Category Archives: Religion

McCain As Metaphor

Posted on by
Reply

Some people are living symbols, sheer embodiments of a concept that fits their persona as snugly as their skin: e.g. the Dalai Lama personifies Contemplative Piety, Harvey Weinstein is the incarnation of Brazen Vulgarity, and John McCain’s very person exudes the sweaty blustery spirit of Empire.
His entire history – born in the Panama Canal zone, son of an admiral, third-generation centurion, the War Party’s senatorial spokesman – made it nearly impossible for him to be other than what he is: the country’s most outspoken warmonger and dedicated internationalist.
***
As George Orwell remarked, ‘After forty, everyone has the face they deserve,’ and in McCain’s case this is doubly true. That Roman head, fit for a coin of high denomination, looks as if it might sprout a crown of laurel leaves at any moment: Grizzled brow, wrinkled with the tension of an inborn belligerence, eyes alight with a perpetual flame of self-righteous anger, McCain is Teddy Roosevelt impersonating Cato the Elder. In the extreme predictability of his warlike effusions, he’s become a bit of a cartoon character. Who can forget his enthusiastic rendition of ‘Bomb bomb bomb Iran!’ to the tune of ‘Barbara Ann’?

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Oct 21, 2017.

America: The Dictatress of the World

Posted on by
Reply

On July 21, 1821, John Quincy Adams, who would go on to become the sixth president of the United States, warned that if America were ever to abandon its founding principle of non-interventionism in foreign affairs, she might well become the dictatress of the world.
Adams issued his warning in a speech he delivered to Congress, a speech that has gone down in history with the title ‘In Search of Monsters to Destroy.’
Adams was referring to the fact that the United States was founded as a constitutional republic, one whose military forces did not go around the world helping people who were suffering the horrors of dictators, despots, civil wars, revolutions, famines, oppression, or anything else. That’s not to say that America didn’t sympathize with people struggling to experience lives of freedom, peace, and prosperity. It was simply that the US government would not go abroad to slay such monsters.
Here is how Adams expressed it:
Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She will recommend the general cause, by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example.

This post was published at Ludwig von Mises Institute on October 10, 2017.

MYANMAR: A Confrontation Between China and ‘Political’ Islam

Posted on by
Reply

You are probably aware that you are incompletely informed about what is brewing in Myanmar, and you probably haven’t heard about the military coalition that is preparing to attack that country. And yet, as Thierry Meyssan reveals here, these current events have been in preparation by Riyadh and Washington since 2013. Don’t take sides before you read this article and digest the information.
Pursuing its Grand Strategy of extending the theatre of war [1], the Pentagon is at the same time preparing the instrumentation of the Kurds in the Greater Middle East, a civil war in Venezuela and a war of attrition in the Philippines. However, these conflicts will have to wait for the implementation of a fourth theatre of operations – namely Burma, China’s next-door neighbour.
During the meeting of the UN Security Council on 28 September, the US ambassador and several of her allies accused Myanmar’s coalition government of genocide [2]. This loaded word – which, in European law, designates the massacre of a great number of people, but in US law applies to a method of killing, even if the criminal kills only one person – is enough for Washington to justify a war, with or without the backing of the Security Council, as we saw in Yugoslavia [3]. The meeting of the Security Council was held at the request of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
In order to make the facts correspond to their narrative, the United States, the United Kingdom and France, which had celebrated Aung San Suu Kyi and the Buddhist monks for their non-violent resistance to the dictatorship of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) during the Saffron revolution in 2007 [4], simply redefined the Burmese army, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi [5], and all the Buddhists in the country [6] as ‘the bad guys’.

This post was published at 21st Century Wire on OCTOBER 8, 2017.

“Don’t Ask Me To Pray For Victims” – Harvard Professor Calls NRA A “Domestic Terrorist Organization”

Posted on by
Reply

A Harvard University professor called the National Rifle Association a ‘domestic terrorist organization’ Tuesday morning, adding that ‘Congress must act’ on gun control.
***
‘We have to have the courage to call the NRA exactly what it has become – a domestic terrorist organization that places profit above the lives of the American people,’ Dr. Jonathan Walton declared during Morning Prayers, according to a blog post by The Memorial Church at Harvard.
Anticipating that ‘gun rights defenders will accuse me of politicizing this tragedy,’ he proceeds to substantiate the accusation, speculating that mass murder ‘is what the NRA, weapons makers, and all who financially profit from this country’s pain desire’ because ‘weapons sales increase and gun stocks rise following each mass shooting.’

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Oct 5, 2017.

Did Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock Believe That He Was Justified In Shooting Conservatives Because They ‘Deserve To Die’?

Posted on by
Reply

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner is convinced that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock believed that the people that he was shooting ‘deserve to die’. As I detailed the other day, the massacre in Las Vegas was an operation that was planned well in advance. Paddock (and anyone that was helping him) specifically chose a country music festival as the target, and it is probably safe to assume that there was a reason for that choice. Just think about it. If someone decided to go start shooting at a black church, it would probably be safe to assume that individual is likely a racist. Or if someone decided to shoot up a Jewish synagogue, it would probably be safe to assume that person is anti-Semitic. And so why would someone want to gun down hundreds of people at a country music festival? Well, it could be motivated by a great hatred for country music, but more likely it is because large numbers of conservatives, Christians and Trump supporters would be there.
Yes, it is possible that Paddock decided to commit mass homicide simply to make a name for himself. But as Dr. Welner pointed out during an interview with Fox and Friends, that is usually something that only young men do…
Appearing on Fox and Friends, Welner explained that the massacre was a ‘stranger mass homicide,’ which means that it was motivated either by a political or personal cause, or because the shooter wanted to gain notoriety, such as with Aurora shooter James Holmes, a case that Welner worked on.
‘Here’s the thing, shooting for notoriety’s sake and nothing more is a young man’s crime and this is a 64-year-old with no dramatic mental illness,’ said Welner, equating Paddock with James Hodgkinson, who attempted to massacre Republican lawmakers, which would have mandated special elections to replace them.
Instead, it is almost certain that Paddock was motivated by some sort of ideology. According to Dr. Welner, this ideology made Paddock feel as though gunning down all of those innocent people was the right thing to do…

This post was published at The Economic Collapse Blog on October 4th, 2017.

Pat Buchanan Reflects On “A Brief Moment Of Unity In A Disintegrating World”

Posted on by
Reply

‘An act of pure evil,’ said President Trump of the atrocity in Las Vegas, invoking our ancient faith: ‘Scripture teaches us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’
‘Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our bonds cannot be broken by violence,’ Trump went on in his most presidential moment, ‘and though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is love that defines us today and always will. Forever.’
Uplifting words. But are they true?
Or will this massacre be like the Sandy Hook Elementary School slaughter of 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut, or Charleston massacre of black churchgoers by Dylan Roof – uniting us briefly in ‘sadness, shock and grief’ only to divide us again and, more deeply, in our endless war over guns.
‘In memory of the fallen, I have directed that our great flag be flown at half-staff,’ said the president. As he spoke, the mind went back to yesterday afternoon where the NFL was roiled anew by athletes earning seven-figure salaries ‘taking a knee’ in disrespect of that flag.
Also on Sunday, cable TV was given over to charges that Trump, attending a golf tournament in New Jersey, cared nothing about the suffering of ‘people of color’ in Puerto Rico.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Oct 3, 2017.

LIBERALS ONLY LIKE STATE POWER WHEN THEY WIELD IT

Posted on by
Reply

Jimmy Kimmel is once again trying to be the moral voice of our country in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre.
Two weeks ago, Kimmel dedicated his late-night show to stopping GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare. Now, he is using his platform to call for immediate action on guns.
In a monologue frequently interrupted by the comedy host being on the brink of tears, Kimmel condemned Republican lawmakers for letting the ‘gun lobby’ take over America. He dismissed their offerings of prayers for the Las Vegas victims and suggested, ‘they should be praying for God to forgive them for letting the gun lobby run this country.’
All of this made for good viral material to influence the current gun debate. Liberals and Democrats are all behind Kimmel’s desire to act immediately on guns – yet, there is no real legislation that would have done a damn thing to stop the deadliest mass shooting in American history. (RELATED: Democrats Immediately Call For Gun Control After Las Vegas Shooting)
The current focus is stopping a bill that would remove restrictions on gun suppressors, an item the Las Vegas shooter did not use. Noted firearm expert Hillary Clinton has offered the theory that a silencer would have allowed the shooter to kill dozens with no one hearing him, apparently believing that a suppressor makes one of those dreaded assault rifles completely inaudible.

This post was published at The Daily Sheeple on OCTOBER 3, 2017.

Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Vegas Attack; Says Paddock “Converted To Islam Months Ago”

Posted on by
Reply

In a bizarre development, the Islamic State’s news agency Amaq has claimed responsibility for the Las Vegas concert attack, alleging that Stephen Paddock is one of its “soldiers” and that he converted to Islam “months ago”.
To be sure, there is no evidence for these claims, and the statement comes after the Las Vegas police stated earlier that there is no link to international terrorism.
BREAKING: #ISIS claimed #LasVegas attack, reporting through 'Amaq that executor is one of its "soldiers" & he converted to Islam months ago pic.twitter.com/4E85vEIUzH
— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) October 2, 2017

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Oct 2, 2017.

“They Won’t Know What Hit Them” Shocking Undercover Footage Exposes Antifa’s “Premeditated” Violence

Posted on by
Reply

As if the public needed any more evidence that violence is a central part of Antifa’s mission, conservative comedian Steve Crowder has published footage that he and his producer surreptitiously recorded after infiltrating a local Antifa cell and accompanying it to a protest at the University of Utah.
The shockingly candid footage offers a disturbing glimpse into the innerworkings of Antifa – a loosely organized band of far-left agitators – and the central tenant of violent resistance that encapsulates the group’s philosophy. The footage primarily focuses on a transgender woman, the purported leader of a small cell of Antifa protesters, who can be heard telling Crowder’s producer that she’s armed with a handgun, and that she expects reinforcements to arrive later with ‘two AKs’. The organizer can also be heard recommending that Crowder’s producer buy a small blade at a military surplus store and strap it to his ankle ‘just in case.’
What they show appears to confirm that the group protesters were planning to disrupt a speaking event hosted by conservative commentator and Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro, whom Antifa has accused of being a nazi despite the fact that he is Jewish. Shapiro’s recent appearances at UC Berkeley and other university campuses drew protests, with demonstrators labeling him a ‘fascist.’
But perhaps the most surprising thing about the footage was the fact that mainstream media reporters AND police essentially told Crowder & Co. to get lost when they shared it with them.


This post was published at Zero Hedge on Sep 30, 2017.

China and Russia Urge Diplomatic and Media Objectivity in Myanmar

Posted on by
Reply

Gearoid O Colmain
21st Century Wire
The September 28th Security Council 8060th Session on the crisis in Myanmar – following the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) terrorist attacks on the 25th of August – highlighted once again two opposing trends in current international relations.
After several speeches by the US, UK and French UN ambassadors blaming the Burmese government for massacres carried out by ARSA terrorists, the Chinese and Russian ambassadors praised Naypyidaw for its handling of the security crisis in the country.
China’s deputy UN ambassador Wu Haitao said:
‘China condemns the recent violent attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and supports Myanmar’s effort to keep its domestic situation stable. We sincerely hope order will prevail again as soon as possible. So no more harm will come to innocent civilians and social stability, unity among ethnic groups and economic development in Myanmar will be sustained. The question of Rakhine state is rooted in a nexus of complex historical, ethnic and religious factors.’
The nexus of complex factors outlined by the Chinese deputy ambassador have been reduced by the Western corporate press to meaningless and mendacious soundbites accusing the Burmese state of committing ‘genocide’ against its Muslim minority, when in fact the opposite is closer to reality, namely that terrorist groups living among the Muslim majority of northern Rakhine State have been ethnically cleansing the Buddhist, Hindu and other religious and ethnic minorities. Muslims who refuse to collaborate have also been murdered.

This post was published at 21st Century Wire on SEPTEMBER 30, 2017.

Armed Soldiers To Replace Cops On Danish Streets

Posted on by
Reply

Even as Europe’s political establishment professes its liberal ideals by accepting – or in the case of the ongoing spat between Brussels and Central Europe, forcing others to accept – as many refugees as humanitarian virtue signalling will require, the true face of Europe is gradually emerging behind the scenes, and according to The Local.de, starting today armed soldiers from the Danish Armed Forces (Forsvaret) will replace police officers at both Denmark’s southern border to Germany and at potential terror targets in Copenhagen.
***
According to the Danish National Police (Rigspolitiet) and Copenhagen Police, 160 soldiers will patrol the border and take over guard duties at Jewish institutions including the Great Synagogue in central Copenhagen.
The synagogue has been under constant police protection since a Danish-born terrorist of Palestinian descent shot and killed 37-year-old Dan Uzan, a volunteer security guard, outside the building in February 2015. The gunman, Omar El-Hussein, had earlier in the night opened fire with an automatic rifle outside a cultural centre hosting a free speech event, killing 55-year-old Finn Nrgaard and injuring police officers. El-Hussein was later shot and killed by police.
The soldiers’ role at the German border was described as ancillary and will not entail actively checking the IDs of those entering the country. That role will still be filled by police officers and members of the Danish Home Guard (Hjemmevrnet), which has been active in border checks since April 2016.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Sep 29, 2017.

Victims of Rashideen Betrayed & Politicized by Western Media, Exploited by the White Helmets – Part One

Posted on by
Reply

‘They sieged us, starved us, mocked us and then tempted our children with potato chips before blowing them up. Have they no heart?’
That was a question asked by many of the survivors of the tragic Rashideen massacre that took place in the western outskirts of liberated Aleppo on the 15th April 2017. I had arrived in Aleppo on the evening of that fateful day and just as I entered the doors of the hotel I received the news of this horrifying attack by US Coalition ‘rebel’ proxies, two savages gangs, Ahrar al Sham and Nusra Front.
The magnitude of this crime against these already starved, persecuted and ethnically cleansed people who lived in the villages of Kafarya and Foua hit me hard.
Along with independent journalist, Eva Bartlett, I had been following, very closely, the history of the terrorist siege of these two Shia Muslim villages, marooned in Idlib and surrounded by hostile extremist factions, funded and armed by the US Coalition, for over two years. This sectarian identification is not in keeping with the peaceful co-existence between sects that flourished, prior to the NATO-state-driven war in Syria that has caused powerful rifts among these communities. It is, however, central to the narrative, so I apologise in advance, for using this sectarian terminology that is anathema to the majority of Syrian society.
Since March 2015 the siege had tightened to a full lock-down, with daily shelling, sniping and intimidation by the Army of Conquest (Jaish al Fatah, comprising Ahrar al Sham, Nusra Front & additional entities).

This post was published at 21st Century Wire on SEPTEMBER 29, 2017.

US-Backed Forces And Syrian Government Trade Blame For Supporting ISIS

Posted on by
Reply

Submitted by South Front
On September 27th, a top commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Rojda Felat, claimed in a video statement that 100 ISIS terrorists, dressed as SDF members, attacked the SDF. The incident took place on September 26th and the SDF leader alleges that ISIS members came from some government-held area near Deir Ezzor. Felat added that this is a ‘sign’ that the Syrian government supported the attack. Twenty-eight SDF members were killed in the clashes with ISIS. The statement came a few days after the Russian Defense Ministry released pictures of US Speical Operations Forces positions deep inside the ISIS-held area near Deir Ezzor city as well as provided information that no clashes had been observed there between ISIS and the SDF.
Meanwhile, the SDF continued clashing with ISIS near al-Suwar with an aim to establish a foothold for further operations on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. In Raqqah city, the SDF captured the al-Nawawi mosque in al-Nahdah district from ISIS and continued developing momentum in the area. The SDF repelled the ISIS raids in al-Sinaa and al-Mashleb neighborhoods. However, some 45 SDF members were reportedly killed in the clashes.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Sep 29, 2017.

If football were canceled, would America go insane?

Posted on by
Reply

College football is a frenzy of student fans and local supporters, who in some cases extend to a whole state (e.g., Alabama).
The players are heavily recruited, and most of them hardly qualify as ‘student-athletes.’ They’re at the school to play football and they hope to enter the NFL, where the money is.
The players make extraordinary amounts of $$ for the colleges, but none for themselves (excluding under the table cash and gifts).
The illusion is: the players are part of the college or university.
They’re not. They’re budding professionals who, because of the rules, aren’t paid salaries or bonuses.
But the fans think of them as ‘their own.’
‘The players on my team are mine. They’re my school.’
No. Not really.
But no one cares. Through a combination of idol worship and ‘school spirit,’ the illusion holds.
And holding that symbol in the mind is everything.
A loss on a Saturday afternoon is like a rebuke from a priest who supposedly holds the keys to the gates of heaven.

This post was published at Jon Rappoport on September 28, 2017.

Meet Yvonne Felcara – Antifa Leader Arrested After Scuffle In Berkeley

Posted on by
Reply

Prominent anti-fascist leader Yvonne Felarca was arrested Tuesday following a rowdy Antifa ‘Victory March’ in Berkeley, California.
Felarca, a 47-year-old middle school teacher who leads the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality by Any Means Necessary (BAMN), was arrested following a scuffle with demonstrators who had turned out for a Patriot Prayer rally.
Images and video obtained by Campus Reform appear to show Felarca being surrounded by numerous police officers in riot gear in the middle of the street.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Sep 28, 2017.