Lindell and Ramsey: Debt Discrepancies and Outright Lies

https://www.reddit.com/r/MyPillowTalk/comments/16tcko7/yesterday_amex_dumped_my_pillows_1_mil_credit/?rdt=53153

What do you even say to something like this? The whole thing is one big cinematic smoke and mirrors lie.

More Evangelical Error and Corruption

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/27/life-surge-conference-evangelical-money-finance

American Evangelicalism has created a fusion of capitalism and Christian piety. Sacralism and Evangelical Dominionism place great stock in power and status, the middle class values of respectability and security. Those that understand this are not surprised by the so-called Prosperity Gospel. It is but an exaggerated expression of an impulse that already exists. It may be tacky, working class, philistine, and grossly overdone which certain cultural contexts tend to fuel – but in the end it's the same Cultural Christianity that produced ostentatious palaces, cathedrals in one generation and capitalist empires in another.

A Usurious Alliance: Evangelical Avarice and Anabaptist Defection

While visiting the BreakPoint website I made another discovery which I must say initially startled me but upon reflection it wasn't too surprising. I noticed the website was promoting Eventide Mutual Funds as a form of Christian investment. That name was familiar to me. I clicked on the link and within a few seconds I had the answer.

US Federal Reserve Policy and the Turkish Lira

https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/12/turkish-central-bank-intervenes-curb-unhealthy-lira-losses 

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/12/3/lira-crash-slams-turkeys-factories-farmers-and-retailers

The value of the Turkish Lira has plunged and given the country's debt burden, Turkey is facing rapid inflation. President Erdogan has attempted radical measures but some economists believe the sweeping moves have been reckless and have only exacerbated the problem.

Justified Cynicism Regarding the GOP's 2021 Virginia-Election Narrative

Many Evangelicals have celebrated the win of Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia gubernatorial race. There have been various discussions regarding whether or not he's actually an Evangelical, his place in the GOP vis-à-vis Trump, and what his win means in terms of the pending 2022 mid-term elections.

Debt and Journalistic Hypocrisy

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/28/1010832606/road-deal-with-china-is-blamed-for-catapulting-montenegro-into-historic-debt

There has been a steady stream of such stories in recent days. The Anti-China campaign is in full swing. It has become so normative to see this kind of reporting it hardly raises an eyebrow anymore. But it should. In fact there should be a good deal of ire and even outrage.

Shame on Voddie Baucham

https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/blm-is-a-marxist-movement-that-uses-black-people-? 

I first encountered Baucham about fifteen years ago. He was unique because it's unusual find conservative Black voices within Calvinist circles – in this case Calvinistic Baptist. He came onto the radar (as it were) alongside the New Calvinist movement but clearly he was not one of them. Like Paul Washer he seemed to partner with and associate with some Theonomic types which always gave me occasion to pause, but generally speaking I would have said he was a pretty solid guy, a good teacher who for most part stood for Biblical thought and ethics.

Capitalism and John Robbins

https://lucidmarbles.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/capitalism-and-john-robbins-no-argument-from-scripture/ 

I heartily recommend this article which takes John Robbins to task. The protégé of Gordon Clark, Robbins (who died in 2008) and the Trinity Foundation have long promoted a particularly rabid form of Christian Capitalism. In addition to his Clarkian projects, Robbins worked for Texas congressman Ron Paul in the 1970's and 1980's and has connections to the Heritage Foundation. He combines his Right-wing political and economic theories with Clark's philosophical-theology labeled under the misnomer of Scripturalism.

Rush Limbaugh's Phony Profession and Testimony

According to Christian media we are supposed to be excited that at long last after thirty years on the public stage (and as his voice is soon to be silenced due to terminal illness), Rush Limbaugh is at last a Christian. He has a 'personal relationship' with Christ.

Trump's Economy and its Evangelical Apologists

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-untold-story-of-trumps-booming-economy/

There are different ways to read such articles. On the one hand one could read it with a sense of outrage and great umbrage at the crimes of the wealthy.

Others will read it and get angry and defend the status quo. Employing a multitude of Right-wing and Neoliberal arguments they will quash all complaints and morally denounce those who would dare to question economic and market orthodoxy.

But there's another way to read it. First, I reject the assumption of middle class norms. I don't judge the right or wrong of it for workers by the standards of the middle class. I realise the average worker expects vacation days, sick days, a pension and all the rest. I don't and I don't have any of those things... and I don't really care.

So do I disagree with the author of the piece?

Indian Cotton and Farmer Suicides

Some will stumble because this link is to a documentary produced by RT. But if you can get past that, there's some helpful information and certainly some contextualisation with regard to GMO cotton and its place in contemporary India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlYzd8bM9xg&index=2&list=PLCFZLyInePaw4h8dGnwPXrgY1AFus62tI

No doubt at this point many have heard about the thousands of farmers committing suicide. While this phenomenon antedates the Modi administration, his market friendly policies if anything are exacerbating the problem. It's a controversial issue and a great deal of ink is spilled arguing over statistics and causes.

Health Insurance: Risk or Access?

As it would seem Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as ObamaCare is under attack and faces repeal, I've noticed a certain way of speaking is starting to crop up once again.

Insurance is being referred to as a question of calculated risk and this definition is being used to discredit concepts like comprehensive coverage and even the idea of access.

And yet it must be remembered that the latter is actually the key issue. For the working class and the poor, health insurance is not a question of calculated risk. This is how the upper class and some of the middle class approach the question.

Employer-Based Health Care and the 14th Amendment

I find the Christian commentary regarding the Hobby Lobby case in the Supreme Court to be lacking. Most Christians are not grasping the legal issues at stake. The justices who seem hostile to the Hobby Lobby argument have rightly identified this as not being about religious freedom but a back-door attempt to revisit the abortion debate.

I am 100% against abortion but this issue is constantly used as political leverage by those in the Christian Right who pursue an overall agenda that I cannot agree with. Ironically their activities have done much to undermine the integrity of the legal system and in the end (I think) have harmed their greater cause.