GERMAN POLITICS TURNS VIOLENT

Franziska Giffey, a prominent Berlin politician, was violently assaulted and suffered injuries to her head and neck. (https://apnews.com/article/germany-election-violence-eu-4d09d90a6cc380aacf62ca4a69af1a64)

Latest attack on a German politician stokes concern ahead of elections

German politics is getting violent. This week, Berlin’s top economic official was attacked, sustaining head and neck injuries. A 74-year-old man was later arrested. Although the motive is unknown, it was the latest episode in a rising tide of political violence as Germany gears up for European Parliament elections this summer.

Last week, the top European Parliament candidate of the governing Social Democrat Party was beaten unconscious in the eastern city of Dresden while campaigning. A Green Party operative was assaulted there as well. Several teens with ties to far-right ideologies are suspected in both cases.

Statistics show rising violence against German politicians. In 2023, there were nearly 2,800 physical or verbal attacks, twice as many as in 2019, when a neo-Nazi assassination of conservative lawmaker Walter Lübcke stunned the country.

Last year’s violence included about 500 attacks on politicians from the far-right Alternative for Deutschland, or AFD, and more than 1,200 on members of the center-left Green Party.

Why now? The problem has deep roots, according to Jan Techau, a Berlin-based Europe expert at Eurasia Group. Establishment parties’ long-standing failure to address big issues like immigration, schooling, or the economy, he says, opened the way for more radical and violent forces on both the left and right. “What we see is an overall more charged, political atmosphere where this kind of violence becomes more legitimate.”  (Gzero Signal, 5/9/2024)

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SEN GRAHAM PREDICTS TRUMP’S ACTIONS ON ILLEGALS

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned in a recent hearing that President Trump will not be lenient on illegal immigrants, including beneficiaries of the DACA program, unless they offer a “unique benefit” to America.

The US Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on Wednesday called “Dream Deferred:  The Urgent Need to Protect Immigrant Youth” that emphasized the need for passing legal protections for noncitizens brought into the United States as children.  “Dreamers” can secure work permits and avoid deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  However, DACA does not offer green cards and there is presently no path to citizenship through the initiative.  During the hearing, Mr. Graham said that “if President Trump wins, I predict, I’m not going to speak for him, but unless you really truly have a unique benefit to the country or an unusual humanitarian situation, you’re going to be kicked out.  There are millions of people here who have just been waved into the coutry,” he sad.  (Naveen Athrappully, The Epoch Times, 5/10/2024)

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ANTI-WHITE ATTACK AVERTED

Federal prosecutors have charged a recently discharged US marine with making threats to attack white people in a mass shooting.

On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced the arrest of Joshua Cobb, 23, on a single-count indictment of transmitting an interstate threat over the Internet. According to a complaint filed in the case, Mr. Cobb authored a social media post on Dec. 17, 2022, indicating his interest in inflicting mayhem “on the white community.”

The author of the Dec. 17, 2022, social media post states, “I want to cause mayhem on the white community.  The reason I specifically want to target white people is because as a black male, they will NEVER understand my struggles.”  (Ryan Morgan, The Epoch Times, 5/15/2024)

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POSSIBLE OTHER NATIONS MAY ENTER UKRAINE

As Russia’s current offensive gains momentum in Ukraine, politicians in Berlin are debating the merits of deploying European soldiers on Ukrainian territory. Last week, Lithuania announced that it was ready to send military trainers to the war zone without delay and was only waiting for a request from Kiev. Estonia has said that it is prepared to demonstrate military presence of its own on Ukrainian territory as part of a hoped-for “coalition of the willing.” Its focus would be on air defence capabilities. In Germany, the direct deployment of German troops is, with the exception of a few hardliners in Berlin, not publicly advocated. This is partly due to the important state elections upcoming next autumn. However, politicians from the CDU, FDP and Greens are backing intervention proposals that envisage the stationing of air defence systems on Polish and Romanian territory that can shoot down Russian offensive weapons over Ukraine. Warnings that this step would be tantamount to entering the war are being played down. At the same time, discussions are taking place on post-ceasefire scenarios, which might see the deployment of EU or NATO troops in Ukraine. (German Foreign Policy, 5/14/2024)

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AUTIISM – “Different diets can help with autism.”

When Matthew Hirning was diagnosed with autism, specialists told Terri Hirning that her 4-year-old son had a genetic condition, there was nothing she could do about it, and that he’d need to live in a group home as an adult because he’d never be independent.  “I remember thinking, “I don’t know how, but that’s not going to be his story.  That’s not an answer for what’s going on here,” Ms. Hirning told The Epoch Times.

She’d already noticed when he ate certain foods he’d have trouble sleeping, intense sensory meltdowns, and virtually no eye contact.  He also suffered from limited vocabulary and chronic constipation – at times he wouldn’t even respond to his name.

 Both intuition and critical reasoning pointed to diet as an easy entry point to symptom resolution.

“We had a dear friend who was an occupational therapist specializing in autism and she mentioned red dye and MSG [monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer] . . . I started to Just kind of dip my toe in the world that was biomedical intervention,” Ms. Hirning said.

The Hirnings learned that Matthew had a disrupted gut microbiome – the community of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that work synergistically to create metabolites that modulate neurotransmitters.  That gut-brain connection can explain mood, behavior, and overall functionality changes that come through diet.

Testing also revealed Matthew had a range of food allergies. With diet modifications tracked in a food journal, Matthew reversed his symptoms of autism.   (“Different diets can help with autism,” Amy Denney, The Epoch Times, 5/15/2024)   

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BRIEFLY

• Fifty years ago today, formal impeachment proceedings for President Richard Nixon began on Capitol Hill. Nixon resigned before the House of Representatives could actually vote to impeach him, which, at the time, had only occurred once before in US history. We’ve since upped the pace of impeachments (three since 1998!) — but the Senate has still never convicted and removed a president.  (5/9/2024 Gzero)

• I was once dined by a Soviet news commentator who told me how his bosses wanted to take over control of the UK bit by bit. They wanted to place their sympathizers, (whether comrades, ideologues, stooges or useful idiots) in three UK institutions. What were the revolutionary targets for the USSR? The Foreign Office, Parliament and the BBC.   (David Heilbron Price from eurDemocracy, 5/9/2024)

• While no Arab nation will accept Gazan refugees, Australia’s Labor Government has no such reservations, welcoming them into Australia with only hours of vetting.  (Roger Cool, Politicom, Australia, 5/7/2024)

• THE Albanese Government is trying to cover up rapid demographic changes for fear of a backlash. It fears people will start asking questions if they see their country changing so rapidly.  (Henry Jom, Politicom, 5/7/2024)

• Volodymyr Zelensky has cancelled all of his foreign trips, following a renewed Russian offensive in Kharkiv, in north-east Ukraine. (The Epoch Times, 5/15/2024)

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THINK ABOUT IT

The Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was the victim of an attempted assassination earlier today (Wednesday, May 15).

The news this morning (Eastern time) made me think of this verse in the book of James.  James reminds us, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.’ (James 4:13-14)

The last few months have surely brought this to mind – that we can make plans but suddenly everything changes.  October 7^th was one of those days.  Trips to Israel or somewhere else in the Middle East were suddenly “on hold.”

It was an assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 that led directly to World War I starting a month or so after the shots were fired.

This assassination is a part of the classic struggle between Russia and Europe.  Robert Fico is the leader of the pro-Russian part of the government.  Another struggle along the same lines is being fought in Georgia.  It’s too easy to say Russia is behind everything.

At this point in time, we don’t know if Robert Fico will live or die.  But in 1914, events kept moving fast until the world was in flames.

ISRAEL HITS IRAN

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRzrj17Dn8s)

Well, now we know the answer to the question of how Israel planned to respond to Iran’s recent attack. Explosions were reported early on Friday near the northwestern Iranian city of Isfahan, in what several major outlets reported, citing US officials and local sources, as an apparent Israeli strike.

The blasts come just days after Iran launched its first-ever direct attacks on Israel, launching hundreds of missiles and drones, almost all of which were shot down by Israeli and US missile defenses. That salvo was itself seen as a response to Israel’s strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus early this month.

Syria and Iraq reported blasts as well. Blasts possibly related to the strikes on Iran were also reported around the same time at sites in Iraq and Syria. Both countries are home to sizable Iranian proxy forces and intelligence units.

So much for the Passover head fake. Earlier on Thursday, US officials had suggested anonymously that Israel would wait until after the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins Monday, to retaliate.

Was this an escalation by Israel? “On the surface, it appears rather limited,” said Gregory Brew, lead Iran analyst at Eurasia Group, “beyond the symbolic significance of Israel hitting Iranian territory.”

Iran isn’t blaming Israel. Tehran is claiming to have shot down several drones in the Isfahan area but is downplaying the significance of the incident and hasn’t blamed Israel — instead pointing the finger at “infiltrators.” Iran has not indicated any plans for retaliation, in a potential sign that it doesn’t want to escalate the situation.

“It’s early,” Brew noted, “but the official regime line may be that this is not an action that requires immediate and public retaliation.”

That’s good news even in a bad situation, he says. “It would suggest that the Israeli effort to hit back without triggering further escalation has been successful.”  (Gzero Signal, 4/19/2024)

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ISLAMIC ATTITUDES IN THE UK

Poll shows British Muslims want Islam as the national religion and an Islamic political party.  1 in 3 Muslims living in the UK want Islam to be declared the national religion and for everyone to live under the brutal system of Sharia law which calls for beheadings and amputations. 

Among younger Muslims 18-24, 1 in 5 believed that making Islam “our national religion” was “very desirable,” and a total of 43% supported redefining the UK as an Islamic state.  Only 16% opposed it.

This younger group who are the future of Muslims in the UK was also the one most likely to sympathize with Islamic terrorists.

1 in 4 British Muslim men expressed a positive view of Jihad. 46% of British Muslims sympathized with Hamas as did 58% of younger British Muslims. None effectively sympathize with Israel. Previously 1 in 4 Muslims had sympathized with the 7/7 suicide bombers in London.

52% of Muslims supported a ‘blasphemy’ ban on Mohammed cartoons. This Sharia ‘blasphemy code’ had already been used to justify violence and Islamic terrorist attacks against artists and magazines. Including the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris by heavily armed Muslim terrorists.

A previous poll reported by The Telegraph in 2015 showed that 1 in 4 Muslims supported the Hebdo attacks. 

Setting up conflicts with feminists and LGBTQ activists, 1 in 5 Muslims wanted to legalize polygamy and 1 in 4 wanted to ban homosexuality. While a majority of Muslim colonists would not commit to the move, both measures had similar levels of opposition and support.    (Jihad Watch, 4/16/2024)

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THE BRUSSELS GANGSTER STATE

A conference of the National Conservatives brought European conservatives together in Brussels, the capital of the European Union.  Delegates included Nigel Farage, the famous Brit and friend of Donald Trump, who led the Brexit campaign; Suella Braverman, a leading Tory politician who is very controversial on immigration;  Victor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, whose conviction is that Hungary belongs to Hungarians and has taken a hard line on immigration; and other Europeans who support the same causes.

From Melanie Phillips, in attendance at the conference:  ‘Bowing to left-wing protests, a Socialist Party Brussels mayor, Philippe Close – who last year invited Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani, a member of Iran’s tyrannical Islamist regime, for an official visit –  pressured the NatCons’ venue, Concert Noble, to cancel the event. Concert Noble, a high-end event space, duly caved.

Undaunted, the conference organizers secured a second venue at the Sofitel hotel. Late on Monday, Sofitel also cancelled after a second Brussels mayor, Vincent de Wolf, applied the thumbscrews. Sofitel duly sought police help to eject the conference organizers from its premises hours before the conference was due to start.

The conference organizers went to court to seek an injunction against Sofitel. The judge threw that out. Hundreds of people were arriving in Brussels for a conference that had nowhere to meet. 

With remarkable persistence and determination, the organizers located a third conference venue, a nightclub called Claridge. They worked most of Monday night setting up from scratch all the equipment, food and other supplies necessary for a two-day conference. By the time the conference registration opened at 8 am on Tuesday morning, it was all up and running — a formidable achievement.  This was, however, far from the end of the story.

For yet another Socialist Party Brussels mayor, Emir Kir, issued an order to shut down the conference. His reasons were “that [NatCon’s] vision is not only ethically conservative (e.g. hostility to the legalisation of abortion, same-sex unions, etc.) but also focused on the defense of “national sovereignty”, which implies, amongst other things, a “Eurosceptic” attitude…”

He also said that some of the speakers “are reputed to be traditionalists” and that the conference must be banned “to avoid foreseeable attacks on public order and peace”.

After his order was issued, three police officers turned up at the back of the hall demanding a shutdown with “immediate effect” on the grounds that the opinions of Farage, Braverman, and other speakers could lead to public disorder. When the TV cameras swiveled round to film the police, however, they beat a retreat outside, doubtless aware that being seen to shut down prominent European politicians wouldn’t be a good look. 

Next, on came Suella Braverman who spoke about the need for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights. She added:  “The thought police instructed by the mayor of Brussels saw fit to try and undermine and denigrate what is free speech and free debate. What really concerns me is that, only last year, the mayor of Brussels was happy to host the mayor of Tehran. And yet he seems to be pretty offended by democratically elected politicians, people from all over the European continent, who are giving voice to millions of people talking about things like securing our borders.”

Other supposedly terrifying topics discussed by the speakers were EU overreach, farmers’ protests, the failing birthrate and the pressures of mass immigration.

Another speaker, German Cardinal Ludwig Müller, was visibly shocked by the police blocking the entrance to the Claridge when he arrived. “This is like Nazi Germany,” he said.  “They are like the SA.”

What was originally a small conference of no great interest to anyone beyond a few thousand political nerds was now creating waves across the world. Country after country voiced shock and outrage about the way it had been treated. Britain’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, called the attempt to shut down the conference “extremely disturbing.” The events at the Claridge were trending on Twitter. It was publicity for National Conservatism beyond its supporters’ wildest dreams.   (Melanie Phillips, 4/17/2024)  

Attempts to shut down conservatism in Europe and attempts to silence Donald Trump in the US through the courts, may backfire.   Even people who do not support conservatives may find all this disturbing.

Also, it may backfire:  when conservatives are in power, they may use the same tactics to throttle the left.

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THE NEXT HOUSING DISASTER

“Think about the places vulnerable to climate change, and you might picture rice paddies in Bangladesh or low-lying islands in the Pacific. But another, more surprising answer ought to be your own house.  About a tenth of the world’s residential property by value is under threat from global warming – including many houses that are nowhere near the coast.  From tornadoes battering midwestern American suburbs to tennis-ball-size hailstones smashing the roofs of Italian villas, the severe weather brought about by greenhouse gas emissions is shaking the foundations of the world’s most important asset class.

The potential costs stem from policies designed to reduce the emissions of houses as well as from climate-related damage.  They are enormous.  By one estimate, climate change and the fight against it could wipe out 9% of the value of the world’s housing by 2050 – which amounts to $25 trillion, not much less than America’s annual GDP.    It is a huge bill hanging over people’s lives and the global financial system.   And it looks destined to trigger an almighty fight over who should pay up.”   (The Economist, 4/13/2024)

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POSSIBLE UKRAINE DEFEAT

Ahead of the meeting of G7 foreign ministers, beginning today on the island of Capri, there are frank warnings of a Ukrainian defeat on the battlefield. Alarm is being voiced both in Ukraine and in Western capitals. Kiev is “at great risk” of losing the war in the course of this year, declared a high-ranking British military officer at the weekend.

Senior Ukrainian officers had previously warned that the Russian armed forces could soon be able to smash open sections of the front. A Russian advance into large parts of eastern and even central Ukraine is no longer ruled out. Experts criticise the way Western accounts have “talked up the situation in Ukraine from the outset.” The Ukrainian officers complain in particular that the impact of new Western weaponry is frequently overestimated – often based on a traditional bullishness and self-certainty. It is now clear, for example, that the Russian military has learnt how to eliminate Storm Shadow or SCALP cruise missiles, targeting them with a high hit rate. The G7 foreign ministers are now looking at options for preventing a collapse of the Ukrainian front. Foreign Minister Baerbock is proposing a worldwide “mapping of all Patriot systems” to secure faster supplies from third countries.  (German Foreign Policy, 4/19/2024)

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BRIEFLY

“The British Angle” – “Brits should give up alcohol if it offends Muslim immigrants.”  (4/19/2024 YouTube).

One hundred years ago, British troops were trying to keep Muslims and Jews apart; in India the problem was Hindus and Muslims.   Now, one hundred years later, they are trying to keep them apart at home.  Decades of reckless immigration laws have left many ethnic groups fighting each other.

Also on YouTube:  “They all Betrayed us,” with pictures of Rishi Sunak, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, Theresa May and David Cameron, all prime ministers for over 25 years, except for Liz Truss who was only in office for 49 days and could not do too much damage.   There have been calls for trials and imprisonment.

A London Jew was watching a pro-Palestinian march in the capital city, until the police forced him to move, with the threat of arrest.  He was told “Your presence is aggravating the situation.”  It seems as if the police have been told to keep Jews and Muslims apart.

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)

WILL THIS BE AMERICA’S LAST YEAR?

NATO is the biggest and longest-serving alliance in history, with 32 members.  It was founded in 1949.   It was about that time that the US was first called the Leader of the Free World.  (Prior to World War II Britain had the same status.). Seventy-five years later, there is increasing talk of ending the alliance.   That would mean the US ending its leadership role.  It would no longer be called the Leader of the Free World.  That role would be passed to another member of NATO.

Note the following quotes from Wikipedia:

“On 6 May 2010, upon an address to the plenary chamber of the European Parliament, the then US Vice President Joe Biden, stated that Brussels had a “legitimate claim” to the title of “capital of the free world,” normally a title reserved for Washington. He added that Brussels is a “great city which boasts 1,000 years of history and serves as capital of Belgium, the home of many of the institutions of the European Union and the headquarters of the NATO alliance.”

“When Time declared the German Chancellor Angela Merkel as Time Person of the Year for 2015, they referred to her as “Europe’s most powerful leader,” and the cover bore the title “Chancellor of the Free World.”  Following the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency in November 2016, The New York Times called Merkel “the Liberal West’s Last Defender,” and a number of commentators called her “the next leader of the free world.”  Merkel herself rejected the description. An article by James Rubin in Politico about a White House meeting between Merkel and Trump was ironically titled “The Leader of the Free World Meets Donald Trump.”

“Is Europe ready?”

“Russia is becoming more dangerous.  America is less reliable and Europe remains unprepared.  The problem is simply put, but the scale of its solution is hard to comprehend.  The security arrangements based on NATO that emerged from the Second World War – and have prevented a third – are so much part of Europe’s fabric that remaking them will be an immense task.   European leaders urgently need to jettison their post-Soviet complacency. That means raising their defense spending to a level not seen in decades, restoring Europe’s neglected military traditions, restructuring its arms industries and preparing for a possible war.  The work has barely begun.

“The murder of Alexei Navalny, Russia’s main opposition leader, in a penal colony on February 16^th ought to have shattered any remaining illusions about the ruthlessness and violence of Vladimir Putin.  As the violence enters its third year, Russia is winning in Ukraine.  Having put the economy on a war footing, Russia’s president is spending 7.1% of GDP on defense.   Within three to five years, Denmark’s defense minister has said, Mr. Putin could be ready to take on NATO, perhaps by launching hybrid operations against one of the Baltic states.  His aim would be to wreck NATO’s pledge that if one country is attacked, the others will be ready to come to its aid.”  (“Is Europe ready?” The Economist 2/24)

In its 75 year history, only once has Clause 5 of the treaty been invoked. That was on Sept 11, 2001. The country helped was America.

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WHAT’S BORIS JOHNSON UP TO IN VENEZUELA?

Boris Johnson is back in the news again – but not for the reasons you might think. The former UK prime minister secretly flew by private jet to Venezuela last month for talks with President Nicolás Maduro, according to an exclusive in The Sunday Times.

Apparently with the knowledge of Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Johnson spoke to the widely sanctioned autocrat Maduro about the war in Ukraine, amid fears that the “oil-rich socialist republic” could supply weapons to Russia, its stalwart ally. But Johnson also reportedly discussed the possibility of the UK normalizing relations with Venezuela – as the US did last year – in exchange for its first “free and fair presidential elections” since 2013. 

The UK (and most of the world) doesn’t accept Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, after the fraudulent 2018 elections. But as we discussed in our end-of-year The Week Unwrapped podcast, the poverty-stricken nation has become a focal point in the global tug-of-war between authoritarianism and democracy. A long-time ally of Iran, Venezuela is also attractive to the US for its massive oil reserves and for its potential to help stem the flow of desperate Venezuelan migrants into America.

Maduro has agreed to hold elections on 28 July – but will likely run without a challenger, after banning his strongest adversary from public office for alleged corruption. Johnson’s back-channel visit is bound to raise eyebrows in Westminster, but whether it will move the dial on democracy in Caracas looks much less likely.  (The Week, 3/11/2024)

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INDIA’S NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW

EDITOR’S COMMENT: India has some of the strictest laws on immigration and citizenship.   Whereas the Indian PM is always calling for the US, UK and Australia to allow in more Indians, the doors are always closed the other way.  The new proposed citizenship law will tweak that, a little.

The Indian government implemented a new citizenship law on Monday after over four years of delay that critics say may be used to discriminate against the country’s large Muslim minority.

What’s the new law? The amendment extends Indian citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who moved to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh before Dec. 31, 2014.

Supporters say the law is meant to help members of those faiths escape persecution in their countries of origin, but critics worry it is one step of a two-part plan. In combination with a proposed national register of citizens, they say this law could be used to render Muslims stateless. When the law was first passed in 2019, it triggered months of protests and riots that left dozens dead and hundreds injured, which is why the government waited years to implement it.

Why now? Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never looked stronger, and he’s aiming to fire up Hindu nationalist sentiment ahead of elections this spring. Modi is expected to win comfortably, but he’s aiming to run up his party’s vote count as high as possible and solidify its long-term prospects.

To that end, earlier this year he opened a controversial Hindu temple on the grounds of a former mosque in a massive symbolic victory, which had been the site of violent confrontation for over a century. And to woo less spiritually motivated voters, Modi announced he was spending $15 billion on infrastructure in the south and east, where he hopes to make inroads into opposition strongholds.  (Gzero Signal, 3/12/2024)

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GAINING WAR EXPERIENCE

Following the death of three sailors in another Houthi militia attack on a freighter in the Gulf of Aden, the situation in the operational area of Germany’s state-of-the-art frigate, The Hessen, continues to worsen. In response to the attack, there is likely to be a renewed wave of US-British strikes on Houthi (Ansar Allah) positions in Yemen. Yet it is highly unlikely that this firepower will dissuade Ansar Allah from launching further attacks on merchant shipping. The Hessen has been deployed to the Red Sea and neighboring waters as part of Operation Aspides, the EU’s own maritime security mission to protect merchant ships. The vessel’s initial actions have not been a success. Its anti-drone missiles have missed their target several times, including an attempt to bring down a misidentified US drone. German naval circles speak of beginner’s mistakes and the need to learn lessons:  “What the ship and crew lack is war experience.” The German navy is keen to gain this war experience. The Hessen can spy on large parts of Yemen thanks to its advanced technical equipment. The data yielded can be passed on to the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, taking place alongside the EU’s own Operation Aspides in the Red Sea. This capability could have far-reaching consequences for regional tensions, although it remains uncertain as to whether the data will be used for strikes on Houthi positions.  (German Foreign Policy, 3/11/2024)

TALKING POINT

Church of England and the Slavery Reparations Row

The Church of England is appealing for other organizations to help it establish a £1 billion fund to address its former connections to slavery.

A £100 million sum was initially pledged by the Church to tackle the issue, but following a review by an independent oversight group, it was viewed as “insufficient,” The Guardian reported. Instead, it has been suggested a far greater sum is necessary to properly “reflect the scale of moral sin.”  The Church hopes to “attract co-investors to increase the fund’s value” to “invest globally in black-led businesses.”

The original commitment to reparations, supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was made following findings that a “significant chunk” of the Church’s £10.3 billion wealth could be traced back to profits made from slavery, said The Times.

‘It’s not a lot’

Rosemarie Mallett, the Bishop of Croydon, led the review into the church’s original fund. Speaking to The Guardian, she said £100 million is “a heck of a lot of money,” but “that it is not a lot when you consider the harm done.”

A call for reparations is intrinsically linked to faith, said Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, in The Sunday Times.  Acknowledging the past demonstrates the Church is “serious about justice and serious about the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

A ‘trinity of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’

But Niall Gooch on UnHerd said it was an “un-Christian” move. When it comes to reparations, “there is a distinct whiff of the Church leaping on board a passing secular bandwagon.”  Christians “ought to be in the business of promoting racial harmony,” said Gooch, “not crank theories about how all the problems of society are the fault of a certain group.”

Instead of fault, “the Church of England stands close to the top of the heroes’ table” when it comes to addressing the horrors of the slave trade, said Daniel Hannan in The Telegraph. William Wilberforce, widely viewed as the main driving force in Britain for the abolition of the “foul business,” discussed being motivated by his Anglican faith.

Reparations only show the traditional doctrine of the Church is being abandoned in favor of the “newer trinity of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”

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HAITI’S CONTINUING AGONY

Regional leaders are meeting Monday in Jamaica to discuss Haiti’s political crisis after intense violence in Port-au-Prince saw gangs burn down the country’s Interior Ministry this weekend. They also attacked police stations near the National Palace in offensives that have paralyzed the country. The US Embassy has evacuated non-essential staff.

Washington is pushing for a transitional council to replace unpopular Prime Minister  Ariel Henry, who is stuck outside Haiti. He left for Nairobi on Feb. 25 to try to salvage a multinational intervention force to be led by Kenya. The leader of the largest gang coalition, Jimmy Chérizier (aka Barbecue), used Henry’s absence as an opportunity to play for power.

What happens now? Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, the president of regional bloc CARICOM, says he is in talks with Henry and other Haitian power players.

We expect Henry to step down – without support from Haitians, the US, or regional leaders, how can he hang on?

The tricky question is who comes next. Guy Philippe, a convicted drug trafficker who led the 2004 coup, is building support for his “National Awakening” movement, and some Haitians say he is in a position to negotiate with the gangs. But considering he’s fresh out of a US prison, don’t expect Washington to back him.  (Gzero Signal, 3/12/2024)

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QUOTES OF THE DAY

“All I want is my country back.”  (Lee Anderson, the former vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, explains why he has defected to Reform UK)

“Americans have kind of had it with wars “ (General Mark Milley, Financial Times, 3/2/2024)

“Israel has forfeited the right to exist.”  (George Galloway’s assistant)

Thomas Sowell gave a one-word answer to the question:  “What can Jews do to defeat rising antisemitism?”    Answer:  Fail (brilliant).

“Twice in my lifetime I’ve used the mute button on my remote to stop listening to a president.  One was President Trump; the other Obama.”   (Thomas Sowell, who has endorsed Trump for president)

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STAT OF THE WEEK

67.7% / 73.9%

Irish voters delivered “two wallops” to their government when they shot down efforts to modernize the “very old-fashioned” 1937 constitution. About 67.7% of voters rejected broadening the definition of family (it currently specifies marriage as the basis) and 73.9% voted against removing a suggestion that women’s value derives from “duties in the home” (the biggest constitutional defeat in Ireland’s history). The proposed replacements to these “notions from a bygone era” were criticized as rushed, “maddeningly vague and threatening to property rights,” said Politico.   (The Week, 3/11/2024)

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SCRIPTURE CORNER

Jesus came to take away the guilt and shame of our sin. And he did that by taking on the most shameful death No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame . . .
(Psalm 25:3)

Shame is different from guilt. If you are guilty, you did something wrong, and you realize you are responsible for it. You can feel shame from being guilty, but feelings of shame are not always tied to guilt. Shame has more to do with a lack of self-worth, and that can come from not measuring up to a standard, from feeling insecure, from being bullied or abused in various ways, from public disgrace, ridicule, and more. When you are ashamed, you may or may not have done something wrong, but when others see you, you feel exposed, dirty, unworthy of respect.

When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they realized they had done wrong. They saw that they were naked. They were exposed and felt shame. They tried to cover up and hide. But they couldn’t hide from God—and that was a good thing, because God loved them and valued them, despite what they had done wrong. God loves us all too, despite any bad we have done.

Jesus came to take away the guilt and shame of our sins and he did that by taking on the most shameful death possible:  crucifixion on a Roman cross. He hung there naked, in public disgrace, exposed to the abuse of the jeering crowd. And yet he was innocent. “He endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2), so that we can be freed from all shame and live fully with him. Now, because of Jesus, we are forever clean.   (Kent Van Til, Our Daily Bread, 3/8/2024)

Navalny’s Widow Addresses EU Lawmakers

Yulia Navalnaya has vowed to continue her husband’s work to fight for a “free Russia,” Credit: EPA

In the days following her husband Alexei Navalny’s death in a Russian prison colony on 16 February, Yulia Navalnaya has picked up his mantle as a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin.  Speaking to European lawmakers and students from across the continent in Strasbourg, Ms. Navalnaya called on countries to treat the Russian president as the leader of a criminal organization, using the legal tools at their disposal. Ahead of her speech, Mr. Navalny’s spokesperson announced that the activist’s body would be buried at a cemetery in Moscow on Friday, two weeks before the start of Russia’s presidential election, where Mr. Putin is set to win another six-year term.  Ms. Navalnaya addressed the feeling that “Putin cannot be defeated at all,” channeling her husband in saying: “If you want to defeat Putin you have to become an innovator. You have to stop being boring.”   (BBC News Briefing, 2/28/2024).

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TUESDAY’S MICHIGAN PRIMARY – Michigan’s primary mattered, here’s why

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden won their primaries in Michigan yesterday, but the vote revealed vulnerabilities for Joe Biden that could come back to haunt him in November.

Why Michigan mattered:  It was Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in Michigan that sealed the 2016 election, and Joe Biden’s triumph over Trump there and in other Upper Midwestern states in 2020 that decided the election. In all probability, it will play a decisive role this November. Michigan is also home to the largest Arab-American population in the United States. After a concerted campaign in protest of the Biden administration’s policy toward Israel and Gaza, 13 percent of Democratic primary voters chose “uncommitted” last night. In Dearborn and Hamtramck, two of the Michigan cities with the highest concentrations of Arab Americans, “uncommitted” won 56 and 61 percent of the Democratic vote, respectively. Significant portions of Michigan’s college towns also voted uncommitted in protest, foreshadowing how many young, progressive voters are angry about American support for Israel.

GOP voters once again rejected Nikki Haley in favor of Donald Trump. Haley lost for a fifth time against the former president, winning 27% of the vote against Trump’s 68%. She has vowed to stay in the race through Super Tuesday, where the lion’s share of the delegates are up for grabs. (Gzero Signal, 2/28/2024)

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NATO Troops to Ukraine? Macron Can’t Be Serious

Is French President Emmanuel Macron crazy or just bluffing? It’s a question geopolitics experts are confronting after he suggested Monday that sending Western troops into Ukraine to fight against Russia shouldn’t be “ruled out.”

Ukraine seemed to welcome the suggestion of possible European intervention – hardly surprising given Kyiv’s many challenges at this stage of the war.

But Moscow quickly warned that would inevitably lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. Germany and Poland on Tuesday also pooh-poohed Marcron’s idea.

Would this actually happen? It’s extremely unlikely that any Western countries will put boots on the ground in Ukraine. No one wants a conflict between nuclear-armed powers.

So why did Macron say this? According to a thread on X by Eurasia Group’s Europe Director Mujtaba Rahman, French sources said Macron’s comments were meant “to reassure Ukraine” and serve as “words of warning to Vladimir Putin.”

Our take:  Macron likes to stand out on the global stage, for better or worse. He took a lot of flak for seeming too friendly to Putin early in the war. Making a non-starter threat like this enables him to look tough, without actually having to back it up. Trés shrewd, Emmanuel.   (Gzero Signal, 2/28/2024)

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MOSCOW MUST LOSE THE WAR

In Germany, the second anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine has been marked by noisy sloganeering: calls to keep on fighting until Russia is defeated, and scorn for those who question the logic of ever more lethal weapons for Kiev. “They’re just scared.” From the United States come warnings that Ukraine will lose the war. Some voices within the US administration are now urging President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate with Russia. Yet Berlin is doubling down: Moscow must “lose this war.” The leader of the main opposition party in the Bundestag, Friedrich Merz (CDU), says bluntly that there should be “no negotiations” before Russia capitulates. Surveys indicate that not many agree: only 10 to 25 per cent of the German population think a Ukrainian victory is likely. Majorities expect a Russian victory and oppose further arms deliveries. Yet leading German media have joined in the ridiculing of Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his current stance against handing over Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev. He should, they say, stop being “scared”. Any fears are, of course, based on the well-founded assumption that Moscow would interpret the delivery of the Taurus as Germany going to war. Meanwhile, domestically Germany is in a downward spiral. The sharp rise in military spending is accompanied by social cuts and economic decline: “guns without butter,” as one economist quips.  (German Foreign Policy, 2/28/2024)

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US Immigration: Economics vs. Politics

Immigration has overtaken the economy atop the list of Americans’ biggest concerns. In part that’s because the economic future is getting brighter, and as it happens, immigration is part of that story.

The upside:  According to a CBO study, the surge in irregular migrants seen under Joe Biden will lead to 1.7 million more workers in 2024, and will grow the economy by about $7 trillion over the next decade.

The downside:  Irregular immigration is straining social services, even in Democrat-run “sanctuary cities.”  And over the longer term, experts say that the lower skill levels of this wave of migrants could undermine productivity and depress wages in low-skilled sectors.

The politics:  Notwithstanding the findings about undocumented immigrants’ contributions to the future economy, Americans’ views are hardening. 80% of Americans say the current administration is doing a bad job managing the border, and a Gallup poll found that 28% of voters named immigration as the country’s biggest problem, up from 20% last month.   (Gzero Signal, 2/28)

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JEW HATRED IN UK OUT OF CONTROL

In London over the past few days, I was told the following story.

It concerned Menai Bridge, a small town in north Wales which is listed here as having a population of 3,046 souls of whom precisely four are Jews. A few weeks ago, one of these four Jews decided to visit a shop in the town. She was shocked, however, to see a sign in its window declaring “No Zionists allowed.” She put her head round the door and told the owner that she had been intending to visit the shop, but in view of the sign in the window she wouldn’t now do so. At which he yelled at her: “Get out of my shop, you f*****g Jew!” 

The owner was white-skinned. As the woman retreated into the street, an Asian man who was passing heard what was being screamed at her from inside the shop and proceeded to hurl at her the same antisemitic obscenity.

Jew-hatred in Britain is out of control.   (Melanie Phillips, 2/28/2024)

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SHORTS

Any addiction, whether to the internet, opioids, or gambling, is closely linked to depression, with each reinforcing the other. (Rise and shine, Epoch Times, 2/28/2024)

TRUMP’S SURPIRSING PLEDGE. If former President Donald Trump wins reelection in 2024, he’s promising a massive campaign to deport all illegal immigrants. There are some doubts around whether this would be possible, but during the recent CPAC conference, President Trump reiterated this promise. Meanwhile, the former president is saying that a victory for him would render Nov. 5 a veritable “Liberation Day” for hard-working Americans.  (Epoch Times, 2/28/2024)

The Daily Mail leads on the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, allegedly deciding not to boost defence spending in the upcoming budget, despite “raging” wars and “growing threats.” The paper describes this as “indefensible.”  The Times splashes on its own interview with the home secretary, James Cleverly, who tells the paper that he believes that pro-Palestinian protesters have “made their point” and do not need to continue with their demonstrations.  (The Week, 2/28/2024)

Mary Poppins, the 1964 Disney classic film, has had its age rating raised from U to PG by British film censors because it features “discriminatory language.” Mary Poppins includes two uses of the discriminatory term ‘hottentots’,” which was a derogatory term originally used by white Europeans about nomadic peoples in southern Africa, a spokesperson for the British Board of Film Classification said. “Most recently, the film was resubmitted to us in February 2024 for another theatrical re-release, and we reclassified it PG for discriminatory language.”   (The Week, 2/27/2024)

Incitement Against Israel In Qatari Press Continues: Only More Attacks Like October 7 Will Restrain It; The Conflict Will End Only With Disappearance Of Israel (MEMRI headline, 2/28/2024

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RICH BUT, OH, SO POOR

Scripture Reading – Hebrews 13:16-18

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Stock market values can make people wealthy or poor. Money is not a good god; it cannot love you, nor can it give you eternal life. The one true God, however, has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” The church in Laodicea had a big problem. Because their lukewarm attitude caused a less-than-effective ministry, Jesus warned them that he was about to spit them out of his mouth. They had bank accounts filled with money, tempting their eyes to turn from Jesus toward only themselves. But that made them “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” in Jesus’ eyes.

Jesus did not shut the door on them, but he offered wise financial advice. He advised them to find true wealth in him, and to obtain the pure, white garments of his righteousness rather than the black-wool garments that Laodicea was famous for. And they should invest in the eye medicine of his insight, rather than the medicinal balm their region was known for. Money itself is not the problem, but trusting in money instead of Jesus will bring ruin (see 1 Timothy 6:10). Following the way of Laodicea puts the church at great spiritual risk. Let us thank God that he never leaves us but is always ready to discipline us in love.   (Evan Heerema, Our Daily Bread, 2/27/2024)

THE VIRTUE OF NATIONALISM

January 25, 2024

One of the best written books you will ever read is The Virtue of Nationalism by Yoram Hazony. There is too much in it to quote here. But note this:

“The European Union does, despite the propaganda, have a powerful central government whose directives are legally binding on European nations and on their individual members . . .  It lacks a strong executive – an emperor – capable of conducting foreign affairs and waging war . . .”

“The European nations are, as everyone understands, dominated by Germany. The European Union is a German imperial state in all but name. However, as long as Germany seeks to avoid building up its military and taking responsibility for the security of the continent, the EU will apparently remain an American protectorate – a protectorate that is also an empire in its own right. Should the United States ever withdraw its protection, all the talk of Europeans pioneering a new form of political order will quickly evaporate. At that time, a strong European executive will be appointed by Germany and empowered to maintain the security of the continent. Then the reconstitution of the medieval German empire in Europe will be complete, and the English-inspired experiment with an order of independent national states in Europe will have reached its end.” (pp, 152, 153, 154)

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ISRAEL AND US DISAGREE ON FUTURE OF GAZA

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long been opposed to Palestinian statehood. And he has reiterated this view, saying Israel must have security control over all land west of the River Jordan, which would include the territory of any future Palestinian state. “I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel’s security,” he said. While not surprising, the very public nature of this latest dismissal of the US diplomatic push for a two-state solution is likely to cause frustration among Israel’s allies, writes correspondent Mark Lowen. Asked about Mr. Netanyahu’s comments, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby recognized that the US and Israel “obviously” see things differently. Mr. Netanyahu’s focus on destroying Hamas may also be at odds with a majority of Israelis who, according to recent polls, would rather  prioritize bringing home hostages. More than 100 remain in Gaza after being kidnapped during the 7 October attacks in which about 1,300 people were killed.   (1/19/2024)

ENDING PALESTINIAN SUFFERING

Palestinians in Lebanon are “prevented from employment in 39 professions such as medicine, law and engineering . . . are socially marginalized, have very limited civil, social, political and economic rights, including restricted access to the Government of Lebanon’s public health, educational and social services and face significant restrictions on their right to work…” — United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees, updated September 2020.

Arab citizens of Israel…. can own, buy and sell property, can vote and run in national and local elections, have equal access to free public healthcare, education and other services . . . Many Arab Israelis serve in senior positions in hospitals, universities and colleges, courts, the civil service, and even in the Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces.

Neither Syria nor Lebanon grants citizenship to the Palestinians living there . . .

[W]hat is happening inside the Syrian detention centers against the Palestinians is “a war crime by all standards.” – Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, alquds.co.uk, November 29, 2023.

By ignoring the profound suffering of the Palestinians in Syria and Lebanon, these self-proclaimed “pro-Palestinian” activists and groups are once again proving that their goal is not to help Palestinians, but only to make Israel into a pariah state.

If these activists and groups want to end the suffering of the Palestinians, they should be demanding that the Arab countries end their discriminatory and repressive measures against their Palestinian brethren. The activists and groups should also be raising the plight of the Palestinians at every available international platform instead of blaming Israel.   (Bassam Tawil, Gatestone, 1/16/2024)

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TIMES SQUARE MACHETE ATTACKER PLEADS GUILTY

When Trevor Bickford was 19 years old, on Dec. 31, 2022, he ventured to Times Square along with multitudes of New Year’s Eve revelers, but he was not interested in joining the festivities. Instead, he attacked three NYPD officers with a machete. On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted murder, and while his motive is abundantly clear, authorities appear to be completely indifferent about what its implications are for the future.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Bickford, who came down to Times Square from his home in Wells, Maine, said this as he entered his guilty plea: “On Dec. 31, 2022, I attempted to kill three NYPD officers with a knife while they were working in Manhattan. I know what I did was wrong and I’m sorry.” That’s swell, but it would have been more helpful if young Bickford had explained why exactly he was sorry now for an act that he carried out in accord with his newfound beliefs and ideology.

AP added that Bickford “shouted ‘Allahu akbar’ — the Arabic phrase for God is great — before striking the officers in the head with the machete and trying to grab an officer’s gun, authorities said. One officer suffered a fractured skull.”

AP’s explanation was inaccurate: While most media outlets routinely translate “Allahu akbar” as “God is great,” it actually means “Allah is greater.” That is, the god of Islam is superior to anything that non-Muslims worship or hold dear. This declaration of superiority frequently accompanies acts that are designed to enforce the subjugation and submission of the non-believer or “infidel,” amounting to a kind of explanation of why a particular act of violence is being perpetrated.

It was unusually forthright of this far-left news service to bother to mention the politically incorrect fact that Bickford shouted this at all. AP even went so far as to add that “authorities say he had studied radical Islamic ideology and decided to wage jihad against U.S. officials.

Yet while AP was unusually forthright about Bickford’s motive, Bickford himself may have been trying to obscure it:  “At the outset of the hearing,” AP tells us, “Bickford said he was taking three medications for treatment of schizoaffective disorder.” In Europe, it is extremely common for clear cases of jihad violence to be dismissed as mental illness, with the perpetrators hospitalized rather than imprisoned.

There was no doubt, however, when Bickford was arrested. He had a handwritten note in his backpack, asking his family to “please repent to Allah and accept Islam.”   (Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch, 1/15/2024)

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TURKISH PARLIAMENT SAYS “YES” TO SWEDEN

The Turkish Parliament has officially approved Sweden’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership bid after months of deliberation.

On Tuesday, the Parliament plenary in Ankara voted 287-55 in accepting Sweden’s application to NATO. 

Before the document is filed with the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., the papers will be returned to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey for his signature and final approval.

Erdogan, who recently endorsed Sweden’s admission, is anticipated to sign.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May of that same year. NATO’s border with Russia was doubled when Finland joined the alliance in April 2023, however, Sweden’s accession process has been plagued with setbacks.

Analysts maintain that NATO would benefit from Sweden’s entry by expanding its northern reach and strengthening its defense of the east. 

Prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military actions, Sweden and Finland had avoided membership in military alliances.

Hungary is the only member state that has not yet ratified Sweden’s accession.

In order to negotiate the conditions of Sweden’s membership bid, Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary, announced on Tuesday that he had extended an invitation to Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden, requesting that he visit Hungary to negotiate and discuss his terms.

“Today I sent an invitation letter to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for a visit to Hungary to negotiate on Sweden’s NATO accession,” Orbán said on X (Twitter). (OAN, 1/24/2024)

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BANNING A POLITICAL PARTY – NOT SO EASY

More than 800,000 people took to the streets of Germany’s major cities over the weekend to protest against Alternative for Germany (AfD), following reports that members of the right-wing party have been discussing a radical plan to expel millions of migrants.

Independent investigative news site Correctiv reported on a meeting of right-wing groups including the AfD and the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). They were planning “for the so-called remigration, or expulsion, of millions of people who have immigrated to Germany,” said Deutsche Welle.

The story “jolted the nation awake from its winter slumber,” said The Guardian, “triggering sackings and resignations” and “mass rallies across German cities.”

It also prompted “a politically risky debate over an outright ban of the country’s second-strongest party,” the paper added.   (The Week, 1/23/2024)

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BRIEFLY

Britain’s shrinking army is “not what it used to be,” a top US general has warned, as the UK’s armed forces face a funding, procurement and personnel crisis just when they are most needed.

The UK has taken the lead – along with the US – in conducting military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen, with Rishi Sunak authorizing RAF air strikes last night for the second time in two weeks. This fits with Britain’s vision of itself as a “tier one” military power, loosely defined as having a full spectrum of capabilities, including a nuclear deterrent and a navy, army and air force capable of being deployed anywhere in the world.

But even the UK’s closest allies see this as fantasy, with a senior US general telling the then defense secretary Ben Wallace in 2022 that Britain was “barely tier two.”  (The Week, 1/23/2024)

The race for the Republican nomination is “all but over,” said the BBC, after Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary. It is a highly significant victory for the former president and puts him in pole position to become the party’s candidate in November’s White House election. Joe Biden said it was “clear” Donald Trump would be the 2024 Republican nominee and warned that “the stakes could not be higher.”  (The Week, 1/24/2024)

A Tory MP said the party must replace Rishi Sunak as prime minister or be “massacred” in the general election. Writing for The Telegraph, former cabinet secretary Sir Simon Clarke said the Conservatives have “lost key voters” and need a leader who “shares the instincts of the majority.” But Priti Patel accused Clarke of “facile and divisive self indulgence” and backbench Tories “used WhatsApp groups to attack the former levelling-up secretary,” said The Times. (The Week, 1/24/2024)

The head of the Army is to “warn that the British public will be called up to fight if the UK goes to war,” claimed The Telegraph. In a speech later, General Sir Patrick Sanders will say the government will need to “mobilise the nation” if there is a war with Russia. Gen. Sir Patrick has been “openly critical of troop cuts” and believes there should be a “shift” in the mindset of regular British people, where they “think more like troops.” But the paper understands he does not support conscription.  (The Week, 1/24/2024)

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GET A HEARING AID

Some seven million people in the UK could benefit from wearing a hearing aid, according to RNID, but five million of them don’t regularly wear one. And they may be risking early mortality as a result, a study has found. For the research in the US, 10,000 adults with an average age of 49 had their hearing tested. Almost one in five of them were found to have hearing loss and were asked about how often they used a hearing aid. All of the participants were then tracked for ten years. Analysis of the results revealed those who had poor hearing were more likely to die during the period of the study – but those who wore a hearing aid regularly had a 24% lower risk of early death than those who did not. This was the case even after adjusting for age, sex, education, socioeconomic status and the severity of the hearing loss. The study didn’t look at why it might be the case, but previous research has found links between hearing loss and increased rates of depression, dementia and social isolation. Lead author Dr. Janet Choi suggested that improved hearing leads to better mental health and healthier, more active lives.   (The Week, 1/19/2024)

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Now and Forever

by Bob Arbogast — Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:16-26

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” - Matthew 19:24

The kingdom of God is eternal. It’s the ultimate reality, when everything will be good at last. Surprisingly, though, the kingdom is also right here, right now—wherever Jesus is present in the flesh or by the Spirit. We can see that in Matthew 19. A rich man who comes to talk with Jesus is very interested in having eternal life—that is, life in the kingdom of God. But does he really want that kind of life? When Jesus tells the man, “Sell everything, give to the poor, and follow me,” the man can’t do it. He can’t take those three steps. It’s really hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. That’s what Jesus says. And he means more than entering the eternal kingdom in the future. He also means living the way of the kingdom right here, right now. Among other things, the way of the kingdom is selfless and generous. And the way of the kingdom includes deeply trusting in God to meet every need. Sadly, the rich man in this story wasn’t ready to live that way. Not here, not now. How about you? Are you ready to live the way of the kingdom here and now? If not, will you want to live that way in eternity? (Our Daily Bread, 1/24/2024)

PAKISTAN AND IRAN’S COMPLICATED RELATIONS

January 18, 2024

Pakistan has hit targets in Iran’s south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. According to Tehran, nine people were killed, none of them Iranian nationals. Iranian state media said missiles struck near the city of Saravan, close to the border with Pakistan and its Balochistan province. Iran had targeted that area on Tuesday in an attack that, according to Islamabad, killed two children. Pakistan and Iran have long accused each other of harbouring militant groups that carry out attacks from regions along their shared border. Iran’s recent missile strikes send a message to its enemies – especially Israel and the United States – that it’s more than capable of hitting targets well beyond its border, writes diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams. According to retired Lt Gen Asif Yaseen, a former Pakistani defence secretary, Islamabad would have been under pressure to respond. And, as Adams puts it, each has “perhaps, met the demands of public opinion,.  (BBC, 1/18/2024)

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ITALIAN GOVERNMENT CALLS FOR EU ARMY

ROME, Jan 7 (Reuters) – The European Union should form its own combined army that could play a role in peacekeeping and preventing conflict, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Tajani said that closer European cooperation on defence was a priority for the Forza Italia party that he leads.

“If we want to be peacekeepers in the world, we need a European military. And this is a fundamental precondition to be able to have an effective European foreign policy,” he said in an interview published on Sunday.

“In a world with powerful players like the United States, China, India, Russia – with crises from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific – Italian, German, French or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by something that already exists, namely the European Union,” he added.

European defense cooperation has risen up the political agenda since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago.

However, efforts have been more focused on NATO expansion, with EU nation Finland joining the alliance last year and Sweden also on track to become a member.

Tajani also said the 27-nation EU should streamline its leadership and have a single presidency, rather than the current structure of a European Council president and a European Commission president.

The foreign minister became leader of Forza Italia following the death of Silvio Berlusconi last year.

European Parliament elections in June will be the first gauge of the party’s popularity after the loss of its charismatic former leader.   (Reuters, 1/7/2024)

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GERMANY CONSIDERING COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE

The Bundeswehr is facing a dramatic shortage in personnel. Now Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has rekindled the debate over reintroducing conscription. (https://p.dw.com/p/4ahmH)

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is considering the reintroduction of compulsory military service.

At the end of October, the Bundeswehr said it counted 181,383 soldiers in its ranks — that’s still some distance from the target of 203,000 that the German military hopes to reach by 2025. This has given rise to concern in times of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has once again reminded Germans how quickly conflicts can erupt in Europe.

Since taking office at the beginning of 2023, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has been thinking about ways to make the Bundeswehr more attractive as a career. He said he has received 65 concrete proposals from his ministry on recruitment and reforming training methods.

Even conscription, something Germany ended in 2011, is also up for debate. “There were reasons at the time to suspend compulsory military service. In retrospect, however, it was a mistake,” Pistorius told newspaper Die Welt earlier in December.

He also cited the case of Sweden, where compulsory military service was suspended and then reintroduced. “I’m looking at models, such as the Swedish model, where all young men and women are conscripted and only a select few end up doing their basic military service. Whether something like this would also be conceivable here is part of these considerations,” said Pistorius.  (Volker Witting,  DW, 12/29/2024)

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ISIS calls on Muslims to carry out jihad massacres of ‘Jews, Christians, or their allies on the streets of America’

As well as Europe and the world. Expect the overwhelming majority of peaceful Muslims to rise up and stop these hijackers of the Religion of Peace any day now. “Pro-ISIS Posters Incite Attacks On New York City: ‘Go Get Them, Oh Monotheist,’” MEMRI, January 11, 2024)

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TAIWAN ELECTION MAKES CONFLICT WITH CHINA MORE LIKELY-

Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has won an unprecedented third consecutive presidential victory, in an election closely watched by the world.

President-elect Lai Ching-te is taking over from Tsai Ing-wen, who has served the maximum two terms in the top job, after claiming more than 40% of the vote. “This is a night that belongs to Taiwan,” Lai, currently vice president, told supporters at a rally after his two main opposition rivals both conceded defeat following Saturday’s election. “We managed to keep Taiwan on the map of the world.” 

Global leaders have congratulated Lai, “drawing ire” from China, which had hoped to see the pro-sovereignty DPP ousted, said The Guardian. In a statement issued after the election result was announced, Beijing insisted once again that “Taiwan is part of China.”

While most foreign policy experts are speculating about the future of the island’s fractious relationship with the mainland as tensions increase, others are focusing on what the election reveals about the changing face of Taiwan. 

Identity is “a hugely sensitive issue for this island of 23 million people,” wrote NPR’s international correspondent Emily Feng from capital Taipei. Although more than 90% of the population “can trace their roots to mainland China,” the majority “now identify in polls as Taiwanese only,” which is “a huge shift from just 30 years ago.”

A generational divide exists, however, with younger people more likely to be turning their backs on the mainland.

Taiwan’s “burgeoning identity” is being “tested” by the election, wrote Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, the BBC’s Taipei-based Asia correspondent. This was the first election in which all three presidential candidates were of Taiwanese descent, rather than from families that arrived from China in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War. 

Beijing’s “persistent claims” of sovereignty are “making a bristling, younger generation rethink how they see themselves,” he continued.  (The Week, 1/15/2024)

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BRIEFLY

The German Armed Forces are facing a possible forced withdrawal from Iraq. This situation follows last Thursday’s US drone assassination of the commander of an Iraqi Shiite militia. Responding to the attack, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani declared that he is determined to end the presence of the US-led military coalition in Iraq, which includes a Bundeswehr contingent. Unauthorised US operations on Iraqi territory such as the recent murder would, he said, no longer be tolerated. The foreign military presence has been under attack for years, especially from organizations of the Shiite majority, which include forces aligned to Iran. Western governments, on the other hand, insist on keeping units in Iraq, saying their troop deployments are legitimized by the ongoing fight against IS. A military presence is also seen as useful in the ongoing tussle over Tehran’s influence. The build-up of tensions is also occurring in the wake of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. Any withdrawal would result in a significant loss of influence, also for Germany, in the Middle East.   (German Foreign Policy, 1/12)/2024

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The Tories are heading for an “electoral wipeout” on the scale of their 1997 defeat by Labour, according to a poll.  The YouGov survey is “the most authoritative opinion poll in five years,” said The Telegraph, and it found that the Tories will retain just 169 seats, while Labour will “sweep to power” with 385. Every Red Wall seat won from Labour by Boris Johnson in 2019 will be lost, it predicted, in the “biggest collapse in support for a governing party since 1906.”  (The Week, UK, 1/15/2024)

Six people have been arrested across the UK on suspicion of a conspiracy to disrupt the London Stock Exchange. According to the Metropolitan Police, activists from the Palestine Action group were intending to target the exchange today, with plans to cause damage and “lock on” in the hope of stopping trading from opening. It may have been “one part of a planned week of action,” claimed Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas.   (The Week, 1/15/2024)

The US military said its fighter jets shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen towards a US destroyer operating in the Red Sea. The “mid-air interception” is the latest episode in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping to support Palestinians under siege from Israeli forces in Gaza. A leading Houthi supporter, Hussain Al-Bukhaiti, told the BBC that fighters would target US and UK battleships if strikes on Yemen continued.  (The Week, 1/15/2024)

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SOME THOUGHTS

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” (Matt. 24:6-7)

It seems like there’s a proliferation in the number of wars being fought around the world.

We’ve gotten used to the war in Ukraine.   In the last three months a potentially more dangerous conflict in the Middle East has replaced Ukraine on our TV screens.  In the last few days, we’ve had to add another Middle East trouble spot, as the Houthis have become a target of the US and UK. And it’s still possible that Lebanon could open up another offensive against Israel.

Now, there’s increasing violence in the Red Sea as Western shipping is a favorite target for pirates.

Slightly east (but only slightly), Iran and Pakistan are in dispute, in a war that could go nuclear.

And we haven’t even mentioned Taiwan and China.   The Taiwanese elected to power a government that is guaranteed to provoke China.

We are also seeing more of “famines, pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places.” 

So, does this all bring us closer to the end? 

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”  (Matt 24:36-37)

All we can do is wait.    Wait for the second coming of our Messiah.   We have God’s assurance of that soon-coming day!

THE PROSPECT OF HIGHER-FOR-LONGER INTEREST RATES LOOMS OVER AUTUMN ON WALL STREET

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s much-anticipated Jackson Hole speech did little to resolve the conflict gripping markets late this summer: whether a rapid climb in interest rates spells doom for the surprising 2023 stock-market rally. Futures markets show a growing expectation that rates could stay higher for longer, putting pressure on stocks . This week, investors will parse a new release of the Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation, the personal-consumption expenditures price index, as well as the monthly jobs report. They will also review earnings from Best Buy, Salesforce and Dollar General.   (WSJ, 8/27/2023)

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UKRAINE INVASION STARTED IN KABUL

• Putin is nothing if not an opportunist, and the images of American forces and their British allies struggling to contain the surging crowds at Kabul airport who were desperately trying to flee the country will have confirmed the Russian leader’s view that, so long as Biden remained in power, he had nothing to fear from the US.

• By ordering US forces to withdraw from Afghanistan, Biden effectively gave Putin the green light to press ahead with his invasion plans.

• In every sense, the invasion of Ukraine started in Kabul, so much so that the Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine prior to the invasion only got seriously underway after the August 2021 withdrawal.

Now, thanks to the utter incompetence of the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghan crisis, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and most urgently Taiwan all find themselves struggling to deal with the disastrous consequences of the Biden administration’s ineffectual leadership.   (Con Coughlin, Gatestone, 8/27/2023)

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AMERICANS TOLD TO LEAVE BELARUS

Russia made good on its promise to move some of its nuclear arsenal to Belarus, putting Russian-controlled nuclear weapons on NATO’s doorstep.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country is hosting the nuclear weapons in response to Poland’s aggression. Over the last two weeks, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki – who’s positioning himself as the national security candidate ahead of national elections in October – has sent thousands of troops to the border amid rising troop numbers and tensions.

But Russia and Belarus aren’t going to trigger the wrath of NATO lightly, and the transition of weapons, “appears to be largely a signal of strength to the West, rather than a preparation for their use,” says Alex Brideau, Eurasia Group’s Europe Head.

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NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Moscow’s move, but Brideau thinks the response that matters most – to Putin at least – is President Joe Biden’s. “Washington has been cautious in its responses since the February 2022 invasion,” Brideau says, noting that “we haven’t seen much in terms of concrete US actions to the Russian government’s threats about the deployment or use of nuclear weapons.”

Meanwhile, the US Embassy issued a security warning yesterday, urging Americans in Belarus to leave the country immediately. The move appears to be motivated by rising tensions in the region, not the nukes. We will be watching to see whether Russia’s latest move is severe enough to harden Biden’s rhetoric.  (Gzero Signal)

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EU planning new Africa mission in Gulf of Guinea — report   
27 August 2023, Deutsche Welle

The EU is set to launch a new mission in West Africa in the fall, a German newspaper has reported.  The combined military-civilian operation will aim to prevent instability triggered by jihadi groups. 

European Union member states have agreed to begin a mission in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, with police and soldiers deployed to Ghana, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast, German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing diplomats.

According to the paper, the mission will aim to train and advise local security forces, help prepare for anti-terror operations, give technical support and implement confidence-building measures in the security sector.

The mission is to be launched after formal approval is given by EU foreign ministers at a meeting in October in Luxembourg.

What else did the report say about the mission?

The reason behind the planned mission is the EU’s concern that Islamist groups “could extend their activities in West Africa from the Sahel zone toward the southern coastal countries on the Gulf of Guinea, leading to even more widespread instability in the region,” Die Welt am Sonntag reported.

Militant activity from extremist groups linked to “Islamic State” and al-Qaida have rocked countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in recent years.

The EU also wants to counter Russian influence in the region which has been spread through Wagner mercenaries who have supported military regimes in the Sahel. 

The situation was further complicated for the EU after Mali kicked out French and German forces that had been training Malian soldiers and police. Benin and Ghana had already officially invited the EU to deploy the mission on their territories, according to the paper. The report comes as several countries in the region have fallen under military governments following coups, the latest being on July 26 in Niger. Military juntas have also taken power in Mali and Burkina Faso. The fall of Niger to junta control has been especially concerning as it had been a key ally to Western powers operating throughout the region.  (https://www.dw.com/en/eu-planning-new-africa-mission-in-gulf-of-guinea-report/a-66640730)

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Berlin, Aug 26 (Reuters) – An antisemitic flyer distributed at a German secondary school more than three decades ago is at the centre of a dispute that threatens to engulf Hubert Aiwanger, deputy premier of Bavaria, ahead of a regional election in the state later this year.

The flyer, whose existence was first reported by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Saturday, parodies a national history competition and makes mocking references to Nazi concentration camps and the Holocaust.  Aiwanger, 52, denied authorship of the typewritten document, written in 1987 when he was 17.

The newspaper said multiple witnesses had said he was summoned before a school disciplinary committee over the flyer, which was found in a school lavatory.

“These are serious allegations. This flyer is hateful and revolting,” said Bavaria’s conservative premier, Markus Soeder. “The charges have to be cleared up, and fully.” Aiwanger heads the populist Free Voters party which governs Bavaria in coalition with Soeder’s Christian Social Union (CSU). Soeder has previously said he wants to renew his alliance with the Free Voters after October’s election.

Late on Saturday, Aiwanger issued a statement saying he had not written the flyer, a copy or copies of which were merely found in his schoolbag, and that the person who had done so, whose name he knew, would come forward of his own accord. “Neither then nor now has it been my style to snitch on people,” he wrote. The leaders of the Social Democrats and Greens in Bavaria, said Aiwanger must stand down if he was the author of the flyer.

The election campaign in Bavaria, Germany’s most prosperous large state, has been ill-tempered,with Aiwanger competing to sound tougher notes on immigration than Soeder, in one recent debate criticising the government for “throwing passports at those Syrians.”

Opinion polls show that Soeder’s CSU currently has 39% support. If it lost the Free Voters, which polls show currently commands 12% support, the party could be forced to turn to the much more left-wing Social Democrats or Greens, both of whom sit in the federal coalition in Berlin, to form a government.

Charges of antisemitism are particularly sensitive in Germany because of its role in the atrocities of the Holocaust. (27 Augt 2023, Deutsche Welle, by Thomas Escritt,

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/decades-old-antisemitic-flyer-threatens-upend-german-state-vote-2023-08-26/)

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ISRAEL’S PROTESTERS ARE THE REAL THREAT TO DEMOCRACY by Melanie Phillips

Here in Israel, the current political crisis is causing acute anxiety and dread. But the reason isn’t what so many diaspora Jews think it is.

Most in Britain and America haven’t a clue about the complexities of this crisis, because news outlets rarely give them information that challenges boilerplate prejudices. Instead, diaspora communities have swallowed a cartoonish media distortion.

The Israeli protesters claim they are defending democracy and saving Israel from dictatorship. In fact, the opposite is the case.

Sure, there are grounds for criticising the judicial reform programme. There are also legitimate concerns over the extremism of certain coalition members, while the behaviour of some ministers and Likud politicians has been disgraceful.

However, it’s ludicrous to claim that the reforms threaten democracy. They are needed to repair Israel’s democracy. This has been undermined by the total absence of checks on Israel’s supreme court, which uses arbitrary power to thwart the government’s ability to govern.

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POINTS TO PONDER

• More than four months remain until the first presidential nominating contest in Iowa, and it appears more plausible that the former president might still be stopped by jail time or some unexpected issue, such as health, than by a fellow Republican candidate. His legal problems have resulted in waves of fundraising but are siphoning off valuable time and tens of millions in legal fees. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington will consider when to set a trial for Donald Trump on federal charges that he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election to remain in power.   (WSJ, 8/27/2023)

• Israel’s Generals Worry About the Army’s Preparedness for War.   Will They Act?  The judicial coup has caused genuine concern among most members of Israel’s Mossad, IDF General Staff, Shin Bet and police regarding the state of the country’s army (Haaretz, 23 August 2023) — “The generals’ revolt” is a phrase that took hold in the press and the mythic histories of the Six-Day War to describe two meetings of the Ministerial Committee on Defense. During these meetings, several generals clashed with Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and some of his cabinet ministers.
  (https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/judicial-coup/2023-08-23/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israels-generals-worry-about-its-armys-preparedness-for-war-will-they-act/)

• FIRST WOMB TRANSPLANT IN UK — Surgeons have carried out the first womb transplant in the UK. The team in Oxford spent eight hours removing the womb from the donor, then nine hours implanting it into the recipient, who was in the operating theatre next door. The receiver was a 34-year-old woman, and the donor her 40-year-old sister, both of whom are said to be “over the moon” after recovering well. The younger sibling plans to have IVF this autumn using embryos that she and her husband have in storage.  (The Week, 8/23/2023)

PEOPLE SMUGGLING BIG BUSINESS

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dungeness, Kent, after being rescued by the RNLI. (https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak-vows-to-stop-small-boat-crossings-if-you-come-here-illegally-you-will-not-be-able-to-stay-12825860)

Labor has said people smugglers are “running rings” around the government’s efforts to stem the tide of small boats crossing the Channel after six migrants died and more than 500 others arrived on UK shores on Saturday alone.

Stopping the small boats is one of Rishi Sunak’s five policy priorities. His landmark Illegal Migration Bill, which would bar nearly everyone who arrives in the UK by small boat and other illegal routes from seeking asylum and refugee protection in the UK, is “central” to the government’s plans, said the BBC.

While such tough migration measures are “divisive across the British electorate as a whole, they are wildly popular among many of the crucial swing voters in Tory seats where Sunak is struggling to cling on,” said Politico.  (The Week, 8/14/2023)

HOW BAD ARE THINGS IN GERMANY?

So just how bad are things in Germany right now? Sure, the latest economic figures are pretty grim (even Robert Habeck, Germany’s impressive Vice Chancellor, described the current situation as ‘anything but satisfactory’), but look closer and the picture soon becomes more complex. Yes, German inflation is higher than the EU average, but it’s lower than in Britain. Yes, the economy is contracting, but factory orders are at a three-year high.

Likewise, although AfD is on the rise, recently winning its first district council election, its vote share in the last national election shrank by nearly a fifth, from 12.6 per cent in 2017 to 10.3 per cent in 2021. It’s polling more than 20 per cent (ahead of the SPD), but its popularity is already pulling Germany’s main opposition party, the CDU, back towards the right, and that’s surely no bad thing. If the CDU becomes a proper centre-right party again, how many votes will AfD get? Not enough to break through is my guess.

What do Germans think about it all? That’s rather hard to tell. On hundreds of journalistic assignments, stretching right back to reunification, virtually every German I’ve met has seemed incurably downbeat about its prospects, whatever the current state of affairs. Doom and gloom is their default setting. They invariably fear the worst. Inevitably, they even have a compound noun for it:  Weltschmerz (literally ‘world pain’).

As a joint Anglo-German citizen based in Britain, a frequent visitor to Germany without the burden of actually living there, I can’t say I share the negativity of my German friends and relatives. Unlike them, my Bierkrug is half full, rather than half empty. The elephantine German economy will lumber on from crisis to crisis, as it always does, and the CDU will lean right and re-enter government at the next election. Even those pesky hailstorms will disperse.

Meanwhile, here in Britain, this latest bout of bad news from the Bundesrepublik has been a necessary corrective – a reminder that Germany is just another modern industrial nation a lot like the UK, with similar headaches and aspirations (including a desire to control immigration). Germany is still much the same, thank goodness. It’s our view of it that’s changed.  (The Spectator, 8/17/2023)

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Niger coup could be the beginning of the end of France’s influence over the continent, French president’s critics warn – by Henry Samuel in Paris, The Telegraph, 12 Aug 2023

France risks being “erased from Africa” because of Emmanuel Macron’s failed policies on the continent, the country’s senior politicians warned following the coup in Niger. The rebellion was the latest blow to France’s strategy in the Sahel as Niger, a former colony, was a key ally in its fight against Islamist terrorism in the region. France has about 1,500 troops stationed in the country.

Niger is also economically strategic as Orano, the French state-owned nuclear energy company, extracts about 15 per cent of the uranium from its mines for use in France’s vast array of reactors.

According to Jean-Herve Jezequel, the director of the Sahel project at the International Crisis Group, the Niger crisis was a sign that “the times of a strong French military presence in the Sahel is over.”  He added that there was “now also a question mark over its future in West Africa.”

This week, three Right-wing senators, backed by 96 MPs from various parties, took aim at the French president’s policy, asking whether France was doomed to be “erased” from the continent. They wrote in Le Figaro newspaper:   “Today Niger, yesterday Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso rejected France, French forces, French businesses.”

Meanwhile, they warned that Russian Wagner mercenaries had stepped in to help “all dictators or leaders who stay in power by uniting their populations against the former ‘colonial power’.”  (Daily Telegraph, 8/17/2023)

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RECESSION WARNING IN UK

Britain could “lurch” from high inflation into a recession next year, said The Independent. George Dibb, head of the Institute for Public Policy Research’s Centre for Economic Justice, warned that “there is a very real risk that a recession may soon overtake price rises as the main economic concern”. However, Rishi Sunak told The Times that Britons will feel better off next year. The PM said that he was “really optimistic” about the future and “confident” that inflation would fall enough to ease the cost of living crisis in 2024.  (The Week, 8/17/2023) 

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Iranian Political Analyst Emad Abshenas:  Iran Has Enough Uranium To Produce 15 Nuclear Bombs (8/14/2023)

The Islamic State’s rise in Afghanistan

In 2017, the Trump administration declared that the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq had been defeated. But a new UN report released this week claims that there are between 5,000-7,000 fighters across the Levant. And many more – around 11,000 – remain locked up in northern Syria, according to the UN.  At the group’s peak around 2015, it’s estimated that there were around 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria. Still, the latest report suggests that IS has been able to regroup and recruit.

Crucially, however, it’s in Afghanistan that the capabilities and scope of the Islamic State affiliate known as ISIS-K are expanding at the fastest clip, with estimates that the group now commands up to 6,000 fighters.

Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan exactly two years ago, ISIS-K has terrorized the Afghan population and repeatedly attacked Taliban positions.  (For more on the ongoing beef between the Taliban and ISIS-K, both extremist Sunni groups, see our explainer here.)

The Taliban says it has been strengthening regional security, but Western intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned that a group that was once seemingly confined to the dustbins of history is slowly making a comeback.  (Gzero Signal, 8/16/2023)

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POINTS TO PONDER

• Donald Trump has told Ron DeSantis, his closest challenger for the Republican nomination to “leave the race” as his lead over him stretched to 43 points. A national poll put the former president on 58%, DeSantis on 15%, and Mike Pence, Trump’s vice-president, on 5%.  “He’s doing very, very poorly in the polls,” Trump said of DeSantis. “He really should leave the race.”  The Florida governor’s campaign is “scrambling to stay alive”, said The Times, while “every time Trump faces another indictment, his poll numbers – and fundraising – are strengthened.”  (The Week, 8/14/2023)

• Eyewitnesses said that gunfire and clashes involving migrants broke out in Dunkirk in the hours before a small boat sank in the Channel. “Chaos spread through the camp” on Friday as migrants prepared to board boats laid on by smuggling gangs “despite choppy waters and high winds,” said The Times.  An Afghan teenager told the paper there were clashes as Afghans sought places on boats. A vessel, overloaded with about 65 people, sank in the early hours of Saturday. Six people died and another five were taken to hospital in Kent.  (The Week, 8/14/2023)

• “Shocking” footage shows parents letting their toddlers play on live railway lines, young people doing one-armed press-ups, and dog walkers sitting their pets on the tracks for photos, said Sky News. The compilation of CCTV video released by Network Rail shows people risking their lives at footpath level crossings in Worcestershire.  The rail company said it found instances of “incredibly dangerous behaviour” at crossings. “No matter how well you think you know a crossing, all users must obey the rules around using level crossings every time they use it,” said Alexandra France, level crossing safety manager.  (The Week, 8/14/2023)

• Prosecutors in the US have charged Donald Trump and 18 others in a 41-count indictment for attempting to overturn his election loss in Georgia.  A leaked phone call, during which the former president asked Georgia’s top election official to “find 11,780 votes,” was at the heart of the investigation, which has led to Trump’s fourth criminal indictment. “Out of all indictments, Georgia is the most perilous threat to Trump,” said the New York Post.  Trump lost the state of Georgia to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.  (The Week, 8/15/2023)

• Some 46% of Britons want a second Brexit referendum in the next 10 years, according to a new YouGov poll.  More than a quarter of people support such a referendum by the end of 2023.  Less than a third of people (30%) said they thought Brexit is “done,” while almost half (49%) said it is not complete.  The figures “suggest that if a referendum were to be held now, Britain rejoining the EU would come out on top,” said Beth Mann, political researcher at YouGov (The Week, 8/15/2023)

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COMMENTARY

If you are like me, you are probably sick and tired of hearing the language coming out of everybody’s mouths.   This is particularly so when the speaker uses the “f” word.  

When I first arrived in Michigan, I remember a court case in the UP when a couple tried to take a small group of men to court for using the word prolifically.   I don’t remember the outcome of the case, but it was pointed out that it is illegal to use the word when others are around.  In this case, the couple were trying to protect small children.

It’s only going to get worse.   The reason I can say that with certainty is that parents think nothing of using it when in the presence of children.   The same parents would likely punish their young children if they used it, but it’s everyday conversation for mom and dad.

The “f” word is an ancient Anglo-Saxon guttural term.   We were taught at our school that when the Normans invaded in 1066, a lot of Anglo-Saxon words became swear words.  This may or may not be true.  (I don’t think this was a part of the curriculum!)

It wasn’t only the history teacher that influenced us.  Our English teacher taught us that the usage of such words reflected a lack of verbal skills, that swearing reflected a “limited vocabulary.”  In effect, he was shaming us into not using the word as a part of our vocabulary.

He is long since dead.  He was old when I was at school.  It’s probably just as well.   He would throw a fit if he had to have a conversation in 2023.

As for me, I believe in keeping things simple.   Matthew 5:37 tells us to “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ – anything more than this comes from evil.”  Why swear?   The language is big enough that we can all express ourselves without swearing.

FITCH STRIPPED THE U.S. OF ITS TOP CREDIT RATING

The downgrade  is the first by a major ratings firm in 12 years, evidence that frequent political skirmishes over the federal government’s finances are clouding the outlook for the $25 trillion global market for Treasurys. They are a safe-haven security offering nearly risk-free returns and a critical benchmark for returns on stocks and other bonds. Few investors think that the drop to “AA+”—one notch below “AAA”—will immediately challenge Treasurys’ market roles. The Biden administration criticized Fitch’s decision, blaming problems on the previous White House and arguing that the U.S. wasn’t at risk of missing its debt payments. The downgrade sparked a selloff in stocks and bonds.  (Wall Street Journal, 8/2/2023)

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TRUMP IN LEAD AS COURT APPEARANCE TAKES PLACE

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted for a third time, this time on four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US with charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. But this isn’t hurting Trump’s chances of securing the Republican nomination. His primary contenders, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are struggling to gain traction against Trump, who is miles ahead of them. A new poll also has Trump neck and neck with President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 presidential election.

Trump enjoys a five-point advantage among Republicans who support him over Democrats who support Biden – 88% to 83%. But Biden makes up the gap with independents, with 42% of them favoring him compared to 37% for Trump.

Canadians are watching with unease. The Trump years were difficult for Canada. The Trump administration forced a long and difficult negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement – now the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement – and encouraged the flow of toxic extremist politics across the border.

PM Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, is facing his own election before the end of 2025. On Wednesday, news broke that he and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, were separating. It’s unlikely the separation will be over-politicized or have an effect on the election. To its credit, Canada has a history of leaving such private matters alone (with certain exceptions).  (Gzero Signal, 8/3/2023)

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ANTI-SEMITISM BEHIND ATTACK ON SYNAGOGUE

The social media platform Gab is a breeding ground and a gateway for radicalization and violence. Law enforcement and those who study online hate are well aware of the content posted on Gab. Yet nothing has been done about it – not even after Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh with multiple firearms on October 27, 2018, shouting “All Jews must die” and killing 11 worshipers.

Bowers was an active consumer and disseminator of hate on Gab; minutes before his murder spree, he posted on it: “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” His words are now a rallying cry for hatemongers on the platform, where he is canonized as a neo-Nazi “saint” whom others aspire to emulate.

Gab prides itself on being “the home of free speech online.” But this really means that its users are free to openly call for murder, with impunity. A meme recently posted there claimed, “Jewish power hates free speech because when people are free to speak the truth, the most obvious truth is that Jews are a threat to our societies.” As one woman posted on her account, “I joined Gab last year and first learned about the Jews… Now we name the Jew and hang swastikas and fight every day.”

Most first heard of Gab after the Tree of Life synagogue attack, which became a rallying cry on the platform and fueled its use by neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and anti-government types as a safe haven online. Every October 27, users celebrate the attack’s anniversary with messages supporting Bowers and his actions, and with more calls to murder such as “Take a moment to reflect on his sacrifice today” and “[synagogues are] a justified military target in which Jews of all branches conspire to deprive our people of their birthright.” Also, there are annual birthday celebrations for Bowers on the platform, which underline his “courage to take the fight to 11 kikes on his day of action” and his “inspiration to 1,000 more saints.”  (Steven Stalinsky, MEMRI,  8/4/2030)

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NEW ZEALAND MAY JOIN AUKUS

New Zealand may be on its way to joining AUKUS – the 2021 security pact between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. On a visit to the country as part of a three-day Pacific tour, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says “the door is very much open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see appropriate going forward.” New Zealand has said it wants no part of the nuclear submarines attached to the security partnership, but it may be keen on the second phase of AUKUS, which focuses on advanced military technology sharing.

Canadian politicians and observers are wondering what he meant by “other partners.” A May report suggested Canada was keen to cooperate with the trilateral group in its second phase. This suggestion came after the Liberal government had previously said it had no interest in taking part and neither wanted nor needed nuclear submarines. The White House has said there are no plans to invite Canada to join the pact. But that may not preclude cooperation in the second phase, like New Zealand.

Last week, US Senator Dan Sullivan criticized Canada for its low military spending. While questioning Lt.-Gen. Gregory Guillot during his confirmation process to head the North American Aerospace Defense Command, Sullivan quizzed Guillot on whether the US could count on him to have “tough conversations” with Canada on the matter.

Canada has long been pressured by allies to spend more on defense. In April, a report suggested that PM Justin Trudeau told allies he has no intention of hitting the 2% of GDP military spending target set by NATO. In response to Sullivan’s criticism, Trudeau defended Canada’s military spending, including a pledge of roughly CA$40 billion to modernize NATO and the recent purchase of a fleet of F-35 fighter jets. But whether that’s enough depends on whether allies believe it’s enough – and Canada’s participation in AUKUS, or its absence, may indicate how the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom really feel about that.   (Gzero Signal, 8/3/2030)

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ECOWAS RALLIES AGAINST NIGER PUTSCH

Western states, including Germany, are backing the Western alliance ECOWAS in its campaign against putschists in Niger. On Sunday, ECOWAS imposed comprehensive sanctions on Niger and threatened military intervention in the country if the putschists do not back down by the end of the week. This threat of violence is being made despite the fact that Niger has been terrorized by Jihadis for years and would ultimately be at risk of descending into bloody chaos if ECOWAS troops were to engage in a war against the Nigerien armed forces. Observers speculate that Paris could allow ECOWAS to use its air base in Niamey. The population in Niger, rallying in the largest demonstrations seen in a long time, is protesting against a possible ECOWAS military intervention. The German government sees the putsch as a threat to the Bundeswehr’s last Sahel deployment location and, by supporting ECOWAS, accepts that a military intervention will plunge the Sahel into an unprecedented conflagration.   (German Foreign Policy, 8/2/2023)

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STAFF AT A HOTEL FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS OBSTRUCTED A POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO A REPORT THAT A MAN (COMMITTED A SEXUAL ACT) IN FRONT OF A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD, THE BBC HAS BEEN TOLD.

Officers were blocked from entering the east London hotel and staff delayed providing CCTV – which was later automatically deleted, it is claimed. The provider – Clearsprings – says it has robust safeguarding processes.

The BBC has also learned of a reported unrelated sex assault in another hotel.

Families of asylum seekers are frequently housed in the same buildings as single men who are also waiting for their applications to be processed.

The BBC has been told that on 30 June 2023 a seven-year-old girl and her mother were reported to have witnessed a 34-year-old man intentionally (committing a sexual act) in their presence.

It is claimed that staff and security obstructed the police investigation when officers visited the hotel around three weeks after the incident.

The hotel is run by Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has a 10-year contract to manage asylum seeker accommodation in England and Wales.

The BBC has been told that staff refused to provide their own names and told officers they had no rights to enter the hotel without a warrant.  (BBC News, 8/3/2023)

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POINTS TO PONDER

• For many years, I have thought the Commonwealth would be in trouble after the death of the Queen.   But I never expected one of the most prestigious and popular programs would be first.   The Commonwealth Games were held once every four years like the Olympics.  The Commonwealth Games were held in the even numbered year in between the Olympics. Now, the two cities chosen for the next two games have pulled out for financial reasons.   Both Melbourne, Australia and Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, have withdrawn from the 2026 and 2030 games.  I doubt that any other countries have sufficient money, so this could be the end.

• The artificial sweetener aspartame is safe to consume in moderation, experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) have concluded. The sugar substitute is found in everything from diet drinks to toothpaste, and so there was concern last month when it emerged that a WHO committee was poised to declare it a possible carcinogen, something it has since done. However, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, a separate body charged with assessing the actual risk to people, has concluded that the possible link with cancer is not convincing, and that it’s safe to consume up to 40mg of aspartame per kilo of body weight a day. That equates to more than nine cans of diet cola per day for most people.   (The Week, 8/1/2023)

• The love story of the glamorous duo, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire, est fini. News of their separation broke Wednesday, leaving onlookers worldwide stunned. Grégoire has been at Trudeau’s side for the past 18 years and been a prominent partner throughout his political career.  Grégoire is reportedly moving out of Rideau Cottage, where Trudeau will stay with their three children. (Gzero, 8/3/2023)

• Interest rates are expected to rise for the 14th successive time today. Most economists have predicted the Bank of England will increase its base rate to 5.25% from its current 5%. Several Tory MPs told the i news site that they were increasingly concerned about the impact of high interest rates on the party at the ballot box. “The reality is to get inflation under control, people do have to be poor,” said one backbencher. “You have to have less money. But that is not a particularly politically sellable strapline.”  (The Week, 8/3/2023)

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COMMENTARY

I feel sick.

After two days, I still feel sick.

Ever since I heard the name of Jacob Crouch.   Jacob was an adorable ten-month-old baby boy who was murdered by his step father, with help from his mother, in December 2020.   At the time of his death he was suffering from 39 injuries to his ribs, plus 19 to the rest of his body.  He died of a broken bowel, with complications from his other injuries, which led to peritonitis.   As was pointed out in court, he did not have one month without serious injury.

His step-father was sentenced today to 28 years in prison; his mother to ten years for assisting her boyfriend in his murder.

This is a case that demands the death penalty.  But the UK has not had a death penalty since it was abolished in the 1960’s.  If there is not enough support for the death penalty in all cases, then surely the murders of children demand it.

Of course, it’s not just England that has gruesome murders.  Idaho Mom Lori Vallow earlier this week was found guilty of murdering her two children, seemingly because they got in the way of her remarrying.  Her two children were a 7-year-old boy nicknamed J.J. and his sister, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan.  There was talk of zombies and heaven, claiming that they were much happier where they are now.

Again, this case warranted the death penalty.

In the Ten Commandments we are told to “Do No Murder.” (Ex 20:13).  At the same time, Psalm 127:3 reminds us that “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him.”

For thousands of years, children were considered precious.   Apart from the loving relationship they can be a part of, they were security in old age.   Without children, many would die in old age simply because they couldn’t take care of themselves.

We’ve largely destroyed the family unit, clearing the way for the most gruesome of murders.  And we call it progress!