must approve all
deals – even if this is done quietly with nods and handshakes. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take note of Argentina's place in the Lithium Triangle – as
well as Chile and Bolivia, the other nations in question. Look for more deals
to come down the pike.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And one must immediately recall the 2019 soft coup in Bolivia
that ousted longtime US antagonist Evo Morales as well as the cryptic
statements made by Elon Musk in its wake – a man with serious interests in the
Lithium market. Bolivia of course was then plagued by several years of
political upheaval. Some might think the Left recaptured power with the ascent
of Luis Arce, but his government represents the political and economic triangulation
so typical of the pseudo-left. Nevertheless, Washington is less than fully pleased
with Arce and you can be sure he's looking over his shoulder. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Age of Lithium is now – and when you factor in all the
geopolitics and the new Cold War with China, the stakes are high.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally the lithium deal (as well as India's membership in
the MSP) represent a new point of tension with the BRICS bloc. These nations
have been brought together in response to G7 and NATO domination of the globe –
key mechanisms of the Atlanticist Empire.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The BRICS members are not natural allies – it is a friendship
of convenience, a transactional relationship, not one born of filial devotion
or shared ideology. Nations such as China and India do not have common
interests and you can be sure the US will (at every opportunity) try and
capitalise on this and promote such tensions.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-81323468656096914672024-02-25T21:12:00.000-05:002024-02-25T21:12:06.080-05:00Evangelical Narratives about Trump and Haley<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A couple of weeks ago while listening to the BBC, an American
Evangelical leader attempted to explain his faction's overwhelming allegiance
to Trump. He suggested that all things considered, Trump is the best prospect.
All the emphasis was on beating Biden.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was playing the bait-and-switch self-deception game that
many Evangelicals engage in. They consistently defend Trump and take up his
cause whenever he falls under criticism. The devotion on their part is
palpable. But then when it's put in plain terms, they retreat and argue they're
not that keen on him. It's more a question of pragmatics – at which point they
usually launch into the bit about electing a president not a pastor and so
forth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But this narrative is false and it should be called out at
every opportunity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At this point in time the polls indicate that Nikki Haley
would be able beat Biden – while Trump stands a very good chance of losing to
him as he did in 2020.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Haley is certainly not the Evangelical ideal – would
they say that Trump is the ideal? They consistently argue he's not and yet
Haley is hardly some Leftist and far more of a conventional candidate –
certainly conservative by the modern definition of the term.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So if they want to win – why not go with Haley?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They don't want to, and here's the ugly part – because their
allegiance to Trump is something far more than pragmatic. It's religious. It's
idolatrous. In some cases it's messianic. It's an expression of apostasy and an
abandonment of basic Christian values – the degenerate result of decades of
Evangelical activism and Dominionist thought having gone to seed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I'm not telling anyone to vote for Haley or Biden. I would
counsel Christians to reconsider the very premise of voting at all.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But to vote for Trump? That's unthinkable. That's a rejection
of the New Testament and the ethics and calling of the Kingdom. He's an
unrepentant convicted criminal, adulterer, rapist, thief, and much else. He is
a patently immoral person and those that endorse him – endorse what he is. To
embrace him is at the very least a devil's bargain. It's akin to the temptation
of power offered to Christ in the wilderness – but in this case the apostate
Church embraces it. They take the offer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And it needs to be pointed out to these people at every
opportunity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Evangelical on the BBC was either lying or severely
deluded – the sad truth is that it's probably a bit of both. One cannot help
but think of the language of strong delusion and the real spiritual threat
represented by someone like Trump – and the thoroughly unorthodox cult that
follows him.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-78148355737185010012024-02-21T16:54:00.001-05:002024-02-21T16:54:52.279-05:00South Africa and the American Empire<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/us-politicians-call-for-review-of-relations-with-sa-for-supposedly-undermining-national-security-20240210" target="_blank">https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/us-politicians-call-for-review-of-relations-with-sa-for-supposedly-undermining-national-security-20240210</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">South Africa is the weakest of the BRICS nations and has over
the past several years angered Washington. Not only has it joined BRICS, it has
tacitly supported Russia, and now has generated a great deal of anger by
leading the charge against Israel in the ICJ. It was only a matter of time
before the US acted – the goal is to punish South Africa and generate upheaval
within its society and political system. The campaign is under way.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No one is calling for sanctions quite yet – but you can be
sure this review and re-evaluation of relations sends a signal to South Africa
that they are about to get shifted over into the enemy column. If Washington
can make an example of South Africa, they will, because it will send a signal
to other nations in Latin America and Africa not to think about jumping ship
and looking to the BRICS bloc. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Right now it's only a whisper being carried on the wind but
eventually such economic arrangements can easily morph into security agreements
and pacts – something the US absolutely does not want to see.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The language that suggests South Africa is 'undermining US
security' (a patent absurdity) is the language of war. This doesn't mean the
bombs are going to drop – at least not at present. Before the bombs drop, the
US will turn to other forms of warfare – diplomatic, economic, covert, and
otherwise. South Africa has been served its notice – those who dare defy the
Empire will be treated as rebels and traitors.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-88719164640789965082024-02-19T20:42:00.005-05:002024-02-19T20:42:47.204-05:00Some Perspective on Navalny's Death<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Listening to the near breathless and morally outraged
coverage of Alexei Navalny's death, several things come to mind.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The US repeatedly condemns Russia and China for their
political prisoners and Putin's targeted assassination of his enemies and yet
there are countless opponents of the US Empire that are imprisoned and killed
on a regular basis. The only difference is they don't make the news. Their
stories are never covered. The media doesn't prop them up with phony contrived
narratives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Throughout Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia there are
those who oppose the US state, Wall Street, and the proxy dictatorial client
states that are all part of the US imperial apparatus. They disappear, they are
tortured, imprisoned, and assassinated. Their stories are sometimes covered by
Left-wing outlets in the United States such as Democracy Now!, but in many
cases their stories are not told.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The US persecution of Julian Assange has been a little more
public and he certainly is a political prisoner, targeted for exposing and
publishing the evil machinations of the Empire and its myriad atrocities. And
yet for the most part the media won't cover him and if he's mentioned at all
the reporting is distorted.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Navalny is put forward as a champion of liberalism and a free
society – the very things Assange stands for and yet he is excoriated. Why?
Because he dared to expose US hypocrisy. The same is true for those who refuse
the Navalny narrative which is more of the same.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As previously stated, Navalny's past has been whitewashed.
His ugly nationalism (which included the integration of Ukraine) and his
anti-immigrant screeds are ignored or explained away. He's a far-right activist
– or was until the spotlight fell on him. Since then his views have 'evolved'
which means he's grown silent on these points and has simply played the
oppressed and wrongfully imprisoned man even while the West crafted a bogus
narrative for him – what is really tantamount to a marketing campaign. He
became a symbol – but one divorced from reality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And as I have stated previously, the media's role in this is
telling and indicates a massive orchestrated propaganda campaign. Just as the
CNN reporters admitted their journalistic malpractice with regard to
Israel-Gaza coverage, the same can be said when it comes to their treatment of the
Navalny-Putin saga.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">His death is being used by the Western alliance to bolster
public support for the war – even as Ukraine suffers defeats on the
battlefield. They'll squeeze what little more they can out of Navalny before
he's cast aside. They're making him into a martyr for Western Liberalism – the whole
notion is a farce.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Was he murdered by Putin? Undoubtedly, and yet this was
stated by Western media outlets in absolute terms and yet without any proof.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet if someone suggests the same when it comes to the
likes of Jeffrey Epstein they are immediately dismissed by the media
establishment as unhinged and given to wild conspiracy theories.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Navalny wanted to play in the dirty world of politics – which
is just another form of warfare. He lost. It's that simple.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you live by the sword, you will die by it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">None of this condones the actions of Putin. He is certainly a
criminal and murderer and yet he's not alone. The US celebrated its presidents
today – a day of celebrating thieves and murderers. So it is in a fallen world.
Many of them killed far more than Putin ever has.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Putin stands condemned, but I will not listen to the likes of
Biden, let alone a degenerate like Lindsey Graham condemn him. They have no
standing.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-40798650826522055522024-02-18T08:44:00.000-05:002024-02-18T08:44:25.807-05:00Theologians of the Beast and Ivory Tower Takes on Empire<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empires-foreign-and-domestic/id1677193347?i=100063749953" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empires-foreign-and-domestic/id1677193347?i=100063749953</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the American Reformer keeps popping up on Reformed
websites like The Aquila Report, I have (out of curiosity) been listening to
some of the podcasts. They have proven as disappointing as the writings.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This episode in particular struck me – I actually shut it off
about three-quarters of the way through. I'd had enough. It took me back to seminary
days, recalling conversations that were going on among Dominion-minded folks
and Theonomists in particular. They would engage in these grand theoretical
discussions which they mistakenly believed to be rooted in Biblical thought.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Listening to this episode on the American Empire – which
basically defending the notion, I was repeatedly reminded of how callous these
people are. They have no regard for nor understanding of human life and the
costs such empires incur. They think they are moral and yet I repeatedly kept
thinking about the amoral geopolitical machinations of men like Henry
Kissinger. The difference is Kissinger was a secular Jew in service to an
empire. These men profess to be Christians and yet their morality is more base
than what one would find in a toilet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Offhand comments endorse and bless actions that resulted in
millions of deaths and whole societies turned into wastelands. 'Moral rule' is
used as a fig-leaf for what is little more than rapacious thievery and mass
murder. It was really vile to listen to it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I remember being rather annoyed while listening to such
musings in the context of a Reformed seminary. Maybe it's because I'm much
older with grown kids and a lot more life under my belt, but I found this to be
simply offensive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's a case of Ivory Tower absurdity – but these men don't
even deserve to be reckoned 'Ivory Tower' – their ignorance was too
overwhelming, their understanding of history and politics too pedestrian and
shallow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But such talk is all the rage – how pleased they would have
been had their podcast existed back in 2003-2004 when such 'imperial' talk was
in vogue. The seminary conversations I remember back in the 1990's were a
little more tame though no less immoral.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The overwhelming ethos is that of amorality and
consequentialism. And of course the terrible blasphemous assumptions of
sacralism which continue to dominate and poison the Reformed- Magisterial
Protestant mind and yet also continue to permutate as the context shifts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Few advocate the ecclesio-political models of the sixteenth
century or even the later confessional era, but these men are their progeny to
be sure. They may run their thinking through the filters of liberalism and
exist in a state of dissonance and contradiction but they are the offspring of
not just the sacralists of the Reformation era but a long line of error
reaching back into late antiquity when the shadow of Rome still hung over the
Earth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When you think the Kingdom of God is built through avarice
and conquest – and that you have a right and duty to engage in these activities
on a macro and geopolitical scale, then all I can say is – go back and start
over. You've misunderstood. You've misread the Bible. Your reading has been
hijacked by philosophical commitments and you've lost your way. You are not
theologians of Zion but the Beast and its apostate collaborator known as
Mystery Babylon – your mistress is not the Bride of Christ but the Whore that
rides the Beast. </span></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-54293112125513159932024-02-15T18:07:00.000-05:002024-02-15T18:07:07.939-05:00Spawn of the CIA and a Son of Suharto<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx35KRYbf1g" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx35KRYbf1g</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prabowo is actually the former son-in-law of Suharto, the
Indonesian dictator who came to power in the 1960's by means of a genocide –
one encouraged and backed by the United States. Not a few in Washington wished
Vietnam could have gone the way of Indonesia. The US lost Vietnam though
millions would also die in Indochina.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Indonesia about a million died under Suharto's ousting of
Sukarno for his crime of being non-aligned and for tolerating communists.
Supposedly it was communists who were massacred but as in all such episodes far
more uninvolved and completely innocent end up perishing. The US supplied
lists, logistics, and diplomatic cover and would continue to do so until
Suharto's ousting in the late 1990's.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But long before this he was given the 'green light' under
Ford (and Kissinger) to invade East Timor in 1975. This incident was connected
with the end of Portugal's fascistic dictatorship by means of the Carnation
Revolution in 1974. This would lead to new chapters of war in Guinea, Angola
and Mozambique – and the genocide in East Timor. Under Suharto, about one-third
of the population would be killed. East Timor would finally break free of
Indonesia in 1999 – just after Suharto's ouster.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though numerically far less than some of the other famous
genocides and massacres of the twentieth century, in terms of proportions this
is only exceeded by the Jewish Holocaust under the Nazis. The 2-300,000 dead in
tiny East Timor is a great crime that has been largely forgotten. And even more
critically it was fully backed by the United States.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prabowo who stands poised to become president of Indonesia
was a commander during the early years of occupation and responsible for
massacres and other war crimes. Serving also in the Papua Conflict, Prabowo
trained in the United States and clearly was reckoned an asset by both the
Pentagon and Langley. He clearly thought so.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And he still is as his recent moves as Defense Minister have
indicated he's more or less ready to go 'all in' with Washington and restore
the relationship that waned after Suharto's ouster in 1998. The US has been
courting Indonesia for some time and Prabowo is exactly the kind of
authoritarian nationalist (and thus anti-China) leader they want to see. He
will buy weapons and allow the US to operate from Indonesian soil. His rhetoric
sometimes smacks of triangulation and he has at times reached out to China, but
recent moves suggest he's preparing to align with his old friends in Washington.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And you can be sure his past crimes will be swept under the
rug and the US will look the other way when it comes to any human rights
violations or authoritarian abuses of democracy. It's nothing new. This is but
the next chapter in preparation for the coming conflict with China and yet it
also represents another instance of US hypocrisy on display – for all the world
to see. The US trained this monster and then when he was no longer needed at
the end of the Cold War, they banned him from traveling to the US for two
decades. So it was with many of his type and not a few dictators as well. In
the 1990's Washington 'cleaned house' and attempted to erase its previous
alliances and record of atrocities. The US stood by Suharto for a season but
his time had come to end and so he was ousted and the US wanted to erase that
chapter of history. There's still a great deal of classified info related to
the 1960's slaughter. The praetorians will want to make sure that story never
gets out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But now that Prabowo is needed, all is well. The Trump
administration invited him to Washington (as the Indonesian Defense Minister)
and Biden has continued to extend the American hand.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nairn has been reporting on Indonesia for decades and his
comments are always worthy of consideration. We'll wait and see what Prabowo
does with the office. He has wanted to be president for a very long time and if
he follows through on the rhetoric he's been spouting for decades, then
Indonesia must prepare for a shake-up.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-29273142005017844112024-02-13T19:27:00.004-05:002024-02-13T19:27:44.745-05:00The Lingering Strength of the American Empire<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/30/americas-undying-empire-why-the-decline-of-us-power-has-been-greatly-exaggerated" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/30/americas-undying-empire-why-the-decline-of-us-power-has-been-greatly-exaggerated</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This piece raised several significant points concerning the
resilience and remaining fortitude of the American Empire. Everyone would agree
US prestige has dropped in recent years – though no one can agree as to when
this process began or even exactly why. It all makes for an interesting
discussion and the entire question is (to a degree) in flux due to the pending
2024 electoral contest. Its result will move the needle – more than some will
acknowledge and yet less than others fear.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The author rightly pointed out that in many respects the
problem with Trump was more a question of style as opposed to substance. The
bureaucracies continued to function and his functional abdication of executive
leadership and oversight allowed these agencies to quietly press on, as it
were. The wheels of empire (in many spheres at least) continued to turn.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But it's complicated. Things were derailed at critical points
and a great deal of damage was done – especially with regard to American power
overseas. The article failed in some respects to address political developments
in Europe, several of which signalled a move toward independence, nor did the
article properly address the rather live question concerning the status of NATO
and what a US 'pull back' would mean. The US might drop out or it may simply
cut back funds and take a less assertive role in leadership. What would happen
then? It's all speculation of course but these questions are being asked and
are certainly being discussed in the circles of power. Whether the shift under
a new Trump administration is minor or major – it will change things. It's
clear his comments are generating a great deal of concern in both Washington
and in European capitals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think the greatest shortfall was the failure to raise
rather pressing questions concerning how American leaders might deal with the
Empire's collapse. Will they simply adopt a damage control and strategic
retreat strategy as various nations or blocs challenge the US economically and
geopolitically – confrontations that in some cases the US will not be able to
assert itself or 'win' the day? Or will the US lash out? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The question is always complicated by the fact that the US
won't openly acknowledge the existence of its empire and though it is
historically unparalleled, most of the American public is unaware of it and
rejects the very notion of its existence. It's a paradigm quite at odds with
say the overt moral casting of the British Empire. As absurd as that may seem,
the British believed it and not a few still do. One has to wonder if their tea
is not laced with opium.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Cuban Missile Crisis is alluded to, an episode that many
still do not understand. Was it God's mercy that Kennedy was in power – a man
who rejected and obstructed the militarists in the Pentagon and in other
quarters of power? Or, would a man with more standing like Eisenhower, Johnson,
or Nixon have been able to handle the situation more effectively? It's hard to
say, but the common narratives must be rejected – ones that suggest it
escalated to that point because of Kennedy's weakness and the like. These
self-serving Right-wing framings fail to take the larger context into account
and (as is so often the case) paint everything Castro or the Soviets did as naked
aggression when that simply is not the case. The notion that the US held firm
and the Soviets 'blinked' is also misleading – a misunderstanding of the
context and the steps toward its resolution.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The point in this line of discussion is to raise the real
possibility of the American Empire reacting to its decline with extreme violence.
We saw the US was willing to initiate global war and upheaval in order to
pursue the goals of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) – an agenda
which in many ways was (and is) still being pursued by subsequent presidents
such as Obama and Biden – and to a lesser degree Trump.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So what will happen if the US faces serious challenges to the
hegemony of the dollar, its geopolitical and military standing in East Asia, or
Europe resisting its control?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Empire is still there, as the essay suggests, but its
presence should not presume soundness. The Ottoman decline lasted over
two-hundred years. And yet the nature of American power is such that it seems
reasonable to argue that it will either stand or fall. It's hard to imagine
scenarios of long decline. What would the fall look like? That's another
fascinating subject of debate but one ultimately frustrating. I think we're
seeing hints of it in connection with the rise and growing defiance of individual
states in the union – a rekindling of states' rights and semi-autonomy. This
began under Covid when Trump functionally abdicated his federal role but now
what was autonomy is becoming a more determined resistance under Biden or in
other cases (such as Colorado) resistance to even the potential of a Trump
presidency.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are constitutional crises brewing and eventually one of
them will become serious enough as to be of historic consequence. How soon will
this happen? We'll see! It could take place within the year.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-4290243985177215352024-02-11T08:42:00.003-05:002024-02-11T08:42:43.287-05:00Croatia, the UK, and the Curse of Militarism<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/01/23/croatia-military-conscription/" target="_blank">https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/01/23/croatia-military-conscription/</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/48472-john-humphrys-time-for-conscription-to-make-a-comeback" target="_blank">https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/48472-john-humphrys-time-for-conscription-to-make-a-comeback</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In both Croatia and the UK there is a renewed call for
conscription. The statements made by General Sanders of the UK are very
troubling as he speaks in terms of mass mobilisation, citizen armies, and
preparation for war.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Russia is being used as an excuse for the military-industrial
complex to re-assert itself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's also a check to nationalist impulses that place NATO and
Atlanticism at risk. These leaders are wielding fear and trying to suppress any
notions of autonomy or independence.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's somewhat ironic with the UK in light of Brexit and in
some respects is a reaction to it. The EU is part of this militarism as well,
but the integrity and argument for NATO's indispensability is paramount. It's
worth noting that the Atlanticists in Europe, whether in the military or part
of the larger industrial complex do very well by Atlanticism. They don't just
believe in it in terms of their own national security. They believe in it
because they've given their lives to this and are fully invested in it – and it
feeds them financially.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The call coming from the UK strikes one as somewhat absurd.
Putin didn't even make it to Kyiv and we're supposed to believe that he's going
to be poised to cross the Channel or the North Sea?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the case of Croatia, the call is also related to the
anxiety and fear that overshadows the Balkans and the threat of a new regional
war over Bosnia and Kosovo.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Croatian has its interests related to Bosnia and other former
Yugoslav concerns and they will not want to sit on the sideline if a war should
erupt.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And in the future, military service is also going to be about
defending borders or what in the United States is called 'border patrol'. Croatia
is not the frontier of the EU but it does represent the frontier of the
Eurozone and the Schengen Treaty – important frontiers in their own right.
Militaries are going to be used to stop immigration – under the fig-leaf of
humanitarianism of course.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The call to national mobilisation whether in Croatia or the
UK contains the inherent curse of nationalism and the call to inject a new
generation with this idolatrous poison – in reality a rival religion with its
own set of ethics and imperatives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It represents a real crisis for faithful Christians who will
be conscientious objectors not just in terms of a military call-up, but also
within the context of schools and the workplace. Once again, the call for
Christians is one of counter-cultural second-class citizenship and yet given
the influence of American Evangelicalism and its Dominionist proclivities –
they won't have it and many will erroneously believe that by 'serving' in the
military they are somehow defending the supposedly glorious heritage of the
Christian West. In this case the New Testament-rejecting idolatry engages in a
great deceit – fooling Christians into thinking they're being faithful and even
Biblical, even while they sell their souls to a false kingdom and its mores.
Though Evangelicals cannot grasp it, this is a far greater threat to the Church
than mere secularism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And thus instead of condemning the idolatry, most
Evangelicals will embrace it and their pastors and para-church favourites will
have played no small role in steering them to that end. Little do they know
that money from the industries that benefit from all this flows through direct
and indirect channels into the coffers and pockets of many a denomination and
para-church organisation. There is a heresy born of theological error, but
there's another angle that often just smacks of old fashioned corruption. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The deception is multi-layered and pervasive. It destroys
societies and introduces a cancerous rot within the confines of the Church.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-77182306141440619662024-02-08T18:12:00.001-05:002024-02-08T18:12:41.849-05:00The Seven Churches of Revelation - A Key to Church History?<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://taylormarshall.com/2024/01/1053-6th-age-antichrist-according-17th-century-mystic-holzhauser-podcast.html" target="_blank">https://taylormarshall.com/2024/01/1053-6th-age-antichrist-according-17th-century-mystic-holzhauser-podcast.html</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trumpite (and thus non-Traditionalist) Roman Catholic Taylor
Marshall published this little promo video the other day. Though others have
pointed this out, few Dispensationalists realize that the Seven Epochs of
Church History schema (based on the Seven Churches of Asia Minor) finds its
origin in Counter-Reformation Roman Catholicism. The same is actually true of
the larger Dispensational scheme.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is not to say that JN Darby derived his Dispensational system
from figures like Holzhauser – to be honest I don't know. Those who argue that
its antecedents are found with groups like the Joachimites are mistaken. His
model is not the same at all. A similar 'Dispensational' scheme appeared among
some later Pietists such as Pierre Poiret and even later with Edward Irving, but
the earliest example (post-antiquity) or proto-type of its futurist eschatology
is located in the Counter-Reformation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And to be fair it should be noted the Holzhauser schema being
promoted by Taylor Marshall does not include the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sine qua non</i> of Darby-Scofield Dispensationalism – the primacy of
the Jews and Judaism and their absolute separation from the Church. In fact as
the Holzhauser example makes clear, one need not be a Dispensationalist to
embrace the Church History view of the Seven Letters, though typically it is
only Dispensationalists who embrace this (ironically) allegorical view.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It should be noted that the Holzhauser scheme (which is by no
means embraced by all or even a majority of Roman Catholics) is totally
arbitrary. One could just as easily argue for this or that date marking the epochal
shifts. This is a fundamental problem with all historicist schemas. Holzhauser
also assumes a great many things that I would argue on the basis of the New
Testament can and must be rejected. Contrary to the assumptions found in his scheme,
Constantine and Charlemagne are not heroes of the faith but representatives of
False Christianity. Holzhauser is thus a false prophet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The still popular Dispensationalist model is likewise
arbitrary. Most today will argue that we're in the so-called 'Laodicean Church
Age' and yet I remember my late Fundamentalist grandparents arguing that we
were in the Philadelphian epoch. They were seemingly convinced that the Church
of their day was zealous and faithful. Locating the present in the so-called
Laodicean Age panders to the notions that we must be in the 'end times' –
proximate to the Rapture. Sadly, this school of thought has greatly
misunderstood even this notion of 'end times'. In the New Testament the label of
'last days' applies to what we could call the Church Age, the entire period
between the First and Second Advents of Christ. So technically they're right –
we are in the 'end times' or more properly 'Last Days'. But so were Paul,
Origen, Augustine, Joachim, Luther, Wesley, and so forth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At least (it could be argued) the Roman-Holzhauser model
relies on a prophet (of sorts) and therefore has a kind of authority that the
Dispensationalist model does not and cannot possess. I am of course being
facetious, but if the assumption is valid, then Roman Catholics who embrace the
schema could at least rest on that foundation as opposed to the mere conjecture
found in modern Dispensationalism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There's no way you can assign the ages on any kind of
objective basis. For example we could still be in the very first or second age.
There's no way to know.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The whole approach is wrong and when it's wedded to other
forms of bad theology the end result is not a happy one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One could argue that as Revelation represents a repeat and
recapitulation of Church history (the Last Days), the Seven Churches of Asia
might in fact represent something we should expect to find at all times – more
or less. Rather than view them in chronologically successive terms, instead we
should see them as a pattern that repeats and rearranges itself over and over
again. We see these 'types' of churches all throughout Church history – and it
is noteworthy that in most cases, the report is not a good one. In keeping with
what the rest of the New Testament suggests, the period is marked by
unfaithfulness, error, and warnings in the face of potential apostasy – and yet
with glimmers of hope and a recurring faithful remnant.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-16997116107726901172024-02-06T18:02:00.000-05:002024-02-06T18:02:09.483-05:00Lausanne Movement Antics in Austria<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/25053/austrian-evangelicals-invite-politicians-to-church-our-faith-is-not-an-import" target="_blank">https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/25053/austrian-evangelicals-invite-politicians-to-church-our-faith-is-not-an-import</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact that these Evangelicals in Austria are reaching out
to politicians did not particularly surprise me – but it does concern me.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What I thought especially strange was the claim or argument
for integration – the spurious Anabaptist vs. Free Church argument.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They are of course neither – and certainly not Anabaptists.
Regardless, Protestants would have had no social standing or even toleration
until the 'Enlightened' rule of Joseph II and his edicts in the 1780's. But as
this did not include the Moravians, it follows that it did not apply to
Anabaptists either. The idea that this historical placement is somehow
connected to these modern Evangelicals sitting down with politicians is rather
absurd.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Regardless of these attempts to spin and revise history, the
truth is these are Lausanne Evangelicals born of the post-war movement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is this all about? They are (like all Evangelicals)
seeking social standing, security, respectability. They effectively baptise the
values of the middle class and want the bourgeois in turn to baptise them or
ratify them as 'members' of society. And like all bourgeois, these Evangelicals
proclaim that they support the state, invest in it, and if historical patterns
hold true, they'll take up arms and die for it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wish the article would elaborate on which politicians they
are meeting with – that's of great interest to me. I would like to know if
these Evangelicals are trying to join forces with the growing Far Right.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-87181337251667780142024-02-01T06:39:00.001-05:002024-02-01T06:39:00.132-05:00Preying on Fear: The Crime-wave Hype<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/fbi-report-crime-down-republican-election-fear-rcna121384" target="_blank">https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/fbi-report-crime-down-republican-election-fear-rcna121384</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/2022-fox-news-created-crime-crisis-failed-attempt-sway-midterms" target="_blank">https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/2022-fox-news-created-crime-crisis-failed-attempt-sway-midterms</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The American Right seems keen to promote the notion of a
serious crime wave and it's now taken for granted by those within the movement
and among those who regularly digest its media. But is it true?<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was something of this when Obama was president and it
was certainly revived under the Biden administration and has now reached a kind
of frenzy. In my quiet rural area, I know of women afraid to walk down the road
out of fear of immigrants and crime. We're talking about roads that sometimes
might not see a passing car for hours and there are virtually no immigrants in
this area. The whole thing is ridiculous and sad but it's what FOX et al. has
done to them. They are in the grip of irrational fear.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The real picture of crime is somewhat complicated but it's
safe to say the notion of a crime wave has been hyped.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some metrics indicate an increase in crime but when compared
to rates of just a couple of decades ago – crime is still way down and
especially violent crimes. There was an uptick for a couple of years in
conjunction with the Covid pandemic but even then compared to years past, the
numbers were not extreme. While some violent crime statistics have remained
high in certain sections, in others they've dropped. Interestingly burglary
today is at but a fraction of what it was back in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One could speak at this point about crime and violence in
general in the United States compared to Western Europe, but for this
discussion we can just speak of the US in self-referential terms.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know people who visited New York City back in the 1980's
and 1990's without fear and yet tremble at the thought of doing so today. But
the statistics indicate it was much more dangerous back then – let alone back
in the 1970's. But you didn't have FOX back then and the GOP wasn't pushing
this issue so hard – and always in connection with both immigration and calls
to reform the bail-bond system.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In terms of numbers, New York City averaged around 1500
murders a year in the 1970s and 80's – reaching over 2000 a year into the early
1990s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By 2017 and 2018, New York was down to under 300 a year –
still appalling to be sure, but by all accounts a dramatic drop, a process that
began in the 1990's. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact that in the early 2020s it's gone back into the high
400s – does this really justify the present fear campaign? It's completely
misleading – not to mention deliberate and self-serving.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some cities have experienced an increase in things like
shoplifting but at the same time some in the retail industry have admitted that
they're using this as a justification, an excuse, to cut costs – decreasing
hours, changing the nature of displays and like, all to cut back on the costs
of labour. In other cases they're closing profitable stores but ones that were
lagging behind – in order to boost stock prices and the numbers in quarterly
reports. These stores weren't necessarily losing money but they weren't making
enough to keep the people at the top happy. It's sheer greed. They don't care
about lost jobs and hurt communities and they hide their greed behind the
curtain of fear using bait and switch tactics. Blame it on the hooligans and
riff-raff – not on the desire to line their pockets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Inflation is certainly playing a part in the crime uptick and
while the Right has condemned the inflation, the truth is the corporate sector
has gotten used to low interest rates and lots of free money – and people have
benefitted from this in their portfolios and 401k's. They complain about the
day to day but they're actually making out. Those of us without portfolios and
investment-retirement accounts are not. And any savings people might have are
being reduced in value.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Federal Reserve has attempted to bring some balance and
the result is economic pain – largely passed on to the consumer of course.
Without some room to work, the Fed will not be able to counter another
downturn, which is why once inflation is under control – they may not cut
interest rates simply to 'pump' the economy. The want to prepare for the next
crisis which is inevitable and as bad as all this is, these tools are better
than what was available in the past. One thinks of 1929 for example.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">None of this is to suggest the fiscal system is sound or
moral, nor would I want to endorse it for a moment, but it's the system that
presently exists and as such (within its framework) the Fed's actions are not
irrational. Rationality should not be equated with morality in this case. The
rationality is internal to the system and its assumptions. The answer isn't to
fix it (it's not possible) or to adopt the maxim – if you can't beat them, then
join them. That also is not an option. The best course is to divest and live as
pilgrims – as much as is possible in this capitalist economy that seeks to make
us all debt slaves. I'll pay the criminals their usury but I'm not going to be
one of them and thus justify their crimes – their sins.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The end result of all this has been inflation and we've all
felt it. But what's not talked about is how the inflation has wiped out any
gains made by the workforce in terms of wages. Pay has gone up to be sure, but
the gains have been effectively canceled out by the inflation. In the meantime
many other social disparities have increased. There are many people struggling
and yet the Upper Middle Class and the tiers immediately above it, have more
money than ever before. And, the working class and especially the working poor
are at or beyond the breaking point.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When people have nothing to lose – they will turn to crime. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is also a large underclass of people living on
subsidies – welfare, disability, and the like. They have been crushed by
inflation. None of this excuses a rise in crime but it shouldn't surprise us.
While many of them cannot elaborate on their cynicism, they nevertheless sense
the corruption by means of intuition and experience. Their cynicism is actually
justified – even if their response is not.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The kind of 'Flash Mob' smash-and-grab shoplifting episodes
are something new – a development made possible by the growth of social media. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is safe to say there are serious problems in this society.
Who can doubt it? There are issues with crime – many of which are related to
larger and often complicated questions and dynamics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A debate is needed. Laws and policies need to be reviewed.
The bail system is corrupt and crushes the poor and yet it's clear that the
kind of sweeping removal of it in some cases has been disastrous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the fear campaign of the Right and outlets like FOX is
disingenuous and motivated far more by politics than anything to do with facts
or a desire to really fix the problems. Political points are being scored – and
the solutions offered are little more than ear-tickling slogans that have
little to do with reality or genuine reform.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fear is a powerful thing, and as astonishing as it is to say,
the American public has not yet understood how it can be used and what it can
lead to. One would think after the many wars, false alarms, and cyclical
episodes within society people would reflect a little and learn something. But
remember the system itself and the powerful media machine that serves it have
sought to inhibit such thinking by means of slogan-safeguards and mass
distraction. One need only pull up a news feed or watch the 'nightly news' info-tainment
shows to understand that the public is far more interested in product marketing,
pop culture, sports, and feel-good human interest stories than any kind of
actual reporting or reflection on the fundamentals of the system. For others
the diet is one of anger and fear – coupled with the product information, pop
culture, sports, and maybe the occasional feel-good story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Either way the gatekeepers atop the institutions of society
do all they can to make sure no one of standing ever dares to challenge the
system or plant questions in the heads of the public that might lead them to do
so. And if you think someone like Bernie Sanders is challenging the system –
then you've bought the line they're selling.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-69516344583879192142024-01-29T20:47:00.000-05:002024-01-29T20:47:14.591-05:00Random Thoughts on the Dead Americans in Jordan<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When the story broke over the weekend I immediately thought
of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and how happy he must be at this news. He
wants to widen the war and there are plenty within the US Congress, Pentagon,
and even White House that want the same. The Iran Hawks are already squawking –
demanding some kind of massive bombing campaign – even if it leads to a massive
war. As one commentator pointed out the Middle East is in the cusp of the
biggest regional war since 1973. These people couldn't care less. Men like
Lindsey Graham are literally just vampires – they live for blood.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then today I saw the pictures of the Americans killed on the
BBC website. First, I thought it noteworthy how much press they get as opposed to
military members killed in other countries – let alone the thousands of
faceless and nameless people killed in places like Gaza and throughout Africa.
More could be said about the thousands of refugees that have died. Few in the
West understand the wars and strife they're fleeing, and that's assuming they
even care.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But returning to the killed Americans – I was immediately
struck by the fact that they're all Black. One can't help but wonder if the
military was the only way out for them – the way out of poverty and other
traps. For some it was the only prospect of getting an education. Did they
understand what they were signing up for? Did it ever strike them as strange
that they're sitting in the desert on the other side of the world? Did they
really believe the lies and propaganda that they were somehow defending
America's freedom? Their community builds its narratives on being exploited and
oppressed – did it never occur to them that's what the US is doing in places
like Iraq and Syria – places they could literally see from their Jordan base?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The truth is they were expendable pawns – throwaways in a
great game being played by powerful figures atop the world's power structure.
They're not martyrs, they're not heroes, they're fools to be pitied. They literally
died for nothing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Their families won't be able to accept that and so back in
their hometowns and neighbourhoods the legend is already being created. It will
be manifest at high school assemblies, veteran's clubs, and in the bridges or
overpasses named after them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No one ever questions why the troops are where they are. The
whole anti-ISIS justification is absurd and has been for some time. That's not
what this is about. The US is involved in a much bigger game and while the
ISIS-line will work for the ignorant – many of us know better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I always think of that day years ago sitting in a coffee shop
and listening to the conversation at a nearby table. It was a group of military
recruiters having a meet-up and the one charming fellow was talking about how
he loved driving up to some old run down trailer with junk and garbage in the
yard. He was sure he had them. Those were the easy ones to sign up.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Preying on the weak, poor, and desperate, these parasites are
looking for fodder – for fools that will throw their lives away for meaningless
empty concepts – which even if they meant something at some point in the past,
they no longer do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And then of course how many reflect on what they're doing and
what they're a part of and realize (hopefully with some degree of horror) that
they have a great deal of blood on their hands – regardless of whether or not
they're in actual combat. I know it was not a happy realization for me.
Thankfully in my case it was pretty obvious and didn't require a lot of deep
thinking. That came later and then I realized that my guilt was not just
connected to the bombs being dropped on Serbs – but a larger death machine
slaughtering people in Iraq, throughout the Middle East, and the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like every kid of my generation, I wanted to be Luke
Skywalker and thought I was doing something in keeping with that by signing up
for the US military. Only later did I realize that I was in fact an Imperial
Stormtrooper and we all know how easily they're killed and blown up – how worthless
they are to the Empire. They are throw away people and so were these folks. I
wasn't killed or hurt but I still had to deal with the shame and guilt for the
things I supported and made possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By God's grace I left that evil behind and yet I struggle to
have pity on those who even after years and decades refuse to reflect on it all
and still glory in it – and this is even more true when it comes to Christians.
I was not happy to see a car pull in next to me on the street on Sunday morning
with a USMC license plate and a Vietnam Veteran sticker – and then see the guy
go into the church I was also about to walk into. It would be one thing if he
repented of all that evil – but clearly he glories in it. Do we serve the same
Christ? I honestly don't know.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I'm sorry these three people died but if you live by the
sword you die by it. If they didn't understand that, then they are to be pitied
indeed. I hope it was worth it. I wonder if it would disturb them to know the
US government will continue to make use of them even after they're dead. They
are prime time propaganda now. They're part of the marketing package to sell a
larger war. Their deaths will be used to generate more. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The US will present this as aggression – which of course is
ridiculous. The Iranian government, Hezbollah, and others have actually been
quite restrained even as the US and Israel actively engage in attacks and
assassinations. In fact the leaders of Iran and Hezbollah are facing pressure
from within to respond – to do something as they're being made to look like
fools by the Americans and Israelis. Trump assassinated a major figure within
Iran – a crime that remains effectively unanswered. The handful of deaths and
injuries in retaliation do not even begin to make up for it. Can you even
imagine how the US would respond if Iran took out the Secretary of Defense, the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, or some other major admiral or general? How would
Israel respond? It wouldn't be with just a few missiles or a drone attack – and
killing a couple of troops would not be deemed sufficient.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But none of this matters. Every action taken by Iran, Russia,
China, or any other unfriendly nation is painted as aggression. If you have any
doubts the US has some pictures of dead soldiers it would like to show you.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-82694760549211730462024-01-28T15:35:00.000-05:002024-01-28T15:35:23.925-05:00DiLorenzo's Latest Attempt at Red Baiting<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/new-york-state-assemblyman-tony-simone-wants-to-bring-back-forced-labor/" target="_blank">https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/new-york-state-assemblyman-tony-simone-wants-to-bring-back-forced-labor/</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This post caught my eye and typifies all that is wrong with
the revisionist Bircherite academics associated with the extreme end of the
Libertarian Austrian School – and the Neo-Confederate Thomas DiLorenzo (President
of the Ludwig von Mises Institute) is among the worst.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He completely misrepresents the situation which I have been
following since the story emerged. It has since gathered a fair bit of
attention within Evangelical circles but in every case the reporting is
misleading or just completely misses the point. But this attempt at spin by
DiLorenzo is ridiculous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DiLorenzo presents the controversy as if New York is hunting
down Chick-fil-a and targeting them for special persecution because of the
Sunday closure policy. This is not the case. Nor is it true that this is a plot
to nationalise the company (communist style) and compel work from its
employees.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is about the New York Thruway – or Turnpike as it's
called in other states. These are toll highways and as such they have isolated
travel plazas. Once everyone gets on the highway, to get off you have to go
through a toll plaza and as such, once you're on – you stay on until your exit
off-ramp which potentially could be dozens or hundreds of miles away. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thus, there are service plazas along the route. You exit but
are still within the Thruway (or Turnpike) corridor. The only thing to do is
get back on the highway. You can't leave because that would mean exiting
without paying the toll. These plazas have restrooms and various vendors and
yet since they are limited in what they offer, it's a kind of monopoly for the
companies situated within – companies which bid for these lucrative contracts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The various restaurants, Starbucks, and the like are certain
to get a tremendous amount of business as Thruway/Turnpike travelers have
nowhere else to go. New York's system is the fifth busiest in the United States
– indicating just how much volume there is on this road. We're talking millions
of cars and people passing through and many will eventually (at some point)
stop at one of these plazas and get something to eat or drink.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With Chick-fil-a being closed on Sunday, there's no doubt
that in the said plazas, lines are much longer for the few remaining places
that are open. There are fewer options. Most of these plazas only have a few
eateries to begin with.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The problem here isn't that Chick-fil-a is being targeted.
The problem is the fast food chain was greedy and sought out the contracts with
the Thruway. Again, they're worth a lot of money with the guarantee of
significant business. That's what motivated them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet travelers are (perhaps justifiably) irked that
they're closed. Travel is significant on Sunday, especially around holiday
weekends. If Chick-fil-a didn't want to be open on Sunday (which is just fine
with everyone) then why did they bid on these contracts? Why seek to set up
shop in the travel plazas? No one forced them to do this. They did it because the
company is built on avarice and exploitative profits. That's why the owner is a
billionaire.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But then it's not fair that they decide they don't want to
serve people on Sunday. The Travel Plaza model assumes that something will be
open seven days a week – and in some cases twenty-four hours a day. Unless
you're going to shut down the highways, restaurants, and hotels on Sundays,
then it's futile. I'm fully on board with the voluntary shutting down of businesses
on Sunday, and if more companies did it then it would change society. But of
course the bulk of the society is not Christian and even most Christian
businesses don't want to give up the lucrative profits that Sunday brings –
demonstrating where their true loyalties are to be found. To my mind, the
Thruway is a patent case of something for a Christian business owner to avoid.
I don't want to work on Sundays and I can't in good conscience force my
employees to do so. It's not because it's the Sabbath but because it's the
first day of the week – the day the Church meets. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If the pagans want to be open and work – then fine. I have no
objection. Their problem is not that they're in violation of a moral law (as certain
theological categories and systems will insist) but that they're lost and in
need of redemption. Making pagans keep Sabbath does not help them nor does it honour
God. It just makes hypocrites that are nevertheless still profane in their
hearts and even their actions, regardless of whatever threat a pseudo-Christian
order attempts to impose upon them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chick-fil-a brought this on themselves. To get out of the
contract (which is what they need to do) will undoubtedly cost a lot of money
and as the Thruway commission is not going to feel very generous when it comes
to the construction and delays required for a new restaurant to come into these
spaces – it won't be an easy deal to negotiate. They will lose money I'm sure. I
cannot bring myself to feel any sympathy for this company.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They should have never bid for it in the first place. To
demand that everyone bow to your wishes and company policies doesn't come
across very well. For that matter the Thruway probably needs to review the
whole process and determine why this wasn't looked in to before they gave
Chick-fil-a the contract. You can be sure future contracts will require a
signature promising to be open on Sunday. In which case, Christian owned businesses
need not apply – and that's fine. We should expect as much. In a wicked godless
system, faithful Christians are not going to flourish. Those that do, only do
so by compromising with the system and adopting its values. This was true of
outlets like Chick-fil-a and Hobby Lobby long ago and has nothing to do with
their Sunday closure policies. Such practices are in actuality an anomaly for
companies that are otherwise and in every way fully on board with the world
system and its values. It's a wicked system and those who become billionaires
within it – are wicked too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To suggest this is persecution or some communist plan of
forced labour is completely ridiculous – as is DiLorenzo on just about every
topic he addresses. What a buffoon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/new-york-state-assemblyman-tony-simone-wants-to-bring-back-forced-labor/"></a></span></p>Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-69532223746033912892024-01-27T17:59:00.001-05:002024-01-28T07:57:57.438-05:00Ethiopia's Foray into Somaliland<p><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed has generated a great deal of
frustration within Washington. He waged war on Tigray and the ethno-political
faction long supported by Washington. He has by some estimations moved Ethiopia
closer to China. And as of 1 January 2024, Addis Ababa has now moved into the
sphere of BRICS.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">And if all this wasn't enough, there is now an additional
risk of promoting instability in neighbouring Somalia. The latter nation
appears coherent on the map but the country has not existed as a cohesive unit
for several decades. The US relationship with Ethiopia and Somalia is long,
complex, and shameful. During the Cold War and the decades after, the US
flipped back and forth – supporting Ethiopia, then turning against it, then
supporting it again. In each case the relationship with Somalia was directly
affected, always falling on the opposite pole. With the collapse of the
Ethiopian Derg in 1991, the region was in a state of chaos and the US decided
to intervene in neighbouring Somalia leading to the famous 'Black Hawk Down'
incident.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Since then the US has supported factions, waged war directly
and indirectly and by means of proxy – with both Kenya and Ethiopia invading Somalia
with US support in the 2000's and 2010's.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">These interventions led to the rise al-Shabaab and its
eventual affiliation with al Qaeda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
US ousted an Islamist government in Mogadishu and then later backed them and
yet the US-supported 'official' government does not control the whole country
and this is especially the case in the northern region known as Somaliland.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Now Ethiopia's Ahmed has forged a deal with the Somaliland
separatists to create a port, a move that has outraged the official Mogadishu government
and its American backers. Ethiopia for its part was opposed by the United
States in the 1980's and weakened by sanctions and famine. Eritrea won its
independence in 1991 and the US was keen to acknowledge this – the new reality
leaving Ethiopia landlocked. Since that time Ethiopia has been trying to find
an outlet to the sea but its options are limited.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The US later made peace with Ethiopia and the two nations
became allies even while relations with Eritrea (often compared to North Korea)
have been strained.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Abiy Ahmed has been trying to bolster Ethiopia's profile and
regional standing and as stated, they have been desperate for a port.
Somaliland is looking to bolster its claims of independence vis-à-vis Mogadishu
and thus is willing to cut a deal with Ethiopia for its backing. Ethiopia would
presumably defend its interests and thus for Mogadishu to assert control over
Somaliland – there would be a good chance of war with Addis Ababa.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Mogadishu is furious but limited in what it can do. All eyes
are looking at the African Union but ultimately to the United States who will
make the final decision as to how to respond.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Given the instability in nearby Sudan and the growing
tensions around the Horn, and the scramble for allies in the region – with both
Russia and China seeking a foothold, you can be sure there are some intense
discussions taking place in the National Security Council, State Department,
Pentagon, and CIA. In fact there are reports that the head of the CIA was recently in Somalia and Kenya, indicating the level of concern within Washington over events in the Horn.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">This part of the world is largely ignored by the media and
the public – apart from the problems associated with the shipping lanes. A few
years back it was Somali pirates, now it's the Houthis responding to the Gaza
War. The region is complicated and most people can't make sense of it and have
never attempted to follow it. And yet, it's a critical part of the larger
geopolitical puzzle which seems to be getting ever more unstable and volatile.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Abiy Ahmed can be excused for his defiance of the United
States and his desire to see his country flourish – and yet at what cost?
Oppression? War? Regardless of his motives and ethics, his moves are generating
instability. I hope he's counting the cost because at the end of the day he
must have some notion as to how ruthless and rapacious the US can be – and how
little it regards the lives of the people living in the Horn of Africa. The
past fifty years have made that all too clear.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-47378235896761742632024-01-25T19:38:00.001-05:002024-01-25T19:38:37.697-05:00Mohler's Vanguard Nation<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's been some time since I listened to Albert Mohler. Those
who know my writings know that I'm not in any sense a fan of the seminary
president. The other day I caught him speaking about the anniversary of Lenin's
birth and that got him talking about Lenin's modifications to the Marxist
schema. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He didn't really elaborate on it or as to why the standard
Marxist model needed modification. For Classical Marxism of the nineteenth
century, Germany was the prime ground for communist revolution. Russia was
still pre-industrial and so in terms of Marxist progression, the nation wasn't
there yet. And yet Tsarist Russia was where it was happening and so the scheme
had to be modified in terms of its view of revolution and the role of a
Vanguard – a permutation known as Marxist-Leninism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is where Mohler jumped in – regarding the question of
the vanguard and the idea that this elite party would have to lead the way. It
would have all the moral authority because it knew best and it had a right and
obligation to destroy all those who opposed it. Mohler was right to condemn
this as an evil political concept that historically (in terms of the Russian
Revolution) led to a lot of deaths.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet I immediately thought not of Marx or Lenin but Mohler
and the ideology he promotes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have on more than one occasion heard him promote the myth
of American Exceptionalism. What is that?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">American Exceptionalism argues that since America is unique
it cannot be held to account like other nations. Its actions cannot be held to
the same moral standard. It does not have to obey the same rules, it is not
bound by any Earthly authority – the UN, the ICC, or otherwise. The US can join
such organisations but it does not answer to them. In fact it's the duty of
other nations to obey the United States. It has a special calling and therefore
whatever it does – is moral and right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many Christians add a layer to this arguing that America's
uniqueness is tied to a Providential role – it's a nation set apart by God to
accomplish various special purposes on the Earth – a city on a hill, the
protector of Zionist Israel, or for some, the promoter of democracy, capitalism
and freedom – as some will mistakenly believe these are New Testament concepts
and concerns.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And with this notion of Exceptionalism goes a corollary
doctrine – America as the Indispensible Nation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is but an elaboration of the previous notion. What it
means is that since America has the unique and exceptional position and
calling, it follows that its interests are paramount and take precedent over
other concerns and even needs. It must not be weakened. It must remain strong
so it can lead and so its interests supersede all other concerns and claims.
America's desires and goals are by definition 'good' and the world (under this
view) needs America.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In other words, on the global stage, in the post-World War II
context – America is the Vanguard Nation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And in this capacity it has attempted to subjugate the Earth,
punishing those who oppose it. It continues to dominate the world economy, and
it punishes any resistance. It has killed millions directly in its wars and
millions more by proxy and by means of its agents. Millions more have died and
whole cultures have been destroyed as it seeks to fulfill its economic and
geopolitical interests. It is in Biblical terms a Beast-Power.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though he wouldn't like the label of Vanguard, Mohler
actively promotes this political and theological monstrosity and in his twisted
amoral reasoning believes that it is the duty of Christians to support this
bestial state and at present it should be led by the rapist, adulterer, thief,
and murderer Donald Trump.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The pseudo-intellectual Mohler can inform his audience about
the dangers of Vanguardism even while he actively promotes this heresy on an
exponentially greater scale.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He is clearly oblivious to these ironies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lenin was an evil man that did a lot of harm – and yet I
don't believe any Christians were misled by him. I don't believe any Christians
were seduced into confusing and supporting his evil as if it were something
Kingdom oriented.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I cannot say the same about Mohler or those like him. He
certainly exhibits a real blindness and moral bankruptcy when it comes to such
questions. He is actually just echoing the views of America's Ruling Class, as even
the mainstream Democrats believe this rubbish. What makes Mohler worse is that
it is cast in Christian terms and as such he provides a cover and moral
justification for what are policies tantamount to theft and mass murder. For
these and other reasons, he must be reckoned a false teacher.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And yet he's not unique. In fact, he is but the latest
representative of a long line of corrupt and compromised sacralist clerics and
pseudo-theologians that have in times past defended everything from the Roman
Empire, to the Holy Roman Empire, the papacy, and of course the Crusades. He's
cut from the same cloth. He's merely in a different context. We've seen his
like before and when he's gone there will be a long line of those eager to take
up his soiled mantle.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-12476700566444220092024-01-23T17:11:00.003-05:002024-01-23T17:11:58.492-05:00Humanitarian Border Patrols and Buffers for Fortress Europe<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/22/eu-to-start-releasing-money-to-tunisia-under-migration-pact" target="_blank">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/22/eu-to-start-releasing-money-to-tunisia-under-migration-pact</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is but one in a series of incidents regarding deals with
European authorities and African states. Couched in humanitarian terms, the
real goal is to curb immigration. The Europeans and Americans both have
realized that it's cheaper and better (in terms of optics) to prevent the
migrants from actually arriving on European shores. If they can create and pay
for a buffer that will block these streams of human beings fleeing war, poverty,
overpopulation, and in some cases a collapsing climate, they can feel good
about what they're doing – because they don't have to look at it or get their
hands dirty as it were.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Out of sight and out of mind is the desired result and just
as they won't have to deal with the reality of human beings in distress within
their borders, they also can deflect concerns regarding the war and poverty
which in more than a few cases the Western powers are themselves responsible
for – at least in part.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The 'strategic partnership' referred to in the article is
simply a pay-off – literally blood money. And these payments also buy the
loyalty of Right-wing governments such as Italy's Meloni-led coalition. She ran
on an anti-immigration platform and Brussels knows that if she fails –
something more extreme will arise. Right-wing parties wielding populism as a
stick are threatening the Establishment, and so the Establishment is
triangulating. There's nothing new in that. However in this case triangulation
seems more like capitulation or identification – the same policies are embraced
merely in a different mode or style. Change the packaging and nomenclature, but
the product is the same.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The bottom line is even the 'liberal' Establishment doesn't
want this mass migration. It's fairly obvious and there is documentable
evidence that they're trying to counter it – which of course belies the claims
made by advocates of the The Great Replacement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you really think these European leaders care if migrants
are abandoned in the desert wastes? Like the Americans and certainly the
British with their Rwanda plan, the goal is to create deterrents, generate
fear, and make would-be migrants think twice before making the trek.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's case of criminals covering up the results of their
crimes and for others it's a matter of not wanting to see or acknowledge the
realities of the hour with regard to population, limited resources, a lack of security,
and desperation. They deny these realities even as they pour fuel on the fire.</span></p>
Protoprotestanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217567607160768261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2319172106392132510.post-36877098668042489102024-01-19T16:24:00.001-05:002024-01-19T16:24:49.055-05:00The Revival of Franco and Francoism<p><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/15/us-far-right-francisco-franco-spanish-civil-war" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/15/us-far-right-francisco-franco-spanish-civil-war</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This caught my eye because I've heard recent attempts by
figures on the Right to argue that Francoism was not fascism. Usually the
argument relies on limiting fascism to the Third Reich and anti-Semitic Hitlerism
– and maybe taking into account something of Mussolini. Franco is treated as
something outside this spectrum and usually much is made of the fact that his
regime did not pursue anti-Semitic policies. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This latter point is actually more complicated, but the
argument fundamentally misunderstands and confuses fascism with Hitlerian anti-Semitism.
There were and are anti-Semites who are not fascist, just as there were and are
fascists who are not anti-Semitic. Fascism is a form of authoritarian
ultra-nationalism. In some contexts it can embrace anti-Semitism, it others it
can simply be expressed as a general xenophobia, anti-immigrant, or even some
other form of racism depending on its individual situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These apologias for Franco also fail to take into account the
various other fascist movements that arose in the 1930's, such as the Iron
Guard in Romania (which was anti-Semitic), the <span class="expandableitem">Ustaše
in Croatia (which directed its hatred primarily toward Serbs), and the Arrow
Cross of Hungary (which was also anti-Semitic). There were also significant
fascist movements in France, Slovakia and Ukraine. For some their anti-Semitism
was almost a side-show and in other cases such as Italy under Mussolini it
wasn't even an issue that garnered a great deal of attention. Franco for his
part was certainly anti-Semitic and employed the rhetoric but had no interest
in death camps or in violent persecution directed at anyone other than his
political opponents or those advocating open dissent.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span class="expandableitem"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But in every case the primary focus
of fascist hatred was against communism. For some like Hitler, the anti-Semitism
was racial but in all cases of anti-Semitism (including Hitler) the hatred of
Jews was connected with the real object of hatred – communism. This was due to
the fact that many of the prominent communists (such as Trotsky) were Jewish.</span></span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Franco was an authoritarian ultra-nationalist and a fascist.
As much as the revisionists try to explain this away or spin it – this cannot
be disputed. His primary aim was to eliminate the Left and to wage war against
communism and modernity. As such, he like the fascist leaders in Slovakia and
Croatia forged close ties with elements of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. In
places like Romania and Serbia, there was an embrace of ultra-nationalism in
the form of Eastern Orthodoxy. While Mussolini made peace with the Vatican in
1929, and pleased Rome by warring against communists, Il Duce was not terribly
keen on forging the kind of relationship seen with the fascist leaders of
Croatia or Franco in Spain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The embrace of Franco by elements within the American Right
is not surprising to me but I'm certain that many have a convoluted
understanding of the history. For Catholic Integralists, Franco is the ideal
and this came up years ago when Rick Santorum (who is probably a member of Opus
Dei) ran for president and was wholeheartedly backed by the Evangelical
community – a watershed moment. Today, the Evangelicals don't even blink at
supporting a Catholic. It's no longer an issue as their movement has shifted
doctrinally and abandoned whatever ties it once had with the Protestant
Reformation. Today the enemy is secular humanism and in that fight, they view
Rome as an ally.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The problem is fascism and Francoism are a repudiation of
Classical Liberalism. Unwilling to return to the old Throne and Altar paradigm,
fascism is a recasting of the old order for modern industrial times and tends
toward an ad hoc mixing of the ideologies as the situation requires. Ironically
fascist dictators often end up with more power and majesty and wield more fear than
many a king.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These arguments are further confused by the phenomena of
Stalinism which represents a kind of Bonapartist reaction to Communist Revolution.
Just as Napoleon generates a debate over the French Revolution – as to whether
he was the faithful servant and outgrowth of it, or its betrayer, the same is
true with Stalinism. Was he a faithful communist? A faithful Marxist-Leninist?
Or did he betray this legacy (as Trotsky accused him) by recasting the
revolution in nationalist terms. As such, the authoritarian Soviet regime when
wed to nationalism descended into a kind of fascism dressed up in Marxist
clothes and nomenclature. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To take this discussion further one can look to the question
of totalitarianism raised by Arendt and others. Totalitarianism is its own
beast and it can use any paradigm as a fig-leaf justification for what it's
doing. At the end of the day whether fascist, communist, monarchical, or even
ecclesiastical (as was seen with the post-Gregorian Papacy), the end result is
a terror-system of thought police and repression – a state of that turns its
power of violence inward and crushes any hint of opposition to the power. At
that point the slogans and symbols are more or less meaningless, especially in
everyday life. Might makes right and the people living under such regimes
understand this. The leader can tell them that down is up and up is down and
they'll believe it – or at least pay lip service to it in order to survive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Franco was not a totalitarian in the same sense as Stalin or
Hitler but he was a fascist and for those rejecting the regime, life could be
difficult and dangerous – and in some cases impossible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's troubling that Protestant intellectuals (or
pseudo-intellectuals) are raising the possibility of a Franco. The sites in
question (American Reformer and First Things) are quite popular in Reformed
circles and pushed by outlets like The Aquila Report. But it's not surprising.
We've seen this coming for a long time. And we've also seen how the media
complex of outlets like FOX and PragerU have more or less inoculated the Right
to being able to discern what fascism even is. They have misidentified it and
their spin job has been so successful that most on the Right associate fascism
not with the Ultra-Right ideology that it is – but with modern liberalism. The
likes of Houdini and David Copperfield could never have pulled off such a trick
or sleight-of-hand illusion. It's revisionism on a sweeping scale.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This slip toward authoritarianism and the abandonment of
Classical Liberalism has been a multi-decade project and the scope of the
delusion is exemplified by the fact that many of these people are still waving
the flag and actually believe their values are compatible with the Classical
Liberalism of the Founders.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If they had any integrity they would renounce the American
Founders and reject the American Revolution. But they can't do that as America
is a religion for the Right – its true religion whether or not a Christian profession
is included. And if that's taken as a sweeping condemnation of the millions of
professed patriotic Christians in American Churches – it's meant to be.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And because it's their religion, history must be re-written
and money has made it possible. To write scholarly articles you need sources
and footnotes. And so when you don't have them, spend the money and within a
generation you'll have enough institutions, endowed chairs, think-tanks, and
publishing houses to make it possible – and for the myopic, plausible.
Regardless of what one thinks of them, one must admit they have pulled off a
pretty astounding feat. Despite its sinister aspect, it is nevertheless impressive.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All of this has come together and culminated in all that is
Trump and Trumpism. For those of us who remember Trump from back in the day –
it's surreal and absurd, but American memory is defective and in the context of
this shallow and consumerist (and thus easily manipulated) culture, it somehow
all makes tragic sense.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The article raised an interesting point – about how the
American Right was rehabilitating Franco as soon as the war was over. Initially
this would have been the Spanish Civil War in 1939, but then Franco was a
passive ally and partner of the Axis. That's usually ignored and the real
rehabilitation began with the Cold War and the fight against communism. Spain
was a cherished American ally and long hosted US military bases – even while it
was a dictatorship. The US didn't care as long as they had Spain as an ally.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Roman Catholics within the American Right have long revered
Franco and the same could be said of figures such as JRR Tolkien in the UK –
who also happened to detest Hitler. Integralism in a post-industrial, liberal
context almost demands such a response and thus it shouldn't surprise us that
Protestant Dominionists come to the same conclusion. No one wants to own Hitler
and his record with regard to Christianity is dubious. Mussolini was both
secular and a buffoon. Pavelic, the fascist leader of Croatia has too much
blood on his hands and the history of Yugoslavia is too complicated and ugly to
generate appeal. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But it's no accident that when the </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ustaše collapsed, after</span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> an extended stay at Castel Gandolfo, and a decade in South
America, Pavelic eventually found refuge in Franco's Spain – where he died in
1959 and was buried. Not a few ex-fascists and Nazis also found a haven in
Spain – something Franco apologists often choose to ignore.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Franco is the one figure they can point to that can (at first
glance) seem appealing – even though his regime and character should generate
revulsion in all who name the Name of Christ. But it's clear enough the Right
is ascending both in Europe and America and were a fascist dictator to emerge
in the American context, he would be supported not only by the GOP but the
Christian Right as well. Neo-Evangelicalism's abandonment of New Testament
Christianity and capitulation to the world – all in the name of the Kingdom –
has gone to seed. The evil fruit it produced has now rotted and the whole thing
lies on the ground, a mass of stinking decay that no longer represents the life
it once purported to stand for. It cannot even pretend anymore and its moral
faculties and discernment are clearly gone – the movement is rapidly descending
into a status that can only be described as not only apostate but reprobate.
The celebration of Franco and the advocacy of Francoism only testify to this.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The very men that are celebrated by the contemporary
Evangelical movement – men like Charles Colson, Francis Schaeffer, Jerry Falwell,
Pat Robertson, James Dobson, RJ Rushdoony, and even figures like Billy Graham
all played their part in bringing things to this point. The Apostate Church
loves its false prophets and lionises them failing to recognize them for what
they really are.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">See also:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2017/03/tolkien-liberalism-and-modernity.html" target="_blank">https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2017/03/tolkien-liberalism-and-modernity.html</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2012/01/colsons-victory.html" target="_blank">https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2012/01/colsons-victory.html</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2020/06/rome-and-croatia-ustase-legacy.html" target="_blank">https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2020/06/rome-and-croatia-ustase-legacy.html</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2019/06/francos-legacy-war-continues.html" target="_blank">https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2019/06/francos-legacy-war-continues.html</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/07/texaco-fascism-and-us-establishment.html" target="_blank">https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/07/texaco-fascism-and-us-establishment.html</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2021/11/vox-global-right-and-condor-20.html" target="_blank">https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2021/11/vox-global-right-and-condor-20.html</a></span></p>
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