Cold War II: Putting Pressure on China

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/08/05/india-indigenous-aircraft-carrier/

Indian tanks have been seen on maneuvers less than thirty miles from the Chinese border in Ladakh. While the Ladakh-Tibet border does not represent an existential threat to Beijing, the area has been contentious since the two modern nations were formed in the 1940's. China doesn't want to see any kind of turmoil or trouble on the Tibet border – but you can be sure Washington is doing all it can to encourage India to make that trouble.

The Afghan Legacies of George W Bush and Tony Blair

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/7/31/george-w-bush-should-shut-up-and-go-away

The author of the editorial is correct in exposing a rather startling truth - men like George Bush have no conscience. A man who should be in sackcloth and ashes is instead living the good life and has been largely rehabilitated in the eyes of the American public. 

Taliban Reprisals and Lex Talionis

Many people seem to be shocked that the Taliban are going door to door looking for those who collaborated with the previous regime. They are especially looking for those who worked in a military or intelligence capacity, but they're also looking for translators and others who worked alongside NATO.

What did you expect? The media seems to present this as the targeting of civilians. Is it?

Misassessing German Evangelicalism

https://www.evangelical-times.org/articles/evangelicalism-in-germany-a-stocktaking/

This represents a flawed analysis and sadly it also reveals some of the flawed thinking at the helm of German Evangelicalism. The entire assessment is in terms of Christendom. One would think that the lessons of that flawed paradigm would have been learned by now, but apparently not. 

Spinning Pegasus

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/29/1022214491/leaks-reveal-spyware-meant-to-track-criminals-targeted-activists-instead

The Fresh Air interview contained some helpful information but it was overshadowed by an air of absurdity. There were numerous elephants in the room that were being ignored leading one to question the sincerity of the participants.

Candace Cameron and the Heresy of Profanation

Evangelicalism is in a sad state of affairs when the likes of Candace Cameron are held up as leaders - and editors such as Richard Land continue to give them press.

US Manipulation of Cuba Protests

https://www.mintpressnews.com/documents-point-to-us-hand-in-cuba-protests/277987/

Once again we find the hand of USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) at work, doing what they do best - labouring to subvert democracy and overthrow governments. As soon as the protests erupted and voices within the US started escalating the rhetoric, it wasn't hard to guess what was happening. And though things have seemingly calmed down, it's not over yet.

The FBI and the Whitmer-Michigan Plot Viewed Through the Flawed Lens of Libertarianism

Though this story has already faded away from the news cycle it will return and there are some elements concerning it that deserve reflection. 

The ETIM in Afghanistan: Promoting Chaos on China's Border

https://archive.vn/VquRh

It is noteworthy that as of 2020 the al Qaeda affiliated East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is no longer on the US terror list and its political and intellectual leadership is based in the United States.

China is certainly very concerned about the ETIM setting up shop in Afghanistan, and Beijing is trying to reach out to the Taliban for this reason among others. One can be certain that China will wish to extend its Belt and Road Initiative (OBOR) into Afghanistan but there's also the fear that Afghanistan will become a base or harbour for militants.

But there's another concern and it's one that I've been talking about for some time – and one I'm starting to become more convinced of.

Building the Anti-Beijing Bloc: Biden and Tibet

https://www.centralasianews.net/news/270504470/in-india-blinken-meets-representative-of-dalai-lama

The article is most correct. Beijing will respond to this meeting with great hostility. The Dalai Lama and all things Tibet are touchy. Tibet is one of the three 'T' issues – Tibet, Tiananmen, and Taiwan – issues not to be spoken of and that can land one in hot water with the authorities.

Building the Anti-Beijing Bloc: The Biden Pivot and the Philippines

https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/07/30/philippines-us-military-deal/

During the course of his tenure, Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte has lashed out at Washington. Angry at the long years of US domination of his country and the hypocritical condemnation by Washington of his administration for its brutal policies – he may at last be shifting gears. While he officially is maintaining his 'independent' foreign policy, his days of cozying up to China may be at an end. Time will tell but signals suggest Manila may be pivoting back into the American camp.

Covid-Delta and the Provincetown Outbreak

To my mind, it's the elephant in the room that no side wants to acknowledge. There's been a lot of recent press surrounding the Covid-Delta outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts. This was a 'breakthrough' case of a group of 469 Covid-positive people. Of this group about 75% of them were vaccinated and yet nevertheless became infected by the virus. No one died and barely anyone was seriously affected which by some estimations actually testifies to the vaccine's potency. Given what the Delta variant is doing across the rest of the country the fact that only five people (of the 469) were hospitalised is noteworthy.

*As of today the outbreak has grown to almost one-thousand people.

Inbox: The Enlightenment, Westminster and Romans 13, and the Question of Civil Disobedience

This deals with a series of questions regarding where to read about some of the Christian interaction with The Enlightenment especially in terms of political and social ideology and ethics. Additionally there is the question of the Westminster Confession's view of Romans 13 and why I believe it to be in error – and are there any pre-Reformation instances that would support my view?

Finally, what of civil disobedience? Is it ever appropriate?