The Chinese Underground in the Spotlight

https://world.wng.org/2018/05/arrested_in_chengdu

The Chinese state knows about the underground church. They know where many of them meet and who attends them. They do not want to simply arrest everyone. The logistics are too difficult. What Beijing really wants is for everyone to formally register and become normalised. At that point, the state can apply the bureaucracy in an efficient and patient manner. The underground knows this and that is in part why they will not capitulate.

Total Information Awareness (TIA) and DNA Data Collection

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/health/dna-privacy-golden-state-killer-genealogy.html

This new use of DNA is being marketed to the public. It's part of the anti-privacy normalisation campaign. Led by swindlers like Mark Zuckerberg we're told that authenticity demands transparency. These are the values of the new generation.

Memorial Day: A Lamentation

I'm reposting this link to a 2016 piece on Memorial Day and for Christians, the implications of the Sunday prior.

https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2016/05/memorial-day-lamentation.html

The Phony Debate Over Haspel and CIA Torture

The media has once again played a false card. This time it's in reference to their coverage of the Gina Haspel nomination. Now director of the CIA, Haspel was and is a controversial figure due to her sadistic reputation and participation in the Bush administration's post-9/11 torture schemes. 

Confusion in Reporting on Christianity in China

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/05/asia/china-bible-online-christianity-intl/index.html

This CNN story includes a short video which juxtaposes the official state sanctioned Catholic Church (CPCA) with the underground movement. The same state of affairs exists within Protestantism with its Three-Self Patriotic Churches (TSP) and its underground.

Turkey and NATO/ Brunson and Gülen

Is Erdogan some kind of monster? Is he an irrational dictator?

He's hardly some kind of godly leader but the media portrait is disingenuous and frankly misrepresents who he is and certainly why he's doing what he's doing.

Indonesia: Caught in the Great Game

The article interestingly mentioned the Soviet relationship with the Sukarno government but neglects to mention the US role in his overthrow, the anti-communist genocide and the thirty-plus year military dictatorship of Suharto.... a rule wholly supported and in no small part sustained by Washington.

The Guardian and the Dalits of Nepal

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/aug/15/they-use-money-to-promote-christianity-nepal-battle-for-souls

In the Hindu sphere it is almost natural that the Dalits or Untouchables would be the most likely group to embrace Christianity with its message of universal salvation and its largely egalitarian ecclesiastical construct. I use the term egalitarian with hesitation because it is used by others in different ways and I don't want to be misunderstood. Biblical Egalitarianism does not mean the elimination of male and female roles both in the family and in the Church but it certainly does mean an elimination of class distinctions, something at the core of many Asian societies.

Inbox: Has the Christian Right Properly Represented the Alfie Evans Case?

This is one of those questions in which I cannot win. There's no way to answer something like this... honestly... and not upset folks. But I will attempt to do so.

Indeed Right wing and Christian circles are in a bit of a tizzy at the moment concerning the issue of the now dead toddler Alfie Evans. A tragic story to be sure it reminds me of so many of these types of cases in which I find myself largely dissatisfied with the positions of all parties involved.

An Anti-Russia Campaign in Latin America and its Implications

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2018/03/12/Colombia-legislative-elections-bring-irregularities-election-fraud/3271520855864/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=5

After reading this story in March, I've been watching the coverage and waiting, and at last it's beginning to appear.

V4: The Visegrad Group and its Place in Central European Geopolitics

https://www.euractiv.com/section/central-europe/news/china-hosts-visegrad-group-calls-them-dynamic-force-in-eu/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42868599

Have you ever heard of the Visegrad Group or as it sometimes called the V4?

It's not a new concept but the framework is starting to get a little more attention in the international media. Knowing about it will prove helpful to those trying to understand the dynamic at work between these nations of Central Europe and power centres like Brussels, Washington and Moscow.

Viktor Orban's recent victory in the Hungarian presidential election and further focus on Poland will necessarily drive commentators and analysts to address why some of these former Warsaw Pact members are charting a course that is increasingly hostile to Brussels.

One way of understanding the posture of both Poland and Hungary is to view them through the lens of Visegrad, a group formed in 1991 with Czechoslovakia. It's named after Visegrad Castle where a famous congress took place in 1335 in which the monarchs of Poland, Hungary and Bohemia formed an anti-Habsburg alliance.

Remembering Jeju and a Forgotten Chapter of South Korean History

http://www.atimes.com/article/jeju-koreas-island-ghosts-dead-finally-find-voice/

Jeju Island and the massacres that took place in 1948-9 are a largely forgotten precursor to the Korean War which broke out the following year. Forgotten not only in the West even many in South Korea know little about these events. They were suppressed by the government for decades.

Toxic Scandals and Timing

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/russias-toxic-water-techa-rivers-history-contamination-180401113605955.html

It is certainly valid to call attention to these scandals. They are not merely issues of concern for 'environmentalists'. This touches on the health of the population and should concern us all.

To this day the bulk of the population has no idea about what happened during the first thirty years after Hiroshima. The rise of the nuclear industry and the proliferation of weapons unleashed radioactive pollution across the globe. Nothing would or will ever be the same. The chemistry of the Earth has been forever changed. The only places exempt from radioactive contact are sealed containers. The Cesium 137 test is now used to determine if antique wines have been faked. Forgers can do an excellent job replicating old wines but they can't fake the Cesium. The forged wine will have it, meaning it was bottled after 1945. If you think through the implications of this, it's a little startling.

The Totalitarian Enabler: Your Mobile Phone

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/06/phone-camera-microphone-spying

On one level it's just these avaricious companies that are after your data but of course if they can do it so can hackers.

Additionally we learned via Edward Snowden that the NSA is also attempting appropriate this data and in many cases has direct and unhindered access to it. I was pleased to note this article at least mentioned it. Many other media outlets no longer bother. It's yesterday's news.

Proxy Wars and Imperial Footprints in West Africa

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/africa/ghana-us-military-deal-protests.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ghana-protest/ghanaians-protest-over-expanded-military-co-operation-deal-with-u-s-idUSKBN1H41ZS

ISIS and Al Qaeda are active in West Africa and the semi-arid Sahel zone which extends from Mauritania to Sudan and Eritrea. No one disputes this but at the same time many Africans have woken up to the fact that both France and the United States are using this reality as pretense to expand their footprints and to carve out spheres of influence and control.

In addition, the posturing of the Trump administration and of course Trump himself has sent a clear signal that the welfare of Africans is not really Washington's concern. I would argue it never has been but in Trump, Western indifference and even contempt is expressed in its most base and even brutal form.

Navigating the Media Storm: Skripal, Trump and Syria

Sometimes it's hard not to be cynical.

The Taliban Enigma: Afghanistan and Central Asia in 2018 (Part 2)

It doesn't require a great deal of reflection to understand that an ISIS presence in Afghanistan would allow Washington to effectively 're-boot' the war effort, recast it and use the subsequent war and 'victory' for leverage.

At the end of the day, most of the regional players want ISIS defeated, the Taliban pacified and the US out of the region before a new Central Asian War is fomented. The US strategy has largely failed. Too many years have gone by and the situation on the ground has changed. There are more players and different stakes.

The Taliban Enigma: Afghanistan and Central Asia in 2018

http://www.dw.com/en/why-central-asian-states-want-peace-with-the-taliban/a-43150911

Though the situation has changed since the 2001 US invasion, Afghanistan is still the key to opening up Central Asia. The Taliban have survived nearly seventeen years of US occupation. What's next? In reality ending the war is more complicated than ever. Now apart from Washington and its proxy government in Kabul there are multiple players in this long, sad and deadly game.

Interpreting Bureaucratic Theatre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKVJ8NpBYIY

This video is somewhat amusing. It's a case of grandstanding versus ignorance, a display of hubris in conflict. One party, Warren is a rising star seeking accolade and higher office. The other, Carson is contemptuous, arrogant but foolish, either too vain to admit he's out of his league or to ignorant to realise it.

Sherrod Brown of Ohio also beats up on Carson near the end of the clip. He too is a rising star in the party. Both he and Warren are considered potential presidential candidates. That plays a big part in what you're seeing here. These are the figures that will bring the Far Left and dissident Sanders supporters back into the mainstream DNC. They are trying to score points and count coup on Carson who is reviled by the American Left and viewed as a traitor and an Uncle Tom.

Prouty at 100 and The Secret Team

http://progressivepilgrim.review/steal-this-book/

I enjoyed reading this and I had to chuckle about his comment regarding Prouty's 'The Secret Team'. It is almost unbearable in its detail. Tedious only begins to describe what it's like to wade through it as I did many years ago. It still sits on my shelf and I will upon occasion get it out while searching for something.

An Army for Kosovo

https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/belgrade-and-washington-have-differing-views-on-kosovo-army/

Of course Washington and Belgrade have different views on whether or not Kosovo should have its own army. Serbia is but one of many nations that have refused to recognise the 2008 Washington created Pristina regime. Though the Western public has moved on, not everyone accepts the results of NATO's wars against the Serbs.

Arthur Pink at 132

Here's an intro from 2015 that links to a piece on Arthur Pink I wrote in 2011. He was born on 1 April 1886 and I continue to believe that despite his faults his writings are beneficial and much can be learned from his life's struggles and context. He made his share of mistakes but he lived in tumultuous times... the stage was being set for the catastrophe of post-war Evangelicalism. Pink saw it coming but to be honest he could not have imagined what would happen.

http://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2015/04/lessons-from-life-of-aw-pink.html

Here's the 2011 post over at Proto-Protestantism:

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2011/04/arthur-pink.html

Palantir and Cambridge Analytica

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/28/palantir-employee-cambridge-analytica

Why anyone would believe anything said by the people associated with Palantir is beyond me. This nefarious company (headed by billionaire apostate turned sodomite Peter Thiel) is essentially on record as having no regard for the law, Constitutional, Parliamentary, Common or otherwise. A roguish organisation connected to the Deep State, Palantir represents a means of manipulation and control through intelligence gathering and algorithmic prediction.

French Arms, Riyadh and the Yemen War

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/france-faces-legal-risks-saudi-arabia-uae-arms-sales-180320160840888.html

France is behaving irresponsibly and helping to foment war.

Of course the same could be said for the British and Americans who have also engaged in rather lucrative arms sales agreements with Riyadh.

Denouncers of the Propaganda

A couple of years ago when two RT reporters quit the network and denounced it as biased, it immediately was picked up by the Western press and broadcast with great zeal and regularity.

Within the past couple of days a FOX news commentator and former military officer stepped aside and denounced the network as being little more than propaganda. In his case, he was hardly some kind of centrist. If anything he's a right-wing figure that has made some pretty outrageous statements in the past. Nevertheless even his tendentious eye and predilection for bellicose rhetoric reached its limits. It's quite a commentary on FOX and what it stands for that he of all people would reach his limit. They are of course downplaying the incident.

Congo's Eastern Provinces

Congo is moving toward another open conflict and like the previous episodes it will likely involve the surrounding nations. The instability in the Eastern provinces of Ituri, North and South Kivu and Tanganyika (formerly part of Katanga) is escalating and not a few commentators are using terms like 'ticking time bomb'.

Fifty Years After the Tet Offensive

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/05/590803578/a-u-s-aircraft-carrier-is-docking-in-vietnam-for-the-first-time-since-the-war

Fifty years after the 1968 Tet Offensive, a remarkable event has taken place. An American aircraft carrier has docked in Vietnam. Even forty-three years after the fall of the US sponsored regime in Saigon, it seems strange that the US and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have not only buried the hatchet but are now allies.

Convenient Assassinations and Chemical Attacks

The jury is still out on this latest case of Russian intrigue in the UK. Whitehall is accusing Russia of using nerve agent to assassinate a GRU defector whose value has to be questioned. Why would Moscow assassinate him now? 

Boris Johnson insists that the evidence points to Russian manufacture and thus the dark deed was either done under Putin's orders or Moscow must account for why some of their product has gone missing.

Indian Biometrics and the Privatisation of Government Data Collection

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-india-economy-biometric/india-probes-report-on-breach-of-national-identity-database-idUKKBN1ET1KM

New Delhi insists biometric data is fully safe and secure. Why should the people trust this is the case? If hackers were able to break into the UID system with such ease or an insider was able to sell the data undetected, either way it has been made clear the government has no real operational system control let alone security.

A Jesuit Commentary on the Chinese Investiture Controversy

https://religionnews.com/2018/02/20/the-vatican-and-china-making-the-best-of-a-bad-situation/

This article provides some interesting and updated commentary on the negotiations between the Vatican and Beijing over the status of Catholic bishops. As the article points out China has a viable fear of mass religious movements. One need only look at the Taiping Rebellion to understand why.

The Guardian, Establishment Appropriation and Ghosts of World War I

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/21/europe-crisis-balkans-eu-membership-russia-china-turkey

Alongside publications like the New York Times and Washington Post, The Guardian has moved into a position of being one of the chief publications at the forefront of Western Imperialism. Championing the Anti-Russian campaign and zealously advocating for intervention in Syria, the paper pushes on many fronts for NATO militarism and so-called humanitarian wars.

Setting the Stage for the New Cold War

https://www.thenation.com/article/us-double-standards-in-the-new-cold-war/

https://www.thenation.com/article/russiagate-zealots-mainly-democrats-have-become-a-major-threat-to-us-national-security/

Stephen Cohen is one of the few courageous voices that has broken with academia and has dared to speak out against the Establishment's Anti-Russia narrative. Castigated by some, called a stooge and Russian agent by others, he has stood his ground. The lessons and realities of history are on his side and there's a real comfort in that, especially in the face of storm and assault. Those who study history with open eyes will know great sorrow and frustration. They will often stand alone but having walked the paths of the past... they need not fear the judgment and condemnation of others. They've seen it all before.

Evangelicals in Brazil

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/01/the-evangelical-takeover-of-brazilian-politics/551423/

It is undisputed that Evangelicals are on the rise in Brazil. It's being talked about and the subject is even coming up in regular mainstream newscasts. Just the other morning, there was a brief story about how Marcelo Crivella the Evangelical mayor of Rio de Janeiro created a somewhat odd moment with his half-hearted inauguration of the Carnival bacchanal. An opponent of the pagan festivities, he has made considerable cuts to the funding earning the ire of many of his constituents.

Mainstream Media's Apologia for Empire

https://www.npr.org/2018/01/03/575288560/journalist-as-u-s-retreats-from-world-stage-china-moves-to-fill-the-void

This Fresh Air interview is related to a Chinese surveillance project I mentioned in a previous article:

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2017/12/considering-panopticon-beast.html

For those that think that Left-wing thinkers and advocates like Terry Gross and NPR are anti-American, they need to reconsider. These people are thoroughly invested in the American project. I was left somewhat astounded listening to the New Yorker's Osnos paint China's aggressive expansion in terms that made them look somewhat sinister and conniving, even while ignoring US actions and the massive footprint it already possesses. This is never questioned, it's simply assumed and presumed to be a good thing.

Modi's Empire: ASEAN, OBOR and Washington

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/india-moves-deepen-engagement-asean-nations-180129170712326.html

Despite what the one contrary commentator says near the end of the article, this is indeed largely about China. And the reason it has been cranked up a few notches is because of the US withdrawal from the TPP. Some are trying to salvage the treaty but without the US it is but a shadow.

Italian Fascism Tolerated

http://www.dw.com/en/italy-outlawing-mussolini-glorification/av-42064229

In light of the recent shooting of African immigrants I immediately thought of this DW story I saw. Of course it would be a mistake to automatically equate the once secessionist Lega Nord (The Northern League) with fascism but there are overlaps. Lega Nord's nationalism and anti-immigration positions will resonate with Italy's fascist element and it provides a legitimate political outlet for those who are flirting with fascist ideology.

OBOR in Laos... and Thailand

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/china-rail-project-link-landlocked-laos-asia-180203125337792.html

The One Belt One Road (OBOR) or New Silk Road initiative has been in the news a lot as of late. This brief piece cites yet another instance of OBOR's expansion. The fact that Beijing would collaborate with Laos is hardly a surprise but Thailand's inclusion points once again to the weakened hand of the United States. The US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has reduced its standing in the region. While Thailand was not one of the original members of the TPP, the longtime US ally had aspirations to join the framework. Where the TPP stands now is still up in the air but without the US, it won't in any way represent what it once did.

Government Smoke and Mirrors

The news has reached new heights of absurdity as once again the Establishment media fails to report or contextualise the following recent stories.

Trump +382:DNC Hypocrisy

https://theintercept.com/2018/01/12/the-same-democrats-who-denounce-trump-as-a-lawless-treasonous-authoritarian-just-voted-to-give-him-vast-warrantless-spying-powers/

I think this article demonstrates that despite the rhetoric and posturing, Trump is not really the outsider he's painted to be. And indeed much of the protest emanating from Democratic circles is largely false. Yes, they would like Trump to be gone and yes, they are using the campaign against him to wage war on several fronts and yet they are not nearly as upset with him as they pretend to be. His views of immigrants and poor countries are largely shared with the Establishment but these are things that are not to be said out loud. Trump's main problem is that he's uneducated, crude and utterly lacking any kind of finesse or class. He may be a millionaire and grew up with money, but his mindset resonates more with the blue-collar street. That's why so many of that class embraced his message. If George W Bush resonated with the 'country boys' and Midwesterners, then Trump resonates with the urban working class. As one who lives in an area where the Rust Belt and Appalachia overlap, an area in which Trump has overwhelming support I can tell you that people voted for him, not because of some Russian plot on Facebook but for one simple reason... they thought he was going to bring jobs and industry back to America and restore the communities and values of old. They were utterly deceived and some of them are starting to realise it. The cynicism is like a cloud choking the very air we breathe.

Somali Civilian Deaths: Yet Another Cover-Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgu3OUZ8_4U

The US war in Africa is a poorly kept secret. It isn't too hard to piece together the various theatres, actions and agendas. This is despite the fact that the US mainstream media continues to largely ignore it and is content to keep the public in a state of ignorance.

That said, with no front line and given the fact that the war is being fought in the dark with intelligence agencies, drones, special ops and through proxy forces... it's hard to suss out just what is happening on a day-to-day basis.

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.