The Musings of Mutti Merkel

 http://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/back-home-after-icy-white-house-meeting-merkel-calls-for-open-markets/

The Trump Administration is making Europe nervous, even frantic but it is also opening doors. From a European military force to a new Brussels and Berlin defined IMF, to new autonomy in trade, the instability is laying great weight on Merkel... but at the same time she's more powerful than ever.

The Heritage Howse of Cards

Brannon Howse runs a popular 'discernment ministry'. Of course the only discernment one requires is to determine that he's something of a charlatan.

I stumbled on his worldview survey and from the get-go I knew what it was. It was a scam. It's the same kind of survey that The Heritage Foundation sends out. The questions are completely rigged.

Soros, Orban and the Struggle for Hungary

http://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-vs-civil-society/

George Soros is demonised by many in the alternative media, but especially in the Right and Alt-right sectors. Viewed as a liberal globalist they consider him to be a 'Dark Lord' type figure working behind the scenes to manipulate world events.

Macedonia: The Balkan Trap

http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/macedonias-political-crisis-takes-ethnic-turn/

http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/macedonian-president-warns-eu-nato-of-albanian-meddling/

Albania insists it has a right and obligation to pursue the interests of ethnic Albanians in neighbouring countries. In other words the NATO-proxy says it has the right to meddle.

Byzantine Bulgaria

http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/bulgarias-pm-says-taking-steps-to-prevent-election-meddling-by-turkey/

Only in the Balkans.

Bulgaria which contains a large Turkish population and one that has endured no little difficulty fears that Erdogan may meddle in their elections and seek influence.

Dirty Oil Deals and The Italian Connection

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/05/the-oil-deal-the-disgraced-minister-and-800m-paid-via-a-uk-bank

This is a link to a remarkable if incomplete story regarding oil corruption and money laundering. What is of particular import is that it points to the overlap between the corporate and finance sectors and strategic interests.  

Dominionist Scripture Twisting on Display

http://theaquilareport.com/debunking-citizenship-heaven-motif/

This article authored by a PCA pastor completely misrepresents the position of Two-Kingdom advocates, especially those within his own Reformed circles. Most of the Two Kingdom advocates in Reformed circles are actually Kuyperians and his criticisms are invalid. He falls into the classic straw-man argument, projecting 'dualism' on to people who aren't dualists. He accuses Two Kingdom theology of a world-abandonment mindset that no one actually advocates.

Condor Convictions

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/02/01/cond-f01.html

Operation Condor was a project of cooperation between various Right-wing Latin American governments. They collaborated in the sharing of intelligence and a commitment to destroy Left-wing movements. This included kidnappings, assassination, torture, terror and secret prisons. Spanning the 1970s and 1980s the Condor legacy resulted in the deaths of thousands and the traumatising of whole societies. Even US apologists will admit that Washington knew about it and yet the evidence suggests that not only was the United States in the know, it was managing the project, funding it, as well as arming and training the death squads.

The Mainstreaming of Sodom

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/feb/12/beauty-boys-mens-makeup-cosmetics-instagram

Obviously this is little more than the culmination of a long-standing trend within our culture. What is sometimes most disturbing to me is that I look at my children's generation and realise they're growing up in a time when this sort of thing is becoming normative.

Neo-Nazis and the German Intelligence Services

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/neo-nazi-murders-revealing-germanys-darkest-secrets

The nebulous Nazi connection lives on or so it would seem. Even this Guardian article openly admits the connections between the American formed post-war German intelligence services and ex-Nazis. The question is, as Neo-Nazi groups have acted and continue to act (often with impunity) are they being facilitated by the state intelligence apparatus? It would seem so.

Max Boot has joined the CIA

Boot recently produced an article entitled Wikileaks has joined the Trump administration at Foreign Policy, the largely Neo-conservative magazine founded by Samuel Huntington of Clash of Civilisations fame.

Tolkien Cosmology Update

I recently updated The Cosmology of Tolkien on The Pilgrim Path/Proto-Protestantism website. The link is here if anyone is interested, followed by the additions I made.

The Latin American Pseudo-Left Revolutions and the American Backlash

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ecuador-election-lasso-idUKKBN15W1G7

The Bush years afforded a rise of a new Latin American Left. From Argentina, to Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador and even some of the nations in Central America, the people reacted to over a century of US imperialism and voted in governments that were openly hostile to American interests. It was a New Leftist Revolution, or was it?

Brave Christians on the Tumen Frontier

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/02/10/Report-China-arrests-four-Christian-missionaries-near-North-Korea-border/8641486780703/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=14

There's an ongoing, heroic and very moving story that's been taking place in North Korea and in China's nearby region of Manchuria. It's a story of missionaries, refugees and an underground railroad. It's often a sad and very cruel story and yet there are some real shining lights, people who are labouring as Christians to reach out to escapees and in some cases help them embark on the long road to a new life in South Korea.

The Intercept: The Good, Bad and Ugly

https://theintercept.com/2017/02/23/the-increasingly-unhinged-russia-rhetoric-comes-from-a-long-standing-u-s-playbook/

https://theintercept.com/2017/02/28/the-new-yorkers-big-cover-story-reveals-five-uncomfortable-truths-about-u-s-and-russia/

It's hard to deny The Intercept is an exciting online magazine. Launched in 2014, it came on the scene in the wake of the Snowden revelations. Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill were the big names associated with its launch. Poitras has since departed to focus on her film-making.

Since its start the magazine has put together an impressive team of journalists and they literally churn out articles and analysis. The website has become a wealth of information and due to their high-profile in the alternative media world they are getting a lot of tips and leaks which facilitate their reporting. 

Economic Warfare and the US Justice Department

 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4897228,00.html

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/31/deutsche-bank-fined-630m-over-russia-money-laundering-claims

There are so many stories like this floating around if you go looking. The US is waging a war against companies that do business in places and with people not liked by the Washington Establishment.

Vatican Tensions Escalate

https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0213/852389-pope/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/04/vatican-civil-war-conservatives-battle-francis-lent

Some of you may have been following the scandal over the Knights of Malta. While the catalyst for the scandal was somewhat absurd it points to deeper tensions within the Vatican.

Croatian Proxies and the Balkan Strategy

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/croatia-profits-from-syria-s-gruesome-war-02-20-2017

The article proclaims the Croatians ignored well-founded concerns the arms they sold to Saudi Arabia would end up in Syria.

These concerns weren't ignored. This was the whole point.

Greece, NATO and Moscow

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/02/28/US-Army-UH-60-Black-Hawks-reach-Greece-for-NATO-operation/1861488299581/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=8

Greece has often been one of the most volatile members within the NATO alliance. Under the Karamanlis government which came to power in 1974 after the US-backed Junta of Colonels was ousted, Greece left the military structure of NATO and did not return until the 1980s. And even then under Andreas Papandreou the relationship was less than brilliant.

Deutsche Welle (DW): Turkish Intelligence (MIT) Hunting Down Dissidents in Turkey... but there's more to the story

http://www.dw.com/en/erdogans-informants-in-germany/av-37368760

The Turkish intelligence agency, the MIT is hunting down Kurdish dissidents affiliated with the PKK, Gülenists and others beyond its borders. Germany with it large Turkish population, which includes numerous Kurds is the special focus of the operation. Germany was a nation without colonies and thus when it looked for cheap labour, it couldn't import Africans, Indians or other Asians. Instead a deal was cut.

Proxy Espionage and Empire

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-intelligence-spied-on-foreign-journalists-for-years-a-1136188.html

This article fails to connect its own dots. Der Spiegel has already reported on US dominance of the German intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND). In light of that we must ask, why is the BND spying on foreign journalists?

The Pull of the CIA: Italy Capitulates

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-italy-us-cia-pardon-idUKKBN1683ZI

I've been following this story, especially as it has been in the news the past few days. How frustrated the Italian prosecutors and investigators must be. They've laboured to bring this to trial, to hold someone accountable for what was done within their borders, in violation of their nation's sovereignty. They're trying to demonstrate that America cannot act with impunity.

Carlson on Capitalism

http://issuesetc.org/2017/02/13/0443-capitalism-and-the-family-dr-allan-carlson-21317/

LPR's Issues Etc. usually frustrates me but this segment was a pleasant surprise, although I'm not sure if the host or most of the audience was equally enthused.

The Trump Liturgy

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/02/22/demonic-activity-palpable-at-president-trumps-rally-pastor-says

This was passed to me recently. I think it's starting to generate some attention.

I don't have a lot to say about this Washington Post article but I think readers will find it interesting. I suppose one of the reasons is due to the fact that this Nazarene pastor, while thoroughly patriotic and supportive of Christian America... all the things I'm not.... still has enough, what shall we say... sanctified common sense?... to realise something is very wrong.

Buried Secrets of the Balkan Wars

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/eu-appoints-19-judges-for-the-new-kosovo-court-02-07-2017

Not a few will be watching these Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) trials for clues and indications of US Deep State involvement. Numerous military contractors as well as indication of intelligence services involvement have been identified as working within Croatia and Kosovo before and during the 1995 and 1999 wars that were the death of Yugoslavia.

Balkan Tensions: A Generation After the Wars of the 1990's

http://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/nato-chief-tells-kosovo-and-serbia-to-calm-down/?nl_ref=30464471

This story points to two realities. One the situation in the Balkans has never fully been resolved. The tensions still exist and with Brussels' hand growing weak, NATO is attempting to step in and fill the gap. The NATO diplomatic intervention indicates something of a brewing crisis. With the exception of Slovenia and Croatia, the countries of Former Yugoslavia have not joined the EU and so it represents this pocket within Europe wherein Brussels cannot wield full control and has limited influence.

Right-wing Femininity and Leadership

http://www.politico.eu/article/meet-denmarks-new-anti-islam-anti-immigration-anti-tax-party-nye-borgerlige-new-right-pernille-vermund/

The Right-wing and Populist proclivity toward Romantic-style feminine figures continues with Nye Borgerlige the latest party to form in Denmark. From Yulia Tymoshenko's nationalist hair-style to the rather dishy M5S mayor of Rome, to the host of American Right-wing Sarah Palin-esque sleeveless short-skirters and even to some degree Marine LePen, the tendency to look to these ultra-feminine matronly/desire figures continues.

John McCain and Lindsey Graham: Politicised Integrity and Delusion

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-security-usa-idUKKBN15W1JI

Trump's team is definitely in disarray and yet it seems to me that in the past if someone spoke this way about a president they would be severely criticised.

If they spoke this way overseas to a foreign audience their allegiance would be called into question. McCain has always been part of the faction that makes such accusations.

Religious Symbols in Austria

http://www.euractiv.com/section/languages-culture/news/austrias-planned-full-face-veil-ban-provokes-debate-on-crucifixes-in-schools/

It is noteworthy to consider how the European Right focuses less on a specific Christian narrative and instead casts Christianity in terms of the overall Western 'intellectual' heritage. The Christianity they wish to preserve is the synthesis that occurred in the 18^th and 19^th century when orthodox forms of Latin Christianity (both Roman and Protestant) underwent a transformation and were blended with Enlightenment epistemology and ultimately classically Liberal values.

Trump: Netanyahu's Dream and Nightmare

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4923419,00.html

This Ynet op-ed spells out the realities and difficulties of a Likud government operating in parallel to the Trump administration.

On the one hand, it's their dream come true. They finally have a US president that has effectively given them a blank check. Not only is there agreement when it comes to policy, there are actual personal relationships.

Trying to Keep Focused in a Spinning World

Steel Mills, Fighter Jets, Leaks and Fake News

This isn't about keeping our eyes on Christ amid a world that seems bent on chaos. That goes without saying.

I'm talking about what's happening on the street.

Military Accounting Tricks and The Eastern Front

http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/german-troops-deploy-in-lithuania-under-nato-banner/?nl_ref=30641965

Notice the game being played. The troops aren't supposed to be there on a permanent basis so they get around it by rotating the troops every six months.

The US does this all the time. They'll list a base as having say... 500 personnel but then they might have 2000 more there on a more-or-less permanent basis but can avoid the designation by having them on a rotation. It's an accounting trick.

Polakow-Suransky Provides Background on Europe's Far Right

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/01/the-ruthlessly-effective-rebranding-of-europes-new-far-right

Polakow-Suransky offers a succinct but reasonably thorough narrative and analysis of the rise of the Far Right in Europe.

NATO's Test: The Montenegro Flash Point

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-nato-montenegro-michael-flynn-234697

Once again the Trump administration has indicated that it is not going to follow a pro-Russia line. Pushing for NATO to expand into Montenegro represents yet another hostile move by the US-dominated alliance. Montenegro is part of the Orthodox-Slavic orbit that has historically been allied to and dependent upon Moscow.

Another Defector from the US Pivot-to-Asia Strategy

https://in.investing.com/news/economy-news/insight-china's-"silk-road"-push-stirs-resentment-and-protest-in-sri-lanka-90314

Sri Lanka's Sirisena administration which came to power in 2015 appeared to represent a shift away from the pro-Beijing policies of Rajapaksa. But for various reasons this has not proven to be the case.

The Korean Peninsula: Stealth Ships and Military Exercises

The tensions continue to escalate. The statements issued by the Trump White House have only added to already existing tensions that have been brewing since Obama's announced 'Pivot' in 2011.

THAAD in South Korea

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/02/03/Russia-warns-South-Korea-of-consequences-if-THAAD-deployed/8951486133428/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=6

Once again, the West portrays this as the US making a prudent move to 'block' Pyongyang. While there are legitimate fears when it comes to North Korea, the missile system placement is as much about Beijing and Moscow... and they know it.

Both China and Russia are being slowly encircled.

Vatican Intrigues and Italian Politics

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/05/us-cardinal-raymond-burke-stokes-papal-tensions-by-meeting-nationalist-in-rome

Many a bookshelf could be filled with volumes on Vatican intrigues and there's no doubt that events for many future chapters are taking place right now.

Ukrainian Intrigues at the National Prayer Breakfast

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-ukraine-russia-sanctions-234631

What is most remarkable to me about this article is that Yulia Tymoshenko who had all but disappeared from the public eye after her release from prison and failed election bid in 2014 is apparently still in the picture... but operating somewhat in the background.

Dominionism Infecting Romania's Evangelicals

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/2289/Romania_protests_corruption_interview_evangelicals_adrian_petrice

Romanian Evangelical leader and aspiring political player Adrian Petrice claims he isn't looking for a theocracy or seeking political control but he's using all the language and concepts found in Dominion Theology. It's obvious that he has picked up these concepts from Western Evangelical influence.

Italian Cyberspies: Who are they working for?

https://apnews.com/f4819bd348544ca19e070d1251a8c1fc

That has yet to be revealed but there are some rather intriguing angles to the story. The Italian authorities were aided by the FBI but they also traced servers to the United States. Guilio Occhionero founded a financial advisory firm which certainly looks like a classic front company.

The story cannot be told as of now but it bears watching.

Moral Equivalency: Probably Trump's Greatest Sin Yet

Trump shocked both his detractors and supporters when he admitted to FOX news spinmaster Bill O'Reilly that Putin was a 'killer' but that the United States was guilty of the same and something less than innocent.

O'Reilly was clearly dumbfounded and tried to suggest that no American political leaders are killers.

Trump wouldn't back down and he was right.

This is the most honest thing he's said yet.

NPR and the Establishment Line: Fetid Narratives on Laos and Russia

NPR's interview programme Fresh Air is something of a mixed bag. At times it's very interesting. The interviews and guests are informative and I've benefitted and enjoyed listening to many episodes. For me, this is generally true when it comes to domestic social and political issues. The show also provides a great deal of time to pop culture figures which are not usually of interest to someone like me. Altogether I listen to maybe a third of the shows.

The Only Solution: Lie, Steal, Torture and Murder to the Glory of God

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/cia-dir-pompeo-jesus-christ-our-savior-truly-only-solution-our-world

Pompeo, the professed Evangelical Christian who now heads the CIA stands up and dares to speak as a Christian and proclaim that Jesus is the only solution to the world's problems.

The 'only' solution he insists.

Would that he believed it.

The Gospel and the Proxy War in Yemen

http://evangelicalfocus.com/blogs/2223/Yemen_Faith_is_flourishing_in_the_midst_of_war

I found this article to be both moving and inspiring as I considered the plight of the suffering Church in Yemen. The fact that out of the suffering and bloodshed of the US-backed Saudi campaign (which has all but destroyed their society), a Church is being built, testifies to the grace and glory of God.

Süddeutsche Zeitung and Stratfor: Poroshenko and the Escalation in Eastern Ukraine

For the most part the Western Media continues to insist that Russia, emboldened by the new Trump administration rapprochement with Moscow has ordered the Kremlin-backed Separatists to re-ignite the Donbass conflict.

A different take is to be found in the Süddeutsche Zeitung which reports that Berlin is blaming Kiev for the escalation.

Christians under Modi's BJP

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/11/christians-in-india-increasingly-under-attack-study-shows

The rise of Christian persecution in India has spiked so sharply that even mainstream Western media outlets are being forced to take notice.

Re-Alignments Underway: The Brexit and Trump Effect

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/28/theresa-may-signs-100m-fighter-jet-deal-with-turkeys-erdogan

Theresa May after visiting Donald Trump and solidifying 'The Special Relationship' has flown to Turkey to meet with president Erdogan. They immediately cut a £100 million deal for fighter jet development.

The NSC Shake-Up and Shockwaves Across Washington

At the end of World War II the United States created the National Security Council or NSC as a means to re-organise the nature of the American war machine and national defense. The nuclear age and the era of total war had changed the nature of 'defense'.

Standing armies and a techno-industrial sector were now essential to the way in which modern war would be fought and power maintained. The Military-Industrial Complex was in the process of being created and through the NSC (it could be argued) it would now have a place at the table. The council ostensibly headed or guided by the National Security Advisor consists of top cabinet officials and is also staffed by various appointees who usually come from the military-industrial and academic establishments. This ruling mechanism operates largely outside of congressional oversight or accountability.

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.

The Economist: Right Wing Movements and Medievalism

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2017/01/medieval-memes

This tendency to romanticise and even glorify the Middle Ages was already at work within the Christian Right during the 1990s and certainly received a boost in the climate created by the 9/11 attacks.

Revertere ad Tenebras: The Black Sites are Reborn

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-prisons-idUSKBN15922L?feedType=RSS&feedName=newsOne&google_editors_picks=true

I have never been remotely convinced that all of these sites are actually closed. Considering that Obama and various figures within his administration have been caught repeatedly telling absolute lies and did all they could to hide and obfuscate regarding their various illegal programmes... why should we believe that these practices weren't reinstated?

The European Right: Fascism, Islam and Israel

http://www.dailysabah.com/islamophobia/2017/01/14/austrian-far-right-calls-for-law-banning-fascistic-islam-muslim-symbols

Fascistic Islam... that's rather interesting coming from the head of Austria's FPÖ. The Far-Right Freedom Party of Austria was founded (at least in part) by Anton Reinthaller an ex-Nazi official.

Varieties of Christian America

http://michaeljkruger.com/taking-back-christianese-7-america-is-a-christian-nation/

While I cannot fully agree with all his conclusions, Kruger is certainly on the right track and once again displays considerable wisdom in how he addresses the issue. He gets the answer right even if he's unwilling to put it as strongly as I would. In the final analysis, America is not a Christian nation.

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.

Obama's Gesture and Bradley Manning

Obama's commutation of Bradley Manning's prison sentence will probably be the one gesture that is genuinely appreciated by the Left, not the DNC-style Left, but the actual Left that has been mostly opposed to Obama and his many betrayals. Obama the president that has more than any other crushed whistleblowers, leakers and investigative journalists, the president who has empowered the NSA and accentuated the domestic spying apparatus, has in his final hours shown a degree of magnanimity.

Christopher Steele, the US Deep State, the UNSG and Bulgaria

https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/the-uk-spy-behind-trumps-kompromat-also-investigated-eus-georgieva/

Anyone following international news in the latter half of 2016 would have known something about the disturbance with regard to the selection of a new UN General Secretary. At the time Bulgarian Kristalina Georgieva was in the running and yet it was a candidacy born in controversy as Sophia had switched gears and disavowed a former candidate due to perceived controversies.

Ulster in Light of Brexit

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/10/mcguinness-northern-ireland-cash-for-ash

https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/northern-ireland-faces-elections-raising-fresh-uncertainty-over-brexit-talks/

This is one of the recent stories that needs to be followed. For Christians this is actually a much 'bigger' story than the host of issues surrounding Brexit.

Slovakia: Right-Wing Paramilitaries and the EU

https://apnews.com/cd66f0f8a51b416b93460e37368b42f7

America has been dealing with such paramilitary movements since at least the 1990s but it's startling to see them beginning to appear in Europe as well. Needless to say Europe's history with such groups cannot help but remind one of the Fascist era.

Franklin Graham and Trump's List of Heretics

http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2017/01/religious-wild-cards

Some Evangelicals will be disappointed by Franklin Graham but after spending twenty years learning that Billy Graham (and by extension Franklin) doesn't represent what I was raised to think he did... nothing surprises me anymore.