thestream--2020-04-21--Military Photo of the Day: Easter at Erbil Air Base

A U.S. Army chaplain recites a prayer with service members during an Easter service held at Erbil Air Base in @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
What a beautiful , stirring image of faith amid sacrifice .
Thank you @ @ @ @ @ risking your lives overseas .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis @ @ @ @ @ And No Fear .

A U.S. Army chaplain recites a prayer with service members during an Easter service held at Erbil Air Base in Iraq on April 12, 2020.
What a beautiful, stirring image of faith amid sacrifice. Thank you to these American heroes for risking your lives overseas.
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Pray for China

Millions of born-again Christians in China are in love with Jesus — and are perhaps as strong in the faith as any who have ever lived .
They have been driven underground .
China ’ s deceived government leaders have changed God ’ s truth into a lie ; they are not trustworthy .
Their cover-up about the origins and extent of COVID-19 outbreak are hardly unique .
Betty and I began going to China in 1994 .
We went to see if we could find a way to help their children , especially those in orphanages , because families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls were often aborted or left on sidewalks in cardboard boxes .
The parents of those abandoned children were hoping someone would pick up the babies and take them home .
Most of those baby girls ended up in orphanages .
It was heart-breaking to visit these facilities , but we knew their parents chose life and wanted the best for them .
( A few of my staff members have even adopted girls from China . )
In many of the southern provinces away from Beijing , we were able to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discuss the love we had for those precious children .
We asked how we could improve the living conditions .
In the city of Jiujiang , Jiangxi , we were allowed to help build one orphanage that I dedicated .
I was able to share with Communist leaders my testimony of my being the product of rape .
I told them my 40-year-old mother wanted an abortion , but amazingly , the doctor refused to do it .
I shared how I grew up without a stable home and met Christ as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transformed .
I told them how I met Betty , and talked about my family , children and grandchildren .
I explained that we love helping people and wanted to help their precious orphaned children .
Our interpreter would tell us time after time that he would hear those Communist leaders talking in the hall , and they said , “ These people from America are not deal-makers .
They aren ’ t here to multiply their financial resources , they are here to love our children and help us deal with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We made it clear this was because of our relationship with God .
I was told that I could speak in many of the provinces , and the leaders knew we would have a million people or more a night .
They said I could give my story — but I just couldn ’ t give an invitation for them to make a public decision .
We found that amazing because I could talk about Jesus .
Before I got a chance to speak , however , an awful thing occurred .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exaggerating what was going on in the orphanages , and it made the leaders angry .
So they drove the media out and stopped allowing us to continue working in the orphanages .
We had been placing Christian doctors and nurses in those facilities — we didn ’ t tell them they were Christians , but these healthcare workers just went out of love .
When the government clamped down , it really did hurt .
They came down hard on the Christian church and drove it very seriously underground .
Such are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deceived people want power .
Under the guise of caring for others , they live determined to control others — making them dependent while using them for their selfish , self-fulfilling , deadly purposes .
Lives are expendable and must be destroyed or overpowered so they can continue to gain control .
They do not win the argument or debate — they destroy or nullify the effects of those who disagree , however meaningful or helpful those ideas may be .
The Marxist , Communist , Socialist ideology is an idea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed 94 million people in the 20th century and has not stopped .
What greater evidence do you need that communism ( and its cousins ) is a very bad idea ?
The right ideas are based on truth and transform minds and lives , individuals , families , communities , cities , counties , states and , yes , nations .
This is God ’ s kingdom impact .
( Keep in mind , it is His truth delivered in unconditional , redemptive love , and it is only love that never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our schedule or time table , but it works “ all things together for good to those who love God ” and understand we are created for our Father ’ s kingdom purpose . )
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Chinese leaders recognize that the free market works , but they don ’ t understand it is freedom that makes it work and can set China free , enabling them to bless the world beyond imagination .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Communist leaders would allow the churches to come out openly for all to behold the power of love , compassion , courage and positive actions , they would be able to set the nation free from the bondage of deception , evil , destruction of meaningful life and productivity .
If the church in China is one day allowed to stand like the shining city set on a hill , I believe a billion people could experience the transforming , powerful effect of the gospel of the kingdom .
Yet , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China ’ s government imprisons and even kills those who take a stand for Christ .
You ask , “ How should we pray for obvious enemies like China ?
” One way we pray for China is to pray for the continued resurrection of the underground church .
At the end of Cultural Revolution in the 1960s , these house churches quietly began to spring up in rural areas and spread to the cities .
According to Open Doors USA , there are an estimated 97.2 million Christ-followers in China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there will be more Christians in China than in any other nation .
As the church numbers show , the Chinese people are hungry .
They are among the brightest , hard-working , truly caring people on the planet .
They respond to real love and truth , to the effectiveness of hard , focused work .
They assume responsibility .
Nothing seems impossible to them .
Many are casting aside the lies of Satan and helping get the arms of a loving God around their nation .
My prayer is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world will pray for all who have believed the father of lies and chosen to live in bondage and keep others in bondage by denying the truth that sets us free .
Pray they will turn from the deception , defeat and destruction the father of lies perpetuates on humanity .
Let ’ s ask God to move on the Chinese government to let the church stand up .
How freeing it would be for them to make visible the invisible Jesus in their lives and to see a great awakening there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveal what real love looks like , and I believe it would change the whole country and touch the world .
America was birthed as an answer to prayer .
Many of our freedoms were a result of fervent prayers of righteous people .
May our prayers prove to be a midwife to a birth of freedom across China .
May our enemies come to their senses and give this true freedom a chance .
James Robison is The Stream ’ s founder and publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the author of many books , including Indivisible ( with Jay Richards ) and Living Amazed .

Millions of born-again Christians in China are in love with Jesus — and are perhaps as strong in the faith as any who have ever lived. They have been driven underground. China’s deceived government leaders have changed God’s truth into a lie; they are not trustworthy. Their cover-up about the origins and extent of COVID-19 outbreak are hardly unique.
I know firsthand.
My Experience With China’s Orphanages
Betty and I began going to China in 1994. We went to see if we could find a way to help their children, especially those in orphanages, because families were only allowed one child. Little girls were often aborted or left on sidewalks in cardboard boxes. The parents of those abandoned children were hoping someone would pick up the babies and take them home.
Most of those baby girls ended up in orphanages. It was heart-breaking to visit these facilities, but we knew their parents chose life and wanted the best for them. (A few of my staff members have even adopted girls from China.)
In many of the southern provinces away from Beijing, we were able to meet with mayors, governors and city leaders to discuss the love we had for those precious children. We asked how we could improve the living conditions.
In the city of Jiujiang, Jiangxi, we were allowed to help build one orphanage that I dedicated. I was able to share with Communist leaders my testimony of my being the product of rape. I told them my 40-year-old mother wanted an abortion, but amazingly, the doctor refused to do it. I shared how I grew up without a stable home and met Christ as a teenager, and my life was transformed. I told them how I met Betty, and talked about my family, children and grandchildren. I explained that we love helping people and wanted to help their precious orphaned children.
Our interpreter would tell us time after time that he would hear those Communist leaders talking in the hall, and they said, “These people from America are not deal-makers. They aren’t here to multiply their financial resources, they are here to love our children and help us deal with our challenges.” They were inspired by it. We made it clear this was because of our relationship with God.
I was told that I could speak in many of the provinces, and the leaders knew we would have a million people or more a night. They said I could give my story — but I just couldn’t give an invitation for them to make a public decision. We found that amazing because I could talk about Jesus.
Before I got a chance to speak, however, an awful thing occurred. Some foreign newspaper journalists began writing stories exaggerating what was going on in the orphanages, and it made the leaders angry. So they drove the media out and stopped allowing us to continue working in the orphanages.
We had been placing Christian doctors and nurses in those facilities — we didn’t tell them they were Christians, but these healthcare workers just went out of love. When the government clamped down, it really did hurt. They came down hard on the Christian church and drove it very seriously underground.
Such are the ways of the deceived and authoritarian.
Deceived People Want Power
Deceived people want power. Under the guise of caring for others, they live determined to control others — making them dependent while using them for their selfish, self-fulfilling, deadly purposes. Lives are expendable and must be destroyed or overpowered so they can continue to gain control. They do not win the argument or debate — they destroy or nullify the effects of those who disagree, however meaningful or helpful those ideas may be.
The Marxist, Communist, Socialist ideology is an idea, and ideas do have consequences. Communism killed 94 million people in the 20th century and has not stopped. What greater evidence do you need that communism (and its cousins) is a very bad idea?
The right ideas are based on truth and transform minds and lives, individuals, families, communities, cities, counties, states and, yes, nations. This is God’s kingdom impact. (Keep in mind, it is His truth delivered in unconditional, redemptive love, and it is only love that never fails. It doesn’t work on our schedule or time table, but it works “all things together for good to those who love God” and understand we are created for our Father’s kingdom purpose.)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Chinese leaders recognize that the free market works, but they don’t understand it is freedom that makes it work and can set China free, enabling them to bless the world beyond imagination.
I believe that if the self-seeking, godless, Communist leaders would allow the churches to come out openly for all to behold the power of love, compassion, courage and positive actions, they would be able to set the nation free from the bondage of deception, evil, destruction of meaningful life and productivity.
If the church in China is one day allowed to stand like the shining city set on a hill, I believe a billion people could experience the transforming, powerful effect of the gospel of the kingdom. Yet, because they are threatened by the good news, China’s government imprisons and even kills those who take a stand for Christ.
Praying for Our Enemies
You ask, “How should we pray for obvious enemies like China?”
One way we pray for China is to pray for the continued resurrection of the underground church. At the end of Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, these house churches quietly began to spring up in rural areas and spread to the cities. According to Open Doors USA, there are an estimated 97.2 million Christ-followers in China, and some experts believe that by 2030, there will be more Christians in China than in any other nation.
As the church numbers show, the Chinese people are hungry. They are among the brightest, hard-working, truly caring people on the planet. They respond to real love and truth, to the effectiveness of hard, focused work. They assume responsibility. Nothing seems impossible to them. Many are casting aside the lies of Satan and helping get the arms of a loving God around their nation.
My prayer is that every Christian in America and around the world will pray for all who have believed the father of lies and chosen to live in bondage and keep others in bondage by denying the truth that sets us free. Pray they will turn from the deception, defeat and destruction the father of lies perpetuates on humanity.
Let’s ask God to move on the Chinese government to let the church stand up. How freeing it would be for them to make visible the invisible Jesus in their lives and to see a great awakening there. Pray to that end. It would reveal what real love looks like, and I believe it would change the whole country and touch the world.
America was birthed as an answer to prayer. Many of our freedoms were a result of fervent prayers of righteous people. May our prayers prove to be a midwife to a birth of freedom across China. May our enemies come to their senses and give this true freedom a chance.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.


thestream--2020-04-21--Spectacular Must-Read Condemning the ChiComms and WHO

Cheers to the editor-in-chief of BILD , Germany ’ s largest newspaper , who wrote this in an open letter to Chinese President Xi : This comes as China is doubling down on its original fairy tale that COVID-19 came from the local “ wet market ” and not from the bio lab in Wuhan .
The head of that lab has even called out Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton , saying his accusations are “ based on speculation , ” though I will “ speculate ” that he is being forced by Dear Leader to say this to those reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk to him .
With what we have learned , there is no one with the intelligence of a Chinese horseshoe bat who buys the official story .
But when Communists lie , they don ’ t care if what they say is even feasible ; they just expect you to choke it down .
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation has put together a remarkable paper explaining what was done , by whom , and when , to enable the spread of this virus .
It is so spectacular , it needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a painstakingly assembled timeline , starting in mid-November of 2019 ( though I think it might possibly turn out the virus was circulating even before then ) , with three columns showing what 1 ) the People ’ s Republic of China/Chinese Communist Party was saying and 2 ) the World Health Organization was reporting while 3 ) reality intruded .
I can not tell you how illuminating this is .
To quote : “ The denial of information , outright fabrications , and disregard for human life — both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borders — is so shocking and pervasive that the contracting of this virus by millions worldwide and the resultant death toll was not only foreseeable but entirely avoidable.
” It calls for the People ’ s Republic of China to be held accountable “ through demands for economic reparations and other and other sanctions pertaining to human rights.
” Monday brought so much news that it ’ s impossible to include it all in a letter .
I ’ m going to need the whole alphabet , and this will still just be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s jump in , and if you ’ d like to know more , click the links .
First , as usual , here ’ s the video of Monday ’ s full White House press briefing on the coronavirus .
At this writing , Democrats still haven ’ t signed on to the bill to add $ 250 billion to the quickly-exhausted loan fund for small businesses .
President Trump said he ’ s optimistic it will pass soon , and he wants $ 75 billion added to aid hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the virus while losing the income from elective surgeries .
Also , while about 42,000 Americans have died , Trump said death tolls are down substantially , and he urged people to continue to follow health and safety guidelines while we responsibly reopen the economy .
Rep. Alexandria Oscasio-Cortez is threatening to oppose the bill in the House ( because $ 2 trillion was just “ a nickel ” to her ) , unless she gets funding for her socialist Utopian vision .
That includes a guaranteed income of at least $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from the big money trees that grow on the banks of the Potomac .
The New York Post tried to link a protest of the lock down to a surge in coronavirus deaths , when the surge was reported on the same day the protest took place .
That ’ s one fast virus !
A number of media outlets ran photos allegedly showing crowds on a newly-reopened beach in Jacksonville , Florida , violating social distancing guidelines .
But it turned out that the photos looked like crowds from some angles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell they were actually small groups , likely families who quarantine together , staying at least six feet away from other people .
It ’ s called “ perspective , ” which a lot of people obviously don ’ t have .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Finally , New York Times writer Ginia Bellafante tried to blame the death of a New York man on Fox News because he allegedly contracted the virus on a cruise he took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease .
Problem : the Hannity quote she cites was from March 9th , long after the man left on the cruise .
However , before he left on the cruise , back on February 27th , he might have seen this tweet from another media figure : “ I fundamentally don ’ t understand the panic .
Virus is not deadly in vast majority of cases.
” That was a quote from … take a wild guess ?
New York Times reporter Ginia Bellafante .
From Judith : An Important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike , I am one of your biggest fans ; however , I find the references to the Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) above to be tone deaf to what the true small business owner is experiencing .
Supposedly the PPP was a first-come , first-served program to protect small companies and their employees .
The way it is being administered is egregious if it is anything like what my 29-year-old son experienced .
He and a college roommate own a metal fabrication and welding business that they started in 2015 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Pittsburgh National Corporation PNC , his banker , on the day that the program opened .
Four days later , the banker at PNC contacted him to say that my son had not initialed the application in two places .
He did so within three hours .
When he did not hear back from PNC on the status of his application , he contacted the banker repeatedly .
No response at all until last Thursday , April 16 , 2020 , when the banker contacted him and said that she had submitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The money had run out .
He had to furlough all of his employees .
Now he is frantic to keep his business afloat .
He submitted a complaint to PNC and the banker called and offered him a loan at 7 % .
He has avoided debt like the plague .
He and his partner have paid themselves paupers ’ wages , believing that investing in equipment and good employees now would pay off in the future .
If he had not acted in a timely manner , he would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything in time to get a loan and the “ big guys ” get funding and you didn ’ t , it feels like crony capitalism at its worst .
Whom does he blame ?
Trump and Marco Rubio .
Somebody had to write and approve the bill .
He believes that they left loopholes for the banks and the connected .
The media have been haranguing us for months to listen to the “ experts ” on the COVID-19 ( Chinese ) coronavirus , but the problem is that nobody was really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and those who claimed to be have been proven wrong again and again .
Now , the “ expert consensus ” might be about to blow up once more , due to a large-scale study by UCLA and the L.A. County Department of Public Health .
The study found that 4.1 % of Los Angeles County ’ s adult population has antibodies to the virus .
Based on population , that means that between 221,000 and 442,000 residents have been previously infected .
That ’ s anywhere from 28 to 55 times higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases .
On the down side , that means more people than we knew were carrying the virus and could be spreading it .
On the plus side , if that many people had it and didn ’ t even realize it , or weren ’ t sick enough to go to the doctor and get tested , then the hospitalization and fatality rates may be significantly lower than we thought .
The study ’ s leader said “ we might have to recalibrate disease prediction models and rethink public health strategies.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversing policies as we learn more information is what good leaders should be doing all the time .
They just have to tune out all the yapping Chihuahuas in the media who accuse them of having blood on their hands or being lying liars if what they say based on what we know now is different from what they said three months ago based on what we knew then .
Jesus said unto him , If thou canst believe , all things are possible to him that believeth .
( Mark 9:23 KJV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events .
A New York Times best-selling author , he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN .

Cheers to the editor-in-chief of BILD, Germany’s largest newspaper, who wrote this in an open letter to Chinese President Xi:
In your country, people are whispering about you. Your power is crumbling. You have created an inscrutable, non-transparent China. Before Corona, China was known as a surveillance state. Now, China is known as a surveillance state that infected the world with a deadly disease. That is your political legacy.
This comes as China is doubling down on its original fairy tale that COVID-19 came from the local “wet market” and not from the bio lab in Wuhan. The head of that lab has even called out Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, saying his accusations are “based on speculation,” though I will “speculate” that he is being forced by Dear Leader to say this to those reporters in State media who are allowed to talk to him. With what we have learned, there is no one with the intelligence of a Chinese horseshoe bat who buys the official story. But when Communists lie, they don’t care if what they say is even feasible; they just expect you to choke it down.
Illuminating Paper
The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation has put together a remarkable paper explaining what was done, by whom, and when, to enable the spread of this virus. It is so spectacular, it needs little elaboration. After the article, there’s a painstakingly assembled timeline, starting in mid-November of 2019 (though I think it might possibly turn out the virus was circulating even before then), with three columns showing what 1) the People’s Republic of China/Chinese Communist Party was saying and 2) the World Health Organization was reporting while 3) reality intruded. I cannot tell you how illuminating this is.
To quote: “The denial of information, outright fabrications, and disregard for human life — both within and outside of China’s borders — is so shocking and pervasive that the contracting of this virus by millions worldwide and the resultant death toll was not only foreseeable but entirely avoidable.” It calls for the People’s Republic of China to be held accountable “through demands for economic reparations and other and other sanctions pertaining to human rights.”
The condemnation it lays on the World Health Organization is equally great. “The WHO,” it says, “…has served as a ‘useful idiot’ that repeats CCP propaganda without question.” I would add that our own leftist media, blinded by their hatred of President Trump, have had a major role in that as well and deserve to be described the same way.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
We now know that the People’s Republic of China had confirmed human-to-human transmission by late December yet ordered the evidence destroyed. Through the middle of January, they were saying the virus was containable, when other actions (such as the effort to stockpile medical supplies from American and Europe) show otherwise. And that was just the beginning of the deception by the PRC and WHO. Most stunningly, the PRC allowed 5 million people to leave the province of Wuhan — not to go to other parts of China, but to go to other countries. Much of this we have covered, but when you see it all together like this, it’s almost beyond belief. The evil just leaps from the page.
This paper and the timeline that follows are absolute must-reads. But, one word of caution: this information, laid out before you as it is, will raise your blood pressure to the sky, and as we’ve been told by the doctors and epidemiologists, high blood pressure is a risk factor for this virus. So take breaks as appropriate, and walk outside, taking deep breaths.
Check out the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Be sure also to read about the organization that put this together, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. I have to give President Bill Clinton credit for signing the bill that created it, passed unanimously by Congress on December 17, 1993. Perhaps they didn’t anticipate how desperately we’d need a group like this less than thirty years later. But we have a few people in Congress NOW who would never vote to create an organization like this if a similar bill came up today. That’s because they themselves are communists who would exercise total government control if they could, and they lie with the ease of the CCP.
“Those witnesses with a living memory of 20th Century communism are passing away,” the Foundation says on their website. “And an entire generation of Americans is open to collectivist ideas because they don’t know the truth…Our mission is to educate this generation and future generations about the ideology, history and legacy of communism.”
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN.
Copyright 2020 MikeHuckabee.com. Republished with permission.


thestream--2020-04-21--Oil Prices Are Negative. What Does That Even Mean?

CNN.com had it plastered all over the front page : oil below $ 0 dollars .
What does it reveal about the oil industry and economics ?
First , predictions in economics are woefully inaccurate , especially in oil .
In the summer of 2018 alone , serious analysts were predicting oil at $ 200 per barrel , or even $ 400 per barrel “ in 12 to 18 months ” — right about now .
It ’ s not that the people making those predictions are not smart — they are .
But , even smart people can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myriad interactions among billions of humans on the planet .
Have that in mind the next time someone says that this or that is “ inevitable.
” Remember “ peak oil ” — a set of claims that we are pretty much running out of oil , and/or that it will be so expensive that no one will use it .
Well , that didn ’ t pan out .
Although in a weird way , it is kind of true .
If we are talking about economically viable oil deposits — oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain price — at a negative price , we have pretty much run out of economically viable oil reserves today .
Inelastic Supply Cuts Up and Down Nor is it the first time when something useful was traded at negative prices .
Electric energy experiences periods of negative prices .
When it is expensive ( or impossible ) to stop production , no one is buying , and there is nowhere to store your product .
You will start offering people money just to take it away .
Support The Stream : Serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Faith .
And No Fear .
This is an example of what economists call very “ price inelastic ” supply , or in simple words : a situation where large changes in price lead to small changes in production .
Price inelasticity of supply is why predictions of $ 200 or $ 400 per barrel oil are not silly .
If everyone is buying oil , and all the wells are pumping at capacity , there is very little reason for a price to go down , because you can not increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reverse too .
If the price goes down , and you are in the oil business , you need to pump even more to get the same amount of money as before .
Price is Not Value is Not Cost Another great source of confusion for people is mixing up price , cost , and value .
They sound similar , but they are not .
Price is what a buyer and a seller agree on .
Cost is what someone pays to produce something .
Value is what an individual thinks something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we pay for something is lower than the value of what we buy ( otherwise — why buy it ? )
.
In addition , the price at which we sell something is usually more than the costs to make it , otherwise we ’ d soon be out of business .
If I buy a doughnut for $ 1 , we can safely assume that I value the doughnut more than $ 1 and it costs less than $ 1 for a doughnut shop to make that doughnut .
But it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth $ 1 and everyone should pay $ 1 for it .
Nor does it mean that this doughnut has $ 1 of ingredients or labor in it .
It also does not mean that if you smash two doughnuts together , someone is obliged to buy it for $ 2 .
Oil gushing out and trading for negative dollars today is of the same chemical composition as yesterday .
People pumping the oil are working just as hard as yesterday .
The cost of extracting a barrel yesterday was most likely exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price dropped according to what people ( traders ) did .
Call it human action .
These laws apply to oil , doughnuts , and all other goods and services too .
That is why wages are not always determined by who has the most degrees or who spent most money on their education .
If an IT guy is paid five times more than a janitor , it does not mean that the IT guy works five times harder , spent five times more on education , or is five times the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is willing to pay more for an IT specialist ’ s services , and that there are more people capable of doing janitor ’ s work .
It Won ’ t Last Long .
Probably The negative prices , however interesting , should not hold for long .
If costs exceed prices , usually companies run out of money and shut down , unless someone keeps on propping them up with their own or taxpayer money ( e.g .
the U.S .
Postal Service ) .
It is likely that if low prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will simply go bankrupt .
It is more complicated when entire states extract oil and depend on oil revenues to finance their spending ( e.g .
Russia ) .
A substantial portion of Russia ’ s federal budget comes from oil-derived revenues , so it ’ s not like stopping the pumps is an option .
Although you can mismanage things so badly that pumps will stop ( e.g .
Venezuela ) .
How much it costs to extract oil is another factor .
Producers with low extraction costs can tolerate the zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All this is to say that the negative prices shouldn ’ t last long .
But then again , remember the lesson about predictions .
Will prices for gasoline drop to zero ?
Not quite .
Even if it all were merely cost-driven , crude oil accounts for about half of the retail gas price .
So , even if crude oil were zero dollars for a long time , gas prices shouldn ’ t fall by more than a half due to refining costs , transportation , retail , and taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero dollars persisted , some crafty politician would come up with an idea to add some extra tax on it .
Speaking of crafty politicians , gas in Europe is way more expensive than in the U.S .
Imagine paying approximately $ 2.50 per gallon just for the excise tax .
If you think that ’ s outrageous — add an additional 20 percent of value-added tax charged on excise taxes alone ( yes — a tax to tax a tax ) .
Therefore even if crude oil cost zero , and refining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would still cost $ 3 per gallon in Europe .
To sum up , the laws of economics are not broken .
Human action is still the driver of all economic phenomena .
Laws that apply to oil apply to your life too .
Gasoline will not drop to zero dollars , and if it did , politicians would tax it to “ save ” us from low prices .
Zilvinas Silenas is President of the Foundation for Economic Education ( FEE ) .
He holds degrees in economics from Wesleyan University and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and has served in numerous teaching and advisory roles .
This article was originally published on FEE.org .

CNN.com had it plastered all over the front page: oil below $0 dollars. What does it reveal about the oil industry and economics?
Predictions Rarely Pan Out
First, predictions in economics are woefully inaccurate, especially in oil. In the summer of 2018 alone, serious analysts were predicting oil at $200 per barrel, or even $400 per barrel “in 12 to 18 months” — right about now. It’s not that the people making those predictions are not smart — they are. But, even smart people can be horribly wrong when it comes to the myriad interactions among billions of humans on the planet. Have that in mind the next time someone says that this or that is “inevitable.”
Remember “peak oil” — a set of claims that we are pretty much running out of oil, and/or that it will be so expensive that no one will use it. Well, that didn’t pan out. Although in a weird way, it is kind of true. If we are talking about economically viable oil deposits — oil that makes sense to pump given a certain price — at a negative price, we have pretty much run out of economically viable oil reserves today.
Inelastic Supply Cuts Up and Down
Nor is it the first time when something useful was traded at negative prices. Electric energy experiences periods of negative prices. When it is expensive (or impossible) to stop production, no one is buying, and there is nowhere to store your product. You will start offering people money just to take it away.
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This is an example of what economists call very “price inelastic” supply, or in simple words: a situation where large changes in price lead to small changes in production. Price inelasticity of supply is why predictions of $200 or $400 per barrel oil are not silly. If everyone is buying oil, and all the wells are pumping at capacity, there is very little reason for a price to go down, because you cannot increase production. However, this works in reverse too. If the price goes down, and you are in the oil business, you need to pump even more to get the same amount of money as before.
Price is Not Value is Not Cost
Another great source of confusion for people is mixing up price, cost, and value. They sound similar, but they are not. Price is what a buyer and a seller agree on. Cost is what someone pays to produce something. Value is what an individual thinks something is worth. Usually, the price we pay for something is lower than the value of what we buy (otherwise — why buy it?). In addition, the price at which we sell something is usually more than the costs to make it, otherwise we’d soon be out of business.
If I buy a doughnut for $1, we can safely assume that I value the doughnut more than $1 and it costs less than $1 for a doughnut shop to make that doughnut. But it does not mean that the doughnut is objectively worth $1 and everyone should pay $1 for it. Nor does it mean that this doughnut has $1 of ingredients or labor in it. It also does not mean that if you smash two doughnuts together, someone is obliged to buy it for $2.
Oil gushing out and trading for negative dollars today is of the same chemical composition as yesterday. People pumping the oil are working just as hard as yesterday. The cost of extracting a barrel yesterday was most likely exactly the same as today. Yet the price dropped according to what people (traders) did. Call it human action.
These laws apply to oil, doughnuts, and all other goods and services too. That is why wages are not always determined by who has the most degrees or who spent most money on their education. If an IT guy is paid five times more than a janitor, it does not mean that the IT guy works five times harder, spent five times more on education, or is five times the person. It merely means that someone is willing to pay more for an IT specialist’s services, and that there are more people capable of doing janitor’s work.
It Won’t Last Long. Probably
The negative prices, however interesting, should not hold for long. If costs exceed prices, usually companies run out of money and shut down, unless someone keeps on propping them up with their own or taxpayer money (e.g. the U.S. Postal Service). It is likely that if low prices persist, a number of private producers will simply go bankrupt.
It is more complicated when entire states extract oil and depend on oil revenues to finance their spending (e.g. Russia). A substantial portion of Russia’s federal budget comes from oil-derived revenues, so it’s not like stopping the pumps is an option. Although you can mismanage things so badly that pumps will stop (e.g. Venezuela).
To sum up, the laws of economics are not broken. Human action is still the driver of all economic phenomena.
How much it costs to extract oil is another factor. Producers with low extraction costs can tolerate the zero price longer than those with higher costs. All this is to say that the negative prices shouldn’t last long. But then again, remember the lesson about predictions.
Will prices for gasoline drop to zero? Not quite. Even if it all were merely cost-driven, crude oil accounts for about half of the retail gas price. So, even if crude oil were zero dollars for a long time, gas prices shouldn’t fall by more than a half due to refining costs, transportation, retail, and taxes. I am sure if oil at zero dollars persisted, some crafty politician would come up with an idea to add some extra tax on it.
Speaking of crafty politicians, gas in Europe is way more expensive than in the U.S. Imagine paying approximately $2.50 per gallon just for the excise tax. If you think that’s outrageous — add an additional 20 percent of value-added tax charged on excise taxes alone (yes — a tax to tax a tax). Therefore even if crude oil cost zero, and refining and transporting it cost zero, it would still cost $3 per gallon in Europe.
To sum up, the laws of economics are not broken. Human action is still the driver of all economic phenomena. Laws that apply to oil apply to your life too. Gasoline will not drop to zero dollars, and if it did, politicians would tax it to “save” us from low prices.
Zilvinas Silenas is President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). He holds degrees in economics from Wesleyan University and the ISM University of Management and Economics, and has served in numerous teaching and advisory roles.
This article was originally published on FEE.org.


thestream--2020-04-21--Biden Likely Outraises Trump in March as He Seizes the Primary

Former Vice President Joe Biden likely outraised President Donald Trump in March , his campaign announced Monday night .
The 2020 presidential candidate , who has taken control of the Democratic primary , raised $ 46.7 million in March , according to Politico .
These funds came out to over half of what Biden raised in his entire campaign before March — he had raised a little over $ 88 million between the second quarter of 2019 and the end of February , Politico reported .
“ In March alone , this campaign raised $ 46.7 million , with 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted .
“ This virus has changed our campaign .
But it hasn ’ t changed the unwavering support we ’ ve gotten from all of you .
Together , we ’ re going to defeat Trump.
” A campaign finance report that Biden ’ s campaign filed Monday night also shows that the former vice president spent $ 32.5 million , ending March with $ 26.4 million in his campaign account , according to Politico .
The Democratic National Committee also brought in $ 32.7 million in March , assisted dramatically by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s $ 18 million contribution .
While the Trump campaign has not yet filed its March financial report , Republicans have already said that the RNC , Trump and other affiliated fundraising committees raised less than Biden and the DNC ’ s combined total in March : $ 63 million , Politico reported .
Biden ’ s campaign fundraising appears to have been curtailed in the second half of March due to coronavirus restrictions , lack of public campaign events and unemployment .
The former vice president said at the last Democratic debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 15 that he had raised $ 33 million already that month .
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Faith .
And No Fear .
It is unclear whether his campaign fundraising will continue at this rate , and Biden told supporters in a Monday night email that he is aware the coronavirus pandemic could hurt fundraising .
“ I know that April may not match March in fundraising , and that ’ s okay by me , ” Biden said in an email.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s unrecognizable at times .
Your family and your community need your generosity and strength now more than ever.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Former Vice President Joe Biden likely outraised President Donald Trump in March, his campaign announced Monday night.
The 2020 presidential candidate, who has taken control of the Democratic primary, raised $46.7 million in March, according to Politico. These funds came out to over half of what Biden raised in his entire campaign before March — he had raised a little over $88 million between the second quarter of 2019 and the end of February, Politico reported.
“In March alone, this campaign raised $46.7 million, with 70% from online donations,” Biden tweeted. “This virus has changed our campaign. But it hasn’t changed the unwavering support we’ve gotten from all of you. Together, we’re going to defeat Trump.”
A campaign finance report that Biden’s campaign filed Monday night also shows that the former vice president spent $32.5 million, ending March with $26.4 million in his campaign account, according to Politico. The Democratic National Committee also brought in $32.7 million in March, assisted dramatically by former 2020 presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg’s $18 million contribution.
In March alone, this campaign raised $46.7 million, with 70% from online donations. This virus has changed our campaign. But it hasn't changed the unwavering support we've gotten from all of you. Together, we're going to defeat Trump. Help keep us going: https://t.co/GIzEQS0nNj — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 21, 2020
While the Trump campaign has not yet filed its March financial report, Republicans have already said that the RNC, Trump and other affiliated fundraising committees raised less than Biden and the DNC’s combined total in March: $63 million, Politico reported.
Biden’s campaign fundraising appears to have been curtailed in the second half of March due to coronavirus restrictions, lack of public campaign events and unemployment. The former vice president said at the last Democratic debate against former 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on March 15 that he had raised $33 million already that month.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It is unclear whether his campaign fundraising will continue at this rate, and Biden told supporters in a Monday night email that he is aware the coronavirus pandemic could hurt fundraising.
“I know that April may not match March in fundraising, and that’s okay by me,” Biden said in an email.” The world has changed a great deal. It’s unrecognizable at times. Your family and your community need your generosity and strength now more than ever.”
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-04-21--If Half the Country’s Deaths Were in Montana, Would New York Shut Down?

According to The New York Times ’ coronavirus report , as of Sunday , April 19 , 2:48 p.m. Eastern Standard Time , there were 35,676 COVID-19 deaths in the United States .
Of those deaths , 18,690 were in the New York metropolitan area .
That means that more than half ( 52 % ) of all deaths in America have occurred in the New York metropolitan area .
What makes this statistic particularly noteworthy is that the entire death toll for 41 of the other 47 states is 7,661 .
In other words , while New York has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , 41 states put together have only 21 % of the COVID-19 deaths .
And all the 47 states other than New York , New Jersey and Connecticut have less than half ( 48 % ) .
Would New York Close Down ?
Now let us imagine that the reverse were true .
Imagine that Georgia and North Carolina — two contiguous states that , like the New York metro area , have a combined total of 21 million people — had 18,690 COVID-19 deaths , while metro New York had 858 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina and Georgia combined ) .
Do you think the New York metro area would close its schools , stores , restaurants and small businesses ?
Would every citizen of the New York area , with the few exceptions of those engaged in absolutely necessary work , be locked in their homes for months ?
Would New Yorkers accept the decimation of their economic and social lives because North Carolina and Georgia ( or , even more absurdly , Colorado , Montana or the rest of what most New Yorkers regard as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths , while they had a mere 858 ?
It is , of course , possible .
But I suspect that anyone with an open mind assumes that New Yorkers would not put up with ruining their economic and social lives and putting tens of millions of people out of work because of coronavirus deaths in North Carolina and Georgia , let alone Montana and Idaho ( and , for the record , I would have agreed with them ) .
Even more telling , the media , which controls American public opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidency and Congress — but not churches and synagogues , which is why they loathe evangelicals , traditional Catholics , faithful Mormons and Orthodox Jews — would not be as fixated on closing down the country if it were killing far more people in some Southern , Midwestern , Mountain or Western states than in New York City .
The media is New York-based and New York-centered .
New York is America .
The rest of the country , with the partial exception of Los Angeles ( also a media center ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Ones Who Don ’ t Exist Having grown up and attended college and graduate school in New York , and having lived in three of the city ’ s five boroughs , I know how accurate the most famous New Yorker magazine cover ever published was .
The cover ’ s illustration depicted a New Yorker ’ s map of America : New York City , the George Washington Bridge and then San Francisco .
The rest of the country essentially didn ’ t exist .
One would have to visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village in a developing country to find people more insular than New York liberals , which is what nearly all New Yorkers are .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
One of the turning points of my life occurred when I was 24 years old and went to give a talk in Nashville , Tennessee .
My assumption , having lived all my life in New York , was that I would be meeting and talking to what essentially amounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they not New Yorkers ; they were Southerners .
What I found instead was a beautiful city with kind and highly sophisticated people .
No one I met was as cynical as most New Yorkers , who confuse cynicism with sophistication .
It was on that trip that I decided to leave New York .
When I moved to California two years later , my friends , and every other New Yorker I spoke to on visits back to New York , asked why I left and when I was coming back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York is to leave the center of the world ; it is leaving relevance for irrelevance .
In his latest column , New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman inadvertently revealed how New York-centric his view of America is .
Friedman , like virtually all his colleagues at The New York Times , opposes opening up any state in America at this time .
He writes : “ Every person will be playing Russian roulette every minute of every day : Do I get on this crowded bus to go to work or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subway and the person next to me is not wearing gloves and a mask ?
” Only a New Yorker would write those two sentences .
In the 40 years I have lived in the second-largest city in America , I have never ridden on the subway or any other intraurban train or bus .
In fact , it is common for New Yorkers to look at Los Angeles with disdain for our “ car culture.
” Like the vast majority of Americans everywhere outside of New York City , in Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , visit family and friends , and go to social and cultural events by car — currently the life-saving way to travel — not by bus or subway , the New Yorker way of getting around .
But Friedman is a New Yorker , and because his fellow New Yorkers walk past one another on crowded streets and travel in crammed buses and subway cars , South Dakotans should be denied the ability to make a living .
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist .
His latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , is The Rational Bible , a commentary on the book of Genesis .
His film , “ No Safe Spaces , ” came to theaters fall 2019 .
He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com .

According to The New York Times’ coronavirus report, as of Sunday, April 19, 2:48 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, there were 35,676 COVID-19 deaths in the United States. Of those deaths, 18,690 were in the New York metropolitan area.
(The New York metropolitan area is generally regarded as consisting of the five boroughs of New York City, the five New York State counties surrounding New York City — Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange — and the populous parts of New Jersey and Connecticut.)
That means that more than half (52%) of all deaths in America have occurred in the New York metropolitan area.
What makes this statistic particularly noteworthy is that the entire death toll for 41 of the other 47 states is 7,661. In other words, while New York has 52% of all COVID-19 deaths in America, 41 states put together have only 21% of the COVID-19 deaths. And all the 47 states other than New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have less than half (48%).
Would New York Close Down?
Now let us imagine that the reverse were true. Imagine that Georgia and North Carolina — two contiguous states that, like the New York metro area, have a combined total of 21 million people — had 18,690 COVID-19 deaths, while metro New York had 858 deaths (the number of deaths in North Carolina and Georgia combined).
Do you think the New York metro area would close its schools, stores, restaurants and small businesses? Would every citizen of the New York area, with the few exceptions of those engaged in absolutely necessary work, be locked in their homes for months? Would New Yorkers accept the decimation of their economic and social lives because North Carolina and Georgia (or, even more absurdly, Colorado, Montana or the rest of what most New Yorkers regard as “flyover” country) had 18,960 deaths, while they had a mere 858?
It is, of course, possible. But I suspect that anyone with an open mind assumes that New Yorkers would not put up with ruining their economic and social lives and putting tens of millions of people out of work because of coronavirus deaths in North Carolina and Georgia, let alone Montana and Idaho (and, for the record, I would have agreed with them).
The New York-Centered Media
Even more telling, the media, which controls American public opinion more than any other institution, including the presidency and Congress — but not churches and synagogues, which is why they loathe evangelicals, traditional Catholics, faithful Mormons and Orthodox Jews — would not be as fixated on closing down the country if it were killing far more people in some Southern, Midwestern, Mountain or Western states than in New York City.
The media is New York-based and New York-centered. New York is America. The rest of the country, with the partial exception of Los Angeles (also a media center) and Silicon Valley, is an afterthought.
The Ones Who Don’t Exist
Having grown up and attended college and graduate school in New York, and having lived in three of the city’s five boroughs, I know how accurate the most famous New Yorker magazine cover ever published was. The cover’s illustration depicted a New Yorker’s map of America: New York City, the George Washington Bridge and then San Francisco. The rest of the country essentially didn’t exist.
One would have to visit people who had never left their rural village in a developing country to find people more insular than New York liberals, which is what nearly all New Yorkers are.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
One of the turning points of my life occurred when I was 24 years old and went to give a talk in Nashville, Tennessee. My assumption, having lived all my life in New York, was that I would be meeting and talking to what essentially amounted to country bumpkins. Not only were they not New Yorkers; they were Southerners.
What I found instead was a beautiful city with kind and highly sophisticated people. No one I met was as cynical as most New Yorkers, who confuse cynicism with sophistication. It was on that trip that I decided to leave New York. When I moved to California two years later, my friends, and every other New Yorker I spoke to on visits back to New York, asked why I left and when I was coming back. To most New Yorkers, to leave New York is to leave the center of the world; it is leaving relevance for irrelevance.
Playing Russian Roulette
In his latest column, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman inadvertently revealed how New York-centric his view of America is. Friedman, like virtually all his colleagues at The New York Times, opposes opening up any state in America at this time. He writes: “Every person will be playing Russian roulette every minute of every day: Do I get on this crowded bus to go to work or not? What if I get on the subway and the person next to me is not wearing gloves and a mask?”
Only a New Yorker would write those two sentences. In the 40 years I have lived in the second-largest city in America, I have never ridden on the subway or any other intraurban train or bus. In fact, it is common for New Yorkers to look at Los Angeles with disdain for our “car culture.” Like the vast majority of Americans everywhere outside of New York City, in Los Angeles, most of us get to work, visit family and friends, and go to social and cultural events by car — currently the life-saving way to travel — not by bus or subway, the New Yorker way of getting around.
But Friedman is a New Yorker, and because his fellow New Yorkers walk past one another on crowded streets and travel in crammed buses and subway cars, South Dakotans should be denied the ability to make a living.
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, published by Regnery in May 2019, is The Rational Bible, a commentary on the book of Genesis. His film, “No Safe Spaces,” came to theaters fall 2019. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM


thestream--2020-04-21--Harvard Wants to Take Your Kids. Why Not Take Its Endowment?

I was rip-roaring to write an expose about Harvard University ’ s new attack on homeschooling .
But Tim Carney beat me to that punch .
See his column in The Washington Examiner .
Harvard Law School hosts a program called the “ Child Advocacy Program , ” or CAP , which works on weakening “ parent rights ” and diminishing the idea of “ family preservation ” … .
[ T ] he latest crusade by CAP ’ s director , Harvard law professor Elizabeth Bartholet , is basically to abolish homeschooling .
“ The Risks of Homeschooling ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article about Bartholet ’ s crusade .
It was flagged on Twitter over the weekend by education scholar and homeschooling advocate Corey DeAngelis .
Bartholet ’ s latest law review article is titled “ Homeschooling : Parent Rights Absolutism vs. Child Rights to Education & Protection.
” This is how Bartholet sees homeschooling , per that law review article : “ Many homeschool because they want to isolate their children from ideas and values central to our democracy , determined to keep their children from exposure to views that might enable autonomous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates “ a presumptive ban on homeschooling , with the burden on parents to demonstrate justification for permission to homeschool.
” Harvard Magazine had an insane picture illustrating the story .
Public school children are all running around freely , while the homeschooled child is locked in a literal prison made of books — including the Bible .
Harvard is even hosting a conference of alarmist experts in June .
They ’ ll gather and share horror stories .
They ’ ll warn that homeschooled children escape the homogenizing and secularizing influence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ recommendations.
” Rich , powerful teachers unions will push them in state legislatures .
Wouldn ’ t it be awful if thousands of homeschoolers descended on the campus and made the conference … deeply uncomfortable ?
A powerful backlash is emerging among homeschoolers , Christians , and worried parents .
We need to be part of it .
We must teach similar institutions that it ’ s dangerous to mainstream extremist attacks on the family .
And such powerful actors as Harvard don ’ t learn things by argument .
You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let them learn from repeated pain .
Harvard wants to take our children .
Maybe we need to take its $ 40 billion endowment .
I like Will Chamberlain ’ s proposal in Human Events .
College debt is uniquely odious ; it ’ s the only debt that ’ s non-dischargeable , and it ’ s offered to children .
Today , 44.2 million Americans carry almost $ 1.5 trillion in student loan debt .
Inflated tuition costs , of course , is largely to blame ; the cost of college or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their parents .
In the past 20 years , the average tuition and fees at private National Universities have jumped 154 % .
In-state tuition and fees at public National Universities have grown the most , increasing 221 % .
[ T ] he Federal Government has already spent trillions of dollars to make a college education more affordable .
All that has happened is that price-gouging universities have spent like drunken sailors on administrators and facilities .
Instead of focusing on building the skills of the next generation of America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes , openly engaged in endless money-grabbing and anti-competitive ventures like banning students from living off-campus , or buying up all the apartments near campus and jacking up the prices .
“ Seize the Endowments ” is a clarion call , a statement of intent .
It dishonors the university system : our government “ seizes ” assets that were fraudulently acquired to compensate the victims of that fraud .
And it places the blame for the student debt crisis where it ultimately belongs : on the universities that are exploiting young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing in taxes and bloating their administrative incomes .
I ’ m all for Chamberlain ’ s idea .
I hope he can find a way to make it pass legal muster .
But Harvard ’ s power-grab is nothing new .
In fact , it ’ s the latest sally in a long tradition of Northeastern secular elites trying to control the next generation .
Read James T. Bennett and Thomas DiLorenzo in their classic study of big government deception Official Lies .
Official Lies offers copious quotes from big educational reformers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t coy about their motives .
They boosted the public school system for a very specific goal .
Namely , to help “ Social Gospel ” liberal Protestants and their openly secularist allies “ free ” children from the faiths of their parents .
Who just happened to be “ backward ” fundamentalist Protestants or Catholics .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
The so-called best and brightest didn ’ t stop at trying to dry up alternatives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They did that via “ progressive ” teachers colleges and requirements for their empty Education degrees . )
Sometimes elites tried to grab control of the supply of children among the “ lower orders.
” Margaret Sanger made birth control respectable among upper-class liberal Protestants .
How ?
By stoking tribal panic .
She warned of the danger that Southern European and Jewish immigrants posed to America ’ s “ racial health.
” Her eugenics organization , “ Planned Parenthood , ” demanded “ more [ children ] from the fit , fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in half a dozen states imposing forced sterilization on Americans who failed culturally biased IQ tests .
She even promoted as part of the New Deal a “ National Baby Code.
” Here are a few of its provisions : Article 1 .
The purpose of the American Baby Code shall be to provide for a better distribution of babies … and to protect society against the propagation and increase of the unfit .
Article 3 .
A marriage license shall in itself give husband and wife only the right to a common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Article 4 .
No woman shall have the legal right to bear a child , and no man shall have the right to become a father , without a permit for parenthood .
Article 6 .
No permit for parenthood shall be valid for more than one birth .
Article 8 .
Feeble-minded persons , habitual congenital criminals , those afflicted with inheritable disease , and others found biologically unfit by authorities qualified judge should be sterilized or , in cases of doubt , should be so isolated as to prevent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ emphasis added ] Elites Never Change their Goals , Just Their Tactics Sanger got massive financial support from Northeastern elites .
Senator Prescott Bush , father of George H.W .
Bush , served as an officer in the Connecticut branch of Planned Parenthood .
Every time you hear someone on the left speak of children ’ s rights , a red light should go off in your head .
( Remember that pedophiles echo the rhetoric , claiming to defend children ’ s “ rights ” to have sex with men .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ right ” to explicit sex education starting in first grade .
And their “ right ” to daycare starting shortly after birth .
Anything to increase the government ’ s role in shaping their souls .
Evangelical Christians and conservatives now stand in the same position that Catholic immigrants did in the 19th century .
They ’ re the targets of a conspiracy of the rich and arrogant who want to take their children .
To “ protect ” them .
Because they know better .
John Zmirak is a senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .

I was rip-roaring to write an expose about Harvard University’s new attack on homeschooling. But Tim Carney beat me to that punch. See his column in The Washington Examiner.
Harvard Law School hosts a program called the “Child Advocacy Program,” or CAP, which works on weakening “parent rights” and diminishing the idea of “family preservation” … . [T]he latest crusade by CAP’s director, Harvard law professor Elizabeth Bartholet, is basically to abolish homeschooling. “The Risks of Homeschooling” is Harvard Magazine’s headline on an article about Bartholet’s crusade. It was flagged on Twitter over the weekend by education scholar and homeschooling advocate Corey DeAngelis. Bartholet’s latest law review article is titled “Homeschooling: Parent Rights Absolutism vs. Child Rights to Education & Protection.” This is how Bartholet sees homeschooling, per that law review article: “Many homeschool because they want to isolate their children from ideas and values central to our democracy, determined to keep their children from exposure to views that might enable autonomous choice about their future lives.” She advocates “a presumptive ban on homeschooling, with the burden on parents to demonstrate justification for permission to homeschool.” … Harvard Magazine had an insane picture illustrating the story. Public school children are all running around freely, while the homeschooled child is locked in a literal prison made of books — including the Bible.
Harvard is even hosting a conference of alarmist experts in June. They’ll gather and share horror stories. They’ll warn that homeschooled children escape the homogenizing and secularizing influence of government schools. That conference will generate “recommendations.” Rich, powerful teachers unions will push them in state legislatures.
Make Harvard Pay
Wouldn’t it be awful if thousands of homeschoolers descended on the campus and made the conference … deeply uncomfortable?
A powerful backlash is emerging among homeschoolers, Christians, and worried parents. We need to be part of it. We must teach similar institutions that it’s dangerous to mainstream extremist attacks on the family. And such powerful actors as Harvard don’t learn things by argument. You have to put shock collars on them, let them learn from repeated pain.
Harvard’s power-grab is nothing new. In fact, it’s the latest sally in a long tradition of Northeastern secular elites trying to control the next generation.
Seize the Endowments
Harvard wants to take our children. Maybe we need to take its $40 billion endowment. I like Will Chamberlain’s proposal in Human Events.
College debt is uniquely odious; it’s the only debt that’s non-dischargeable, and it’s offered to children. Today, 44.2 million Americans carry almost $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. Inflated tuition costs, of course, is largely to blame; the cost of college or millennials is significantly different from that of their parents. In the past 20 years, the average tuition and fees at private National Universities have jumped 154%. In-state tuition and fees at public National Universities have grown the most, increasing 221%. … [T]he Federal Government has already spent trillions of dollars to make a college education more affordable. All that has happened is that price-gouging universities have spent like drunken sailors on administrators and facilities. Instead of focusing on building the skills of the next generation of America’s workforce, universities have turned into racketeering schemes, openly engaged in endless money-grabbing and anti-competitive ventures like banning students from living off-campus, or buying up all the apartments near campus and jacking up the prices. … “Seize the Endowments” is a clarion call, a statement of intent. It dishonors the university system: our government “seizes” assets that were fraudulently acquired to compensate the victims of that fraud. And it places the blame for the student debt crisis where it ultimately belongs: on the universities that are exploiting young people and immiserating them in debt while paying nothing in taxes and bloating their administrative incomes.
I’m all for Chamberlain’s idea. I hope he can find a way to make it pass legal muster. But Harvard’s power-grab is nothing new. In fact, it’s the latest sally in a long tradition of Northeastern secular elites trying to control the next generation.
Nationalizing Our Children
Read James T. Bennett and Thomas DiLorenzo in their classic study of big government deception Official Lies.
Schools are to act in loco parentis – in the place of parents – in matters great and small, from hygiene to morals. … Compulsory-education advocate Newton Bateman wrote in the late nineteenth century that government has a ‘right of eminent domain’ over the ‘minds and souls and bodies’ of us all. Therefore education ‘cannot be left to the caprices and contingencies of individuals.’
Official Lies offers copious quotes from big educational reformers such as Horace Mann. They weren’t coy about their motives. They boosted the public school system for a very specific goal. Namely, to help “Social Gospel” liberal Protestants and their openly secularist allies “free” children from the faiths of their parents. Who just happened to be “backward” fundamentalist Protestants or Catholics.
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The so-called best and brightest didn’t stop at trying to dry up alternatives to the public schools they controlled. (They did that via “progressive” teachers colleges and requirements for their empty Education degrees.) Sometimes elites tried to grab control of the supply of children among the “lower orders.”
A License to Get Pregnant?
Margaret Sanger made birth control respectable among upper-class liberal Protestants. How? By stoking tribal panic. She warned of the danger that Southern European and Jewish immigrants posed to America’s “racial health.” Her eugenics organization, “Planned Parenthood,” demanded “more [children] from the fit, fewer from the unfit.” She promoted laws in half a dozen states imposing forced sterilization on Americans who failed culturally biased IQ tests. She even promoted as part of the New Deal a “National Baby Code.” Here are a few of its provisions:
Article 1. The purpose of the American Baby Code shall be to provide for a better distribution of babies … and to protect society against the propagation and increase of the unfit. … Article 3. A marriage license shall in itself give husband and wife only the right to a common household and not the right to parenthood. Article 4. No woman shall have the legal right to bear a child, and no man shall have the right to become a father, without a permit for parenthood. … Article 6. No permit for parenthood shall be valid for more than one birth. … Article 8. Feeble-minded persons, habitual congenital criminals, those afflicted with inheritable disease, and others found biologically unfit by authorities qualified judge should be sterilized or, in cases of doubt, should be so isolated as to prevent the perpetuation of their afflictions by breeding. [emphasis added]
Elites Never Change their Goals, Just Their Tactics
Sanger got massive financial support from Northeastern elites. Senator Prescott Bush, father of George H.W. Bush, served as an officer in the Connecticut branch of Planned Parenthood.
Every time you hear someone on the left speak of children’s rights, a red light should go off in your head. (Remember that pedophiles echo the rhetoric, claiming to defend children’s “rights” to have sex with men.) Leftists today insist on children’s “right” to explicit sex education starting in first grade. And their “right” to daycare starting shortly after birth. Anything to increase the government’s role in shaping their souls.
Evangelical Christians and conservatives now stand in the same position that Catholic immigrants did in the 19th century. They’re the targets of a conspiracy of the rich and arrogant who want to take their children. To “protect” them. Because they know better.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.


thestream--2020-04-21--Now is the Time to Preach Endurance Not Escape

Living in America , it is easy to develop a theology of escape , one that says , “ When times really get hard , God will remove us from the scene .
When real tribulation comes , we will be long gone.
” But is that the attitude we should be encouraging ?
Is not the gospel made for hard times ?
I ’ m aware , of course , that there are divergent views of the end times among Christians , including the debate over a pre-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture ( or a variation of those themes ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Fine Christians can disagree on this , and my goal here is not to debate eschatology .
We can agree to disagree and work together just the same .
Instead , my goal here is to focus on our attitude .
What kind of mindset should we have in a difficult time like this ?
What should our mentality be ?
Those Who Did Not Escape In the last decade , Christians in Syria suffered bombing , hunger , torture , exile , and death .
They did not escape the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christians in Nigeria are being butchered and beheaded and raped and kidnapped .
They have not escaped the hard times .
Some years ago , pastors in the state of Orissa in India were given a choice as gasoline was poured over their wives and children .
Deny Jesus , and you all live ; refuse , and your family will be burned alive in front of your eyes .
They did not escape the hard times either .
In fact , throughout Church history , God ’ s people have experienced living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history we have survived .
What ’ s more , throughout history we have overcome and thrived .
Note what is written in Hebrews 11 , the great faith chapter .
Some , by their faith “ conquered kingdoms , administered justice , and gained what was promised.
” They “ shut the mouths of lions , quenched the fury of the flames , and escaped the edge of the sword.
” Their “ weakness was turned to strength [ and they ] became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
” Yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , raised to life again ” ( see Hebrews 11:33-35a ) .
This is the fruit of faith .
But , the text continues , “ There were others who were tortured , refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection .
Some faced jeers and flogging , and even chains and imprisonment .
They were put to death by stoning ; they were sawed in two ; they were killed by the sword .
They went about in sheepskins and goatskins , destitute , persecuted and mistreated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , some , by faith , escaped the edge of the sword .
Others , by faith , had the faith to endure the sword , even to the point of death .
Faith doesn ’ t always deliver us from danger .
Often , it gives us the courage and strength to endure the danger .
In Jesus we overcome .
Through Jesus we endure .
As Hebrews 10:36 exhorts , “ For you have need of endurance , so that when you have done the will of God you may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Look at Paul ’ s words in Romans 8:28-37 , words which are not just poetic and beautiful .
They are also gritty and real .
Paul had stated that “ we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him , who have been called according to his purpose , ” after he which he laid out the glorious plan of salvation ( Romans 8:28-31 ) .
This prompted him to write , “ He who did not spare his own Son , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how will he not also , along with him , graciously give us all things ?
” ( Romans 8:32 ) God already did the hard part , giving up His Son .
The rest is easy !
Paul continued , “ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen ?
It is God who justifies .
Who then is the one who condemns ?
No one .
Christ Jesus who died — more than that , who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Romans 8:33–34 ) What incredible truths !
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
And then , based on this confidence , he asks , “ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ?
Shall trouble [ in the Greek , tribulation ] or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword ?
” ( Romans 8:35 ) Then his dramatic answer : “ As it is written : ‘ For your sake we face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
’ No , in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
” ( Romans 8:36–37 ) Do you see what Paul is saying ?
We are being slaughtered like sheep ( quoting Psalm 44:12 ) .
We are experiencing trouble and hardship and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword .
We are going through terrible times of suffering and hardship and pain , but none of it can separate us from Messiah ’ s love .
Through Him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is wonderful news .
No Shortage of God ’ s Power and Grace Harold J. Chadwick asked : “ Would you suffer persecution , poverty , and prison for Christ ?
Would you endure cruel tortures that take your mind and body to the very brink of death and beyond ?
Would you persevere ?
Would you ‘ hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering ?
’ ( Hebrews 10:23 ) Would you stand boldly without shame and confess Christ as Lord , to your own or to your family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , courageous men and women have been tortured and killed because of their confessions of Jesus Christ as Lord.
” ( Cited in Frank “ JJ ” Di Pietro , The Fire That Once Was : Those Who Turned the World Upside Down , 6 . )
Yes , throughout history , God ’ s people have experienced hardship of every kind , be it persecution for the faith or be it the difficulties of life .
And throughout history , God ’ s grace has carried us through , making His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no shortage of His power and grace today .
So , to the weak God says , “ Be strong in the Lord !
” ( See Joel 3:10b ; Ephesians 6:10 ) You might be weak and frail , but in Him , you are an overcomer .
And so , the Spirit says to us , “ Don ’ t feel sorry for yourself .
Don ’ t throw a pity party .
Don ’ t identify with your problems .
Instead , put on God ’ s armor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more than a conqueror through Jesus !
” This is the attitude we should be cultivating at such a time as this , especially if the present crisis is only a prelude to much tougher times in the future .
And , in particular , this is the kind of attitude we should be cultivating should real persecution arise right here in our country .
We don ’ t fear danger .
We don ’ t fear hard times .
We don ’ t fear persecution .
We don ’ t fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are children of God .
Enough said .
Some of the material in this article was taken from my just released book , When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube @

Living in America, it is easy to develop a theology of escape, one that says, “When times really get hard, God will remove us from the scene. When real tribulation comes, we will be long gone.” But is that the attitude we should be encouraging? Is not the gospel made for hard times?
I’m aware, of course, that there are divergent views of the end times among Christians, including the debate over a pre-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture (or a variation of those themes; for my own views, see here.)
Fine Christians can disagree on this, and my goal here is not to debate eschatology. We can agree to disagree and work together just the same.
Instead, my goal here is to focus on our attitude. What kind of mindset should we have in a difficult time like this? What should our mentality be?
Those Who Did Not Escape
In the last decade, Christians in Syria suffered bombing, hunger, torture, exile, and death. They did not escape the hard times.
To this moment, Christians in Nigeria are being butchered and beheaded and raped and kidnapped. They have not escaped the hard times.
Some years ago, pastors in the state of Orissa in India were given a choice as gasoline was poured over their wives and children. Deny Jesus, and you all live; refuse, and your family will be burned alive in front of your eyes. They did not escape the hard times either.
In fact, throughout Church history, God’s people have experienced living hell in this world, and throughout history we have survived. What’s more, throughout history we have overcome and thrived.
Note what is written in Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter.
Some, by their faith “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised.” They “shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword.” Their “weakness was turned to strength [and they] became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” Yes, “Women received back their dead, raised to life again” (see Hebrews 11:33-35a). This is the fruit of faith.
But, the text continues, “There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated” (Hebrews 11:35b-37).
So then, some, by faith, escaped the edge of the sword. Others, by faith, had the faith to endure the sword, even to the point of death.
Courage and Strength to Overcome
Faith doesn’t always deliver us from danger. Often, it gives us the courage and strength to endure the danger. In Jesus we overcome. Through Jesus we endure. As Hebrews 10:36 exhorts, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (ESV).
Look at Paul’s words in Romans 8:28-37, words which are not just poetic and beautiful. They are also gritty and real.
Paul had stated that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” after he which he laid out the glorious plan of salvation (Romans 8:28-31). This prompted him to write, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) God already did the hard part, giving up His Son. The rest is easy!
Paul continued, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:33–34) What incredible truths!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
And then, based on this confidence, he asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble [in the Greek, tribulation] or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” (Romans 8:35)
Then his dramatic answer: “As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:36–37)
Do you see what Paul is saying? We are being slaughtered like sheep (quoting Psalm 44:12). We are experiencing trouble and hardship and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword. We are going through terrible times of suffering and hardship and pain, but none of it can separate us from Messiah’s love. Through Him, we are more than conquerors. This is wonderful news.
No Shortage of God’s Power and Grace
Harold J. Chadwick asked: “Would you suffer persecution, poverty, and prison for Christ? Would you endure cruel tortures that take your mind and body to the very brink of death and beyond? Would you persevere? Would you ‘hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering?’ (Hebrews 10:23) Would you stand boldly without shame and confess Christ as Lord, to your own or to your family’s peril? For two thousand years, courageous men and women have been tortured and killed because of their confessions of Jesus Christ as Lord.” (Cited in Frank “JJ” Di Pietro, The Fire That Once Was: Those Who Turned the World Upside Down, 6.)
Yes, throughout history, God’s people have experienced hardship of every kind, be it persecution for the faith or be it the difficulties of life. And throughout history, God’s grace has carried us through, making His strength perfect in our weakness. There is no shortage of His power and grace today.
An Overcomer
So, to the weak God says, “Be strong in the Lord!” (See Joel 3:10b; Ephesians 6:10) You might be weak and frail, but in Him, you are an overcomer. And so, the Spirit says to us, “Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Don’t throw a pity party. Don’t identify with your problems. Instead, put on God’s armor and be strong in Him. You are a more than a conqueror through Jesus!”
This is the attitude we should be cultivating at such a time as this, especially if the present crisis is only a prelude to much tougher times in the future. And, in particular, this is the kind of attitude we should be cultivating should real persecution arise right here in our country.
We don’t fear danger. We don’t fear hard times. We don’t fear persecution. We don’t fear death. We are believers. We are children of God. Enough said.
Some of the material in this article was taken from my just released book, When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.