Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.30.10

Afghanistan. From today's Wall Street Journal: "Thousands of U.S. forces are massing for a coming offensive in Helmand [Afghanistan], one of the country's most violent regions."

This offensive will go nowhere. Why? Because the Taliban is one or two steps ahead of the Obama war planners.

While the US concentrates forces in one area of Afghanistan, the Taliban is attacking other areas. They are taking Stan Musial's advice: "Hit Em Where They Ain't." A couple of weeks ago, the Taliban rocked Kabul, the capital, in an attack on the center of the city. Yesterday the Taliban attacked Laskar Gah and engaged the Afghan security forces in a day-long battle. Where they will attack next is unknown, but for sure it will not be Helmand.

In the meantime, the US, its allies and the Afghan government continue their efforts to buy off a section of the Taliban. A $500 million corruption fund is being built up for this purpose. But it is a good bet that a healthy portion of the loot will end up in pockets of officials.

The US is somewhat desperate to find a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. Certainly the Obama war planners understand that this war will go on forever with no US victorious achievements. And in the meantime the American public and the left wing of his own party will grow impatient. Plus, Obama is under pressure to reduce spending while the war drains away money.

And thus the Obama people have sought to make back-door contact with the Taliban to reach a settlement. The US primarily went into Afghanistan to disrupt a training and organizing center for the enemies of Israel and its client state, the USA. The US would be willing to reach an agreement (with Israel's ok) if the Taliban would limit themselves to Afghanistan and cease efforts outside of Afghanistan's borders.

To this end, the United Nations' top representative to Afghanistan met with the Taliban recently to find a diplomatic solution. The results of this contact are unknown to the public right now.

But, it is reasonable to assume that the Taliban is in no mood to negotiate. Why should they? The momentum is on their side. The longer the US is involved, the greater will be the pressure to get out. And time will certainly not strengthen the Afghan government.

There is no easy way out for Obama.

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.29.10

Afghanistan. The London conference on wishful thinking and excursions into never-never-land concluded yesterday. Afghan President Karzai and representatives of 65 other countries have been meeting to discuss and determine the future of Afghanistan. It is as if these people are living on another planet or are from another dimension.

The conference communique stated that, according to the Wall Street Journal, "the Afghans will take the lead in securing the most volatile parts of the country within three years, with the first provinces potentially passing to Afghan control by the end of this year." Karzai even said in his address to the conference that "Afghan forces will take control of physical security of the whole country within five years."

All this regarding a government that was almost overthrown a couple of weeks ago. All this regarding a government that controls nothing in the country except the capital, Kabul. All this regarding a President the US tried to get rid of just a few months ago. All this regarding a President, some of whose military advisors aided an assassination attempt against him. All this regarding an American strategy for Afghanistan that is designed to simply hold the fort rather than trying to defeat the Taliban.

In other words, the plans of Karzai and the conference have no possibility of success or even minimal achievement. 

Further details of a now crowned "Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund" were also revealed. Japan, the United Kingdom and others are planning to raise $500 million to reach out to militants to give them "a way back into mainstream life on the condition they renounce violence." 

Karzai also promised to make a "key focus" the fighting of corruption. It is a well-known strategy to combat corruption by having $500 million laying around in a poor country. [Sarcasm.]

Karzai told the meeting he intends to invite the Taliban leaders to a tribal conference. This ought to be good. Not only will the Taliban not attend, but the conference itself will be another of those CIA-type front organizations.

In short, Afghanistan, from the point of view of Obama and friends, is going you-know-where in a hand-basket. And yet Obama and his allies engage in the most delirious of delusions about how the situation is steadily improving.

Just wait for the Taliban's next show of force to see all these grandiose plans go up in smoke.

On a humorous note, Obama let Hillary Clinton feel important by addressing the conference. Most of her remarks were just a tired reiteration of Obama-talk. Then she took it upon herself to tell Afghanistan how it should run itself. "Afghan women must not be viewed [by whom?] simply as victims who need to be sheltered. They must be respected and valued as leaders -- a treasury of untapped talent that Afghan society needs." Other cultures are always receptive to being told they "must" do something. [Sarcasm.]

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.28.10

Afghanistan. American fruitless efforts to snooker all or a part of the Taliban continue.

An international conference of some 60 foreign ministers is meeting now in London to discuss the eventual withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. To reach that time, this conference is usurping the independence of Afghanistan and telling them how to build their security forces, army, etc.

But, the significant revelation at the conference is the existence of a fund whose donors include the US, UK and Japan, the purpose of which is to 'help' former Taliban members to integrate into the Afghan government's version of reality. The fund is Japan-led and will be run by the Afghans. Richard Holbrooke, the US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, plugged the fund to the conference.

Comments:

1. If the 'allies' really believe that a fund like this is going to have an appreciable effect on the Taliban, they are gravely mistaken. Individual members of the Taliban can see that the Taliban will ultimately win the battle with the Karzai government, probably sooner than later. They have no incentive to accept a bribe from the US, Japan et al. In fact, accepting the money would only stigmatize the recipient.

2. Does anyone think that a fund run by the Afghan government will remain corruption-free? The great likelihood is that the big bucks will find their way into the pockets of any Afghan leader powerful enough to take the money. And there are plenty of those leaders.

3. The conference itself is kind of a joke. The US can only persuade a few countries to participate militarily in the Afghan war. So, to appease American critics and to get some of the financial burden off its shoulders, the US has convened these 60 nations. The conference is supposed to give the impression that Afghan policy is decided by many, many countries. This is a joke. The US will do the deciding. The fact that Hillary Clinton is at the conference gives some indication how little this conference has to do with the war planning in Washington.

World Government, in Today's News 01.27.10

World Government. Ensuring that national banks act in a unified international manner on bank reform and thereby move toward world government that would dictate such action, is the order of the day at the Davos, Switzerland conference this week.

The Institute of International Finance, an influential organization that represents the Rothschild interests and speaks for international banks and other financial institutions, made clear on the eve of Davos, according to the Wall Street Journal, that "go-it-alone moves by governments to regulate big banks are in danger of fragmenting the global financial system."

Independent regulatory action by nations is a matter of great concern to the Rothschilds and other owners of the world's wealth because 1) it mucks up the wealth production of these families, and 2) it is a step away from the over-riding aim of developing a world government. The Rothschilds and their cohorts are therefore making a big push at Davos.

William Rhodes of Citigroup and a leading figure in the IIF revealed the frustration with lack of international coordination: "Almost every day now, we are seeing policy decisions and announcements that are not being coordinated and have the potential of doing systemic damage."

The IIF "reiterated past warnings that regulators should be aware of the cumulative costs of all their separate initiatives...which could combine to constrain bank lending" (WSJ) and thereby constrain bank profit-making from bank-lending.

As the discerning can see, world government is a matter of economic necessity for the world bank owners to ensure a ever-growing rate of profit. Moving in the direction of this world body is a matter of some urgency. Rhodes "said it was important to move quickly lest momentum for change was lost..." 

In general the world wealth owners are looking to the G-20 organization to be the genesis of their world government. The G-20 is an international coming together of representatives of the 20 largest economies. The Rothschilds and others are working hard to encourage the G-20 leaders to transform themselves into a world governing body for economics. Already some steps have been taken by the G-20.

The IIF is looking to the Davos conference to be a stepping stone to the next G-20 meeting in November. Rhodes stressed that the Davos group needed to implement guidelines by the time of the G-20 conference. Rhodes, "That will be a test of the whole G-20 process."

Various political commentators seldom speak of the possibility of world government. But the process continues. Step by step, the Rothschilds and their friends are moving to establish their world governing body (read dictatorship). Someday we will wake up and there it will be.

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.25.10

Afghanistan. About a week after the Taliban waged a day-long battle in the center of power in Kabul, the Afghan government has announced that the parliamentary elections will be postponed until September. Is there a connection between the two events? You betcha. 

The Taliban attack revealed that the Afghan government is completely isolated. An election at this time would only confirm the isolation. And so, Karzai and his American buddies have decided that it is the better part of wisdom for Karzai to simply and dictatorially avoid the elections, in the hope that things will be better eight months from now.

The delay won't work, but that is Obama's problem.

Simultaneously the Obama team has been trying to signal the Taliban that a deal is possible. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was quoted in Pakistan saying, "The Taliban, we recognize, are part of the political fabric of Afghanistan at this point. The question is whether they are prepared to play a legitimate role in the political fabric of Afghanistan going forward -- meaning participating in elections, meaning not assassinating local officials and killing families."

Translated: 'we used to say the Taliban was evil incarnate. Now we are willing to say they are a legitimate political entity and to stop the fighting if they agree to participate in the political process.'

The Taliban, of course, has no reason to make such a deal. They have the Afghan regime isolated and the US scrambling for face-saving. Why should they make a deal in those circumstances? They have victory in sight. Why not go for it?

Pakistan and India, in Today's News 01.24.10

Pakistan and India. United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been visiting India, then Pakistan. The purpose of the tour seems to be to convince the two countries to end their hostility and instead oppose the enemies of Israel. 

Gates has made a big push on how Al Qaeda and others are trying to foment conflict between India and Pakistan. Gates is pleading with them to not fall for this, and realize their joint enemy is Al Qaeda et al.

Gates' point about Al Qaeda trying to cause a regional conflict is questionable. What Al Qaeda would have to gain by such a conflict is a mystery. But, Gates does know that a defense of Israel requires at least neutrality toward Israel by mideast and asian nations. 

Israel's illegitimate presence in the mideast will continue to provoke conflict. Moreover, Israel continually makes aggressive moves toward the Palestinians and its neighbors in a misconceived effort to defend itself.

The Israelis target-of-concern nowadays is Iran. Israel has been seeking US support for a military confrontation with Iran for more than a couple of years. The US, for its part, has preferred to try to undermine Iran through CIA sponsored internal conflict. When this US strategy runs its course with no appreciable results, the US will be stuck with the Israeli alternative of direct engagement with Iran.

Enter Gates and his attempt to line-up two asian and mideast powerhouses against Arab militancy. When a confrontation with Iran occurs, it will be a big help to the US and Israel if the major players in the region don't get in the way.

*****

BTW, shouldn't the Secretary of State be involved in these kinds of discussions? Well, no. Obama smartly prefers to keep Hillary Clinton involved only with secondary issues. 

Obama, in Today's News 01.23.10

Obama. The Wall Street Journal termed Obama's Elyria, Ohio speech as a sharpening of "his populist tone." This is a nice way of covering over Obama's extreme rhetoric. Only communists up to now have said things the way Obama did. 

Case in point: Obama: "I'm not going to have the insurance companies click their heals and watch their stocks skyrocket, because once again there's no control on what they do." Lenin or Castro could not have said it better.

One of the prime cryptocracy goals to be achieved during the economic crisis precipitated by the cryptocracy was to bring the economy under government control and to begin to institutionalize a planned economy. The idea is that planning and central control will reduce the risk to the cryptocracy's wealth production. Annoying things like competition for the wealth would also be eliminated.

To this end, Obama has sought to establish czars and oversight committees for various industries, the auto industry and General Motors most notably. He has promoted a thorough reorganization of financial regulation giving oversight powers to the Federal Reserve. He has tried to bring the banks and insurance companies under government control. His health care reform is designed to bring this wide-ranging industry under central planners and bureaucrats.

The truth of the matter is that all these efforts are only crawling along. With the exception of the government take-over of GM, all Obama's 'reforms' are foundering, which is none too pleasing to the cryptocracy. And thus is explained Obama's desperate rhetoric which reflects his and the cryptocracy's frustration with the lack of success.

Health care is the most obvious of the failures. His effort to install a new system of financial regulation is going nowhere. The banks have fought back and tried to get the yoke of government control off their necks. His effort to control salaries and bonuses in the financial world has had only meek success.

There is an ominous side to this situation. The cryptocracy made the economic crisis possible in order to create a political atmosphere where quick passage of the cryptocracy's aims through Congress could occur. But few cryptocracy proposals have managed to make it through Congress into law. As Obama was quoted in reference to the health reform, "The longer it takes, the uglier it gets."

This result is a problem for the cryptocracy. Their favored mode of bringing change is to create a crisis and then rush through their 'reforms.' But, it didn't work as well as they wanted this time. So what are they to do? The very worrisome reality is that they are undoubtedly concluding that it will take an even greater crisis to achieve their ends. They are therefore certainly now preparing an even worse crisis. 

When the cryptocracy will drop the next crisis on us is unknown, but be prepared.

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.22.10

Afghanistan. Boy, this gets better all the time!! The Afghan government is declaring that Monday's insurgent attack on the central government institutions was a 'victory' [!!] for the government.

The Wall Street Journal quotes the Afghan Army Chief of Staff, "What happened was a victory and a show of our strength." [!!!]

If the Afghan leaders really believe this, their delusion is of epic-proportions. The insurgents attacked the presidential palace, several key ministries, and the central area of Kabul, held their positions, and then retreated when the day ended. The attackers were within a hair's breadth of actually seizing the central Afghan government. And this is a victory for the Afghan government???

What probably really happened is this: the attacks caused such a drop in morale in the armed forces, the ministries, and the public that supports President Karzai, that extraordinary measures had to be taken to prop things back up again. And thus, the government beats its chest, makes strong-sounding statements, and issues a few medals to the army.

But, it won't work. The Afghan population knows full well that the Karzai government has no support and is only there because the United States is there. It is only a matter of time before this whole edifice crumbles.

*****

As the situation deteriorates the Obama adminstration is looking desperately for some kind of face-saving deal. Today's WSJ reveals that a significant effort is being made to split one of the influential regional leaders away from the Taliban. The US appears to be holding out all kinds of carrots to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to seperately work out a settlement with the Karzai government.

This gambit, too, won't work. Hekmatyar has nothing to gain by such a settlement. He knows full well what the situation is. It is in his interests to wait for the Karzai regime to fall, and then work out his deal with the other insurgent forces.  

Economic Crisis, in Today's News 01.22.10

Economic Crisis. The Obama administration proposed new limits yesterday on the size and activities of the nation's largest banks with the aim of reducing high-risk investing, and as a result the stock market crashed and the Wall Street Journal has a four-column page one headline today.

But, there is nothing new here. This type of proposal has been a central cryptocracy goal from the beginning of the economic crisis. Just last week Paul Volcker, who was present when Obama made the proposals, called for breaking up banks that do traditional banking and high-risk investing. Volcker is a prime spokesperson for the Rockefeller and Rothschild interests.

The cryptocracy is risk-adverse. They much prefer to set things up so that their wealth-production goes smoothly. They are willing to manipulate any and all factors to assure their profits are not at risk.

The cryptocracy therefore is not too happy when some of the key institutions that they use to control the nation's economy engage in investing activities that have the possibility of undermining the institution (read bank). They have been working for a couple of years now to find a way to prevent the banks from such high-risk investing.

The banks on their part resist because the high-risk investments can result in high-reward profits, which in turn mean big incomes for the bankers. 

The cryptocracy appears to have had enough of this nonsense. They are doing their best to change this situation. They want to reduce the high-risk investing and trim the bonuses and high salaries that create an incentive to do the high-risk activities.

The impression is given that the new proposals are more of Obama's heavy hand. But, he is only doing what he is told. That the cryptocracy is pushing this change so persistently and loutishly gives an indication of how seriously they think the situation is. They are very, very serious about there being no threat to their wealth.

Pope Benedict XVI, in Today's News 01.20.10

Pope Benedict XVI. The Maurice Pinay blog has an excellent commentary on the Pope's recent visit to the synagogue in Rome. His analysis should be read by all. It may be found here.

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.20.10

Afghanistan. The Obama brain trust is beginning to come to grips with the seriousness of the situation they now face in Afghanistan after the all-day battle in Kabul on Monday.

The US is now involved in more than a war with a Islamist-oriented Taliban. It now has to deal with a war that is led by an established leader of Afghanistan, whose father is a hero for his fight against the Russians a couple of decades ago. Sirajuddin Haqqani has stepped forward to organize the assault on the Karzai regime.

This development means the US now has a generalized war on its hands. The isolation of the Karzai government is near complete and only capable of surviving by virtue of the US military strength. The Obama team now has to think out whether it wants to deepen the war or whether it can construct a means to get out. With the Israelis looking over Obama's shoulder the US administration faces some very difficult decisions.

The Wall Street Journal today says that Haqqani "has become ruthless in his own pursuit of an Afghanistan free from foreign influence." The WSJ quotes Haqqani, "We have managed to besiege the Afghan government."

The WSJ also reveals today that the current 'surge' of American troops "...is based on a strategy of applying sufficient pressure on some Taliban leaders that they will negotiate for terms acceptable to Washington." A careful reading of the news would indicate that Obama had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate before his surge decision. But, today's statement is the first time the Obama team has admitted the attempt at negotiations.

The entrance of Haqqani into the equation changes everything. No longer is the US dealing with some Taliban leaders they thought they could pressure. Now they have to deal with two parties with their own interests, and one of them is proving to be adamant in his determination to rid Afghanistan of US presence.

Moreover, Haqqani's interest is not limited to Afghanistan. His base is in Pakistan and (WSJ) "...has become arguably the most important Islamist militant haven in the region..." 

And listen to this, "Mr. Haqqani has emerged as a powerbroker on both sides of the border. He has ties to almost every major faction in the confederation of groups operating under the Taliban umbrella. He has the strongest links to Al Qaeda of any major Taliban faction...While pledging allegiance to [Taliban chief] Mullah Omar, he operates independently, choosing his own targets and only loosely coordinating with the Taliban's supreme leadership." [!!!!] [Bracketed words added.]

The Karzai regime is hanging by a thread:

The Haqqani forces attacked at the center of power: "...Pashtunistan Square, which is ringed by the central bank, the entrance to the presidential palace, as well as several [key] ministries, a shopping center [that was destroyed] and a luxury hotel." [Bracketed comments added.]

Karzai would be well-advised to not turn his back on anyone: "...Mr. Haqqani has cultivated high-level double agents inside the Afghan government--including senior military and police officers, some of whom are suspected of having aided an assassination attempt on President Karzai..."

Karzai has no allies at all: "US officials have long alleged that Pakistan tolerates and even aids [!] Mr. Haqqani, so he can be used to maintain its influence in Afghanistan after an eventual American withdrawal." [Emphasis added.]

Karzai's government seems doomed. The US has few options. In the long run they can either escalate the war or get out. In the short run, Obama is putting pressure on Pakistan to crack down on Haqqani, a gambit that is sure to produce very little.

Stay tuned. Afghanistan moves closer and closer to being the determinant of peace and war in this world.

Massachusetts, in Today's News 01.20.10

Massachusetts. The Catholic leaders and trade union leaders who could have stopped the atrocious health care legislation chose not to exercise their power and instead played footsie with the Congressional leaders. And so the population at large had no choice but to stop it themselves. And so they did in a massive unprecedented voter rebellion that was a referendum on the pending Obama-care legislation.

The Massachusetts Senate race results show clearly that the American people want nothing to do with the health care legislation. The prevailing sentiment seems to be to dump the entire thing.

Can the Catholic leaders recognize what the public is saying? Can they now get up the gumption to oppose the damn bill? Time will tell. But don't get your hopes up.

The health care legislation is not done yet. The cryptocracy must get through some minimal foot in the door to begin the transformation of health care practice from compassionate to government (read bureaucratic) control. So their employees in Congress will now begin to try to find some compromise between the Democrats and Republicans that has a chance of approval by both houses.

Watch out for the treachery ahead as various politicians and political leaders make deals to ensure some health care legislation passes.

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.19.10

Afghanistan. A bit more news appeared today on the Taliban's attack on the points of power in Kabul. It is clear that the all-day battle was considerably more significant than originally reported or that the reporters are willing to admit.

From today's Wall Street Journal: "The Taliban launched a coordinated attack on the Afghan capital Monday, paralyzing the city for most of the day as militants set off explosions, took over buildings and attempted to disrupt the swearing-in of new cabinet members." The WSJ neglects to mention that the buildings attacked were key government ministries as well as a shopping mall, which was burnt down.

"The assault, claimed by the Taliban and believed to be carried out by members of an allied militant network led by Sirajuddin Haqqani was among the most spectacular in Kabul in recent years...aiming to to embarrass President Hamid Karzai's administration and to showcase the insurgency's reach."

Well, yes, they were trying to 'embarrass' Karzai...by challenging his hold on political power in the country!! The fact that the attack included non-Taliban forces indicates that the Karzai regime is isolated. 

The next insurgents' attack may take over and hold government buildings, which would obviously be the end of Karzai's government. And it would force the US to make some uncomfortable decisions.

It is also interesting that the Taliban attack points out the weakness of the Obama plan. "President Barack Obama is sending some 30,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan this year, mostly to Taliban strongholds in the south and east of the country. Few of these troops will be heading to Kabul..."

It's almost as if the Taliban is thinking, 'OK, if you are going to concentrate in the south and east, then we will concentrate in Kabul, which is actually a help because the government can be toppled in Kabul.'

Obama will be facing some big decisions on Afghanistan before long.

Afghanistan, in Today's News 01.18.10

Afghanistan. The media seems to think that there is little to say about Afghanistan since Obama made his troop decision. But, in actuality, significant events are occurring there which indicate Obama is headed for big trouble.

It was minimally reported today that the Taliban fought government forces in the streets of Kabul on Monday. From the AP, "Taliban militants launched a series of attacks Monday in the heart of the Afghan capital, prompting fierce gun-battles with Afghan troops after a suicide bomber blew himself up near the presidential palace.

"It was the latest attack showing the insurgents' ability to penetrate the heavily secured city, even near the presidential palace and government ministries. The attackers also targeted the Defense Ministry, the Justice Ministry and the luxury Serena Hotel, which is frequented by Westerners."

Attacks on the central organs of political power in a capital city usually occur near the end of a civil war. That the Taliban could pull off such an attack and maintain it for a day or so, indicates that the Afghan government's isolation is near complete. No amount of American troops can save the regime in such a situation. For example, several hundred thousand US troops could not prevent the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government.

It will take some time for all this to play out, but the handwriting is clearly on the wall for those who want to look. Certainly the brain-trust of the Obama administration is aware of the deteriorating conditions throughout Afghanistan. Their lack of response would tend to indicate that they have no viable options.

The US does have one option, and it is a scary one. One way to solve Afghanistan is to subsume that war into a larger war. Turning Pakistan and Afghanistan into one big war zone is one possibility. Another is the Israeli proposal to militarily attack Iran, which would precipitate a wider mideast war.

The Obama team is content for now to try to disrupt Iran through CIA intrigues and through supporting opposition elements, in the hope of an Iranian regime change. But, when that particular gambit turns up little, Obama will be faced with the Israeli alternative.

The media may give the impression that the world is basically stable, but the reality is that a big-time war is close at hand. 

Pope Benedict XVI, in Today's News 01.18.10

Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope's latest synagogue extravaganza is in today's news. Michael Hoffman has an excellent commentary. Read it here.

Environmentalism and the Pope, in Today's News 01.16.10

Environmentalism and the Pope. The respected Catholic News Service columnist, John Thavis, reports that Pope Benedict in his address to the diplomatic corps on January 11, called for an international agreement on climate change.

This position parallels his call for an international financial regulatory body during the height of the economic crisis.

These appeals fail to take into account that the prime over-riding aim of the cryptocracy is to bring into being a world government that has sovereignty over national governments. These world conspirators will support and use any issue to help establish any kind of international body that has jurisdiction over individual nations. Any body like this is a step toward the cryptocracy's overall aim. A world government would give them near-exclusive control over the development of human events.

The Pope's positions in favor of various international bodies plays right into the hands of the cryptocracy. Regardless of what the Pope means or intends, these cynical manipulators will use the Pope's authority and words to help accomplish their purpose.

Massachusetts, in Today's News 01.16.10

Massachusetts. With one of the more significant voter revolts now occurring in Massachusetts over essentially the health care legislation, one would think that the leaders of Catholicism would get the message that there is something fundamentally wrong with the legislation. 

It would seem that the voters of Massachusetts, which includes a high number of Catholics, are saying that it is not a matter of a few things being left out of Obama's health care proposal. They seem to be saying the whole thing ought to be tossed!!!

Is it possible for the Catholic leaders to not get this message? Their emphasis on including no funding for abortion and a few other items as the way to make the legislation acceptable, is way, way off, and has no echo in the population. Most people who think about these things want the entire legislation dropped, cancelled, thrown out.

The voter revolt has just begun. The Catholic leaders ought to get in step with what the faithful and the population are expressing.

Health Care, in Today's News 01.15.10

Health Care. How's this for unprincipled, selfish and short-sided politics? Union leaders yesterday agreed with Democrat negotiators to a deal where the unions' 'high-end health-insurance plans' would be exempt from taxation until 2018 under the proposed health care legislation. In return the unions agreed to support the bill.

What's wrong with this? For starters it means that non-union and middle class workers will pay now. So much for solidarity. 

The deal also means that union members in the future will be hit with the taxation. So much for the younger workers. 

Next, the deal forces the legislators to go hunting for the tax-revenue that the deal put off to 2018. The negotiators were (WSJ) "considering increasing the financial hit on drug makers, nursing homes and medical-device makers..."  Of course none of these targets will just take the hit; they will pass the expense on to their customers, which just happen to be the public including union members.

This sniveling deal-making is almost a new low for a already deeply compromised union movement. Instead of opposing unconditionally a bill that will adversely affect all union members, these 'leaders' play around, making nice to the legislators so as to appear reasonable. In the meantime, the average American will soon face a government-controlled, bureaucratic, cost-reduction, and protocol-driven system of health care. Gone will be the days where a person could expect to receive the health care he or she wanted, and in a timely fashion.

No wonder this legislation may be adopted when those who have the power to stop it (e.g. Catholic leaders, union leaders), do nothing.

Economic Crisis, in Today's News 01.15.10

Economic Crisis. Interesting. Paul Volcker, a prime spokesman for the cryptocracy and in particular the Rockefeller interests, was quoted yesterday saying that banks like J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup ought to be dismantled. 

From today's Wall Street Journal: Volker said "that banks which blend high-risk trading with traditional consumer lending face 'unmanageable conflicts of interest' and should be broken up." [!!!]

The banks he is talking about are, of course, entities controlled by the cryptocracy and the Rockefellers. That he, on behalf of those interests, would call for the breaking up of their prime vehicles for controlling the economy, is of interest.

Most probably, the cryptocracy doesn't want these banks playing with and risking the riches of the very wealthy. The thought goes, if these banks want to do high risk investing they should do it through a separate corporate structure, which would then give the wealthy the choice to participate.

The Obama administration has made a pass or two at this break-up proposal without much success. Instead the present leaders are pushing for a regulatory way to control the risk-maniacs.

That Volker would make his statement now, indicates that the cryptocracy is less than pleased with the Obama efforts.

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Update No 60, in Today's News 01.14.10

H1N1 (Swine) Flu. As the swine flu hoax slowly dies its miserable death, it is important to realize the disaster this thing was for the cryptocracy. They had a big campaign all planned out to accustom the population to their inoculation shot, and the result has been just the opposite: a greater public wariness of vaccines.

The Center for Disease Control and other organizers of the swine flu hoax had planned for months to launch the cryptocracy's big effort. The had the perfect bug. It resembled normal flu, so the CDC could count on people actually getting sick from the flu. They lined up leading figures to make appropriate scare statements as part of an ambitious plan to scare the daylights out of the public. They convinced local governments, the medical establishment, and community groups that swine flu was a deadly threat and that they should make appropriate preparations. All this was designed to stampeded the public into lining up without resistance for their shot(s).

And so they launched their ambitious plans. And what happened? To the great credit of the intelligence of the American people, no one bought in. Despite being hit with a barrage of propaganda, the response of the public was basically apathetic. The intensity of the propaganda only increased the receptiveness of the public to the well-founded reports of the dangers of vaccines.

Then the hoax organizers' own incompetence kicked in. First, they did not allow enough time to adequately test the swine flu vaccine. And so they had to rush through some assurances that the vaccine was really okay. The public was skeptical. Second, they failed to plan enough in advance to have adequate supplies of the vaccine available. All the scare tactics came to naught when only a few could actually get the vaccine. Third, the organizers' propaganda was so shrill and over-the-top and not conforming to reality that it became difficult for anyone to believe anything they said.

The organizers had warned that emergency rooms and hospitals would be overwhelmed. It didn't happen. The deaths that were reported from swine flu almost always were a result of complicating factors.

The organizers had businesses draw up special plans to cope with high absentee-ism. This turned out to be a colossal waste of effort.

The organizers at first advocating closing schools at the first sign of flu. Then, when they realized this action would essentially shut down the country, they hurriedly backed off and said schools should make special plans.

The number of swine flu cases was so small that the CDC had to repeatedly change their way of counting to make the 'pandemic' seem real. For example, they began counting normal flu cases as part of the swine flu count.

The final coup-de-grace was the small number of flu illnesses at all this year. 

The latest news is that governments are canceling orders for the vaccine. Germany canceled 30%. France wants to cancel 50 million doses out of 90 million. The United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain are seeking to trim orders.

Will the CDC and others admit they were wrong? Don't count on it. They will go on their merry way planning the next hoax.

The cryptocracy must be flabbergasted at the incompetence of the people they put in charge. The whole idea was to take a giant step towards making people more agreeable to accepting without protest their shots. In the long run, the crpytocracy has big plans for inoculating the public for all kinds of things, including to tranquilize large numbers. But the implementation of the plan actually set things back. People are now more critical and less willing to receive their shots.

It is not often that the cryptocracy has a set back. But here is one, and it is worth a celebration.

Gay Marriage, in Today's News 01.13.10

Gay Marriage. Today's media theme for the gay marriage case in San Francisco federal court is that the judge is "quirky," having an "unconventional approach", and "libertarian leaning."

The obvious goal here is to portray Judge Walker as independent and unbiased. His pro-gay-marriage decision therefore would have all-the-greater authority. Because the cryptocracy wants to use this trial to settle the debate over gay marriage, they are pulling all the stops to make sure the final decision is as authoritative and definitive as possible.

The media is almost conscious of their role in this. Here's a quote from the WSJ on the judge's decision on the evidence to be allowed, "While many of the judge's decisions to include far-reaching evidence in the case may seem odd...they could increase the likelihood that the court's decision stands in the long run." [Emphasis added.]

A bad omen occurred on the first day of the trial when Walker "repeatedly asked the lawyers: Why don't states 'get out of the marriage business? It would solve the problem.'" [Quote is from today's Wall Street Journal.]

Were the 'states to get out of the marriage business' it would mean that anyone and everyone could and would issue marriage licenses or certificates. Churches, community groups, private businesses, professional associations all could get in on the act. 

Such a free-for-all would in actuality mean no marriage at all because there would be no standards and no regulation. Marriage could therefore be defined any way anyone wanted.

In other words, Walker's proposal leads to exactly the situation that gay marriage would lead to: marriage meaning nothing at all.

Another bad omen on the first day of the trial: Judge Walker made clear that he doesn't think procreation has anything to do with the legitimacy of marriage. He told of a marriage of a 95-year-old and an 83-year-old, saying "I did not demand that they prove they intended to engage in procreation." In other words Walker is searching for examples and precedents that show that the traditional view of marriage doesn't stand up even today.

Opponents of gay marriage need to be aware of the trap that is being set up in this trial. A way has to be found to explain to the world that the fix is in and that the cryptocracy goal in the trial is to finish-off the issue. The lawyers in the case obviously can't say these things without undermining their standing in the court. But there are plenty of pro-family organizations who could and ought to make the point.

Beware of this trial. Broaden the fight against gay marriage beyond the legal front where the cause can get easily trapped.

Health Care, in Today's News 01.12.10

Heath Care. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement today which contains the following quote:

"Provisions against abortion and in favor of conscience protection, affordability, and immigrants' access to health care must be part of a fair and just health care reform bill, or the final bill must be opposed."

Is the reader therefore to take it that if these subjects are included the final bill it can be supported? That certainly is the implication. And that certainly is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Fully more than half the country is opposed to this awful legislation. Their opposition for the most part is against a costly bill that will institute a bureaucratic, government controlled, cost-control, rationing, protocol-laden method of medical care in place of the existing (although feebly) system of compassionate health care. The health care that Americans are used to and which was originally inspired by the thought of Jesus himself is directly endangered by this legislation.

The new system is designed to carry out the wishes of the cryptocracy to drastically cut the societal costs of health care. That means a whole new world of health care where cost restraint predominates resulting in a rationing of health care.

If passed the average person will be faced with a system where profiles dominate. That is, medical care is dispensed to those who fit the profile for the particular health care method. If one doesn't fit the profile, for age or weight or whatever reason, then he or she will have to pay extra for the care. Similarly, doctors who don't follow the profiles will be punished. The profiles will be dictated by faceless bureaucrats in the medicare establishment or from insurance companies. The decisions will be compassionless and extremely difficult to fight or appeal.

The bishops have been at working on the health care legislation for many months now, and still they can not see the most fundamental problem with the bill, a problem that is abundantly obvious to the average American. They are so anxious to be 'good guys' and 'to play the game' without rocking the boat, that they are on the verge of seeing the destruction of the system of medical care that was originally started by the Church itself, implementing the compassionate thoughts of Jesus.

The headline on an article describing the bishop efforts is "US Bishops Launch Massive Effort To Keep Abortion Out of Health Legislation." And just what is their massive effort? They propose that everyone send a letter to their congressman and senator!!!

One is compelled to wonder if they are kidding. Letter-writing is their last minute effort? These bishops couldn't lead the way down the street if they had to. Perhaps they might consider a national campaign of the rosary and prayer to appeal to God for help in stopping this terrible legislation. There are millions of American Catholics, and perhaps their political weight ought to be brought to bear on the situation. How?Through public manifestations of the faithfuls' heartfelt feelings. Through the direct lobbying efforts of every Catholic.  

In short, turn the creative energy of the faithful loose. Make clear to them that this legislation must not pass, and let them develop means to stop it.

Such efforts, of course, appear to be completely beyond the bishops' imaginative powers or their backbone. Whether they will ultimately support a legislation that overturns Catholic-inspired health care remains to be seen. The one good thing going in the situation is that the bishops' desired provisions most certainly will not appear in the legislation. So, in spite of themselves, the bishops may end up opposing the legislation. It would be for the wrong reasons, but at least they might oppose it.

 

Secularity, in Today's News 01.12.10

Secularity. Pope Benedict XVI in his address to the ambassadors to the Vatican made the following statement:

"It is clear that if relativism is considered an essential element of democracy, one risks viewing secularity solely in the sense of excluding or, more precisely, denying the social importance of religion." [Emphasis added.]

One would be justified to be astounded by the Pope's assertion. Since when did the Church consider [the Catholic] religion to be acceptable because of its social importance, as opposed to being that which saves mankind? 

It is almost as if the Pope is saying that the smooth functioning of society requires religion. Such a thought is pure sociology and has little to do with how the Church has always seen itself as the guidepost leading people to Jesus and salvation, and to the worship of the Father.

On this occasion, as on many others, the Pope seems to be acting as a 'world leader' and not as the Chair of Peter who provides spiritual direction to the faithful. His statement appears to be one of begging the other world leaders to please, oh please, let there be a role for the Church in the new world order.

But one's role is one's own decision. The Church will carve out its place in the world by what it seeks to do. Being pleasing to the powers-that-be leads to one role, and leading the faithful to imitate the way of Christ leads to another role.

******

And what is this about "if relativism is considered an essential element of democracy?" Is Benedict conceding that relativism is accepted? Benedict on numerous previous occasions has spoken against relativism. Here, though, he seems to be not contesting relativism, but only seeking a place for the Church in the relativistic world of today.

And once again these are not the words of some one leading the Church. They are the words of some one striving to be a world leader, or at least to be accepted by other world leaders.

Gay Marriage, in Today's News 01.12.10

Gay Marriage. The opponents of gay marriage would be well-advised not to put all their eggs in the basket of the US District Court case in San Francisco on California's Proposition 8.

The federal trial is a carefully contrived endeavor to end the controversy over gay marriage once and for all. The idea is to air all the arguments pro and con in a very public manner, and then render a decisive opinion in favor of gay marriage ratified by the US Supreme Court. The aim of the cryptocracy is to end the disputes over gay marriage and get on with the project to destroy western, Christian culture.

The judge in the case appears to understand his role. He went so far as to rule that the trial proceedings were to be broadcast over closed-circuit television to federal courthouses and to be posted on YouTube. The US Supreme Court had to call him to order by ruling that the broadcast could not occur. After all the idea is to promote the settling of the issue, not provoke a nation-wide debate in every major city.

And, by the way, how did the judge know that the other federal courthouses were amenable to the idea? And how did the Supreme Court get so involved so quickly in the issue? Big stakes indeed are involved here.

A good indication that the fix is in is that one of the principle attorneys for gay marriage is Theodore Olson. Olson was the solicitor general for the Bush administration. His wife was killed in 911, but before that she was a regular and consistent conservative voice on the talk show circuit. One would normally expect Olson therefore to be a defender of marriage. But as a loyal servant of the cryptocracy he is lending his authority to the cause of gay marriage. Such a presumed switch in position ought to help make the final pro-gay-marriage decision all the more decisive. 

Another indication is location of the trial in San Francisco, the capital of the gay lifestyle.

The battle to turn back gay marriage has to be a broad social struggle. A very public and ambitious drive by the Church for recruits would help tremendously, as would a nation-wide rosary and prayer campaign to ask God for help.

The pro-marriage forces need to be alert to avoiding the trap of letting the San Francisco trial become the event that definitively decides the issue.

Environmentalism and the Pope, in Today's News 01.11.10

Environmentalism and the Pope. Pope Benedict XVI, in his annual address to the ambassadors to the Vatican, emphasized environmental protection. In so doing, he aligned himself and the Church with one of the central campaigns by the cryptocracy to control world affairs.

The cynical, manipulative, Talmudic beings who control the world banking systems and who conspire daily to influence world affairs to their benefit, have two purposes in mind in sponsoring and monetarily supporting the environmental movement.

1). The cryptocracy sees the environmental movement as a key access road to a world government. Such government will first appear, as it has, in the form of international commissions that have the power to override national governments on particular issues. A conglomeration of these commissions along with the United Nations will eventually coalesce into the desired government that supersedes any other government. 

Environmentalism addresses problems that go beyond any national entity. Issues such as the alleged 'global warming,' for instance, require action by many nations acting together. As the environmentalist see it, the saving of the planet means that world-wide coordinated efforts will have to occur.

The cryptocracy, of course, could care less about saving the planet. Their long term plans are to super-exploit the planet and its inhabitants to increase their wealth. But the activity of thousands of "useful idiots" in environmental causes well serves their aims. And through the cryptocracy's power they will transform any environmental commission into a body that they control to push around individual governments.

2). The cryptocracy means to use the environmental movement to increase greatly their control over the world's population and thereby to increase their wealth. 

Steve Milloy, in his book Green Hell, has the following quote, "Green ideologues are bursting with an impatient zeal to begin dictating, through force of law, your mobility, diet, home energy usage, the size of your house, how far you can travel, and even--as we shall see--how many children you can have." In all cases this means less of whatever for everyone and more for the cryptocracy.

One of the greens' favorite expressions is to cite the need for 'behavior change' by humans to save the environment. The idea is for everyone to lead a life that suits the environmentalists, who just happen to have goals that coincide with the cryptocracy's.

Environmentalism is a perfect issue for the cryptocracy because it serves their needs yet it is difficult to oppose. Environmentalism is next to motherhood in sacredness at the present time. And there are legitimate environmental concerns in a world dominated by profit-taking.

For Benedict to declare support for environmentalism without explaining how the Christ-hating enemies of the Church plan to use the movement is a great disservice to the Church, the faithful, and the world's population. Benedict's stance allows the cryptocracy to go forward without worrying about what the billions of Catholics might do.

Benedict even goes so far as to parrot a cryptocracy theme by saying, "...the causes of the situation which is now evident to everyone are of the moral order, and the question must be faced within the framework of a great program of education aimed at promoting an effective change of thinking and at creating new lifestyles." [Emphasis added.] At least he didn't call for a world government as he did during the economic crisis! One doesn't know what Benedict has in mind for this new lifestyle, but one can be sure that the cryptocracy will use his declaration to promote their ends. 

The Church can be proud of its record on the environmental issue. Just visit any monastery, seminary or convent in the world and you will see the Catholic attitude toward caring for and developing God's creation. Moreover, the Church has always been an advocate of the simple life in accord with God's wishes for His creation. The way of living initiated by Christ's sacrifice is the most pro-environment way in the history of the world. Benedict should not shy away from saying just this.

The real enemy of the environment is the cryptocracy who have fomented a century of war and destruction during their assent to power. Humankind has never known such craven disregard for nature and people as in the twentieth century when innocent millions and millions were sacrificed to the cryptocracy's mad rush for wealth. The countless wars of the last 100 years caused unimaginable environmental damage, not the least of which was the destruction of Europe and the polluting of Russia.

Instead of 'going along' with the current trends and movements, the Church leaders ought to proudly and forthrightly state that the way of Christ is the way of saving the environment.

Gay Marriage, in Today's News 01.09.10

Gay Marriage. The Wall Street Journal today has a opinion piece titled "Washington, Gay Marriage and the Catholic Church." The point of the article seems to be to convince the Church not to do anything foolish now that the DC City Council has passed legislation legalizing gay marriage.

"By passing gay marriage, the City Council has put...the Archdiocese of Washington, in an awkward position. Either the church will have to recognize gay marriage or it will be forced to abandon a large portion of its charitable programs."

The article has the following advice to the Archdiocese, "...follow in the footsteps of Gerogetown University, the District's largest Catholic organization. There, an employee, whether gay or straight, married or not, receives full benefits for himself plus one legally domiciled member of his or her household. This would allow the archdiocese to save face by pretending it isn't knowingly recognizing gay marriage."

This gambit of placing the Church in this position has occurred in a number of places, most notably the United Kingdom. It seems to be one of the favored tactics to discredit and weaken the Church.

Will the Archdiocese take the WSJ advice and duck the whole issue? Time will tell. The history up to now has not been so great. The Archdiocese only provided "polite" opposition to the proposed legislation. "The archdiocese was not a particularly strong advocate against gay marriage in the District, but it did press for a religious exemption to be added to the same-sex marriage bill." Of course, the request for the exemption lost.

Had the Church leaders provided a principled and very public opposition complete with an educational effort on what gay marriage means to the future of the Church and country, things might be different now. The Church leaders also failed to mobilize the faithful to lobby and to prayer.

In short the Archdiocese leaders response to this deliberate provocation of the Church was pathetic; completely pathetic. 

And so, now, the Archdiocese will have to pay the consequences. It is in a lose-lose situation. And it has made itself vulnerable to pressure from the civil authorities to make nice and play along, quietly sweeping the Church's teaching under the rug.

One wonders how many times the Church will be kicked around before the Church hierarchy gets the message that there are very strong forces out there who want to destroy the Church, and that they had better do something a little more decisive to stop the attacks.

Iran, in Today's News 01.09.10

Iran. In a Wall Street Journal article today titled "U.S. Shifts Iran Focus to Support Opposition" the following sentence occurs:

"In recent weeks, senior [Iranian] Green Movement figures -- who have been speaking at major Washington think tanks....."

And what do you think this means? It does not mean they were 'speaking.' It means these figures have been meeting with the senior cryptocracy brain trust to plan the overthrow of the Iranian regime.

The headline is misleading. The US is not shifting focus. Its focus has always been to create, fund, and build an internal opposition within Iran that seeks to take power. The US call for negotiations with the Iranian regime has simply been cover to give the CIA and others the opportunity to go to work within Iran.

In other words, the US policy has been to foment civil war in Iran. A senior State Department official is quoted in the article, "Do we expect the current government to be overthrown? I wouldn't say that at the current time. But a crack can certainly grow over time."

The media likes to make a big point about the alleged differences between Israel's orientation to Iran and the US's. But there is no difference. Both policies are for the destruction of the Iranian government and its replacement with a regime that Israel can tolerate. The US negotiation gambit and its sponsorship of an internal opposition only lay the basis for the Israeli desire for military action against Iran.

The US and Israel are playing with fire, of course. In the context of several civil wars or pre-civil war situations throughout the mid-east, to try to overthrow the Iranian government can have widespread and unpredictable consequences. Any dramatic occurrence could result in a full mid-east war on multiple fronts. Russia and China could not ignore such a development.

Pray that these mad-men will exercise some restraint.

[By the way, the Iranian movement calling itself "green" is a give-away of American involvement. Giving the movement a color-name is the standard way of providing an intervention with personality and to make it easier to identify with. The parallel is the Soros-CIA intervention in the Ukraine under the Orange revolution.] 

Yemen, in Today's News 01.08.10

Yemen. In case no one has noticed, the United States and the world are edging ever closer to an all-out mid-east war. The slope to this disaster is becoming more and more slippery. Only major policy changes by key governments and by the Church will prevent this turning point in human history.

The United States or Israel are at war or engaged in a war-like intervention in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Palestine, and now Yemen. In addition, many mid-east governments are not partial to the US and Israel, such as Syria, Algeria, and Lebanon. and to some degree Egypt. The client states of Saudi Arabia and Jordan are quite vulnerable to influence by Arab popular pressure. 

This volatile mix is in effect waiting for the fuse to burn down. It would not take much to transform these engagements into a general war. An invasion of Iran could do it, as could any number of unpredictable events. 

What unifies the various regimes and combatants is militant opposition to Israel and thereby to the United States for its unqualified support to the Israeli foreign policy. Israel actually is surrounded by the sea on one side and all these battles in a wide semi-circle on the other. A provocation by the US or Israel could easily inflame these struggles into a generalized war.

So far, oil is not directly involved in the various mid-east confrontations. But if it were, as when the Saudis become militarily involved or feel threatened, then a most powerful dimension will be added. China, for one, would become very interested and directly engaged to protect its oil supply. Russia, with its soft underbelly bordering the mideast, is already staking out its position in case of dramatic developments.

In short, the Israelis are steering the world into a cataclysmic war that would forever change the face of the world. World Wars I and II would seem like trifles in comparison to a mid-east war involving all the world's major powers and the billions of Arabs and their governments.

Can anything stop this growing possibility? Were the United States to develop and follow a foreign policy that actually was in the national interests, this war-threat would end immediately. But, such is not going to happen. Decades of work by Zionists have transformed the American government into a colony-like status to Israel. The web of control is so complete that any attempt to break out of it, would be instantly thwarted.

The other possibility is the Church. Shouldn't the leaders of the Church and the various Catholic organizations be sounding the alarm that the Christ-haters of this world are pushing the planet into a conflagration that will set back humanity? Shouldn't these leaders explain to the faithful and the rest of the population that the policies of Israel and the United States will inevitable lead to another world war, this time of far graver consequences. Shouldn't these leaders use their influence to help stay the hands of the mad men who think nothing of starting such a war? Shouldn't these leaders call the faithful to prayer, asking almighty God to help us prevent this disaster?

The Church leaders instead act according to an accommodationist policy. The Vatican seems to be on a permanent effort to make nice to the Israelis and their rabbinic spiritual leaders. Barely a month goes by without the Pope saying something positive about the religion inspired by the Talmud or actually visiting a synagog or some shrine of holocaustianity.

This orientation will spell doom for the human race because it forfeits the Church's power as the prime human instrument to stop diabolic actions designed to destroy God's creation. Prayers that the hierarchy of Catholicism will see the light before it is too late are much needed.