The New Calvinist Dismantling the CFPB

The battle continues over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The courts in some cases resist the attempts to shut it down - in other cases the courts are facilitating its termination.

Bureaucratic Persecution in Italy

https://evangelicalfocus.com/features/22760/the-harassment-of-italian-evangelical-churches

Some of the events reported here are limited to the city of Rome as the article acknowledges. I remember back in the 1990's when I spent a fair bit of time there that Protestant churches couldn't ring bells and so forth – orders from the Vatican, or so it was said. The Pope does indeed possess a degree of unofficial leverage within the larger city.

Military and Missions: Not a Good Match

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/why-military-and-missions-make-a-good-match/

The editorial at Mission Network News argues that military and missions make a good match. The author is sadly mistaken. Apart from being accustomed to a life overseas, they have nothing in common.

American Legions to Remain in Germany

https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/us-troop-withdrawal-from-germany-put-on-freeze/

This is further evidence of the bureaucratic resistance to Trump's haphazard drawdown of US troops. The order is given, feet drag, the process is entangled and ignored – and then another administration comes to power and slowly reverses the order and its momentum.

The United Methodist Church (UMC) is Still Apostate

There has been extensive coverage in Christian circles with regard to the proposed split of the United Methodist Church. Many Evangelical leaders count it a good thing as for once there is resistance within a Mainline body, a sign of life and a sign of vitality, that people are willing to stand for something. The acceptance and open embrace of sodomy by a large faction within the UMC is a step too far and the conservatives are revolting.

A Murder in Mali

https://theintercept.com/2018/11/16/seal-team-6-green-beret-death/

I had almost deleted The Intercept from my bookmarks. The news magazine started out as one of the most interesting and cutting edge news websites in the aftermath of the Snowden affair but has since been appropriated and even dominated by reporting more or less in line with the Left-wing of the DNC. It went from being Anti-Establishment to being reformist and advocating many of the pseudo-Left views represented by people like Bernie Sanders. For some time it has seemed like Glenn Greenwald is about the only reporter left who has anything interesting to say.

Interpreting Bureaucratic Theatre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKVJ8NpBYIY

This video is somewhat amusing. It's a case of grandstanding versus ignorance, a display of hubris in conflict. One party, Warren is a rising star seeking accolade and higher office. The other, Carson is contemptuous, arrogant but foolish, either too vain to admit he's out of his league or to ignorant to realise it.

Sherrod Brown of Ohio also beats up on Carson near the end of the clip. He too is a rising star in the party. Both he and Warren are considered potential presidential candidates. That plays a big part in what you're seeing here. These are the figures that will bring the Far Left and dissident Sanders supporters back into the mainstream DNC. They are trying to score points and count coup on Carson who is reviled by the American Left and viewed as a traitor and an Uncle Tom.

Trump +346: UN Funding, the American Empire and the Rise of Multipolarity

The Trump administration recently declared it would further cut US payments to the United Nations. This is particularly damaging to the international body as the US pays a significant portion of its budget. American conservatives have long argued that the UN works against American interests and thus they are particularly bitter about the fact that US tax money helps to fund the organisation.

Ken Burns and Vietnam Revisionism

https://bracingviews.com/2017/09/20/the-vietnam-war-a-tragic-mistake/

I haven't watched the Ken Burns series on Vietnam and there's a good chance I won't bother with it. Why not? Because despite all the hype and praises heaped upon it I expected it to be more or less as the author of this link has described it.

Burns is only going to go so far in criticising the United States. Tied to the Establishment he's not going to risk burning his bridges with PBS, the educational mandarins and the host of foundations and corporations that promote and fund works such as his.

Bannon's Fall

http://dailycaller.com/2017/08/18/with-bannon-gone-trump-loses-key-anti-war-aide/

The chaos continues. I've been following it and yet I cannot pretend to predict what will happen. This administration is unprecedented in many ways.

Italian Churches and the Struggle Over Buildings

http://evangelicalfocus.com/cities/2556/Italian_evangelicals_fight_to_legalise_their_places_of_worship

First I must say: Shame on the Baptists and Assemblies of God for cutting a tax deal with the Italian government. Lobbying and subsidies are not how the Kingdom of God is built.

The West and Trump +138

Reflections on the Trump Era (Late Spring 2017)

It's difficult to assess the Trump administration thus far. Its chaotic nature and moment by moment shifts in action, narrative and presentation have created an air of bedlam and disarray. While sometimes unintentional, a strong case can be made that in many cases this is a deliberate tactic.

DeMint and Heritage

https://caffeinatedthoughts.com/2017/05/jim-demint-heritage-foundation/

If Heritage is indeed going to be 'torn apart' by this 'coup' against PCA member Jim DeMint, then I say tear away.

Heritage has been a force for evil, virtually writing the policy of the Reagan, Bush II and now Trump administrations. This 'think-tank' and its operatives have helped to implement policies of economic exploitation and warmongering. From Latin America to Africa and Asia, it was Heritage and the people within its orbit that helped unleash a stream of violent paramilitary and terrorist actions that still reverberate across the world.

Politics over research? Research? Propaganda is more like it. Heritage has churned out an endless stream of statistical manipulations, revisionist history and outright lies. Heritage has never been one to do research with an objective aim. The bias is built in. This is the nature of think-tanks. They're not to be trusted.

Real World Elements in Jason Bourne (2016)

For those already initiated into the world of Jason Bourne and the re-booted movies of the 2000's, the story elements reflecting the MK-ULTRA revelations and many other aspects of the US Deep State are nothing new.

However I noticed several elements woven into the plot of the 2016 Jason Bourne film that were of interest and thus far I have not detected a great deal of online comment with regard to these points.

These themes grabbed my attention even though I must confess the movie was something of a disappointment. It had a lot of potential but failed to deliver in several areas. My intention here is not to write a review but simply highlight a few points that were of particular interest to me and my readers.

For those interested in the film, consider the following...

The Domestic Consequences of German Militarism

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160823/05582635308/germany-interior-minister-pushing-deployment-facial-recognition-software-public-areas.shtml

Militarism and democracy are incompatible. Militarism requires massive funds and it is inevitable that social inequities will arise. This will lead to social and political dissent.

Call the Bureaucrat-Sorcerers

If the GOP had any imagination at all they would hire some Presbyterians to fix the convention. There's got to be a way to subvert the convention and through some kind of parliamentary procedure force Trump out and take the nomination away from him.

The EU Trembles

Already under tremendous pressure due to the financial strains of the worldwide recession and tensions over the status of the Euro, the EU itself is now faced with a number of growing crises.

Denominational Dishonesty and Circularity

When Reformed people like what you write they refer to it as 'scholarly' and when they don't like your content, it's referred to as 'unprofessional' or a 'rant'. Well, I'm not interested in tickling Denominational ears. They can't hear anyone but themselves. Only their internal politics seem to concern them. Unlike many of them I have to work for a living and I don't have time to footnote everything I write, or spend hours on line engaged in dissecting the minutiae. I've attended many of their churches over the years and to their shame most of their congregations bask in ignorance while they fritter their time away splitting systematic hairs and argue over who really is being most faithful to the tradition. I washed my hands of them long ago. First and foremost it would seem that most of them are bureaucrats and that's how they think and operate.

I'm not writing to earn their respect or anyone's for that matter. I just write and if they are inclined to read it, fine. If not, I really couldn't care less.

But when they play fast and loose with the truth, when they distort history, politic the Kingdom and twist Scripture, I will call them on it, even if they're not listening. Maybe someone will hear.

 

A podcast regarding seminary and some comments....

I realize everyone won't have the time or inclination to listen to all the audio links I provide. As I've explained in the past my situation is somewhat unique in that I can utilize my time at work to listen to podcasts and books. There are many that I listen to on a regular basis and the following programme is part of my weekly fare.

http://reformedforum.org/podcasts/ctc286/

Linguists and The Bureaucracy

This article gives some interesting insight into the realm of military linguists and also demonstrates all too clearly the laughable waste and mismanagement of the military bureaucracy.