thestream--2020-07-20--J. I. Packer, Man Who Told Us a Difficult Truth, RIP

They were doctors and lawyers and such .
People who ’ d had to study hard and keep studying to do what they did for a living .
They told my friend they really wanted to know Christian teaching at a deep level .
They knew they needed to know it to live for Christ as they wanted to .
The leader of the group , one of the town ’ s leading lawyers , asked him to lead a weekly study group , because he had a doctorate in theology .
He assigned C. S. Lewis ’ s Mere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it too basic .
The book began as a series of short radio talks aimed at secular Englishmen who didn ’ t know much if anything about Christianity .
As teaching goes , it ’ s close to a driver ’ s ed class , when the instructor has you drive around a big empty parking lot .
It ’ s easy to learn .
The first couple of weeks went well , he thought .
And then the lawyer called him .
“ Bob , ” he said , “ you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know what laypeople need .
This book is way over everyone ’ s heads.
” And then fired him .
My friend reported that the group turned to one of those books that tell you over and over that Jesus will make you happy .
The great Evangelical theologian J. I. Packer , who died on Friday at the age of 93 , fought that idea his whole life .
If we truly want to love God , we must know him .
And that takes work .
In its obituary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a humble man who repudiated the success ethic.
” He was hugely successful , but not by trying to be .
In fact , by pushing Christians to do something a lot of them didn ’ t want to do , and that was study the Faith , and study it hard .
A lot of people , like my friend ’ s study group , say that they want to know , but they don ’ t .
The writer of the obituary , Wheaton College professor Leland Ryken , explains : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is based on clear thinking while at the same time engaging the heart.
” He helped Christians “ concern themselves with the right things .
Packer ’ s list of priorities included the Bible , the church , correct theology , holiness in life , and vocation .
The reason Packer wrote on such a broad array of subjects is not only that he had an active and capacious mind but also that he was concerned that Christians think correctly on all subjects that relate to life .
Packer had a passion for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d known Jim Packer for almost forty years , Here ’ s my Catholic appreciation of the great man .
It includes stories of his forceful rejection of Catholic teaching , which I admired .
It was another example of his commitment to the truth as he saw it .
And therefore , though I think he was quite wrong , an act of love for God .
And for me as well .
He was gentle about it , though .
He was always kind to me , even when I went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very wrong in entering the Catholic Church .
Jim loved people as much as he loved truth .
A Presbyterian pastor tells me that many years ago , as a church intern , he drove Packer around .
“ One older man in the church had been very annoying , ” he said .
After asking about him , Packer said , “ I ’ m sure that his heart is made of gold , but I fear his head is made of quite something else !
” I could hear him say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the other person ’ s heart , but amused realism about the person ’ s mind .
His love of truth seems to have come with his own conversion .
He tells the story in this interview .
As a schoolboy , he thought himself a Christian and didn ’ t think twice about it , until another student tried to convert him to Unitarianism .
He decided Unitarianism didn ’ t make a lot of sense and began to read and study and reflect .
C.S .
Lewis ’ s Mere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning to think , ” he says .
Jim titled what wound up being his most famous and bestselling book , Knowing God .
It sold a reported 1.5 million copies .
It ’ s a rich book , but also a dense one .
My friend ’ s study group would have fired him even faster had he assigned it rather than Mere Christianity .
“ Packer by name , packer by nature , ” Jim once told me , when I ’ d told him I couldn ’ t summarize one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing down nearly everything he wrote .
The book was his early Evangelical classic “ Fundamentalism ” and the Word of God .
I ’ d been trying to outline the book , as I was giving the last address in a conference he was keynoting .
That insistence we really learn is his greatest legacy , I think .
Like the people in my friend ’ s study group , we like to think we want to know .
Until we have to turn off the game or stop being ticked off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book .
Maybe one as dense as Knowing God .
Then maybe not so much .
But that ’ s what we really want , Jim believed .
Every child of God wants to know him better , he wrote in the first chapter of Knowing God .
He pointed to Psalm 119 , when the psalmist says “ How sweet are your words !
” They ’ re so sweet because they lead us to Sweetness itself .
“ Our aim in studying the Godhead must be to know God himself better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern must be to enlarge our acquaintance , not simply with the doctrine of God ’ s attributes , but with the living God whose attributes they are .
As he is the subject of our study , and our helper in it , so he must himself be the end of it .
We must seek , in studying God , to be led to God.
” David Mills is a senior editor of The Stream .
After teaching writing in a seminary , he has been editor of Touchstone and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edits the site Hour of Our Death and writes the monthly “ Last Things ” column for the New Oxford Review and a weekly column for the English Catholic Herald .
He is finishing a book on death and dying to be published by Sophia Institute Press .

They were doctors and lawyers and such. People who’d had to study hard and keep studying to do what they did for a living. They told my friend they really wanted to know Christian teaching at a deep level. They knew they needed to know it to live for Christ as they wanted to. The leader of the group, one of the town’s leading lawyers, asked him to lead a weekly study group, because he had a doctorate in theology.
He assigned C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, hoping they wouldn’t think it too basic. The book began as a series of short radio talks aimed at secular Englishmen who didn’t know much if anything about Christianity. As teaching goes, it’s close to a driver’s ed class, when the instructor has you drive around a big empty parking lot. It’s easy to learn. The first couple of weeks went well, he thought.
And then the lawyer called him. “Bob,” he said, “you’re an intellectual. You don’t know what laypeople need. This book is way over everyone’s heads.” And then fired him. My friend reported that the group turned to one of those books that tell you over and over that Jesus will make you happy.
The great Evangelical theologian J.I. Packer, who died on Friday at the age of 93, fought that idea his whole life. If we truly want to love God, we must know him. And that takes work.
Packer’s Passion for Truth
In its obituary, Christianity Today describes him as “a humble man who repudiated the success ethic.” He was hugely successful, but not by trying to be. In fact, by pushing Christians to do something a lot of them didn’t want to do, and that was study the Faith, and study it hard. A lot of people, like my friend’s study group, say that they want to know, but they don’t.
The writer of the obituary, Wheaton College professor Leland Ryken, explains: “Packer believed that the Christian faith is based on clear thinking while at the same time engaging the heart.” He helped Christians “concern themselves with the right things. Packer’s list of priorities included the Bible, the church, correct theology, holiness in life, and vocation. The reason Packer wrote on such a broad array of subjects is not only that he had an active and capacious mind but also that he was concerned that Christians think correctly on all subjects that relate to life. Packer had a passion for truth in every sphere.”
I’d known Jim Packer for almost forty years, Here’s my Catholic appreciation of the great man. It includes stories of his forceful rejection of Catholic teaching, which I admired. It was another example of his commitment to the truth as he saw it. And therefore, though I think he was quite wrong, an act of love for God. And for me as well.
He was gentle about it, though. He was always kind to me, even when I went, as he must have thought, very wrong in entering the Catholic Church. Jim loved people as much as he loved truth. A Presbyterian pastor tells me that many years ago, as a church intern, he drove Packer around. “One older man in the church had been very annoying,” he said. After asking about him, Packer said, “I’m sure that his heart is made of gold, but I fear his head is made of quite something else!” I could hear him say that. He had a generous view of the other person’s heart, but amused realism about the person’s mind.
His love of truth seems to have come with his own conversion. He tells the story in this interview. As a schoolboy, he thought himself a Christian and didn’t think twice about it, until another student tried to convert him to Unitarianism. He decided Unitarianism didn’t make a lot of sense and began to read and study and reflect. C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity influenced him. “I was beginning to think,” he says.
Jim titled what wound up being his most famous and bestselling book, Knowing God. It sold a reported 1.5 million copies. It’s a rich book, but also a dense one. My friend’s study group would have fired him even faster had he assigned it rather than Mere Christianity.
“Packer by name, packer by nature,” Jim once told me, when I’d told him I couldn’t summarize one of his books because I wound up writing down nearly everything he wrote. The book was his early Evangelical classic “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God. I’d been trying to outline the book, as I was giving the last address in a conference he was keynoting.
To Enlarge Our Acquaintance
That insistence we really learn is his greatest legacy, I think. Like the people in my friend’s study group, we like to think we want to know. Until we have to turn off the game or stop being ticked off by Facebook posts and pick up a book. Maybe one as dense as Knowing God. Then maybe not so much.
But that’s what we really want, Jim believed. Every child of God wants to know him better, he wrote in the first chapter of Knowing God. He pointed to Psalm 119, when the psalmist says “How sweet are your words!” They’re so sweet because they lead us to Sweetness itself. “Our aim in studying the Godhead must be to know God himself better,” he explained. “Our concern must be to enlarge our acquaintance, not simply with the doctrine of God’s attributes, but with the living God whose attributes they are. As he is the subject of our study, and our helper in it, so he must himself be the end of it. We must seek, in studying God, to be led to God.”
David Mills is a senior editor of The Stream. After teaching writing in a seminary, he has been editor of Touchstone and the executive editor of First Things. He edits the site Hour of Our Death and writes the monthly “Last Things” column for the New Oxford Review and a weekly column for the English Catholic Herald. He is finishing a book on death and dying to be published by Sophia Institute Press.


thestream--2020-07-20--Memo to Congress: Everyone Benefits From Health Care Price Transparency

Carbery Campbell taught in Spain this spring and unfortunately contracted the coronavirus while traveling back to Florida .
She did the right thing and got tested at her local hospital .
Thankfully , Carbery beat the coronavirus but was punished with a bill of $ 6,545 for simple tests and a few hours spent in a waiting room .
The lack of price transparency in our health-care system leads to unexpected bills like the one Carbery received .
Steve Forbes , Art Laffer and Larry Van Horn argue that “ This complete lack of health care price transparency has allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want .
Health care price opacity and the resulting surprise bills are why 64 % of Americans surveyed said they avoid or delay needed medical care .
And why medical bills play a role in most bankruptcies.
” As Congress begins negotiating the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation , it must pass the Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act , introduced by Sens .
Mike Braun and Chuck Grassley .
This legislation requires hospitals and insurers to give patients accurate cost estimates and publicly reveal standard charging information .
These changes would lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore trust in our medical system .
For years , surprise medical charges and ridiculously high medical bills have been an issue , as 16 % of Americans have medical debt , and one-third are scared to get treatment because of unexpected costs .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
This unprecedented pandemic is exposing already existing flaws in our medical system .
For example , two friends in Texas took a COVID-19 test at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged $ 199 while the other received a bill for $ 6,408 because of hidden costs .
The increasing need for medical care is shining a spotlight on the issues in our system .
If you went to Applebee ’ s and your food ended up costing thirty-two times what you expected , you ’ d be upset .
Healthcare is both more important and costly , but patients don ’ t know what they are paying in advance because hospitals and insurers work to hide this information .
Unanticipated bills hit black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Journal of Public Health shows that , “ African Americans incur substantial medical debt compared with Whites , and more than 40 % of this is mediated by health status , income , and insurance disparities.
” This debt will likely grow since the coronavirus disproportionately impacts communities of color .
Black Americans are hospitalized at 4.5 times the rate of white Americans , according to the CDC .
Policies increasing transparency and lowering the price of care help these vulnerable Americans in a time of crisis .
Hospitals shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unclear billing practices .
Forcing hospitals and insurers to be transparent about the cost of care increases competition and guarantees hospitals couldn ’ t hide behind surprise medical bills .
Prices would go down for patients , as hospitals and insurers could no longer charge thousands for services worth hundreds .
Studies support claims of lower costs , as patients who pay in cash instead of using insurance pay 39 % less than those trapped in our broken system .
A 39 % decrease in health spending translates into $ 11,000 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump administration stimulus checks of $ 1,200 helped keep the economy afloat during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic , but their impact pales in comparison to enacting price transparency .
With price transparency , Americans would be able to shop for the cheapest care fitting their needs , especially as the price of health care continues to skyrocket .
Our country relies on a free market system encouraging innovation and efficiency .
For too long hospitals and insurers have avoided this American cornerstone .
Voters agree 90 % of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % say supporting transparency might sway their vote .
Most of the opposition to these reforms come from hospitals and insurers who would no longer be able to overcharge for services and leave patients with the bill .
Hopefully , this legislation doesn ’ t become partisan , as it decreases the cost of medical care and increases transparency .
Even progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders should embrace this bill and prove they are more interested in helping the American people than in scoring political points .
Passing the Health PRICE Transparency Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and take a massive weight off many desperate Americans ’ shoulders .
Instead of spending thousands on treatments that cost hundreds , patients would be free to save and spend their wealth on what they want .
Ken Blackwell is the Former State Treasurer of Ohio and former Mayor of Cincinnati .

Carbery Campbell taught in Spain this spring and unfortunately contracted the coronavirus while traveling back to Florida. She did the right thing and got tested at her local hospital. Thankfully, Carbery beat the coronavirus but was punished with a bill of $6,545 for simple tests and a few hours spent in a waiting room. The lack of price transparency in our health-care system leads to unexpected bills like the one Carbery received.
Steve Forbes, Art Laffer and Larry Van Horn argue that “This complete lack of health care price transparency has allowed hospitals to get away with charging whatever they want. Health care price opacity and the resulting surprise bills are why 64% of Americans surveyed said they avoid or delay needed medical care. And why medical bills play a role in most bankruptcies.”
Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act
As Congress begins negotiating the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation, it must pass the Healthcare PRICE Transparency Act, introduced by Sens. Mike Braun and Chuck Grassley. This legislation requires hospitals and insurers to give patients accurate cost estimates and publicly reveal standard charging information. These changes would lower the costs of care for patients and restore trust in our medical system.
For years, surprise medical charges and ridiculously high medical bills have been an issue, as 16% of Americans have medical debt, and one-third are scared to get treatment because of unexpected costs.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This unprecedented pandemic is exposing already existing flaws in our medical system. For example, two friends in Texas took a COVID-19 test at the same time and place, and one was charged $199 while the other received a bill for $6,408 because of hidden costs. The increasing need for medical care is shining a spotlight on the issues in our system.
If you went to Applebee’s and your food ended up costing thirty-two times what you expected, you’d be upset. Healthcare is both more important and costly, but patients don’t know what they are paying in advance because hospitals and insurers work to hide this information.
Disproportionately Impacting Communities of Color
Unanticipated bills hit black communities particularly hard. Research in the American Journal of Public Health shows that, “African Americans incur substantial medical debt compared with Whites, and more than 40% of this is mediated by health status, income, and insurance disparities.”
This debt will likely grow since the coronavirus disproportionately impacts communities of color. Black Americans are hospitalized at 4.5 times the rate of white Americans, according to the CDC.
Policies increasing transparency and lowering the price of care help these vulnerable Americans in a time of crisis. Hospitals shouldn’t push black Americans into massive debt because of unclear billing practices.
Price Transparency
Forcing hospitals and insurers to be transparent about the cost of care increases competition and guarantees hospitals couldn’t hide behind surprise medical bills. Prices would go down for patients, as hospitals and insurers could no longer charge thousands for services worth hundreds.
Studies support claims of lower costs, as patients who pay in cash instead of using insurance pay 39% less than those trapped in our broken system. A 39% decrease in health spending translates into $11,000 in annual savings for an average family. The Trump administration stimulus checks of $1,200 helped keep the economy afloat during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but their impact pales in comparison to enacting price transparency.
With price transparency, Americans would be able to shop for the cheapest care fitting their needs, especially as the price of health care continues to skyrocket. Our country relies on a free market system encouraging innovation and efficiency. For too long hospitals and insurers have avoided this American cornerstone.
Lower the Cost of Health Care
Voters agree 90% of the country wants increased price transparency and about 70% say supporting transparency might sway their vote.
Most of the opposition to these reforms come from hospitals and insurers who would no longer be able to overcharge for services and leave patients with the bill.
Hopefully, this legislation doesn’t become partisan, as it decreases the cost of medical care and increases transparency. Even progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders should embrace this bill and prove they are more interested in helping the American people than in scoring political points.
Passing the Health PRICE Transparency Act would lower the cost of health care and take a massive weight off many desperate Americans’ shoulders. Instead of spending thousands on treatments that cost hundreds, patients would be free to save and spend their wealth on what they want.
Ken Blackwell is the Former State Treasurer of Ohio and former Mayor of Cincinnati.


thestream--2020-07-20--FBI Memo Raises Red Flags About Dossier Sources Behind Allegations Against Trump Aide

An FBI memo declassified last week shows that the Steele dossier ’ s allegations about former Trump campaign aide Carter Page came from two sources , one of whom was described as having a Russian spy handler , while the other was the source of an allegation in the dossier that the FBI flagged as possible Russian disinformation .
The FBI document shows that a contractor for Christopher Steele told investigators in January 2017 that two women — identified as Source 3 and Source 5 — provided the information about Page that ended up in the dossier .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contractor described Source 3 as “ a close personal friend ” who had provided information for him in the past about Russian companies and state entities .
Steele ’ s source said that Source 5 had a “ kurator ” — or a handler — in Russian intelligence .
U.S. officials have increasingly eyed the possibility that the dossier ’ s many inaccuracies were the product of a Russian disinformation campaign .
Attorney General William Barr said in an interview in May that potential Russian disinformation is “ one of the most troubling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given that the FBI used it as part of its investigation of the Trump campaign .
Russian influence of the dossier would also prove ironic , given that Steele was hired by the Clinton campaign and DNC to root out whether the Trump campaign and Kremlin were conspiring to influence the 2016 election .
Daniel Hoffman , a retired CIA station chief in Moscow , said that the Steele sub-source ’ s link to a Russian handler is a red flag of a possible disinformation effort .
“ You ’ d need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this handler was , ” Hoffman told The Daily Caller News Foundation , noting that the handler could have been with Russian intelligence or another entity .
The document released on Friday summarizes interviews that Steele ’ s primary source had with the FBI and Justice Department lawyers over the course of three days in January 2017 .
The source , who is unnamed , worked as a contractor for Steele ’ s firm , Orbis Business Intelligence .
According to the memo , the primary source collected information from six friends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election-related activities , Donald Trump and members of the Trump campaign .
Steele ’ s contractor said that Source 3 was one of the “ key ” sources for the dossier , according to the FBI memo .
The dossier ’ s allegations about Carter Page were central to the FBI ’ s investigation of the Trump campaign .
The FBI relied heavily on Steele ’ s information to obtain four Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) orders to snoop on Page , who served as a foreign policy adviser on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Page was a liaison between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin as part of a “ well-developed conspiracy of cooperation ” to influence the 2016 election .
Steele also asserted that Page met with two Kremlin insiders — Igor Sechin and Igor Diveykin — during a trip to Moscow in July 2016 .
Page has vehemently denied ever meeting Sechin or Diveykin .
According to the FBI memo , Source 3 was behind the claim of the alleged Page-Diveykin meeting .
Source 3 said that Diveykin and Page discussed blackmail material that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 provided the information for another significant allegation believed to be Russian disinformation .
According to the FBI memo , Steele ’ s contractor said that Source 3 claimed that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen visited Prague in August 2016 to meet with Kremlin insiders regarding election interference .
The Cohen-Prague claim was perhaps the dossier ’ s most specific allegation of collusion between a Trump associate and the Russian government .
But the allegation was false , according to reports from the special counsel ’ s office and the Justice Department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 reports that Cohen did not visit Prague .
The IG report went further , saying that the FBI received evidence on Jan. 12 , 2017 that the allegation about Cohen visiting Prague may have been the product of Russian disinformation .
Steele ’ s source said he did not ask Source 3 detailed questions about where she obtained her information about Page and Diveykin .
He said that the source was one of the few people who knew that he worked in the field of business intelligence , and that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some way .
But he said he did not doubt her information and that he trusted her “ 100 % .
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Steele ’ s source said he was also friends with Source 5 , and that she had links to the Russian government and Russian intelligence .
According to the FBI memo , Steele ’ s contractor said that Source 5 had a “ kurator , ” or an intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not tell Steele that Source 5 had a handler .
Steele , a former MI6 officer , has dismissed the idea that he fell victim to a Russian ruse , telling associates that he is well trained to spot disinformation .
Hoffman , the former CIA station chief , told the DCNF that the sub-source ’ s links to Russian intelligence operatives raises questions about the accuracy of their information .
“ Did Steele know about this person ?
That ’ s a sure indication that your sub-source is blown and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , ” Hoffman said .
“ Steele should have known better.
” Source 5 provided the allegation that Page met with Igor Sechin , the president of oil giant Rosneft and a Kremlin insider , during his trip to Moscow .
The source allegedly said that Sechin and Page discussed relaxing sanctions against Russia and Rosneft .
Steele ’ s source showed the FBI the text message he received from Source 5 .
It mentioned the issue of sanctions , but did not reference a brokerage stake in the Rosneft sale , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are several pieces of evidence that Russia ’ s intelligence service knew that Steele was investigating the Trump campaign in 2016 .
The IG report said that the FBI received evidence in June 2017 that two Russian intelligence operatives knew in July 2016 that Steele was investigating Trump .
It also said that the FBI received information in late January 2017 that Russian intelligence may have targeted Steele ’ s firm , Orbis , and researched publicly available information about it .
The report also said that the FBI received evidence on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Cohen ’ s visit to Prague — which came from Source 3 — may have been Russian disinformation .
The dossier ’ s most salacious allegation — that the Kremlin had a blackmail sex video of Trump in Moscow — may also have been the product of disinformation .
Barr , the attorney general , said on June 1 that John Durham , the U.S. attorney for Connecticut , had begun investigating the possibility of Russian disinformation in the dossier as part of a sprawling probe of the intelligence-gathering activities against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinforces the disinformation theory .
“ Russians would have spotted it , and then they had two options : they could disrupt it , or spin it back at us , ” said Hoffman , who first floated the Russian disinformation theory in a January 2018 opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal .
The former spy noted that the FBI memo says that Steele and his primary source communicated by phone , email and Skype , which Hoffman said are “ incredibly insecure.
” While the FBI memo sheds some light on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target of the dossier and FBI probe told the DCNF he is frustrated that so many details in the document remain hidden behind redactions .
“ For whatever reason , they ’ ve now disclosed this almost indecipherable lump of Swiss cheese that ’ s full of countless unnecessary redactions , ” Carter Page told the DCNF .
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 @ @ @

An FBI memo declassified last week shows that the Steele dossier’s allegations about former Trump campaign aide Carter Page came from two sources, one of whom was described as having a Russian spy handler, while the other was the source of an allegation in the dossier that the FBI flagged as possible Russian disinformation.
The FBI document shows that a contractor for Christopher Steele told investigators in January 2017 that two women — identified as Source 3 and Source 5 — provided the information about Page that ended up in the dossier.
According to the 57-page FBI memo, the Steele contractor described Source 3 as “a close personal friend” who had provided information for him in the past about Russian companies and state entities. Steele’s source said that Source 5 had a “kurator” — or a handler — in Russian intelligence.
U.S. officials have increasingly eyed the possibility that the dossier’s many inaccuracies were the product of a Russian disinformation campaign. Attorney General William Barr said in an interview in May that potential Russian disinformation is “one of the most troubling aspects” of the dossier saga, given that the FBI used it as part of its investigation of the Trump campaign.
Russian influence of the dossier would also prove ironic, given that Steele was hired by the Clinton campaign and DNC to root out whether the Trump campaign and Kremlin were conspiring to influence the 2016 election.
Daniel Hoffman, a retired CIA station chief in Moscow, said that the Steele sub-source’s link to a Russian handler is a red flag of a possible disinformation effort.
“You’d need to know a little bit more about who this handler was,” Hoffman told The Daily Caller News Foundation, noting that the handler could have been with Russian intelligence or another entity.
“It sounds pretty nefarious, though.”
The document released on Friday summarizes interviews that Steele’s primary source had with the FBI and Justice Department lawyers over the course of three days in January 2017. The source, who is unnamed, worked as a contractor for Steele’s firm, Orbis Business Intelligence.
According to the memo, the primary source collected information from six friends and associates in Russia regarding Russia’s election-related activities, Donald Trump and members of the Trump campaign.
Steele’s contractor said that Source 3 was one of the “key” sources for the dossier, according to the FBI memo.
The dossier’s allegations about Carter Page were central to the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign. The FBI relied heavily on Steele’s information to obtain four Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) orders to snoop on Page, who served as a foreign policy adviser on the campaign.
Steele’s dossier alleged that Page was a liaison between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin as part of a “well-developed conspiracy of cooperation” to influence the 2016 election. Steele also asserted that Page met with two Kremlin insiders — Igor Sechin and Igor Diveykin — during a trip to Moscow in July 2016.
Page has vehemently denied ever meeting Sechin or Diveykin.
According to the FBI memo, Source 3 was behind the claim of the alleged Page-Diveykin meeting. Source 3 said that Diveykin and Page discussed blackmail material that the Kremlin held on Trump.
Source 3 provided the information for another significant allegation believed to be Russian disinformation.
According to the FBI memo, Steele’s contractor said that Source 3 claimed that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen visited Prague in August 2016 to meet with Kremlin insiders regarding election interference.
The Cohen-Prague claim was perhaps the dossier’s most specific allegation of collusion between a Trump associate and the Russian government. But the allegation was false, according to reports from the special counsel’s office and the Justice Department’s inspector general.
Both offices said in 2019 reports that Cohen did not visit Prague. The IG report went further, saying that the FBI received evidence on Jan. 12, 2017 that the allegation about Cohen visiting Prague may have been the product of Russian disinformation.
Steele’s source said he did not ask Source 3 detailed questions about where she obtained her information about Page and Diveykin. He said that the source was one of the few people who knew that he worked in the field of business intelligence, and that she knew he was “connected” in some way.
But he said he did not doubt her information and that he trusted her “100%.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Steele’s source said he was also friends with Source 5, and that she had links to the Russian government and Russian intelligence.
According to the FBI memo, Steele’s contractor said that Source 5 had a “kurator,” or an intelligence handler.
The source told the FBI he did not tell Steele that Source 5 had a handler. Steele, a former MI6 officer, has dismissed the idea that he fell victim to a Russian ruse, telling associates that he is well trained to spot disinformation.
Hoffman, the former CIA station chief, told the DCNF that the sub-source’s links to Russian intelligence operatives raises questions about the accuracy of their information.
“Did Steele know about this person? That’s a sure indication that your sub-source is blown and you don’t want to use them,” Hoffman said.
“Steele should have known better.”
Source 5 provided the allegation that Page met with Igor Sechin, the president of oil giant Rosneft and a Kremlin insider, during his trip to Moscow. The source allegedly said that Sechin and Page discussed relaxing sanctions against Russia and Rosneft.
Steele’s source showed the FBI the text message he received from Source 5. It mentioned the issue of sanctions, but did not reference a brokerage stake in the Rosneft sale, as Steele said in the dossier.
There are several pieces of evidence that Russia’s intelligence service knew that Steele was investigating the Trump campaign in 2016.
The IG report said that the FBI received evidence in June 2017 that two Russian intelligence operatives knew in July 2016 that Steele was investigating Trump. It also said that the FBI received information in late January 2017 that Russian intelligence may have targeted Steele’s firm, Orbis, and researched publicly available information about it.
The report also said that the FBI received evidence on Jan. 12, 2017 that the allegation about Cohen’s visit to Prague — which came from Source 3 — may have been Russian disinformation. The dossier’s most salacious allegation — that the Kremlin had a blackmail sex video of Trump in Moscow — may also have been the product of disinformation.
Barr, the attorney general, said on June 1 that John Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, had begun investigating the possibility of Russian disinformation in the dossier as part of a sprawling probe of the intelligence-gathering activities against the Trump campaign.
Hoffman said the memo reinforces the disinformation theory.
“Russians would have spotted it, and then they had two options: they could disrupt it, or spin it back at us,” said Hoffman, who first floated the Russian disinformation theory in a January 2018 opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal.
The former spy noted that the FBI memo says that Steele and his primary source communicated by phone, email and Skype, which Hoffman said are “incredibly insecure.”
While the FBI memo sheds some light on Steele’s operation, the chief target of the dossier and FBI probe told the DCNF he is frustrated that so many details in the document remain hidden behind redactions.
“For whatever reason, they’ve now disclosed this almost indecipherable lump of Swiss cheese that’s full of countless unnecessary redactions,” Carter Page told the DCNF.
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--2020-07-20--Supreme Court Rejects House Democrats’ Request to Expedite Trump’s Financial Docs

The Supreme Court denied a request by House Democrats Monday that sought to expedite the process of obtaining President Donald Trump ’ s financial documents .
Chief Justice John Roberts denied the motion , according to a court document .
The Supreme Court ruled earlier in July that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. ’ s subpoena that demanded access to the president ’ s finances could proceed , contrary to Trump ’ s claims that he bore immunity against the order , according to The Washington Post .
The court document notes that Justice Sonia Sotomayor would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House of Representatives ’ subpoena immediately .
Democrat lawmakers , following the ruling , requested similar access , but were blocked pending further review in a lower court , CNN reported .
House lawyer Doug Letter reportedly requested immediate acquisition on the subpoenas because he suspected “ conflicts of interest ” as well as possible “ money laundering , ” according to a court document .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ Immediate issuance of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings in the lower courts so that the Committees may obtain the materials necessary to undertake any needed legislative reforms as quickly as possible to address , among other issues , conflicts of interest that threaten to undermine the Presidency , money-laundering and unsafe lending practices , and foreign interference in U.S. elections and any other ongoing threats to national security arising from President Trump ’ s foreign financial entanglements , ” Letter wrote in the document .
House Democrats have sought to obtain Trump ’ s financial history since April 2019 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounting firm that holds the president ’ s personal financial records .
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 .

The Supreme Court denied a request by House Democrats Monday that sought to expedite the process of obtaining President Donald Trump’s financial documents.
Chief Justice John Roberts denied the motion, according to a court document. The Supreme Court ruled earlier in July that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.’s subpoena that demanded access to the president’s finances could proceed, contrary to Trump’s claims that he bore immunity against the order, according to The Washington Post.
The court document notes that Justice Sonia Sotomayor would have granted the request to decide on the House of Representatives’ subpoena immediately.
Democrat lawmakers, following the ruling, requested similar access, but were blocked pending further review in a lower court, CNN reported. House lawyer Doug Letter reportedly requested immediate acquisition on the subpoenas because he suspected “conflicts of interest” as well as possible “money laundering,” according to a court document.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“Immediate issuance of this Court’s judgments would accelerate the proceedings in the lower courts so that the Committees may obtain the materials necessary to undertake any needed legislative reforms as quickly as possible to address, among other issues, conflicts of interest that threaten to undermine the Presidency, money-laundering and unsafe lending practices, and foreign interference in U.S. elections and any other ongoing threats to national security arising from President Trump’s foreign financial entanglements,” Letter wrote in the document.
House Democrats have sought to obtain Trump’s financial history since April 2019 when subpoenaed Mazars USA, LLP, an accounting firm that holds the president’s personal financial records.
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--2020-07-20--The Stream Now Has an App!

The Stream Now Has an App!

Hey Streamers !
We are very excited to announce the launch of our brand new app , available for both @ @ @ @ @ At last , you can access all the wonderful content from The Stream in a @ @ @ @ @ From top news and in-depth stories to opinion and inspiration , special app-only features allow @ @ @ @ @ experience .
• to notifications for your favorite authors • Easily articles with your friends @ @ @ @ @ or topic , or by keyword • and much more .
Follow the links below @ @ @ @ @ Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic @ @ @ @ @ Day .

Hey Streamers! We are very excited to announce the launch of our brand new app, available for both Apple and Android phones. At last, you can access all the wonderful content from The Stream in a handy, easy-to-use app. From top news and in-depth stories to opinion and inspiration, special app-only features allow you to customize your user experience.
Bookmark your favorite articles
your favorite articles Subscribe to notifications for your favorite authors
to notifications for your favorite authors Easily Share articles with your friends and family
articles with your friends and family Quickly Adjust Font Size for easy readability
for easy readability Browse by category or topic, or Search by keyword
by category or topic, or by keyword and much more.
Follow the links below to download the app.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-07-20--The Cancel Culture Is Losing Its Mind

The Cancel Culture Is Losing Its Mind

Now that the Pandora ’ s Box has been opened and the cancel culture has been turned loose , there is no hiding its scope .
It is unrestrained and unrelenting .
If you dare cross it , even in the slightest , you will be targeted next — even violently .
The cancel culture is out of control .
You can not reason with it or appeal to it .
Logic and truth and facts do not matter .
The only way to stop it is to confront it and expose it , openly , clearly , boldly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one issue you ’ ll be forced to capitulate on all issues .
There is no middle ground with this irrational and destructive movement .
The sooner we realize that , the better .
According to Breitbart , “ Miss Swimsuit UK has been stripped of her title after posting the message ‘ ALL lives matter ’ on her Facebook page.
” She had written , “ Yes what happened to George Floyd was wrong and unforgivable but so is what happens to many other people of different races in similar situations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest , loot , take over social media , create a day for their race or even raise $ 10.3 million in aid of the person who passed .
The majority of crime and deaths regarding black people is caused by black on black crime that happens in America.
” Such speech is verboten .
Away with her !
Off with her crown !
According to Policemag.com , after two police officers were ambushed and killed in cold blood , Savannah Chavez , the 16-year-old daughter of one of those officers ( who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Words can not describe the pain I ’ m in , but I ’ m glad my dad is at peace.
” She continued , “ You were an amazing man and anyone who ever came across you knew that.
” And then this : “ I ’ m going to miss you so much .
you died doing what you loved most , you died a hero .
i love you daddy , see you soon .
# bluelivesmatter 💙.
” What gall !
How dare she claim that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to someone ’ s death at the hands of a policeman .
And how dare she co-opt a slogan , since her dad , by birth , was not blue .
This grieving teenager received so much opposition she ended up deleting the tweet .
What on earth is happening to our society ?
ZeroHedge.com reports that Facebook deplatformed a former employee who questioned the standard BLM/diversity narrative .
Patrick Shyu , who also worked for Google in the past , had claimed in a video that “ ‘ diversity ’ policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a result , he was banned from Facebook and shadow banned from YouTube .
As he explained , “ … just because you didn ’ t like something I said… for 10 years I said all great things and then one time I say something that you may not necessarily like , you disable my entire account and I lose access to all the past 10 years information … and there ’ s no explanation , no customer service , and not much [ of ] an appeals process.
” Please Support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
That is the cancel culture in a nutshell .
If you dare stray from the standard script , even for one moment , you are banned for life .
No more of you !
You can go from ally to enemy in the twinkling of an eye .
In the words of John Gray , an emeritus professor at the London School of Economics , giving a perspective from the UK , “ Today we are no longer living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ruled by those who try to enforce their extreme views by shaming and ruining those who think differently .
“ It is not far-fetched to compare the methods of this ‘ woke movement ’ to those of Chairman Mao ’ s Red Guards , who terrorised the Chinese people half a century ago.
” As for specific examples , he wrote , “ ‘ Critical race theory ’ — a sub-Marxist ideology in which ‘ white privilege ’ is invoked to explain all kinds of injustice — is increasingly being taught as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Indeed , no subject is immune from this re-education campaign in our schools and universities .
“ Academics at Birmingham City University have proposed that Mozart be eliminated from music teaching and replaced by the rapper Stormzy .
Eton College has announced it will change the teaching of history , geography , religion , politics and English , along with school assemblies and societies , in order to ensure that ‘ decolonisation ’ is enforced across the board.
” And over in Australia , as reported by the Daily Mail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RENAME body parts like the Adam ’ s apple and Achilles ’ tendon because they are ‘ irrelevant and misogynistic ’ .
” Where does this stop ?
It does not — until it completely devours itself .
The sad thing is that virtually every day , I could write another article just like this , adding more egregious examples by the hour .
The scary thing is that the cancel culture has no trouble resorting to violence , be it setting church buildings on fire , vandalizing statues considered sacred , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , once again , I urge you to wake up , stand up , and speak up — while you can .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

Now that the Pandora’s Box has been opened and the cancel culture has been turned loose, there is no hiding its scope. It is unrestrained and unrelenting. If you dare cross it, even in the slightest, you will be targeted next — even violently. The cancel culture is out of control.
You cannot reason with it or appeal to it. Logic and truth and facts do not matter. The only way to stop it is to confront it and expose it, openly, clearly, boldly, and unashamedly.
If you compromise on one issue you’ll be forced to capitulate on all issues. There is no middle ground with this irrational and destructive movement. The sooner we realize that, the better.
All Lives Matter?
Consider these recent examples:
According to Breitbart, “Miss Swimsuit UK has been stripped of her title after posting the message ‘ALL lives matter’ on her Facebook page.”
She had written, “Yes what happened to George Floyd was wrong and unforgivable but so is what happens to many other people of different races in similar situations. Yet they don’t get to protest, loot, take over social media, create a day for their race or even raise $10.3 million in aid of the person who passed. The majority of crime and deaths regarding black people is caused by black on black crime that happens in America.”
Such speech is verboten. Away with her! Off with her crown!
Blue Lives Matter?
According to Policemag.com, after two police officers were ambushed and killed in cold blood, Savannah Chavez, the 16-year-old daughter of one of those officers (who was just 39 years-old), tweeted, “Words cannot describe the pain I’m in, but I’m glad my dad is at peace.” She continued, “You were an amazing man and anyone who ever came across you knew that.” And then this: “I’m going to miss you so much. you died doing what you loved most, you died a hero. i love you daddy, see you soon. #bluelivesmatter 💙.”
What gall! How dare she claim that her father’s cold-blooded execution could be compared to someone’s death at the hands of a policeman. And how dare she co-opt a slogan, since her dad, by birth, was not blue.
This grieving teenager received so much opposition she ended up deleting the tweet.
What on earth is happening to our society?
Diversity Policies Creating Problems
ZeroHedge.com reports that Facebook deplatformed a former employee who questioned the standard BLM/diversity narrative. Patrick Shyu, who also worked for Google in the past, had claimed in a video that “‘diversity’ policies were creating more problems than solutions.”
As a result, he was banned from Facebook and shadow banned from YouTube. As he explained, “… just because you didn’t like something I said… for 10 years I said all great things and then one time I say something that you may not necessarily like, you disable my entire account and I lose access to all the past 10 years information … and there’s no explanation, no customer service, and not much [of] an appeals process.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
That is the cancel culture in a nutshell. If you dare stray from the standard script, even for one moment, you are banned for life. No more of you! You can go from ally to enemy in the twinkling of an eye.
No Longer a Free Society
In the words of John Gray, an emeritus professor at the London School of Economics, giving a perspective from the UK, “Today we are no longer living in a free society. Instead, we are ruled by those who try to enforce their extreme views by shaming and ruining those who think differently.
“It is not far-fetched to compare the methods of this ‘woke movement’ to those of Chairman Mao’s Red Guards, who terrorised the Chinese people half a century ago.”
As for specific examples, he wrote, “‘Critical race theory’ — a sub-Marxist ideology in which ‘white privilege’ is invoked to explain all kinds of injustice — is increasingly being taught as part of ‘decolonising the curriculum’.
“Indeed, no subject is immune from this re-education campaign in our schools and universities.
“Academics at Birmingham City University have proposed that Mozart be eliminated from music teaching and replaced by the rapper Stormzy. Eton College has announced it will change the teaching of history, geography, religion, politics and English, along with school assemblies and societies, in order to ensure that ‘decolonisation’ is enforced across the board.”
And over in Australia, as reported by the Daily Mail, there is a “New push to RENAME body parts like the Adam’s apple and Achilles’ tendon because they are ‘irrelevant and misogynistic’.”
It Won’t Stop
Where does this stop? It does not — until it completely devours itself.
The sad thing is that virtually every day, I could write another article just like this, adding more egregious examples by the hour.
The scary thing is that the cancel culture has no trouble resorting to violence, be it setting church buildings on fire, vandalizing statues considered sacred, or attacking a meeting supporting the police.
So, once again, I urge you to wake up, stand up, and speak up — while you can.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-07-20--When It Feels Like the World is Collapsing Around Us

I ’ m just coming back on Monday morning from a week off from The Stream .
I ’ ve done my best to stay away from the news .
I ’ m sure it was good for me , except the shock of re-insertion is worse today than I expected .
I ’ ve been trying to sum it all up as I write , and I ’ m finding I can ’ t do it justice .
It feels a lot like the country is falling apart .
And the sobering reality is that it just might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touchpoint of mutual trust .
Not just government , but the media .
Not just the media , but education .
Not just education , but science .
And not just science , but medical science .
We ’ ve seen medical advice being wrong before now , but never so politicized .
There ’ s nothing we can all trust , hardly anything we agree on , and not much uniting us either .
Not our land , not our economy , not our history .
Certainly not our moral standards , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once was good is “ bad , ” what was bad is “ good , ” and if you disagree , then you ’ re bad .
Evil .
A hater .
But Antifa ?
BLM ?
The one is fascist through and through , in spite of its name .
The other is Marxist from the top down , again in spite of its name .
They can spew hate though , and it ’ s a “ demonstration.
” They can loot , they can burn , they can attack police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall all over itself rewriting history to please them — in spite of The Times ’ apparently racist , slaveholding history .
Why does anyone listen to The Times ?
It ’ s politics again — radical , far-left , extremist politics by any measure taken more than about twenty years ago .
And it ’ s gaining ground , as shown by how freely normal American thought from twenty years ago gets labeled “ right-wing extremism.
” It ’ s gaining ground , even as historic statues are toppled to the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we ’ ll survive it , if it prevails in the next elections .
Even the best-case scenario is bad .
Progressives will keep on promising their versions of the “ Great Society , ” and the result will be the same as the one Lyndon Johnson devised .
People built their whole lives around government promises instead of personal responsibility .
It failed , naturally ; and they ’ re angry , also naturally .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not angry at the false promises that destroyed them as they should be , though ; instead they ’ re clamoring for the next promise , and the next , and the next .
These promises will fail , too , and what kind of anger will we see when that happens ?
Probably about the same kind of anger we ’ ll see if Trump wins instead .
Remember Portland , November 2016 , and the violence there after Trump ’ s last victory ?
That looks mild now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening there this summer .
But if Republicans win in November , it ’ s July 2020 that ’ s going to look mild by comparison .
And leftist politicians , from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton to Joe Biden — leaders who could actually influence the violence , if they ’ d only try — will keep their noses out of it as much as ever .
What Can We Trust ?
It was a blissful week , avoiding the news .
All these thoughts and images have come crashing back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s only one other time I can remember feeling this unsettled .
It was in the summer of 1992 , during the period of aftershocks following two major earthquakes in Landers and Big Bear , California .
We were living in Big Bear City at the time .
The aftershocks continued for weeks , at various levels of intensity , including one that knocked another house off its foundation .
We couldn ’ t know whether ours might be next .
Our natural-stone chimney had already cracked and had to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in again .
The question I kept asking at the time was , “ If you can ’ t trust the ground you walk on , what can you trust ?
” As a believer in Christ , I had the answer .
He is our refuge , our rock , our firm foundation .
I leaned on Him then like never before .
We also did repairs on our home to make it as safe as we could .
Our whole country feels about that unstable right now .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least .
We can ’ t move out , but we can still do repairs , and we ’ d certainly better .
We made it through those days of aftershocks , trusting in Christ all the way through .
I ’ m making it through my re-insertion today the same way .
He ’ s still our rock , our refuge , our firm foundation .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the forthcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

I’m just coming back on Monday morning from a week off from The Stream. I’ve done my best to stay away from the news. I’m sure it was good for me, except the shock of re-insertion is worse today than I expected. I’ve been trying to sum it all up as I write, and I’m finding I can’t do it justice. It feels a lot like the country is falling apart.
And the sobering reality is that it just might be. We’ve lost almost every touchpoint of mutual trust. Not just government, but the media. Not just the media, but education. Not just education, but science. And not just science, but medical science. We’ve seen medical advice being wrong before now, but never so politicized.
There’s nothing we can all trust, hardly anything we agree on, and not much uniting us either. Not our land, not our economy, not our history. Certainly not our moral standards, and not our religious beliefs. What once was good is “bad,” what was bad is “good,” and if you disagree, then you’re bad. Evil. A hater.
But Antifa? BLM? The one is fascist through and through, in spite of its name. The other is Marxist from the top down, again in spite of its name. They can spew hate though, and it’s a “demonstration.” They can loot, they can burn, they can attack police, and the New York Times will fall all over itself rewriting history to please them — in spite of The Times’ apparently racist, slaveholding history.
Extremism, False Promises, Anger
Why does anyone listen to The Times? It’s politics again — radical, far-left, extremist politics by any measure taken more than about twenty years ago. And it’s gaining ground, as shown by how freely normal American thought from twenty years ago gets labeled “right-wing extremism.”
It’s gaining ground, even as historic statues are toppled to the ground. It’s hard to see how we’ll survive it, if it prevails in the next elections. Even the best-case scenario is bad. Progressives will keep on promising their versions of the “Great Society,” and the result will be the same as the one Lyndon Johnson devised. People built their whole lives around government promises instead of personal responsibility. It failed, naturally; and they’re angry, also naturally.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
They’re not angry at the false promises that destroyed them as they should be, though; instead they’re clamoring for the next promise, and the next, and the next. These promises will fail, too, and what kind of anger will we see when that happens? Probably about the same kind of anger we’ll see if Trump wins instead.
Remember Portland, November 2016, and the violence there after Trump’s last victory? That looks mild now, in comparison to what’s been happening there this summer. But if Republicans win in November, it’s July 2020 that’s going to look mild by comparison. And leftist politicians, from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton to Joe Biden — leaders who could actually influence the violence, if they’d only try — will keep their noses out of it as much as ever.
What Can We Trust?
It was a blissful week, avoiding the news. All these thoughts and images have come crashing back in on me this morning, though. There’s only one other time I can remember feeling this unsettled. It was in the summer of 1992, during the period of aftershocks following two major earthquakes in Landers and Big Bear, California. We were living in Big Bear City at the time.
The aftershocks continued for weeks, at various levels of intensity, including one that knocked another house off its foundation. We couldn’t know whether ours might be next. Our natural-stone chimney had already cracked and had to be taken completely down before we could move back in again.
The question I kept asking at the time was, “If you can’t trust the ground you walk on, what can you trust?” As a believer in Christ, I had the answer. He is our refuge, our rock, our firm foundation. I leaned on Him then like never before. We also did repairs on our home to make it as safe as we could.
Our whole country feels about that unstable right now. I’d say the chimney has cracked, at least. We can’t move out, but we can still do repairs, and we’d certainly better.
We made it through those days of aftershocks, trusting in Christ all the way through. I’m making it through my re-insertion today the same way. He’s still our rock, our refuge, our firm foundation.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-07-20--Is Comet NEOWISE a Bad Omen for 2020?

Is Comet NEOWISE a Bad Omen for 2020?

You may have missed the great comet of the last century , Hale-Bopp , in 1997 .
If so , right now you have another chance to see a comet .
Comet NEOWISE slipped into the evening skies a few days ago , and it has been climbing steadily above the dusk glow every night since .
It becomes visible to our eyes only one every 6,800 years .
The last humans to see the comet lived 2,800 years before Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees .
Dark moonless skies have given even casual observers great views , and photographers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it the last couple nights away from city lights and could see its tail with my naked eye .
( I took the picture accompanying this article . )
If you want to photograph it , you will need to mount your digital camera on a tripod , set the ISO to at least 800 , and take at least a 20 second exposure .
Look towards the northwest between the horizon and the Big Dipper at least 30 minutes after sunset .
You can check out the finding charts here .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moon returns to the evening skies mid-week , overwhelming the light of the faint comet .
So , the next few nights will likely be your last chance to spot it .
If you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope , you can continue to follow it through August .
In ancient times , astrologers and others viewed eclipses and comets as harbingers and omens .
They tried to divine messages from these omens and deliver them to their rulers .
The Jewish scholar Josephus , for instance , believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Halley ’ s ) in 65/66 AD , which appeared as a sword over Jerusalem , foretold the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD .
Given this history , it ’ s hard not to notice that 2020 has also been an eventful year — to say the least .
Many countries have shut down their economies to deal with a pandemic .
Violent riots continue not just in the US , but around the world .
Historic churches burn in France and the US .
The most famous church in history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a mosque .
Millions of Christians speculate that the end is near .
And this wild ride isn ’ t over yet .
Genesis tells us that God created the heavenly bodies , at least in part , “ for signs and for seasons and for days and years.
” So , you might wonder : Is comet NEOWISE a sign of these and other dreadful events still to come ?
Is God trying to tell us something with this comet ?
We should be careful about trying to read too much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
First of all , comets are , by themselves , ambiguous signs .
We ’ re more likely to read meaning into their appearance , rather than out of them .
After all , comets follow a regular schedule .
These cosmic snowballs are all members of our Solar System .
They orbit the Sun with the planets and asteroids .
They just have elliptical orbits that send them into the outer regions far from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we see them only when they visit our neighborhood in the inner part of our Solar System .
They might seem to appear at random , unlike the moon and other planets .
But they still keep a regular schedule .
Second , they ’ re not all that rare .
Bright comets visit our skies several times a century .
Hale-Bopp was one of the brightest comets of the last few centuries .
It likely was the most observed comet in human history .
Comet Halley ’ s 1985/6 apparition was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 1910 apparition was a good one .
Historically , 1997 , 1985/6 and 1910 were not all that noteworthy .
Of course , one can go back and scour the headlines and associate any event with a bright comet .
But that would be cherry picking .
There ’ s also the danger that if people believe a comet is a portent of doom , then they may do harmful things they might otherwise not have done .
For example , the 1910 apparition of Halley ’ s comet added to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China .
Third , reading omens from regular celestial events can easily pass over into the occult , especially if we use them to guide our actions .
In fact , the Bible prohibits the practice of interpreting omens ( Deut .
18:10-12 ) .
So , we should be careful in looking for signs where they don ’ t exist .
Of course , God can and does use celestial events as signs .
The Star of Bethlehem is our best example .
Some scholars think it was a comet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unique sign , a pointer to the coming messiah , not an omen .
In general , Christians should resist the worldly temptation to use the sky to foretell the future .
It makes sense that comets , eclipses , and the like sometimes terrified our ancestors .
But in most cases , we should read these events not as omens , but as highlights of the heavens “ declaring the glory of God and “ proclaiming his handiwork ” ( Psalm 19 ) .
Indeed , the heavens do that even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gonzalez is an astronomer and Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute .
He received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Washington , Seattle in 1993 .
He is also co-author , with Jay W. Richards , of The Privileged Planet : How our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery .

You may have missed the great comet of the last century, Hale-Bopp, in 1997. If so, right now you have another chance to see a comet. Comet NEOWISE slipped into the evening skies a few days ago, and it has been climbing steadily above the dusk glow every night since. It becomes visible to our eyes only one every 6,800 years. The last humans to see the comet lived 2,800 years before Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees.
Dark moonless skies have given even casual observers great views, and photographers have produced stunning pictures. I observed it the last couple nights away from city lights and could see its tail with my naked eye. (I took the picture accompanying this article.)
If you want to photograph it, you will need to mount your digital camera on a tripod, set the ISO to at least 800, and take at least a 20 second exposure. Look towards the northwest between the horizon and the Big Dipper at least 30 minutes after sunset. You can check out the finding charts here.
The visitor is fading, however, and the moon returns to the evening skies mid-week, overwhelming the light of the faint comet. So, the next few nights will likely be your last chance to spot it. If you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope, you can continue to follow it through August.
Comets as Omens?
In ancient times, astrologers and others viewed eclipses and comets as harbingers and omens. They tried to divine messages from these omens and deliver them to their rulers. The Jewish scholar Josephus, for instance, believed that the apparition of a comet (Halley’s) in 65/66 AD, which appeared as a sword over Jerusalem, foretold the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Given this history, it’s hard not to notice that 2020 has also been an eventful year — to say the least. Many countries have shut down their economies to deal with a pandemic. Violent riots continue not just in the US, but around the world. Historic churches burn in France and the US. The most famous church in history, the Hagia Sophia, has been converted into a mosque. Millions of Christians speculate that the end is near. And this wild ride isn’t over yet.
Genesis tells us that God created the heavenly bodies, at least in part, “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” So, you might wonder: Is comet NEOWISE a sign of these and other dreadful events still to come? Is God trying to tell us something with this comet?
We should be careful about trying to read too much into this.
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First of all, comets are, by themselves, ambiguous signs. We’re more likely to read meaning into their appearance, rather than out of them.
After all, comets follow a regular schedule. These cosmic snowballs are all members of our Solar System. They orbit the Sun with the planets and asteroids. They just have elliptical orbits that send them into the outer regions far from our host star. As a result, we see them only when they visit our neighborhood in the inner part of our Solar System. They might seem to appear at random, unlike the moon and other planets. But they still keep a regular schedule.
Second, they’re not all that rare. Bright comets visit our skies several times a century. Hale-Bopp was one of the brightest comets of the last few centuries. It likely was the most observed comet in human history.
Comet Halley’s 1985/6 apparition was not as impressive, though it’s 1910 apparition was a good one. Historically, 1997, 1985/6 and 1910 were not all that noteworthy. Of course, one can go back and scour the headlines and associate any event with a bright comet. But that would be cherry picking.
There’s also the danger that if people believe a comet is a portent of doom, then they may do harmful things they might otherwise not have done. For example, the 1910 apparition of Halley’s comet added to the unrest just prior to the Xinhai Revolution in China.
Third, reading omens from regular celestial events can easily pass over into the occult, especially if we use them to guide our actions. In fact, the Bible prohibits the practice of interpreting omens (Deut. 18:10-12). So, we should be careful in looking for signs where they don’t exist.
Of course, God can and does use celestial events as signs. The Star of Bethlehem is our best example. Some scholars think it was a comet. But in its details, it provided a unique sign, a pointer to the coming messiah, not an omen.
The Glory of God
In general, Christians should resist the worldly temptation to use the sky to foretell the future. It makes sense that comets, eclipses, and the like sometimes terrified our ancestors. But in most cases, we should read these events not as omens, but as highlights of the heavens “declaring the glory of God and “proclaiming his handiwork” (Psalm 19).
Indeed, the heavens do that even in a very bad year.
Guillermo Gonzalez is an astronomer and Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute. He received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1993. He is also co-author, with Jay W. Richards, of The Privileged Planet: How our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery.


thestream--2020-07-20--There’s No Clear Path for Congress to Extend Coronavirus Relief. Unemployment Benefits Are About to

There’s No Clear Path for Congress to Extend Coronavirus Relief. Unemployment Benefits Are About to Expire

Expanded unemployment benefits are set to expire at the end of the month , but there ’ s no clear plan in place to assist Americans who still face financial hardship from coronavirus restrictions .
In the past four months , unemployment rose from record lows to nearly 16 % nationwide due to widespread lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the virus , according to The Wall Street Journal .
Especially hard-hit industries , like dining and hospitality , saw almost half of their jobs disappear in April .
And States like Michigan and Nevada , which have large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates approach 22 % and 26 % , respectively .
Even as some jobs have returned in May and June , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , unemployment is still the highest it has been since the Great Depression , Axios reported .
With coronavirus cases again skyrocketing , there is a growing risk of the recent gains being erases .
Additionally , many moratoriums on evictions are set to expire within a few weeks , increasing the risk that over 10 million Americans could be forced from their homes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fox News reported .
In March , Congress passed multiple stimulus bills that collectively injected $ 3.7 trillion into the United States economy , including through checks of up to $ 1,200 sent to millions of Americans and through expanded unemployment benefits for the millions who lost their jobs in the form of weekly $ 600 checks .
But those unemployment benefits are set to expire at the end of July .
Congress has discussed additional legislation to mitigate the coronavirus ’ s continuing economic toll .
Lawmakers on both sides of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assist Americans struggling in the fallout , including through additional stimulus checks , extensions of unemployment benefits and cash incentives for those who re-enter the workforce .
While Democrats are eager to extend the current benefits past the November election , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in May that any legislation resembling the initial unemployment bill will not receive Republican support .
He argued that workers who make less than $ 40,000 would be better off continuing to receive unemployment , consequently disincentivizing them from returning to work .
Though not always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as medicine , retail and construction have received more money than their normal pay checks through the expanded benefits , a report from Five Thirty Eight showed .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
The White House has signaled a willingness to compromise , acknowledging that the worsening pandemic poses a growing threat to workers nationwide , according to Treasury Secretary Seven Mnuchin and Larry Kudlow , the director of the National Economic Council .
Mnuchin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC on July 9 , but said that benefits could amount to “ no more ” than 100 % of a worker ’ s wages .
Kudlow , echoing Mnuchin , said on July 13 that the administration is seeking “ some unemployment reforms , ” though he declined specify when pressed by host Stuart Varney .
The White House has also insisted that any stimulus bill must include a payroll tax cut , despite that both Senate Republicans and House Democrats oppose the measure , Politico reported .
One prominent proposal is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who in May suggested weekly $ 450 checks as a “ back to work bonus ” for Americans who returned to work instead of the $ 600 unemployment checks .
He argued that the bonus would incentivize Americans to return to work while simultaneously helping the economy and cutting government costs .
But his proposal indicated that such bonus checks would only be issued through the end of July .
Congressional Republicans and the White House were receptive to the idea , but the plan did not answer how to help those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not return to work .
Republican Texas Rep. Kevin Brady introduced a similar plan in the House Ways and Means Committee in May .
His proposal was to let rehired workers receive a $ 1,200 check as a “ hiring bonus.
” His measure was also well-received by the White House , according to The Washington Post .
Like Johnson ’ s plan , however , Brady ’ s proposal was also set to expire at the end of July , according to Business Insider .
Democrats have been hesitant to support any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current $ 600-per-week benefits through January 2021 , The Washington Post reported .
One area of potential bipartisanship , however , is regarding a so-called liability shield .
The proposed protection would prevent lawsuits for companies that reopened and brought workers back on the condition that unemployment benefits are extended in some form , according to the Washington Post .
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have worried about the legal ramifications small and mid-size businesses could face if their workers were to contract COVID-19 at work and face additional financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debated over the best path forward , economists have warned that many jobs may never return due to the uncertainty over how long the coronavirus will continue to spread .
“ We are now experiencing a whole new level of uncertainty , as questions only the virus can answer complicate the outlook , ” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in May .
Petra Todd , an economist at the University of Pennsylvania told WalletHub that it will be hard to predict how successful another stimulus bill will be , especially since millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost their health insurance , which unemployment does not cover .
“ A lot depends on how quickly researchers can find good treatments for the virus , ” she said .
Furthermore , if coronavirus restrictions remain or if Americans voluntarily choose to avoid eating at restaurants , watching movies in theaters , traveling , attending live events or participate in other such close-quartered activities , then those industries will have little need to rehire the millions of employees who worked within them .
Many large companies in cities across the country already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working remotely for the foreseeable future , creating a smaller physical footprint and resulting in fewer people to patron the restaurants , bars and shops that are dependent on them .
Microsoft and Facebook , two companies that employ over 200,000 people across the country , announced work-from-home policies that extend through the end of the year , Forbes reported in May .
Many states have had varying success in combating the virus , as coronavirus cases surge quicker in some states than others .
While states in the North have had their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Arizona , Texas and Florida have recorded over 10,000 new cases daily , according to a Johns Hopkins University database .
Some states combating the skyrocketing caseload are consequently halting their reopening or are even beginning to lock back down .
Some states not reporting enormous virus counts like Michigan and Nevada have suffered economically more than others due to their dependence on industries like manufacturing and hospitality .
Conversely , states more reliant on agriculture and livestock , like Wyoming , Utah and Idaho , all have unemployment rates that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bureau of Labor Statistics .
While Washington tip-toes toward a contentious fight that may not get resolved before July 3 , the United States reports record-high daily case counts .
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 .

Expanded unemployment benefits are set to expire at the end of the month, but there’s no clear plan in place to assist Americans who still face financial hardship from coronavirus restrictions.
In the past four months, unemployment rose from record lows to nearly 16% nationwide due to widespread lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, according to The Wall Street Journal. Especially hard-hit industries, like dining and hospitality, saw almost half of their jobs disappear in April. And States like Michigan and Nevada, which have large manufacturing and tourism sectors, saw unemployment rates approach 22% and 26%, respectively.
Even as some jobs have returned in May and June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment is still the highest it has been since the Great Depression, Axios reported. With coronavirus cases again skyrocketing, there is a growing risk of the recent gains being erases.
Additionally, many moratoriums on evictions are set to expire within a few weeks, increasing the risk that over 10 million Americans could be forced from their homes and further exacerbating the need for unemployment relief, Fox News reported.
In March, Congress passed multiple stimulus bills that collectively injected $3.7 trillion into the United States economy, including through checks of up to $1,200 sent to millions of Americans and through expanded unemployment benefits for the millions who lost their jobs in the form of weekly $600 checks.
But those unemployment benefits are set to expire at the end of July.
Congress has discussed additional legislation to mitigate the coronavirus’s continuing economic toll. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have proposed various measures to assist Americans struggling in the fallout, including through additional stimulus checks, extensions of unemployment benefits and cash incentives for those who re-enter the workforce.
While Democrats are eager to extend the current benefits past the November election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in May that any legislation resembling the initial unemployment bill will not receive Republican support. He argued that workers who make less than $40,000 would be better off continuing to receive unemployment, consequently disincentivizing them from returning to work.
Though not always the case, some employees in sectors such as medicine, retail and construction have received more money than their normal pay checks through the expanded benefits, a report from Five Thirty Eight showed.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The White House has signaled a willingness to compromise, acknowledging that the worsening pandemic poses a growing threat to workers nationwide, according to Treasury Secretary Seven Mnuchin and Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council.
Mnuchin expressed willingness to extend unemployment benefits on CNBC on July 9, but said that benefits could amount to “no more” than 100% of a worker’s wages.
Kudlow, echoing Mnuchin, said on July 13 that the administration is seeking “some unemployment reforms,” though he declined specify when pressed by host Stuart Varney.
The White House has also insisted that any stimulus bill must include a payroll tax cut, despite that both Senate Republicans and House Democrats oppose the measure, Politico reported.
One prominent proposal is from Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, who in May suggested weekly $450 checks as a “back to work bonus” for Americans who returned to work instead of the $600 unemployment checks. He argued that the bonus would incentivize Americans to return to work while simultaneously helping the economy and cutting government costs.
But his proposal indicated that such bonus checks would only be issued through the end of July. Congressional Republicans and the White House were receptive to the idea, but the plan did not answer how to help those who had either lost their job or could not return to work.
Republican Texas Rep. Kevin Brady introduced a similar plan in the House Ways and Means Committee in May. His proposal was to let rehired workers receive a $1,200 check as a “hiring bonus.” His measure was also well-received by the White House, according to The Washington Post.
Like Johnson’s plan, however, Brady’s proposal was also set to expire at the end of July, according to Business Insider.
Democrats have been hesitant to support any Republican-proposed plan, instead pushing to extend the current $600-per-week benefits through January 2021, The Washington Post reported.
One area of potential bipartisanship, however, is regarding a so-called liability shield. The proposed protection would prevent lawsuits for companies that reopened and brought workers back on the condition that unemployment benefits are extended in some form, according to the Washington Post. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have worried about the legal ramifications small and mid-size businesses could face if their workers were to contract COVID-19 at work and face additional financial and physical burdens.
Though Congress has debated over the best path forward, economists have warned that many jobs may never return due to the uncertainty over how long the coronavirus will continue to spread.
“We are now experiencing a whole new level of uncertainty, as questions only the virus can answer complicate the outlook,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in May.
Petra Todd, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania told WalletHub that it will be hard to predict how successful another stimulus bill will be, especially since millions of Americans who lost their jobs also lost their health insurance, which unemployment does not cover.
“A lot depends on how quickly researchers can find good treatments for the virus,” she said.
Furthermore, if coronavirus restrictions remain or if Americans voluntarily choose to avoid eating at restaurants, watching movies in theaters, traveling, attending live events or participate in other such close-quartered activities, then those industries will have little need to rehire the millions of employees who worked within them.
Many large companies in cities across the country already expect many of their employees to continue working remotely for the foreseeable future, creating a smaller physical footprint and resulting in fewer people to patron the restaurants, bars and shops that are dependent on them. Microsoft and Facebook, two companies that employ over 200,000 people across the country, announced work-from-home policies that extend through the end of the year, Forbes reported in May.
Many states have had varying success in combating the virus, as coronavirus cases surge quicker in some states than others. While states in the North have had their case counts remain relatively stable, states like Arizona, Texas and Florida have recorded over 10,000 new cases daily, according to a Johns Hopkins University database.
Some states combating the skyrocketing caseload are consequently halting their reopening or are even beginning to lock back down.
Some states not reporting enormous virus counts like Michigan and Nevada have suffered economically more than others due to their dependence on industries like manufacturing and hospitality. Conversely, states more reliant on agriculture and livestock, like Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, all have unemployment rates that are under 10%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While Washington tip-toes toward a contentious fight that may not get resolved before July 3, the United States reports record-high daily case counts.
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--2020-07-20--Were You a ‘Non-Essential Worker’? How to Avoid the Label

…he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats .
( Matthew 25:32b ) “ Only Essential Employees need to report to work , you non-essential losers need not bother to come in… ” Okay maybe this isn ’ t exactly what the “ essential employee ” announcement says .
But it ’ s what many people hear .
.
Your work is non-essential ?
What an insult .
If your manager or the organizational chart put you in a box with this label , it ’ s an uncomforting and deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps it ’ s no fault of your own that the job description changed so suddenly , but this might be an opportunity to reflect and consider how to avoid being seen as non-essential ever again .
It is time to take control of your life by becoming indispensable , either in your current company or elsewhere .
To do so , you must understand the mindset of managers facing unpleasant cuts .
In times of great turmoil when the ship is sinking managers ask , what ( or who ) gets thrown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these life and livelihood decisions .
To stay off the human resource chopping block , we all need to know where we fit in .
Workforce development offices slot us all into essential/non-essential .
This humiliating loss in human dignity is depicted in nearly every Dilbert cartoon , where it ’ s funny until we become Dilbert .
And this perception matters .
Research has actually documented that the key reason staffers quit is not feeling appreciated .
The staff divide is often listed by HR managers into ‘ core ’ and ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is easier and more humane to label each of our work tasks into either ‘ core ’ or ‘ support.
’ In times of struggle , management prioritizes the company core and outsources the support .
“ If it ’ s not core , then it ’ s going off-shore , ” is the thinking of strategic decision makers .
The back office and its staff are dispensable .
The Alert Staffer must know what his manager gets graded on .
Because core is what the customer values ; it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for one company is support at another and support at one company is core for another .
How can we tell the difference ?
The Front Office is where the customer interacts with your company to receive a product or service driving revenue to the company .
Everything else supports this transaction .
Andrea Gabor explains in a story of Jack Welch , in The Capitalist Philosophers .
Welch speaks of the difference between the ‘ critical ’ and ‘ support ’ parts of a business : In the late 1980 ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ferment , [ Peter ] Drucker was summoned back to GE … “ Make sure that your back room is their front room , ” recalls Welch .
It was a statement that helped define Welch ’ s approach to a wave of outsourcing .
“ In other words , don ’ t you do guard services at your plant .
Get someone who specializes in guard services ” to do them for you .
Get rid of in-house printing , in-house conferences services , any business that isn ’ t the core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) These support workers may not be less talented — but are less valued by management .
Here are three job options that are most likely to keep you in the essential worker category : 1 ) Sales : Revenue generation is the measure of an organization .
This is where cash is moved from the buyer to your company .
Get as close as possible to the transaction .
2 ) Customer Service : Company products must be picked , packed and shipped and serviced .
Be in this logistical chain connecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 ) Customer liaison : Even if you are in manufacturing , volunteer to be the link in or with the ‘ creatives ’ in your company .
As Peter Drucker said , “ Marketing and innovation produce results , all the rest are costs… ” The further one gets from the customer the less essential and the more dispensable the staffer becomes .
Close to the customer makes for an essential employee .
Jack Yoest @ JackYoest is a consultant and assistant professor of Practice in Leadership and Management at The Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Business , in Washington , D.C..
He is the author of “ The Memo : How the Classified Military Document That Helped the U.S .
Win WWII Can Help You Succeed in Business .
”

…he will separate the people one from another
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:32b)
“Only Essential Employees need to report to work, you non-essential losers need not bother to come in…” Okay maybe this isn’t exactly what the “essential employee” announcement says. But it’s what many people hear. .
Your work is non-essential? What an insult.
If your manager or the organizational chart put you in a box with this label, it’s an uncomforting and deeply personal slight at your professional competency. Perhaps it’s no fault of your own that the job description changed so suddenly, but this might be an opportunity to reflect and consider how to avoid being seen as non-essential ever again. It is time to take control of your life by becoming indispensable, either in your current company or elsewhere. To do so, you must understand the mindset of managers facing unpleasant cuts.
The Great Divide
In times of great turmoil when the ship is sinking managers ask, what (or who) gets thrown overboard? Managers get paid to make these life and livelihood decisions. To stay off the human resource chopping block, we all need to know where we fit in. Workforce development offices slot us all into essential/non-essential. This humiliating loss in human dignity is depicted in nearly every Dilbert cartoon, where it’s funny until we become Dilbert.
And this perception matters. Research has actually documented that the key reason staffers quit is not feeling appreciated.
The staff divide is often listed by HR managers into ‘core’ and ‘critical.’ But this is too confusing. It is easier and more humane to label each of our work tasks into either ‘core’ or ‘support.’ In times of struggle, management prioritizes the company core and outsources the support.
Back Office / Front Office
“If it’s not core, then it’s going off-shore,” is the thinking of strategic decision makers. The back office and its staff are dispensable. The Alert Staffer must know what his manager gets graded on. Because core is what the customer values; it is of first importance.
But, core for one company is support at another and support at one company is core for another. How can we tell the difference?
The Front Office is where the customer interacts with your company to receive a product or service driving revenue to the company. Everything else supports this transaction.
Andrea Gabor explains in a story of Jack Welch, in The Capitalist Philosophers. Welch speaks of the difference between the ‘critical’ and ‘support’ parts of a business:
In the late 1980’s, during a period of intense competitive ferment, [Peter] Drucker was summoned back to GE … “Make sure that your back room is their front room,” recalls Welch. It was a statement that helped define Welch’s approach to a wave of outsourcing. “In other words, don’t you do guard services at your plant. Get someone who specializes in guard services” to do them for you. Get rid of in-house printing, in-house conferences services, any business that isn’t the core of your focus. (Gabor 2000)
These support workers may not be less talented — but are less valued by management.
Here are three job options that are most likely to keep you in the essential worker category:
1) Sales: Revenue generation is the measure of an organization. This is where cash is moved from the buyer to your company. Get as close as possible to the transaction.
2) Customer Service: Company products must be picked, packed and shipped and serviced. Be in this logistical chain connecting your organization to the end user.
3) Customer liaison: Even if you are in manufacturing, volunteer to be the link in or with the ‘creatives’ in your company. As Peter Drucker said, “Marketing and innovation produce results, all the rest are costs…”
The further one gets from the customer the less essential and the more dispensable the staffer becomes. Close to the customer makes for an essential employee.
Jack Yoest @JackYoest is a consultant and assistant professor of Practice in Leadership and Management at The Catholic University of America in The Busch School of Business, in Washington, D.C.. He is the author of “The Memo: How the Classified Military Document That Helped the U.S. Win WWII Can Help You Succeed in Business.”