Netanyahu Exploits the Golan Heights

Over the weekend a missile struck the Golan Heights killing about a dozen Druze children. The Netanyahu government has been looking for an excuse to escalate and expand the war and as such they've been playing up this incident.

Confused Jurisdictions

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/27144/evangelical-church-in-rome-that-takes-case-of-unrecognised-religious-building-to-european-court-of-human-rights

This is a case of confused thinking and confused jurisdictions, the result of the institutional mindset that affects the heirs of the Magisterial Reformation.

The Materialist Default

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/20/nx-s1-5013626/scientists-are-looking-for-signs-of-resilience-in-the-gut

Right-wing media is unpalatable in its assumptions and its bias and yet the mainstream media is becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate as well. From all the talk of 'people of who have babies' and the like to the overwhelmingly materialist assumptions, I find myself having to look elsewhere. Motivated by its political agenda and the corruption of money, FOX consistently lies and manipulates the truth and even the nature of reality. But the mainstream increasingly just relies on false presuppositions and when it comes to health, science, and even sociology, the materialist assumptions dominate - often leading to absurdities.

Protestantism and the Judiciary in Türkiye

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Turkey,-Constitutional-Court:-Expulsion-of-Protestant-leaders-does-not-violate-freedom-of-faith-60914.html

Ankara fears these Western-connected congregations are a Fifth Column, a means of cycling subversion into Turkish society, laundering money, and the like. While mostly exaggeration or simply untrue, I don't doubt there are some instances where this is the case. It may even be that some church leaders don't quite understand who they're affiliating with and where their money is coming from.

Pan-Turkism 2024

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-Turanian-World-advance-in-Central-Asia-60912.html

Neo-Ottomanism is not exactly the same as Pan-Turkism but the concepts can and often do overlap. Neo-Ottomanism is about leveraging Ankara's placement, the fact that Türkiye straddles Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Via the Black Sea and the Caucasus it is able to access the Turkish populations of Central Asia - and this is where the Pan-Turkism comes in. Ankara is able to exert itself culturally into the region and it's natural that economic and other diplomatic relations would ensue.

The GOP's Sociopathic Behaviour Regarding Israel

Watching a PBS Frontline episode on campus violence the other night I fully expected to see some clips of the congressional hearing with university presidents - a dialogue that was largely misrepresented in the mainstream media. It goes without saying this was misrepresented by the Right.

Narratives Surrounding the Trump Shooting

Since the Saturday evening assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania I have been rather struck by the mainstream media response as well as that of the DNC. For some odd reason they are kow-towing to the MAGA Republican line and seem almost apologetic as if they are to blame for this.

Israel, Iran, and the Turks

https://eurasianet.org/israel-emerging-as-source-of-tension-in-azerbaijans-special-relationship-with-turkey

This was inevitable and I was pleased to note that others are noticing it as well. Baku has been effectively wed to Ankara since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990's. Their cultural ties are pervasive and there are significant numbers of Azeris in Türkiye proper, and they also share a common enemy in the Armenians.

Imperial Power and Central Asian Infrastructure

https://eurasianet.org/china-kyrgyzstan-uzbekistan-railway-project-gets-off-the-ground

The key statement this article is the reference to the Trans-Afghan corridor. This railroad and its relationship to the larger question of Central Asian infrastructure represents a strategic defeat for the US Empire.

Ramsey and the Three Wise Monkeys

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/father-moron-dave-ramsey-disgusted-211016354.html

This is a somewhat confused report of an Instagram video in which a father and daughter share a financial scheme with the audience. Engaging in a practice known as arbitrage they are effectively borrowing money at a low rate which generates savings that allows them to lend and receive a return at a higher rate. The particular scenario isn't very convincing and certainly has some holes. As far as risk, there's always risk in such ventures.

Israel, Death Squads, and Colombia

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/05/13/the-secret-history-of-israels-role-in-genocide-in-colombia/

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/6/12/chiquita_funding_death_squads_in_colombia

I post this must-read article because I believe it's important for Christians to have a better understanding of what has happened in Colombia and the role of US policy, the US military - and the outsourced role Israel often plays at the behest of Washington.

Beneath This Stone I'm Forced to Lie, a Victim of the Blue-State Fly - and other such delusions

https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesonly=true&sourceid=trcnw&keyword=Blue+State+Conference

I tried to get through some of these but found it unbearable. Oh, the sorrows and woe for those who live in states controlled by Democrats. If we could all just move to Texas and Florida then all would be well.

Monument to a Court Prophet

https://www.christianpost.com/news/us-capitol-unveils-statue-honoring-evangelist-billy-graham.html

I'm not Roman Catholic and reject the many claims of Rome concerning its apostolic and particularly Petrine foundations. Whether Peter is actually buried beneath the Vatican or not is immaterial. I toured the Scavi back in the 1990's on one of my many stays in the city. It was fascinating but not entirely convincing. I felt like the Vatican had hijacked the history much in the same way one encounters when touring the catacombs.