05 December 2019

The Spirit of Capitulation in Evangelicalism With Regard to Sunday


Evangelical leaders continue to produce theology which ratifies the cultural status quo. From divorce and psychology, to work, finances, lawsuits, politics and how we order our time, the Evangelical leadership does not disappoint in this regard. If there's a way to baptise the cultural norms, you can count on them. Motivated primarily by a fear of losing numbers, money and ultimately cultural influence they seem to spend an inordinate amount of time teaching about the culture... but in reality they endlessly explore ways to push the church to the edge of the cultural cliff and then hope that they won't fall off.

03 December 2019

Multi-Generational Nightmare Weapons


Though largely discredited in my eyes, I still glance at The Intercept from time to time. There are still some good reporters attempting to produce decent journalism and while the original goals of the outlet have clearly been subverted, the mechanisms of control are not absolute.

01 December 2019

Georgian Orthodoxy and Cold War II


Georgia's Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II has skeletons in his closet which his enemies are attempting to exploit. Formerly a leader within the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ilia is being accused of being a pro-Moscow puppet. Sadly (for him) his former WCC affiliations will (for some) give credence to that charge. It's well known the functionally apostate WCC was infiltrated by the Soviets during the Cold War.

30 November 2019

ISIS Scatters to the Four Winds... And to Central Asia


This has long been the fear, that in the aftermath of its Syrian defeat and the death of its leader, the surviving elements of ISIS would return to their home countries and bring their violent forms of Salafism with them. Al Qaeda it would seem is on the wane and the more extreme, apocalyptic and (despite its attempted caliphate) even de-centralised forms of Salafi violence represented by ISIS are growing in popularity. The same frustrations that are driving people on to the streets across much of the world are in the Islamic context driving some youth into radicalism.

28 November 2019

A Moment of Cultural Examination in Italy


The ANSA news service seems to be lamenting the fact that only 57% of Italian mothers work outside the home. If there's something to lament it's that 57% of Italian mothers work outside the home. Ideally the number would be zero.

26 November 2019

Frontline's In the Age of AI


I recently watched the PBS Frontline documentary on AI or Artificial Intelligence. I recommend it but with qualification. It was both interesting and disturbing but it was also misleading. There were some interesting discussions to be sure. From the future of jobs to some rather questionable uses in medicine to social media and surveillance, the documentary raises numerous salient questions.

24 November 2019

Logic on Fire: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones


I had been waiting with some anticipation for a few years to view the Lloyd-Jones film Logic on Fire and after viewing it I must say I was quite disappointed.

19 November 2019

Buying Czech Loyalty: Rewarding the V4


It is with veritable glee that the American and European publics mark the thirty year anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. And yet military contractors perhaps find a greater reason to rejoice in marking the nearly 29 years since the Warsaw Pact collapsed. After almost three decades it can be safely said that most former Eastern Bloc hardware is becoming obsolete.

17 November 2019

Hungary, the UK and the Politics of Huawei


Washington is not pleased that Budapest is collaborating with Beijing when it comes to its 5G infrastructure. This is part of a larger struggle with China over technology and global 'tech' infrastructure. Despite US machinations and even threats, China continues to make inroads into Europe.

11 November 2019

AFR: Blind Guides of the American Evangelical Movement


A couple of weeks ago I was driving about an hour south of where I live and picked up American Family Radio (AFR). As bad as the Family Life Network is, I must say AFR is perhaps worse, or at least more overtly political. Every time I've tuned in, its airwaves propagate Scriptural error and bad politics rooted in the network's bad theology.  

05 November 2019

Mayer's Credibility on the Line


Mayer became a familiar face to me when she appeared on Frontline's series about the Iraq War near the end of the Bush presidency. Since then she's appeared in other Frontline documentaries and I've heard her interviewed on NPR. Though I haven't personally read her pieces in The New Yorker I did read 'Dark Money', her 2017 expose which proved very informative. Overall I've found her to be a pretty solid journalist... pretty much within the Establishment consensus but intelligent and probing.

03 November 2019

Training the Satraps


Few realise just how common this sort of this is and what an important role it plays for the US empire.
Hidden behind euphemisms of partnership, friendship and alliance the reality is these nations are beholden to the United States.

Self-Affirmation Confused With the Will of God


But she's not plugged in to God's plan. This is a case of self-affirmation being confused with the will of God or God's Plan.
We may speak of God's decretive will or Providence in which His will is indeed accomplished regardless of the outcome or means. And yet we live by His Revealed Will which we can point to as a sure guide.

30 October 2019

IOR Obstruction


As mentioned in the January 2019 piece (linked below) there will be continued resistance to reforming the IOR/Vatican Bank.
The question is... just who are these five officials? I'm not referring to their names, rather what faction do they represent? Are these people resisting reform with other connections to the hierarchy? Are these people acting in the interest of outside parties? Are their suspensions a protective measure, a tactical move on the part of one faction or the other?

26 October 2019

Poland's PiS Rewarded


As Poland continues to stand with the United States, this is their reward... and yet the people of Poland should beware.
For some they will see the US establishment of a divisional headquarters as a surety, a guarantee of security against the threat of Moscow. Additionally it is all but a guarantee of further economic growth through the military apparatus. The Americans build bases and they spend lots of money and the infrastructure, logistics and maintenance will generate jobs and stimulate the local economy. Poland's defense sector will certainly benefit.

23 October 2019

Trump +1006: Developments in Northeast Syria


The timing of Trump's Syria withdrawal is interesting in light of the impeachment probe. Again I wonder if he truly blundered into this or if he isn't being set up? One can hardly pity him but the policy is even turning many Republicans against him.

22 October 2019

CNN: Not Left-wing but Establishment Safe


The fact that CNN is once again exposed as a propaganda outlet for the US Establishment should come as a surprise to no one. I suppose when the outlet first appeared in the 1980's, around-the-clock news and the level of international reporting was novel and thus we were all fascinated. That said, even the mainstream outlets had extensive international bureaus at that time and while the coverage was certainly slanted, nothing compares to what's happening today.

20 October 2019

The Syria Blacklist


This article provides a good summary for the case that Syria coverage has been manipulated and often fabricated. Given the longevity and complexity of the conflict the number of articles dealing with these questions is voluminous, even daunting for someone who hasn't been following things closely.
And thus this article plays a helpful role in providing the 'big picture' in terms of this question.

19 October 2019

Rolling Back the Pink Tide: A Scandal in Colombia, the Anti-Venezuela Media Campaign and the IMF Motivated Protests in Ecuador


Duque working in concert with American Imperialism and its regime change operation in Venezuela has been called out and exposed. The report appears in The Guardian, a publication largely in alliance with the Atlantic Establishment. And yet when it comes to Latin America their editors are clearly comfortable pursuing stories that American media are less likely to emphasise.

17 October 2019

Medicaid and Christian Ethics


This reality is already known to many and yet I am often startled by how many people do not seem to understand how the world of medical coverage functions. I suppose if you've had a long-term steady job that provided health coverage then you would have little reason to look into the realities that many people face.

16 October 2019

Washington, the PiS and EU Climate Targets


Leaving aside all the silliness surrounding the deranged Swedish teenage activist and her 'glaring' at Trump, the real story in this article pertains to French president Macron's condemnation of Poland's PiS government for inhibiting the EU's climate goals.

10 October 2019

Another HSLDA Travesty: Trump's UN Speech


The twists and turns of history. Public education is largely a result of the sacral state and in the United States its genesis was championed by dyed in the wool Protestants that wanted to bring about social conformity and cultural unity especially in the face of massive immigration.

08 October 2019

Elizabeth Warren's Wall Street Socialism


The Right continues to taut the 'Socialism' of millionaires like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. These politicians advocate a form of social democracy which actually falls within Centrist orbits in the rest of the world. They are advocates of the market and finance capital. What they're arguing for is that the state as an organising principle should pool some of society's excess profits and redistribute them to the poorest elements of society.

06 October 2019

Ritter on Smolenkov and Some Thoughts on Christian Discernment


Ritter will be remembered by some as the patriotic American ex- UN weapons inspector who refused to accept the Bush administration's line on Iraq. He exposed the administration as dishonest and challenged the WMD narrative.

04 October 2019

South Tyrol: A Chink in the EU's Armour


The region of South Tyrol doesn't normally make it into the news. An alpine wonderland, for most it's just part of northern Italy and yet its story is far more complicated. It's actually one of the dozens of potential 'trouble spots' within Europe that retain the possibility of future political turmoil and unrest. South Tyrol isn't a 'hot spot' like Kosovo or even as contentious as Transylvania, Ulster or Catalonia but it still has the potential to generate trouble. The EU was supposed to eliminate these tensions, to bring these cycles of history to an end and yet history just won't go away. And as Brussels weakens, history is rearing its head.

02 October 2019

Patriotic Idolatry in China


Of course this is done voluntarily on the part of many American Churches. These idolatrous celebrations are more or less repeated in the United States. Of course they're not mandated but represent willing offerings on the part of American Christians to the deified holy state.
Were an American president of the right political stripe to suggest and encourage such ceremonies I am confident American Christians would comply. These sorts of idolatrous displays have become almost routine since 9/11.

29 September 2019

Indian Christians Betrayed


The American Evangelical hero-president stands on stage with the persecutor of India's Christians. Modi's Hindutva regime has subjected Christians to mob violence and terror. And yet he's welcomed in the United States, the nation that purports to stand for human rights and religious freedoms.

28 September 2019

Kosovo: To the Victors Go the Spoils


This is a link to a 2012 article. It made it into the New York Times which grants it a level of significance and yet the story should have been bigger. It should have made headlines and if people really understood its significance they would be angry. The warmongers cashed in. This is how loot and pillage works in the 21st century.

26 September 2019

The West's Attempt to Win Over Trans-Caucasia


This is part of an ongoing project by the members of the Atlantic Establishment. Washington and the EU are making a joint effort to secure the region of Transcaucasia and establish it as a beachhead against Moscow.

24 September 2019

Vigano in Hiding


Archbishop Vigano is in hiding. A cleric on the run is an intriguing if familiar chapter from Roman Catholic history. The fact that a high-ranking figure has gone underground in 2019 is particularly interesting. Scandal and intrigue swirl around the Vatican. This is hardly new but the Francis papacy has stirred the pot. Old scandals live on and while Francis has upset some of the traditionalists, the Vigano accusations in many respects reveal Francis to be (at least in part) a defender of the status quo.

22 September 2019

Samantha Power: A Right-wing Democrat


The review provides some interesting insight into one such as Power. During her tenure she was viewed by the Right as a Leftist, part of a Far-Left administration. As I and others continue to insist, today's DNC is not really a Left-wing political entity. There's a Left-wing within its ranks, one that duplicitous figures like Sanders and Warren are labouring to keep within its larger sphere. And yet there are also Centrists and then there are those that could be called Democratic Right. And they're not a small faction. In fact they dominate the party.*

21 September 2019

T4G: Together For the Gold


The numbers are pretty staggering in every respect. To attend Together for the Gospel's 2020 conference in Louisville Kentucky will cost over $200 just to get in. The total costs of attendance, travel, lodging and meals mean that it's out of reach for a lot of people. I would struggle to even be able to come up with the ticket money. I can't afford their gospel. The conference gives away a pretty hefty stack of books but when you look at the thousands of attendees and start to do the math you realise these conferences bring in some serious money... millions of dollars.

19 September 2019

Tungsten, the A-10 and Vietnam


On one level this exemplifies how the military-industrial complex works. The military ends up stuck with programmes they don't want and wish to cancel. Congress argues they want to keep the A-10 because of its tactical importance. For those in the know it is the supreme tank-killer and has a stellar reputation as a tough almost indestructible killing machine. A strange plane, it's relatively slow and quiet and yet its sound is unique, its engines sound like nothing else. During my days of shame when I wore the uniform of the legions and participated in its murderous policies, I was around them on a daily basis. I knew it by sound as much as by sight.

12 September 2019

Trump Disappoints the PiS


Time and again Trump proves that he is no faithful ally. Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS) along with its V4 allies has become a near pariah state in the EU. Warsaw has thrown in with Washington and has opened up its borders to NATO expansion and now NATO staging. Under the PiS, Poland has become a frontline state in Washington's new Cold War with Moscow.

08 September 2019

Chimeras: Contra Naturam


Science is on the cusp of great change. There are social forces holding it back but given they have no ethical foundations or anchors, the flood that is coming will prove overwhelming. All it will take is for someone to poke a hole in the dyke and it will quickly collapse. This was proven true with regard to the ethics of sexuality. Science isn't any different.

06 September 2019

Cinque Stella (M5S) is Exposed as a Party That's Less Than Stellar


In a political twist, the populist anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S/Cinque Stella) has moved to form a coalition government with Italy's Democratic Party (PD).
This is particularly ironic given that the PD was an object of so much of Five Star's scorn and ire. Why have they done this? For one reason... to counter Matteo Salvini and his parliamentary maneuvers. Salvini has attempted to force elections and take over as Italian prime minister with his League Party in power... and M5S forced into opposition.

04 September 2019

02 September 2019

The Endless Battle for the Balkans


The Atlanticist project to consolidate Europe in the wake of 1989 has hit a brick wall in the Balkans. While nations like Albania, Romania and Bulgaria were quick to join the NATO/EU axis, the break-up of Yugoslavia proved more difficult.

27 August 2019

Suspicious Suicides


Was Epstein murdered or perhaps allowed to commit suicide? There's a great deal of circumstantial evidence to suggest either of these scenarios. The media has waged a very aggressive campaign to shut down any such notion and interestingly the many popular conspiracy sites seem to have taken the discussion into a rather bizarre direction suggesting that Epstein is in fact still alive. The waters are muddied and one is left wondering if some of them don't exist for that very purpose.

24 August 2019

Wal-Mart and Facial Recognition


Recently while out with family members I found myself once again in the great temple of consumption also known as Wal-Mart. As indicated in previous writings I find a particular fascination with what's happening up at the check-out area and while standing there and observing, I noticed large CCTV monitors taking in the transaction area as well as the areas in which people queue up or stand in line.

11 August 2019

American Style Evangelicalism in France


Expressing the spirit of the modern, these congregations are hip, entertaining and impressive. Putting on high budget productions and appealing to contemporary values and norms, the American Church Growth model is flourishing in Europe.

04 August 2019

Dallas (DTS) Continues its Fall into Worldliness


Founded during the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy, Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) was once a school associated with Fundamentalism, however it abandoned that course long ago. Retaining something of its Dispensational theology, the school now represents mainstream Evangelicalism and the Dominionist Theology that undergirds it.

30 July 2019

Wal-Mart and the Self-Checkout Swindle


Recently I have found myself in Wal-Mart on a couple of occasions. We quit shopping there in 2011 but every once in awhile I go in and walk around and observe.

28 July 2019

The Chemical and Radioactive Legacy of the US War Machine


It's right that the United States is pledging more aid but of course this must be understood in light of Vietnam's position vis-à-vis China. Washington has a new ally in Hanoi, one it could have had back in the days following World War II but that wasn't meant to be.

25 July 2019

Capitalism, Privacy and Medical Records


I agree with Ron Paul that a universal medical ID is a bad idea and potentially spells trouble. And yet the question of medical records has been an ongoing problem and all acknowledge the current system slows down the health care process and increases costs.

21 July 2019

The Ukraine Conflict: Orthodoxy, Militias and Arms Smuggling


All acknowledged that the recent creation of an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church would heighten tensions between Kiev and Moscow and amplify the growing rift between the Moscow Patriarchate and that of Constantinople.
These conflicts are playing out on multiple fronts. The AsiaNews link explores some of the difficulties in Ukraine as its symbols, shrines, relics and properties remain divided. Small seemingly innocuous moves can mean a lot.
Additionally, a story broke this week about a weapons cache found among some Neo-Nazis in Italy. The weapons were reported as bound for the Pro-Russian and Moscow supported separatists in Eastern Ukraine's Donbass. Much has been made of this story.

20 July 2019

Sloppy Religious Reporting From The Intercept

The Intercept has at times produced praiseworthy work but overall the news magazine continues to exhibit would I would consider a downward slide. What was once insightful and somewhat adversarial journalism has (with a few exceptions) slipped into the mainstream of the American Left and at times all but echoes the narratives of the less-than-left wing Democratic Party.

16 July 2019

The Guaido Collapse and Perceptions of American Power


Juan Guaido's attempted overthrow of the Maduro government is rapidly losing steam. His May 2019 overreach has taken the wind out of his sails and left him looking weak and vulnerable. There's little doubt that the forces in Washington that backed him and both disappointed and even angry.

14 July 2019

Terrorist Timing in Turkey and Sri Lanka


After weeks of tension the Erdogan government is going ahead and taking delivery of the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. NATO and in particular the United States don't want to see this happen.
This will begin to detach Turkey from the NATO command structure and throw up barriers in terms of its larger strategies and even battlefield tactics.

13 July 2019

VOM and Colombian Half-Truths


The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) can at times be excellent and their reports moving. They are to be commended for their understanding of suffering and persecution as not being incidental or occasional aspects of the Christian life, but rather essential components of our calling.
There are times when I listen to their podcast, watch videos or read their materials and I want to empty my bank account in order to help them.
And then there are the other times when their predilection for Charismatic theology comes to the fore and I reconsider. It's really a continuation of my first encounter with Richard Wurmbrand's work Tortured for Christ which I first read in the 1990's. On the one hand it was deeply moving but on the other hand the theology was such a disastrous mess it was hard to know what to think.

11 July 2019

Confronting War Mythology


Reading this also reminded me of Keith Lowe's Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II. It can be safely said that war foments and breeds evil. It is a case of Providential restraint being withdrawn and depravity is put on display, even unleashed.

09 July 2019

Haftar and Libyan Ports

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-economy-port-idUSKCN1U02CH

This development represents further US subversion of the UN recognised regime in Tripoli.
In addition to further support for Khalifa Haftar... who interestingly has threatened Turkish interests... the move ensures that China won't be able to move in and connect Libya to its larger OBOR project.

08 July 2019

Christian Media Schizophrenia on Display


On the one hand LifeSite, an Evangelical-style Catholic news outlet has done us a service in revealing the repugnant horrors of homosexual recruitment at work in connection with libraries and other public institutions. It truly was disturbing to read just how debauched and depraved these people are and how blatantly they are attempting to recruit the young into their evil sphere.