Hoekstra: An ambassador for the Empire, not the Kingdom

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/11/trumps-new-ambassador-ignored-questions-from-dutch-reporters-now-u-s-reporters-want-answers/?utm_term=.8837ced839ad

Former Congressman turned Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has been quite popular among the Christian Right. His name is often cited and since he long represented Dutch Reformed country in Michigan, his name was and is pretty well known.

The Establishment's Pro-Robotics Propaganda and its Manipulation of the Political Spectrum

http://www.politico.eu/article/germany-should-welcome-robot-overlords-global-policy-lab/

We are told in this article to welcome the robot revolution and to not be concerned with either the technological implications... which are not really addressed... or the social impact.

In fact robots replacing workers are viewed as a solution to workplace problems and by implication it could even help with the social tensions regarding immigrants!

What we really have here is a Right-wing piece that's meant to promote the interests of the capitalist class.

New Data on Angleton and Cold War Counter-Intelligence

https://theintercept.com/2018/01/01/the-complex-legacy-of-cia-counterintelligence-chief-james-angleton/

I don't have much to add to this article but I did want to post the link. Angleton's name is well known to those familiar with the unrestrained years of the CIA, the period extending from its founding in 1947 to the congressional investigations of the mid-1970's. Prompted by Watergate and the growing unease surrounding rumours of dark deeds and assassinations, many hoped the investigations would turn a new leaf and begin a new era of legality and transparency. The recent death of J Edgar Hoover in 1972 also prompted such hopes from those within and critical of the FBI.

21st Century Editions: A Warning

https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2018/bowlderizing-john-stott/

This book review warrants a reading because it reveals a growing trend... revisionist republications.

Regardless of one's opinion of Stott or the book, the reviewer does a great job exposing what these publishers (and editors) are up to. It's dishonest and potentially harmful to both the legacy of the author and the larger body of ideas they represent.

Microsoft, Ireland and the EU

https://iapp.org/news/a/european-commission-weighs-in-on-microsoft-ireland-case/

Europe is socialist. Socialism means the government regulates and controls everything.

That's what I was taught growing up. These messages came not only from the public education system but from within my own Right-wing home.

Of course I later came to question this and understand that it's not that simple. Socialism can mean regulation and control and certainly does when it comes to certain aspects of business and society.

Italian Masonry and the Mafia

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2017/12/22/mafia-ndrangheta-interest-in-masonry-parliament-report-4_134c11b6-c763-40fc-b5c4-75e7a285eff5.html

Freemasonry carries a mystique in the United States but most people discount any notion of conspiratorial activity. Few are able to understand the role it played in the Revolution and the formation of American society.

Italian society on the other hand has direct historical proof of Masonic conspiracy, and not just in the 19^th century but in modern times. No one doubts its nature.

MI5, Ulster Loyalist Paramilitaries and an Assassination Plot

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/29/mi5-asked-loyalist-paramilitary-group-assassinate-irish-prime/

This article raises more questions than it is able to answer. It suggests there were elements within the British Establishment that were less than happy with Thatcher's overtures vis-à-vis the Irish Republic.

History Rears its Head: The Revival of German Militarism

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/waning-us-germany-must-learn-to-take-responsibility-a-1186075.html

There is nothing remarkable about this article. It is but part of a growing chorus calling for German militarism and rearmament. Aside from that ominous call, it tries to dress up the arguments with diplomatic lingo and pretentious ethics. It's a call for Germany to rise up and become once again... the master of Europe.

These are strange words to hear post-1945 but history has come full circle or to put it another way, it has reared its head.

Moody Bible Institute and the Evangelical Struggle

https://www.christianpost.com/news/moody-bible-institute-facing-controversy-over-faculty-cuts-low-student-enrollment-212756/

Moody is a big name in Evangelical circles. It has a long and influential legacy. So what happened? Why is the school in trouble?

Can Western Evangelicals Condemn the Kremlin's Ban on The Watchtower Society?

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/2562/Other_Russian_confessions_react_to_prohibition_of_Jehovah_Witnesses_

There's a sad irony here. Russian Evangelicals are right to condemn and reject the state's ban on The Watchtower Society. While the Watchtower represents a rejection of the Biblical Gospel it nevertheless should be allowed to exist and its followers should be permitted to pursue their own path.

Western Evangelical condemnations of the ban, instigated by the Anti-Western Kremlin and the anti-Evangelical campaign flowing from the Orthodox Patriarchate, are often more rooted in pragmatics and politics.

Libyan Betrayals

Some will find it shocking that in order to make peace with Gaddafi in the wake of 9/11, the British (and Americans) were willing to help him in his dirty work and eliminate his enemies.

I don't find it shocking at all but I reckon the episode (as reported in this Guardian piece) instructive in this regard. When Gaddafi was an enemy, especially during the 1980's, Britain gave refuge to his political enemies. Washington did the same as some of the figures opposing Gaddafi were directly supported by the CIA.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/09/how-britain-did-gaddafis-dirty-work-libya

The Politicisation of Christianity in Pakistan

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/01/places-pakistan-religious-freedom-watch-list-180105081235232.html

Christians in the Subcontinent are suffering. Of that there can be no doubt, and yet this move by the Trump administration is unfortunate. It once again puts them in the middle and gives Islamabad every reason to look the other way when jihadists attack Christian gatherings.

Brazil is Heating Up

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/nov/30/exhibition-nudity-brazil-culture-wars-sao-paulo-mam-masp-modern-art

This article makes for a disturbing read and while I don't wish to dwell on the particulars I simply wanted to post something about the changes taking place in Brazil. The Evangelicals are on the rise and it would seem Brazil is headed toward a culture war.

The First Shot: Brussels vs. ÖVP Austria

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/900958/Juncker-Mina-Andreeva-EU-Austria-child-benefits-Visegrad

The ÖVP has introduced its first attempt at nationalist legislation. They're not the first to do so, but others have backed down. The Austrian Right is trying to keep Austrian money within Austria which of course undermines the larger EU project and the authority of Brussels.

Plan Honduras

As I'm just finishing a book on the School of the Americas I stumbled across this Intercept article on Honduras. Since the US backed coup in 2009, the entirety of Latin America has been experiencing an episode of 'Rollback'. Right-wing governments are coming into power and as this Honduras episode demonstrates, it would seem the old playbook has been dusted off and reactivated.

https://theintercept.com/2017/12/03/the-president-of-honduras-is-deploying-u-s-trained-forces-against-election-protesters/

Trump +346: UN Funding, the American Empire and the Rise of Multipolarity

The Trump administration recently declared it would further cut US payments to the United Nations. This is particularly damaging to the international body as the US pays a significant portion of its budget. American conservatives have long argued that the UN works against American interests and thus they are particularly bitter about the fact that US tax money helps to fund the organisation.

Evangelicalism Divided and Destitute

A follow-up to Influential Evangelicals: The Enemies List

updated 6 January 2018

Labeling leading Evangelicals as enemies seems a bit extreme to some, even if they will grant that most of the names on the Newsmax list are problematic.

And yet as I've mentioned on numerous occasions, Iain Murray all but did the same back in 2000. And yet he did it in such a way that few seemed to grasp the full import of what he was saying.

The Nepal Elections and OBOR

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/year-elections-nepal-moves-closer-china-171217065957502.html

For nations like Nepal, caught between the larger powers, the side to choose is becoming obvious. A move toward India would mean inviting in the financiers and New Delhi's war footing-policy based on the new alliance with Washington. Kathmandu doesn't want to be caught in the middle of India's conflict with Beijing.

Eco-Technology and the Resource Wars: Congo and Afghanistan

Below is a link to a brief video clip from Al Jazeera's business programme 'Counting the Cost'. There have actually been a lot of stories and reports about Cobalt, Lithium and the costs of supporting the new tech economy but I wonder how many people know or care?

I don't believe it's something that gets a lot of attention in the mainstream press.

But what to do? I don't know, but it just adds another layer to the moral component of technology... the aspects and questions of the debate that few seem to wrestle with. Not only are there ethical implications for how we use technology but we should also consider the sources and the larger question of human cost.

Influential Evangelicals: The Enemies List

https://www.newsmax.com/BestLists/evangelicals-influential-america-list/2017/11/15/id/826258/

Most in Confessional circles will be less than pleased by the majority of the names placed on this list. Many are outright heretics and others, despite their abundant popularity are a source of frustration with regard to the testimony and goals of both the Evangelical and Confessional Protestant Churches.  

Netanyahu the Tour Guide

https://ijr.com/the-declaration/2017/12/1039797-netanyahu-special-gift-christians-travel-israel-christmas-next-year/

Netanyahu is practically gushing. The fact that he can say these things with a straight face indicates what sort of person he is.

Christians thrive in Israel?

Michael of Romania (1921-2017)

I meant to post this a couple of weeks ago. I apologise for the seeming lack of productivity. I have barely had time to sit down lately. Sometimes days go by and I don't even turn my computer on. When I do I often just keep labouring on whatever project I have going, take a look at the news and avoid everything else. I know I have emails to get to and I will try to do so.

Dominionism on the March in Spain

http://evangelicalfocus.com/culture/3080/Modern_photography_to_show_the_Reformation_influence_today

I'm not sure why, but it continues to amaze me. A re-worked form of Dominionism is rapidly extending to Evangelical communities in Europe. The Lausanne Movement has really done its work.

Modern Dominionist teaching insists that Medieval Catholicism split the sacred and the secular. They will point to the fact that to be 'holy' one had to become a cleric or live in a monastery.

Humanitarian Politics and Myanmar

Beware the so-called humanitarians arguing for war.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/10/why-nato-must-defend-womens-rights

Humanitarian politics has become a basis for war in the post Cold War era. This was a growing theme during the 1990's as the US intervened in places like Somalia and NATO began to rapidly expand in Europe. Even the disastrous genocide in Rwanda was spun as a call to arms for future interventions.

The (Tel-Aviv – Riyadh – Washington) Triple Alliance and the Dangerous Game

http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/middleeast/2017/11/saudi-arabia-game-thobes-171105162806956.html

This is another story which seems to change by the day and the hour. This link while interesting is already outdated. Hariri is back in Lebanon and has rescinded his resignation and Saleh who broke with the Houthi's is now dead.

Update on La Guerra Sucia or Argentina's Dirty War

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42175752

The mid-1970s were by many reckonings a dark time. For the United States it was the Post-Vietnam/Post-Watergate era of economic depression and cultural decline. The Cold War wasn't going well and America's future was uncertain.

False Narratives Regarding the War in Yemen

The War in Yemen has taken some radical turns in recent days. The death of Saleh represents a possible watershed in the larger war. The war is but a facet within a larger geopolitical puzzle which encompasses not only the Middle East but the entirety of the globe.

The Cold War was simple by comparison.

Controversies Surrounding Bergoglio (Francis)

For those interested in following the struggles and intrigues of the Vatican this article from The Guardian warrants a look.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/oct/27/the-war-against-pope-francis

It helps to explain some of the recent battles, actions and rhetoric taking place between the Papacy and groups like the Knights of Malta. These events have received what could be described as somewhat muddled coverage.

Bosnian War Crimes and the ICC

This is a follow-up to the article on Mladic and the ICC:

http://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2017/11/mladic-and-icc-hypocrisy.html

Mladic and ICC Hypocrisy

Mladic is undoubtedly a criminal. Personally I think all combat commanders are, but even by the twisted standards of 'legal' or 'just' war, the Serbian general was guilty of wanton slaughter.

Indonesia: A Forgotten Genocide by Proxy

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41651047

This is another ghost from the past, another story that has for the most part been flushed down the memory hole. The BBC retains some value in that it will at least provide some coverage to stories like this but for real investigative journalism one must turn elsewhere. As is so often the case, their coverage allows them to retain journalistic credibility... but then functions as a 'move-along, nothing to see here' piece.

Neo-McCarthyism, the First Amendment and the Compromise of the Humanitarian/NGO Complex

https://consortiumnews.com/2017/10/26/russia-gate-breeds-establishment-mccarthyism/

I offer this link as an excellent summary of what has aptly been described as Neo-McCarthyism. The current climate is a strange one and while the Establishment media has always played fast and loose with the truth there are seasons in which the lies seem to be pervasive, dominant, oppressive and overbearing.

The Challenge to Christianity in China

I'm not a fan of World Magazine. It's been a Dominionist publication from the beginning. That said, like all news media it is not without some value, sometimes for reasons the editors and publishers don't intend.

Assange's Game and The Atlantic's Fraud

Of course the previously linked Washington Post story regarding the Brazile revelations keeps changing, as indeed they will continue to 'update' the story. Such updates can themselves be a subject of study.

I wrote the Brazile post on 6 Nov and it's been sitting in my folder for almost two weeks. Already the story has faded and the current buzz is over Donald Trump Jr. and his contacts with Wikileaks.

Brazile's Challenge to the Clinton Narrative

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/brazile-i-considered-replacing-clinton-with-biden-as-2016-democratic-nominee/2017/11/04/f0b75418-bf4c-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_no-name%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar&tid=a_breakingnews&utm_term=.8721ceb243b7

Bernie Sanders is either corrupt, stupid or some kind of megalomaniac. Of course these categories are not mutually exclusive and he may be all of these things. The 2016 election was a farce on so many fronts and while the Trump people are dirty and corrupt and clearly sought (and seek) to profit on every relationship and diplomatic exchange, the Clintons and the people heading the DNC have demonstrated they are cut from the same cloth.

Reflections on a Russian Conference Report

https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2017/russian-conference-st-petersburg/

In some ways this was a rather disappointing read.

I can only say that I've experienced a great deal of disappointment in the writings and opinions of Roberts. I think he has a poor grasp of the issues he addresses as well as the tradition he purports to represent. And while he and others seek to protect the Russian Reformed community from errors they are in fact doing damage themselves. They misrepresent Historical Theology, the nature of doctrine and the teaching of Scripture.

Suspicions Everywhere: Radiation Clouds and Fire at the SVR

While at this point there's no evidence of arson, the fire at the headquarters of one of Russia's top intelligence agencies (the SVR) is suspicious. Yes, there was remodeling work being done which may explain its origin but it must also be admitted that construction and renovation provide one of the easiest and most convenient scenarios for sabotage. This is especially true when subcontractors are used.

Niebuhrian Transformation: Anabaptists in the Wake of WWII

http://www.christianpost.com/news/nm-mennonite-church-becomes-first-in-denomination-to-appoint-openly-lesbian-head-pastor-200073/

What can we say about modern Mennonites? They have lost their way. Despite what differences I might have with them I could say that Anabaptist theology used to focus on Bible.

The India-Israel Alliance

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

This episode of Inside Story is noteworthy in that the relationship between Israel and India is beginning to become more overt. A longstanding reality it is based on mutual interests.

Remembering The Sand Pebbles

This article caught my eye because it referenced The Sand Pebbles and I immediately thought of the old Steve McQueen movie. I remember watching it many years ago and being baffled... why were American troops in China during the 1920's? It got me to digging.

A Kosovar Ploy

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/2977/Kosovo_President_Hashim_Thaci_supports_weeklong_Reformation_events_

This story is actually somewhat amusing. Thaci, long a US asset is now president of a nation created by and wholly dependent on Washington's support. Thaci fears a fall from power because he has a lot of enemies and potentially faces charges for the war crimes he was involved in.

NATO on the Korean Peninsula

http://www.dw.com/en/nato-chief-calls-on-un-to-uphold-north-korea-sanctions/a-41193631

http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/policies/view?articleId=150871

This story is something of a stunner and it has received almost no coverage in the West, certainly not in the American mainstream news.

NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has been touring Japan and South Korea and even visited the contentious DMZ. What is the head of NATO doing in Northeast Asia on the Pacific Rim? The timing is also noteworthy as he's passing through just days before Donald Trump's visit to the region.

Berlusconi and Leaden Ghosts

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2017/10/31/berlusconi-probed-over-1993-mafia-bombings-2_63e3be34-0241-4732-946f-f91286cfed3b.html

Obviously this story is still up in the air and there are a lot of unanswered questions. The Wikipedia article on the Via dei Georgofili bombing is quite unsatisfactory and presents the issue as concluded, when it's clear that not even the authorities actually believe that to be the case.

The Intercept, the Israeli Lobby and Selective Ethics

https://theintercept.com/2017/10/13/kansas-israel-boycott-bds-mennonite-church/

The story is merited in that it attests to the tremendous power wielded by the Israel lobby which continues to shape and affect legislation. The growing movement challenging Israel has been a cause for concern for the leaders of the Zionist state.

The Mueller Indictments

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/28/yet-another-major-russia-story-falls-apart-is-skepticism-permissible-yet/

What a soap opera. This story is hard to write about because it constantly changes. But despite the clamour in the media, it's pretty safe to say that virtually every angle of the Russia Conspiracy has all but collapsed.

And then today, three indictments were handed down. But what does it mean?

Fiendish Facebook

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/19/facebooks-war-on-free-will

This article/extract should be read by all. Franklin Foer does well in explaining the transformational nature of power in our new social dynamic and how people [sic] like Zuckerberg are able to wield it.

The Trump Transformation of Evangelicalism

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/13/trump-religious-conservative-values-voters-summit

Trump just plays these people like a fiddle. Drunk on power and the prospect of it they are incapable of understanding how hypocritical they look, how foolish they are, indeed how heretical is their understanding of the Kingdom and its ethics.

While heresy and apostasy were already rampant in the American Church it has (if possible) gotten worse over the past year and a half. The Trump effect was of course already bringing about its rotten harvest during the 2016 campaign.

Iraqi Kurds Betrayed Again: A Quick Summary

The Kurds of Iraq were backed by the US through the Shah of Iran during the 1970s. This was when Tehran was a close US ally and Saddam Hussein had been pushed into the arms of the Soviets and thus had become Washington's enemy.

The Sin of Transgenderism

http://www.christianpost.com/news/justin-welby-to-worried-christian-couple-transgender-children-at-school-not-a-problem-200168/

I watched some of the video clips of the parents on the news in the UK. I was struck by their confusion and inability to articulate their concerns. They appeared petty, arbitrary and unprincipled. Perhaps they're timid? I don't know. Perhaps they fear the ferocious backlash were they to speak out in a more direct fashion.

If they were trying to take an easy road, they have certainly learned by now that it didn't work.

Syria and the Media Dilemma

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/russian-lieutenant-general-valery-asapov-death-conspiracy-theories-killed-syria-isis-truth-a7984391.html

This Fisk article raises several points of interest.

Apart from the very suspicious evidence that someone is collaborating with ISIS... which could just as easily be the Israelis as it is the Americans, it also presents a view of the Syrian War absolutely unknown in Western media.

The Smartphone Generation

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

Some of you will have already read this article from The Atlantic. Written by an unbeliever and full of worldly and thus flawed wisdom it is nevertheless worthwhile.

Murder and the Panama Papers

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/16/malta-car-bomb-kills-panama-papers-journalist

We've had countless incidents like this in the United States. Investigators and journalists have been killed under the most suspicious of circumstances and they're deemed accidents.

Of course a car bomb cannot be written off and yet once again in the US I would not be surprised if it were chalked up as a leaking fuel line or something to that effect. There have been some pretty outrageous rulings that beggar belief.

Turkey and Questions of Kurdish Independence

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41237812

Turkey continues to move away from NATO in both symbolic and concrete terms. Erdogan continues to dismantle Kemalism, the legacy of the country's founder Mustapha Kemal Ataturk. Turkey was formed in the wake of the Ottoman Empire and it was created on the basis of a secular pro-Western ideology which has dominated the country since its founding almost a century ago. The turn away from this foundation has all but destroyed the basis for Turkey's relationship with Europe and the United States. While Erdogan's dreams of Neo-Ottomanism have been wounded and waylaid they have not been abandoned. Erdogan hopes to bring Turkey into a position of power by means of its geography, cultural influence and its ability to project power within its unique and varied sphere.

Catalonia, Kosovo and Crimea: Separatism, Hypocrisy and the Tenuous Status of the Nation State

https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2017&mm=10&dd=02&nav_id=102456

Aleksandar Vučić is of course absolutely right. There is a double standard and we also see it at work with regard to Crimea. It is simply unthinkable to the Western Establishment that the people of Crimea would voluntarily and democratically seek to ratify the Russian annexation. Of course the history of Crimea has been all but ignored by Western media. I'm referring to its Imperial history, its Soviet history and even the attitudes and political maneuvers taking place in the 1990s.

Inbox: What about Carroll Quigley's Tragedy and Hope?

I'm somewhat familiar with Quigley. I don't actually own the book but a local library has a copy and I've checked it out before. It's massive and I'll confess I didn't read it all. I pretty much focused on the conspiratorial Round Table sections everyone talks about. And mind you, it's been a good fifteen years or more since I looked at it.

Years of Lead, Years on the Run

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2017/10/06/brazil-plan-to-send-battisti-back-to-italy-media-4_43cdeea4-4526-46df-8b9e-896bb0d82051.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/italian-fugitive-freed-brazil-border-detention-163940290.html

Battisti is one of those enigmatic figures from the Years of Lead. This period (mainly the 1970s and 1980s) so-named by the Italians due to the constant threat of terrorism and the many deaths and injuries that resulted from attacks, is still shrouded in unanswered questions.

Many crimes haven't been solved. Many officials and reporters insist that suspects are being protected and many of the investigatory trails lead back to intelligence services. Left-wing organisations like the Red Brigades were heavily infiltrated by Right-wing fascists. While Italy wasn't the only place this was happening, in many ways its legacy continues to be the most complex and mysterious. The ties extend not only to the Mafia and the Vatican but to South America and even some former Nazis.

Placing the American Empire in its Present Context

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/24/decline-american-empire-donald-trump/

I found this article too generous in its assessment of the American Empire and the 'good' it does around the world.

I will grant that the Empire does bring a degree of stability and stability can be a good thing. And yet at what cost? And is stability an end? Are a host of grave sins permissible for the sake of stability? Is this not yet another case of the ends justifying the means?

Many of course would say in the realm of international politics that's about as good as you can hope to get.

While that adage may be true in terms of worldly wisdom, we as Christians should be able to come up with something better.

The Empire in East Africa

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/13/nsa-ethiopia-surveillance-human-rights/

The Intercept ran this story on Ethiopia and its relationship with the NSA. While it fails to expand on the wider context of the US-Ethiopian relationship it nevertheless provides some useful information in understanding the nature of the US footprint with the Horn of Africa. There is a great game afoot as the US seeks to control the region and do what it can to check Chinese economic influence.

Proxy-Conflicts in Kazakhstan

https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/09/2017/Kazakh-ex-spy-chief-jailed-for-divulging-state-secrets

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/229307-Kazakhstans-ex-spy-chief-jailed

Nazarbayev is a dictator and one supported by the United States. He brought his geographically expansive nation into the Western bloc during the 1990's. This move marked a major defeat for Russian interests and any dreams of Soviet irredentism.

Peering into the Labyrinth: Frontline's Guns, Drugs and the CIA (1988)

I recently found this little gem, an old Frontline documentary from an era on PBS that's hard to imagine in our day. There's no way they would produce or condone a film like this anymore.