This session is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: Challies, Godfrey, Lawson, and VanDoodewaard: Living as Christians in the World
This message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
This message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: W. Robert Godfrey: Generous Love
This message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: Steven Lawson: Salt and Light
This message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: Derek Thomas: Fulfilling the Law
This message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
This message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: Burk Parsons: Blessed Are You
This pre-conference message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: Derek Thomas: Servants of God’s People (Pre-Conference)
This pre-conference message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
Source: Burk Parsons: Pay Careful Attention (Pre-Conference)
This pre-conference message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
This pre-conference message is from Salt & Light, our 2023 Ontario Conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fW4Myh_nC5bYplRv7VvFwFc
You can now freely stream the messages from Salt & Light, our recent conference in Ontario, on Ligonier.org, the Ligonier app, and YouTube.
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/conferences/salt-and-light-2023-ontario-conference
SESSIONS:
You can also watch the messages from our pre-conference event, The Pastor as Shepherd.
PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS:
Please share these messages with others to encourage them to study Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and to consider how to live by His example before a watching world.
You can also keep these digital messages forever when you purchase the conference collection from our online store. This allows you to listen to the messages anytime in your Learning Library.
If you weren’t able to join us in Ontario, we hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.
This message is from Dr. Sproul’s 12-part teaching series Themes from Genesis. Learn more: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/themes-from-genesis
Source: God’s Commitment to Abraham: Themes from Genesis with R.C. Sproul
For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.Psalm 9:18
Poverty is a hard heritage; but those who trust in the Lord are made rich by faith. They know that they are not forgotten of God, and though it may seem that they are overlooked in His providential distribution of good things, they look for a time when all this shall be righted. Lazarus will not always lie among the dogs at the rich man’s gate, but he will have his recompense in Abraham’s bosom. Even now the Lord remembers His poor but precious sons, “I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me,” said one of old, and it is even so. The godly poor have great expectations. They expect the Lord to provide them all things necessary for this life and godliness; they expect to see things working for their good; they expect to have all the closer fellowship with their Lord, who had not where to lay His head; they expect His second advent and to share its glory. This expectation cannot perish, for it is laid up in Christ Jesus, who liveth forever, and because He lives, it shall live also. The poor saint singeth many a song which the rich sinner cannot understand. Wherefore, let us, when we have short commons below, think of the royal table above.
“Oh, how I love your word! I think about it all day long.” (Psalm 119:97, (Living Bible)
“All scripture is God-breathed¦ so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17
It was a week of body-numbing activity as we worked in clinics near poverty stricken villages. We awakened early and fell into bed exhausted each night. Children seemed to pour from buses like water out of a bottomless pitcher. Challenges multiplied as we faced the logistics of meeting the endless vision, dental and medical needs of over 2,000 children.
We were Christians surely we began each day in lengthy meditative prayer and gleanings from the Bible? While some of the team met each morning for a few quiet moments, the reality was that responsibilities swirled for those of us in leadership, demanding attention nearly every waking moment.
In the midst of these long days that were drenched with activity and people, the gracious Spirit of God repeatedly brought to my attention words that had long before been committed to memory and implanted in my heart.
From this resource, God brought to my attention answers to problems even before they were articulated. He provided all that was necessary for the needs of the moment.
The city in which I live depends on reservoirs for its water supply. When there is insufficient winter snow or spring rain, we are warned to carefully monitor our water use. In a similar way, our spiritual reservoirs cannot go long without refilling. Returning from the humanitarian project described above, I was desperately thirsty for fresh and abundant ‘the water of the Word’ and God is faithfully refilling what I had spilled into others lives.
Father God, your word refreshes and fills and invigorates me as I faithfully meditate on it. Thank you for its life giving strength.
by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission
• Enjoying God’s Word – by Brigitte Straub
• Feeding on the Word – by Violet Tse
• God’s Timeless Gift – by Allan Mitchell
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The post Water from God’s Reservoir can be found online at Daily Thoughts about God.
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15
Tell me if you’ve heard this one:
A college level athlete is deeply dissatisfied relationally, even though he has peers, fans, women, and universities groveling for his attention. All because a single seat in the stands remains empty: his father isn’t there. He’s never been there.
If you have watched a family movie lately, chances are you have had the director attempt to pull you in with a story like this woven into the plot. Chances are it was not done well.
Yet, being attentive to popular movies that are cliché and poorly executed is sometimes worthwhile because they may reveal something profound about the human experience.
The human heart is hardwired to long for the affections and attentions of a single, deeply admired person above and beyond the adulation of the crowd, whether they are Christian or not.
Our endless need for affection, for attention, for help, and for wisdom requires no less than an eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly loving Father. Our disdain for approval that is fickle or unpredictable requires a Father with whom there is, “no variation nor shadow due to change” (James 1:17). Our need to have a consistent and secure relationship, despite our less than consistent performance, requires a relationship based not on our performance, but on that of Christ.
Let us run to the only One who can fill the vast needs of our finite and dependent hearts.
Father, please help me to see that when I am filled with angst or worry over human approval and attention, it’s really my heart’s cry for You. Show me how to draw closer to You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Do you have someone in your life you’re constantly trying to please? Confess to your heavenly Father today, and ask Him how to seek His approval alone.
By Thomas PujolUsed by Permission
• How to begin a Relationship with God
• Reading the Bible – Where to Start
The post Aiming to Please can be found online at Daily Thoughts about God.
Bloc Québécois bill seeks to eliminate religious belief as a defense against ‘hate speech’
The Bloc Québécois party is citing growing tensions in Canada as a reason to remove religion as a defense against “hate speech” charges in a newly tabled federal bill.
‘Internet of Trust’: Inside the United Nations Plan to Control Speech Online
A powerful United Nations agency has unveiled a plan to regulate social media and online communication while cracking down on what it describes as “false information” and “conspiracy theories,” sparking alarm among free-speech advocates and top U.S.
Prolonged winter storm to batter Pacific Northwest with rain and heavy snow
The Pacific Northwest is bracing for a prolonged winter storm that is forecasted to last through the weekend, threatening the region with a mix of heavy rain in the coastal ranges and lower Cascades and significant snowfall in the mountain passes. This event corresponds with the CW3E’s forecast of several atmospheric rivers, set to affect the area from Saturday, December 2, 2023, through the following week.
IDF: We hit 200 Gaza targets since Hamas ceasefire violation; 50 rockets fired at Israel
The IDF says that since 7 a.m., following Hamas’s violation of the ceasefire, it has carried out airstrikes against some 200 targets across the Gaza Strip.
Bill Gates: Public Must Eat GM Foods to Fight ‘Climate Crisis’
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is calling on governments to start feeding the public genetically modified foods in order to fight the so-called “climate crisis.” Gates recently gave an address at the Africa Climate Summit where he was promoting his GM seeds and chickens.
The Digital Identity Wallet is an electronic leash with which Brussels wants to control its citizens
The agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on the EU Digital Identitiy Wallet is open to abuse and gives Brussels the ability to deny people rights and control them.
SCARY: New Study Shows Pesticides Are Lowering Sperm Count
A new study reveals pesticides used in gardens, homes, and lawns have resulted in a dramatic decline in sperm count among men around the globe.
Gene-Edited Humans? Scientists Sound Alarm as UK Approves CRISPR Therapy to Treat Blood Disease
U.K. regulators on Thursday approved a therapy that uses CRISPR gene editing technology to treat two blood disorders. U.S. federal regulators are poised to approve that same treatment in December.
MILLIONS Of Americans Being Surveilled Through Secret Cellphone Program, Are You Compromised?
Are you a subscriber of AT&T’s cellular network? If so, pay extra attention to this report. According to a new report from WIRED magazine, millions of Americans have had their digital and communication privacy utterly compromised by the wireless carrier.
CCP Pushes Organ Donation Program, Increasing Concerns of Forced Organ Harvesting
China’s top human organ donation watchdog has again been campaigning to have Chinese nationals register in its “voluntary human organ donation” database since July this year.
Congress charges forward with proposed BAN on Chinese Communist Party-linked biotech company believed to be stealing DNA from Americans
Congress is closing in on an effective ban of a China-based genomics company accused of stealing Americans’ DNA and exploiting Covid to collect genetic data.
“High Court Officer Tries To Break Into Home To Collect On Unpaid BBC TV License Fees.” – Why is This Still Happening?
The British Bullshi…er, Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is an “elaborate, sophisticated UK state propaganda outlet described by the UK establishment as ‘Britain’s soft power’.”Ban the BBC group say, “It uses clever manipulation and selective use of facts to push out the message the BBC’s masters want while suppressing and playing down alternative viewpoints.” they explain, and now with the launch of the Orwellian ‘BBC Verify’ in 2023, the BBC has taken on a new, insidious role acting in effect as a ‘Ministry of Truth’.
Full-Blown Revolution in Ireland? Overthrow of Government?
Or just a few days of protest over an Algerian immigrant stabbing Irish children outside a school? Things could explode in massive fury, because the government is trying to push through a new Hate Speech law.
Doctors who insist on providing only phone or internet consultations are dangerous and should be fired
A new study published in the BMJ Quality & Safety journal found that GP appointments over the phone or online risk harming patients.
War Criminal and Depopulationist Henry Kissinger dies
Henry Kissinger died on Wednesday at his home in Connecticut. The notorious war criminal and depopulationist was 100. An investigation conducted in 1981 by Executive Intelligence Review uncovered that, during the Carter administration, Kissinger was central to the apparatus that formulated the US foreign policy’s aim to reduce the world’s population by 2 billion people through war, famine, disease and any other means necessary.
War Reignites Between Israel And Hamas After Truce Extension Falls Through
War in Gaza suddenly back on as Hamas breaks the very ceasefire it demanded
IDF Strikes 200 Terror Targets in North, South Gaza After Hamas Breaks Truce
US blames Hamas for end of truce, as rocket barrages fired at central Israel, south
Report: Truce fell apart after Hamas refused to release more Israeli female hostages
Israel’s Next Aim Is Southern Gaza. U.S. Urges Restraint.
Biden administration makes a significant move attempting to reshape Israel’s war on Hamas
Bowen: US sets clearer red lines for Israel as ceasefire ends
Blinken steps up call for Israel to spare civilians in strongest remarks yet
Families of hostages still in Gaza call collapse of truce a ‘very hard blow’
IDF spokesperson: Hamas had agreed to free Bibas family in truce deal it violated
‘They Were Drugged’: Relatives of Freed Israeli Hostages Channel Hamas Captivity Horror
Hamas terrorists branded Israeli children hostages in case they escaped, relative says
Al Jazeera posts blurred doll, claims it to be a dead Palestinian baby
Family says Yuval Castleman, killed after taking out terrorists, was ‘executed’ by IDF soldier
UK to seek ‘sustained humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza after fighting resumes
Israeli Arab Leader to Palestinians: Stop Violence, Work Together for a State
Sunak: Hamas has demonstrated it cannot be a partner for peace
Rob Rinder: Jewish-Arab village proves ‘no one was born wanting to be a Hamas terrorist’
Israel knew Hamas’ attack plan more than a year ago, New York Times reports
Israel obtained, ignored Hamas document laying out Oct. 7 attack plan, report alleges
US sends ‘bunker buster’ bombs to Israel for war on Gaza, report says
UK’s Jewish Chronicle editor says ‘Israelophobia’ excuses Hamas, demonizes Israel
Israel summons Spanish envoy, recalls own ambassador after Madrid criticizes Gaza war
As antisemitism spikes across Europe, more fingers are pointing at Russia
Protester with Palestinian flag self-immolates outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
Rep. Brian Mast: ‘Soft Antisemitism’ in US Foreign Policy
Chuck Schumer Forced to Admit Spike in Anti-Semitism in America Coming from Left
Democrat congressman Adam Smith’s home vandalized by anti-Israel activists calling for ceasefire
15 synagogues across New York hit with false bomb threats
Good Guy With Gun Opens Fire on Terrorists in Jerusalem
U.S. to impose visa bans soon on Israeli extremist settlers for West Bank violence
Hezbollah claims responsibility for rocket fired at northern Israeli community; no injuries reports
IDF hits Hamas sites in Gaza, Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after rocket fire
‘The Gospel’: how Israel uses AI to select bombing targets in Gaza
Israeli jets strike targets in Damascus area, Syrian state media reports
Israeli strike behind blast at Houthi weapons depot in Yemen’s capital – report
Walkout, no-shows at COP28 as Israel-Hamas war resumes
Iran Quits UN Climate Change Conference over Israeli Participation
Zelensky: World ‘Shifting’ to Help Israel Is Hurting Ukraine’s War
Blaine Holt: Biden Sales Pitch for Ukraine Funding Is ‘Disgusting’
Zelenskyy: War in New Phase as Winter Looms
Russia says advancing on all fronts in Ukraine
Putin orders the Russian military to add 170,000 troops for a total of 1.32 million
Ukrainian Spy Agency Stages Train Explosions on a Russian Railroad in Siberia, Ukrainian Media Say
NKorea: Interference With Satellites Is Declaration of War
US aims to prevent assassination plot from derailing India ties
UN Security Council to vote to end Somalia arms embargo after three decades
The US is scrambling to avoid another foreign policy crisis – this time in Congo
From Cambodia to Bangladesh: a brief history of Henry Kissinger’s alleged war crimes
Should Venezuela invade its oil-rich neighbor? Maduro will put it to a vote Sunday
Brazil army ‘intensifies’ border operations as Venezuela-Guyana territory dispute heats up
Argentina ‘Will Not Join BRICS,’ Declares Milei’s Incoming Foreign Minister
Bruner: Irish Officials Are Trying to Use Welfare to Implement a Social Credit System
Biden Threatens Business Owners Who Raise Prices to Keep Afloat During Inflation
Comer, Jordan: Hunter Can’t Dictate Terms of Testimony
Retired FBI agent warns Vivek Ramaswamy to be ‘very careful’ on the campaign trail
The House expels Rep. George Santos. An ethics report had accused him of breaking federal law
US House expels New York Republican who lied about his Jewish identity, other topics
Rep. Burchett on Santos Expulsion: ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’
Commentary: George Santos is out, but spare us Dems’ sanctimonious moral lectures
George Santos Goes on 3-Hour Social Media Tirade, Airs Out Alleged Dirty Laundry of Colleagues
Rep. Santos: ‘Tomorrow It Could Be Them’
Sen. Fetterman: Menendez ‘Needs to Go’ Like Santos
Liz Cheney: Trump Election Would Be End of the Republic – We Are ‘Sleepwalking into a Dictatorship’
Trump doesn’t have presidential immunity from lawsuits over January 6, appeals court rules
GOP rep says J6 Committee failed to preserve witness depositions
J6 Mystery: Rep. Barry Loudermilk says all videotapes of witness interviews missing
Texts in lawsuit undercut Cassidy Hutchinson’s claim ex-lawyer pressured her to ‘protect’ Trump
Bank Executive Destroys New York’s Case Against Trump in Loan Case: ‘Not Unusual’
Georgia judge questions whether Trump can be tried if he wins 2024 election
Trump’s Georgia trial should be kicked to 2029 if he wins the election, his lawyer says
The Daily Beast: Who Cares if Trump’s Gag Orders Violate the First Amendment?
Florida Democrats Cancel Primary Election, Biden to Be Handed Delegates
CNN: Biden campaign prepares legal fight against election deepfakes
Rep. Jim Jordan: White House Worked with YouTube to Censor Coronavirus, Vaccine ‘Misinformation’
Federal judge blocks Montana’s first-in-the-nation ban on TikTok, says it’s unconstitutional
News outlets turn to Reddit as Musk’s X descends into chaos
2024 is the 1st ‘AI Election.’ What does that mean?
Ridley Scott warns AI will be ‘technical hydrogen bomb’ in film industry
Brazilian city enacts an ordinance that was secretly written by ChatGPT
UFO Researcher: Peru ‘Aliens’ Are ‘Unknown Species’
Geomagnetic storm slams into Earth, triggering vivid Northern Lights display in northern US
5.8 magnitude earthquake hits near Camina, Chile
5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Ramganj, Bangladesh
5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia
5.4 magnitude earthquake hits near Gansu, China
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Dampit, Indonesia
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Anse-Bertrand, Guadeloupe
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Antofagasta, Chile
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits the Solomon Islands
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Seram, Indonesia
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands region
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Myanmar-China border region
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Tarapaca, Chile
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Petersville, Alaska
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Levuka, Fiji
Series of earthquakes, largest a 4.8 magnitude, hit east of San Diego County
Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 23,000ft
Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 20,000ft
Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 19,000ft
Klyuchevskoy volcano on Kamchatka, Russia erupts to 17,000ft
Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft
Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,000ft
Dukono volcano in Indonesia erupts to 11,000ft
Ebeko volcano in the Kuril Islands erupts to 10,000ft
Atmospheric river to unleash month’s worth of rain in Pacific Northwest
UK cold weather: Europe gripped by once-in-a-decade snow event as freeze heads to Britain
Drought data shows “an unprecedented emergency on a planetary scale”: UN
Bill Gates warns the world is likely to smash through a critical warming threshold
Cop28: King Charles warns of ‘vast, frightening experiment’ on natural world
‘Earth’s vital signs are failing’: UN chief warns as King Charles, Blinken and others address COP28
UAE seeks to silence critics with $30-billion climate fund pledge with BlackRock, Brookfield
Beef Company CEO: “The Climate Change Argument Against Cows Is Garbage and We Will Not Comply”
Joe Manchin goes scorched-earth on Biden admin over EV actions boosting China
Denver Mayor’s Car Stolen as Rising Crime Becomes Key Issue in 2024 Races
Las Vegas shootings: 5 more homeless people shot as cops hunt LA serial killer
Judge Strikes Down Federal Ban on Handgun Sales for 18 to 20-Year-Olds
You Can’t Make This Up: Derek Chauvin’s Attacker, John Turscak, Is a Former FBI Informant
Court Orders Texas to Remove River Buoys Meant to Stop Illegal Border Crossers
Biden Border Crisis Worsens: 9,400+ Illegal Aliens Flood Over Southern Border In Last 24 Hours
Illegal Migrants Invade Malibu Beaches
Police: 70 + Arrested During Sex Trafficking Crackdown at Las Vegas Grand Prix
Meta Is Struggling to Boot Pedophiles Off Facebook and Instagram
Zuckerberg ‘Unconcerned’ About App ‘Encouraging Girls into Body Dysmorphia’
Disney indicts its woke self with founder’s own words in newly published book
Conservatives launch Disney+ boycott after Bob Iger suspends advertising on X
Number of nonbinary-identifying students spikes nearly 57% in West Coast state
CNN: Speaker Johnson wrote foreword for book filled with conspiracy theories and homophobic insults
Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on Supreme Court, dies at 93
How conservative Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor helped defend Roe
Dems’ New Ad Targets Ariz. Republican Over Abortion
Cosmopolitan endorses Satanic ‘ritual abortion’ provided by The Satanic Temple
TN’s enforcement of ‘aggravated prostitution’ law discriminates against those with HIV, DOJ says
Scientists still unsure what’s causing mysterious, potentially fatal respiratory illness in dogs
11 states have ‘high’ or ‘very high’ respiratory illness: Map shows where sickness is spreading
Five senators ask Biden to impose China travel ban after respiratory illness cases
CDC: No cause for alarm over spike in respiratory illness in China
China Calls Western Coverage of Its Pneumonia Debacle a ‘Smear Campaign’
Fauci to Be Grilled by Republican-Controlled House in Both Private and Public Hearings
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
| ANALYSIS BIDEN: ‘I’M DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF’ NATE JACKSONThe president’s apology was disgraceful enough, but news of it came while Hamas’s hostages were finally being freed. |
| Disney’s Self-Aware Investment Disclosure EMMY GRIFFIN As the movie “Wish” marks another opening weekend flop, Disney knows why, and it’s not going to change. |
| The Not-So-Great Debate: DeSantis Wallops Newsom DOUGLAS ANDREWS In a one-sided affair, the Florida governor pounded his California counterpart with one inconvenient truth after another. |
| Race-Baiting Sports Writer Libels a Kid NATE JACKSON A Chiefs fan wore a headdress and team-color face paint. A media scribe thinks that’s “racism.” |
| Auto Dealers Tell Biden Americans Don’t Want EVs THOMAS GALLATIN Joe Biden avoids the UN’s annual climate summit as he faces growing free market problems with realizing his “green dream.” |
| Why Don’t Americans Want to Fight for America? BRIAN MARK WEBER We’re in big trouble as a nation when able-bodied young people are unwilling to serve in the military. |
| Leftists Almost Discover Federalism MICHAEL SWARTZ Democrats seem to think governmental power should always reside with them, whether at the federal, state, or local level. |
| Biden Declares We Must ‘Stop the Rancor’? MARK ALEXANDER “We have to bring the nation together and treat each other with a little bit of decency.” |
| Where we stand: The Patriot Post’s operating budget is sustained by a small percentage of our readers. For more than 27 years, our team of editors and staff has relied completely on the generosity of Patriots like you to keep the message of Liberty loud and clear. Please take a moment to sustain our mission into 2024. From each of us here, our sincerest thanks for your support. —The Patriot Post Editorial Team |
| Chauvin: A Sacrifice to the Social ‘Justice’ Mob DOUGLAS ANDREWS The more we learn about the case of the cop who was convicted for George Floyd’s death, the more we’re convinced that it was a gross miscarriage of justice. |
| What Is Child Abuse? EMMY GRIFFIN New foster care placement rules claim that non-LGBTQ-affirming foster parents are guilty of child abuse. |
| Democrats Have a Real Problem With Israel NATE JACKSON Joe Biden is caught between the actually reasonable Chuck Schumer and the unhinged Rashida Tlaib. |
| #MeToo Unless You’re a Jew EMMY GRIFFIN The silence from women’s rights organizations is deafening. |
| Snopes Is ‘Missing Context’ THOMAS GALLATIN The Leftmedia opinion-checker trots out an “explainer” label as it seeks to protect Joe Biden from negative press. |
| How Will the Dems Do It in 2024? DOUGLAS ANDREWS The 2024 presidential election looks better and better for the GOP, but this is no time for complacency. |
| Profiles of Valor: Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston MARK ALEXANDER “The MOH is … the reflection of the fine young Marines I wear it for.” |
| Visit our archive for more analysis commentary. |
| Catch up on the latest news headlines with our executive summary. |
| QUOTES Non Compos Mentis “Look, my Marine … has a code to blow up the world.” —President Joe Biden Faux Pas “I think it was President Reagan who said: ‘We’re from the government. We’re here to help.'” —Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'” —Ronald Reagan) Grand Delusions “I believe one of the reasons why Hamas struck when they did was they knew that I was working very closely with the Saudis and others in the region to bring peace to the region by having recognition of Israel and Israel’s right to exist.” —Joe Biden Disgraceful “I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself. I will do better.” —Joe Biden (“Why was Biden apologizing? Because he correctly expressed doubt about Hamas’s casualty statistics last month.” —Nate Jackson) Theater of the Absurd “We shouldn’t assume or expect that people are automatically gonna give credit where credit is due if we don’t remind folks how these things came about.” —Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg “Let me be clear to any corporation that hasn’t brought their prices back down even as inflation has come down: It’s time to stop the price gouging. Give American consumers a break.” —Joe Biden The BIG Lies “I cut the federal deficit by over $7 billion.” —Joe Biden “We’ve created over 14 million brand-new jobs. Good-paying jobs.” —Joe Biden “Wages for working families have gone up while inflation has come down 65%.” —Joe Biden “This Thanksgiving dinner was the fourth-cheapest ever on record.” —Joe Biden “From turkey to air travel to [a] tank of gas, costs went down. They went down.” —Joe Biden “This holiday season, families are seeing lower prices on everyday items from gas to groceries.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre “Inflation is moderating because of the actions that this president has taken. … The prices are going down.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “When we walked into this administration, the economy was on [sic] a tailspin. That is the fact. Because of the last administration. Because of the Trump administration.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “The fact is the data shows that the economy is improving. The data shows that households remain in a strong financial position. Household wealth is at a record high.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “The [Hunter Biden] laptop, so to speak … that was published in the New York Post was actually a hard drive that the New York Post admitted here was not authenticated as real. It was not the laptop the FBI had. … Hard drives could be manipulated by Rudy Giuliani or Russia … there is actual evidence of it.” —Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) “There’s not a scintilla of evidence that Republicans have produced to show that President Joe Biden has engaged in wrongdoing, an impeachable offense, or in any way has broken the law. Why? Because there is no evidence that exist to implicate President Joe Biden in anything nefarious.” —House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) “Almost everything we now live with, from assault rifles to stand-your-ground laws, is new. This crushing pattern of domestic armament is not the American heritage or the will of the people. It’s a political experiment, conjured and contrived by a militant minority. … What changed? The short answer is President Ronald Reagan, whose crisp, Cold War thinking reduced domestic policy to a series of simple choices. Good and evil. Light and darkness. Arm the righteous, he promised, and crime will take care of itself.” —historian Dominic Erdozain “This ‘constitutional right’ to own a gun for self-defense is another product of our times — a right unknown before the ‘dramatic upheaval’ of the District of Columbia v. Heller decision of 2008. For decades, gun activists have claimed history for their radicalism, framing gun control as a failure of patriotism. But theirs is an imagined past, a brutalized freedom — and one that is now tearing American communities apart.” —Dominic Erdozain Race Bait “Everyone knows that the right-wing extremism in this country has targeted democratically ran cities. And quite frankly, they’ve been very intentional about going after democratically ran cities that are led by people of color. And their whole motivation is to create disruption and chaos. … They’re still mad that a black man is free in this country.” —Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Hot Air “We’re burrowing into our own graves. I’m so unhappy that you don’t understand how imperative the [climate] situation is. We’re dying, man. Your children are going to have difficulty living. Do you understand that? … Much sooner than we expected, we’re going to die.” —actor William Shatner Belly Laughs of the Week “When I took office, I vowed I’d be president for all Americans, whether you live in a blue state or a red state, whether you live in rural or urban areas, and we’re delivering on that promise.” —Joe Biden “President Biden is a good man. He’s a good and decent and hardworking man, and that’s been his entire life in public service.” —Hakeem Jeffries “We’re about the bread and butter of governing. We’re not about the chaos, we’re not about the drama, we’re not about the partisan politics. We’re about getting stuff done.” —Pete Buttigieg For more insightful quotes, see our Short Cuts. |
MEME Don’t miss the latest memes. |
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“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
Recently, there was a massive political debate between Governor Gavin Newsom and Governor Ron DeSantis. In this video, Todd Friel gives his perspective on the debate and reveals a BIG problem with it.
Source: This Debate Has a BIG Problem Nobody Is Talking About
Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,
If your earnings rose by 34% from January 2020 to October 2023, congratulations, the purchasing power of your labor kept pace with higher costs.
Official measures of inflation are a long-running tragi-comedy: comedic in the transparency of the distortions, and tragic in the consequences: what will you believe is true–the statistics or your lying eyes?
The basic gimmick of distortion is to underweight whatever is eating away at the purchasing power of earnings and highlight the trivial items that are getting cheaper due to declines in quality and globalization. So your rent went up by $200 a month, or $2,400 a year, but since TVs dropped $40 and toys dropped $20, inflation is only 3%. So stop feeling poorer, everything’s great! Inflation is dropping!
You see the problem: the scale of spending on essentials such as shelter, healthcare, childcare, etc. is far greater than the trivial “lower in price” items. If 95% of your essential spending is rising in cost, trivial declines in the 5% of discretionary spending do not offset the gargantuan declines in purchasing power.
The chart below reflects this distortion. Essential expenses that cost thousands of dollars annually consume far more of our earnings now, and these vast declines in the purchasing power of earnings are not offset by the occasional purchase of cheaper TVs.
The only accurate measure of increasing or decreasing costs is purchasing power: how many hours of work does it take to pay housing, taxes, college tuition, healthcare, childcare, etc., then and now. The official measures of inflation use gimmicks to distort the staggering drop in purchasing power by claiming the quality of stuff has increased by extraordinary leaps and bounds. So the fact that cars have rear cameras offsets the fact that it takes far more hours of labor to buy a car now than it did a few decades ago.
Measuring purchasing power eliminates these distortions, which is why nobody measures purchasing power: once we calculate costs in terms of hours worked, we recognize that a much larger percentage of our labor / earnings is devoted to paying for essentials. Simply put, we’re getting less value for our labor.
Pundits tend to overlook the fundamental sources of declining purchasing power. These include:
1. Decay of gains reaped from globalization. Stripped of corporate PR, globalization is the ruthless exploitation of as-yet unexploited pools of cheap labor and resources. This exploitation yields enormous gains at first and then these gains decay as wages rise and the easy-to-get resources are depleted.
The dependence on foreign sources for essentials has also been revealed as a national security threat, and so the catch-phrase is “de-risking,” which means developing multiple sources of essentials.
2. Capital demanding higher returns due to soaring global risks. In the conventional view, the Federal Reserve chair waves a magic wand and lowers interest rates at will. It’s not quite that simple. All new debt–for example, Treasury bonds–must be purchased by capital, and if risks are rising, capital demands a risk premium to offset the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns, both of which are proliferating rapidly.
If capital is no longer willing to accept low yields, yields have to rise regardless of central bank policy, and this drags interest rates higher. Yes, central banks can create currency out of thin air and use this free money to buy Treasury bonds, but ballooning the money supply has its own consequences:
3. Increasing the money supply to maintain a sclerotic, unproductive status quo generates a decline in the purchasing power of currency. Throwing trillions of new units of currency around doesn’t magically mean production of goods and services increase, or the quality and quantity of items increase. It just diminishes the value of existing units of currency.
4. Global scarcities crimp supply, pushing up costs. Humans have a very high opinion of themselves, but fundamentally we’re like rabbits (or rats, if you prefer) let loose on an island without predators. Like rabbits, we proliferate and consume more per rabbit until the resources have been consumed. Then we wonder why scarcities arise. But AI, blah-blah-blah. AI can’t restore depleted soil or reverse droughts.
5. Soaring entitlements must be paid for with higher taxes. Promises made decades ago in different conditions require ever greater resources must be skimmed by governments. Creating money out of thin air isn’t a solution (see #3 above) and so the government must collect a greater share of income and wealth. The more taxes we pay, the less we have left to spend on essentials and discretionary purchases.
This is a global dynamic. Global entitlements and debt are both soaring.
If your earnings rose by 34% from January 2020 to October 2023, congratulations, the purchasing power of your labor kept pace with higher costs. All of us who aren’t earning 34% more since January 2020 have lost ground, i.e. purchasing power: it now takes more hours of work to buy groceries and everything else we need.
The official measure of inflation since January 2020 is up 19%. Whether that actually maps the decline in our purchasing power can be massaged–stop believing your lying eyes!–but what can’t be massaged away is the reality that costs are rising for structural reasons that aren’t going away.
Source: Never Mind Bogus Measures Of Inflation – Purchasing Power Is What Counts, And It’s Decaying
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