The East Timor Genocide and Carter's Whitewashed Legacy

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1/10/jimmy_carter_indonesia_east_timor_genocide 

The American support for Indonesia's genocide in East Timor is usually associated with Ford and Kissinger. The invasion famously began the day after Air Force One left Jakarta in December 1975. The Americans were fully aware of what Suharto was planning and many would go further and point to evidence suggesting the US encouraged the invasion. East Timor like Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea were Portuguese colonies up for grabs with the collapse of the dictatorship in the so-called Carnation Revolution of 1975.

Romania's Failed Election and Shift to the Right

https://www.politico.eu/article/could-romania-break-eu-and-nato-elections-russia-influence-moldova-georgia-calin-georgescu/

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/29889/at-a-time-of-social-upheaval-christians-in-romania-are-very-interested-in-how-politics-and-theology-relate-to-each-other

In late November, Romania's presidential election resulted in Calin Georgescu winning the first round with 23% of the vote. He stood poised to win the second (run-off) round and yet before this could happen, the state intervened and annulled the election. After battles in the courts, it was decided that entirely new elections would take place in May of 2025. It is unclear as to whether or not Georgescu will be allowed to run again - even though he continues to lead in every poll.

Stefanik's Anti-Semitic Connections and Confused Catholicism

https://religionnews.com/2024/11/14/elise-stefanik-jews-united-nations/

I recommend this article because even though it's far more pro-Israel than I would be, and far more critical of Anti-Zionism than I think warranted, the author nevertheless is sceptical of Elise Stefanik and her supposedly pro-Jewish credentials.

Trump 2.0 - Day 4

We will return at a later date to Franklin Graham's Balaam-inspired blasphemies and the Trump administration's plan to weaponize the justice department - the very opposite of what's being promised.

Gabbard Sells Out on FISA

https://consortiumnews.com/2025/01/15/patrick-lawrence-the-predictable-capitulation-of-tulsi-gabbard/

Gabbard was one of those interesting people that captured a lot of attention from the Left and within Alternative Media circles for her opposition to the war in Syria and her general scepticism regarding US foreign policy at the time. It was the second or late phase of the War on Terror - the fallout from the Arab Spring, the campaigns in Syria and Libya, and the war against ISIS. She was a backer of Bernie Sanders and generally speaking had become a pariah to the DNC Establishment. The GOP viewed her as something akin to a traitor.

Morales and the Struggle for Bolivia

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/27/bolivias-evo-morales-vehicle-gunfire-political-tension-rises

This story of attempted assassination has all but dropped out of the news even while pro-Morales protests continue in Bolivia. It would seem that a Morales return remains a threat and as such he's been targeted. But by whom?

New Religious Legislation in Kyrgyzstan

https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstan-authorities-seek-expanded-powers-to-regulate-religious-affairs

This new set of laws is in keeping with everything we've come to expect with the authoritarian states of Central Asia which emerged with the fall of the Soviet Union. The Eurasianet article is incorrect. Kyrgyzstan is not a secular society at all, but rather one in which Islam is the officially favoured religion with other traditional groups (such as Eastern Orthodoxy) tolerated.

Spinning the Ceasefire in Gaza and Just About Everything Else

The news broke today regarding a Gaza ceasefire. Let us pray that it holds true. I reflected for a moment when someone pointed out how the fire devastation in Los Angeles has struck a chord with the American public. The pictures look not unlike the devastation in Gaza which is many magnitudes greater - but it doesn't impact the American public the same way. There's no comparison. It makes one think doesn't it?

Indonesia, Prabowo, and BRICS

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/7/indonesia-joins-brics-group-of-emerging-economies

Even as the US seeks to expand its Eastern footprint and re-establish and strengthen military ties with Indonesia - the new Prabowo regime is seeking a path of triangulation.

Epstein and Tensions within the Israeli-American Alliance

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/11/05/israel-blackmail-the-presidents/

Not a few historians, analysts, and commentators wonder just who is in charge? Who is calling the shots in terms of the US-Israel relationship? At times it almost seems like Israel has the upper hand and steers the American ship - at least with regard to Middle Eastern policy.

The Destructive Mafia-inspired Style of Trump Diplomacy

Right-wing and Evangelical media are already lavishing praise on Trump for the supposed stability that he's bringing to the world order. In the latest episode of delusion, these factions believe that Trump stands for stability and calm and that the US is respected while he stands at the helm.

One of the Chief Heretics of our Day

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/04/nx-s1-5123626/christian-nationalist-election-workers-lance-wallnau

I know - everyone is tired of the 2024 US election. I'm no exception, but as the dust settles it helps to consider all the angles in order to understand what happened and why - especially in the context of the Church. This will help us (the Church) to understand what's coming in the years ahead.

The Realities of the War on Terror in 2025

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/3/french-german-foreign-ministers-visit-damascus-to-meet-syrias-new-rulers

It was something to see, a historic moment I thought. To see German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (along with French counterpart Barrot) walking about Damascus with HTS leader al-Julani should have generated a media buzz - but it didn't. The media is to be blamed for this lack of response - they have lulled the Western public to sleep.

Syria and Gaza: Creeping Authoritarianism in the UK and the War on Adversarial Journalism

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/10/18/police-escalate-britians-war-on-independent-journalism/

The recent Israel-Gaza War has been eye-opening. We're literally witnessing the normalizing of a genocide. I feel it's something of a watershed. This sort of butchery has taken place before - in Vietnam for example. And while everyone talks about the media's role in reporting that war and supposedly undermining it, the truth is they barely scratched the surface. The fact that their on-the-ground reporting was (and is) considered controversial by some is a testimony to how well conditioned the public was up to that point. It was not adversarial (by my estimations) but just the reporting and the footage was enough to upset the public and lead to a questioning.