The Amur Frontier Considered

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Do-the-Chinese-really-want-Siberia-62318.html

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3654427-does-china-have-designs-on-siberia/

There is nothing particularly profound or revelatory in this article but it's worth considering and filing away. The issue of resources and the Russian Far East have come up before in history. There were those in Imperial Japan who coveted these lands and had an opportunity to invade from their colony of Manchukuo (the conquered realms of Manchuria) in the 1930's. In fact after the German invasion of the USSR in June of 1941, Stalin hesitated to bring the desperately needed troops from Siberia to the West, as he believed the Japanese would invade - something Berlin was very keen for them to do.

The Spirit of Trumpism in a Small Town

I was recently spending some time with an older man from a nearby town that I've known for many years. I've mentioned him before in other articles. He's one of those old blue-collar types that really has only one religion - America. He worships the flag, troops, firefighters, and law-enforcement. When I first knew him back in the 1990's, he liked Bill Clinton and supported Gore in the 2000 election. He's lax when it comes to morality in terms of things like homosexuality and abortion and yet takes a pretty hardline view when it comes to work ethic, foreign policy, and the like. He's pro-union if that even matters any more.

Another Example of Theonomy's Rejection of Romans 13

https://www.trex-arms.com/

I was looking at the website of one of Scott Brown's upcoming conferences on Christian Entrepreneurship. It was the usual fare from these Agrarian-Dominionist Theonomic types. I've seen it all before. I decided to look up the background and credentials on the speakers and I noticed one has the last name of Botkin which is well known in those circles. The Botkin girls in particular have generated a great deal of attention.

The New Calvinist Dismantling the CFPB

The battle continues over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The courts in some cases resist the attempts to shut it down - in other cases the courts are facilitating its termination.

CNN Fraud in Syria

https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/cnn-reporter-clarissa-wards-on-air-liberation-of-syrian-prisoner-exposed-as-fraud/

This story broke in December 2024 in connection with the fall of the Assad regime. CNN was caught red-handed in a lie. The whole thing was a set-up. One has to wonder how many other such episodes take place? It is certain though that it's getting harder to pull off. Amid all the negatives, it's certainly one of the positives of the Internet Age.

Christian Radio, Deceitful Stunts, and Distortions of Reality

The other day I was working within range of the American Family Radio (AFR) signal and I caught some of Todd Herman's show. He suggested the globalists had taken over American foreign policy and that the United States had been actively involved in the manipulation of Ukrainian politics. He pulled out material and clips from 2014 of Victoria Nuland and others to make his point. It was almost like I was listening to Democracy Now or The Grayzone.

Meloni and the Judges

https://www.politico.eu/article/giorgia-melonis-italy-judges-viktor-orban-hungary-albania-rome-court-russia-war-ukraine/

Meloni's policy has mostly been to tack toward the centre, which has given her great credibility and standing within the EU Establishment. But as the article points out, there's still a very ugly Right-wing side to her domestic policy. Politically it's brilliant as it doesn't allow domestic rivals like Matteo Salvini to outflank her, but I think it's also indicative of her true colours and the nature of her political pedigree.

Philosophical Materialism in the Church

https://www.saintstephenslutheranchurch.org/single-post/2019/08/14/where-does-religion-come-from

Virtually every time I turn on NPR there's an add for the 'Hidden Brain' show - I think it must be quite popular. Just from the clips they play, it's evident to me the show attempts to wrestle with various thought-related conundrums from an entirely materialistic standpoint. It is (needless to say) utterly godless in its approach to knowledge, ethics, existence, meaning, and a host of other questions. You are your brain - humans are just a mass of cells, and the attempt to extrapolate some kind of meaning, purpose, ethics, or hope from this model is an exercise in futility. In other words, the show is a waste of time.

The Counterfeit Zion Academy

https://www.patriotacademy.com/the-patriot-experience/

I am sorry to report that I have found this filth being promoted on Christian websites. If you click the 'about us' tab you'll find they believe they're promoting a Biblical Worldview.

Materialist Interpretations of the Modern Papacy

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/24/nx-s1-5307022/jesus-wept-author-chronicles-the-debates-roiling-the-catholic-church

I'm afraid this episode of Fresh Air typifies the increasing divide in American news coverage. No sober thinking person (let alone a Spirit-filled one) can possibly appreciate the manipulative and superficial quality of Right-wing media outlets such as FOX and Newsmax. And yet this episode of Fresh Air (which had every reason and opportunity to be interesting) proved tiresome and I became more fixated on the liberal materialist assumptions of the interviewer and guest than the actual issues being discussed.

Yakuza Smugglers, Myanmar, and Manhattan

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/09/takeshi-ebisawa-yakuza-leader-nuclear-materials-myanmar

This story is fascinating on several levels and yet there's something rotten about it. Even after reading the 43 page indictment, it doesn't add up.

Lindsey Graham Wants to Bomb Iran - Again

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/19/graham-military-action-iran-nuclear-program-00199181

This story has almost been lost in the flurry of events over the past month but the issue is still live and the bomb-loving Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is still pressing for a strike on Iran.

Bait and Switch - Cal Thomas on the Constitutional Crisis

https://calthomas.com/2025/02/whom-to-blame-for-the-crisis/

Unfortunately I must report that Cal Thomas is still producing commentaries and this one appeared in our local newspaper the other day.

It's a case of classic bait-and-switch tactics. He ignores the issues surrounding the Constitutional Crisis and instead ventures down a dishonest rabbit trail of revisionism and spin. In other words, it's classic Cal Thomas.