Daily Archives: December 9, 2023
Abraham and Isaac: Themes from Genesis with R.C. Sproul
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Throughout Scripture, we see that the Lord calls His people to surrender before His good and perfect will, sometimes at great personal cost. In this message, R.C. Sproul considers God’s call for Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and encourages us to trust in God’s faithfulness, even in the face of perplexing and agonizing circumstances.
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: Abraham and Isaac: Themes from Genesis with R.C. Sproul
December 9 Evening Verse of The Day
Pursuing the Prize Requires a Proper Motivation
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (3:14)
As noted earlier, this verse is the heart of the passage. The present tense verb translated I press on denotes Paul’s continuous effort to pursue the “impossible dream” and defeat “the unbeatable foe.” The root meaning of the preposition kata (toward) is “down.” Paul again expressed his single-minded focus, saying, “I continually bear down on the goal (skopos; “a mark on which to fix one’s eyes”).”
That prize was what motivated him to run to win (1 Cor. 9:24). Believers will not receive the prize (Christlikeness, with all its eternal benefits) until the upward (lit. “above,” denoting both the source of the call and to where it leads) call of God in Christ Jesus ushers them into God’s glorious presence in heaven. As noted above, perfection is not attainable in this life. The finish line is the threshold of heaven, where the rewards will be handed out (cf. Matt. 5:12; Luke 6:23; 1 Cor. 3:12–15). It is not until Christ “appears, [that] we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Like a runner triumphantly pumping his fist in the air as he approaches the finish line, Paul declared at the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Tim. 4:7–8). Only “in the future” in heaven would Paul receive “the crown of righteousness” (Christ’s righteousness perfected in him); only then would he receive the prize which he so diligently pursued.[1]
14 Paul has not arrived but continues to pursue the goal. The verb diōkō (GK 1503) pictures him intensely pressing forward. Elsewhere he uses the verb diōkō negatively to mean persecution (Ro 12:14; 1 Co 4:12; 15:9; 2 Co 4:9; Gal 1:13, 23; 4:29; 5:11; 6:12; 2 Ti 3:12). Ironically, then he formerly “pursued” (persecuted) the church (3:6); now he pursues Christ. His goal is the upward call of God. He understands his life in terms of God’s call (1 Co 7:14–24), but the upward or “heavenward” call does not refer to his vocation as a “high calling.” Paul uses anō in Galatians 4:26 and Colossians 3:1–2 to refer to the heavenly dimension. In the context, the call comes at the end of the race, not at the beginning, and does not refer to any vocation or to the divine initiative of bringing a person to faith (Ro 11:29; 1 Co 1:26; 7:20; Eph 1:18; 4:1, 4; 2 Th 1:11; 2 Ti 1:9). Instead, it is the call to come up, a call to heavenly existence (Rev 11:12). Philo (Planting, 23) uses the phrase to refer to those who are called upwards (anō kaleisthai) to God. If Paul has in mind the chariot races of Rome (cf. E. M. Blaiklock, Cities of the New Testament [London: Pickering & Inglis, 1965], 43–44), the upward calling would refer to the summons to the winner to approach the judge’s elevated stand and receive his prize. This call is the prize that awaits him at the end of the race (2 Ti 4:7–8), and he visualizes the heavenly judge at the end of the age calling him to “come up” to receive it.[2]
3:14 the goal. The objective of Paul’s striving promises a splendid trophy—salvation in all its fullness (cf. 1:28; Rom. 13:11).
the upward call of God. God has already called Paul (Rom. 8:30; Gal. 1:15). It is because “Christ Jesus has made [Paul] his own” (v. 12) that he presses forward toward the goal of life in glory (v. 13).[3]
3:14 the goal Paul’s athletic imagery in these verses likely captured the attention of the Philippians, whose proximity to Greece exposed them to the Greek athletic games. For Paul, the ultimate goal is knowing Christ’s resurrection power and dwelling with Him in the age to come (Phil 3:10–11, 21).[4]
3:14 Goal (Gk. skopos) could also refer to the finish line in a race or an archery target. Paul’s life is purposeful, for he constantly aims toward a heavenly goal. The prize is the fullness of blessings and rewards in the age to come, most especially being in perfect fellowship with Christ forever.[5]
[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2001). Philippians (pp. 248–249). Moody Press.
[2] Garland, D. E. (2006). Philippians. In T. Longman III (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Revised Edition) (Vol. 12, p. 245). Zondervan.
[3] Sproul, R. C., ed. (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1723). Ligonier Ministries.
[4] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Php 3:14). Lexham Press.
[5] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2286). Crossway Bibles.
Christian Liberality | VCY
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.Psalm 41:1
To think about the poor and let them lie on our hearts is a Christian man’s duty; for Jesus put them with us and near us when He said, “The poor ye have always with you.”
Many give their money to the poor in a hurry, without thought; and many more give nothing at all. This precious promise belongs to those who “consider” the poor, look into their case, devise plans for their benefit, and considerately carry them out. We can do more by care than by cash, and most with two together. To those who consider the poor, the Lord promises His own consideration in times of distress. He will bring us out of trouble if we help others when they are in trouble. We shall receive very singular providential help if the Lord sees that we try to provide for others. We shall have a time of trouble, however generous we may be; but if we are charitable, we may put in a claim for peculiar deliverance, and the Lord will not deny His own word and bond. Miserly curmudgeons may help themselves, but considerate and generous believers the Lord will help. As you have done unto others, so will the Lord do unto you. Empty your pockets.
The Lord will Provide | Daily Thoughts about God.
“And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” – Genesis 22:14 (NKJV)
It is one of my very favorite names of God and one that through the years has meant the most to me. Jehovah-Jireh means “The Lord will provide“. God revealed Himself as the Lord who would provide way back in Genesis. Abraham was about ready to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar at the top of a desolate mountain in the land of Moriah.
When they were near the top, Isaac said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? And Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering my son.’” Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, the Lord stopped him and showed him a ram caught in a thicket and told him to use that instead. God had placed that ram nearby in advance, knowing He was going to need a substitute for Isaac.
Abraham named the place “The Lord Will Provide.” It means to see in advance or before the need is known. God is preparing an answer before we know that it is a need.
We live in a scary world. The economy is rocky, job security is uncertain and unexpected medical challenges happen out of the blue. About the only thing in this world that is certain is uncertainly.
One of the hardest things I have to do is to let go and let God. I want to run my world, my way and on my schedule. It’s like getting on an airplane. I relax and enjoy the flight knowing that I am in good hands and the pilot is in command. We need to do the same thing with our life.
As the pilot will navigate the plane around the storms in the sky, God will steer is through or around the storms of life. That’s easier said than done for people like me. There are difficulties along the way, but with God’s strength we can face them with confidence. We should thank God for each problem we encounter and watch Him transform our trials into blessings.
We are often taken by surprise by circumstances and events in our lives. God never is. He knows in advance all that is going to transpire. He cares. He has provision ready for us. God truly is Jehovah-Jireh. Relax and remember that God is in control.
By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
Further Reading
• The God Who Provides – A Devotional by Palitha Jayasooriya
• God Provides for His Own – by Katherine Kehler
• Burn Out Refill – by Julie Cosgrove
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The post The Lord will Provide can be found online at Daily Thoughts about God.
I Am With You In This | Daily Thoughts about God.
During the intense 2020 pandemic lock down, I was pregnant. It was a dire uncertain time for my family. News of the terrible happenings around the world gripped me with fear of the unknown. Accessing antenatal care during the pandemic in my region, was in Gods hands. There was absolute tension everywhere.
Did I mention that I was barely five months into a new job when COVID broke out? I was unsettled I would lose the job, as the company started losing its major business segments. In my fidgeting moments, a clam voice whispered, I am with you in this.
In the seventh month of my pregnancy, during one of the routine scans to determine why my stomach was bulging rapidly out of control, it was discovered that I had a medical condition that I am thankful I cannot even remember its name now. The gynecologist announced that the pregnancy was at risk and there were chances the baby will be abnormal. I held hands with my husband and called unto God for help. Again, in my fidgeting moments, a clam voice whispered, I am with you in this.
I lived each day at a time. I prayed. I worshiped and I hoped in the Lord. On the ninth month, my baby was delivered without a single complication. She is normal and super healthy! My company downsized, even with the last come, first to go rule, God preserved my job.
Are you experiencing such an uncertain time like I did, and you are wondering how you will ever get out of it?
God is saying, I am with you in this.
When we hear such comforting words from the Lord, what does it mean? It means:
- I am strengthening your faith and teaching you to solely depend on me in trying times.
- It means, Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, When the Lord commandeth it not? (Lamentation 3:37)
- It means, The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8)
- It means, I want to be glorified through your challenges.
- It means, The Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121: 5,6)
When we are in the middle of a storm, we tend to allow fear of the unknown to grip our hearts – I have been there. Listen, for every situation we go through, Jesus is right there with us. He was there with Daniel in the lion’s den. He was with Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar. He was with Paul and Silas in the prison. Beloved, Jesus is there with you.
Listen again, His clam voice is whispering, I am with you in this.
By Deborah Oladayo
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• I Am With You – by Phil Ware
• Jesus is With You Always – by Charles Spurgeon
• The Peace of His Presence – by Sylvia Gunter
The post I Am With You In This can be found online at Daily Thoughts about God.
9 Dec 2023 News Briefing
Pentagon may let AI drones kill humans autonomously
A recent report suggests that the deployment of artificial intelligence-powered drones that are capable of making autonomous decisions regarding whether to kill human targets is becoming a true possibility. According to Business Insider, critics argue that the deployment of AI-powered drones, also described as “killer robots,” could present serious danger …
Al Gore Says Social Media Algorithms ‘Ought to be Banned’, Calls Them ‘Digital Equivalent of AR-15s’
Al Gore is calling for the banning of social media algorithms, calling them the “digital equivalent of AR-15s.” Gore made the comments while at the Bloomberg ‘Green’ conference, babbling on about “rabbit holes”, “artificial insanity”, and “pitcher plants” in a rant that revealed him as old, sad and out-of-touch.
Defiant Hunter Biden says Republican ************* are ‘trying to kill me’
DOJ, IRS should feel ‘humiliated’ over Hunter Biden case: Miranda Devine. Hunter Biden held nothing back during a recent podcast appearance, blasting his critics … and casting himself as a victim while claiming Republicans were trying to kill him in order to destroy his dad’s presidency.
US Mulls Military Action Against Houthis After Officials Angered At Lack Of Response
The talks are at a preliminary stage and both the US and partners still favor diplomacy over direct confrontation, said the people, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. That said, the fact the discussions are taking place at all underscores how seriously the US takes the threat, the people added. This follows several Pentagon officials complaining to US media outlets over the lack of response from President Biden over the increased attacks from the Houthis.
The Deep State Agenda Is “Controlled Demolition Of America”
The evil destroyers of freedom and liberty around the world will be talking about the demise of America at the globalist COP28 conference in Dubai, UAE this week. Newman explains, “This is all part of the agenda. What we are watching now is the deliberate destruction of the American middle-class and the deliberate destruction of the American economy. Ultimately, if these evil doers get their way, it will result in the deliberate destruction of the United States of America.
These US Supreme Court Rulings Could Completely Upend Gun Control
The Supreme Court has taken up multiple firearms-related cases for this term. Multiple U.S. Supreme Court cases that will be decided this term could completely change U.S. gun laws, including “bump stock” modifications and whether individuals accused of domestic violence violations can legally possess a firearm. In all, the rulings could affect hundreds of thousands of lawful gun owners, felons, those under domestic violence protection orders, and the nation’s most prominent pro-Second Amendment group.
PA envisions ruling Gaza with Hamas as a partner
U.S. officials visited Ramallah earlier this week to discuss a plan for the day after the war in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority’s preferred outcome of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip would be for the terrorist organization to join a P.A.-led governing body as a junior partner,
‘She’s Dead!’ Brutal Antisemitic Assault Leaves Woman Unconscious in London
The attack, which occurred on Thursday evening in the Stamford Hill neighborhood, left the woman unconscious and only ended after two female suspects reportedly said that the woman was “dead” after kicking her while she was on the ground for over thirty seconds, according to Shomrim, which also serves as a neighborhood watch group. London’s Metropolitan Police said antisemitic attacks in the city have increased by 1,353 per cent following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October.
US embassy in Baghdad struck with 7 mortars as attacks escalate
Approximately seven mortar rounds landed in the US Embassy compound in Baghdad during an attack early on Friday, a US military official told Reuters, in what appeared to be the largest attack of its kind in recent memory. US forces in Iraq and Syria were also targeted with rockets and drones at least five more times on Friday; three times at separate bases in Syria, and twice at the Ain al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad, a US defense official said.
US blocks UN Security Council demand for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza
The United States on Friday vetoed a United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza, diplomatically isolating Washington as it shields its ally.
Sinking Biden should trade secure border for Ukraine aid
This is how much President Biden cares about defending Ukraine: He has refused to even discuss Republican demands for enhanced border security in return for the $61 billion in aid that the White House tells us is essential to battle Russia.
Calls grow for ouster of Penn, Harvard, MIT presidents after antisemitism House hearing
The presidents of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are facing growing calls to resign after a disastrous House hearing this week regarding how their schools are handling the rise of antisemitism. Donors, students and faculty are revolting against their presidents after they were asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) during the Tuesday hearing if a call for genocide against Jewish people would be considered harassment.
We came to drive out the darkness: IDF conquers ‘Palestine Square’Palestine Square in the heart of Gaza City was a symbolic place of power for Hamas. Earlier on Thursday, the 401st Brigade conquered this altar of evil, and as the Israeli flag was raised and the Hanukkah menorah lit, brigade commander Col. Benny Aharon had an emotional message for his troops and the nation …
IDF pushes deeper into Hamas strongholds as Gaza battles rage
The Israel Defense Forces destroyed tunnel shafts, a key part of Hamas’s underground infrastructure in Gaza, and killed significant numbers of terrorists on Thursday, as battles raged across Khan Yunis, Shejaiya and Jabalia throughout the day. The IDF announced on Thursday that two reservist soldiers were killed in action in Gaza:
Hunter Biden indicted on tax charges
Hunter Biden has been charged with tax crimes in California, his second indictment from special counsel David Weiss as he faces mounting scrutiny over his financial dealings. Biden will face three felony tax charges in relation to tax evasion and filing a false return, as well as six misdemeanor charges for failure to pay taxes between 2016 and 2019.
Massive fish die-off in northern Japan prompts environmental concerns and investigation
Thousands of dead fish were discovered along the shores of northern Japan on December 7, 2023, prompting authorities to initiate an investigation.
Tropical Cyclone “Jasper” intensifies to Category 4, threatens north Queensland coast, Australia
Severe Tropical Cyclone “Jasper” has intensified to a Category 4 system on Friday, December 8, 2023, with sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph) and gusts up to 270 km/h (165 mph). Currently located about 650 km (405 miles) from Honiara, Solomon Islands, Jasper poses a potential threat to the north Queensland coast.
Satellite image captures Munich’s snow-covered landscape after historic snowfall
Sentinel-2 satellite captured a stunning view of Munich and its surroundings on December 7, 2023, still blanketed in snow following the city’s heaviest snowfall in 20 years, recorded on December 2.
Strong cold front sweeps across Central and Eastern U.S. this weekend
A strong cold front is moving across the Midwest, Great Lakes, and lower Mississippi Valley, bringing showers and thunderstorms into the weekend. The front is expected to reach the East Coast by Sunday, December 10, 2023, with severe thunderstorms forecast in areas from east Texas to the lower Mississippi River Valley.
President of CAIR – America’s Leading Muslim Org – Cheers Oct. 7 Slaughter of 1,300 Jews in Southern Israel
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) defines itself as a Muslim civil rights organization and advocacy group. In 2008 the FBI ruled CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in the terror-finance trial against the Holy Land Foundation and its former officials.
CDC Director Issues New Covid Alert, Urges Americans to Wear Masks
Here we go. It must be election season! CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen issued a new alert for the COVID “Pirola” variant and recommended for those who are feeling symptoms to mask up.
‘100-day cough’: Highly contagious infection that could fracture ribs soars 250% in UK
Health officials in the U.K. are warning the public about a concerning rise in whooping cough after cases soared 250% this year.
China restarts COVID-19 testing in hospitals, airports
Authorities in China have started testing people for COVID-19 again in hospitals and transportation hubs as a wave of respiratory disease tears through the country, according to local residents and government directives.
Pakistan: Bible Verse Facebook Post Forces Christian Family to Hide from Islamist Mobs
A Christian man and his family are currently shuffling in secrecy from hiding place to hiding place in their native Pakistan after a neighbor accused them of blasphemy for sharing a Bible passage on Facebook, the British Asian Christian Association (BACA) denounced on Wednesday.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem Exploiting The Manger to Make Political Points?
A church in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, is receiving attention for its decision to redesign its Christmas nativity scene to reflect the impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Canadian military bases mandate ‘menstruation kits’ in men’s bathrooms
In a move to align with the Liberal government’s commitment to “inclusivity,” Canadian military bases are required to provide menstrual products, including tampons and pads, in men’s washrooms by December 15.
White House condemns CAIR leader for saying he was ‘happy’ about Hamas terror attack
Can it be that Democrats are coming around to the idea that the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) not only traffics in antisemitism but has a troubling past linking back to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas?
Censored – The Study That Shows a Staggering 17 Million Deaths After Covid Vaccine Rollout
A groundbreaking study found that 17 million people died worldwide after the Covid “vaccine” rollout and therefore should be garnering worldwide attention and calls for an immediate cessation of all Covid vaccines. Instead, it has been CENSORED!
Unexplained deaths skyrocket in highly covid vaccinated Canada
A report released by Statistics Canada (“StatsCan”) on 27 November showed that the number of covid deaths in highly vaccinated Canada rose by 36% last year. The nation recorded a record number of covid deaths, despite high vaccination uptake and the pandemic being over. The largest increase was in Atlantic Canada, where number of covid deaths per 100,000 population in 2022 was more than seven times higher than in 2021. Atlantic Canada also had the highest uptake of covid “vaccines.”
Electromagnetic radiation emitted from Starlink dishes sickens and kills pets and wildlife
In a letter to Arthur Firstenberg, custodian of an animal sanctuary in the Rocky Mountains described how animals in the sanctuary are falling sick and dying after most people in the area installed a Starlink satellite dish. This is not the first time the health impacts of electromagnetic frequencies (“EMFs”) on animals and humans have been noted.
Startling Revelation: Only 4 to 5% of COVID Vaccine Batches Responsible for All Vaccination-Related Deaths, Yet U.S. Medicine Regulators Turn a Blind Eye!
An investigation of official U.S. Government data, provided by the Centers for Disease Control, has revealed that extremely high numbers of adverse reactions and deaths have been reported against specific lot numbers of the Covid-19 vaccines numerous times. This means the deadliest batches of Covid-19 vaccine have now been identified but Medicine Regulators have refused to withdraw them and they are still being administered to the public.
Headlines – 12/9/2023
Israeli Troops Light Hanukkah Candles in ‘Palestine Square,’ Gaza
PA says it’s working with US on post-war plan for Gaza, hopes to include Hamas
2 troops seriously hurt in failed Gaza hostage rescue; Gallant: signs Hamas is breaking
‘Your loss will not be in vain’: War minister, ex-IDF chief Eisenkot eulogizes slain son
IDF: Large Numbers of Hamas Terrorists Are Surrendering
Egypt said to warn Israel ties could ‘rupture’ if Gaza multitudes flee to Sinai
Israel Increases Strikes in Gaza Amid Fears of Total Societal Collapse
U.S. issues strongest criticism of Israel yet as civilian deaths in Gaza surge
Biden Admin Advances Plan To Punish Israelis for Alleged Crimes Against Palestinians
US says no firm deadline on Gaza war but cautions Israel on loss of civilian life
Israel hails US for vetoing Security Council resolution seeking Gaza ceasefire
Iran warns UN of ‘explosion’ in Mideast after US veto of ceasefire resolution
Israeli FM upbraids UN chief for urging Gaza ceasefire, says he’s siding with Hamas
Gaza: The Security Council must end its complicity in the ongoing carnage
Half of Democrats say Israel to blame a lot for Gaza war, per Pew poll
Peace activists in a traumatized Israel remain hopeful for a two-state solution
Pro-Palestinian activists bemoan tight restrictions on protest at Dubai’s COP28
Airplane Flies Banner Over Harvard University That Reads, ‘Harvard Hates Jews’
Report: Jewish TikTok staff reveal rampant antisemitism, Israel-hate in workplace
US Congress launches investigation of antisemitism at elite universities
Heads of Harvard, Penn condemn Jewish genocide calls after appearing to condone speech
Amid rising backlash, Harvard president sorry for not condemning Jewish genocide calls
74 Lawmakers Demand Harvard, MIT, Penn Fire Presidents After Antisemitism Hearing
Man arrested after firing shots at Albany, NY, synagogue, shouting ‘Free Palestine’
Six Palestinians said killed as IDF arrests 2 terror suspects in northern West Bank
4 said killed in alleged Israeli drone strike in Syria; rockets fired from Lebanon
Iran Looks to Houthi Proxies to Escalate Fight With Israel
Rocket barrage targets US embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone
6 French teens convicted over role in beheading of teacher by Islamic extremist
Russia Celebrates Republicans Blocking Aid to Ukraine With a Missile Barrage
Moscow puts prominent Russian-US journalist on wanted list for criminal charges
Putin will seek another term as Russian president, aiming to extend his rule of over two decades
Putin running for reelection, almost sure to win another 6-year term
China and Xi Jinping’s Approval Rating Skyrockets in Russia
Chinese fighters, balloon cross Taiwan Strait a month before election
‘Reckless, dangerous disregard for diplomacy’: ‘Azerbaijan’s victory validates authoritarian power’
Hunter Biden Faces 42 Years in Prison for Tax and Gun Charges
CNN’s Jackson: We Wouldn’t Be Here with Hunter ‘if It Were Not for the Whistleblowers’
Hunter Biden: Republicans are trying to ‘kill me’ to destroy father’s presidency
Comer: DOJ Indicted Hunter to Protect Joe Biden
Trump Jr.: DOJ ‘Planned’ Hunter Charges to Avoid Deposition
Banks Filed 6 Suspicious Activity Reports Flagging Joe Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware Home Address
Private Emails Reveal Fani Willis Wants to Jail Trump and His Top Allies Charged in Bogus RICO Case
Donald Trump: Our Nation Has Become a ‘Banana Republic’
Google weighs Gemini AI project to tell people their life story using phone data, photos
Popularity of AI apps used to ‘nudify’ women in photos soars amid legal vacuum
AI can help combat health misinformation, White House cancer research head says
Impulsive M5.4 solar flare erupts from Region 3511, multiple filament eruptions
5.8 magnitude earthquake hits near Gizo, Solomon Islands
5.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Isangel, Vanuatu
5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Panguna, Papua New Guinea
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Pangai, Tonga
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits the Reykjanes Ridge
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Isangel, Vanuatu
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Fangale’ounga, Tonga
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands region
5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Reykjanes Ridge
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Reykjanes Ridge
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits the Kermadec Islands region
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Tadine, New Caledonia
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Marihatag, Philippines
5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Cortes, Philippines
Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 24,000ft
Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupts to 21,000ft
Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 20,000ft
Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 20,000ft
Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft
Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft
Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft
Dukono volcano in Indonesia erupts to 10,000ft
Rare High Wind Watch issued for New York City area as Northeast braces for powerful weekend storm
Tropical Cyclone “Jasper” intensifies to Category 4, threatens north Queensland coast, Australia
Australia swelters under extreme heat as rare early cyclone barrels toward northern coast
Extensive agricultural damage in Andhra Pradesh following Tropical Cyclone “Michaung”
Hundreds still stranded, plants closed in India’s flood-hit Chennai
Intense hailstorm hits Menorca, Spain
Japan: Thousands of dead fish mysteriously wash up on beach
Massive fish die-off in northern Japan prompts environmental concerns and investigation
Locusts swarm skies of Mexico leaving people fearing the world is ending
Where’s the beef? UN calling on Americans to cut down on meat consumption
Shocking Poll Finds Nearly a Quarter of Gen Z Would Ban Bible for ‘Hate Speech’
Catholic nuns sue Smith & Wesson to halt its assault-style weapons sales
Federal Judges Drop Massive 261-Page Ruling Tearing Apart Conceal Carry Laws
Gun rights group applauds after federal appeals court deals blow to NY concealed carry law
At least 11 dead after clash between gang and villagers in central Mexico
Man arrested after driving truck into spectators at Bakersfield Christmas parade
Newt Gingrich Slams Biden’s ‘Illegal Immigration Policy’ Crushing the Nation
Fetterman Criticizes Fellow Dems, Agrees with GOP on Border Security: ‘It’s Astonishing’
Female Cyclist Who Lost to Men Claims Trans Competitors Make Sports Stronger
Minnesota-Based Abortion Van Organization Plans to Expand
ABC’s Haines on Abortion: Hypocrisies Happen ‘When People Weaponize Religion’
FDA approves gene therapy for sickle cell disease: ‘One incredible journey of success.’
CDC Director Issues New Covid Alert, Urges Americans to Wear Masks
COP 28: The Ruse Behind the Elite’s Unsatiable Quest for Power – Jonathan Brentner
From November 30 until December 12, 2023, delegates from around the world will meet in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for COP28, the 28th annual meeting of the “Conference of Parties,” the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It’s estimated that this year’s summit will attract 70,000 attendees.[1]
Throughout the week, the high-level dignitaries will urge the nations to take draconian steps to curb what it regards as a dire emergency. According to some reports, one goal of the summit is to reach an agreement by December 12 that will strengthen the Paris Agreement of 2015 with the intent of reaching its goals by 2030. This, of course, matches the UN’s Agenda 2030 with its seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, which have much more to do with a totalitarian world order than the environment.
Do not let the elite powerbrokers of our day deceive you; there is no climate emergency. This is one of many deceptions that Jesus said would characterize the last days (Matthew 24:4). The purpose of COP28 is about furthering the ruse that the globalists believe will enable them to gain control of all the nations.
I will first briefly share why I claim the climate emergency is a hoax, and in a later article dive deep into the agenda behind it.
Human Activity Does Not Impact CO2 Levels
The elite blame human activity for the crisis. They claim that CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions from our cars, SUVs, trucks, and farm equipment cause global warming that will lead to disastrous consequences for the planet. Despite their claims that this is an established fact, many scientists disagree.
Geologist Dr. Viv Forbes believes that other more significant forces are at work:
Human activity can never control atmospheric CO2 or global temperature. Much bigger forces are at work—solar system cycles, earth orbital changes, volcanic activity (especially on the sea floor), El Nino episodes, declining magnetic field and magnetic pole reversals, variable cosmic rays and cloud cover, and absorption/expulsion of CO2 by the mighty oceans…. (My emphasis)
Moreover, the ice core records from Antarctica and Greenland show clearly that atmospheric temperature always rises before CO2 levels rise. So rising CO2 is the effect of rising temperature not the cause.[2]
“Volcanic activity,” as noted in the above quote, is receiving increased attention in the climate change debate. An active volcano spews a massive amount of CO2 daily into the atmosphere. Theis was certainly the case on December 3, 2023, when a massive volcano eruption occurred at Indonesia’s Mount Marapi, killing at least eleven people.[3]
According to the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, there are “46 volcanoes. . . in continuing eruption status as of 11 October 2023. An eruption marked as ‘continuing’ does not always mean persistent daily activity but indicates at least intermittent eruptive events without a break of 3 months or more.”[4]
Besides the thousands of tons of CO2 active volcanoes put into the atmosphere, one study found that the voluminous number of inactive land volcanoes and seafloor volcanoes and hydrothermal continually emit smaller amounts of CO2.[5]
What does all this mean? Volcanic activity dwarfs all human activity and all farming activity as a factor in the amount of CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
Even with volcanic activity, carbon dioxide makes up an incredibly miniscule percentage of our air at 414.11 parts per million (or .04 percent of our atmosphere). This data comes from the March 5, 2020, reading at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.[6] Yes, the yearly level of CO2 has risen at this location, but one must consider that the Hawaiian Islands are home to an active volcano.
Carbon dioxide is not the poison that the climate alarmists would have us believe, it’s a necessary component of the air we breathe.
If human activity does not lead to increased CO2 levels that impact our weather, what does?
The Sun Impacts Global Temperatures Not CO2
The sun has a much more significant impact on global temperatures than fuel-powered vehicles and farming. The spikes we feel on the earth always follow increases in the sun’s activity. Always. For much of 2023, the sun has been extraordinarily active.
Many prominent scientists claim that the activity of the sun causes fluctuations in the earth’s temperatures rather than changes in CO2 levels. One researcher, Dr. Roger Higgs DPhil (geology professor at Oxford, 1982-86), summarized the results of his study in January of 2020. He summarized his findings stating that based on “archaeological, astrophysical, geological and palaeoclimatological data covering the last 2,000 years,” that it’s “the Sun, not CO2, that controls global temperature.”[7]
Dr. Nir Shaviv, an Israeli astrophysicist and chairman of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University’s physics department is another acclaimed scientist who tells us that the sun is the chief cause of global warming. “He says that his research, and that of colleagues, suggests that rising CO2 levels play only a minor role in earth’s climate compared to the influence of the sun and cosmic radiation.”[8] (My emphasis)
Shaviv concludes:
Global warming clearly is a problem, though not in the catastrophic terms of Al Gore’s movies or environmental alarmists. Climate change has existed forever and is unlikely to go away. But CO2 emissions don’t play the major role. Periodic solar activity does.[9] (Shaviv’s emphasis)
In an article written by Ethan Huff, “NASA admits that climate change occurs because of changes in Earth’s solar orbit, and NOT because of SUVs and fossil fuels,” he points to NASA research that points to the sun as the chief cause of weather.
His findings are identical with that of Nir Shaviv:
If we had to sum the whole thing up in one simple phrase, it would be this: The biggest factor influencing weather and climate patterns on earth is the sun, period. Depending on the earth’s position to the sun at any given time, climate conditions are going to vary dramatically, and even create drastic abnormalities that defy everything that humans thought they knew about how the earth worked.
But rather than embrace this truth, today’s climate “scientists,” joined by leftist politicians and a complicit mainstream media, insist that not using reusable grocery bags at the supermarket and not having an electric vehicle are destroying the planet so quickly that we absolutely must implement global climate taxes as the solution.
“The climate change debate is not about science. It is an effort to impose political and economic controls on the population by the elite,” wrote one commenter at the Hal Turner Radio Show.[10]
One Hundred Years of Failed Forecasts
King Charles III, at the opening of the COP28 conference asked the nations of the world to contribute five trillion dollars a year to the fund to combat the current climate emergency.[11] This demand, however, is based on predictions of doom that fail 100% of the time. There has never been a forecast from the climate alarmist that has happened. Never!
Consider this quote from an Associated Press report published in the Washington Post:
The Arctic Ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer, and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot. Reports from fishermen, seal hunters, and explorers all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of temperatures in the Arctic zone. Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been met as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes. Within a few years it is predicted that due to the ice melt the sea will rise and make most coastal cities uninhabitable.[12]
The above quote appeared in the Washington Post on November 2, 1922, over one hundred years ago. Since then, all the forecasts of climate disasters have likewise missed the mark by a wide margin.
A prominent group of former NASA engineers and scientists reach this conclusion about the models that the elite use to predict catastrophic doom:
We have concluded that the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] climate models are seriously flawed because they don’t agree very closely with measured empirical data. After a 35-year simulation the models over-predicted actual measured temperatures by factors of 200% to 750%. One could hardly expect them to predict with better accuracy 300 years into the future required for use in regulatory decisions.[13]
Jeff Crouere, in a recent Townhall website column, aptly states my thoughts regarding the outrageous and impoverishing demands that King Charles III would force upon people in order to curb global warming:
The dream for King Charles and his fellow “climate change” fanatics is for meat to be removed from our diets, nitrogen fertilizer to be drastically reduced, and methane emissions from cows to be significantly curtailed. Such changes to our agriculture and diet will lead to “worldwide famine,” but the “climate change” zealots believe it is necessary to combat the dangers of taking no action.[14]
As you hear the hype from the COP28 summit, be aware of the disastrous impact their recommendations would have upon humanity.
Back to the Stone Age
Climatologist Dr. Pat Michaels agrees with those of us who disagree with those who would subjugate humanity to tyranny in order to save the environment:
It’s warmed up around 1 degree Celsius since 1900, and life expectancy doubled in the industrialized democracies! Yet that temperature ticks up another half a degree and the entire system crashes? That’s the most absurd belief![15]
Dr. Michaels also stated that eliminating all fossil fuels would reduce the average earth temperature by .14 degrees Celsius. “That’s a very small change for putting humanity back in the Stone Age.”[16]
The plans proposed by John Kerry for American farming would murder a great many people in the U.S. How is it possible to kill most all the cattle and reduce agriculture to a bare minimum apart from eliminating much of our population? “Let them eat bugs” will not go over well where I live.
Politics, greed, and an unsatiable quest for power lie behind the motives of the elite now screaming for extreme and dreadful measures in order to curb the ruse of climate emergency. It’s the vehicle by which they intend to enslave all of humanity under a communistic world government.
I will dive deep into this Luciferian agenda in my next article and discuss how it is setting the stage for the Tribulation and the brief rule of the antichrist.
I provide a detailed defense of the Pretribulation viewpoint in: The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times.
Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. Thanks!
[1] Jeff Crouere, “The Cult of Climate Change Convenes Church In Dubai”, December 4, 2023, Townhall Website, @ https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2023/12/04/the-cult-of-climate-change-convenes-church-in-dubai-n2631949
[2] Viv Forbes, Geologist: ‘The CO2 scare is proving false – it’s time for some climate sense,’ December 23, 2019, article on the Climate Depot Website.
[3] Aljazeera News Website “Eleven climbers dead, 12 missing after eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Marapi,” December 4, 2023
[4] Website: https://volcano.si.edu/gvp_currenteruptions.cfm
[5] James Edward Kamis, “Discovery of Massive Volcanic CO2 Emissions Puts Damper On Global Warming Theory,” Nov. 6, 2018, Climate Dispatch website @ https://climatechangedispatch.com/massive-volcano-emissions-warming/
[6] https://www.co2.earth website
[7] Dr. Roger Higgs DPhil, Vast Body of Scientific Data for Past 2,000 Years Affirms Sun, Not CO2, Controls Climate, published January 14, 2020, on the Principia Scientific International website: https://principia-scientific.org/
[8] Cap Alolon, “Acclaimed Israeli Astrophysicist Suggests the Sun Drives Earth’s Climate, Not CO2,” on the Electoverse website at: http://electroverse.net/acclaimed-israeli-astrophysicist-suggests-that-the-sun-drives-earths-climate-not-co2/
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ethan Huff, “NASA admits that climate change occurs because of changes in Earth’s solar orbit, and NOT because of SUVs and fossil fuels,” 8/30/2019, at: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-08-30-nasa-admits-climate-change-not-caused-by-suvs-fossil-fuels.html
[11] Rhoda Wilson, “Charles ‘The Great Reset’ King demands $5 trillion per year to tackle climate change,” December 5, 2023, at: https://expose-news.com/2023/12/02/charles-demands-5-trillion-per-year-for-climate-change/
[12] Jack Hellner, “Global warming, global cooling, climate change, climate emergency, climate catastrophe, climate collapse, or existential threat?” December 4, 2019, American Thinker Website
[13] Conclusions and Recommendations of NASA engineers and scientists at https://therightclimatestuff.com
[14] Ibid.
[15] John Stossal, “Climate Myths” from November 20, 2019, on the Stossal TV Website @ https://www.johnstossel.com/climate-myths/
[16] John Stossal, “Climate Myths” from November 20, 2019, on the Stossal TV Website @ https://www.johnstossel.com/climate-myths/
Source: COP 28: The Ruse Behind the Elite’s Unsatiable Quest for Power – Jonathan Brentner
Walmart Replaces Smiley Face That Rolls Back Prices With Frowny Face That Rolls Prices Forward | Babylon Bee
BENTONVILLE, AR — Executives from mega-retailer Walmart announced today they will replace their iconic smiley face that rolls back prices with a frowny face that travels around the store rolling prices forward.
“With inflation so high, we just don’t have much use for Smiley, the ubiquitous price rollback logo,” Walmart Marketing VP Duncan Jones told reporters. “Times have changed; we’re now introducing a sad face named ‘Frowny’ we’ll use to alert people when product prices increase. It helps communicate to customers that we are also sad about prices going up.”
Frowny is set to hit stores at the beginning of the year 2024. The large yellow sad face signs will initially be affixed to common household goods like eggs and milk to help ease the blow of further expected price hikes. Walmart also plans to shoot a series of new commercials showing Frowny forlornly bouncing around the store as he doubles prices.
“I’ll sure miss that happy face,” said Walmart customer Dale Rumkis of Hixson, TN. “I loved how he dressed as Zorro and slashed prices. What a cool guy. I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of Frowny. It’s a sad day.”
A long-time part of Walmart’s branding, Smiley is reportedly hoping to make a comeback if Biden loses the election.
Here is a comprehensive list of the only instances it is acceptable for men to shed a tear.
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Week in Review · December 4-8, 2023
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
| ANALYSISWHO WANTS TO CONTROL WHAT YOU KNOW? MARK ALEXANDER The greatest threat to Liberty is not infringement of the Second Amendment, it is subjugation of the First Amendment. |
| The Great Trump Freakout Begins DOUGLAS ANDREWS Democrats are panicking and playing the “fear” card as they ponder Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House. |
| First Evidence of Joe Biden’s Direct Payment NATE JACKSON Hunter Biden’s company Owasco PC directly paid Joe Biden with money originating in China. |
| Tuberville’s Noble Stand Ends THOMAS GALLATIN While he failed to end the Biden administration’s illegal policy facilitating abortions for military personnel, he was right to stand for life. |
| The Tragic Aftershocks of ‘Gender Affirming’ Care EMMY GRIFFIN Detransitioners’ stories are turning into lawsuits that may bring down the whole gender house of cards. |
| Abandoning Bidenomics — the Word, Not the Policies SAMANTHA KOCH Biden and his administration think playing word games will fool people who experience economic hardship. |
| How to Rein in the Regulatory State MICHAEL SWARTZ A successful approach from the 1990s might hold the key to paring back today’s runaway bureaucracy. |
| A Climate of Winners and Losers JACK DEVINE Climate change and green energy are not idle chatter. International speechifying begets public policy, which affects real people in real ways. |
| The Left’s False Pretense for Killing X BRIAN MARK WEBER The only thing leftists hate more than Elon Musk is free speech. |
| Update: We regularly request your support for our mission at this time each year. It takes time to meet this critical budgetary goal that keeps our operations on track in the new year. Our funding deadline is close. If you haven’t already done so, would you help us meet this goal today? Any amount, large or small, helps us toward the finish line. —Christy S. Chesterton, Director of Advancement2023 YEAR-END CAMPAIGN.$0$494,000Donate Today |
| Congress Considers Anti-Semitism, Anti-Catholicism NATE JACKSON Testimony from FBI Director Chris Wray and three university presidents illuminated some real problems. |
| Trump: The Second-Term Agenda DOUGLAS ANDREWS Despite the fearmongering Left’s claims that his second term would be all about retaliation, Donald Trump has put together a bold and detailed plan called Agenda47. |
| Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria Targets Women EMMY GRIFFIN Why does this cultural issue have such vehement backing when all science points against it? |
| Exposing Disney’s Corporate Cronyism THOMAS GALLATIN An audit of Disney’s special self-governance status reveals the company’s self-serving abuse of the community around it. |
| About That ‘Record Number of Mass Shootings’ MARK ALEXANDER Why do Democrats only focus on less than 1% of murders nationwide? |
| Where’s the Beef? THOMAS GALLATIN The United Nations climate cultists want to end people’s eating of meat — to save the planet, of course. |
| Disney vs. The Daily Wire EMMY GRIFFIN Leftist entertainment vs. conservative entertainment at its finest. |
| Washington: The Exodus DOUGLAS ANDREWS Congress has been buffeted by a rash of announced departures, but certain Swamp creatures keep hanging on. |
| Congress Haggles Over Military Priorities NATE JACKSON The National Defense Authorization Act strikes against some leftist priorities, but not all of them. |
| Profiles of Valor: LTC Matt Urban MARK ALEXANDER “He killed him with a trench knife, took the German’s machine pistol, and fired at the onrushing enemy.” |
| Visit our archive for more analysis commentary. |
| Catch up on the latest news headlines with our executive summary. |
| QUOTES Demagogues “Republicans have to decide if they want a political issue [or] if they want a solution at the border.” —President Joe Biden “I don’t think they want to solve it. I think they want to keep it as a problem without the tools to make it any better.” —Joe Biden “Extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress will not support the essential assistance to Ukraine unless we follow the most draconian actions possible to keep immigrants out of America, building walls and the like.” —Joe Biden “Extreme Republicans are playing chicken with our national security, holding Ukraine’s funding hostage to their extreme partisan border policies.” —Joe Biden “Republicans are now holding urgently needed Ukraine funding hostage to a set of completely unrelated … partisan … border demands.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre “Republicans talk about immigration reform. They talk about border security. The president, you know, on day one … put forth an immigration policy. … It’s been three years and they have not been moving forward in good faith. They have not been trying to get to a solution in good faith.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “Republicans in Congress [are] willing to give Putin a gift. The greatest gift that Putin could hope for. That’s what we’re seeing. And so they are playing chicken with our national security … and history will remember them harshly.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “What a gift this is to Putin to watch what is happening here. And I really hope we can move beyond the politics of the day, be honest that the president has asked for real border security, and let’s get on with it.” —Office of Management & Budget Director Shalanda Young “If Congress fails to defend democracy … all because of border policies inspired by Donald Trump and Stephen Miller, the judgment of history will be harsh indeed.” —Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) The BIG Lies “I support real solutions at the border.” —Joe Biden “The president has made sure that he’s used enforcement, deterrence, and diplomacy to deal with [illegal immigration].” —Karine Jean-Pierre “We have been taking this very seriously in trying to deal with this border security issue.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “As the president said, he’s all about border security.” —National Security Council spokesman John Kirby “We share a sense of [border] urgency, so act on that.” —John Kirby “He’s done everything he can to keep people safe, in stark contract with the Republicans who are calling for a Muslim ban, throwing our allies under the bus, praising terrorists.” —Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Quinten Faulk “I did not and it’s just a bunch of lies.” —Joe Biden regarding interactions with the Biden Crime Family’s foreign business associates “They have not, even their own witnesses that they’ve brought forward, been able to find a nexus between any of the allegations of Hunter Biden and the president, Joe Biden, or even when he was Vice President Joe Biden. There’s no nexus. There’s no ‘there’ there.” —U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) “I taught at the University of Pennsylvania for four years.” —Joe Biden “We ha[d] more freedom up until this group [Republicans] came along. But what’s at stake now is freedom.” —Joe Biden “I wanted to play lacrosse, but you had to choose between lacrosse and football.” —Joe Biden (“Archmere Academy (Biden’s high school) didn’t have a boy’s lacrosse team until 1993, 32 years after he graduated.” —Zach Parkinson) “When the president got into the White House, we all know that the economy was at [sic] a tailspin. … And the president came in and had to fix that because obviously the last administration did not have a comprehensive plan. … The actions that he took … really took effect on the economy in a good way.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “We have had some historic progress here, right? When you think about the 14 million jobs that have been created … when you think about what the president walked into — an economy that was in a tailspin and getting that back on its feet. So the president wants to continue to do that — continue to lower costs for Americans, continue to make sure that this economy is working for all.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “We are seeing lowering costs as we’re going into the holiday season.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “Under President Joe Biden, wages are up, inflation is coming down, and more than 14 million private-sector jobs have been created. Under President Joe Biden, [the] stock market is up. Gas prices are coming down.” —House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Gaslighting “We’re going to continue to do the work and talk to the American people. … His focus every day … is to make sure that we deliver on what the president was elected to do. … It’s very hard to break through the noise that we’re seeing right now.” —Karine Jean-Pierre “It’s extremely important that we help Americans draw that contrast between what is happening in the economy and the president. It’s extremely important that we continue to tout inflation numbers as they continue to drop. … Joe Biden has created 14 million jobs. … It’s really important to remind the American people where they were four years ago before Joe Biden took office.” —Quinten Faulk “I’m concerned that we need to continue to [be] better about messaging to voters what we have done to help create jobs, to tackle inflation. … We have a lot to be proud of. President Biden has been the leader on getting all this done.” —Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) “Our challenge is just to let folks know who brung it to them. That’s a big part of our challenge. It’s all these individual accomplishments — they are very popular.” —Vice President Kamala Harris “We’ve seen great progress and I think the American people know it on some level.” —Kamala Harris Faux Pas “I know everybody’s frustrated, even though, you know, like I said, we’ve made great progress compared to where we were… But there’s still a lot that’s not being taken care of.” —Joe Biden Requesting Cleanup on Aisle 46 “No, I’m not the only one who can defeat [Trump], but I will defeat him.” —Joe Biden on Wednesday (“If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running. But we cannot let him win for the sake of the country.” —Joe Biden on Tuesday) Hot Air “This is insane to be thinking that, you know, we’re asking people to give up [energy sources]. … But gas will have a confrontation with the future in the future.” —climate czar John Kerry “There shouldn’t be anymore coal-fired power plants permitted anywhere in the world. … I find myself getting more and more militant because I do not understand how adults who are in position of responsibility can be avoiding responsibility for taking away those things that are killing people on a daily basis. And the reality is that the climate crisis and health crisis are one and the same.” —John Kerry “The scientists are saying this moment is alarming. It’s without precedent. It is terrifying, some have said, and others will say we are in uncharted territory.” —John Kerry “If we can’t hear Mother Nature and can’t judge with our own eyes what the science is telling us — this is not about politics. There’s no ideology. There’s no pejorative against any one business or any approach. There is simply mathematics and physics and some chemistry and biology. That is what we are acting on.” —John Kerry “I’m guided by the science. And I can tell you, honestly, there is zero politics or ideology in any decision that President Biden has made or the administration has made. We are driven by the science.” —John Kerry “We can’t save a burning planet with a firehose of fossil fuels. We must accelerate a just, equitable transition to renewables. The science is clear: The 1.5°C warming limit is only possible if we stop burning fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate. Phase out.” —UN Secretary-General António Guterres “We’re seeing and beginning to pay attention and to count and record the deaths that are related to climate, and by far the biggest killer is extreme heat.” —former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “Around the world there are those who seek to slow or stop our progress — leaders who deny climate science, delay climate action, and spread misinformation; corporations that greenwash climate inaction and lobby for billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies. In the face of their resistance … we must do more.” —Kamala Harris “Under the president’s leadership, the U.S. is turbocharging the speed and scale of climate action, both at home and abroad.” —Karine Jean-Pierre Non Sequitur “The Mexican drug cartels are the ones who control the fentanyl trade at the border. And unfortunately, the Mexican drug cartels have that authority because they possess guns and weapons of war. But unfortunately, those weapons of war come from American manufacturers, not from Mexico or elsewhere.” —Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) Lack of Self-Awareness Award “Biden is not … going to a podium as president of the United States saying that he’s going to … use the government to go after his political enemies.” —Quinten Faulk Dumb & Dumber “A vote for Donald Trump may mean the last election that you ever get to vote in.” —former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) “[House Speaker] Mike Johnson and what he believes is one of the greatest threats we have today to the United States. … This is a bigger threat than al-Qaida to this country.” —Democrat strategist James Carville “We are talking about opening up all women and girls to genital examinations when they are underage, potentially just because someone can point to someone and say, ‘I don’t think you are a girl.'” —Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) “I know a little something about voter suppression. … My election should not give people the false impression that there’s no voter suppression in Georgia.” —Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) “The Heritage Foundation loves Texas. … They always sending us some nonsense bills that somehow set this country on the wrong trajectory. They send them to Texas. They send them to Florida. Every deplorable state that we can think about they usually coming out of y’all’s think tank.” —Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) Race Bait “I don’t think white people worldwide have really reckoned with how much their own personal identity is shaped by constructions of whiteness, and how much that construction of whiteness prevents white people from connecting to humanity.” —Boston University Center for Antiracist Research founder and director Ibram X. Kendi Straight From the Horse’s Mouth “The leaders of the occupation should know, October 7 was just a rehearsal.” —Gaza Strip Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar Useful idiots “From college students to those in the workplace, I’m getting the calls of people being pushed to silence — being bullied, some people weaponizing anti-Semitism in a way to silence voices. … Americans have a right to speak up. … We have to be able to make sure that as we look at all these forms of hate, that it is not being weaponized in a way to silence voices like myself and … many of the voices that are here.” —Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) “The images coming out of Gaza are horrific. Netanyahu has resumed his genocidal bombing campaign. We need a permanent ceasefire now. End the apartheid. Free Palestine.” —Rashida Tlaib “I do not believe we should be appropriating over $10 billion for the right-wing extremist Netanyahu government to continue its current military approach. What the Netanyahu government is doing is immoral, it is in violation of international law, and the United States should not be complicit in those actions. … Israel has a right to defend itself, but it does not have, in my view, the right to wage all-out war against innocent men, women, and children.” —Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) “Mr. Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had an unholy acceptance of Hamas as an enemy. … And he had this unholy acceptance because it benefited him … to have an enemy that would not agree to a two-state solution.” —Congressman Al Green (D-TX) “We cannot say that one war crime deserves another. … I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.” —Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) “I don’t think that’s true.” —Pramila Jayapal when told “a ceasefire would keep that brutal terrorist regime in place in Gaza” “As Israel defends itself, it matters how. The United States is unequivocal: International humanitarian law must be respected.” —Kamala Harris “Innocent civilian lives should not be intentionally targeted and … Israel must do more to protect innocent life in Gaza and innocent civilians in Gaza.” —Kamala Harris “Our approach for post-conflict Gaza: No forceable displacement, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, no reduction in territory.” —Kamala Harris “We have to revitalize the Palestinian Authority.” —Kamala Harris “There needs to be a permanent state for Palestinian people to live in. That is the way to undermine Hamas.” —Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Belly Laughs of the Week “There’s nobody on this committee who has been a bigger victim of the weaponization of the intelligence community than me.” —Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) “[Republicans] don’t understand foreign policy, and Joe Biden is the only person running for president of the United States that has the wisdom and experience to bring people to the table to get deals done.” —Quinten Faulk “When it comes to what’s going on in the Middle East, Joe Biden from day one has approached this not as a politician but as commander-in-chief… But this is also a clinic in leadership.” —Quinten Faulk “The Democrats now … [are] the liberty party because we stand for liberty. We’re the progressive party because we stand for progress. We’re also the conservative party because we want to conserve the Constitution, the Bill of Rights… Everything they want to tear down is what we want to conserve. So at this point, if you’re for American democracy surviving, you’re for us.” —Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) For more insightful quotes, see our Short Cuts. |
MEME Don’t miss the latest memes. |
CARTOON Don’t miss the latest cartoons. |
“From The Patriot Post (patriotpost.us)”.
‘Internet of Trust’: Inside The United Nations Plan To Control Speech Online | Prophecy News Watch
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. lawmakers.
In its 59-page report released this month, the U.N. Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) outlined a series of “concrete measures which must be implemented by all stakeholders: governments, regulatory authorities, civil society, and the platforms themselves.”
This approach includes the imposition of global policies, through institutions such as governments and businesses, designed to stop the spread of various forms of speech while promoting objectives such as “cultural diversity” and “gender equality.”
In particular, the U.N. agency aims to create an “Internet of Trust” by targeting what it calls “misinformation,” “disinformation,” “hate speech,” and “conspiracy theories.”
Examples of expression flagged to be stopped or restricted include concerns about elections, public health measures, and advocacy that could constitute “incitement to discrimination.”
Critics are warning that allegations of “disinformation” and “conspiracy theories” have increasingly been used by powerful forces in government and Big Tech to silence true information and even core political speech.
Just this month, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee released a report blasting the “pseudoscience of disinformation.”
Among other concerns, the committee found this “pseudoscience” has been “weaponized” by what lawmakers refer to as the “Censorship Industrial Complex.”
The goal: silence constitutionally-protected political speech, mostly by conservatives.
“The pseudoscience of disinformation is now–and has always been–nothing more than a political ruse most frequently targeted at communities and individuals holding views contrary to the prevailing narratives,” states the congressional report, “The Weaponization of ‘Disinformation’ Pseudo-Experts and Bureaucrats.”
Indeed, many of the policies called for by UNESCO have already been implemented by U.S.-based digital platforms, often at the behest of the Biden administration, the latest congressional report makes clear.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers nevertheless expressed alarm about the new UNESCO plan.
“I have repeatedly and publicly criticized the Biden administration’s misguided decision to rejoin UNESCO, putting U.S. taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Epoch Times regarding the social-media plan.
Calling UNESCO a “deeply flawed entity,” Mr. McCaul said he is especially concerned that the organization “promotes the interests of authoritarian regimes–including the Chinese Communist Party.”
Indeed, UNESCO, like many other U.N. agencies, includes multiple members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its leadership ranks, such as Deputy Director-General Xing Qu, The Epoch Times has reported.
The CCP has repeatedly made clear that even while working in international organizations, CCP members are expected to follow communist party orders.
Lawmakers on the House Appropriations Subcommittee dealing with international organizations are currently working to cut or reduce funding to various U.N. agencies that lawmakers say are using U.S. taxpayer money improperly.
Already, the U.S. government has twice exited UNESCO–under the Reagan and the Trump administrations–due to concerns about what the administrations described as extremism, hostility to American values, and other problems.
The Biden administration rejoined earlier this year over the objections of lawmakers, The Epoch Times reported.
The UNESCO Plan
While being marketed as a plan to uphold free expression, the new UNESCO regulatory regime calls for international censorship by “independent” regulators who are “shielded from political and economic interests.”
“National, regional, and global governance systems should be able to cooperate and share practices … in addressing content that could be permissibly restricted under international human rights law and standards,” the report explains.
Unlike the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting any governmental infringement on the right to free speech or free press, UNESCO points to various international “human rights” instruments that it says should determine what speech to infringe on.
These agreements include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states that restricting freedom of expression must be provided for by law and must also serve a “legitimate aim.”
In a recent review of the United States, a U.N. human-rights committee called for changes to the U.S. Constitution and demanded that the U.S. government do more to stop and punish “hate speech” in order to comply with the ICCPR.
Another key U.N. instrument is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states explicitly in Article 29 that “rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.”
In short, the U.N. view of “freedom of expression” is radically different from that enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
The UNESCO report says that once content that should be restricted is found, social-media platforms must take measures, ranging from using algorithm suppression (shadow banning) and warning users about the content, to de-monetizing and even removing it.
Any digital platforms found to not be “dealing with content that could be permissibly restricted under international human rights law” should “be held accountable” with “enforcement measures,” the report states.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, a former French culture minister with the Socialist Party, cited risks to society to justify the global plan.
“Digital technology has enabled immense progress on freedom of speech,” she said in a statement. “But social media platforms have also accelerated and amplified the spread of false information and hate speech, posing major risks to societal cohesion, peace, and stability.
“To protect access to information, we must regulate these platforms without delay, while at the same time protecting freedom of expression and human rights,” said Azoulay, who took over the U.N. agency from longtime Bulgarian Communist Party leader Irina Bokova.
In the forward to the new report, headlined “Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms,” Azoulay says that stopping certain forms of speech and at the same time preserving “freedom of expression” is “not a contradiction.”
Citing a survey commissioned by UNESCO itself, the U.N. agency also said most people around the world support its agenda.
According to UNESCO, the report and the guidelines were developed through a process of consultation including more than 1,500 submissions and over 10,000 comments from “stakeholders” such as governments, businesses, and non-profit organizations.
UNESCO said it will work with governments and companies to implement the regulatory regime around the world.
“UNESCO is by not (sic) proposing to regulate digital platforms,” a spokesman for UNESCO, who asked not to be named, told The Epoch Times in a statement.
“We are, however, conscious that dozens of governments around the world are already drafting legislation to do so, some of which is not in line with international human rights standards, and may even jeopardize freedom of expression.
“Similarly, the platforms themselves are already making millions of human and automated decisions a day with respect to the moderation and curation of content, based upon their own policies,” the spokesman said.
The European Union, which already places severe limitations on free expression online, has already provided funding for implementation worldwide, UNESCO added.
The Biden administration told The Epoch Times that it wasn’t involved in creating the plan.
“We will reserve comment until we finish carefully studying the plan,” the State Department said in an email.
Free Speech Concern Grows
Concerns over the implications for freedom of speech and free expression online are mounting as awareness of the UNESCO plan spreads.
Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), expressed alarm.
“FIRE appreciates that UNESCO’s new action plan for social media recognizes the value of transparency and the need for protecting freedom of expression, but remains deeply concerned about efforts to regulate online ‘disinformation’ and ‘hate speech,'” Ms. McLaughlin told The Epoch Times.
“As we’ve seen in recent weeks, enforcement of the EU’s Digital Services Act, for example, has created even more uncertainty about platforms’ content moderation policies and users’ ability to speak freely online,” she said. “Local legal restrictions and norms can ultimately influence how platforms operate on a global scale.
“As countries around the world ramp up regulation of speech on the internet, it becomes increasingly likely that platforms’ enforcement will affect users–including Americans–outside of the states enforcing such rules.”
Indeed, across Europe, “hate speech” rules have increasingly been used not just to silence speech on issues such as marriage, immigration, sexuality, and religion, but even to prosecute those who violate speech laws.
This month, Dr. Päivi Räsänen, a member of the Finnish Parliament and the former interior minister, triumphed after a years-long “hate speech” prosecution over her online speech supporting the biblical understanding of homosexuality and marriage.
In Poland, several members of the European Parliament are facing charges of “hate speech” for sharing political advertisements warning about possible effects of mass Islamic immigration into Europe.
Even more troubling to critics is that the concept of “hate speech” itself was introduced into the U.N. system by the Soviet Union, which regularly described anti-communist speech as “hate speech,” explained Jacob Mchangama in a 2011 paper for Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
Patrick Wood, founder and chairman of Citizens for Free Speech, warned that the UNESCO plan will certainly be used to silence critics of its agenda.
“When UNESCO trots out statements like–‘the result of extensive worldwide consultations and is backed by a global opinion survey’–the fix is in,” Mr. Wood told The Epoch Times.
“In this case it will lead to a deluge of global programs to censor speech deemed counter to its agenda.”
Originally published at Harbinger’s Daily – reposted with permission.
Source: ‘Internet of Trust’: Inside The United Nations Plan To Control Speech Online
Weimar America – Victor Davis Hanson
A 1930s nightmare on the horizon?
Something eerie, something creepy, is happening in the world—and now in America as well. The dark mood is brought on by elite universities, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion industry, and massive immigration from illiberal nations and anti-Enlightenment societies.
At Hillcrest High School in Queens, New York, hundreds of students rioted on news that a single teacher in her private social media account had expressed support for Israel. Waving Palestinian flags, and screaming violent threats, the student mob rioted, destroyed school property, sought the teacher out and tried to crash into her classroom—before she was saved from violence by other teachers and an eventual police arrival.
The subtext was that the overwhelmingly minority students (whose school is ranked academically near the bottom among New York City schools) were acculturated to the racist reality that as the “oppressed” they were exempt from any punishment for hunting down their own teacher. As a Jewish (and thus white) “oppressive” supporter of Israel, she was reduced to, in the words an enthusiastic commenter on a Tik Tok video of the riot, a “cracker ass bitch.” And so the student pack tracked her down as if they were hunting an animal. The old Nazi youth gangs tried to kill Jews because they were not considered “white;” our new Nazis hunt them down because they allege that they are. The common denominator between the 1930s and 2023 is an unhinged hatred of Jews.
Hundreds of such incidents are now occurring on a daily basis—as the country is leaving its Weimar phase and heading at warp speed into normalizing Jew-hatred and worse. Instructors singled out Jewish students in classes at UC Davis and Stanford. Pro-Hamas students ripped down posters, swarmed public buildings, and disrupted traffic.
A pro-Israeli demonstrator in Los Angeles was hit on the head and killed by a pro-Palestinian university professor.
Jewish students were trapped in a Cooper Union university library surrounded by pro-Hamas demonstrators. At MIT, Jewish students were warned to keep away from particular areas of the campus deemed dangerous for them.
What would happen to a university president who warned black or Latino students to keep clear of areas where she could not guarantee their safety from other students?
A bankrupt media deserves much of the blame. They daily broadcast Hamas’s suspect casualty figures, as if that terrorist organization has ever been capable of speaking the truth.
The Western news regurgitated “500 dead at a Gaza hospital,” due to a supposedly deliberate Israel bombing. In fact, the hospital parking lot was hit by an errant Islamic Jihad missile intended to kill civilians in Israel.
No matter—few reporters apologized for spreading Hamas-fed misinformation, despite the previous Hamas lies that they never harmed civilians, that tunnels were not beneath hospital grounds, that they did not murder 1,200 Israelis; or their lies that Hamas gunmen do not rape, when they engaged in mass rape on October 7.
The media normalizes Hamas’s atrocities by treating it as if it were an ordinary government, not a murderous terrorist clique that decapitates civilians, takes children as hostages, and mutilates those it slaughters. That the terrorist organization has kidnapped at least ten American citizens and killed perhaps another 31 is lost on the “journalists,” many of them Americans who could care less about the fate of their fellow citizens.
The media fixates on the Israeli response to mass murder, but rarely the mass murder of 1,200 Israeli civilians that prompted the current war. During ceasefires do Israeli terrorists drive into Gaza cities, and shoot and kill innocent civilians—and then brag, as did Hamas recently, that such murdering will only increase?
Sometimes the anti-Semitic hatred reaches Orwellian levels of absurdity. A British reporter asked an Israeli official whether his country valued life less than Hamas did because it had agreed to Hamas’s demand to release three convicted terrorists in exchange for one Israeli captive. The media fawned over a released disfigured Gazan terrorist—without mentioning that her injuries came from a car bomb she exploded in hopes of killing Jews.
The media is further emboldened by the Biden administration. When asked about the outbreak of anti-Semitism across the U.S.—nearly 60 percent of hate crimes are committed against Jews, who make up 2.5 percent of the population—Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed them with the false claim that the White House “had not seen any credible threats” to Jews. And then she claimed that the real danger to American residents was Islamophobia and threats to Arab-Americans. Hate crime and interracial crime statistics do not support Jean-Pierre’s assertions, which prompts the question of why she made them in the first place.
Note that almost all the violence in demonstrations over the current war comes from the pro-Hamas side that shouts “river to the sea” genocidal threats, swarms the Capitol rotunda and the White House wall, disrupts traffic, occupies bridges at peak traffic, defaces private and public property, shouts down speakers on campus, harasses passers-by, and often battles the police. One wonders whether, should the U.S. military be forced to try to rescue American captives, the demonstrators would cheer for the American troops or Hamas hostage-takers.
Abroad, the world has gone even crazier.
The United Nations has appointed Iran—a theocratic, terrorist-supporting government that kills dissidents and takes hostages—as the chair nation of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum. What a cruel joke.
But what would one expect from the UN when its secretary-general, António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, a former Portuguese socialist politician, condemns the Israeli response to October 7, but rarely, if ever, the Hamas mass killing of civilians that prompted it. Right after the mass killing Guterres opined, “The attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.” According to the secretary-general’s logic, I suppose, Pearl Harbor, the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine did not happen in a vacuum either.
When told that an Irish citizen hostage was freed by Hamas, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar declared that the “lost” child was finally “found.” In other words, he wished to hide the obvious fact that a terrorist organization had kidnapped an Irish citizen child, held her hostage for 50 days, and released her only when Israel gave up convicted terrorists to obtain her release.
Our domestic political leadership is not helping the situation.
Just days after October 7, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with the foreign minister of the now often hostile Turkish government, were calling for a cease-fire to prevent an Israeli response.
When the Islamic Jihad rocket aimed at Israeli cities went off course and damaged a Gaza hospital (leading to the fake story that Israel bombed the hospital), President Biden joked, “You got to learn to shoot straight.” Did Biden mean that, had the terrorists only launched a successful terrorist rocket into Jewish neighborhoods, there would have been no ensuing controversies?
Biden later apologized for doubting fatality figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas—a terrorist organization that has lied about the hospital “bombing,” denied it had tunnels under hospitals, denied that it had engaged in mass rape in Israel, and has supplied no proof of its civilian casualty numbers. Has Hamas released figures of how many of its terrorists were killed, and does it separate those numbers from lost “civilians?” And so are there really vast new cemeteries in Gaza to handle the 15,000 graves for those who, Hamas asserts, were killed?
What explains the collective madness?
For the last 40 years, while Western leftists have naively supported Palestinian terrorists, their governments have appeased terrorist-supporting Middle Eastern governments for very practical reasons. The old subtext to such mollification was that 500-million irate Arab Muslims, and a Middle East with 40 percent of the world’s oil reserves, in realist terms, simply argued against the interests of 10 million Israelis.
But now there are two new, venomous elements in the matrix.
One is that the racist DEI industry assumes that all intersectional nonwhite communities are victims of white privilege and supremacy. Therefore, as permanently oppressed, they are declared incapable of being racist themselves. And so they can harass with impunity the supposed victimizers—in this case American Jews, who are declared culpable whites.
So the oppressed, according to the DEI bible, cannot be anti-Semitic, though many certainly are. And they apparently cannot be held accountable for their hatred or frequent violence.
Secondly, in the last two decades there has been an epidemic of immigration into Western nations from the Middle East. In often-divided democracies like ours, politicians seek to appease as many pressure groups as possible, whether citizen voters or merely resident demonstrators, to acquire and maintain power.
Such pro-Hamas demonstrators, rah-rahing from a free, prosperous, and secure West, expect no rebuke for their obvious hypocrisy in cheering on an autocratic, dictatorial Hamas that has wrecked the economy of Gaza, shoots dissidents, and allows no free expression. And Middle Eastern guests and immigrants are never reminded that their very demonstrations are predicated on not being physically present in their homelands, where they might be shot for what they say and do freely in the West.
We are on a trajectory similar to that of 1930s Germany.
Every time a student is cornered, harassed, or threatened; a high school mob tries to swarm and harm a teacher; a government spokesperson dismisses such hatred; or American soldiers are targeted by Iranian-fed terrorist organizations; the madness, racism, and anti-Semitism will increase—until it reaches a saturation point of abject violence in our streets.
Once a society mainstreams the values of thuggish brownshirts, and ignores their “from the river to the sea” eliminationist chants and screams of “beat the f—king Jew,” then the next emboldened step is foreordained.
True, most Americans were appalled by October 7 and accept that every nation has the right to defend itself from terrorist killers. Most Americans deplore vicious demonstrators and their calls for violence on behalf of the Hamas death cult. And most Americans want their President to demand the release of American hostages and to deter Iranian-backed terrorists who attack U.S. military personnel in the region.
But unless the public demands that their universities enforce on campus the Bill of Rights and the right to move freely in safety, that police enforce laws against mob violence on America’s streets and in our schools, and that the United States stops greenlighting mass immigration from anti-Western nations and extending student visas to residents of anti-American, terrorist-supporting, and autocratic Middle East regimes, then in suicidal fashion we are headed for a 1930s nightmare.
The Celebrated and Manufactured Destruction of Free Speech and Expression
Immigration policy has been tossed out the window under this admin: Pete Hegseth
‘FOX & Friends Weekend’ co-hosts Will Cain and Pete Hegseth go ‘Off the Wall’ and unpack the scope of the immigration crisis. #foxnews
Source: Immigration policy has been tossed out the window under this admin: Pete Hegseth
Narcissism, Self-Obsession, and Modern Society | With @alisachilders
Why is our culture so obsessed with identity? At what point does this fixation on self-discovery begin to breed narcissism? In this clip, Phoenix and Alisa Childers examine these questions.T
📚 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀
Jesus vs. The Culture by Dr. Frank Turek 👉📱https://bit.ly/3nUJYsP
Podcast: What’s The Solution To The Identity Crisis? | With Frank Turek 👉📱 https://crossexamined.org/whats-the-solution-to-the-identity-crisis/
Source: Narcissism, Self-Obsession, and Modern Society | With @alisachilders
Border Patrol Agents Blame Policy Reversals For Historic Surge In Illegal Crossings | ZeroHedge News
Authored by Mark Tapscott via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Nine Customs and Border Patrol agents told Congressional investigators that the lack of consequences for crossing the U.S. border illegally is to blame for the historic surge of illegal immigrants pouring into the United States, according to transcript excerpts obtained by The Epoch Times.
Investigators on the House Homeland Security and Oversight Committees conducted the interviews earlier this year, over the course of five months. The Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) interviewees included nine supervisory and line agents assigned to duty at key border stations from California to Texas.
While both Democrat and Republican staffers took part in the questioning, the excerpts provided to The Epoch Times were selected by the Republicans. The Epoch Times has requested the full transcripts of the interviews. Committee Democrats did not respond to a request for comment.
“We wanted to interview these agents due to their deep expertise as Border Patrol agents and the experience their senior positions afforded them to speak about operations in their sectors,” a Republican committee spokesman told The Epoch Times.
The agents were not questioned under oath and appeared voluntarily after being reminded that it is illegal to provide false information to Congress.
At the heart of the issues described in the interviews is President Joe Biden’s reversal of immigration policies instituted by his predecessor, President Donald Trump. Republicans credit President Trump’s policies for reducing the flow of illegal immigrants.
One of the Trump policies was a requirement for people seeking to enter the United States to remain in Mexico, pending resolution of their cases. Another policy required strictly enforcing anti-drug and other criminal statutes against illegal immigrants. The Trump administration also began, and made significant progress on, building a border wall, and induced Mexico to use its law enforcement and military resources to block migrant caravans at that country’s southern border with Belize and Guatemala.
In a July 26 interview, Tucson Sector Patrol Chief John Modlin told investigators that after Mr. Biden took office, his Arizona border station experienced an unprecedented increase in illegal immigrants during the hottest months of the year, a time when the flow of such crossings would normally be at its lowest levels.
“[In] Tucson, because of the incredible amount of heat out there, the summer months tend to be very low. What’s happening now is unheard of, you know. I looked at 10 years of data to what the summer months should be, and, you know, so where we’re at now in July, you know, should be about—we should have about 17,000 apprehensions in July, you know, given 10 years of data aggregated. Instead, we’re at 26,000. So this time of year, the most dangerous time of year, is seeing one of the most significant flows that we’ve seen,” Mr. Modlin said, according to the transcript.
When asked, “Is it frustrating for you as the leader of the Tucson Sector when the encounters have kept increasing over a lengthy period of time?” Mr. Modlin replied by describing staggering increases in the number of illegal immigrants coming into the United States at his station.
“Yes, absolutely. I think, when I look at 2018, 2019, and 2020, those years were about 60,000 people a year, more or less, within a thousand or two in either direction. And then 2021 happened … and it jumped to 190,000. So it was three times the previous year, which was absolutely—for us—shocking in Tucson,” he said.
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But then came 2022, and even more illegal immigrants came through his station, Mr. Modlin explained.
“And then, thinking it couldn’t go higher, it then went to 250,000 last year, and that did not include the 55,000 that we took from Yuma to help them out and the 170,000 “got-a-ways” recorded last year in that as well. And this year we’re on pace to probably hit 300,000. So if that’s the case, then we’ll be five times what we did just in 2020. So that is significant,” he continued.
Unprecedented Border Crossing Numbers
But the pre-COVID surges pale by comparison, he said, noting that temporary increases in border crossings were “certainly not unprecedented” but “the volume that we’re seeing recently, in my opinion, in my career when I’ve seen is what I would consider unprecedented.”
Agents interviewed all but universally agreed that the lack of negative consequences for illegally entering the United States is a major—if not the major—factor causing the swelling flood of crossings today.
Asked why returning illegal crossers to the Mexican side of the border or to their country of origin is important, Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke of the San Diego Sector said in a May 9 interview that doing so is essential to stopping the current torrent.
“There needs to be a consequence to the illegal activity, otherwise it won’t stop. And when you look at a population that’s coming, the only real consequence that we have is to send them back to their home country,” Mr. Heitke said.
The United States doesn’t have “enough detention [capacity] in our country to detain everybody. And even if there was, it would be short-term. Many of these folks come and have traveled for six months or a year to get here. A day or two in detention is not a penalty to them. They’re more willing to do that. Fines, obviously, are not going to be effective when the individuals have everything they own with them,” he continued.
For that reason, the San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent said, “The only real consequence we have is to send them back to their home country. And if somebody has traveled from wherever for an entire year and you fly them all the way back to their country, it’s a significant penalty.”
Another Chief Patrol Agent, Jason Owens of the Del Rio (Texas) Sector, was asked in a May 5 interview whether “the likelihood of release into the United States after a short stay in custody would incentivize someone to try to illegally cross into the United States?” Mr. Owens replied, saying “So, what I will tell you is this: I think that if there is no consequence for an action, there’s no deterrence for a person to not commit that action.”
Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) told The Epoch Times that “these chief patrol agents’ testimonies make it clear consequences are essential to deterring illegal immigration, and when those disincentives are absent, historic numbers of people will enter our country unlawfully. That is exactly what has taken place at America’s borders for almost three years.”
While President Biden is the ultimate policymaker for his administration, Mr. Green points to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as most immediately accountable for the consequences of the policies.
“Under this secretary, illegal aliens know that after crossing the border, they will likely be released into the interior of the country to await their court date. Further, even if they fail to appear for their hearing, there is little to no risk of pursuit, detention, and removal due to Secretary Mayorkas’ restrictive policies limiting DHS’s ability to do its job. It should serve as no surprise to anyone that CBP has recorded more than 7.8 million encounters since February 2021, including more than 6.5 million at the Southwest border alone,” Mr. Green said.
“The importance of consequences is basic common sense and a foundational aspect of law enforcement. Secretary Mayorkas either doesn’t understand this reality, or he simply does not care. Either way, he is no longer fit for the office he holds and must be swiftly and decisively held accountable for his dereliction of duty,” the Tennessee Republican added.
Impeachment
On Nov. 13, the House of Representatives referred the proposed Articles of Impeachment against Mr. Mayorkas to Mr. Green’s committee. The committee spokesman told The Epoch Times that “the committee will take up those articles, and we look forward to the opportunity to educate even more Americans about how the secretary has intentionally and willfully opened America’s borders through his reckless decision-making and legally dubious actions. Congress should also take a serious look at using our power of the purse to compel Secretary Mayorkas and his lieutenants to enforce the law.”
A spokesman for Mr. Mayorkas, who asked not to be named, provided a detailed response to Mr. Green, saying the “CBP is prioritizing smart border security solutions, making historic investments in technology, taking the fight to cartels and smugglers, and doing more with our regional partners than ever before.”
The spokesman insisted that “individuals encountered at the border are screened and vetted, and those without a legal basis to stay are processed for removal. Consequences include a minimum five-year bar on re-entry, loss of eligibility to access lawful pathways, and prosecution for repeat offenders.”
Individuals who are “provisionally released from CBP are screened and vetted, remain in immigration removal proceedings, and have strict reporting requirements,” the spokesman added. “Since the end of the [COVID] public health emergency on May 12, DHS has executed a comprehensive strategy that has led to record levels of removals under Title 8 authorities of individuals encountered at the border.”
The Biden administration has asked Congress to authorize hiring an additional 1,600 Asylum Officers and their support staff, as well as additional detention beds and more funding for deportation flights. The administration is also asking Congress to approve hiring 1,470 additional immigration lawyers and support staff.
Source: Border Patrol Agents Blame Policy Reversals For Historic Surge In Illegal Crossings
Poll shows Biden hitting record low approvals, falling behind against Trump in 2024 matchup | FOX news
President Biden’s approval rating has hit an all-time low, and he trails former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head 2024 matchup.
Trump leads Biden 47% to 43% in a hypothetical ballot between only those two candidates and trails 37% to 31% in a hypothetical ballot with five independent candidates, according to the results of a Wall Street Journal poll released Saturday.
The president’s sagging numbers against Trump also come as voters gave Biden low approval marks, including only 23% of respondents saying Biden’s policies have helped them personally, compared to 53% who say they have been hurt by the president’s policies.
About half of respondents said they were helped by Trump’s policies when he was president, and only 37% said the former president’s policies harmed them.
Biden’s overall job performance garnered only 37% approval from survey respondents as well, a new low for the WSJ poll. Meanwhile, 61% of respondents see his overall image in an unfavorable light, which is a record high for the poll.
The president also compared unfavorably to Trump when it comes to most issues, with a majority of respondents saying Trump was better suited for the economy, inflation, and border security. Trump also garnered higher marks than Biden on crime and ability to handle the Israel-Hamas conflict. Meanwhile, Biden only topped Trump on abortion and setting a better tone in politics.
HEAD HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING
“Americans were better off financially under President Trump. Now, under Crooked Joe Biden, we have runaway inflation, a porous southern border, crime in our streets, and chaos around the globe,” Jason Miller, a Senior Trump Advisor, told Fox News Digital.
“If this race is about policy and performance, then Donald Trump has a significant advantage,” Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster who conducted the survey with Democrat Michael Bocian, said of the results. “If this race is about temperament and character, things like that, then Biden has an advantage.”
BIDEN FACES A BIGGER POLLING DEFICIT NOW THAT OBAMA DID A YEAR BEFORE THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Bocian, meanwhile, said Biden might be struggling with groups that have traditionally sided with Democrats, including young Latino and Black Americans.
“They are feeling economically stressed and challenged right now. And they are not showing enthusiasm in the way they were turning out in 2020, 2022,” he said.
The poll surveyed 1,500 registers voters between November 29 and December 4, having a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points.
The Wall Street Journal survey is the latest national poll the past two months to indicate Trump with the edge over Biden in hypothetical general election matchups.
THESE SIX BATTLEGROUND STATES COULD COST BIDEN THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2024
Biden once held the upper hand over Trump in 2024 rematch surveys, but Trump began enjoying an advantage over his successor in the White House in most polls starting in October. And a Siena College survey for the New York Times released early last month indicated Trump topping Biden in five of the six key battleground states the president carried over Trump in the 2020 election. The survey sparked another round of stories spotlighting Biden’s polling woes.
The new Wall Street Journal survey is also the latest to indicate that Biden remains well underwater in the most important metric of his presidency – his approval rating.
Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. But the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden’s much criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer among mainly unvaccinated people.
The plunge in the president’s approval was also fueled by soaring inflation — which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans — and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border with Mexico.
Biden stands far below where his three most recent two-term predecessors stood at this point in their presidencies, as they successfully ran for re-election. The only recent president whose approval ratings were nearly as negative as Biden’s current numbers was his most recent predecessor — Trump.
Amid the spate of polls suggesting Biden trails Trump in a likely 2024 election rematch, the Biden campaign and Democratic allies point back nearly a dozen years.
That’s when former President Barack Obama — with Biden as his running mate — won re-election to a second term in the White House in 2012 despite polls a year earlier predicting a ballot box defeat for the incumbent.
“Predictions more than a year out tend to look a little different a year later,” Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said last month. “Don’t take our word for it: Gallup predicted an eight point loss for President Obama only for him to win handedly a year later.”
However, Obama was saddled in late 2011 with unfavorable polling a year before his re-election, his standing was not as troublesome as the deficits Biden currently faces.
Source: Poll shows Biden hitting record low approvals, falling behind against Trump in 2024 matchup
This is what’s MISSING from Hunter’s latest indictment: Judge Jeanine
Judge Jeanine Pirro analyzes federal prosecutors filing nine new charges against Hunter Biden on ‘Hannity.’
Source: This is what’s MISSING from Hunter’s latest indictment: Judge Jeanine
Blinken blasted for ‘lecturing’ Israelis, as John McCain’s 2014 warning about diplomat resurfaces | FOX news
Secretary of State Antony Blinken came under fire this week for what one combat-veteran lawmaker characterized as “lecturing” Israel’s war cabinet, as the Biden administration faces pressure from its left flank to facilitate an end to fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a decorated retired Green Beret, told FOX News that Israel will end up in a surrender if it continues to follow “President Biden’s edicts.”
“I think that will be a green light for Hezbollah, for the militias in Syria and their masters in Iran to realize their dream before they even get a nuke, of genocide in Israel and wiping Israel off the face of the Earth.”
He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows he and his forces must remain firm in the face of calls to back down, because terrorists like Hamas only understand strength, not diplomacy or otherwise.
JOHN MCCAIN’S PAST REMARKS ON BLINKEN RESURFACE AFTER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL
“I have sat across the table, whether it’s the Taliban, ISIS, Al Qaeda or Hamas, they all see the world the same way — And what they understand are bullets and bombs on foreheads, period.”
He said liberals who continue to cry foul over Israel’s response to the October 7 civilian massacre by Hamas ignore the difference between those attacks on civilians and the collateral casualties caused by the IDF’s response in Gaza – later adding the administration is “pandering” in a “disgraceful” way.
As for Blinken, Waltz criticized the longtime Democratic official’s recent caution to Israel’s war cabinet, which an Israeli official told the Times of Israel included a warning that Israel does not have very long to continue its war amid pressure from the Biden administration and other western concerns.
At the meeting, Blinken reportedly received pushback from Israeli officials, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saying Israelis are fully behind their country’s response and its mission to eradicate Hamas no matter the timeline, according to the Times of Israel.
“Life, Liberty & Levin” host Mark Levin, a former Reagan Justice Department chief of staff, went on to remind Waltz of how the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who eviscerated Blinken on the Senate floor for more than 25 minutes while he was up for confirmation to be then-President Barack Obama’s deputy Secretary of State.
BLINKEN, BIDEN HAVEN’T LEARNED ANYTHING FROM AFGHANISTAN: GOLD STAR DAD
“These are ideologues out of these poison ‘ivy’ colleges… [McCain] was pounding this guy, and yet they’re never held to account,” he said.
McCain lambasted Blinken, calling him “not only unqualified” but “one of the worst selections of a very bad lot [Obama] has chosen.”
The moderate Republican later added he didn’t often object so vociferously to even Democratic nominees but that he found Blinken “actually … dangerous to America and to the young men and women who are fighting and serving it.”
McCain went on, with a statement that Biden’s critics later called prescient after the U.S.’ disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, referencing a reported claim by Blinken that Afghanistan’s war would be finished by 2014 and that the timetable “would not change.”
“This is why I’m so worried about him being in the position that he’s in. Because if they stick to that timetable, I’m telling my colleagues that we will see a replay of Iraq all over again,” McCain concluded, which the Biden critics later said was borne out in 2021.
Levin said left-wing diplomats writ-large are rarely held accountable for their foreign policy failures, and are running a “rogue foreign policy,” and issuing their own edicts to the sovereign foreign government of Israel.
Source: Blinken blasted for ‘lecturing’ Israelis, as John McCain’s 2014 warning about diplomat resurfaces
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