lewrockwell--2020-07-11--A Man For All Seasons: How a Great Man and a Great Film Have Lessons for Us Now

Among the astonishing incidents I never expected to see in America , recent attacks against Christians , either going to church or engaging in peaceful protests are profoundly disturbing to say the least .
Gateway Pundit posted this article recently , “ It ’ s 1950 All Over Again…Black Family Harassed , Abused by Radical Leftists While Trying to Enter Church in New York ” with the following Twitter post ( which as of this writing hasn ’ t been removed yet ) : “ The BLM mob was screaming ‘ We ’ re not here for violence !
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steps !
” Another article posted “ Godless BLM Protest Mob Targets NY Church – Attacks Christians on Church Steps , Including Mother with Baby , Shouts Down Pastor Screaming “ Black Lives Matter ” During Sermon ( VIDEO ) ” Here are videos on BitChute , since YouTube will likely take them down : On July 7th , 2020 : Black Lives Matter harasses white church going family with young children .
From Catholic Vids : Mob Attacks Saint Louis Statue , But Brave Catholics Defend It Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statue of Saint Louis is interview in a BitChute video that is not on YouTube since it is affiliated with Alex Jones : This Tweet is titled : “ This is what happens when you say the Rosary in Saint Louis ” : And then there is this article : “ ‘ Actually Knocked Me Out ’ – Catholic Victim Speaks Out After Brutal Beating by Leftist with Brass Knuckles at St. Louis Statue.
” People are also challenging the leaders of their churches for conduct that supports “ Only Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Becky Ackers has written about the issues facing Christians when their churches submit to government .
This article , “ Did a Greek Archbishop March to Destroy Icons ?
” makes the point , “ Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Archdiocese attended a Black Lives Matter march in Brooklyn at the invitation of a couple of local politicians .
The official press release is at the Orthodox Observer .
The academics over at Public Orthodoxy wrote a glowing article about the event.
” The author has every right to be troubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Man for All Seasons ... Robert Bolt Best Price : $ 3.45 Buy New $ 9.53 The Archbishop ’ s remarks were fine , as far they went .
But there were some important things missing that one would expect from an Orthodox bishop given such a national audience .
The Orthodox Christian faith has deep , deep roots in Africa .
The lives of multiple African saints are preserved in the Church as examples for all .
More than ever before , all Americans need Christ and His Church .
Imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Archbishop carried an icon of Black Orthodox Saints as he marched .
His Eminence could have used the march as the ultimate teaching moment .
Using one image , he could have explained the position of the Church concerning racism , and called on those present ( of any race or religious background ) to come home to the Orthodox Faith .
How wonderful would it have been to pray over those in attendance in the name of the Holy Trinity and to invite them all to experience the faith of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now more than ever .
But His Eminence did not carry an icon or even a cross .
Nor did he seem to mention Jesus or the need for all of us to repent of our sins and be reconciled one with another .
One of the greatest opportunities for Orthodox Evangelism on this continent seems to have been mostly wasted .
The Archbishop ’ s remarks , as quoted in the media , could have been made by any politician , civic leader , or trendy college professor… 1 oz .999 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is another problem with the Archbishop ’ s participation in this march .
“ Black Lives Matter ” is more than just a slogan or a # hashtag .
There is an actual organization by that name whose goals are distinctly anti-Christian .
Black Lives Matters is a Marxist organization .
While it does protest for police reform ( a very worthy goal ) , its agenda is much broader .
Among the policy positions BLM ( as an organization ) supports : Promotion of homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality Finally , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Roman Catholic Saint , St. Junipero Serra , who was known for his heroic sacrifices to protect the indigenous people of California .
Neither that benevolent reputation nor the cross in his right hand did anything to save him .
His statue now lies covered in red paint , while obscenities desecrate the pedestal on which it once stood .
The Christian author of this essay on Jagged World , “ A New State-Run Church ” feels , I think , betrayed : And posted on the Catholic site The Remnant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Red Blood ” the author rightly notes : Hematite Rosary Black ... Buy New $ 8.29 Why Is This Happening ?
There are many opinions out there why things have changed so much ; Hieromonk Gabriel provides here as good an answer as any because perhaps so many people in our world—not just America , but in the West , Russia , and of course those nations that reject Christianity—are not thankful to God .
Atheists are honored in the West and celebrated .
Hieromonk Gabriel writes eloquently , and references @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Modern Utopianism , and the Cross of Christ ” : How many of us imitate the Prophet Job , saying “ What ?
shall we receive good at the hand of God , and shall we not receive evil ?
” And how many of us remember that the evils of this life are given to us as signposts , pointing us beyond this fallen and fading world toward our homeland which is in Heaven , toward the Jerusalem which is on high ?
How many of us recognize that even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the joy laid up for us in the Kingdom of God ?
How many of us remember the saying of our Lord : “ where your treasure is , there will your heart be also ” ?
All too often our treasure is a merely earthly treasure , and our hearts are held fast by the trinkets of this world .
And all too often when we are deprived of such treasures , gratitude is the absolute furthest thing from our heart .
Why are these things so , even for so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we perceive the love of God so dimly in His blessings , and in His chastisements not at all ?
The answer , in large part , is that we have been seduced by narrative of modernity .
And so , ironically , the “ Problem of Evil ” which has so often plagued Christians returns in even greater force to plague the utopianism of Antichristianity .
As long as there is evil in this world , it is a sign that there is something wrong with the cosmic order , a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , a sign that there remains some injustice which must yet be rooted out .
And in such a worldview , how could gratitude for suffering be considered anything other than the chief of all sins ?
Such gratitude is literally sacrilege , an unholy desecration of the dream of a perfect and perfectly just world .
There is indeed some resemblance between the modern worldview and true Christianity , for otherwise such a worldview could have no hold on the hearts of those created in the image and likeness of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of love , and of mercy , and of brotherhood .
Yes , Christianity is a religion that promises nothing short of the paradise for which our hearts all truly yearn .
But it is also the religion of the Cross .
And it is precisely the Cross that has been eradicated from modernity , and from the modern Christianity which has been swept away by it .
And for us modern children who would be faithful to Christ and to His Church in the midst of those seeking to once again build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one firm foundation , one divine weapon of truth which has the power to withstand and demolish all the lies of the modern world : gratitude for the Cross .
Tertullian famously remarked that “ the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.
” But I think that it was not simply the act of martyrdom itself which shook the pagan world to its core and brought about its conversion , but above all the profound joy and gratitude shown forth by those great Christian men and women when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and put to death .
Truly , “ the Cross is to them that perish foolishness ; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
” But what also should be familiar to readers of LewRockwell.com are the articles on the crimes of Washington , cheered on by the American public : bombing campaigns that resulted in the deaths of millions of people , from Yugoslavia under Bill Clinton , to Iraq , then Libya and Syria .
Writers such as Lawrence Vance have written on the militarization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see on this site , which featured an excellent review of Surprised by Christ , a book in which the author ’ s research found most likely the ancient Jews of Jesus ’ s time whose Christians ’ descendants are alive in the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East , support of the militarism of Donald Trump , a blog post titled “ We Have the Flag ” which featured this picture of President Trump .
And in his essay , “ American Apostasy , ” Hieromonk Gabriel explains more eloquently than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and authority : The true crisis is now , as it has ever been , within us ; it is our acceptance or rejection of Christ .
Christ is our crisis ; He demands from us all or nothing , and this ‘ problem ’ He presents us is the only one that need be answered….Do we choose God , Who alone IS , or ourselves , who without God are nothing ?
—this is our only choice .
Our age would have us deny , forget , neglect the question ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the abyss , Hell .
Our age is founded on nothingness ; but this nothingness , inexplicably to us , presents , for those who can still perceive , the crisis of all men in all ages most clearly and unmistakably .
Our age tells us , if we can listen , to choose the living God .
Those whose hearts yearn for truth , goodness , and beauty—those whose hearts yearn for Christ—can no longer find any rest in the empty ruins of a shattered Christendom .
The glittering facade of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can no longer pretend to satisfy their souls .
For many centuries the beauty of Christendom lingered on in the West even after men ’ s faith had died , but that beauty has long been hollow , and now is finally fading away .
It has left behind a world of pain and emptiness—there is a reason why America , Canada and Western Europe consume 95 % of the world ’ s opioid supply .
As St. Augustine wrote many centuries ago : “ For whithersoever the soul of man turns itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riveted upon sorrows , yea though it is riveted on things beautiful.
” But glory be to God .
Sorrow is not the end of the story .
Our own worst sins are often the very things that bring us to repentance .
Humanity ’ s crucifixion of God Himself opened the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven .
And it is our very death that leads us into life everlasting .
Truly ineffable is the mercy and the love of our God .
If there has been any good that has resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Christians attempting to worship , it is that people of various denominations are communicating and supporting one another in this time when there are those who are pursuing a violent nihilistic agenda , and their faith is growing stronger , even if their bewilderment and suffering grows .
Rod Dreher has written on the American Conservative “ What Can The Church Say Today ?
” about his correspondence with an Evangelical Christian and “ For Christians , It Really Is A Catastrophe ” in which he reproduces correspondence from a Catholic priest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and a Catholic teacher .
All are distraught at recent events .
Fleur De Lis Cross on ... Buy New $ 6.29 The Good That Is Happening Now Along with the Bad Providentially , in this time of hostility and lawlessness , I found a Christian website that reminded me of the superb film A Man For All Seasons , based on the play of the same title written by Robert Bolt and staring one of the greatest British Shakespearean actors , Sir Paul Scofield , a baptized Roman Catholic .
Unlike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our century , this film is superbly acted , thoughtful , powerful and appeals not only to the mind but to the heart ; there are no explosions , CGI visual effects and comic book heroes and villains fighting and killing ; there are only truly astonishing portrayals of human beings .
I wonder how many now will seek the film out .
As the encyclopedia entry on the film notes , “ A Man For All Seasons struggles with ideas of identity and conscience .
More argues repeatedly that a person is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More ’ s refusal to actually speak out against the King , shows him to be a loyal subject , and thus Cromwell appears to prosecute him out of personal spite and because he disagrees with the King ’ s divorce…Bolt also establishes an anti-authoritarian theme which recurs throughout his works .
All people in positions of power—King Henry , Cromwell , Wolsey , Cranmer , Chapuys , even Norfolk—are depicted as being either corrupt , evil , or at best expedient and power-hungry .
Bolt ’ s later plays and film screenplays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in his article “ Of Wrath and Righteousness ” posted on the blog Remembering Sion of the Holy Cross Monastery posted on June 25 , 2020 , Hieromonk Gabriel posted a video excerpt from A Man For All Seasons to remind us all of something crucial and he writes : A Man For All Seasons—Clip “ Give The Devil Benefit Of Law ” Perhaps this fictional Thomas More gives us an understanding of Romans 13 in context : in this world the law is a protection , or should be , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who fear God and who are righteous ; without law , violence and mob rule are an almost a certainty for Jesus ’ s Christ ’ s Kingdom of Heaven is unlikely in this world governed by the prince of lies .
Yet understand that Saint Paul in his time was not prevented from spreading the Gospel throughout the realm of Rome , whose laws and courts , despite their flaws , protected him and did not hinder him until the end under Nero .
In this biography of Saint Louis , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Francis of Assisi , was known for his ardent piety and sanctity .
Unlike other Kings who gave customary offerings to the poor , Louis invited the poor to his own table each day , where he waited on them and attended to their needs .
His personal interest in the poor led to the founding of numerous charitable institutions including hospitals for the destitute and lepers .
Known as the ‘ Peace King ’ , he managed to mediate between the popes and the German Emperors which kept France out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispensed justice fairly and with great attention to the needs of his subjects .
He was known for his scrupulous honesty.
” The Saint is most certainly an example of an earthly authority to be obeyed and respected .
I would also argue that the martyred Czar Nicholas II , who was canonized , in his actual deeds , which have been erased by hostile British and Western propaganda , was also a pious Christian ruler , who helped those in need , and as detailed in this book , “ Nicholas ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his desire to bring the principles of Christianity to bear on his foreign policy .
Beginning in 1898 he addressed the leaders of other European States with a proposal to call a conference aimed at discussing the preservation of peace and a limitation on armaments .
The results of his strivings were the Hague Conventions in 1899 and 1907 , which laid the groundwork for the Geneva Convention .
For his efforts , Tsar Nicholas was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.
” These facts are absent from most histories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was literally obscene in its depiction and aired on Netflix .
Articles here and here attempt to set the record straight as well on the much maligned Tsar who with his martyred family was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church .
In any event , my brief interpretation about understanding the Romans 13 not to be an endorsement of those who persecute Christians and to obey authority at all times under all circumstances , than a necessary evil in the world as it is now is less relevant than the core thesis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” with which I suspect echoes much of the thesis in the film , at least in how Thomas More is portrayed : And the winds are indeed beginning to blow .
Reports are coming in at a steady pace of people from all professions losing their jobs and their careers for being insufficiently vocal in their support for the social justice movement .
The editor of the New York Times op-ed section was ousted because he published a US Senator ’ s opinion that the government ought to stop the rioting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaplain of MIT was asked by his diocese to resign for writing a private email to his flock urging restraint and charity in our dealings with one another during these difficult times , even while condemning the killing of Floyd by the police .
These are but a few examples .
And this is to say nothing of the way in which Americans are treating one another on social media .
It seems that the America described in Hawthorne ’ s The Scarlet Letter is still a part of us : a Puritanical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and destroy their lives through public humiliation and shame .
The yearning of the American people for righteousness is truly honorable and praiseworthy and necessary .
But tragically , it seems that many of us have been convinced that the path to righteousness is through rage .
And quite simply , this is very far from the path shown to us by Christ .
And both Christ and the society in which He lived were by no means strangers to injustice and persecution and unrighteousness .
The Israelites under the Roman occupation were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploited and without the rights of Roman citizens , and Christ Himself as well as most of His followers were brutally and unjustly murdered by the authorities acting with complete impunity .
Everyone — even the disciples — expected Christ to do something about it , to cast off the hated oppressors , to “ at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel.
” Yet what did Christ actually do ?
He taught us that when we are beaten we are to turn the other cheek , when we are extorted we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when we are exploited we are to do more than we are told .
He told us to bless those who curse us , to love those who hate us , to pray for those who persecute us and abuse us .
And He told us , in the midst of all of these things , to rejoice .
His words were not mere empty talk ; He proved that on the Cross .
Nor were His teachings in vain ; He proved that through the Resurrection .
Nor was He Himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existence ; He proved that on the Day of Pentecost .
May God grant us these gifts .
May He grant us His Spirit of Peace .
May He grant us to love one another , even as He first loved us , with a love sparing nothing — not even our own lives — for even the worst and least deserving among us .
This is the new commandment of Christianity , and there is absolutely nothing that the world needs more .
“ Wherefore , my beloved brethren , let every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak , slow to wrath : for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God ” ( James 1:19-20 ) .
Saint Thomas More understood and lived these words of Saint James , although I realize A Man For All Seasons is brilliant historical fiction .
Yes , persecutions of Christians have come and will continue to come .
Yet as Father James Thornton has written : St. John of Kronstadt asks in one of his homilies , “ But why does the world persecute the true faith , piety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people , introducing as they do unity , mutual love , good morals , peace , quiet , and order into fragmented human societies ?
” [ 6 ] He answers his question in these words : “ Because the whole world lieth in wickedness , [ 7 ] people love evil more than good [ 8 ] , and the prince of this world , [ 9 ] the devil … despises righteousness with infernal loathing and persecutes it because it denounces injustice .
Evil , debauched people have always hated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will go on hating and persecuting them.
” [ 10 ] So we see , then , that persecution can take many forms and that it is an instrument of the Evil One in his war against God and against humanity , directed towards separating man from God .
How , we may ask , does the Christian react to persecution ?
The Christian strives , first of all , for righteousness , that is , for a life filled with virtue .
Doing that , the Christian will be worthy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian , but never experiences any sort of persecution , not even petty persecution , for the sake of righteousness , then one must ask if he is really striving for virtue , or if his Christianity is all simply a matter of empty , external observances .
Next , the Christian will develop within his heart a complete trust in God and a deep love for God ’ s truth .
He will be resolute in his faith and thus never yield to error or compromise with evil , threats notwithstanding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , regardless of the suffering he may have to endure .
Finally , he will face the future courageously , knowing that , when all is said and done , God will shield his soul and bring him to safe harbor .
In the early centuries of Christianity , and during the Ottoman Yoke and the Communist Yoke , all ages and classes of people , including “ both young men and maidens ; old men and children , ” [ 11 ] faced unspeakable horrors without flinching , with the calm bravery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be prepared to do precisely the same , whatever form the persecution inflicted upon us might take .
[ 10 ] St John of Kronstadt , Ten Homilies on the Beatitudes , p. 88 .
Let we Christians show the courage and faith Saint Thomas More displayed ; we can do no less , even if we shall suffer a martyr ’ s fate for our beliefs .
And let us remember the wisdom of Blessed Augustine , whom Hieromonk Gabriel quotes in “ We Shall See Christ ” : So it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light of the world , has ascended up into heaven , leaving behind Him a darkened earth which increasingly demands a self-inflicted blindness .
A sad and bitter truth it is indeed .
But it is not the whole truth .
St. Augustine , in the same passage from the Confessions , writes : ‘ He departed from our sight that we might return to our hearts and find Him there .
For He left us , and behold , He is here .
He could not be with us long , yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went back to the place that He had never left… He is within the inmost heart , yet the heart has wandered away from Him .
Return to your heart , O you transgressors , and hold fast to Him who made you .
Stand with Him and you shall stand fast .
Rest in Him and you shall be at rest… ’ The rest of the truth ( perhaps an even harder truth ) is that we ourselves , the feeble Christians of the last days , are now called to shine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who still wishes to see .
We have been healed in Holy Baptism of our ancestral blindness .
But it is still left to us to choose , with God ’ s help , to open our eyes , to use the sight that has been restored to us to look into our hearts , where alone the risen Christ can be seen in this world .
If we Christians do not find Him there , then how will anyone else ever find Him ?
The Best of Yvonne Lorenzo

Persecution of Christians Begins and Intensifies
Among the astonishing incidents I never expected to see in America, recent attacks against Christians, either going to church or engaging in peaceful protests are profoundly disturbing to say the least. Gateway Pundit posted this article recently, “It’s 1950 All Over Again…Black Family Harassed, Abused by Radical Leftists While Trying to Enter Church in New York” with the following Twitter post (which as of this writing hasn’t been removed yet):
“The BLM mob was screaming ‘We’re not here for violence!’ as they dragged parishioners from the church steps!”
While we opened our doors to those who hate us and made violent threats…we are saddened that they would so blatantly lie, race bait, and incite violence. We pray the followers of this lying charlatan will reject him and his bigotry. Trust Jesus! pic.twitter.com/rZjWHzPAkW — Grace Baptist Church (@realgbctroyny) June 30, 2020
Another article posted “Godless BLM Protest Mob Targets NY Church – Attacks Christians on Church Steps, Including Mother with Baby, Shouts Down Pastor Screaming “Black Lives Matter” During Sermon (VIDEO)”
“Peaceful” protestors disrupt church service with profanity and violence while pastor gives the gospel message. Troy, NY 2020. pic.twitter.com/So60dvHMCi — Grace Baptist Church (@realgbctroyny) July 4, 2020
Here are videos on BitChute, since YouTube will likely take them down:
On July 7th, 2020: Black Lives Matter harasses white church going family with young children.
From Catholic Vids: Mob Attacks Saint Louis Statue, But Brave Catholics Defend It
Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit, who organized a peaceful protest defending the statue of Saint Louis is interview in a BitChute video that is not on YouTube since it is affiliated with Alex Jones:
Jim Hoft: Catholics Beaten While Praying, MSN Completely Ignores
This Tweet is titled: “This is what happens when you say the Rosary in Saint Louis”:
And then there is this article: “‘Actually Knocked Me Out’ – Catholic Victim Speaks Out After Brutal Beating by Leftist with Brass Knuckles at St. Louis Statue.”
Challenging Church Leaders
People are also challenging the leaders of their churches for conduct that supports “Only Black Lives Matter” as Mike Rozeff has named them. Becky Ackers has written about the issues facing Christians when their churches submit to government. This article, “Did a Greek Archbishop March to Destroy Icons?” makes the point, “Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Archdiocese attended a Black Lives Matter march in Brooklyn at the invitation of a couple of local politicians. The official press release is at the Orthodox Observer. The academics over at Public Orthodoxy wrote a glowing article about the event.” The author has every right to be troubled by the Archbishop’s conduct: A Man for All Seasons ... Robert Bolt Best Price: $3.45 Buy New $9.53 (as of 03:01 UTC - Details)
The Archbishop’s remarks were fine, as far they went. But there were some important things missing that one would expect from an Orthodox bishop given such a national audience.
The Orthodox Christian faith has deep, deep roots in Africa. The lives of multiple African saints are preserved in the Church as examples for all. More than ever before, all Americans need Christ and His Church. Imagine how impressive it would have been had the Archbishop carried an icon of Black Orthodox Saints as he marched. His Eminence could have used the march as the ultimate teaching moment. Using one image, he could have explained the position of the Church concerning racism, and called on those present (of any race or religious background) to come home to the Orthodox Faith. How wonderful would it have been to pray over those in attendance in the name of the Holy Trinity and to invite them all to experience the faith of those wonderful African saints?
Black Saints matter, now more than ever.
But His Eminence did not carry an icon or even a cross. Nor did he seem to mention Jesus or the need for all of us to repent of our sins and be reconciled one with another. One of the greatest opportunities for Orthodox Evangelism on this continent seems to have been mostly wasted. The Archbishop’s remarks, as quoted in the media, could have been made by any politician, civic leader, or trendy college professor… 1 oz .999 Hand-Poured ... Buy New $33.95 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
There is another problem with the Archbishop’s participation in this march. “Black Lives Matter” is more than just a slogan or a #hashtag. There is an actual organization by that name whose goals are distinctly anti-Christian. Black Lives Matters is a Marxist organization. While it does protest for police reform (a very worthy goal), its agenda is much broader. Among the policy positions BLM (as an organization) supports:
Abortion on demand
Implementation of Marxist economic policies
Promotion of homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality
Disruption of the nuclear family
Finally, the mob has now come for the statue of a Roman Catholic Saint, St. Junipero Serra, who was known for his heroic sacrifices to protect the indigenous people of California. Neither that benevolent reputation nor the cross in his right hand did anything to save him. His statue now lies covered in red paint, while obscenities desecrate the pedestal on which it once stood.
The Christian author of this essay on Jagged World, “A New State-Run Church” feels, I think, betrayed:
All participants were required to wear masks upon entering and told to sit in designated sections where we were safely distanced from other worshipers who longed to receive the Lord’s gifts. Everyone complied. There were no issues. Then the pastor said this, “As our county has allowed us to once again meet in person it has provided very detailed instructions on just how we are to conduct our worship today. We have taken steps to change our normal practice to meet the guidelines we’ve been given.” He went on to describe how the service would work. There would be no congregational singing or sharing of the peace. The procedure for communion, when the time came, in which we were served by the faithful wearing masks, gloves and even a face shield, handed the host with tongs to prevent contact and a sort of self-service station to take the wine in individual plastic cups. There was something unsettling about all this. I suppose I ought to have applauded the resiliency of a congregation that went to great lengths to ensure everyone’s safety. But I could not shake the idea that a congregation which had closed its doors at the threat of the government and now opened them only by government permission, was somehow different. The language the pastor used made it clear that the state now had a say in the actual practice which goes on inside a place of worship.
And posted on the Catholic site The Remnant, “Black Lives, White Supremacy, and Red Blood” the author rightly notes: Hematite Rosary Black ... Buy New $8.29 (as of 03:01 UTC - Details)
By the same token, a BLM leader from New York recently gave an interview in which he praised Jesus for being a black liberator killed by a white government, but this denies the divinity and the humanity of Christ in a kind of jujitsu Arianism I think may be new on the heresy list. The same poisoned mindset that denies that black babies are people also denies that Christ is worth following unless He is black. Anyone who sets race up as a defining characteristic is committing a sin against God. Anyone who sets race up as a category for God Himself is sinning against God in a most egregious way. This is probably why the two watchwords of the present moment unsettle me so. In both of these strange sayings, “white supremacy” and “black lives,” we find the denial of individual, unrepeatable person-hood, the almost frantic attempt to erase the soul and focus on some, at best, incidental aspect of the body, namely that it can be called white or black. But even this is nonsense, as I challenge the reader to find anyone who is truly white—not taupe, not ecru—or truly black—not chestnut, not teak. Once we lose the myth of bichromalism, then the myth of groupism falls with it in the same swoop. And once those myths are evaporated we are forced to confront the real, live, eternally-souled human being in front of us, who is neither genus nor species embodied but who is, simply, a man or a woman, a child, a baby boy or girl, a fetus furiously plumping up to be born.
Why Is This Happening?
There are many opinions out there why things have changed so much; Hieromonk Gabriel provides here as good an answer as any because perhaps so many people in our world—not just America, but in the West, Russia, and of course those nations that reject Christianity—are not thankful to God. Atheists are honored in the West and celebrated. Hieromonk Gabriel writes eloquently, and references George Washington, in “On Gratitude, Modern Utopianism, and the Cross of Christ”:
How many of us imitate the Prophet Job, saying “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” And how many of us remember that the evils of this life are given to us as signposts, pointing us beyond this fallen and fading world toward our homeland which is in Heaven, toward the Jerusalem which is on high? How many of us recognize that even the blessings of this life are mere foretastes of the joy laid up for us in the Kingdom of God? How many of us remember the saying of our Lord: “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”? All too often our treasure is a merely earthly treasure, and our hearts are held fast by the trinkets of this world. And all too often when we are deprived of such treasures, gratitude is the absolute furthest thing from our heart.
Why are these things so, even for so many of us Christians? Why can we perceive the love of God so dimly in His blessings, and in His chastisements not at all? The answer, in large part, is that we have been seduced by narrative of modernity.
And so, ironically, the “Problem of Evil” which has so often plagued Christians returns in even greater force to plague the utopianism of Antichristianity. As long as there is evil in this world, it is a sign that there is something wrong with the cosmic order, a sign that we have been deprived of our rights, a sign that there remains some injustice which must yet be rooted out. And in such a worldview, how could gratitude for suffering be considered anything other than the chief of all sins? Such gratitude is literally sacrilege, an unholy desecration of the dream of a perfect and perfectly just world.
There is indeed some resemblance between the modern worldview and true Christianity, for otherwise such a worldview could have no hold on the hearts of those created in the image and likeness of God. Yes, Christianity is a religion of love, and of mercy, and of brotherhood. Yes, Christianity is a religion that promises nothing short of the paradise for which our hearts all truly yearn.
But it is also the religion of the Cross.
And it is precisely the Cross that has been eradicated from modernity, and from the modern Christianity which has been swept away by it. And for us modern children who would be faithful to Christ and to His Church in the midst of those seeking to once again build Babel, there is one bulwark, one firm foundation, one divine weapon of truth which has the power to withstand and demolish all the lies of the modern world: gratitude for the Cross.
Tertullian famously remarked that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” But I think that it was not simply the act of martyrdom itself which shook the pagan world to its core and brought about its conversion, but above all the profound joy and gratitude shown forth by those great Christian men and women when they were brutally persecuted, shamed, tortured, and put to death.
Truly, “the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
But what also should be familiar to readers of LewRockwell.com are the articles on the crimes of Washington, cheered on by the American public: bombing campaigns that resulted in the deaths of millions of people, from Yugoslavia under Bill Clinton, to Iraq, then Libya and Syria. Writers such as Lawrence Vance have written on the militarization of churches. I was astonished to see on this site, which featured an excellent review of Surprised by Christ, a book in which the author’s research found most likely the ancient Jews of Jesus’s time whose Christians’ descendants are alive in the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East, support of the militarism of Donald Trump, a blog post titled “We Have the Flag” which featured this picture of President Trump.
And in his essay, “American Apostasy,” Hieromonk Gabriel explains more eloquently than I could, and with greater wisdom and authority:
The true crisis is now, as it has ever been, within us; it is our acceptance or rejection of Christ. Christ is our crisis; He demands from us all or nothing, and this ‘problem’ He presents us is the only one that need be answered….Do we choose God, Who alone IS, or ourselves, who without God are nothing?—this is our only choice. Our age would have us deny, forget, neglect the question; and this is to choose ourselves, nothingness, the abyss, Hell. Our age is founded on nothingness; but this nothingness, inexplicably to us, presents, for those who can still perceive, the crisis of all men in all ages most clearly and unmistakably. Our age tells us, if we can listen, to choose the living God. Those whose hearts yearn for truth, goodness, and beauty—those whose hearts yearn for Christ—can no longer find any rest in the empty ruins of a shattered Christendom. The glittering facade of a false, comfortable and worldly pseudo-Christianity can no longer pretend to satisfy their souls. For many centuries the beauty of Christendom lingered on in the West even after men’s faith had died, but that beauty has long been hollow, and now is finally fading away. It has left behind a world of pain and emptiness—there is a reason why America, Canada and Western Europe consume 95% of the world’s opioid supply. As St. Augustine wrote many centuries ago: “For whithersoever the soul of man turns itself, unless toward Thee, it is riveted upon sorrows, yea though it is riveted on things beautiful.” But glory be to God. Sorrow is not the end of the story. Our own worst sins are often the very things that bring us to repentance. Humanity’s crucifixion of God Himself opened the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is our very death that leads us into life everlasting. Truly ineffable is the mercy and the love of our God.
If there has been any good that has resulted from the violent attacks on Christians statues and Christians attempting to worship, it is that people of various denominations are communicating and supporting one another in this time when there are those who are pursuing a violent nihilistic agenda, and their faith is growing stronger, even if their bewilderment and suffering grows. Rod Dreher has written on the American Conservative “What Can The Church Say Today?” about his correspondence with an Evangelical Christian and “For Christians, It Really Is A Catastrophe” in which he reproduces correspondence from a Catholic priest (although he wanted to remain anonymous) and a Catholic teacher. All are distraught at recent events. Fleur De Lis Cross on ... Buy New $6.29 (as of 03:01 UTC - Details)
The Good That Is Happening Now Along with the Bad
Providentially, in this time of hostility and lawlessness, I found a Christian website that reminded me of the superb film A Man For All Seasons, based on the play of the same title written by Robert Bolt and staring one of the greatest British Shakespearean actors, Sir Paul Scofield, a baptized Roman Catholic. Unlike films that are “blockbusters” in our century, this film is superbly acted, thoughtful, powerful and appeals not only to the mind but to the heart; there are no explosions, CGI visual effects and comic book heroes and villains fighting and killing; there are only truly astonishing portrayals of human beings.
I wonder how many now will seek the film out. As the encyclopedia entry on the film notes, “A Man For All Seasons struggles with ideas of identity and conscience. More argues repeatedly that a person is defined by his conscience…This, along with More’s refusal to actually speak out against the King, shows him to be a loyal subject, and thus Cromwell appears to prosecute him out of personal spite and because he disagrees with the King’s divorce…Bolt also establishes an anti-authoritarian theme which recurs throughout his works. All people in positions of power—King Henry, Cromwell, Wolsey, Cranmer, Chapuys, even Norfolk—are depicted as being either corrupt, evil, or at best expedient and power-hungry. Bolt’s later plays and film screenplays also delve into this theme.”
However, in his article “Of Wrath and Righteousness” posted on the blog Remembering Sion of the Holy Cross Monastery posted on June 25, 2020, Hieromonk Gabriel posted a video excerpt from A Man For All Seasons to remind us all of something crucial and he writes:
Across the country historical monuments, often associated with the Civil War, are being defaced and torn down by mobs. Given that slavery is believed by many people to have been the sole reason the Civil War was fought, it is quite understandable that they therefore view monuments to Confederate leaders as an intolerable affront (and I think this is a good reason to consider removing them, out of love for neighbor and desire for peace)…Even a statue of the abolitionist activist Hans Christian Heg was decapitated and thrown into a lake (apparently because the mob didn’t actually have any idea who he was). Not spared either were monuments to Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, or Christopher Columbus. It is not my contention that any of these men were flawless. Nor is it the purpose of this article to take a position one way or the other as to whether any of these statues ought to be removed. This is a discussion worth having, and there are points on both sides to be considered. But there is something deeply disturbing about roving mobs desecrating monuments to the honored dead because the mob judges that their entire life and their entire memory ought to be reduced solely to the sum of their sins. The acceptance of lawlessness, even if it is in the pursuit of a righteous cause, is not something to be taken lightly. We would do well to take heed in this regard to the warning given by Sir Thomas More in the incomparable film A Man For All Seasons:
A Man For All Seasons—Clip “Give The Devil Benefit Of Law”
Perhaps this fictional Thomas More gives us an understanding of Romans 13 in context: in this world the law is a protection, or should be, if it is upheld and honored by authorities who fear God and who are righteous; without law, violence and mob rule are an almost a certainty for Jesus’s Christ’s Kingdom of Heaven is unlikely in this world governed by the prince of lies. Yet understand that Saint Paul in his time was not prevented from spreading the Gospel throughout the realm of Rome, whose laws and courts, despite their flaws, protected him and did not hinder him until the end under Nero.
In this biography of Saint Louis, we learn “Louis, a follower of St. Francis of Assisi, was known for his ardent piety and sanctity. Unlike other Kings who gave customary offerings to the poor, Louis invited the poor to his own table each day, where he waited on them and attended to their needs. His personal interest in the poor led to the founding of numerous charitable institutions including hospitals for the destitute and lepers. Known as the ‘Peace King’, he managed to mediate between the popes and the German Emperors which kept France out of war. As a Ruler, he dispensed justice fairly and with great attention to the needs of his subjects. He was known for his scrupulous honesty.” The Saint is most certainly an example of an earthly authority to be obeyed and respected.
I would also argue that the martyred Czar Nicholas II, who was canonized, in his actual deeds, which have been erased by hostile British and Western propaganda, was also a pious Christian ruler, who helped those in need, and as detailed in this book, “Nicholas’ deep religious feelings were also reflected in his desire to bring the principles of Christianity to bear on his foreign policy. Beginning in 1898 he addressed the leaders of other European States with a proposal to call a conference aimed at discussing the preservation of peace and a limitation on armaments. The results of his strivings were the Hague Conventions in 1899 and 1907, which laid the groundwork for the Geneva Convention. For his efforts, Tsar Nicholas was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.” These facts are absent from most histories, especially a recent British propaganda piece that was literally obscene in its depiction and aired on Netflix. Articles here and here attempt to set the record straight as well on the much maligned Tsar who with his martyred family was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In any event, my brief interpretation about understanding the Romans 13 not to be an endorsement of those who persecute Christians and to obey authority at all times under all circumstances, than a necessary evil in the world as it is now is less relevant than the core thesis of the essay “Of Wrath and Righteousness,” with which I suspect echoes much of the thesis in the film, at least in how Thomas More is portrayed:
And the winds are indeed beginning to blow. Reports are coming in at a steady pace of people from all professions losing their jobs and their careers for being insufficiently vocal in their support for the social justice movement. The editor of the New York Times op-ed section was ousted because he published a US Senator’s opinion that the government ought to stop the rioting with force if necessary. The Catholic chaplain of MIT was asked by his diocese to resign for writing a private email to his flock urging restraint and charity in our dealings with one another during these difficult times, even while condemning the killing of Floyd by the police. These are but a few examples. And this is to say nothing of the way in which Americans are treating one another on social media. It seems that the America described in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is still a part of us: a Puritanical America which seeks to hunt down sinners and destroy their lives through public humiliation and shame. The yearning of the American people for righteousness is truly honorable and praiseworthy and necessary. But tragically, it seems that many of us have been convinced that the path to righteousness is through rage. And quite simply, this is very far from the path shown to us by Christ. And both Christ and the society in which He lived were by no means strangers to injustice and persecution and unrighteousness. The Israelites under the Roman occupation were a subjugated and humiliated people, routinely exploited and without the rights of Roman citizens, and Christ Himself as well as most of His followers were brutally and unjustly murdered by the authorities acting with complete impunity. Everyone — even the disciples — expected Christ to do something about it, to cast off the hated oppressors, to “at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel.” Yet what did Christ actually do? He taught us that when we are beaten we are to turn the other cheek, when we are extorted we are to give more than is demanded, when we are exploited we are to do more than we are told. He told us to bless those who curse us, to love those who hate us, to pray for those who persecute us and abuse us. And He told us, in the midst of all of these things, to rejoice. His words were not mere empty talk; He proved that on the Cross. Nor were His teachings in vain; He proved that through the Resurrection. Nor was He Himself an exception to the rule of human existence; He proved that on the Day of Pentecost. May God grant us these gifts. May He grant us His Spirit of Peace. May He grant us to love one another, even as He first loved us, with a love sparing nothing — not even our own lives — for even the worst and least deserving among us. This is the new commandment of Christianity, and there is absolutely nothing that the world needs more. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
Saint Thomas More understood and lived these words of Saint James, although I realize A Man For All Seasons is brilliant historical fiction. Yes, persecutions of Christians have come and will continue to come. Yet as Father James Thornton has written:
St. John of Kronstadt asks in one of his homilies, “But why does the world persecute the true faith, piety, and righteousness which are so salutary for people, introducing as they do unity, mutual love, good morals, peace, quiet, and order into fragmented human societies?”[6] He answers his question in these words: “Because the whole world lieth in wickedness,[7] people love evil more than good[8], and the prince of this world,[9] the devil … despises righteousness with infernal loathing and persecutes it because it denounces injustice. Evil, debauched people have always hated the righteous and persecuted them, and they will go on hating and persecuting them.”[10] So we see, then, that persecution can take many forms and that it is an instrument of the Evil One in his war against God and against humanity, directed towards separating man from God. How, we may ask, does the Christian react to persecution? The Christian strives, first of all, for righteousness, that is, for a life filled with virtue. Doing that, the Christian will be worthy of persecution. If one is nominally a Christian, but never experiences any sort of persecution, not even petty persecution, for the sake of righteousness, then one must ask if he is really striving for virtue, or if his Christianity is all simply a matter of empty, external observances. Next, the Christian will develop within his heart a complete trust in God and a deep love for God’s truth. He will be resolute in his faith and thus never yield to error or compromise with evil, threats notwithstanding. His hope will be focused on God, regardless of the suffering he may have to endure. Finally, he will face the future courageously, knowing that, when all is said and done, God will shield his soul and bring him to safe harbor. In the early centuries of Christianity, and during the Ottoman Yoke and the Communist Yoke, all ages and classes of people, including “both young men and maidens; old men and children,”[11] faced unspeakable horrors without flinching, with the calm bravery of the best combat soldiers. We must be prepared to do precisely the same, whatever form the persecution inflicted upon us might take. [7] 1 St. John 5:19 [8] Psalm 51:5. [9] St. John 12:31. 14:30, 16:11. [10] St John of Kronstadt, Ten Homilies on the Beatitudes, p. 88. [11] Psalm 148:12.
Let we Christians show the courage and faith Saint Thomas More displayed; we can do no less, even if we shall suffer a martyr’s fate for our beliefs. And let us remember the wisdom of Blessed Augustine, whom Hieromonk Gabriel quotes in “We Shall See Christ”:
***
So it is true that the Lord, the light of the world, has ascended up into heaven, leaving behind Him a darkened earth which increasingly demands a self-inflicted blindness. A sad and bitter truth it is indeed.
But it is not the whole truth. St. Augustine, in the same passage from the Confessions, writes: ‘He departed from our sight that we might return to our hearts and find Him there. For He left us, and behold, He is here. He could not be with us long, yet He did not leave us. He went back to the place that He had never left… He is within the inmost heart, yet the heart has wandered away from Him. Return to your heart, O you transgressors, and hold fast to Him who made you. Stand with Him and you shall stand fast. Rest in Him and you shall be at rest…’
The rest of the truth (perhaps an even harder truth) is that we ourselves, the feeble Christians of the last days, are now called to shine forth the light of Christ for anyone who still wishes to see. We have been healed in Holy Baptism of our ancestral blindness. But it is still left to us to choose, with God’s help, to open our eyes, to use the sight that has been restored to us to look into our hearts, where alone the risen Christ can be seen in this world. If we Christians do not find Him there, then how will anyone else ever find Him?
The Best of Yvonne Lorenzo


lewrockwell--2020-07-11--Will Economics Fall to Politics?

Will Economics Fall to Politics?

The intense pressure to politicize every aspect of academia will not spare economics , and why would it ?
A society willing to topple statues is hardly one to worry about pulling down a body of knowledge , especially one skillfully characterized by the Left as a political program rather than an actual social science .
Keep in mind that the English literary canon and “ Western civ ” generally are under fire on campuses across America .
What we think of as important and seminal works in classics , literature , philosophy , and history increasingly are questioned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not immune—and not simply for the lack of diversity among those working and teaching in STEM fields , but because the knowledge itself is deemed too Western and Anglocentric .
Even physical sciences are not considered objective in our grim political world .
We can not imagine economics is immune from this gross politicization .
The dismal science is similarly full of dead white men : names like Adam Smith , Karl Marx , John Maynard Keynes , Alfred Marshall , Paul Samuelson , along with Austrians like Hayek and Mises , come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do we think this edifice will not be attacked on identitarian grounds , even apart from the general belief that economics is mostly a fake discipline designed to provide phony intellectual cover for business interests ?
Socialism : An Economic ... Ludwig von Mises Best Price : $ 6.00 Buy New $ 1.99 Academic economists supposedly have skewed , and still skew , more “ conservative ” than their deeply left-wing colleagues in social science departments—at least according to this perishable 2010 study by the New York Fed .
But this is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so every year .
According to Forbes , 70 percent of economists supported Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016 and most are Democrats .
So while university economists might be less left-leaning than academia generally , they may well be further left than the general population .
This is readily apparent if you spend much time consuming fintwit , shorthand “ financial Twitter , ” where economists and finance types who are active on the platform gather .
In the fintwit universe , old horses like Paul Krugman find themselves elbowed aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith at Bloomberg , Marshall Steinbaum at the University of Utah , and modern monetary theory proponent Stephanie Kelton at SUNY Stony Brook .
These writers focus with particular zeal on “ remaking ” economics , questioning whether any past knowledge , however painstakingly developed , fits the modern world .
We need a “ new economics , ” always one that serves “ people over profits ” —which is another way of saying serves their preferred political program of democratic socialism .
Increasingly , economics is understood not as a discipline with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but rather a malleable tool run by legislative or central bank fiat .
Economies can be commanded .
After all , Congress just appropriated more than $ 2 trillion in the CARES Act , with no new taxes , and the Trump administration has plans for another round of trillion-dollar stimulus .
If the $ 600 weekly federal add-on to unemployment benefits is extended into August and beyond , are we not approaching a form of universal basic income ?
The Fed , for its part , has already created more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since February of this year , and appears willing to increase its balance sheet to $ 10 trillion as needed to soothe corporate bond markets .
Any casual observer is hard pressed not to wonder whether government can not simply create money and credit indefinitely .
Why can ’ t this “ new normal ” system keep us all housed and fed even after the coronavirus crisis fades ?
Why can ’ t we substitute politics for economics , and in fact redefine the latter as a state program ?
Those of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wake up .
Send everyone you know this link , for starters , and equip yourself with the intellectual ammunition to fight the reality deniers .
Economics can not be faked , ignored , or legislated away any more than physics or chemistry .
Economics , as Mises understood , is the study of social cooperation .
When economics falls to politics , peace and prosperity fall to poverty and violence .
The Best of Jeff Deist

The intense pressure to politicize every aspect of academia will not spare economics, and why would it? A society willing to topple statues is hardly one to worry about pulling down a body of knowledge, especially one skillfully characterized by the Left as a political program rather than an actual social science.
Keep in mind that the English literary canon and “Western civ” generally are under fire on campuses across America. What we think of as important and seminal works in classics, literature, philosophy, and history increasingly are questioned and discarded. Even hard-science STEM curricula are not immune—and not simply for the lack of diversity among those working and teaching in STEM fields, but because the knowledge itself is deemed too Western and Anglocentric. Even physical sciences are not considered objective in our grim political world.
2+2=4, says who?
We cannot imagine economics is immune from this gross politicization. The dismal science is similarly full of dead white men: names like Adam Smith, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Alfred Marshall, Paul Samuelson, along with Austrians like Hayek and Mises, come to mind when naming seminal works. Do we think this edifice will not be attacked on identitarian grounds, even apart from the general belief that economics is mostly a fake discipline designed to provide phony intellectual cover for business interests? Socialism: An Economic... Ludwig von Mises Best Price: $6.00 Buy New $1.99 (as of 06:20 UTC - Details)
Academic economists supposedly have skewed, and still skew, more “conservative” than their deeply left-wing colleagues in social science departments—at least according to this perishable 2010 study by the New York Fed. But this is not really true today, and is less so every year. According to Forbes, 70 percent of economists supported Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016 and most are Democrats.
So while university economists might be less left-leaning than academia generally, they may well be further left than the general population. This is readily apparent if you spend much time consuming fintwit, shorthand “financial Twitter,” where economists and finance types who are active on the platform gather. In the fintwit universe, old horses like Paul Krugman find themselves elbowed aside by deeply progressive younger voices like Noah Smith at Bloomberg, Marshall Steinbaum at the University of Utah, and modern monetary theory proponent Stephanie Kelton at SUNY Stony Brook. These writers focus with particular zeal on “remaking” economics, questioning whether any past knowledge, however painstakingly developed, fits the modern world. We need a “new economics,” always one that serves “people over profits”—which is another way of saying serves their preferred political program of democratic socialism.
Increasingly, economics is understood not as a discipline with principles, axioms, and laws, but rather a malleable tool run by legislative or central bank fiat. Economies can be commanded. After all, Congress just appropriated more than $2 trillion in the CARES Act, with no new taxes, and the Trump administration has plans for another round of trillion-dollar stimulus. If the $600 weekly federal add-on to unemployment benefits is extended into August and beyond, are we not approaching a form of universal basic income? The Fed, for its part, has already created more than $3 trillion in “liquidity” just since February of this year, and appears willing to increase its balance sheet to $10 trillion as needed to soothe corporate bond markets.
Any casual observer is hard pressed not to wonder whether government cannot simply create money and credit indefinitely. Why can’t this “new normal” system keep us all housed and fed even after the coronavirus crisis fades? Why can’t we substitute politics for economics, and in fact redefine the latter as a state program?
Those of us who believe in markets and property better wake up. Send everyone you know this link, for starters, and equip yourself with the intellectual ammunition to fight the reality deniers. Economics cannot be faked, ignored, or legislated away any more than physics or chemistry. Economics, as Mises understood, is the study of social cooperation. When economics falls to politics, peace and prosperity fall to poverty and violence.
The Best of Jeff Deist


Now What?

Tired of getting mau-maued by the Woke Inquisition ?
That ’ s what it is , of course : a supercharged shakedown operation utilizing all the medieval tools of maximum mindfuck to hustle the USA out of its own existence .
The animating principle of Black Lives Matter is not justice but coercion , and not just coercion , but the sadistic pleasure of inflicting pain , injury , and humiliation in the process of extracting money and power .
The tools are violent insurrection , bad faith , and unconditional dishonesty , applied like thumbscrews , strappados , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dislocations of a pandemic virus and a financial implosion .
Now , several weeks out from the June uproars of looting and burning , the true shape of this racist jacquerie is plain to see : they are the shock troops of the desperate and demented Democratic Party .
The smoldering ruins of Minneapolis , and Santa Monica are the Party ’ s policy platform .
The Seattle CHOP is its shining city on a hill .
Not everybody in the land has gone insane , of course , and not everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Living in the Long Eme ... James Howard Kunstler Buy New $ 24.95 The news media war chiefs of the Woke Inquisition — The New York Times , CNN , and MSNBC — are working overtime to terrorize the public into renewed Covid-19 hysteria , with the bonus of further destruction to America ’ s daily business by instigating new lockdowns .
The nation ’ s economy was already in enough trouble .
The question now is : how will a responsible political establishment manage contraction ?
The Woke Inquisition ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to whatever isn ’ t nailed down .
The Woke Inquisition is like the parasitic wasp larva trying to eat its way out of a plump caterpillar , leaving nothing but a husk behind .
It goes for the brain first and then for the guts .
Who is not impressed by the mindlessness of this vicious rabble ?
There ’ s no evidence at the core of their complaint that police nationwide are “ hunting down black men.
” If anything , black men are hunting each other down — and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and children blown away in their shoot-ups .
Defund the police and tie their hands behind their backs ?
Well , the results are already in for that : huge increases in homicide rates in Chicago , New York , Houston , Baltimore , Kansas City , Newark , Nashville , et cetera , overwhelmingly black-on-black crime .
The Narrow Corridor : S ... Robinson , James A .
Best Price : $ 15.54 Buy New $ 18.79 Leading , naturally , to the linchpin of Wokesterism : it ’ s Whitey ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
White Fragility makes redemption impossible .
No amount of penance , apology , or remediation can fix it .
Which raises another question : why even bother entertaining reparations for slavery ?
It will never be enough .
Which may be exactly why the Woke Inquisition ’ s real aim is to undermine all of America ’ s institutions and then bust up the republic .
The petulant “ Resistance ” that dug in after Hillary ’ s shocking 2016 election loss did the groundwork by enlisting the FBI , CIA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into seditious intrigues that made the federal apparatus of justice look ( and act ) corrupt and untrustworthy .
Everything about the Mueller inquiry was an exercise in bad faith and perfidy , leaving the engines of official justice so broken that their misdeeds can barely be corrected , let alone prosecuted .
To this day , the Lawfare cadres sponsor the continued persecution of General Michael Flynn , months after the DOJ formally dropped its case against him .
Do you suppose these turpitudes don ’ t rankle the substantial number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insane by the Woke terror ?
Beyond Woke Michael Rectenwald Buy New $ 19.99 And who is the figurehead leading this Democratic Woke party wrecking crew of coercion ?
The empty shell of Joe Biden , a bumbling senator turned grifting vice-president , now a mere hologram of a candidate .
The renewed campaign of Covid-19 hysteria in the Woke press may be just a psy-op to stuff poor Joe back in his basement and make sure he stays off public view .
They took him out for a brief airing yesterday in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a formal speech , Mr. Biden said , “ So today , I ’ m releasing a brewplint [ sic ] — I think the press had — how to create millions of good-paying union jobs , using Protestant technology [ say what ? ]
that we need now , and in the future.
” Hmmm .
Protestant technology ?
What could that be ?
Sounds like another one of Whitey ’ s endless tricks .
After the speech , some media cornered the candidate beside a campaign limo .
He managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away , glassy-eyed , his hands strangely splayed like seal flippers ( another symptom ? )
.
Who are they kidding with this pathetic wind-up mummy , this bare ruin of a crooked old pol ?
What treacherous game are they playing now ?
What ’ s next… ?
The Best of James Howard Kunstler

Tired of getting mau-maued by the Woke Inquisition? That’s what it is, of course: a supercharged shakedown operation utilizing all the medieval tools of maximum mindfuck to hustle the USA out of its own existence. The animating principle of Black Lives Matter is not justice but coercion, and not just coercion, but the sadistic pleasure of inflicting pain, injury, and humiliation in the process of extracting money and power.
The tools are violent insurrection, bad faith, and unconditional dishonesty, applied like thumbscrews, strappados, and red-hot irons to a nation reeling from the dislocations of a pandemic virus and a financial implosion. Now, several weeks out from the June uproars of looting and burning, the true shape of this racist jacquerie is plain to see: they are the shock troops of the desperate and demented Democratic Party. The smoldering ruins of Minneapolis, and Santa Monica are the Party’s policy platform. The Seattle CHOP is its shining city on a hill. Not everybody in the land has gone insane, of course, and not everyone will keep going along with the hustle.
Living in the Long Eme... James Howard Kunstler Buy New $24.95 (as of 10:56 UTC - Details) The news media war chiefs of the Woke Inquisition — The New York Times, CNN, and MSNBC — are working overtime to terrorize the public into renewed Covid-19 hysteria, with the bonus of further destruction to America’s daily business by instigating new lockdowns. The nation’s economy was already in enough trouble. The question now is: how will a responsible political establishment manage contraction? The Woke Inquisition’s answer is simply to extend looting operations to whatever isn’t nailed down. The Woke Inquisition is like the parasitic wasp larva trying to eat its way out of a plump caterpillar, leaving nothing but a husk behind. It goes for the brain first and then for the guts.
Who is not impressed by the mindlessness of this vicious rabble? There’s no evidence at the core of their complaint that police nationwide are “hunting down black men.” If anything, black men are hunting each other down — and are oblivious to the collateral damage of infants and children blown away in their shoot-ups. Defund the police and tie their hands behind their backs? Well, the results are already in for that: huge increases in homicide rates in Chicago, New York, Houston, Baltimore, Kansas City, Newark, Nashville, et cetera, overwhelmingly black-on-black crime.
The Narrow Corridor: S... Robinson, James A. Best Price: $15.54 Buy New $18.79 (as of 06:17 UTC - Details) Leading, naturally, to the linchpin of Wokesterism: it’s Whitey’s fault. Whitey is racism incarnate. White Fragility makes redemption impossible. No amount of penance, apology, or remediation can fix it. Which raises another question: why even bother entertaining reparations for slavery? It will never be enough. Which may be exactly why the Woke Inquisition’s real aim is to undermine all of America’s institutions and then bust up the republic.
The petulant “Resistance” that dug in after Hillary’s shocking 2016 election loss did the groundwork by enlisting the FBI, CIA, NSC, DOJ and other federal agencies into seditious intrigues that made the federal apparatus of justice look (and act) corrupt and untrustworthy. Everything about the Mueller inquiry was an exercise in bad faith and perfidy, leaving the engines of official justice so broken that their misdeeds can barely be corrected, let alone prosecuted. To this day, the Lawfare cadres sponsor the continued persecution of General Michael Flynn, months after the DOJ formally dropped its case against him. Do you suppose these turpitudes don’t rankle the substantial number of citizens who still refuse to be driven insane by the Woke terror?
Beyond Woke Michael Rectenwald Buy New $19.99 (as of 11:37 UTC - Details) And who is the figurehead leading this Democratic Woke party wrecking crew of coercion? The empty shell of Joe Biden, a bumbling senator turned grifting vice-president, now a mere hologram of a candidate. The renewed campaign of Covid-19 hysteria in the Woke press may be just a psy-op to stuff poor Joe back in his basement and make sure he stays off public view. They took him out for a brief airing yesterday in Pennsylvania, a low-grade fiasco. In a formal speech, Mr. Biden said, “So today, I’m releasing a brewplint [sic] — I think the press had — how to create millions of good-paying union jobs, using Protestant technology [say what?] that we need now, and in the future.” Hmmm. Protestant technology? What could that be? Sounds like another one of Whitey’s endless tricks.
After the speech, some media cornered the candidate beside a campaign limo. He managed to decline taking any questions and waddled stiffly away, glassy-eyed, his hands strangely splayed like seal flippers (another symptom?). Who are they kidding with this pathetic wind-up mummy, this bare ruin of a crooked old pol? What treacherous game are they playing now? What’s next…?
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
The Best of James Howard Kunstler


lewrockwell--2020-07-11--Century-old BCG Vaccine Used To Eradicate Tuberculosis ‘Reduces the Chance of Death from Covid-19’,

Century-old BCG Vaccine Used To Eradicate Tuberculosis ‘Reduces the Chance of Death from Covid-19’, Study Confirms

A vaccine first mass produced in 1924 to combat tuberculosis may offer protection against Covid-19 , a study has found .
Academics studied countries that have high and low levels of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin ( BCG ) jab and found a clear link between the vaccine and a lower death rate .
Detail on the vaccine ’ s popularity in certain countries was compared with each nation ’ s coronavirus outbreak — for both infections and deaths .
When differences in social , economic , and demographics were taken into account , scientists found that in places with a 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine there was also a 10.4 per cent reduction in COVID-19 mortality .
The study , from academics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the National Institutes of Health , has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal PNAS .
Writing in their paper , they say : ‘ This epidemiological study assessed the global linkage between BCG vaccination and COVID-19 mortality .
Intravesical Immunothe ... D. Jocham Best Price : $ 100.00 Buy New $ 99.00 ‘ Signals of BCG vaccination effect on COVID-19 mortality are influenced by social , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
‘ After mitigating multiple confounding factors , several significant associations between BCG vaccination and reduced COVID-19 deaths were observed.
’ The BCG vaccine was invented a century ago and gives immunity to tuberculosis ( TB ) — a bacterial infection — but it is known to have other benefits .
Previous trials discovered people who receive the jab , which costs as little as £30 , have improved immune systems and are able to protect themselves from infection .
For example , in a trial among Native Americans , BCG vaccination in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TB up to 60 years after vaccination .
These so-called off-target effects include enhanced protection against respiratory diseases , and have been recognised by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
BCG has been used for more than 90 years but exactly how it works still remains a mystery .
And how it may protect against Covid-19 is an even larger enigma .
The best theory is that the vaccine , which contains a live bacteria called Mycobacterium , boosts the innate immune system , making it more effective .

A vaccine first mass produced in 1924 to combat tuberculosis may offer protection against Covid-19, a study has found.
Academics studied countries that have high and low levels of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) jab and found a clear link between the vaccine and a lower death rate.
Detail on the vaccine’s popularity in certain countries was compared with each nation’s coronavirus outbreak — for both infections and deaths.
When differences in social, economic, and demographics were taken into account, scientists found that in places with a 10 per cent greater prevalence of the BCG vaccine there was also a 10.4 per cent reduction in COVID-19 mortality.
The study, from academics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the National Institutes of Health, has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal PNAS.
Writing in their paper, they say: ‘This epidemiological study assessed the global linkage between BCG vaccination and COVID-19 mortality. Intravesical Immunothe... D. Jocham Best Price: $100.00 Buy New $99.00 (as of 03:05 UTC - Details)
‘Signals of BCG vaccination effect on COVID-19 mortality are influenced by social, economic, and demographic differences between countries.
‘After mitigating multiple confounding factors, several significant associations between BCG vaccination and reduced COVID-19 deaths were observed.’
The BCG vaccine was invented a century ago and gives immunity to tuberculosis (TB) — a bacterial infection — but it is known to have other benefits.
Previous trials discovered people who receive the jab, which costs as little as £30, have improved immune systems and are able to protect themselves from infection.
For example, in a trial among Native Americans, BCG vaccination in childhood was able to offer protection against TB up to 60 years after vaccination.
These so-called off-target effects include enhanced protection against respiratory diseases, and have been recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO).
BCG has been used for more than 90 years but exactly how it works still remains a mystery.
And how it may protect against Covid-19 is an even larger enigma.
The best theory is that the vaccine, which contains a live bacteria called Mycobacterium, boosts the innate immune system, making it more effective.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-07-11--Plan B Is Here! A Novel Approach to Treating COVID-19 Using Nutritional and Oxidative Therapies

My partners and I treated 107 COVID-19 patients .
Our results were excellent : one hospitalization , no deaths , and full recovery ( minus two patients still suffering from somewhat minor lingering symptoms ) .
It was the most stressful time I have encountered in nearly 30 years of practicing medicine .
It was also the most thrilling time .
Before coronavirus made it to Michigan , I told my staff that we were ready for this .
I stated , “ For over 25 years , we have been practicing medicine for this situation .
We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illnesses using natural therapies .
The first 25 years we were practicing for this very illness .
I believe our protocol for treating viral infections will work in patients who become ill with coronavirus.
” Drugs That Don ’ t ... David Brownstein Best Price : $ 3.74 Buy New $ 17.63 When COVID-19 made its ugly appearance in Michigan , we got to work .
Our protocol of using vitamins A , C , D , and iodine along with intravenous and intramuscular injections of hydrogen peroxide , vitamin C , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our patients and they recovered .
When I received the FTC letter telling me to pull my videos and information about COVID-19 I was shocked .
Tens of thousands of people were dying across our country and I thought I was providing an alternative treatment protocol that could help many .
The FTC warning letter stated , “ “ It is unlawful under the FTC Act , 15 U.S.C Sec .
41 et seq .
to advertise that a product or service can prevent , treat , or cure human disease unless you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including , when appropriate , well-controlled human clinical studies , substantiating that the claims are true at the time they are made .
For COVID-19 , no such study is currently known to exist for the products or services identified above.
” The Best of Dr. David Brownstein

Plan B is here!
My partners and I treated 107 COVID-19 patients. Our results were excellent: one hospitalization, no deaths, and full recovery (minus two patients still suffering from somewhat minor lingering symptoms). It was the most stressful time I have encountered in nearly 30 years of practicing medicine. It was also the most thrilling time. Before coronavirus made it to Michigan, I told my staff that we were ready for this. I stated, “For over 25 years, we have been practicing medicine for this situation. We have a particularly good track record of treating influenza-like illnesses using natural therapies. The first 25 years we were practicing for this very illness. I believe our protocol for treating viral infections will work in patients who become ill with coronavirus.”
Drugs That Don’t... David Brownstein Best Price: $3.74 Buy New $17.63 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details) When COVID-19 made its ugly appearance in Michigan, we got to work. Our protocol of using vitamins A, C, D, and iodine along with intravenous and intramuscular injections of hydrogen peroxide, vitamin C, and ozone helped support the immune systems of our patients and they recovered.
When I received the FTC letter telling me to pull my videos and information about COVID-19 I was shocked. Tens of thousands of people were dying across our country and I thought I was providing an alternative treatment protocol that could help many. The FTC warning letter stated, “ “It is unlawful under the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C Sec. 41 et seq. to advertise that a product or service can prevent, treat, or cure human disease unless you possess competent and reliable scientific evidence, including, when appropriate, well-controlled human clinical studies, substantiating that the claims are true at the time they are made. For COVID-19, no such study is currently known to exist for the products or services identified above.”
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Dr. David Brownstein


lewrockwell--2020-07-11--The New ‘Systemic Racism’ That Is Coming

Before our Black Lives Matter moment , one had not thought of the NBC networks as shot through with “ systemic racism.
” Yet , what other explanation is there for this week ’ s draconian personnel decision of NBCUniversal chairman Cesar Conde .
According to Conde , the white share of NBC ’ s workforce , now 74 % and divided evenly between men and women , will be chopped to 50 % .
Persons of color — Blacks , Hispanics , Asians , Native Americans and multiracial folks — are to rise from the present 26 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What does this mean ?
Where the Right Went W ... Buchanan , Patrick J .
Best Price : $ 0.35 Buy New $ 9.93 White men will be slashed as a share of NBCUniversal ’ s employees from the present 38 % to 25 % , — a cut of one-third — and then capped to ensure that people of color and women reach and remain at 50 % .
White men can fall below one-fourth of the workforce , but their numbers will not be permitted to go any higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this on the workforce at NBCUniversal — half women , half persons of color — would seem to trample all over the spirit , if not the letter , of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 .
Why is Conde doing this ?
“ ( W ) e have a unique responsibility to look like and reflect all of the people of the country we serve , ” he says .
But whence comes this responsibility , the realization of which means active discrimination against new employees because they are the wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are unwanted white men ?
America has succeeded as a meritocracy where excellence was rewarded , be it in athletics or academics .
Our Olympic teams have triumphed when we send the best we had in every event .
This egalitarian and ideological revolt against excellence is also arising in Fairfax County , Virginia , at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology , which , concedes The Washington Post , “ often ranks as the top public high school in the United States.
” MiaBella 18K Gold Over ... Buy New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem ?
Writes the Post reporter , the school is “ notorious for failing to admit black and Latino students.
” Does TJ discriminate in its admissions against Blacks and Hispanics ?
Is the school a throwback to the old days of “ massive resistance ” ?
Of 486 students in the freshman class this fall at the school , the number of Black students is tiny , smaller even than the 3 % of the class that is Hispanic .
Is this yet another example of “ white privilege ” at work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 % of TJ ’ s incoming class .
The problem , if it is a problem , is Asian Americans .
Three in 4 members of the fall freshman class at TJ are of Asian heritage .
Why do Asian American kids predominate ?
Are they being admitted on the basis of their race or ethnicity ?
No , again .
Asians are 73 % of the incoming class because they excelled on the admissions tests in math , reading and science , and on the essay-writing assignment .
They won admission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or race but their academic excellence as demonstrated in standardized tests taken by students all over Fairfax and surrounding counties .
Expression of Faith 1 ... Buy New $ 10.37 Thomas Jefferson principal Ann Bonitatibus says of her school , “ We do not reflect the racial composition ” of the Fairfax County Public School System .
No , it does not .
But so what , if Thomas Jefferson ranks among the top STEM schools in the entire United States ?
Is it possible to reflect the “ racial composition ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top public high school In the United States ” ?
A related issue is up in California .
In 1996 , in a state referendum , Californians voted 55-45 to embed a colorblind amendment in their state constitution : “ The State shall not discriminate against , or grant preferential treatment to , any individual or group on the basis of race , sex , color , ethnicity , or national origin in the operation of public employment , public education , or public contracting.
” The Democratic legislature , however , wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it outlaws the kind of racial and ethnic discrimination in which Sacramento wishes to engage .
An amendment is on the November ballot to repeal the colorblind amendment and allow California to start discriminating again — in favor of African Americans and Hispanics and against Asians and white men — to alter the present racial balance in state university admissions and the awarding of state contracts .
If this passes , more Hispanics and Blacks with lower test scores will be admitted to elite state schools like UCLA and the University of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fewer Asians and whites .
Practices that were regarded as race discrimination and supposedly outlawed in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will henceforth be seen as commendable and mandatory .
There will be racial and ethnic discrimination , as in the days of segregation .
Only the color of the beneficiaries and the color of the victims will be reversed .
And that is the meaning of the BLM revolution , which might be encapsulated : “ It ’ s our turn now !
” The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan

Shop all books by Pat Buchanan
Before our Black Lives Matter moment, one had not thought of the NBC networks as shot through with “systemic racism.”
Yet, what other explanation is there for this week’s draconian personnel decision of NBCUniversal chairman Cesar Conde.
According to Conde, the white share of NBC’s workforce, now 74% and divided evenly between men and women, will be chopped to 50%.
Persons of color — Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans and multiracial folks — are to rise from the present 26% of NBCUniversal’s workforce to 50%.
What does this mean? Where the Right Went W... Buchanan, Patrick J. Best Price: $0.35 Buy New $9.93 (as of 03:07 UTC - Details)
White men will be slashed as a share of NBCUniversal’s employees from the present 38% to 25%, — a cut of one-third — and then capped to ensure that people of color and women reach and remain at 50%.
White men can fall below one-fourth of the workforce, but their numbers will not be permitted to go any higher.
To impose race and gender quotas like this on the workforce at NBCUniversal — half women, half persons of color — would seem to trample all over the spirit, if not the letter, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Why is Conde doing this?
“(W)e have a unique responsibility to look like and reflect all of the people of the country we serve,” he says.
But whence comes this responsibility, the realization of which means active discrimination against new employees because they are the wrong gender or race: i.e, they are unwanted white men?
America has succeeded as a meritocracy where excellence was rewarded, be it in athletics or academics. Our Olympic teams have triumphed when we send the best we had in every event.
This egalitarian and ideological revolt against excellence is also arising in Fairfax County, Virginia, at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which, concedes The Washington Post, “often ranks as the top public high school in the United States.” MiaBella 18K Gold Over... Buy New $34.90 (as of 03:07 UTC - Details)
Why does TJ have a problem? Writes the Post reporter, the school is “notorious for failing to admit black and Latino students.”
Does TJ discriminate in its admissions against Blacks and Hispanics? Is the school a throwback to the old days of “massive resistance”?
Of 486 students in the freshman class this fall at the school, the number of Black students is tiny, smaller even than the 3% of the class that is Hispanic. Is this yet another example of “white privilege” at work?
Hardly. Whites make up only 17% of TJ’s incoming class.
The problem, if it is a problem, is Asian Americans. Three in 4 members of the fall freshman class at TJ are of Asian heritage.
Why do Asian American kids predominate? Are they being admitted on the basis of their race or ethnicity?
No, again. Asians are 73% of the incoming class because they excelled on the admissions tests in math, reading and science, and on the essay-writing assignment.
They won admission to TJ not based on their ethnicity or race but their academic excellence as demonstrated in standardized tests taken by students all over Fairfax and surrounding counties. Expression of Faith 1 ... Buy New $10.37 (as of 03:07 UTC - Details)
Thomas Jefferson principal Ann Bonitatibus says of her school, “We do not reflect the racial composition” of the Fairfax County Public School System.
No, it does not. But so what, if Thomas Jefferson ranks among the top STEM schools in the entire United States?
And Bonitatibus’ comment raises a legitimate question:
Is it possible to reflect the “racial composition” of Fairfax Country and to remain “the top public high school In the United States”?
A related issue is up in California. In 1996, in a state referendum, Californians voted 55-45 to embed a colorblind amendment in their state constitution:
“The State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.”
Clear, coherent and colorblind.
The Democratic legislature, however, wants to be rid of this amendment as it outlaws the kind of racial and ethnic discrimination in which Sacramento wishes to engage.
An amendment is on the November ballot to repeal the colorblind amendment and allow California to start discriminating again — in favor of African Americans and Hispanics and against Asians and white men — to alter the present racial balance in state university admissions and the awarding of state contracts.
If this passes, more Hispanics and Blacks with lower test scores will be admitted to elite state schools like UCLA and the University of California, Berkeley, based on race, and fewer Asians and whites. Practices that were regarded as race discrimination and supposedly outlawed in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will henceforth be seen as commendable and mandatory.
There will be racial and ethnic discrimination, as in the days of segregation. Only the color of the beneficiaries and the color of the victims will be reversed.
And that is the meaning of the BLM revolution, which might be encapsulated: “It’s our turn now!”
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan


lewrockwell--2020-07-11--Has the Durham Investigation of the Russiagate Hoax Been Deep-Sixed?

I never had any expectation that the Trump Justice ( sic ) Department would investigate the Obama DOJ , FBI , and CIA officials who committed felonies while creating the Russiagate hoax that was intended to drive President Trump from office .
The Washington Establishment never lowers the boom on its own .
Attorney General William Barr and US Attorney John Durham are establishment figures .
So are the alleged targets of their investigation .
But Trump is not an establishment figure .
He challenged the establishment openly in his inaugeration speech , and the establishment has been after him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Durham has been going on far too long to be anything but a sham .
An indictment of senior Obama officials would hurt the Democrat ’ s chance in four months to remove Trump from the scene .
The two political parties are both creatures of the establishment , and the establishment wants Trump gone .
History of the Deep St ... Stone , Jeremy Buy New $ 14.99 Moreover , there is no point to the Durham investigation .
The crimes committed by the Obama officials are well known .
The evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long time .
But it is unlikely to ever result in indictments .
This concerns Senator Chuck Grassley .
And it should .
Once high officials abuse power and commit felonies in order to frame the President of the United States and get away with it , you can kiss good-bye any possibility of the government ever being held accountable or restrained by law or Constitution .
Conservatives think the problem is a double standard that favors Democrats and works against Republicans .
The problem is entirely different .
Trump underestimated the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on bringing American jobs home , immigration , and normal relations with Russia .
The establishment doesn ’ t want the jobs home—they cost too much here .
The establishment wants immigration , which is almost entirely people of color , because it introduces conflict and prevents the people from uniting against the establishment .
The establishment wants tensions with Russia ; otherwise there is no enemy to justify the massive power , constitutional erosion , budget , and profits of the military/security complex .
I predicted accurately that Trump would fall into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him with an establishment government that would prevent change .
I do not know whether four years of all-out-assault on President Trump by the presstitute media and his inability to deliver to those who elected him have deprived him of re-election .
Whether he is re-eleted or not , we will not see another president after Trump attempt to put the people before the establishment .
Not only has Trump made clear to future candidates the high cost of displeasing the establishment , but also the population is too divided to provide a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the 60 % white population , which has been turned into second class citizens and placed under racial threat , can unite .
What is to stop the United States from crossing the line from democracy into tyranny ?
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

I never had any expectation that the Trump Justice (sic) Department would investigate the Obama DOJ, FBI, and CIA officials who committed felonies while creating the Russiagate hoax that was intended to drive President Trump from office. The Washington Establishment never lowers the boom on its own.
Attorney General William Barr and US Attorney John Durham are establishment figures. So are the alleged targets of their investigation. But Trump is not an establishment figure. He challenged the establishment openly in his inaugeration speech, and the establishment has been after him ever since.
The alleged investigation by Durham has been going on far too long to be anything but a sham. An indictment of senior Obama officials would hurt the Democrat’s chance in four months to remove Trump from the scene. The two political parties are both creatures of the establishment, and the establishment wants Trump gone. History of the Deep St... Stone, Jeremy Buy New $14.99 (as of 06:14 UTC - Details)
Moreover, there is no point to the Durham investigation. The crimes committed by the Obama officials are well known. The evidence against them has been available for a long time. But it is unlikely to ever result in indictments.
This concerns Senator Chuck Grassley. And it should. Once high officials abuse power and commit felonies in order to frame the President of the United States and get away with it, you can kiss good-bye any possibility of the government ever being held accountable or restrained by law or Constitution.
Conservatives think the problem is a double standard that favors Democrats and works against Republicans. The problem is entirely different. Trump underestimated the power of the establishment and went against them on bringing American jobs home, immigration, and normal relations with Russia. The establishment doesn’t want the jobs home—they cost too much here. The establishment wants immigration, which is almost entirely people of color, because it introduces conflict and prevents the people from uniting against the establishment. The establishment wants tensions with Russia; otherwise there is no enemy to justify the massive power, constitutional erosion, budget, and profits of the military/security complex.
I predicted accurately that Trump would fall into the hands of advisers who would staff him with an establishment government that would prevent change.
I do not know whether four years of all-out-assault on President Trump by the presstitute media and his inability to deliver to those who elected him have deprived him of re-election. Whether he is re-eleted or not, we will not see another president after Trump attempt to put the people before the establishment. Not only has Trump made clear to future candidates the high cost of displeasing the establishment, but also the population is too divided to provide a president with a political base. Not even the 60% white population, which has been turned into second class citizens and placed under racial threat, can unite. What is to stop the United States from crossing the line from democracy into tyranny?
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts