Society and Economics are not Analogous to Baseball

I'm not going to labour the Sowell/Walter Williams criticisms but this one just struck me as a perfect summation of their 'aw shucks' down-home simplicity... and its consequent misrepresentation and danger.

Williams basically criticised liberal appeals to the Rule of Law... because in our society we change the 'rules' all the time.

Orban and Reagan: Drug Testing and Loyalty

Hungary's Viktor Orban has made the news a couple of times recently. The Budapest government has been increasingly moving toward the 'Right'... though no one on the American Right can seem to agree on what that term means.

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (7/Final)

Sowell:

It would never occur to the busybodies that multinational corporations are expanding the options of the poor in third world countries, while busybody policies are contracting their options.

The CIA Report and False Repentance

I guess we're supposed to be impressed. The United States government is displaying repentance, and doing an act of penitence by releasing the report on post-9/11 CIA sponsored torture, kidnapping and secret prisons.

Is this news?

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (6)

Sowell:

That arbitrary and unsubstantiated assumption underlies a wide spectrum of laws and policies over the years, ranging from urban renewal to ObamaCare.

Cheap Oil and Geopolitics

While it cannot be proved, the current OPEC decision to sustain current production levels and thus drive the price of oil down even further causes one to wonder...

Cui Bono? To whose benefit?

Christians in Kenya Should Denounce Militarism in All Forms

Christians in Kenya should denounce their government for playing the American stooge and getting involved in the Somali War. I am not suggesting they lobby, try to take over, or politically agitate. But it should be known that Christians don't support the action and Christians should refuse to play any part in executing the Kenyan government's policy.

I'm speaking of Biblically faithful Christians, not the Sacralized rulers who are the children of Colonialist Christendom and various forms of Protestant and Roman Catholic Dominionist theology.

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (5)

Proto:

As the Church continues to apostatize my hope is that the Remnant will come together with a real sense of community. The Amish figured this out long ago. It's not due to their stance on technology, though that is a factor, but they do hold common values. They're not the same values as the Jews or Armenians, but their community has common values. Right now American Christians are still enthralled with the possibilities of American cultural success. This vision and the ethics that go with it are individualist and won't allow such people to function within a community. There has to be some self-denial. Americans aren't good at that and at present there are numerous popular theologies which reject the very notion.

Mortgage and Debt Relief: A Middle Class Subsidy

In financial circles there are rumbles concerning the extension of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act. Normally if you're granted relief, the amount that you were forgiven is counted as a loan, as income and thus is taxable.

Ex-Nazis and their Government Sponsors

Today the local Christian radio station belatedly reported the fact that even Nazi hunting groups are acknowledging the death of Alois Brunner, the SS officer and former assistant to the notorious Adolf Eichmann.

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (4)

Proto Cont...:

People caricature the poor and speak of multi-generational poverty. There are some women who keep having kids in order to stay signed up for subsidies and they're pretty wicked for doing that. But for others, and let's face it, most people don't want to have a bunch of kids, as soon as their kids are school age, you must enter a job seeking programme or you get cut off. And at that point if you're eligible for a job and you turn it down, you're cut off.

Tax Credits are Subsidies in Principle and Practice

If you're opposed to subsidies for the poor, then you cannot maintain any integrity and claim a tax credit. Credits are little more than subsidies.

Qualifying for a subsidy suggests that you've met certain conditions which grant an exception. You don't have to 'do' the same thing everyone else under normal circumstances is required to do.

McCarthy's Ghost: Ted Cruz, Cicero, the Unitary Executive, Justice Sunday and Evangelical Hypocrisy

Ted Cruz sees himself as a Cicero, warning the dying republic of the dangers of Empire. In truth he's a demagogue and a buffoonish one on the order of Joseph McCarthy. And in that sense, quite dangerous. And though he will likely run in 2016, he (as opposed to Obama) was really and truly born outside of the United States.

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (3)

Sowell:

The political left has long claimed the role of protector of "the poor." It is one of their central moral claims to political power. But how valid is this claim?

Leaders of the left in many countries have promoted policies that enable the poor to be more comfortable in their poverty. But that raises a fundamental question: Just who are "the poor"?

Sound Byte Theology and Distortions of Biblical Non-Violence

Listening to a Calvary Chapel affiliated radio show I was disappointed to hear the 'experts' proclaim that pacifist Christianity was basically the province of theological liberals. Bible-believing Christians it was argued would never embrace such a position. The host and guest were good Christian America advocates who believe being patriotic goes hand in hand with being a Biblical Christian.

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (2)

Sowell:

What happened when old-fashioned ideas about sex were replaced in the 1960s by the bright new ideas of the left that were introduced into the schools as "sex education" that was supposed to reduce teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases?

Both teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases had been going down for years. But that trend suddenly reversed in the 1960s and hit new highs.

Through the Looking Glass: A Journey into the Fantasy World of Thomas Sowell (1)

Thomas Sowell's columns appear on a regular basis in my local conservative newspaper. For years I have read his columns and have been baffled as to why so many conservatives and in particular conservative Christians are quick to praise him.

Evolving Ethics- Morally Corrupt Politicians and Commentators

For the past several years we have heard social conservatives criticise and cynically berate Obama for his changing position on homosexual marriage. When he took office he was formally against it, and then his position 'evolved' and he came to embrace it.

Sacral Orthodoxy

Why are Christian friends forwarding emails and posting on Facebook various messages from Glenn Beck ruminating about life and spirituality? Even worse he expresses gratitude for his daughter's participation in the life of the temple... why is this something worthy of a 'share' or 'like'?

Some Historical and Theological Commentary on Unger's The Fall of the House of Bush

This is not a book review per se, rather some selected comments regarding this work that pertain to the larger set of issues frequently discussed here. Unger weaves together a tale of the Bush family and the social forces at work that helped bring Reagan to power...with HW Bush in tow and of course later GW Bush as the saviour of the Christian Right. People have forgotten. For all the talk of Obama as being treated as 'messiah', it wasn't that different in 2000-2001. It was Unger's discussion of the Christian Right and how it interplayed with American and international politics that most interested me.

Scripturalism vs. Systematics

He would probably be distressed to know I'm linking to his post from my website, but I wanted to share this little gem. This is a great little example of resisting the urge to systematize and seek coherence. This is letting the text speak and letting your doctrine be formed by the text. This is the right way to read Scripture. When we try to create systems what we end up with is reductionist frameworks that in some way diminish the fullness of the text and because we reduce its scope, we ultimately distort it.

Christians Committed To Scripture Do Not Celebrate Veteran's Day

As a Christian I will not be thanking veterans today. I am a veteran who is ashamed. I did not defend your freedom. I did not serve America. I was a stooge and part of a cult and a murder machine. When God saved me He also opened my eyes to the idolatry of Nationalism which as a pagan had gripped my heart and afflicted my conscience.

Inbox: What about refusing to vote as a form of protest?

I know this is a position some advocate and yet that's not really how I would look at it. If I want to protest within the confines of 'the system' then I will vote for candidates who are outside of the establishment. I will vote against incumbents and vote in ways that practically enforce term limits.

Iraq and WMD in 2014

As expected I see the Right is circulating stories that Bush has been vindicated and that Iraq had WMD in 2003. This is incorrect and reflects the same misunderstanding present during the hysteria of 2001-2003.

HSLDA and its Values

This is a good example of why I have never had any interest in HSLDA.

Non-Citizen Voting and National Review

Before you embrace the hysteria being generated by the National Review article regarding non-citizens voting in US elections, at the very least have a look at these two posts...

The Spiritual War in Africa and The Enemy Within

Whether you think churches should be taxed or not is to miss the salient point. This story is heartbreaking.

http://af.reuters.com/article/idAFL6N0S532020141013?sp=true

Here's the slideshow that goes with it:

http://www.reuters.com/article/slideshow/idUSKCN0I104B20141012#a=1

We are engaged in a true war, a spiritual war and the enemy is among us. The enemies of the Kingdom are enthroned within the Body of Christ, the Temple of God. They are counterfeits making merchandise of God's people- both their earthly assets and their souls.

The Coming Collapse and Compassion for the Lost

To be honest I'm surprised more of this isn't happening...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/14/us-usa-pennsylvania-grandmother-idUSKCN0I327M20141014

It was probably the first time in his life he ever heard the word, "No!"

In the end, it's all about ME!

I heard this today on the radio...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_la8CUQWyN0

The Christian answer to cultural narcissism-

Christian Narcissism

It's just the culmination of a long process that began in earnest back in the 19th century. I guess if you stay one step behind the culture you can convince yourself that you're not being self-focused.

That's not easy to do in a capitalist-consumer society!

My Apparent Bloviations or Musings of a Windbag

Recently I read something and saw myself referred to as a pompous windbag.

Well!

The Children of Molech

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=824300630954724

These people are profoundly sick.

And why did this link come to me from a professing Christian who praised its content?

The Obama-Ebola Connection

I've been so blind. I should have seen it right off.

The lady I'm working for passed through Cleveland Ohio a couple of days ago. She was disturbed that she had entered the Ebola Zone as it were.

Houston Subpoenas Continued....

Today I specifically listened to anything related to the Houston Pastors Subpoena story and I found the Christian media to be guilty of all the sensationalism and shallow sound-byte reporting they accuse the mainstream media of. That's nothing new.

No one will give the full story.

The city of Houston passed the ordinance regarding discrimination against cross-dressers etc...

I'm not disputing the fact that this is a terrible law. That's really not the issue here.

The Houston Pastors and Their Sermons

http://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/City-subpoenas-pastors-sermons-in-equal-rights-5822403.php


http://abc13.com/news/pastors-sermons-subpoenaed-amid-hero-fight/350929/


This story is rightly upsetting some folks. It is indeed outrageous.


But I'm always a little suspicious of Christian reporting. Since it is politically motivated I generally find it to be less than truthful, usually omitting some essential facts. It's sad that Christian reporting is generally unreliable.

And that's true here.

The New Basis for Ecumenicalism

When you venture back into the 19^th century you'll find an ever present fear among Protestants... Roman Catholicism.

Little did they realize the pope's political power would soon end. The Unification of Italy was a disaster for the papacy. The popes would strike back at Enlightenment Republicanism and Nationalism by claiming Papal Infallibility even as their lands were about to be taken from them. The Papal States, the kingdom in central Italy ruled for centuries by the popes was no more. And the dream of a Holy Roman Empire, a united Catholic Christendom had already been consigned to the dustbin of history.

The Aggressor and the Defender: Perspectives Change Interpretation

In no way do I mean to advocate moral relativism nor am I arguing that we should empathize with ISIS.

But consider...

The (Good) Coalition vs. the (Evil) ISIS

It must be stated the United States is an empire of violence. George Bush and Barack Obama have killed more people that Al Qaeda ever did. The United States assassinates, tortures, mutilates and spreads massive violence and unrest. Just because its methods are (at times) less dramatic in terms of television doesn't mean they are any less violent or spectacular on the ground. Bombs kill people. The United States uses destructive weapons that infect and trouble areas for generations to come. The United States has only helped foster violence and enhanced the weaponization of the region.

This is not a case of good vs. evil. This is evil vs. evil.

This is the Christian interpretation of these events. There's precious little wisdom or truth being given to us in our contemporary commentaries. When we think in terms of the US/NATO standing for good and ISIS as being purely evil then we will misread the situation and our solution will also be flawed.

No one will shed any tears when ISIS is gone but how many Christians will say the same about the United States?

And yet to much of the world it is the United States that is the Evil Empire, the rogue state, the terrorist nation and without doubt is the greatest purveyor of widespread violence and destruction across the face of the earth.

Repent or you shall 'all' likewise perish.

Missionary Emails from the ISIS Frontline

As I said, ISIS is a monstrosity. There's no ambiguity there. That said, be careful. There's a flurry of information out there right now and a lot of it is propaganda. There are many people who are trying to stir up the US public to demand for a heavier military intervention.

Sandy Hook a False Flag?

DELUSION (dəˈlo͞oZHən/) noun

noun: delusion; plural noun: delusions

1. an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument, typically a symptom of mental disorder.

There are some Christians so blinded by Americanism and their lust for political power that they have fooled themselves into believing that gun ownership and the glorification of gun culture is somehow a Christian virtue.

Halloween: Pagan, Christian, Does it matter?

updated October 2017

Since it's that time of year again I am providing links to pertinent articles for those who haven't read them and might be interested.

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-2011-and-lprs-issues-etc.html

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-sacralists-eve.html

http://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/10/halloween-compromise.html

Righteous Government

I keep seeing Proverbs 29.2 banners being posted by Christians.

When the righteous are in the authority the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule the people mourn.

Why weren't they posting these when Bush was president?

Do they really think he was righteous?

No one is suggesting Obama is, but I'm puzzled by this. What US administration has been righteous? If the answer is none, which it surely is, then why post this now? Is this motivated by a Biblical-Kingdom worldview or a political one?

If the Constitution is the criteria, then Bush and Obama are morally equivalent.

If it's the Bible, then I don't see how Bush would be any better than Obama. They both have promoted evil, deception, theft and death.

Was Reagan righteous? I guess we can't have that discussion because already Ronald Reagan has been elevated to the realm of mythological hero. The real Reagan administration, its actual record and legacy have been flushed down the memory hole.

I love the Scripture too, and love to see it quoted, but woe to those who use it for political ends. They are in fact profaning God's word. They are no different than the false prophets of old.

Vote for Huckabee and you'll have peace...peace

Ben Carson on 2016: Anarchy, Martial Law and No Election?

Rising star Ben Carson suggests there might not be a 2016 election. The country may be in a state of anarchy.

The Cost of Being America's Ally: Turkey's Pakistan Problem

Of course Turkey doesn't want to get involved in Syria. For the first time in a generation Ankara has moved toward peace with the Kurds. The last thing they want to do is jump into Syria, aid Kurdish fighters, earn the wrath of Islamists and further destabilize the border. And that's just for a start, there are plenty of other issues at stake.

America wants them to enter the fight. They'll fight if ISIS crosses the border, but to cross on their own is like slitting their own throat.

Skewed Perspectives

It's sad that so many people in Spain get worked up over a euthanized dog but don't react with the same zeal for the lives of black Africans.

The Nightingale Pledge and Financial Realities

I heard a medical professional bound for West Africa declare that "If we have the ability to help people, then we have the duty to do it."

He felt the sense of duty overrides the pending danger of Ebola. It reminded me of the Nightingale Pledge.

Truly a noble sentiment.

Unfortunately in the United States that duty is followed up with the threat of... After we've 'cared' for you, if you do not pay us the exorbitant and extortionist fees we charge, then we have the right and even the 'duty' to destroy your life and take everything from you.

So much for 'Do no harm'.

ISIS, Jugurtha and Zenobia

Now I've gone over all of this before but perhaps we can utilize some other examples from history to make this a bit more poignant.

In the late 2^nd Century BC the Jugurthine War broke out in North Africa leading Rome to intervene. As far as Rome was concerned this uprising, this rejection of the Roman geopolitical paradigm, constituted a threat to Rome's interest and thus they sent an army to deal with Jugurtha.

There were Jews living in Italy during the late Roman Republic. What was the Jewish response to Jugurtha? What was the response of the Old Covenant Diaspora? Certainly our situation in the New Testament is analogous. We too live in an empire. What were their 'worldview' teachers saying about what the 'Jewish' response should be... for Rome to deal with Jugurtha?

Ever Deepening Apostasy

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/10/06/3413180/methodist-clergy-escape-sanctions.html

You know your domination is in trouble when 'Bishop' Peggy represents the conservative position.

I know there are still some 'conservatives' in these mainline denominations but what I can't fathom is why they would stay there. I am well aware of the arguments about being 'good churchmen' but you have to ask at what point do you draw the line?

How far can it possibly go before you say enough is enough?

ISIS Considered in Light of the Constantinian Shift

In recent days not a few 'Christian' leaders have called for a more vigorous military engagement on the part of the United States to combat the threat of ISIS.

Truly a monstrous group, how should Christians respond to this? Is it indeed a Christian position to support the escalation of war, bombing and perhaps even a land invasion?

Politics seems to bring the various strands of Christianity together. Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders are united and most seem to insist a war with ISIS falls under the umbrella of Just War Theory.

What of those Christians who reject this theory as flawed and heretical? What of the Christians who reject the Constantinian model that creates a supposedly Christian version of statecraft? How do we respond? Will we dare to suggest that it's not 'Christian' to bomb ISIS?

Social Darwinism, Eugenics and Mythologizing the Past

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FmEjDaWqA4

This video came up in some previous discussions. I revisited it recently with my kids. We've been working through the late 19^th century and I believed this video to be both pertinent and helpful.

Texas Checkpoints, the War on Drugs and Highway Robbery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY7zYYrdkLQ

This video is enlightening, exposing yet another facet of this hopelessly corrupt and pointless cultural war. And like the sheriff says, they've failed. The social costs are beyond calculation.

Just as a supplemental note... It's not mentioned in the film but these checkpoints also function as a 'shakedown'. Many people pass through and just like in the video are ushered into a waiting room while the car is searched. Unlike the teenage fools in this film they are released, and it's only much later that they discover cash and valuables are missing.

The Church in Chiapas and The China Death Cult

I found this short video to be depressing on many fronts. I realize most of my audience will not agree with all of my concerns but for me there are so many things being revealed by this story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHH3SC_0yn8

First, Voice of the Martyrs on the one hand is getting information out for which I am thankful. But at the same time, they have an established track record of misrepresenting the politics in other countries. That was true in this video.

Social Darwinism and Detroit

I've seen numerous videos on the downfall of Detroit. This one is brief and to the point. I enjoyed the guy by the burn barrel. He knows more about economics than Thomas Sowell does!

The Capitalist system is little more than Social Darwinism and these are the people marked for extinction. They're a mess but they've also been wronged. Just because some of them have turned to bad behaviour doesn't mean the corporate criminals are off the hook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrUFZrWQRhE

Diplomatic Hubris

American arrogance manifests itself in many different ways an on many different fronts.

Cultural arrogance can be just as provocative as throwing around military and economic weight.

I have often thought of this as I watched the US send short-skirted feminist-type diplomats to conservative Muslim countries. Are you trying to offend them? Do you think you're going to impress them with how progressive you are?

All it does is emphasize the cultural difference and it makes those involved very conscious of what the US stands for...

Taking the Picture but Missing the Sunset

There we were standing on the shores of Lake Chautauqua watching the sun sink below the horizon. People were fishing, others were taking in the beautiful evening, a few kids clamoured about the base of a small lighthouse.

A couple walked up and the woman stepped near me, held up her phone and snapped a picture of the glorious sky.

'Got it!" she proclaims half turning her head to her husband.

And then she walks away.

What a snapshot (no pun intended) of our present cultural milieu.

Accounting for Atheist Ethics

I saw an email come in today from an old thread on another site. An atheist attacked a bunch of stuff I said quite some time ago. He's sort of the perfect picture of why I've completely abandoned Facebook and all the online discussion stuff. It is truly pointless and can hardly be called edifying. We've reached a point in our cultural dialogue that anything longer than a few lines is too much for people to follow. It's just cyber-shouting and doing your best to insult the other person.  In other words a waste of time and something I no longer pursue.

The End of Paisley

I was enjoying a pleasantly cool and overcast late summer afternoon. As I was scraping the side of an old house back in the woods, the news came over the radio...

Ian Paisley is dead at 88.

These moments always hit me. It will stay with me forever.

Ignatius in Different Contexts

Here's a link to a good article by Cal over at Lead Me. Always helpful, he has some good insights.

The Need for the Bishop: Leadership in the Church

Inbox: The Christian Response to ISIS/ISIL?

Q. Your last post was a non-response. What is the Christian position in response to ISIS?

A. There isn't one. At least not a geo-political response.

Looking for a Christian solution to the Middle Eastern situation is like saying...

The remnants of the Achaemenids are rising up and resisting Alexander the Great's installed governments across Central Asia. What's the Jewish or Christian response?

Different Faces of Evil and How Sometimes the Lost Still Seek Truth

Here's a tough lesson to explain to your kids. Mine are now mostly teenagers and while they can certainly grasp more than they could a few years ago, in some ways it's getting more and more complicated. I'm sure those of you who have adult children will smile and nod your head. You've already been down this road.

We've been talking about the Mexican-American War and I found this recent video from RT. I realize many people hate RT (Russia Today) and consider it to be nothing less than Russian propaganda.

Inbox: Christian support for NATO vs. ISIS?

I've paraphrased the question...

Q: Shouldn't we as Christians support and be thankful for NATO's moves against ISIS?

A: Yes and no.

NATO Redivivus

After the fall of the USSR in 1991 everyone wondered would NATO fall apart? What reason did it have to continue? There was no more Soviet bloc or Warsaw Pact.

The BRICS Development Bank and Other Challenges to the IMF/World Bank Hegemony

The US Empire appears to be floundering on many fronts.

Perhaps the most profound areas are in the realm of economics. There's a growing cadre of world leaders that are finding ways to not only irritate American hegemony but in some cases openly defy it.

Sometimes the messages are subtle and other times they're pretty outspoken.

The move by the so-called BRICS countries...Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to create their own development bank is a geo-political throwing down of the gauntlet.

Two informative videos on Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan

As a supplement to the Central Asia discussion here's a link to short documentary on Kyrgyzstan and the growing ethnic tensions at work within that country. The documentary only hints at the real issues but also captures the fact that there are forces at work within the society that are generating division. The people are caught in the middle.

The Great Game II: A More Complex and Dangerous Sequel

http://www.rfa.org/english/commentaries/energy_watch/plan-07282014110245.html

The situation in Central Asia has grown so complicated that it almost defies description. It is a truly a new and more complex version of the 19^th century Great Game. Except this time the stakes are bigger are there are more players.

Overlapping interests coupled with political and economic spheres have created a kaleidoscope of relationships that are hard to keep track of.

ICReach and the Death of Civil Rights

As the Snowden revelations continue to come out the latest involves the NSA's internal 'Google' clone, an inter-agency search engine that allows other departments within the government to access the data NSA has gathered.

This is all warrantless collection of information. It's as if the police or any other government agency can drive by your house and come inside and snoop.

It's really beyond that. Based off the way the Internet functions in our lives, they can actually get into your head and see what you're thinking about.

A Seared Conscience Speaking Lies With Hypocrisy

Today Janet Mefferd tried to suggest the chaos in Libya is due to Obama's naïve support for the Arab Spring. There are always the veiled insinuations that he's some kind of crypto-Muslim.

The Left Labels Obama a Counterfeit

It's pretty sad that when I want to hear some genuine voices from the Left I have to turn to an outfit like RT. You're sure not going to hear this kind of criticism on any of mainstream media outlets within the United States.


Anyone who says our media is Leftist... immediately loses credibility with me. They've fallen for the Right/Left propaganda of the mainstream. The differences are minimal. They mainstream varieties operate from the same assumptions. What they call Left/Right is just establishment.

Truth and Lies in Hungary: A Parable of Geo-Political Struggle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO8CoEWUGuw

While PressTV and Russia Today aren't very popular in the West and are viewed as purveyors of propaganda, the truth is as usual a bit more complicated.

They certainly are agenda driven but that said so is Western media. This doesn't negate everything you read or hear in the West, nor does it negate everything you might watch on Press TV or RT. Context determines all.

I appreciated this brief programme because it provided some nuance to a complicated issue.

Inbox: Dispensationalism and Futurism

Some readers will find this to be of interest and possibly beneficial to their own understanding.

Recently I was asked to comment on both Dispensationalism and Futurism. Here's my unpolished response.

NPR and Establishment Safe Reporting

NPR has really nosedived over the past few years. Their coverage is growing weak and they're turning ever more toward light entertainment- style news. I find myself listening to it less and less.

Despite the fact that they're constantly decried as 'liberal', I've always found them to be more or less Establishment.

Some Comments on: Dispatches (In God's Name)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gqhlRdOxJg

This episode of Dispatches is worth watching. It's one of those documentaries where you find yourself not really agreeing with anyone but it's informative and helps to make you aware of what's happening.

It's quite biased but I suppose that must be expected. As I watch this I sometimes wonder why these Christians are consenting to this. Do they not recall the teaching of the Scripture? The world will think we are fools. To put it on display (in this sense) is not helping the cause. We're sideshow freaks to them.

Christian Media: Fame and Riches

Christian propaganda masquerading as 'news' has generated an endless stream of misinformation and distortion. Sometimes I wonder if Christ's people in the United States have any interest in or concept of truth. My cynicism continues to grow. I should turn it off and quit listening but I can't. This is the diet of the people I interact with. These are the wells from which many Christians drink. These false worldviews are running the Church. The wall that must penetrated in order to free their minds and hearts from these shackles has grown to mammoth proportions.

Desks, DDT and Delusion

Some time ago I recall radio host Janet Mefferd was quite upset over some pictures that had been released of president Obama with his feet up on the desk in the Oval Office. She (like most Christian media operatives) was piggy-backing off of FOX news that was also kicking up a fuss over the issue.

These people felt that by putting his feet up on the desk he was showing a lack of respect for not only the historic nature of the desk but the dignity of the office... both the Oval office and the office of president.

Mefferd went on extensively about this. She wouldn't let it go. It really bothered her.

Ukraine: The Manufactured Crisis and Ground Realities

http://ericmargolis.com/2014/08/what-if-theres-a-real-war-in-ukraine/


As usual, Margolis exhibits a great deal of wisdom and understanding in his analysis of the Ukraine situation. There are some real threats but not in accordance with the information being propagated by both Western news media and American hawks.


The one thing I think he neglected to mention is that if this situation escalates it could lead to fissures within NATO itself. NATO continues to struggle in finding its reason for existence.

Russia and a largely unreported event from 2002

While Putin is hardly a 'good guy' our news is in hyper-spin mode right now. It's madness watching it all unfold. It's surreal as we watch the WWI commemorations taking place at the same time. Whether we're talking about the tensions in Eastern Europe or the wars in Syria and Palestine, we are still haunted by its ghosts.


Apart from a handful of news outlets the whole Russian-Ukrainian crisis is being misrepresented. One of the key ways to do this is to ignore the context.

Typical Eisegesis

For all (who have reached the Age of Accountability) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...

Romans 3.23 (Semi-Pelagian Standard Version)

Iraq and Reflections on the 100 Year Anniversary of 1914...

The collapse of Iraq was long foretold and forewarned by those familiar with the salient issues. In some ways these events are very apropos as we arrive at the 100 year anniversary of the event that sparked World War I.

The Taliban, Bergdahl and Ronald Reagan the Traitor

It's been obvious for some time that the Right wishes to impeach Barack Obama. If they're able to capture the Senate in November then the rhetoric will increase. In fact you're already seeing some who are trying to push the House to go ahead and draft the articles of Impeachment right now.

The more politically savvy in the Republican party are waiting to see which way the wind blows and are leery of drafting those articles before the election lest it should turn some away from them or motivate a larger voting block to come to the aid of the president and his political allies.

The Dynamics of Regulating Behaviour

Listening to a recent commentary I was struck by the Christian Right's confusion concerning the role of government with regard to health care.

On the one hand they're vehemently opposed to government regulation in terms of pricing and/or the government legislating access.

But on the other hand most of them want the government to regulate pharmaceuticals and who has access to them.

The Supposed Moral Imperative for Dismantling the Dark Internet

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27885502

Various governments led by the US are trying desperately to put the internet genie back into the bottle. The internet and its cultural impact have grown exponentially it has become a threat to the security of many regimes.

At present numerous protocols are being drafted in trade agreements and additions and revisions are being made to US security policy that allow the government to track everything and prosecute dissidents outside the boundaries of constitutional protections and frameworks.

Some Changes

I apologize for not writing these past couple of months. Life has been a bit overwhelming and not a little grievous.

I'm spending very little time online and am determined to continue this pattern. I don't really want to be near the computer unless I'm writing an article or an email or merely gathering my daily podcasts to listen to.

Newtown and Conspiracy Rules

Continuing in this recent vein it has been brought to my attention that there are some conservatives suggesting that the Obama administration was somehow behind the Newtown or Sandy Hook Massacre.

A Christian Lamenting Patriots

http://patriotslament.blogspot.com/2014/04/good-citizen.html

While I hardly share this author's vision or concerns I nevertheless can largely agree with him on this particular topic... how we should raise our children to think about citizenship.

Is Taxation Theft?

When Christians ask this question, it's very telling. It's an immediate indicator that they've strayed far from what the Bible teaches regarding the government and how we're to think about it.

Around this time of year there are numerous arguments made by Christians (and Secular Right-Libertarians) that taxation is de facto a form of theft.

My letter to Wal-Mart

Since I mentioned Wal-mart in the last post, I dug out the letter I sent them a couple of years ago. Of course if I'm going to 'cross-off' Wal-mart, where do I draw the line? K-mart? Amazon? Home Depot?

It's not easy and probably an impossible prospect. But we all draw the line somewhere. For me, Wal-mart seemed a good place to start. I had been uneasy and increasingly dubious about them for a long time but like most people I just went along with it.

A Few Things to Consider on April 15th

Back then long time ago when grass was green
Woke up in a daze...

...Back when income tax was all we had...

...And while you're in this world

The fuzz gonna come and claim you...

Yes it's April 15^th again and in the United States that means income taxes are due.

Of course because our tax system is such a mess and the Congress cannot reform it, instead they have had to come up with a myriad of ways to offset the tax burden.

Some Consideration and Perspective on American News Coverage of Ukraine and Christian Attitudes Regarding This and Similar Events

While I think everyone would agree the Russian government is involved in the Eastern Ukrainian secession movement I think it's a bit much when I hear John Kerry speak of Russian operators and provocateurs.

He accuses Putin of trying to foment chaos and destabilize the region.

American media has been completely biased toward the US government position. They give none of the background and have done nothing to place any of it in context. If they did, they would know America has been involved in Ukrainian politics for more than a decade.

Our supposed 'liberal' media operates completely within the confines of the Corporate Establishment which owns the media and most of the political forces within this country.

The Christian Experience in Romans 7

http://feedingonchrist.com/john-pipers-10-reasons-romans-714-25-christians-experience/

I'm not a big fan of Nick Batzig or John Piper but I certainly appreciated this.

He's right in pointing out that Romans 7 has long been a controversial passage. Is Paul talking about the Christian life, or his pre-conversion experience?

The Liturgical Calendar Entering the Low-Church

I may mock the so-called Holy Week and the empty traditions that go with it.

But seriously though, it's remarkable to note the change during the past twenty years. Colson's project has reaped a harvest indeed.

A Not So Holy Week

Normally this time of year we start singing to the tune of 'Monday, Monday'

Maundy Thursday
Can't trust that day
Oh Maundy Thursday can't use you legitimately
An empty tradition is all that you will ever be

Every other day of the week is fine.... etc...

Yes, it's so-called Holy Week once more. Lots of memories, lots of lessons.

A few links to past articles....

Easter and Holy Week

The Temptation of the Tactile

Easter and Holy Week (Supplement)

An explanation... why I'm critical but I'm not the nasty fellow you might take me for. I tend to speak in the same spirit we witness in the Lollards and others who didactically mocked the traditions of Rome... many of which Protestantism embraced. I always chuckle about the Lollard who upon hearing the church bell declared it would serve better if it were hung about a cow's neck.

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2011/04/spirit-in-which-i-say-these-things.html

Deceptions and Fallacies in Politicization

It is abundantly clear to anyone familiar with my writing that I believe there are times when criticism needs to be levied. As we speak out and 'war' against the evils and deceptions that we see, we must careful to avoid fallacy. As Christians we must be cautious to not use incoherent arguments, or appeal to the wrong type of authority, or caricature those whom we would oppose.

Revived McCarthyism and Cohn's Hypocrisy

The head of Mozilla has been placed at center-stage in a growing controversy.

Increasingly public figures that have stood against the normalization of homosexuality are being denounced and forced out of their positions. This is happening in the media, academia and even the business world.

Investment Capital in the Digital Age

In the wake of Wikileaks and the financial meltdown of 2008-2009, we're also continuing to learn more about the nature of Capitalism in the digital age.

In many ways the changes are so broad that it must be questioned if some of the typical paradigm-arguments for Capitalism are still applicable. The arguments that try and suggest the Free Market is simply consumers 'voting' with their dollars is no longer applicable, and hasn't been for quite some time.

The Real Issue in the Nutrition Wars

When considering what must be called the Nutrition Wars I think many are actually missing the real issue.

By Nutrition Wars I mean the whole range of argument and debate over organic vs. industrial foods, arguments over preservatives and chemicals and so forth.

Your Digital Papers Please

The Establishment or Power Elite fear the connectivity available in the new technologies. Never before have the ruling regimes and their corporate collaborators felt such fear. I don't believe they are primarily afraid of terrorists along the lines of Al Qaeda. These surveillance and police programmes as well as some of the strategic goals of the War on Terror antedate 2001.

April 4, 1968

I woke up this morning with these song lyrics playing in my head...

A Clue to Common Core

Many believe Common Core represents a clandestine attack or perhaps a set-up for a future attack on Home Schooling. To some it's just a power-grab by the Federal Government.

Propaganda Mercenaries and the Predator Class

http://www.alternet.org/story/155643/charles_ferguson's_'predator_nation%3A_corporate_criminals,_political_corruption,_and_the_hijacking_of_america'

This link is to a review of Charles Ferguson's book that is basically a companion to the movie 'Inside Job'.

If you haven't seen it, it's worth viewing.

Why the Critical Tone?

My criticisms can be pretty harsh and at times to the point that it will turn some people off. I've had friends tell me they would forward my posts to others but it would be 'dumping too much' on them. Rather than challenge them in a helpful way, it would put them off.

I agree and I am well aware of this. For some this is just too much.

Part of me apologizes and part of me doesn't.

The Churchill Cult and Vladimir Putin

http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/03/28/the-briefing-03-28-14/

Listening to Albert Mohler incessantly attack Putin I realized that he's one of the Evangelicals that can rightly be called a Churchill Worshipper.

Dobson famously had a huge portrait of Winston hanging behind his desk and Evangelicals were particularly vexed over an incident regarding a Churchill bust when Obama came into the White House. They reported that wrong as well.

Regulators, Investigators, Cover-ups and Christians

As I've mentioned previously one of the most striking things to be revealed as a result of the recent leaks has been the relationship between the corporate sector and the US government.

It's long been known that the figures at the top of the economic world rotate in and out of government. In many cases the regulators are literally people who have just left the banking industry. It's the foxes guarding the henhouse.

Putin's Apologia and the Post-Cold War Russian Narrative

The text of Putin's 18 March speech can be found at this link:

http://praguepost.com/eu-news/37854-full-text-of-putin-s-speech-on-crimea

Very interesting. His arguments are pretty sound and logical and they are in line with what some have been saying since the 1990's.

Our media will not report any of this. Dare anyone ask why?

Trinity and Beyond

If you haven't seen this movie, then make a point to do so. Even if you're a fan of Nuclear Weapons, you should watch this movie.

Does Non-Violence mean no corporal punishment?

I left this comment in response to a post which suggested that we need to ban all forms of corporal punishment and spanking. While I certain got my share as a child and in fact what I received certainly strayed into the realm of abuse, I still believe children need correction, and in the end what does the Bible itself say?

The Pope, the President and Dispensational Hermeneutics

There's something not a little amusing about seeing pictures of Obama with Francis the Roman Catholic Pope. Conspiracy and so-called Prophecy buffs will be having a field day.

However despite their fears and wary visions of a One World Religion, the truth is these two have little in common.

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.

An Inconvenient Phone or a Convenient Scam?

Reports are coming in that tax scammers are utilizing 'burner' phones, those Trac and Net10 phones that you can purchase anonymously, pay-as-you-go, and throw away.

Somehow they're able to have the phone register as 'IRS' on the recipient's caller ID and then convince them to send money or provide other information which can be utilized in identity theft and other scams.

Ministry Downfalls, Corruption and Pendulum Swings (3)--- Follow The Money

The one thing that is also striking is the gross and wanton misuse and abuse of money. Some of this is coming out. We see it with Vision Forum, and even in ministries that haven't quite collapsed yet...the Mark Driscoll's and James MacDonald's. These people in addition to being awful teachers have abused their offices and enriched themselves.

Average people are rightly shocked and would be a great deal more if they really learned how these ministries work. Houses, cars, utilities, meals and travel can all be paid for by the 'ministry'. That's the secret to living well under this system. Get the ministry to pay for everything and then at that point your salary which for many of these guys can be several hundred thousand a year is in reality a great deal more.

Ministry Downfalls, Corruption and Pendulum Swings (2)

I'm all for having a big family.                                  

But for these folks they're motivated by Dominion and a desire to produce Dominion warriors. This is the real motivation behind Quiverfull. It's about demographic strategy and the conquest of culture.

I think the Bible teaches specific roles for men and women and that plays out in how we raise our children or think about family structure and roles.

Ministry Downfalls, Corruption and Pendulum Swings

I've spent some time the last few days reviewing the latest news and commentary regarding the downfall of some well known ministries. It seems like they've been falling one right after another. From Gothard to Vision Forum, to Sovereign Grace Ministries some real popular and influential 'ministries' have been taken down by scandal.

The sad part is the resulting pendulum swings. Some of these groups have taken whatever issue they've chosen to emphasize too far. In some cases they're not altogether wrong but by overemphasizing it, effectively making it part of the gospel... the reaction can be pretty severe. The pendulum (as it were) swings from one extreme to the other.

A Few Thoughts on Congressional Oversight, the rise of the Unitary Executive, and the Corporate Media

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/07/the-intelligence-committee-cant-tell-you-what-theyre-not-telling-you/

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130810/09240524136/jennifer-hoelzers-insiders-view-administrations-response-to-nsa-surveillance-leaks.shtml

There's a lot to read here and it's pretty maddening. While our Congress is playing petty politics they are in the process of slitting their own throats. They're inaction continues to empower a shadow government that has now put the Congress itself in a state of paralysis and fear.

Campus Recruiting or Spying?

http://texascivilrightsreview.org/wp/2098/author-warns-about-the-cia-on-campuses-short-interview-with-philip-zwerling/

http://www.counterpunch.org/2005/03/12/the-cia-s-campus-spies/

Government agencies recruiting on college campuses is nothing new but there have been several stories in the post-2001 era that are a little troubling in light of all the new surveillance data that is being made available through Snowden and Wikileaks.

Tailored Access Operations

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-nsa-uses-powerful-toolbox-in-effort-to-spy-on-global-networks-a-940969.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/29/der-spiegel-nsa-hacking-unit-tao

If the NSA is interested in monitoring you more closely we now have information that they will actually intervene in the retail process and physically get a hold of purchased hardware in order to insure their spyware is installed.

Why the Christian Media isn't overly interested in the CAR conflict.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-central-african-republic-president-samba-panza-a-955403.html

There's sure been plenty of focus on South Sudan and the struggles of American ally Kenya, but the 'Christians' in the Central African Republic are getting little notice.

CRH and Schumer: A window into the Military Industrial Complex at work

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/05/us-usa-fiscal-airforce-helicopter-idUSBREA2406E20140305

Just because a Senator has the label of Democrat attached to his name it doesn't mean that he's not part of the Imperial project or that he's somehow out to undermine and destroy the country.

Conspiracy in Turkey: The Cyber-threat to Government Stability

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/07/turkey-erdogan-facebook-youtube-ban-elections

Governments in crisis and especially a government like Turkey with a long history of shadowy conspiracy are terrified by social networking.

The ICC and Lack of Credibility

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-warcrimes-congo-katanga-idUSBREA260GZ20140307

Of course it's a good thing that some of these murderers are being taken out of circulation and removed from command. The atrocities in Africa quickly multiply in part because of the remote locales (like Katanga) but also because few in the West seem to really care. I'm certain investigative journalists must at times completely despair over the seeming futility of their work.

Some Historical Notes on Music in Worship

http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/AmazingHistoryOfInstrumentalMusic.htm

Obviously the Bible is the ultimate standard. But we don't live in a vacuum. Our ideas are deeply imbedded and without realizing it many of the categories we embrace stem from extra-Scriptural thinking.

A key part of Sanctification is the 'renewal of the mind'. We are regenerated but we are also being regenerated and we need to learn to think through... everything.

Some Comments on Theonomy

For some helpful and entertaining commentary I recommend the essay available here:

http://theonomists.blogspot.com/

While few Theonomists wish to still lay claim to the name, the general concepts are alive and well.

Forgotten Moldova

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/russia-tries-to-keep-moldova-from-getting-close-to-eu-a-956597.html

With everything going on in the Ukraine I've been wondering why there hasn't been more discussion about Transnistria, Moldova, Abkhazia and the 'game' going on in Central Asia. A larger perspective on the geopolitics and history since the end of the Cold War would help people to understand why the US/EU and Russia are in this tug-of-war over Ukraine.

Bitcoin Creator Exposed?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-bitcoin-inventor-idUSBREA252D820140307

Of course he doesn't want to be identified!

With as many curses as the Internet has brought and all the potentialities for government power, there are also the blessings and opportunities.

Multinational Industrial Agriculture: A Spoke in the Imperial Wheel

Through Wikileaks we learned that the Bush administration wanted to punish EU countries that wouldn't accept the importation and use of genetically modified (GM) crops. This wasn't the first time the administration went to bat for Monsanto and the 'Big Agra' conglomerates.

Even a blind squirrel gets an acorn every once in awhile.....

But in the case of Palin I don't think she really got an acorn. I too used to live in Wasilla Alaska but just living there didn't make me an expert on geopolitics.

An ICBM test turned into a propaganda point

Several times today I heard an example of irresponsible news reporting.

The Russians just tested an ICBM and of course this made the news because of the current crisis in Ukraine... or 'the' Ukraine depending on your politics.

The Opt Out: The Supreme Court's contribution to the undermining of the Affordable Care Act

Advocates and defenders of the Affordable Care Act cheered in 2012 when the Supreme Court upheld the legislation. Rather than a mandate, mandatory participation was viewed as a tax and on those grounds was able to stand and not violate the various Constitutional concerns.

Put No Confidence in Princes: The Romeike Asylum Case

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/03/supreme_court_wont_hear_german_home_school_case/

I feel terrible for the Romeike family. While I do not agree with those that they've thrown in with or those that have taken up their cause, I still empathize with their situation.

The Scary State of Law Enforcement and the Judiciary

Many will have already heard of this case but it continues to make the news. The 'West Memphis Three' is another sad tale of out of control investigators and prosecutors who desperate to solve a case end up convicting innocent people. And then when exposed, rather than admit they were irresponsible in their investigation, do all they can to continue to destroy the lives of the innocent people they have incarcerated. In many cases the actual guilty parties end up escaping.

The Euxine Crisis: Russia, America and Europe

One of the primary reasons the United States invaded Panama in 1989 was to ostensibly protect the lives of its citizens. Few were convinced of this as the timing was more than a little coincidental.

A Few More Comments on Vocation

This is a recent edition of Issues Etc.... dealing with the topic of Vocation.

http://issuesetc.org/2014/02/28/3-the-dignity-of-christian-vocations-edie-wadsworth-22814/

In this programme the guest specifically speaks of our work being sanctified and led by the Spirit. I don't believe this is warranted from a study of the New Testament.

The Fall of the House of Gothard

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/02/28/conservative-leader-bill-gothard-placed-administrative-leave-following-abuse-allegations/

Very interesting. The article also mentions Doug Phillips of Vision Forum. Phillips is the son of the late Howard Phillips a name well known in Theonomic and Christian Right circles.

The End of Posse Comitatus

Here's another interesting tale regarding the use of agents provocateurs. In this case it was the US military attempting to infiltrate peace and veteran groups involved in anti-war activities.

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/25/exclusive_inside_the_army_spy_ring

Textual Criticism and Canon

I'm reposting this with an additional link. Kruger does a good job casting the issue of Canon in theological rather than strictly historical terms. This is essential to understanding the issues and helps explain the contemporary struggles over this issue.

Here's the new link:

http://reformedforum.org/podcasts/ctc318/

The State Department Game Concerning Language: Honduras, Egypt, Central and East Africa

The government rarely wants to specifically or openly endorse the overthrow of another government. To declare 'regime change' is a posture of war. Bush did it, but diplomats cringed. You only do something like that if you're ready to start shooting. These things are best done quietly especially if the reasons behind it are not something you really want to talk about.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/01/honduras-zelaya-coup-obama

This also happened in Egypt. Sometimes the government can support a coup while officially not endorsing it.

There are other times when the US projects certain values pertaining to Human Rights and yet is allied with regimes that systematically violate them. You can be sure the media won't cover it and if they do, it will be spun.

Wikileaks, Change and the Chain of Command

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ca1HsC6MH0

It's taken quite a bit of time but things are still being extracted from the Wikileaks releases. Much of the information has proven mundane but some of it is very instructive especially if collated with other available information.

The World's Wisdom and the Corporate-Political System

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/13/276448190/a-closer-look-at-how-corporations-influence-congress

This is a helpful discussion which illustrates how the corporate-political relationship works. I think if anything this reporter is a bit naive. I'm far more cynical than he is.

Dominion Mercenaries in Africa

I was reminded of this today. It's been quite a few years and I had forgotten about these incidents.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/bachmann-staffer-arrested-for-terrorism-in-uganda-in-2006/243711/

http://www.startribune.com/politics/200976111.html

A confusing mess to be sure, but it's interesting how these worlds overlap. American politics, business and Africa, not as strange of a brew as it might sound.

Thought-Crime, Entrapment and Blackmail

With the tracking of virtually all data and the synthesis and analysis of everything we're doing, we are reaching a point that is reminiscent of themes out of some of the most frightening dystopian fiction.

Thought-crime is becoming a reality.

http://www.ky3.com/news/local/judge-convicts-man-who-had-thoughts-about-shooting-up-theater-store/-/21048998/24220610/-/9cb76cz/-/index.html

This story is terrifying. I'm not defending the kid. He's more stupid than anything else. But he didn't actually 'do' anything. CBS also covered this a few weeks ago.

Unitary Power and the Praetorians

 

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/10/the-nsas-secret-role/

This is an interesting story regarding the way the government is integrating meta-data and using it to target people. Obama has in every way continued the general trajectory of Bush administration policies with regard to the Terror-War... a permanent war which is fundamentally changing the way the American government functions.

People of the Book

We practice Family Worship in my home. Every day we attempt to read some portion of Scripture accompanied by discussion and the occasional hymn or two. I have impressed on my children the absolute wickedness of failing to acknowledge and show gratitude to the God who sustains and has saved us.

Nye vs. Ham

When I first heard Ken Ham would be debating Bill Nye I wasn't very pleased. I feared he would fare poorly and I'm sorry to say I was right. I can't imagine anyone would be overly impressed with his performance.

Selective Memory, Spin, and Possible Impeachment in 2015

Following up on the Pilgrim Path article (Angels of Light...) here's an example of selective memory.

http://news.yahoo.com/rep-paul-broun-back-obama-impeachment-171835906--abc-news-politics.html