THE US, MANILA AND BEIJING

Philippine Army and United States Army Pacific officials and personnel during the opening ceremony of Exercise Salaknib at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. (PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE ARMY, story on https://globalnation.inquirer.net/231093/2-us-ph-armies-war-games-kicks-off)

America is likely to become over-stretched militarily.   –Editor

Can the US and the Philippines get Beijing to back off?

On Monday, 3,500 US and Filipino troops began what could become their largest-ever annual training exercises on the Philippine island of Luzon. This came a day after major multilateral naval drills in the South China Sea and just ahead of a trilateral US-Philippines-Japan summit in Washington on Thursday.

The message to China? Take the US-Philippines alliance seriously.

How we got here:  China’s beef with the Philippines is over control of the South China Sea, which Beijing sees as its territory. Manila deliberately beached a ship on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 and has based a small contingent of Marines in the hulk ever since.

But that shell is falling apart, and when Manila tried to send reconstruction supplies last month, Chinese Coast Guard ships blasted the supply vessel with water cannons, immobilizing it and injuring several aboard.

“China is going up to 9 out of 10 of what it can do short of an armed attack on a public vessel, which would likely trigger the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty obligations,” says Jeremy Chan, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group.

Could it lead to war? Washington hopes displays of allied strength and unity will keep Beijing from crossing the line, but Beijing is equally determined to assert what it sees as sovereign rights.

“This is one of China’s absolute red lines,” says Chan. “The South China Sea is one of their core interests and part of party doctrine, just like Taiwan.”

Thursday’s trilateral will focus on joint efforts to deter China and will likely include announcements of upgraded US-Japan security ties.  (Gzero Signal, 4/9/2024)

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From Dearborn, Michigan:

At an International Al-Quds Day rally in Dearborn, Michigan, held on April 5, 2024, and streamed live on Dearborn.org on Facebook, protesters chanted: “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” Michigan activist, who is affiliated with the Hadi Institute, Tarek Bazzi said that it is not “Genocide Joe” that has to go, referring to President Biden, but it is the entire system of the United States “that has to go.” He Quoted Malcolm X, saying: “We live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this earth.” Bazzi added that “death to Israel” has become the “most logical chant shouted across the world today.” Michigan Imam Usama Abdulghani, who is also affiliated with the Hadi Institute, said that the founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini established the International Al-Quds Day because he realized that Israel was a “cancer” and an “evil settler colonialist project.” He said that the “people of conscience” recognize that Israel is ISIS, Nazis, and fascists. (MEMRI, 4/8/2024)

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THE RIGHT DISHONORABLE FOREIGN SECRETARY

The British Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron of Chipping Camden, has more than once let it be known that he is an ally of the State of Israel and a friend to the Jewish people.  And Cameron is an honorable man.

In recent weeks, Cameron — now backed by several parliamentarians — has been threatening to block arms sales to Israel. British arms sales to Israel are actually minimal; Britain buys more arms from Israel. Britain also benefits mightily from Israeli intelligence and shared military know-how, so a stand-off like this threatens to hurt Britain in practical terms more than it would Israel.

The main purpose of the threat, however, is to isolate Israel in the world as a pariah state and ride the politically ferocious tiger of Muslim and left-wing Jew-hatred. Since Israel is fighting for its survival against a genocidal enemy which slaughtered, tortured, beheaded or raped 1200 Israelis on October 7 and took 240 hostages, and threatens to do the same over and over again until it has destroyed Israel and killed every Jew, this would suggest that Cameron is vicious, cynical or amoral  — or all three.

But Cameron is an honourable man.    

Boris Johnson wrote today in the Mail on Sunday:  “If we ban the sale of arms ourselves, it surely follows that we do not think any self-respecting country should be arming the Israelis. And if we are willing everyone, including the U.S., to end their military support, be in no doubt what that means. There is only one logical conclusion.

We are willing the military defeat of Israel and the victory of Hamas. Remember that in order to win this conflict, Hamas only has to survive. All they need at the end is to hang on, rebuild, and go again. That’s victory for Hamas; and that is what these legal experts seem to be asking for.” 

But that would be an act of supreme malevolence against the Jewish state that’s fighting for its life against an enemy which committed the largest slaughter of Jews since the holocaust.   And Cameron is an honorable man. (Melanie Phillips, 4/7/2024)

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EURO ELECTIONS

In next June’s European elections extreme right-wing parties threaten to become the strongest force in a third of member states and the second or third strongest force in another third. This finding comes from an analysis by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a pan-European think tank. The latest polls predict a major shift in the make-up of the European Parliament. The far-right ECR parliamentary group and ID group will together be stronger than either the Social Democrats or the conservative EPP. The study indicates that the EPP parties and Social Democrats are about to face significant losses. Although they might mathematically still form a narrow majority in an alliance with the liberal Renew Europe group, such a parliamentary coalition would be unstable and unworkable in practice. This is the background to a debate in the EU on whether, under conservative EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, forces on the far right should be embraced as partners after the election. The focus is on cooperation with the ECR group, which includes the Sweden Democrats and Vox from Spain. In the European Parliament this group is led by the ultra-right Fratelli d’Italia under Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.  (German Foreign Policy, 4/10/2024)

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INTERESTING STATS ON INDIANS AND INDIA

“Most Indians abroad have been highly successful.   In 2023 they sent home nearly $125 billion in remittances, equivalent to around 3.4 % of India’s GDP, according to World Bank estimates. In America 80% of citizens of Indian origin have college degrees.   The median Indian household income there is $150,000, twice America’s national average.  People of Indian descent lead Google, the World Bank – and Britain.

“There are still plenty of low- or semi-skilled Indian workers filling menial jobs the host countries’ natives will not or cannot do, especially in the Gulf states. Yet even there the share of white-collar professionals as a proportion of Indians is growing.  It now approaches 30%.  Especially in English-speaking countries, today’s Indian diaspora has more cash and clout than earlier waves of migrants, who often started out dirt-poor.”  (The Economist, International section, page 55, March 30,^, 2024)

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UK NEWS

As of 14 March 2024, it has 792 sitting members. The House of Lords is the only upper house of any bicameral parliament in the world to be larger than its lower house, and is the second-largest legislative chamber in the world, behind the National People’s Congress of China (Wikipedia).  

PRIVY COUNCIL:  As of March 2024, there are 730 members on the Council. (Wikipedia).

The British government is to donate 34,000 pounds to help combat racism in cricket, Rishi Sunak’s favorite sport.

The Government is still planning on deporting “asylum seekers” to Rwanda.   They have already given the African country 500 million pounds.  Not one person has been sent there at the time of writing.   500 million pounds down the drain!   (That’s 625 million dollars.)

British Muslims are demanding a ban on pictures of Muhammed.   I fail to understand this.   There are no pictures of Muhammed.   Any image drawn today cannot possibly be accurate.  This does not mean the British government will not give in.  Compromise is the order of the day, especially when it comes to anything Islamic.

FALKLAND ISLANDS.  Argentina is demanding the “return” of the Falkland Islands again.  Last time, over 40 years ago, their demands led to a short war between Argentina and Britain.   Once again, they are demanding their “return.”  Note the following from Wikipedia:

“Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) is disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British claim to sovereignty dates from 1690, when they made the first recorded landing on the islands, and the United Kingdom has exercised de facto sovereignty over the archipelago almost continuously since 1833. Argentina has long disputed this claim, having been in control of the islands for a few years prior to 1833. The dispute escalated in 1982, when Argentina invaded the islands, precipitating the Falklands War. Falkland Islanders overwhelmingly prefer to remain British. Following the British victory in the Falklands War, they were granted full British citizenship under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983.”  (Wikipedia)

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UPDATE ON GRAYSON

My wife and I live with our daughter and her four sons.   It has been a real joy to share in their lives.

Two of her sons, the eldest and the youngest, have autism.  The eldest, Aubren, is twelve and has a milder form of autism and he is crazy about trains, especially steamies.  Whenever he has a half day on a Friday, we go and visit Owosso, home of the Pere Marquette, one of the biggest railroad steam engines in the world.

The youngest, Grayson, has a very severe form of autism, PANS, food allergies, and mold toxicity.  He is almost 6 and has not yet spoken a word officially. He has all kinds of other issues.  We have to have a completely different approach with Grayson, who is a much bigger challenge.

Raising Grayson requires a great deal of patience.  I am often mindful of I Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never fails.”  He’s an adorable little guy who loves to play.  He’s never happier than when he’s out in the backyard, preferably without clothes!  He is always dressed to go out but removes his clothes as soon as he can.

With such a family background, I’ve learned at a much deeper level the truth in the rest of the verse.  To put it bluntly, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.  Prophecy is interesting, but in the context of salvation, is not very important.   Nor is the ability to speak in tongues and nor is knowledge.  

‘Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.’

We have also learned that there is a great deal of love in our churches and even outside of the church.   When we had a GoFundMe to raise money for a treatment for Grayson, the money came from incredible people who gave despite their tight budgets.   It was so heartbreaking that the treatment didn’t do that much for him but the love was gratefully noted by our family.  And we really appreciated it.  Thank you to all those who contributed.

My daughter will be busy every day for the rest of her life.   Grayson is completely in God’s hands now – the medical system has nothing for him.  Prayers are so appreciated.  I doubt that we will be much help for many more years.  But what Grayson will feel in his life is the love of ourselves and others.   Hopefully, when we meet again in the kingdom that will be a lasting force that will once again bind us together!

ISRAEL ALONE

I wrote my blog yesterday and titled it.  The Economist arrived last night — its cover (above) was also titled “Israel Alone.” – Editor

Israel is taking quite a battering lately, mostly from its friends, including the US. Israel is decidedly alone.   — Editor

In my article last week, I wrote that America was abandoning Israel. Today, the Biden administration wrote its name in the annals of infamy by openly joining the axis of evil against those defending civilization.

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the remainder of Ramadan, and the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli hostages.

Breaking with its historic policy by vetoing hostile resolutions at the UNSC  to protect Israel against those working for its destruction and the defeat of the West, the US abstained today and so the resolution was passed. 

And of course, the UK, the Biden administration’s poodle whose Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, has been threatening Israel with an end to arms sales unless it does what he and the US State Department are demanding, abstained alongside the US. 

So both the US and UK are now aligned with the West’s foes Russia and China against Israel, the sole defender of the West in the Middle East. What a disgrace.

The resolution is obnoxious because it fails to condition a ceasefire on the release of the hostages, thus destroying the chances of the latter actually occurring.  (Israel Alone, Melanie Phillips, 3/25/2024)

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THERE GOES LATIN AMERICA

This news from South America illustrates a weakness on the part of the US.   It’s largely self-inflicted.  – Editor

A threatening development has been brewing largely under the radar of the Biden administration and the mainstream media attention: Iran’s calculated expansion into Latin America, from Argentina to Mexico.

With alarming nonchalance, the Biden administration appears to have turned a blind eye to the Iranian regime’s concerted efforts to establish a military foothold right in America’s backyard. The ramifications of this complacency are profound. The Iranian regime, which, since it began in 1979, has been calling for “Death to America,” now has ballistic missiles which it says can reach the US, and claims to have a hypersonic missile that, according to one report, “Can Destroy US In 40 sec.”  (“There goes Latin America,” Majid Rafizadeh, Gatestone, 3/16/2024)

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25 YEARS LATER, IS PUTIN WINNING?

Surprising zero people, Vladimir Putin on Sunday “won” his fifth term as Russia’s president.

The result was not close:  Russia’s electoral authorities say Putin took 87% of the vote with 77% turnout. A landslide was never in question, as Putin has systematically eliminated any opposition to his rule.

Putin has now ruled Russia for 25 years. When he first became president, no one had ever heard of “YouTube,” Italy’s economy was still bigger than China’s, and Britney Spears ruled the Billboard with “One More Time.” But now, a quarter of a century later, is Putin more powerful than ever?

Consider:

• His economy has largely weathered sanctions and is humming again — on a war footing.
• He faced down an insurrection from his own warlord protege last year.
• He dispatched his most eloquent and charismatic critic to the grave.
• The war in Ukraine wasn’t the four-day cakewalk to Kyiv he imagined, but Russia again has the upper hand in a grinding war of attrition as Ukraine scrambles to find more military aid.
• The Putin-curious Donald Trump leads the polls ahead of this fall’s US presidential election.

To be clear, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Russia is a long-term loser as a result of Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.  (Gzero Signal, 3/18/2024)

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Niger wants US troops out. – A SET BACK FOR US

In another setback for the US, America is going to withdraw from Niger (not to be confused with Nigeria).   – Editor

Niger’s military junta announced Saturday that it would end the agreement that allows US troops to operate in the country. Niamey said the pact was “profoundly unfair,” and cited a “condescending attitude” and alleged violations of diplomatic protocol during a high-level visit last week.

Washington has been trying to find ways to work with the military governments that have seized power in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali to combat extremist militants in the region. But at the same time, the Biden administration has pressured Niamey to set a timeline to restore democratic control and reportedly raised alarm at a possible deal to sell uranium to Iran, which seems to have led to the rupture.

What happens now? The US has about 1,000 troops in Niger and operates a drone base monitoring suspected militants in the north of the country. The State Department is aware of the demand but has not commented on next steps.

If US troops do pull out of their base in Niger, it would remove a major obstacle for Niger to expand its relationship with Russia, as juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso have. The former Wagner Group mercenaries have been absorbed into Moscow’s Defense Ministry and rebranded the Africa Corps, which is expected to deploy on the continent this summer.  (Gzero Signal, 3/18/2024)

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CHINESE THREAT BECOMES MORE REAL

This is a dire warning for the US, not taken very seriously. – Editor

• China-linked hackers appear to be looking to attack U.S. infrastructure, especially key components such as the electrical grid, water reservoirs and treatment plants, pipelines, and transportation and communications systems, among other targets.

• The goal is seemingly to disrupt the U.S. everything critical to life – if you have no electricity, your cellphone will not work; no water will come out of the tap; gas pumps will not pump gas; flights and trains will stop, and disease from disabled sewage treatment plants will spread. There will be havoc and panic. The government and military will be unable to protect the nation. That is what is meant by “unrestricted warfare.” Not a bullet was fired. It did not have to be. According to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, it is perfect.

• What are some of the steps that should be taken?  The West has correctly identified the CCP as the malign threat that it is; now we have a responsibility to put into place the measures and deterrents to prevent it from attacking us through cyberspace or any other way. Let us not wait until we experience a 9/11-scale cyberattack that could be far more damaging to the U.S. than what took place on that dark day more than 20 years ago. (Pete Hoekstra, Gatestone, 3/26/2024)

SCRIPTURE CORNER

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Most of the conquerors in history have been egotistical thugs. They established kingdoms by their own power and for their own glory, often killing many thousands of people to do so. But what we learn from Scripture is that Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, has conquered all things by laying down his own life as a ransom for us. By doing that, he broke the power of sin’s hold on us. And that means no other power in all creation or even in the spiritual realms can separate us from God. Nothing can separate us “from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sometimes the challenges we face are from circumstances and other people, but the root of all challenges to our faith comes from spiritual forces that are at war with God. Those spiritual powers would love to destroy us, but they cannot touch us because of God’s protection in Christ. Jesus has already won the battle. And because he won, we win! When Jesus rose from the dead, he overcame the ultimate weapon of the forces of evil—death. Never again can Satan and the powers of evil have a hold on us, because Jesus has brought us into everlasting life. With him, we are more than conquerors.   (Kent van Til, Our Daily Bread, 3/26/2024)

RUSSIANS REJECTING ABORTION

Protesters and clergy at an anti-abortion procession in St Petersburg © Maya Zhinkina/Kommersant/Sipa/Alamy

Headline in the Financial Times: 

“Russia change of mind on abortion” (FT, 11/21)

“Putin’s Russia turns on abortion.”

Pro-choice campaigners link ultra-conservative rhetoric to Kremlin’s desire for more soldiers

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CONTRASTING DEMOS

November 11-12 saw a massive pro-Palestinian demonstration in London.   People chanted antisemitic chants and even called for the genocide of Jews.  They climbed on public memorials that the British hold sacred.   They showed no restraint.

Two weeks later, London’s Jewish community and their supporters staged a demo against antisemitism, attended by a crowd estimated at 60,000.   There was no misbehavior.  Honor was shown to British statues, there were no calls for genocide and people were well-behaved.

What a contrast!

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TIME TO RESTORE THE ASSIZE OF ARMS

Concerned about the threat to Englishmen from the French, Henry II (1154-1189) at the Assize of Arms in 1181 ordered that all able-bodied English men over the age of 14 should carry a lethal weapon to defend themselves.  Surely the need has never been greater for English citizens to be able to defend themselves from machete-wielding fanatics.   A change in the law on self-defense is long overdue, as the police are incapable of responding to every violent incident taking place.    (1181 was the precursor of the right to bear arms.)

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POPE FRANCIS ACCUSES ISRAEL

Pope Francis has accused Israel of terrorism.   The country, he declared, is a “terrorist state.”   No such accusations were made when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7^th.   The Vatican may be moving towards a more traditional Catholic antisemitism!

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IRISH RIOTS

Rioting broke out in Dublin last week when an Algerian immigrant stabbed five people, including three children, outside a Catholic school.    Buses and police cars were set on fire and stores were looted.  The riots were quickly blamed on right-wing extremists, who seem to be blamed for everything in the West nowadays.  

People are really upset and angry over mass immigration, which has resulted in a serious housing shortage and other social problems.   As is the case in other countries, all complaints are being answered with greater immigration.

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POPULIST WINS IN ARGENTINA

A “far-right libertarian outsider” has won Argentina’s presidential run-off poll, said the BBC.  Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” who has been compared to former US president Donald Trump, campaigned on a promise to deal with soaring inflation and rising poverty. Trump has congratulated Milei on his victory, saying he would “Make Argentina Great Again!”  Milei gave a “restrained” victory speech, said the Buenos Aires Herald.  (The Week, 11/20/2023)

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ISRAELI CARGO SHIP SEIZED

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they have seized an Israeli cargo ship in the Red Sea and warned that all vessels linked to Israel “will become a legitimate target for armed forces”. Israel’s military said the “hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea” is a “very grave incident of global consequence.”  Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas appear to be “edging towards a deal” that would see the release of a significant number of hostages, said The Guardian.

BREAKING NEWS – it has been announced that the city of Nottingham, in the UK, is bankrupt.  Other cities will likely follow.   All non-essential spending is frozen until further notice. Unfortunately, there is no Robin Hood to put right the economic injustices that have accumulated in recent years!

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RECENT ORIGINS OF GENOCIDAL ATTITUDES TO ISRAEL

• Many Muslims living in the West remain under the influence of Islamist movements and the hatred of Israel and Jews that permeates their countries of origin. Hatred of Jews and Israel is therefore markedly present in Muslim communities in the West.

• In the 1960s, when the Soviet Union wanted to gain more influence in the Arab Muslim world, its leaders decided to support what was at the time a sacred cause for Arab leaders: the attempt to destroy Israel. They… chose to invent a “national liberation struggle”….  The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 with the task of “liberating Palestine,” and the borders of “Palestine” on the maps used by the PLO showed that the goal was to erase Israel from the face of the earth.

• Western leftists started vocally to express hatred of “imperialist Israel” and, ironically, the hard-won democratic freedoms they were at that moment enjoying to the fullest: freedom of speech, assembly, education, sexuality, and supposedly equal justice under the law.   (Guy Milliere, Gatestone, 11/29/2023)

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ICEBERG ON THE MOVE

The planet’s biggest iceberg is on the move after three decades stuck to the ocean floor.

The uprooting of the colossal chunk of ice, which is slowly moving northward into the Southern Ocean, has been a “long time coming,” said Cosmos, but some experts are baffled as to why it is suddenly moving now.

Known as A23a, the iceberg split from the Antarctic coastline in 1986 and soon became grounded in the Weddell Sea, “becoming, essentially, an ice island,” said the BBC.  (The Week, 11/28/2023)

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CHASING THE TRAIN

The day after Thanksgiving I checked the website for the Steam Railroad Institute in Owosso, Michigan.   Friday, they announced that the 82-year-old Pere Marquette, after undergoing extensive repair work, was now finished and would be going on its maiden voyage that very day.   Its first journey was scheduled for 2pm that afternoon.

Our oldest grandson, Aubren, is a train fanatic (steam trains only).   He had been waiting for this moment.  We were unable to get any tickets this year (they sold out within hours!), but we wanted to take him to see the train, which is “housed” 43 miles away from our home.

We left home at 12:30 and arrived in Owosso before 1:30.  We intended to stay there and see the train off on its journey.  We were then going to drive on back roads as close as we could get to the “1225” (the number of the steam train).   We drove first to the Carland Elevator.   So did at least another dozen vehicles.  

After Carland, we joined the convoy of more than a dozen cars, including two police cars, (did we really look that threatening?) (actually, I think they were doing the same thing we were!), as it drove the short distance to Bannister, home of one of my favorite pubs.  We watched the train as it passed the town, on its way to its ultimate destination of Ashley.  We caught it on two more crossings before Ashley. The village of Ashley had been turned into a fairground for the four weeks that the train commutes between the two towns.  The 1225 had certainly brought the town to life!

After the purchase of an ice cream, we drove back to Bannister where the Happy Hour pub was full at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Aubren surprised us by saying that he had enjoyed “chasing the train” more than actually riding it (you can’t really see the engine when you are sitting in a train car behind it).  He then asked if we could do the same again next year.   Suits me.  Tickets are a little under $100 each, so that will be quite a saving.

And we’ve all discovered a new hobby – Chasing the Train!

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TIME FOR A RETHINK

I was surprised a few days ago to read that Chile has the second biggest Palestinian population in the world.  There are about 500,000 Palestinians in the country.   Some of them are Christians but most are Muslims.   The result is that Chile must pursue a pro-Palestinian foreign policy.

In November, England experienced a pro-Palestinian march.   Roughly 250,000 turned out for it in the heart of the nation’s capital.  A couple of weeks later, a demonstration condemning antisemitism was held in the center of London.  It was attended by 60,000 people.

The Israeli army has lost almost 100 soldiers during the latest military operation.  With a population of only nine million (which includes the 20% of Israeli Arabs), the country can ill-afford such a loss.

Meanwhile, Russia, suffering heavy losses in Ukraine, is doing a rethink on abortion.   Looking ahead, it knows it will need soldiers further down the line.   We’re talking here 18 years. 

The US military is having problems with its recruitment drive.   The army is struggling to keep up its numbers.  Will the US, like Russia, realize abortion is a “luxury” it cannot afford?  Convenience cannot be allowed to trump national security.

Since the dawn of time tribes have wanted as many boys as possible to defend the group against enemies.   During the long period of relative peace that has followed World War II, we have forgotten that.  Now, we are on the cusp of an increasing conflict between the Muslim world and the secular West, with the West showing a shortfall in military numbers.   Preparing for the long term, this must be addressed.

Also, since the dawn of time we have heard the scriptural admonition to “Go forth and multiply” (Genesis 1:28).  This command is mentioned in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible. Nothing has ever been written to change this.  The command still stands. It may take a while for the West to wake up and follow Russia’s lead (and that of the Moslem world), but it will have to if the West is to survive.

Of course, by then, it could be too late!

It’s time for the nation (and churches) to do a rethink on birth control!

COULD THIS BE THE END OF US DOLLAR SUPREMACY?

One major consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine could be the end of the US dollar as the world’s trading currency.

Russia announced last week that their gas and oil must be paid for in roubles.

China has expressed its desire to see the Chinese yuan used in international deals. 

These two countries account for a large chunk of the world’s business.

The US dollar has been the most important currency since 1945.  Because of that the US is able to live beyond its means, way beyond its means.  Countries will accept dollars, which they then use to buy other goods.

But if this changes, the economy could crash.  If we have to pay for everything we import in other currencies we would very quickly discover we have no credit.

Over-spending has been going on for at least 50 years.  Other nations could not have been as reckless as nobody would accept their currencies.

For a long time, countries like Russia and China have talked about letting other currencies use their currency for trade.  But now they may have to.   Sanctions on Russia has changed everything.

Russia (and China) have learned a lesson – holding dollars does not pay.  Sanctions can wipe you out very quickly.

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TWO ITEMS FROM GERMAN FOREIGN POLICY

NATO is significantly expanding its troop presence in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. This is one of the outcomes of the most recent summit meeting of heads of states and governments of the military alliance convened yesterday (Thursday) in Brussels. According to the agreement, the number of NATO battlegroups will be doubled due to the stationing of new units in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria; while more fighter aircraft, warships and aircraft carrier battle groups will be sent to the region. The Bundeswehr is involved in sending troops to Lithuania and Slovakia, as well as with providing Eurofighters and warships. For years, hardliners have been pushing for these measures to be taken, and they were already in discussion before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Concrete steps were taken before the war began. There is resistance in some countries of the region. NATO troop locations form an arc stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Maneuvers, where NATO is currently practicing warfare, stretch from the high north to the Mediterranean.   (German Foreign Policy, 3/25/2022)

Acquisition of new gas supplies for Germany to phase out Russian gas supplies is progressing more sluggishly than desired. As was announced after talks Germany’s Minister of the Economy, Robert Habeck had held in Qatar’s capital Doha, it was not possible to secure a significant amount in short-term deliveries. At best, Doha will deliver a greater supply of natural gas to Germany in a few years, according to the report. Habeck had obtained similar results earlier in the USA and Norway. Thus, Germany could remain dependent longer than had been hoped on Russian natural gas. A similar result was reached in the analysis published by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) on the EU, which would need more liquefied gas, than is currently available on the world market, to make up for the loss of Russian gas. Media and politicians are promoting a scaling back of natural gas consumption, using such slogans as “Freezing for Freedom.” The OIES also points out that the long-term supply contracts with Gazprom stipulate an obligatory minimum quantity purchase of approx. 120 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas. This must be purchased, even if the consumer does not use it.  (German Foreign Policy, 3/22/2022)

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TO THE POINT

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has won a fourth term in a landslide victory. Orbán’s Fidesz party had 53.1% of votes with 98% of the count complete. The opposition alliance was trailing on 35%. During his victory speech, Orbán criticised the EU and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing them as “opponents.” Orbán has insisted that Hungary remain neutral amid the war in Ukraine, maintaining its close economic ties with Moscow.   (The Week, 4/4/2022)

• “Is “democracy” really America’s cause? Is “autocracy” really America’s great adversary in the battle for the future?   Not all autocrats, after all, are our enemies, nor are all democrats our reliable friends.” (Pat Buchanan, 4/5/2022)

• “Suppose that winter draws near and energy prices remain high” (The Economist, 3/192022).  This could lead to a split in western ranks.   Germany needs oil and gas. (The article was talking about how difficult it will be to keep the western alliance together in the coming months.)

• It’s been 40 years since Argentina tried to get the Falklands “back” (though they never had the islands in the first place).   The British have ruled them since 1833.   99% of the islanders support the present set-up.  They do not want Argentina to take over.  Unsurprising given the nation’s history.

• “The world has known for weeks Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine. This was even predictable, given all the war crimes Russia previously committed in Chechnya and Syria. But only after we saw images of atrocities in the town of Bucha, which Ukraine recently recaptured from retreating Russian forces, did we seem to get more serious about stopping them … by talking about maybe sanctioning Russia a tiny bit more.“ (Gzero Signal,  4/5/2022)

• The British owned P & O cruises fired 800 people, replacing them with immigrants who will work for less that two pounds an hour.  If this starts a trend, native Brits will not be as likely to welcome immigrants from the poorer parts of the world.  The official minimum wage is a few pennies under 9 pounds.  P & O says they are not doing anything illegal as their ships sail on international waters, where British law does not extend.

• Foreign Fighters From At Least 35 Neo-Nazi, White Supremacist, And Ultranationalist Groups Based In The US, Canada, Europe, And Elsewhere Have Members Fighting On Both Sides In Russia-Ukraine Conflict (MEMRI, 3/31/2022)

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FINAL THOUGHT

Fridays are always train days in the Rhodes’ household.    That’s when I take our ten-year-old grandson to look at trains.   In this bad weather we are staying close to home.  

One of our favorite places to visit is the small town of Potterville, just a few miles from Lansing. 

A couple of weeks ago, while driving to Potterville, we passed a home with a number of flags flying in its front yard.  One flag stood out.  There were just two words on it.  The first word was, arguably, the most common word used today.  It begins with “F” and was socially unacceptable when I was a child.  

The second word was “Biden.”

Now, I have my differences with Mr. Biden, first and foremost for his support of very liberal abortion policies.   As he claims to be a devout Catholic he’s a hypocrite.

He clearly does not understand economics, as he thinks the way to fight inflation is through massive government spending.   Economics 101 should have taught him that inflation “is too much money chasing too few goods.”  In other words, it’s best fought by cutting government spending, not increasing it.

In foreign policy, he’s made a few gaffes (most notably in Afghanistan).

But aside from domestic and foreign policies, he seems like a nice guy, and certainly undeserving of what used to be called “Anglo-Saxon guttural terms.” It turns out to be a 15^th century word of Germanic origin.  Look it up.

The following Friday I drove down the same road again and was not surprised to see that the said flag was missing.   I suspect that the police had visited the house and told him to take it down.   It’s been approximately 30 years since the last similar incident took place in Michigan.  If I remember correctly, it was two boys who used the same word on a beach with youngsters around.   One family called the police and the boys were charged.  It is, apparently, illegal to use the word in public.

This does not mean that you don’t hear it every single day.

My English teacher, admittedly well over 50 years ago, used to say that people use swear words because their vocabulary is limited.   I think there is some truth to this.

When searching though your own personal ‘word bank,’ it’s easier to just use the “F” word than it is to retrieve some other word.   Any expletive will do, but that one in particular seems to be adequate for any occasion, often handy for ending a discussion that you would rather not have.

The apostle Paul said, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Eph. 4:29) The apostle James added these words, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:10)

Have a good week!

THE DEATH OF FREEDOM

A person does a cartwheel in Oxford Circus during rush hour as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

We have less freedom today than we have had in over 400 years.   And we’ve all consented to this loss of freedom.

Freedom of assembly and the freedom to worship have both suffered.  Even the freedom to go out for a meal or a drink.    Nor can we shake a friend’s hand or give a hug.   Again, with our consent.

As one British paper put it:  “It is no exaggeration to say these are the most extreme powers ever used against citizens in peace time Britain.”

It’s understandable.  We want to live.  We want to survive the coronavirus.

But will we ever get these freedoms back?

Most importantly, what will be the next crisis that makes us so quick to jettison our freedoms?

MR       

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“A heart attack is occurring in the economy”  (Sky News comment, 3/20)

This was a comment about the British economy, but it describes every country right now.   So, let’s take a look at some of the economic consequences of coronavirus.

Argentina’s new government will today publish GDP figures for last year, with economists warning that the covid-19 pandemic could be about to send the country into a deep recession.   GDP is forecast to have contracted by 2.1% in 2019.   But what matters now is the dire situation to come.   One former central banker predicts that the country’s economy could shrink by up to 4% in 2020.   Though weighed down by high inflation and heavy debt, President Alberto Fernández’s government is implementing fiscal stimulus measures worth billions of dollars.   Its treasury minister, Martín Guzmán,  warns that the covid-19 crisis means that it is now impossible to say when, and how, Argentina can return to growth.   That was Mr. Fernández’s primary goal when he took office just four months ago, an aim that looks harder by the day as infections mount in the country.     (The Economist, 3/25/2020)

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For years Germany has run the tightest of fiscal ships, frustrating many in the euro zone and beyond.   Then came covid-19.   Today the Bundestag will approve a €156bn ($168bn) supplementary budget for 2020, under which Germany will issue new debt for the first time since 2013.   The borrowing breaks Germany’s “black zero” balanced-budget policy and exploits an emergency rule in the constitutional “debt brake.”   Yet it is just one part of Germany’s response.   The government has expanded Kurzarbeit support (in which the state partly covers the lost wages of workers who have their hours cut), extended various loan guarantees and even earmarked funds for direct investment in companies.   The package amounts to a potential €750bn, and more may follow.   The scale of the response has surprised observers—but at European level less is happening.   Germany, and the euro area’s other hawks, remain implacably opposed to debt mutualization.   (The Economist, 3/25/2020)

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Today’s meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee should have been the first with Andrew Bailey in the chair.   But the new governor found himself presiding over an emergency meeting last week, amid what he described as “borderline disorderly” market conditions.   In common with other central banks, the Bank of England is aggressively easing monetary policy to react to a rapid economic slowdown due to the spread of covid-19.   Despite interest-rate cuts, £200bn ($232bn) more quantitative easing (amounting to some 10% of GDP) and more direct support for private-sector lending, the bank is more worried about undershooting its inflation target than overshooting it. Today’s consumer-price statistics show inflation running at 1.7%, below the 2% target.   More monetary easing is likely, but with interest rates already at 0.1%, an all-time low, fiscal policy will have to do most of the heavy lifting.  (The Economist, 3/25/2020)

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Coronavirus lockdown measures implemented in the UK may trigger an economic downturn that could kill more people than the virus itself, a new study warns.

Philip Thomas, a professor of risk management at Bristol University, says that a fall in GDP of more than 6.4% could lead to a devastating recession in which “more years of life will be lost . . . than will be saved through beating the virus,” reports The Times.  (The Week, 3/25/2020)

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The worst outbreak of Coronavirus in the Middle East, so far, is in Iran.  Thousands have died and tens of thousands have been exposed to the virus.   An overlooked developing crisis parallel to Iran’s is the situation of the country’s neighbors across the Persian Gulf.

Beyond the civilian element affecting Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE; tens of thousands of American military personnel are also stationed in these countries.   Once facing the Iranian threat and ISIS, they are now involved in combating the invisible enemy:   Covid-19.      (Greg Roman, MEF, 3/20)

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This is an emergency, track everyone:   If there were ever a time to set concerns about privacy aside, this is it.   Giving public health authorities access to everyone’s location data gives them a better chance of tracking down people who have been in contact with confirmed cases – and helps ensure that those who are already sick stay in quarantine.   Right now, governments need all the help they can get.   Give them the data.   Debates about the privacy implications can wait.

China is in this camp. So are other countries in Asia, like South Korea and Taiwan, that have had better success containing the epidemic – although it’s still too early to say whether access to mobile phone location data was the deciding factor.   (Gzero, 3/25/2020)

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A SURPRISING LETTER FROM HOLLYWOOD

Dear Mr. President, @realDonaldTrump

I wanted to thank you for ur recent decorum, sincerity, & care towards us.   You’re taking charge & leading in a manner needed & wanted for this country.   I highly commend you for ur boundless energy & willingness to solve problems.   Thank you!

— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) March 24, 2020

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TO THE POINT

• LAGOS — A jihadist group ambushed and killed around 70 Nigerian government troops in Borno state, in the north-east of the country.   The guerrillas used rocket-propelled grenades to attack a vehicle full of soldiers; they also took several captive.  The group they belong to split off from Nigeria’s homegrown Boko Haram in 2016, and now considers itself an Islamic State affiliate. (The Economist, 3/25/2020)
• BERLIN – A court in eastern Germany convicted eight far-right extremists who were accused of planning to violently overthrow the state.   The regional court in Dresden on Tuesday convicted one of the men on a charge of forming a “terrorist organization” and the other seven of being members of the group, called Revolution Chemnitz.   Five of the man were also found guilty of a serious breach, while one was convicted of bodily harm.  The court sentenced the defendants to prison terms that ranged from 27 months to 5 ½ years.  (Lansing State Journal, 3/25/2020)
• UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged leaders of the world’s 20 major industrialized nations on Tuesday to adopt a “wartime” plan including a stimulus package “in the trillions of dollars” for businesses, workers and households in developing countries trying to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.   He said in a letter to the Group of 20 leaders that they account for 85% of the world’s gross domestic product and have “a direct interest and critical role to play in helping developing countries cope with the crisis.”  (Lansing State Journal, 3/25/2020)
• LONDON – Prince Charles has coronavirus.  Prince Charles, 71, is displaying mild symptoms “but otherwise remains in good health,” a spokesman said, adding that the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, has been tested but does not have the virus.   Charles and Camilla are now self-isolating at Balmoral.   Buckingham Palace said the Queen last saw her son, the heir to the throne, on 12 March, but was “in good health.”   The palace added that the Duke of Edinburgh was not present at that meeting, and that the Queen was now “following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare.”
  A Clarence House statement read:   “In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland.  “The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they met the criteria required for testing.  “It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”
• Germany is the only country in Europe to have currently rejected China’s offer of support in combating the Covid-19 pandemic. According to China’s President Xi Jinping, he informed Chancellor Angela Merkel that the People’s Republic of China “is willing to provide help within our capabilities,” if Germany “is in need.”   Over the past few days, Beijing has sent aid supplies and – in some cases – teams of doctors to provide practical on-site assistance to several European countries including Italy, Spain and France.   Berlin has ignored the offer of support, even though there is, for example, a glaring shortage of respiratory protection masks in Germany.   More than 80 percent of Germany’s registered doctors are complaining that they cannot procure sufficient protective clothing.   Serious accusations for failing to take preventive measures are being raised against the German government, which has been emphasizing that it is “well prepared.”   Leading German media are denouncing China’s aid as a “propaganda campaign” and accuse the country of being “the cause of the pandemic.”  The only thing missing is the use of Trump’s label of a “Chinese virus.” (German Foreign Policy, 3/24/2020)
• A growing number of businesses and individuals worldwide have stopped using banknotes in fear that physical currency, handled by tens of thousands of people over their useful life, could be a vector for the spreading coronavirus.   Public officials and health experts have said that the risk of transferring the virus person-to-person through the use of banknotes is small.   But that has not stopped businesses in the US from refusing to accept currency and some countries from urging their citizens to stop using banknotes altogether.   (Times of Israel, 3/20/2020)

 

PERVERSE LIBERAL THINKING

Flowers are left following Friday’s terror attack on London Bridge in London, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. A man wearing a fake suicide vest was subdued by bystanders as he went on a knife rampage killing two people and wounding others before being shot dead by police on Friday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)    (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Two young Cambridge University graduates are dead, murdered by a supposedly rehabilitated terrorist, in London last Friday.   The Cambridge University students were part of “Learning Together,” a project that aims to bring rehabilitated terrorists back into mainstream society.   This is liberalism gone mad!

A major weakness of western liberalism is the idea that we’re all the same, whatever culture or background we come from.   We should know better.   ISIS fighters are not going to repent – as they come back to western countries following the defeat of ISIS they will bring their ideology with them, and kill people.   Anybody who thinks otherwise is a misguided fool.

The young male victim had written his dissertation on why minorities account for a disproportionate percentage of people in prison.   The answer is simple – they commit more crimes.

It’s sad as more innocent lives are likely to be lost as we pursue rehab.   Years ago, I remember reading in Psychology Today that 92% of sex offenders are never rehabilitated.   When they leave prison, they commit the same acts again.   Do we really think that terrorists will do better?

As Piers Morgan wrote in the Daily Mail, “Most terrorists don’t change their evil spots so it’s time Britain stopped going soft on hate-filled jihadis to please the PC hand-wringing brigade and does what Americans do – lock them up forever.” (12/2/2019 Daily Mail)

Even this may not work.   Terrorists in prison might encourage fellow terrorists to seize hostages until they are released.

What would be more appropriate (and final) is the death penalty.

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KING OF THE NORTH?

Following the opening, on September 30, 2019, of the Al-Bukamal-Al-Qaim border crossing between Syria and Iraq, which had been closed for five years due to the Syria war, Abu Al-Fazel Salehiniya, a culture advisor at the Iranian embassy in Damascus, published an article in the pro-regime Syrian daily Al-Watan, in which he presented the opening of the crossing as a step towards the realization of Iran’s vision of a new Middle East.   He explained that Iran planned to establish a political, economic and cultural bloc consisting of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, which will impact the power-balance in the region and world, and thwart what he called the American and Western plan to fragment the Middle East into tiny states under Western control.   For many years, he said, the U.S. and Israel have been working in various ways to prevent the creation of this bloc, including by instigating protests in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon; however, they have failed thanks to the resistance axis, which is now stronger than ever and has attained impressive achievements.   (MEMRI 12/4)

Editor’s note: The four countries were roughly the borders of the biblical king of the North, in the second century BC.

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GERMAN MILITARY EXPANSION                                                                        by Johannes Stern, 29 Nov 2019, World Socialist Web Site

(Extracts) . . . Kramp-Karrenbauer replied:  “We know we have to do more, but we are on the way.”   In 2031 the German army would “realistically” be able to take over ten percent of NATO’s military capacity.   Until that date at the latest, Germany would also reach the NATO target of two percent of gross domestic product for military spending.   In fact Germany will make substantial steps towards this goal as early as next year, as the pact to form the grand coalition laid out.   According to a report by the German Press Agency, the German government has reported to the military alliance its intention to spend 50.25 billion euros [$US55.3 billion] in 2020.   “We are complying with our international obligations.   The NATO defense rate is 1.42 percent,” boasted Social Democratic Finance Minister Olaf Scholz at yesterday’s presentation of the budget for 2020 in the Bundestag . . .   Five years after the German government announced the end of military restraint at the Munich Security Conference in 2014, the ruling class can no longer hide the fact that it is basing its foreign and great power politics on the militaristic traditions of the German Empire and the Nazis.   In his major lecture on foreign policy at the end of October, the president of the German parliament, Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU), described 1945, i.e. the date of the downfall of the Third Reich and the defeat of Germany in World War II—as a “catastrophe”       (https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/11/29/kram-n29.html)

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GERMANY TO MATCH US CONTRIBUTION TO NATO BUDGET

From 2021, Germany will increase its contribution to the NATO budget to be in line with what the US pays.                                                                  NATO officials hope the move will diffuse tensions surrounding the cost of maintaining the military alliance.             (https://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-match-us-contribution-to-nato-budget/a-51446211)

German army sorry for ‘retro’ post

BERLIN, Germany — The German army on Wednesday apologized for posting a photo on Instagram of a military uniform complete with two Iron Crosses bearing the Nazi swastika and appearing to celebrate it as “retro.”   After media reports sparked outrage, the army removed the picture of the Nazi-era Wehrmacht uniform and explained that it was an “unacceptable mistake.”   The Bundeswehr said it was seeking to do a photo-essay on the influence of military uniforms on fashion through the ages but failed to provide the correct historical context in its captions.   The Bundeswehr has over the years repeatedly come under fire over embarrassing associations with Germany’s militaristic past (https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-army-sorry-for-retro-nazi-uniform-post/)

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Global Survey of 18 Countries Finds Hardcore Anti-Semitic Attitudes Remain Pervasive                                                                                 One in four Europeans polled fall into most anti-Semitic category.

Among the 2019 ADL Global 100 Index’s key findings:  Negative attitudes in Argentina, Brazil, Poland, Russia, South Africa and Ukraine have seen marked increases since the last ADL Global 100 survey.  Anti-Semitic attitudes remain pervasive in Europe. Roughly one out of every four residents of the 14 European countries polled by ADL fall into the most anti-Semitic category, subscribing to a majority of the anti-Semitic stereotypes tested in the index.

Stereotypes about Jewish control of business and the financial markets are among the most pernicious and enduring anti-Semitic beliefs.   These are especially widespread in the Central and Eastern European countries surveyed.   Asked whether they agreed with the statement that “Jews have too much power in the business world,” a staggering 72 percent of Ukrainians agreed, as did 71 percent of Hungarians, 56 percent of Poles, and 50 percent of Russians.

Jewish “disloyalty” is a widespread anti-Semitic stereotype in the Western European countries surveyed. In Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, more than 40 percent of the public believes that Jews are more loyal to the State of Israel than to their own country.   This canard also scored high in Brazil (70 percent), South Africa (60 percent), and relatively high in Canada (25 percent) compared to its overall index score of 8 percent.

“Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust” was a statement supported by large segments of the populations of many of the European countries polled, even in Germany, where 42 percent of the population agreed.   This sentiment was also prevalent in Austria (44 percent), Belgium (40 percent) Italy (38 percent) and Spain (37 percent).(https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-global-survey-of-18-countries-finds-hardcore-anti-semitic-attitudes-remain)

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Zimbabwe ‘on brink of man-made starvation’, UN warns               (BBC, 28 Nov 2019) 

More than 60% of the country’s 14 million people are considered food-insecure, according to the findings.  Hyperinflation, poverty, natural disasters and economic sanctions were among the identified causes.  Women and children were “bearing the brunt of the crisis” with 90% of children aged six months to two years not consuming enough food.  Hilal Elver, the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food, reported her findings following an 11-day visit to the country.  “I cannot stress enough the urgency of the situation in Zimbabwe,” she said, adding that the crisis continues to worsen.   She said many of the people she met could only afford one meal a day and that most of the children she met were stunted and underweight.  “The harrowing stories I heard from resilient grandmothers, mothers or aunts desperately trying to save their children from starvation, in the midst of their daily hardships, will remain with me.”

She also noted Zimbabwe was among the four highest food-insecure nations, alongside conflict-ravaged countries.(https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50586514)

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SOUTHERN BAPTISTS CHANGE ON ABORTION

To Christians, there are few issues more important than fighting against abortion.  The millions of unborn children are made in the image of God, making it personal to Christians.

And millions of American might switch churches after what one denomination said about abortion.

If one were to ask virtually any Southern Baptist churchgoer, they would be strongly against abortion and supportive of the fight to end it.

But as it turns out, the Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t agree with that sentiment.

The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), which is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, just came out stating that Christians should not preach against abortion from the pulpit, on the street corner, or in bumper stickers or social media posts.

They claim that it is “hurtful to women.”   (Culture wars, 11/19)

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LETTER FROM A UK FRIEND

“Channel 4 hosted a leaders debate on climate change yesterday. Boris Johnson. and Nigel Farage did not appear, and their vacant podiums sported ice sculptures instead.   The problem is that Boris is not good responding to tough questioning.   Boris is being shielded from scrutiny as much as possible, he may feel that he’s ‘Churchill like’ but in reality he’s no orator.   In contrast Jeremy Corbyn is a rabble-rouser and whips an audience up to ‘cheers and chanting.’ Very popular with younger voters too.   The Election is for Boris to lose.   According to the opinion polls his lead is slipping back.   I’m fearing another hung parliament.”

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EU DECLARES “CLIMATE EMERGENCY”

The European Parliament declared a “climate emergency,” by a vote of 429 to 225.   The decision is symbolic but important (the European Union is the world’s largest economy) ahead of the UN climate summit to be held in Madrid next week.  The incoming head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised a package of ambitious green measures on December 11th.   (The Economist, 11/29)

Britain’s ruling Conservative Party reacted furiously after Channel 4, a national broadcaster, replaced the prime minister with an ice sculpture during a debate on climate change.   While most other leaders of Britain’s main political parties took part, Boris Johnson refused.  The editor of Channel 4 News accused Mr. Johnson of trying to avoid scrutiny during the election campaign “like Donald Trump.”  (Economist, 11/29)

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Italy busts neo-Nazi ring, ‘Miss Hitler’ pageant winner

Prosecutors in Sicily have announced 19 arrests, exposing a nationwide network of would-be fascist militants.  Police have uncovered weapons, explosives, and extremist propaganda in a series of raids.

Italian police have arrested at least 19 people in connection with a militant neo-Nazi ring, national media reported on Thursday. Although the investigation was based in Sicily, several of the suspects hail from all over the country.   One of the arrested included a 26-year-old Milan resident who had been the winner of an online beauty competition called “Miss Hitler.”   She also spoke at an extreme-right conference in Portugal last August that attempted to unite the so-called “National Socialist movements” of Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France.

During the operation, led by prosecutors in Caltanissetta, Sicily, and dubbed “Black Shadows,” police undercovered troves of weapons, explosives, Nazi memorabilia and texts praising fascist dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, in a series of raids carried out across Italy.
   On top of possible weapons charges, promoting fascism is a crime in Italy.
   The supposed leader of the group is a 50-year-old public employee from the city of Padua, in the northeastern region of Veneto.   She was not known to authorities prior to her detention, police have said, adding that they recovered anti-Semitic material at her home.
   Another suspect is an offender with multiple convictions and ties to the ‘Ndrangheta, the elusive Calabrian mafia, one of the richest organized crime syndicates in the world and by some estimates responsible for 3% of Italy’s GDP.   The man, Italian media said, had turned informant for the police against the mafia but was apparently acting as the chief “trainer” for the violence the neo-Nazi group hoped to carry out.   Specific center-left politicians were named as possible targets.
   The group used a Russian chat app to communicate and try to avoid detection, Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported.   A Russian social media platform called VK was also used to host the “Miss Hitler” competition.(https://www.dw.com/en/italy-busts-neo-nazi-ring-miss-hitler-pageant-winner/a-51458025)

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TO THE POINT

• CHINA FINANCIAL WARNINGS                                                                    From rural bank runs to surging consumer indebtedness and an unprecedented bond restructuring, mounting signs of financial stress in China are putting the nation’s policy makers to the test. Xi Jinping’s government faces an increasingly difficult balancing act as it tries to support the world’s second-largest economy without encouraging moral hazard and reckless spending.   While authorities have so far been reluctant to rescue troubled borrowers and ramp up stimulus, the costs of maintaining that stance are rising as defaults increase and China’s slowdown deepens.  (China financial warning; Bloomberg, 11/28/2019)

• HONG KONG IN REVOLT                                                                            “When Mao Zedong’s guerrillas seized power in China in 1949, they did not take over a clearly defined country, much less an entirely willing one.   Hong Kong was ruled by the British, nearby Macau by the Portuguese.   Taiwan was under the control of a Nationalist government Mao had just overthrown.   The mountain terrain of Tibet was under a Buddhist theocracy that chafed at control from Beijing.   Communist troops had yet to enter another immense region in the far west, Xinjiang, where Muslim ethnic groups did not want to be ruled from afar.”  (“Hong Kong in revolt,” The Economist, 11/23/2019).

• Applying pressure on China is the top priority for the newly elected German EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She announced that, on Sunday – her first day in office – she plans to call Beijing to discuss “human rights.”   The People’s Republic of China is being accused of human rights violations in the context of its “war on terror” against jihadism in Xinjiang province.  The German chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister (CDU) announced that the EU Parliament also plans to discuss the situation in Xinjiang, in its upcoming plenary session (December 16 – 19). In Berlin, the transatlantic-oriented opposition plans to call for sanctions to be imposed on either Chinese politicians or Chinese high-tech-companies, already affected by US sanctions. Commentators in the USA, as well as in Germany, are equating China with Nazi Germany. According to a former liberal-oriented German daily, “there can be no long-term peaceful coexistence” with the People’s Republic of China.   (German Foreign Policy, 11/29/2019)

• ZAMBIAN COUPLE GET 15 YEARS FOR SEXUAL ACT                      A homosexual couple has been given 15 years for a crime “against the natural order,” citing the fact that they are a very religious Christian country.   They also happen to have one of the highest incidents of HIV in the world, reflecting widespread immorality. They should take a look at I Corinthians 6.  Fornication, adultery and sodomy are all condemned equally, a fact that Zambian churches have failed to notice.  In Africa, AIDS is invariably a heterosexual disease.

•  A video has emerged from the Nato summit in London, which appears to show Boris Johnson,  Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron, Princess Anne and the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, laughing about the US president during a reception at Buckingham Palace.   The meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nato alliance began inauspiciously, with tensions on full display between Macron, Trump and Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.    It seems that other countries are more likely to ridicule Mr Trump, expecting that he will be impeached next year.

• PRINCE ANDREW                                                                                                    As a former navy pilot, Prince Andrew would normally be present at a Nato shindig, but the disgraced duke has been stripped of his duties, leaving his mother to host the reception.  Meanwhile, Trump’s claim not to know Andrew is contradicted by extensive photographic evidence.  (Guardian, 12/4)

 

 

 

ACROSS THE POND

I’ve not been able to write much recently.   This is due to the fact that we moved house on Sunday.   Or, rather, I should say we moved the big, heavy items with the help of younger men from our church. For a month before that, we were moving small items ourselves.   Now, we still have to clear out our old house.  We have a few more days to do that and then things should get back to normal.  (Why is my wife laughing hysterically . . . ?)

Moving house later in life is more difficult.   Not only is lifting harder, especially after two major back surgeries and my wife’s cancer surgery.   But also we have accumulated more.   So this has been an opportunity to get rid of some things.   We still have a long way to go, though.   We must keep working on it.

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President Obama is in England as I write.  He’s upset a lot of people by urging the British to stay in the EU.   A referendum on the issue is due in two months.

The US president stated that fighting terrorism is more effective within the European Union.   This is debatable – the EU allows freedom of movement within the 28-member organization.   In itself, this encourages terrorism.

It should be noted that Switzerland is surrounded by the EU, but not a member and has not had one single terrorist incident.

It’s also true that the EU is not a security organization – NATO is.   There is no suggestion that Britain leave NATO.

Thirdly, it has always been the case that foreign leaders do not interfere in elections in other countries.   Is a new precedent being set here?   Can Mr. Cameron now come over to Washington and tell Americans not to vote for Trump?

Having said that, President Kennedy over 50 years ago, encouraged the United Kingdom to join what is now the European Union.   The reason is simple – Washington wants a reliable pro-American voice in the world’s biggest single market.

But how would Americans feel if they were part of an Americas Union, bringing all the nations of North and South America together in one bloc?   Would they willingly take orders from Havana and Caracas?   That’s exactly what the Brits are having to do as members of the EU.   Some member countries have lost considerable financial independence, as they have to wait for orders from Berlin.   Germany is the dominant power in the EU.   The Union is a socialist bloc that tries to control every aspect of daily life.   No wonder so many Brits want out.   The president should stay out of the debate and leave it to the British people, who have to subsidize the organization from their taxes each and every day.

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The Obamas arrived in London on the Queen’s 90^th birthday.   They will be having lunch with her on Friday.   The official reason for their visit is to honor the Queen.   Mrs. Obama has expressed a desire to see the monarch’s grandchildren and great grandchildren.   A family photo was released this week showing four generations of monarchs sitting together – Queen Elizabeth and future monarchs Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George.   A similar picture was taken in the 1890’s of Queen Victoria with her oldest son, grandson and great-grandson (the future Edward VII, George V and Edward VIII).

No other British monarch has ever lived to be 90.   Nor has any other monarch reigned as long as the Queen.   The Queen’s marriage is also the longest ever royal marriage in history.   It’s interesting to note that out of 40 monarchs, the three most prominent ones have all been women, Elizabeth I, Victoria and Elizabeth II.

Commentators on BBC World yesterday expressed the opinion that the Queen’s longevity and famous devotion to duty owes a great deal to three things – good health, strong faith and Prince Philip, who turns 95 in June.   For the first time, a book on her faith is available for people to read.   It’s title is The Servant Queen and the King She Serves.   Hopefully, it will influence more of her subjects to reject the secular humanism that has brought so many evils into British society and look to Jesus Christ for solutions to their problems.   This is equally true for Commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

In contrast to most world leaders the Queen sees herself as a servant.   She is no doubt familiar with the words of Jesus Christ who taught His disciples to be different to the leaders they saw around them.

”But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.   Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.   And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20: 25-28).

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Pat Buchanan has just written a column on “America’s Imperial Overstretch,” comparing the country’s present state to the last days of the British Empire.   Most people today are unaware that when the British monarch was born, the British Empire was the greatest power in the world.   At the start of her reign, Britain was still a very powerful country.   One of its greatest strengths was the Royal Navy. Now, there are so few ships, there are none available to protect the Falkland Islands from Argentina.   Nor are there any to defend Gibraltar.   The governments of the two colonies took the unusual step earlier this month of issuing a joint statement reminding potential aggressors (Argentina and Spain) that the United Nations charter calls for the “self-determination of peoples.”   The populations of both colonies want to remain British but Britain can’t or won’t defend them.

This is the future Americans have to look forward to – imperial decline on a massive scale.

Note Pat Buchanan’s comments:

“Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, this country has been steadily bled and slowly bankrupted. We are now as overextended as was the British Empire in the 1940s.

“And like that empire, we, too, are being challenged by nations that seek to enlarge their place in the sun — a resurrected Russia, China, Iran.   And we are being bedeviled by fanatics who want us out of their part of the world, which they wish to remake according to the visions of their own faiths and ideologies.  (“America’s Imperial Overstretch,” 4/14)

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President and Mrs. Obama arrived in England after visiting Saudi Arabia.  It was clear the Saudis are upset with the United States.   For decades the alliance between the two has been a cornerstone of US foreign policy.   Now that the US is cuddling up to Shi’ite Iran, the Saudis feel betrayed.   As one commentator put it – they don’t like playing the role of a rejected wife as the husband turns his attention to his new mistress, Tehran!   Divorce, however, is not considered an option. It is also the case that many Saudis (maybe most) are more enamored with IS than the US!