Evangelical Femininity and Power

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35813994

It's people like this that make me ashamed to say I'm a Christian or a homeschooler. I always feel like I have to say, "I'm a Christian, but..."

Tony Evans and Charles Ryrie, Dispensationalism and Dominionism

God has designed mankind to be in charge, not in chains. God wants Christians to rule, too often they're living like exiles.

I caught these blurbs the other day on Moody Radio, advertising for the Tony Evans radio programme.

Aerial Antics and a Russian Pilot Inspired by Hollywood

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36177405

https://theaviationist.com/2016/04/17/russian-su-27-interceptor-performs-top-gun-stunt-over-u-s-spyplane/

The US is outraged that a Russian pilot challenged an American plane that was getting a little too close to its shores. Apparently he pulled a stunt and the US is trying to act outraged but instead they're looking pretty foolish. The US is calling Russian actions provocative and irresponsible.

But when Tom Cruise does it to the Russians, then it's cool, he's a hero and we all laughed and clapped.

American Evangelicalism: A Death Cult

http://www.freemansperspective.com/military-evangelical-complex/

There are some very flawed views (of the Libertarian variety) in this piece and yet in general it is correct regarding the way in which the military has formed a nexus with American Evangelical culture.

Trillium Afoot

Spring is not my favourite season but it has its glories.

The Trillium has emerged in the Mid-Atlantic, blanketing shady hillsides. It's beautiful. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you are all the poorer for it.

 

The World Celebrates Sin: When Celebrities Die

They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. (1 Peter 4.4)

China's TSPM: Political Christianity, Sacral Architecture and Oil Money?

Let's hope there's more to their gospel than this.

By Tor and the Electric Eye

Tor (The Onion Router) is often touted as a means to escape government surveillance, a way to evade tracking and the discovery of your location. It utilises encryption and thousands of relays to inhibit analysis.

Walter Williams Does the Hustle

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2016/04/walter-e-williams/slavery-framers/

The very premise of American colonialisation vis-à-vis the Indians was racist. Imperialism in virtually every case is rooted in the idea that one people is better than another and has a 'right' or even 'obligation' to take lands and resources from lesser people and in many cases enslave them.

The Grey Wolves and the Turkmen Brigades

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russian-plane-crash-isis-linked-turkish-group-grey-wolves-may-have-downed-airbus-a321-1541304

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/syria-photos-alparslan-celik-rebel-leader-turkey-who-shot-russian-pilot-go-viral-656993

IBT's reporting is a little confused here. The Grey Wolves if allied with the Syrian Turkmen Brigades are not affiliated with ISIS, they're fighting ISIS along with the Assad regime and the Kurdish YPG.

Russia's Response to American Aggression

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/us-navy-could-have-shoot-down-low-flying-russia-jets-john-kerry

Can you even imagine if Russian ships were sailing in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Louisiana or Texas? What if they were sailing between Catalina Island and Long Beach? What if they were conducting war exercises... with Mexico?

Privatised Sociological and Census Data

Lockheed Martin epitomises the Military-Industrial Complex and the Corporate Establishment. These articles are several years old but the issue keeps coming to the surface. It's been on my mind over the past few days so I dug up these links.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/uk/news/press-releases/2008-press-releases/census2011.html

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2011/01/11/big-corporate-brother-lockheed-martin-shadowing-you

Why is a company like Lockheed Martin getting involved in the UK and Canadian census? Why is the biggest government contractor in the United States and one of the wealthiest and most powerful corporations in the world collecting census data on citizens in other countries?

Foreign Fighters in Transcaucasia: Nagorno-Karabakh Sounds the Alarm About the Grey Wolves and ISIS

Of course the spokesman for the Nagorno-Karabakh republic has a stake in the fight and so I will remain a little dubious about his statements. The few articles that are circulating in the American press are written by Armenians as well. This doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong but I urge caution. The emotions run so high in the Caucasus that statements and claims can get a little carried away.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/842113/adrbejanin-ajakcum-en-ahabekichnery-arajnagits-en-bervel.html

Transcaucasia: Alliances and Arms Sales by Proxy

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has flared once again and is making the news. The conflict which erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed has never been fully resolved. The breakaway Armenian enclave lives in a state of siege and there continues to be dangerous border areas inhabited by snipers etc...

Trump and Punishing Women Who Seek Abortion

The Christian Right shouldn't be shocked by Trump's statements about punishing women who have abortions. Cruz and other professing Christians seem to want to capitalise on Trump's perceived error but don't want to follow through on the implications of the question. Their dismay strikes me as hypocritical and false.

Issues Etc. and Uwe Siemon-Nietto

http://issuesetc.org/2016/04/01/1-a-european-conservative-perspective-on-the-2016-presidential-race-dr-uwe-siemon-netto-4116/

I don't do a lot of these direct critique pieces anymore but this interview was brought to my attention and maybe some readers will find the comments helpful. If anything as I've suggested in the past it is instructive in dissecting these types of segments so common in Christian media.

An Erstwhile Democrat Transformed into a Trumpite

Recently I had the displeasure of encountering an old acquaintance who at one time I would have described as a working class Democrat. He's a former union guy, a baby-boomer that generally speaking was socially liberal, patriotic and somewhat racist.

I have to say growing up in the West I had not really encountered the old working-class type Democrat before. When I moved to Rust-Belt Appalachia I started finding them all over the place. They love America, the military and believe in hard work and yet don't quite fit into the Progressive or Conservative categories. They are a true mix.

Trump: NATO is Obsolete

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0WT0MZhttp://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0WT0MZ

Trump thinks NATO is obsolete. He's right, it should have been disbanded but instead since 1989 it has been the primary tool of imperial expansion. Trump apparently didn't get the memo. I don't know who is advising him, but they're not doing a very good job. NATO is anything but obsolete.

Smartphone: Thesis and Antithesis

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/01ba2970-9e70-11e5-8ce1-f6219b685d74.html?ftcamp=engage/ext_display/Tech/Dianomi_USActual/beacon_connection_q1q2/auddev&utm_source=Dianomi_USActual&utm_medium=ext_display&utm_term=Tech&connectionsus=y&utm_campaign=beacon_connection_q1q2&segid=0201001#axzz44APCVpXf

I hoping this is the beginning of a reaction in the other direction. Let the pendulum swing!

Beck and his Beast Worship

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2016/03/22/glenn-beck-at-cruz-rally-in-utah-southern-evangelicals-are-not-listening-to-their-god/

The linked video runs about 30mins and is painful to sit through but if you're not aware of the rhetoric, mindset and mood then it's a helpful summary. This is pretty much in keeping with the stuff I hear on the radio. I don't turn it on very often but when I turn on Beck it's pretty much the same material that he presents here.

Albright's Hypocrisy on Display

http://time.com/4272021/karadzic-conviction/

She is a vile creature and I don't feel like she even deserves common courtesy.

International Courts: Rigged Justice

All forms of Nationalism are hideous, all ultimately lead to war and death on a massive scale. Nationalism creates its own ethic and justifies behaviours that otherwise would be viewed as immoral. Essentially as an '–ism', it represents a worldview, a philosophical system with its own metaphysic, epistemology and ethic. It's a religion and thus idolatrous.

Obama in Argentina: Condor and Crocodile Tears

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-argentina-idUSKCN0WQ0I9

Obama is shedding crocodile tears. His language is completely farcical and disingenuous. The problem wasn't that America didn't 'speak out' for human rights. The United States has a long history in Latin America of installing fascist military dictatorships, working with ex-Nazis and aiding these governments in the brutal suppression of their peoples. This is a sordid history connected to the School of the Americas, death squads, secret prisons, torture and assassination.

False Moderation as a Tool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRefP0N8Dy4

Media favourite and Establishment mouthpiece Michael Hayden is critical of Cruz's rhetoric regarding the patrolling of Muslim neighbourhoods.

Asian Alliances and Cold Wars: Past and Present Provocations

The United States continues to push into East Asia and is moving ever closer to the formation of a new Asian version of NATO. It must be remembered that though the USSR certainly occupied Eastern Europe and had attempted and eventually succeeded to establish new regimes in those countries, it was sabre rattlers like Churchill and the United States in forming NATO that really got the Cold War underway. While that narrative is unacceptable to Western convention it needs to be revisited.

Five theories, Apple, the FBI and the LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-apple-fbi-theories-20160321-snap-htmlstory.html

Or #6: This whole thing has just been a big show from the beginning.

Of course option #1, the so-called ACLU scenario hints at this... something Snowden has said all along.

The Snowden Comments and the Mainstream Media

Once again we are provided with a clear example of the mainstream media's true role. Its task is not to report the news and inform the public, but to protect the system and promote its official line.

Snowden, the most important whistleblower on these technical issues has unequivocally declared that the government's claims are false. They don't need Apple to develop anti-encryption software in order to access the iPhone. If anyone would know, it's Edward Snowden.

Decadence Comes to Cuba

I was watching a recent report about some American DJ's setting up a concert in Cuba. I don't know who they are but their music was that kind of grinding discotheque style... the very sort of thing that repressive governments would like to ban. I hate to agree with such governments but the music is culturally subversive and promotes individual gratification, hedonism and decadence. The concert looked like a pretty wicked scene.

The Broken Babel of the European Union

The proposed Brexit is but another signal the colossus that is the EU is beginning to crack and crumble. The US was less than keen on the project in the 1990s (let alone the EEC of the 1950s) but today they want the EU to stand. A divided Europe will likely degenerate and it could happen quickly. The US has bigger fish to fry and the EU represents a bulwark against Putin.

NATO is the real foundation of American power for Eurasia, but a collapsing EU could also rend NATO asunder.

Bloodsport, Profits and Social Ethics

Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, a professing Christian made disparaging comments about homosexuals. While correct, I find these public declarations are sometimes less than helpful.

Blind Guides of the American Evangelical Apostasy

NPR's Morning Edition ran a recent story about Evangelical support for Donald Trump. Albert Mohler made a few comments in which he expressed shock and disappointment that so many Evangelicals would flock to a man like Trump who has led a life that is largely at odds with the values they hold.

The Strategy of Tension, Economic Espionage in Post-Cold War France and Why Stories Like This Matter

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/13/world/cia-confirms-blunders-during-economic-spying-on-france.html

While revisiting some of the economic changes afoot during the 1990s I was reminded of this episode with France. This took place while I was still stationed in Italy. There were many subsequent episodes after 9/11 and the 2003 Iraq Invasion.

The 1990s was a strange 'in-between' time. After 2001 the world of espionage entered a new 'Golden Age' akin to the 1950s, an age in which the restraints have been removed and its organisations and members have been allowed to drink deeply from the well of shadowy endeavours, dark deeds and murderous plots.

The Arms Industry and Empire

In Southeast Asia the role of Singapore continues to grow as a means to arm the new American formed and backed alliance meant to secure American hegemony and contain China.

ST Kinetics formerly Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) was utilised by the Reagan administration to set up arms deals with Iran.

Israeli Arms: A US Proxy in Mexico

The Zapatistas of Chiapas rose up in rebellion in 1994 as a reaction to the passing of NAFTA as well as decades of unaddressed grievance. The uprising which continues to demand reform (not secession) continues to wear on after twenty plus years of low-level conflict.

Pan-Turkism, Russia, China and Tibet

Pan-Turkism was actively promoted by US backed interests in Turkey during the Cold War but especially in the days following the collapse of the USSR.

Sacralist Clash and Curse: A Lament for Ukraine

The people of Eastern Ukraine are suffering. Christian churches have been ripped apart. Ethnic divisions that once didn't really matter have now become paramount. Families and in-laws are at odds.

The Stock Buyback Gimmick

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-buyback-idUSKCN0VJ2NC

Amazon is by no means unique in utilising this tactic. Raise money through public offering of stock, then when things slow down a bit you can buy back that stock and thus with fewer stocks available the price of each share effectively becomes worth more. You value appears to increase. Some companies like IBM will even take on debt just to buy their own stock.

Yellen Signals Economy on Shaky Ground

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-idUSKCN0VJ1F2

The Federal Reserve is trying to raise rates because they're looking for some wiggle room when the economy 'officially' slips into a recession. At that point they can try and drop the rates to get things moving again. If they keep them down near zero, then they have nowhere to go. They don't want to take the US economy into negative interest rates. It's bad enough for Japan to fall into that cycle. If the US ventures into that zone then it sends a dangerous signal to the rest of the world.

The Christian Right and Free Market Orthodoxy

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-utx-idUSMTZSAPEC2EIWOEVW

It continues to surprise me that so many who advocate the free market continue to support Trump. With Sanders on the Democratic side, he doesn't really elaborate his policies. Both populists promote big ideas but seem unable to elaborate on the details. A few people are starting to notice. But one point that Trump does make clear is his economic stance regarding outsourcing, trade deals, tariffs and the like.

Scalia's Death and Obama's Legacy

Obama will now have the opportunity to appoint a third justice to the Supreme Court. No one saw this coming and it will change the election to be sure. Prepare for some unbelievably contentious hearings. I look forward to it.

I am also eager to see how this will affect the remaining term.

A Tool for Twits

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-results-idUSKCN0VJ2K1

It will be a wonderful thing to see Twitter collapse. It has been a disaster for society, for communication and for people's attention spans. Communication is no longer effective when reduced to little blurbs. While I'm not a prig when it comes to spelling, there's no doubt Twitter has in general contributed to its decline.

TPP, the Internet and the Establishment Agenda

There's such a profound difference in the way the TPP has unfolded in the media vs. what happened when NAFTA was being put together in the early 1990s. There was a lot of resistance to NAFTA and the unions were a little stronger then and able to get the word out, but the educational campaign is paltry compared to what's happening with the TPP. The Internet has opened up a new world in dissent and challenge to the establishment narrative. Of course there's also a lot of false information out there. That's the risk isn't it?

Sacral Orthodoxy and the Gatekeepers

It continues to amaze me that SermonAudio and other gatekeeper organisations will block those that question specific formulations of Sola Fide within the Reformation narrative, they'll all but block those who insist on a level of objectivity to the Covenant in the realm of Baptism and its efficacy. They will block those who argue the Scripture teaches some form of apostasy and who dare to pull out a myriad of texts that directly challenge the doctrine of Eternal Security...

Socialist Criticisms of Sanders

The American political spectrum is by default set to the Right. In a European context Sanders would be maybe Center-Left. Hilary Clinton would definitely be Center-Right and of course the entire Republican spectrum is more or less on the Far Right. There are some variations of course. Figures like Trump and Christie advocate some positions (or at least did) that would push them a bit more toward the center.

The New York Times, the Establishment and the Electorate

I was listening to a programme called 'Pastor's Perspective' on a local Christian radio station and the roundtable unanimously condemned the New York Times as insanely liberal and living in a fantasy world. Every aspect of its reporting is to be questioned if not outright rejected.

Dying by the Sword

In Oregon a man, a father lies dead, gunned down by Federal law enforcement agents.

I do not celebrate the actions of the Federal Government or its various arms of violence.

But at the same time I do not revere the death of this man, a fool who defied the commands of Scripture and took up arms against the state.

Petroleum Prices, the IMF and Subjugation

From the standpoint of the American hegemony another advantage of low oil prices is that not only does it bring numerous petro-state enemies to the point of ruin but it also provides an opportunity to subjugate and control weak and vacillating states.

Right-Wing Market Analysis Wanting

I turned on Rush Limbaugh the other day while in the car and he was extolling the wonders of the Free Market and its effect on the price of oil. He attributes the low price at the pump to the miracle of Fracking.

Trash Talking and the 2016 Election

It's funny. I really don't care about the US presidential election but being a news junkie I can't help but watch it unfold. It's like passing a car accident. You can't help it, you have to look.

Evangelical Hypocrisy and Birth Certificates

Ted 'The Canadian' Cruz is a natural born citizen on the basis that his mother alone was an American citizen. His father was not a citizen and he wasn't born in the United States, an American territory, base etc....

The Perils of Journalism in Turkey

Turkey's Erdogan has been the subject of numerous criticisms regarding his 'clampdown' on journalism, his crushing of dissent and utilisation and abuse of Turkish law to go after newspapers and television stations.

It's all true. He's under threat and from several fronts and is working diligently to maintain control of the country's narrative.

But Erdogan is hardly unique. Turkey has a long history of crushing free speech and suppressing journalism. In fact, those who preceded Erdogan were probably much more severe in their tactics.

Shining the Light on Gulen

These aren't the types of stories that usually make it into domestic Mainstream media. These stories usually appear in more specialised media or on the international scene.
The teachers unions are fit to be tied over charter schools and Gulen's movement is literally raking in cash from these ventures. Just because they're non-profits does not mean they cannot facilitate the moving around of money and funding of other projects. The Non-Profit world of which the institutional Church is a part is all too often something of a racket and deception.

Sri Lanka: A Pawn in the Asian Theatre of the New Cold War

The recent story of Sri Lanka, its civil war and aftermath represent yet another tortured tale, a series of proxy battles resulting in devious schemes and dark betrayals.

Europe's Push to the Right

Journeyman Pictures has released a couple more short documentaries on Right-wing parties in Europe that warrant viewing.

Mobile Phones and the Embrace of Dystopia

https://theintercept.com/2015/12/17/a-secret-catalogue-of-government-gear-for-spying-on-your-cellphone/

This article provides a helpful update regarding the proliferation of military style surveillance equipment being unleashed on the public.

Nuclear India

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-nuclear-idUSKBN0U619N20151224

While other countries are treated as pariahs for refusing to comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Israel and now India are given a free pass due to their relationship with the United States.

Guns Don't Kill People- But They Certainly Make It Easier

Regardless of one's position with regard to guns and their ubiquitous presence in American culture, it simply cannot be denied that fewer guns on the street will mean the elimination of mass shootings.

Re-Establishing the US-Turkey-Israel-India Alliance

For a few years this unofficial alliance fell apart and yet recently the US has worked very hard to re-establish it. Due to a host of pressures Erdogan seems to be acquiescing to American demands. This is not to say that his position isn't precarious. And yet as long as he's willing to toe the line the Praetorians will back off... at least for the moment.

Capitalising on Terror

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/12/21/pers-d21.html

The utilisation of this source will upset some but the article is both timely and relevant. The author discusses the way in which 'terror' and fear are utilised by the powers that be in order to bring about the larger social agenda they wish to implement and as a means to support foreign policy objectives.

Imagine No Hypocrisy in Times Square

It's always striking to me when watching the Times Square revelry on New Year's Eve... we usually tune in with the kids about 10 minutes before the ball drops... as the chosen singer of the year croons 'Imagine' that the whole display is little more than an exercise in schizophrenia.

'Imagine', the hymn of a lost world trying to extract meaning from despair, represents some kind of Materialist ideal that no one in the crowd really believes, let alone the person singing it.