The Germans Have Had It with Trump

Business Insider wrote on June 3:

“Intelligence and law-enforcement officials among America’s allies in Europe and the Middle East told Insider they were aghast at the heavy-handed tactics and rhetoric used by US police generally, and by the president specifically, to suppress demonstrations against police abuses of African Americans. ‘It has been chilling watching the United States devolve into the same strongman-style policing and rhetoric we have been opposing together as allies in the Middle East and Eastern Europe,’ a NATO military intelligence official… told Insider. [This] view is widely held. Some European officials have started to side openly with the protesters….

“Another senior law-enforcement official for a European Union member said the visuals of peaceful American protesters and media being repeatedly attacked by police and security forces over the past week has forced Europe into formally addressing a fear that has lurked behind the US-EU relationship for over three years: The US president is not an ally of European democracy…  The Germans are openly done with this president. This is why [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel refused Trump’s offer to host the G7 at the White House this fall…”

The relationship between the USA and Germany has never been as bad since the end of World War II.

“Democracy on the Defensive in Trump’s America”

Der Spiegel wrote on June 5:

“Coronavirus, economic collapse and now mass demonstrations for racial equality: The United States is facing a trio of deep crises. Instead of offering leadership, President Donald Trump is exacerbating divisions and showing authoritarian tendencies… Trump, it seems, needs the chaos. He feeds off it.

“Few other democratically elected leaders have as much power as the U.S. president, a reality that can lead to abuse… In his farewell address on January 11, 1989, Ronald Reagan spoke of a ‘shining city upon a hill,’ admired not only for its prosperity but for its richness in ideas, its goodness and cosmopolitanism…

“This notion of American exceptionalism also came up in Trump’s inauguration speech in January of 2017…  Three and a half years later, there are no signs of victory. The defeat in the war in Afghanistan, the longest in U.S. history, is now as good as certain. The war will soon have lasted 19 years and cost the lives of 2,400 U.S. soldiers and Trump is eager to withdraw from the country, though there is little doubt that the Taliban will take over in Kabul when he does, much like the Communists overran Saigon after the last GIs left Vietnam…”

Der Spiegel is the most popular magazine for Germany’s intellectuals. Their viewpoint on Trump is remarkable and shows Germany’s ongoing rejection of America’s leader.

Trump Withdraws US Troops from Germany

The Guardian wrote on June 5:

“Donald Trump has ordered the US military to remove nearly 9,500 troops from Germany in a move likely to raise concerns in Europe about the US commitment to the region. The move would reduce US troop numbers in Germany to 25,000, compared with the 34,500 currently there, a senior US official said.

“The official said the move was the result of months of work by America’s top military officer, General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and had nothing to do with tensions between Trump and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel…

“The move is the latest twist in relations between Berlin and Washington, which have often been strained during Trump’s presidency. Trump has pressed Germany to raise defence spending and accused Berlin of being a captive of Russia due to its energy reliance.

“About 17,000 US civilian employees support the US troops in Germany. It is believed the United States also has nuclear warheads there. In May, the then US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, accused Berlin of undermining Nato’s nuclear deterrent, taking aim at Merkel’s junior coalition partners after some of their leaders called for nuclear disarmament.”

Few in Germany believe that America’s sudden announcement of withdrawal of American troops had nothing to do with Trump’s ongoing rift with Merkel.  Now, many in Germany are asking the question: Who is really undermining NATO? Note the next articles.

German Reactions—Purely Political and an Act of Revenge

Deutsche Welle added on June 6:

“Washington’s alleged plan to transfer about 9,500 troops out of its German bases is a symbolic gesture that is likely to weaken US military operations and ‘further deteriorate’ trans-Atlantic ties, conservative lawmaker Andreas Nick told DW on Saturday… ‘the decision is purely politically motivated and not made by experts,’ he said.

“… the ties between Berlin and Washington have been deteriorating steadily over geopolitical, financial, and environmental issues since Donald Trump took office in January 2017…

“On Saturday, senior German conservative Johann Wadephul said the withdrawal of troops would be yet another wake-up call for Europeans to take their fate in their own hands. ‘The plans show once again that the Trump administration is disregarding an elementary task of leadership: the involvement of allies in the decision-making process,’ said Wadephul,  who serves as the deputy head of the parliamentary group for Angela Merkel’s  CDU party…”

The Guardian added on June 6:

“Norbert Röttgen, one of the CDU politicians in the running to succeed Merkel as chancellor when she steps down next year, criticised the plans. ‘Such a withdrawal would be regrettable from every point of view… ‘I cannot see a rational ground for such a withdrawal.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 7:

“‘This would break transatlantic bridges,’ exclaimed Peter Beyer, coordinator for transatlantic relations for the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. ‘It’s not just about 9,500 soldiers, but also their families, an estimated 20,000 Americans,’ Beyer [said].”

The Local wrote on June 7:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said… the transatlantic relationship had become ‘complicated’ under Trump…

“Rolf Muetzenich, leader of the parliamentary group of the centre-left SPD, Merkel’s junior coalition partner, told the Funke newspaper group that the US plan could lead to ‘a lasting realignment of security policy in Europe’.

“Former US Army Europe commander Ben Hodges… said a US drawdown would be ‘a colossal mistake’ and ‘a gift’ for Russian President Vladimir Putin… The headquarters for US forces in Europe and Africa are both based in Stuttgart, while the US air base in Ramstein plays a major role in transporting soldiers and equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan. The US military hospital in Landstuhl, near Ramstein, is the largest of its kind outside the United States.”

Breitbart wrote on June 8:

“Germany’s special coordinator for Transatlantic ties… Peter Beyer told the Rheinische Post the White House left Germany in the dark before reports of the decision began to emerge… ‘This is completely unacceptable, especially since nobody in Washington thought about informing its NATO ally Germany in advance,’ Beyer, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, told the newspaper.”

The Algemeiner wrote on June 8:

“Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, vice president at the German Marshall Fund of the United States which promotes US-European ties, said the decision ‘does smack a bit like revenge.’ ‘I’ve followed this relationship for the last 35 years of my professional life — I cannot remember a lower point of the relationship than this… Donald Trump seems to see Angela Merkel, not anybody else, as his systemic rival.’”

The relationship between the USA and Germany (Europe’s leader) is incurably damaged. It will get worse and worse to the point of an outright WAR.

Travel Restrictions to Be Lifted?… Not Really!

The Associated Press wrote on June 5:

“All but essential travel into Europe from the outside is restricted until June 15, but many ministers suggested Friday that they want this deadline extended until early July…

“German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, whose country plans to lift its remaining border checks on June 15 like many other EU countries, said ‘the internal border controls will be over in all of Europe at the end of June.’…

“Visitors from the United States, Russia or Brazil… would only be allowed back into Europe based on how those nations have brought the spread of the virus under control, he said…”

It was subsequently announced by the EU that Europeans would not be able to travel to the United States until the end of August. We pray that this ridiculous restriction will be abandoned as soon as possible. The antagonism between Europe and the USA can even be seen in the mutual travel bans between these two power blocs (with Russia and Brazil being added for appearance’s sake, to make this scheme less obvious). Again, Satan wants to prevent God’s people from the USA from traveling to Germany or Europe to keep the Feast of Tabernacles there.

Supporting WHO?

Breaking Israel News wrote on June 5:

“President Trump removed US funding from the World Health Organization (WHO). Many people criticized the decision but a closer look shows that not only is the WHO incompetent at performing the function for which it was created but it has side agendas that are shocking indeed…

“The WHO Collaborating Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health, established in 2003 at the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) focused on establishing standards for sexuality education, providing guidance for implementation and support [for] the implementation of training programs for educators. The program has been translated into several languages and used internationally… It has been used in at least 14 countries to develop or adapt curricula for sexuality education and/or for advocacy towards decision-makers.

“The WHO curriculum suggests that children ages four to six, be given information ‘about friendship and love towards people of the same sex’ and ‘same-sex relationships’ (i.e. homosexuality), and be guided to develop ‘an open, non-judgmental attitude.’ As per this program, children under the age of four are introduced to masturbation including ‘playing doctor’ (i.e. sexual activity with another person of unspecified age)…

“The WHO also removes the authority of the parents in such matters, establishing its standards as superseding those… In 2018, Andrew MacLeod, the former chief of operations at the UN’s Emergency Co-ordination Center claimed that an estimated 60,000 cases of sexual exploitation had been committed over the last decade by 3,300 pedophiles working in the organization.

“‘Child rape crimes are being inadvertently funded, in part, by United Kingdom tax-payers,’ he said in an interview with British tabloid The Sun. At the same time, UN Secretary-General António Guterres admitted that the UN had ‘wrestled for many years with the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse,’ as reported by the British newspaper The Times. In early 2017 the United Nations Secretary-General admitted to 145 incidents involving 311 victims in 2016 alone, mainly in peace operations….”

The WHO’s recommendation of teaching our children “sexuality education” in school—even against the wishes of their parents—is an abomination in the eyes of God. The consequential incidents of sexual abuse of children within the organization speak for themselves.  

Russia and China vs. the USA

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 4:

“Russian hopes dashed: Whatever hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin may have had for a more workable relationship with the Trump administration have been ‘trumpled,’ so to speak. This came through loudly and clearly in acerbic remarks by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov… Ryabkov lamented the sad state of Russia-US relations, while pointing, not very subtly, to China as Russia’s ace in the hole…

“‘We don’t believe the US in its current shape is a counterpart that is reliable, so we have no confidence, no trust whatsoever. So our own calculations and conclusions are less related to what America is doing… we cherish our close and friendly relations with China. We do regard this as a comprehensive strategic partnership in different areas, and we intend to develop it further’…”

It is prophesied that China and Russia and other Far Eastern countries will combine their efforts and forces. They are referred to in the Bible as the “kings from the East.”

Russia Threatens with Nuclear War

Breaking Israel News wrote on June 7:

“On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin signed into effect a new Russian military doctrine, allowing him to order a nuclear weapons strike in response to an attack using conventional weapons.

“The new rules also allow the Russian military to use its nuclear weapons if it gets ‘reliable information’ about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting its territory or its allies. As per the longstanding policy, the president can order a retaliatory nuclear strike in response to an attack using nuclear weapons…”

A nuclear war will break out between Russia with their far Eastern allies and the European power bloc under German leadership.

Special Relationship between USA and UK to End Soon?

The Guardian wrote on June 8:

“The UK’s special relationship with the US may end…

“Rory Stewart, the former Conservative international development secretary, said in one assessment: ‘… If we were to move away from the US, and Trump obviously poses the challenge that that may have to happen, we are going to find ourselves in a situation in which much of our Foreign Office infrastructure had been predicated on working very closely with the US for a very long time… it will involve a much bigger shift in national security infrastructure than we have ever experienced. Almost since Suez, they have been our default.’…

“Sir John Sawers, the former head of M16 and a former UK ambassador to the UN… said… ‘There is no doubt President Trump is the most difficult president for us to deal with… He does not really feel that sense of being part of that transatlantic community, he does not really believe in alliances… We are seeing in this pandemic for the first time what a crisis is like without American leadership…’

“Many senior former UK ambassadors are desperately hoping Washington will lead again. One said: ‘… If we get another four years of this leadership, then some of the bonds and some of the cement that holds the west together, and holds Europe and America together will be broken forever…’”

The Bible indicates that the special relationship between the USA and the UK will indeed end soon… but only after important prophetic events have been fulfilled.

Trump No Friend of Israel?

Times of Israel wrote on June 5:

“Jerusalem and Heritage Minister Rafi Peretz said Friday that he would oppose parts of the Trump administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan amid a growing chorus of right-wing opposition to the Palestinian state outlined in the plan… Peretz, who heads the right-wing Jewish Home faction, in a Facebook post said he would not accept the establishment of a Palestinian state, which is included in the outline…

“Some politicians and top settler leaders have publicly come out against the US plan in recent days, led by Jordan Valley Regional Council head David Elhayani, who told the Haaretz daily on Wednesday that Trump and his senior adviser Jared Kushner have shown through their peace proposal that ‘they are not friends of the State of Israel.’… If Trump wants to establish a Palestinian state near the heart of Israel, between Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, he said, addressing the US president, ‘then you are not a friend.’ Such a state, he stressed, ‘is a danger to Israel.’…

“The comments drew harsh rebuke from Netanyahu and other right-wing leaders. However, Elhayani… rebuffed accusations that he was being ungrateful to Washington as it offers to recognize Israeli sovereignty, [saying] he was concerned not just for the safety of settlements in the Jordan Valley and other areas of the West Bank, but for the safety of all of Israel’s citizens….”

Even though the almost universal movement against Israel’s planned annexation is growing stronger, Trump and Kushner would lose face and all credibility, if they were not to “allow” Israel to go forward with the annexation. The same could be said about Netanyahu who, after promising annexation by July 1, could not really afford not to go ahead with the annexation, as his political survival is on the line.

“Suddenly, Public Health Officials Say Social Justice Matters More Than Social Distance”

Politico wrote on June 4:

“For months, public health experts have urged Americans to take every precaution to stop the spread of Covid-19—stay at home, steer clear of friends and extended family, and absolutely avoid large gatherings. Now some of those experts are broadcasting a new message: It’s time to get out of the house and join the mass protests against racism…

“It’s a message echoed by media outlets and some of the most prominent public health experts in America, like former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Tom Frieden, who loudly warned against efforts to rush reopening but is now supportive of mass protests…

“But their messages are also confounding to many who spent the spring strictly isolated on the advice of health officials, only to hear that the need might not be so absolute after all. It’s particularly nettlesome to conservative skeptics of the all-or-nothing approach to lockdown, who point out that many of those same public health experts… widely criticized activists who held largely outdoor protests against lockdowns in April and May, accusing demonstrators of posing a public health danger.

“Conservatives, who felt their own concerns about long-term economic damage or even mental health costs of lockdown were brushed aside just days or weeks ago, are increasingly asking whether these public health experts are letting their politics sway their health care recommendations…

“Those protests against stay-at-home orders ‘not only oppose public health interventions, but are also rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives,’ according to the letter’s nearly 1,300 signatories. ‘Protests against systemic racism, which fosters the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Black communities and also perpetuates police violence, must be supported.’…”

This is SO ridiculously mind-boggling, offensive and utterly hypocritical.

Violence Breeds Violence

The Guardian wrote on June 6:

“The nationwide anti-police brutality protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the US have been marked by widespread incidents of police violence, including punching, kicking, gassing, pepper-spraying and driving vehicles at often peaceful protesters in states across the country. The actions have left thousands of protesters in jail and injured many others, leaving some with life-threatening injuries.

“From Minnesota to New York, Texas, California, Washington DC and many places beyond, from small towns to big cities, police officers have demonstrated just how problematic law enforcement is in the US, drawing condemnation from international groups as well as domestic civil rights organizations…

“Numerous incidents of police violence have been exposed in disturbing videos and press accounts in recent days… At [a] New York protest, an officer yanked a facemask from an African American man who was standing with his hands in the air, then pepper-sprayed him into the face.

“In Buffalo… two officers shoved a 75-year-old man to the ground. A video showed the man hitting his head on the ground, causing his blood to spill on the sidewalk. He is now gravely ill in hospital…

“On Thursday, a video posted to Twitter showed a group of police beating peaceful protesters in Philadelphia… In one incident police shot paint canisters at a woman who was standing on the porch of her own home…

“On the west coast, a police car drove into protestors in Los Angeles, briefly trapping them underneath the engine, and police used teargas to dispel a demonstration in Santa Monica. In Los Angeles, as in other cities in the US, police have also repeatedly fired rubber bullets at protesters…

“Even medical workers have not been immune… Among those abused in Washington DC were a pair of Australian journalists, who were reporting on a protest… Frequently journalists have been met with the same aggressive policing as demonstrators…”

A newsletter of the LA Times added on June 6:

“Among overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations, there was also violence and some looting. Some business owners criticized police for failing to protect their businesses…”

On the other hand, there were quite a few reported incidents when police officers sided with demonstrators, embraced them, engaged with them in minutes of silence, took a knee in front of them, and even marched with them.

In addition, left-wing radicals and groups such as Antifa have been blamed for resorting to violence and to kidnap and hijack peaceful demonstrations to follow their evil agenda. But as the next article shows, the same goes for right-wing radicals (It reminds us of events in Germany after World War I, when left- and right-wing extremists were fighting for dominance):

Extremists Try to Hijack Peaceful Protests

The Times of Israel wrote on June 6:

“There are men showing up to the George Floyd protests in body armor and Hawaiian shirts and they want to start a civil war. They call themselves the Boogaloo Bois. This isn’t a joke, but a very real network of anti-government extremists who want to leverage the protests to incite a wider uprising against police, the army and the state. Last week, three of them were arrested by the FBI for conspiracy to destroy federal and private property.

“The arrests are the most visible example so far of the Boogaloo network, whose armed adherents yearn for a second civil war between ordinary Americans and a federal government they consider oppressive…. Boogaloo Bois who have shown up at protests against police brutality are often sympathetic with the Black Lives Matter movement because the Boogaloo extremists hate the police.”

In addition, the article shows that the demarcation line between right and left extremists might be confusing. It points out:

“… white supremacist activity has been uncovered during some of the protests during the past two weeks. Members of the white nationalist group VDARE posed as reporters for the publication Vice and tried to get anti-racist demonstrators to publicly identify themselves… NBC reported that a Twitter account posing as part of the anti-fascist Antifa network was actually run by a white nationalist group called the American Identity Movement.”

White House Fenced In and Heavily Fortified

The Week wrote on June 5:

“… the White House has been transformed into a veritable fortress… with tall security fencing and concrete barriers erected to keep protesters from an expanded secure zone… Armed guards and sharpshooters and combat troops are omnipresent… the new fencing stretches about 1.7 miles around the White House.

“The White House is now so heavily fortified that it resembles the monarchical palaces or authoritarian compounds of regimes in faraway lands — strikingly incongruous with the historic role of the executive mansion… known as ‘the People’s House’…”

The picture presented to the world of the USA as being in turmoil and the White House as a helpless fortified and barricaded “palace” under siege is unheard of and extremely damaging to America’s reputation (whatever is still left of it).   

George Floyd Looking Down From Heaven Rejoicing over Job Reports???

The Guardian wrote on June 5:

“The president attempted to take a victory lap after a better-than-expected jobs report showed the national unemployment rate falling to 13.3% last month, with 2.5m jobs gained… Trump declared: ‘Today is probably, if you think of it, the greatest comeback in American history.’… Trump suggested that Floyd… would be happy about the figures… ‘Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this [is] a great thing that’s happening for our country,’ he said. ‘There’s a great day for him… There’s a great, great day in terms of equality.’”

“The comment earned swift opprobrium… Michael Steele, who is African American, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, told the MSNBC network: ‘It’s not only tone deaf, it’s borderline blasphemous in light of what happened to Mr Floyd… Again, it speaks to just how out of step this man [Trump] is with real life. This reality television presidency is incompatible with democracy, it’s incompatible with governing, it’s incompatible with everyday people trying to realise the American dream.’

“Defenders of Trump argued that he was being willfully misconstrued… [and] that his remark was taken ‘out of context’ [pointing out that Trump was emphasizing “equality”].

“The surprise increase in jobs came after economists had predicted a rise in unemployment to 20% as America reels from the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide lockdowns. But the new rate of 13.3% is still far higher than previous peak unemployment, which was 10.8% in 1982… Most of the 2.5m jobs gained over the month were in hospitality and leisure, an industry that lost 7.5m jobs in April as states went into quarantine…

“Although the unemployment rate for white people decreased from 14.2% to 12.4%, the rate for African Americans went up from 16.7% to 16.8%…”

Apart from the ill-received attempt to connect the “better-than-expected” job reports with the death of George Floyd—whether taken out of context or not—the very notion that Floyd is looking down from heaven is ridiculous and unbiblical. The Bible (which Trump had in his hand during his recent photo-op in front of the St. John’s Episcopal Church), teaches that people, when they die, are dead in their graves, without conscience; that they are not in heaven (or hell); and that God will resurrect them from the dead in their due time, which has not occurred yet for ANYONE—with the only exception of Jesus Christ, the “firstborn” from the dead.

Vatican Archbishop Praises Trump

Newsmax wrote on June 7:

“Influential Vatican Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Papal Nuncio to Washington, D.C., has written to President Trump, praising his leadership during a critical juncture in his presidency as he faces harsh criticism for his handling of the coronavirus and the George Floyd protests… Viganò writes that the President’s enemy is ‘the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days . . .’

“The Archbishop indicated that the ‘Covid emergency’ will likely be viewed in the future as a ‘colossal operation of social engineering.’ ‘We will also discover that the riots in these days were provoked by those who, seeing that the virus is inevitably fading and that the social alarm of the pandemic is waning, necessarily have had to provoke civil disturbances, because they would be followed by repression which, although legitimate, could be condemned as an unjustified aggression against the population,’ Viganò wrote. The Archbishop claimed that ‘the same thing is also happening in Europe, in perfect synchrony.’”

Even though some of his statements are remarkable and note-worthy, especially regarding the coronavirus and the civil disturbance, he constitutes a lone voice, as most Catholic priests and bishops reject Trump’s leadership. And so does the Pope.

Face Masks—the Criminal’s Best Friend

The Ron Paul Institute reprinted the following article on June 5 which appeared first in the Washington Times:

“America’s youth have taken to the streets in Santa Monica, in Minneapolis, in Los Angeles, in New York City, in Washington, D.C., and more, in protest of the horrible police killing of George Floyd, and they’re setting fires, burning businesses — burning St. John’s Church, the historic place of worship for American presidents — looting stores, smashing glass, tossing Molotov cocktails and fighting police.

“And they’re doing it with the aid and assistance of mandated, recommended or acceptably worn facial coverings. A face mask is a looter’s equivalent of a lucky day. Thanks be to the coronavirus crisis: Every criminal, would-be criminal and aider and abettor to a criminal can carry out his or her criminal act in broad daylight, in bold openness, in brash disregard for law and order, all while disguising identity.

“Oh what happy times COVID-19 and the government’s random, unscientific, politically motivated and factually questionable response to the virus has been for Antifa and Antifa’s thuggish types. Most cities, counties and communities have local safety provisions in place that make it illegal to wear facial coverings and hoods with intent to disguise — and if not prohibited by ordinances, the locals at least frown on the full-face coverings, making it odd and suspicious to see them worn in public…

“Now ‘cover thy face’ has become national policy… Many, if not most [criminals] will walk away scot-free, laughing into their face masks, confident the local cameras and locals in the area can’t identify them. And just think: If these face masks become part of America’s ‘new normal’ — so will the anonymous crimes. Face masks aren’t just a hindrance and a virtue signal of supposed COVID-19 concern for others. They’re cover for criminals. They’re a criminal’s new best friend.”

Very true as it convincingly describes the nonsense and the DANGER of having to wear face masks.

Defunding the Police?

Newsmax wrote on June 8:

“President Donald Trump early Monday tweeted a call to oppose defunding police departments in the wake of the death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody. ‘LAW & ORDER, NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH THE POLICE,’ Trump tweeted Monday. ‘The Radical Left Democrats have gone Crazy!’…

“The demand to defund police gained traction in Minneapolis  Sunday, when a veto-proof majority of the City Council pledged to ‘begin the process’ of dismantling its police force. Council members… said they didn’t have immediate plans for what would replace the force but would consult with the community on a new structure for public safety…

“Voters nationwide said by a 2-to-1 margin that they are more concerned by police actions in Floyd’s death than violence at some protests… 57% of Americans believe police generally treat white people better than black people. The public disapproved of Trump’s handling of the protests and the events surrounding Floyd’s killing by an 11-point margin…

“Almost two-thirds of Americans oppose cutting… police funding and just 16% of Democrats and 15% of Republicans support the idea…”

Trump a Long Way from Beaten

The Guardian wrote on June 6:

“Voter disapproval of Donald Trump’s handling of the George Floyd protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, plus the accompanying economic meltdown, have undoubtedly hurt the president’s re-election chances. But it’s unclear whether the damage is fatal…

“Things are looking bad for Trump right now… Yet Trump has been written off before… One thing is certain: he’s a long way from beaten.”

Indeed. And that is true even though from a human standpoint, it does not appear that, mainly due to his perceived lack of competent leadership, Trump would be reelected. But note the next article which discusses his modus operandi over the years.

Why Trump Will Stay in Power…

The Daily Mail wrote on June 5:

“After the anarchic and deeply troubling scenes of recent days, many will surely conclude that, in overwhelming numbers, the American people will kick Donald Trump out of the White House in November’s election… Our country is in flames… Twelve major cities have declared curfews, 17,000 troops have been activated, governors in at least 24 states called in the National Guard and more than 11,000 people have been arrested…

“Millions of people have lost their jobs already, and millions more are expected to join them in a recession – even a depression – following the pandemic. Little wonder that many of Trump’s most ardent supporters are subdued on the subject of ‘four more years’.

“But I have studied Trump for 32 years, having first met him in 1988 when I investigated his casino operations in Atlantic City and uncovered his friendships with the Mafia. I know the man, his motivations and his modus operandi well. Let me tell you that it would be a huge mistake to assume he has lost the 2020 election. In fact, there are many reasons to believe that what is happening now will deliver him that second term.

“Critical as I have long been of him, I’ve always admired his ability to convince millions of people that he is a modern Midas, a ‘very stable genius’, to use his own phrase — and the only person who can save America. That these claims are nonsense doesn’t matter as long as enough people believe them. Despite his many flaws, Trump is remarkably resilient.

“To retain the White House, he faces three challenges.

“First, he must persuade Americans that China is responsible for the coronavirus deaths, and feckless state governors and local mayors — rather than his own chaotic administration — mishandled the pandemic. If fatalities, as expected, are falling after the summer, he will benefit. Should a reliable treatment have emerged by then, this will help further.

“Second… Trump will claim it was his tough law-and-order policies that crushed the violence that erupted after Mr Floyd’s death…

“His third challenge is the economy. This is the easiest one for him. Even with more than a quarter of American workers on jobless benefits — and after a slightly uptick in employment numbers yesterday — Trump can argue the fastest way to revive the economy is to cut taxes further and jettison yet more business regulations. Most of the big corporations don’t want the Democrats back in power, with the prospect of higher taxes and more red tape…

“Meeting these challenges is achievable. And it is of a pattern with a man whose life has been characterised by turning setbacks that would destroy the careers and reputations of anyone else into triumphs. Trump never admits error. His late mentor, the notorious political fixer and mafia consigliere Roy Cohn (who was disbarred as a lawyer for trying to defraud his own client), taught him to attack law enforcement and make them the bad guys. Whenever a judge rules against him, Trump calls the jurist a bigot, an idiot, corrupt or a ‘hater’…

“All his life, Trump has always enjoyed stunning success in damage avoidance, and not only when he cheats on his wives. He dodged any fallout in the 1980s when both his personal helicopter pilot and the provider of his fleet of casino aircraft, were caught running an international drug-trafficking ring. Trump continued to employ the pilot after he had been indicted, later urging the judge to impose a lenient sentence.

“Three decades ago, his lawyers negotiated an extraordinary private settlement in which his empire shed a total $3 billion debt — over $800 million of which he had personally guaranteed — without being forced, as he would normally be expected to, to declare personal bankruptcy. That was followed by four corporate bankruptcies when he was CEO of a casino company — even as it paid him at least $83 million.

“Finally, in Trump’s favour, there is the peculiar way American presidents are elected. Trump is the fourth president out of 45 who lost the popular vote — the total number of votes cast nationally — but won the White House anyway. Presidents are voted in not by the citizens of the country as a whole, but by ‘electors’ in each state, through a process called the Electoral College… Unfortunately, the arrangement does not work perfectly, which is why a man like Trump… win office even when most Americans do not want him there…The lesson for November’s election is clear. Don’t — for a single moment — write him off.”

A truly damaging and eye-opening article (even though it does not contain that many surprising revelations for those who have carefully followed objectively the news and developments surrounding Trump). We have even omitted some of the author’s dicey comments. But the author is correct in his conclusions: Trump WILL stay in power but NOT because God is approving of his conduct and politics.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

No-Deal Brexit Inevitable?

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 4:

“If no progress is made this month, a no-deal Brexit looks inevitable. Is it possible that’s because of, rather than in spite of, the coronavirus crisis?…

 “… a ‘no-deal Brexit’ perpetually loomed as a distinct and disastrous possibility. A one-year transition period up until December 31 meant that 2020 was to be the year in which the truly hard yards were finally walked…

 “Then, as if by the design of some demonic deity… the worst global pandemic in a century struck. It has hit the EU and Britain especially hard… the no-deal scenario is back, except this time in a more permanent form…

 “Even before it hit, optimism was extremely low on the EU side that anything substantial could be agreed with the UK in such a short timeframe… If the British don’t request an extension to the transition period by the end of this month — and, if as appears to be inevitable at this point, no free trade agreement is in place by the end of the year — then on December 31, 2020, the UK will no longer have any formal trading relationship with the EU. Under WTO rules, it will become a so-called ‘third country.’…

 “COVID-19 has restricted the negotiations in terms of physical movement but also mental movement. The crisis has commanded vast amounts of attention and resources that otherwise might have been directed towards the EU-UK talks.”

The above-quoted wording is interesting: “… by the design of some demonic deity.” But it would be worded better as, “by Satan’s design.” Why? Because we are experiencing Satan’s wrath against Britain and the USA, as well as Israel. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Satan’s Wrath Against Britain.”  

Violent Riots in America

AFP wrote on June 1:

“US President Donald Trump on Monday said he was deploying thousands of ‘heavily armed’ soldiers and police to prevent further protests in Washington, where buildings and monuments have been vandalized near the White House… He denounced ‘acts of domestic terror’ after nationwide protests against the death of an unarmed African American George Floyd in police custody devolved into days of violent race riots across the country… He also called on state governors to ‘deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets’…

“One week after Floyd died in Minneapolis, an autopsy blamed his videotaped death squarely on a white police officer who pinned him down by the neck with his knee for nearly nine minutes as Floyd pleaded, ‘I can’t breathe!’ ‘The evidence is consistent with mechanical asphyxia as the cause of death, and homicide as the manner of death,’ Aleccia Wilson, a University of Michigan expert who examined his body at the family’s request, told a news conference.

“The unrest has been the most widespread in the United States since 1968, when cities went up in flames over the slaying of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and rekindled memories of 1992 riots in Los Angeles after police were acquitted in the brutal beating of black motorist Rodney King.”

However, riots in 1992 were mainly limited to Los Angeles, and lasted for a few days. These riots have lasted for way over a week and are being carried out throughout the USA.

NBC News added on June 1:

“To activate the military [as he threatened to do, “if necessary”] to operate in the U.S., Trump would have to invoke the… Insurrection Act [which was] adopted in 1807… Trump’s remarks came hours after he urged the nation’s governors to get ‘tough’ with unruly demonstrators. ‘Most of you are weak,’ he told them… ‘You have to dominate. If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time, they’re gonna run over you, you’re gonna look like a bunch of jerks,’ the president said.”

Newsmax wrote on June 1:

“The Insurrection Act… was last invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 during the Los Angeles Rodney King riots at the request of California Gov. Pete Wilson. U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has said the National Guard was… not an ‘occupying force.’ But Trump said, ‘I must tell you, it got so bad a few nights ago, the people wouldn’t have minded an occupying force, I wish we had an occupying force in there.’”

The Insurrection Act has been invoked by numerous presidents. John F. Kennedy invoked it twice. But as could be expected, the negative reaction from the left-wing media (CNN, MSNBC) and Democratic governors and senators was fierce.

The Huffington Post wrote on June 1: “Tyranny! Trump Declares War on Americans.” Deutsche Welle added on June 1 that “several US state governors have come out against Trump’s threat to deploy the armed forces to quell nationwide protests… [Also,] people within the administration are concerned that Trump’s inability to strike the right tone to unite the nation may hurt his reelection chances…”

Trump can activate the military without the consent of the governors. At least three states being led by Democrats — New York, Virginia and Delaware — have so far rejected Trump’s request. Reports have surfaced, however, that Trump was never really serious about invoking the Insurrection Act, and that his threats were just a political stunt. We will see.

In any event, as we have been predicting all along, Trump will be reelected (as he has a preordained role  to fulfill in helping to build the Third Temple, in furthering the alienation with Europe, and in bringing about the total downfall of the USA), and we have also been declaring that this country will face violent divisions and civil unrest. This has certainly come to pass.

Trump Under Attack

CNN wrote on June 1:

“Trump himself was angered by coverage depicting him holed up in an underground bunker. He told aides on Monday he wanted to be seen outside the White House gates… which is part of what drove the decision to stage the photo-op at St. John’s Church.

“Trump and his family were rushed to an underground bunker on the White House complex as protests raged outside the building on Friday evening. Trump wasn’t seen on Sunday and spent most of Monday behind closed doors — leading to concern even from his allies that he was absent at a moment of national crisis.

“Many of the President’s traditional defenders — from campaign donors to Republicans on Capitol Hill to some in the conservative media — privately grumbled that Trump allowed several days to pass without addressing the nation or making any formal appeals for unity…

“A growing number of congressional Republicans, even Trump’s allies, also privately said the ‘caps lock’ tweets about tamping down protests using harsh tactics were not helping the situation. Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said on ‘Fox News Sunday’ that he had spoken to Trump over the weekend about his inflammatory tweets, which he described as ‘not constructive.’”

Fox News moderator Tucker Carlson also criticized Trump heavily on his show. But as the past has shown, when Trump is under attack, he will strike back. His hard-core supporters might like this, but many others don’t. And so, as it was prophesied, this country continues to be hopelessly divided, without any chance of experiencing healing.

Ex-Defense Chief Mattis Rips Trump for Dividing Americans

AP wrote on June 4:

“In an extraordinary rebuke, former defense secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday denounced President Donald Trump’s heavy-handed use of military force to quell protests near the White House and said his former boss was setting up a ‘false conflict’ between the military and civilian society… The criticism was all the more remarkable because Mattis has generally kept a low profile since retiring as defense secretary in December 2018 to protest Trump’s Syria policy. He had declined to speak out against Trump, saying he owed the nation public silence while his former boss remained in office… Trump responded on Twitter Wednesday evening by calling Mattis ‘the world’s most overrated General.’…

“‘Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people —does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us,’ Mattis wrote in a statement published by The Atlantic… ‘We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.’…

“One day after Trump announced he was pulling all U.S. troops out of Syria, where they were partnering with local Syrians to fight the Islamic State, Mattis tried but failed to change Trump’s mind. So, he resigned. Trump soon turned on Mattis, calling him a failure. He said falsely that he had fired Mattis…”

Religious Leaders Criticize Trump

Newsmax reported on June 2:

“President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on religious freedom, even as he’s come under fire over visits made to religious sites amid protests over the death of George Floyd… Earlier Tuesday, Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited the National Shrine in Washington, a place of significance and prayer for Catholics…

“Washington, D.C. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory slammed Trump’s Tuesday shrine visit in a statement. ‘I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree,’ Gregory wrote…

“‘Pope John Paul II… certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace.’ Gregory’s statement was made following Trump’s appearance in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Monday. There, he posed for a photo with a Bible.

“Trump was criticized by many religious leaders for that photo op because military police cleared out protesters with tear gas prior to his arrival. Episcopal Rev. Gini Gerbasi posted on Facebook that she was ‘driven off’ the church’s patio by police for Trump’s ‘cheap political stunt.’”

Even Staunch Allies Scold U.S.

The Washington Times wrote on June 1:

“The Trump administration’s struggles to get control of violent nationwide protests has sparked comment and criticism from even some of America’s staunchest allies, potentially driving a wedge between the U.S. and its partners as demonstrations spread around the globe and the U.S. seems paralyzed by an onset of crises… the racially charged firestorm has taken hold in all corners of the world.

“America’s main adversaries seem to be taking delight in the unrest. China and Iran are openly mocking the U.S. and claiming that the nation’s deep-rooted racism and ineffective political system have led to an inevitable reckoning. Even more striking has been the criticism from friends and traditional allies. Officials in Britain and Germany took subtle swipes at American leaders Monday, and leading newspapers in Australia declared that the U.S. is ‘tearing itself apart’ and that the American political system has failed spectacularly.

“Top British officials publicly called on the U.S. to cease all harassment of journalists trying to cover the growing protests… In Germany, top officials seemed to mock President Trump’s plan to declare the group Antifa as a terrorist organization. The far-left group, which considers itself ‘anti-fascist,’ has been responsible for some of the violence across major U.S. cities in recent days, the president has said.”

Deutsche Welle reported on June 2:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that the anti-police brutality protests in the US were ‘more than legitimate’ and that he hopes they will spark change. ‘I can only express the hope that the peaceful protests don’t turn violent, and even more the hope that they will have an impact,’ he added. He also called for press freedom for reporters covering the protests…”

Many of the “protests” have turned violent. But even these events further the alienation between Europe and the USA.

The Overlooked Connection?

The Week wrote on May 30:

“Another indelible image. Or rather a series of them: night fires, masked faces running in and out of burned storefronts… protests, rioting, looting… Our long hot summer was always coming…

“As far as I am aware, no one has written at meaningful length about Floyd’s killing in the context of the lockdown and the pandemic it was ostensibly meant to contain… The relationship between all of these problems and the prolonged atomizing of the lockdown is the same as that between gunpowder and a match… social distancing was going to get darker, and it has: studies project as many as 100,000 additional ‘deaths of despair’ in the months and years to come…

“What conclusions can be drawn from Minneapolis? One is that millions of us no longer believe (if indeed we ever really did) that there is a meaningful risk of outdoor transmission of the virus, even in very large crowds, especially among the young…”

The Ron Paul Institute agrees, stating this on June 1:

 “Are the riots engulfing the nation simply fallout from the shocking killing of a black suspected forgerer at the hands of a white police officer? Or is there something else to the story? The ramifications of three months of nationwide lockdown may be more profound than people understand…

“Six hundred physicians recently signed a letter to President Trump calling for an end to the coronavirus lockdowns. The physicians wrote that, far from protecting public health, the lockdowns are causing ‘exponentially growing negative health consequences’ for millions of Americans.”

The obvious connection between the governmental restrictions due to the coronavirus and the ensuing frustration of the people should not be overlooked. Resorting to violence is of course totally wrong, but so are autocratic and brutal measures by the governments. All of this is instigated by Satan.

George Floyd Had Coronavirus!

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

“A report published Wednesday evening indicated George Floyd had coronavirus approximately two months before his death, though multiple autopsies did not attribute his death to the illness. Ed O’Keefe of CBS News said on Twitter that the official autopsy found George Floyd had coronavirus, which could be a significant development in the case if medical officials follow their pattern of categorizing deaths related to the disease…

“In April, Minnesota, along with many other states, began attributing deaths to coronavirus if no test was done and the deceased was suspected of having the illness… If a diagnosis of COVID-19 is suspected or likely …it is acceptable to report COVID-19 as ‘probable’ or ‘presumed’. That could have an impact on Floyd’s suspected cause of death. There have been several instances around the country where an individual had COVID-19, but died under unrelated circumstances, and the death was blamed on the virus.

“In May, a Colorado man had a blood alcohol level of .550 and died of alcohol poisoning, but his cause of death was later changed to coronavirus… In Alabama, ‘a bedbound patient with aspiration pneumonia in one lung and a person with a buildup of fluid and partial collapse of one lung’ had their deaths attributed to coronavirus… ‘The intent is, right now, that … if someone dies with COVID-19, we are counting that as a CODID-19 death,’ [Dr. Deborah Birx] said.”

 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison elevated the charges against the main culprit to second-degree murder. The three other officers who were at the scene are being charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 3:

“‘Stay home, save lives,’ the politicians and media demanded. And Americans stayed home for months and lost their jobs and their mental and physical health. If you go out, they said, you will kill people by passing on the virus. But all of a sudden these same politicians have turned on a dime in the aftermath of the killing of a Minnesota man in police custody – all of a sudden they are not only encouraging but joining mass public protests.”

Is America Headed for a Post-Apocalyptic Currency Collapse?

The Drudge Report linked to an article by FX Street of June 3:

“Just when it seemed as though America may be turning the corner after months of lockdown… just when it seemed as though we were on a path to reopening and gradually returning to normalcy… just when the prospects of panic-induced social unrest seemed to be behind us… America’s cities erupted into flames…

“The response to pandemic fears, including and especially the economic consequences, certainly contributed to driving some people over the edge. Pent up stress, frustration, boredom, alienation, fear, and other symptoms of cabin fever created the potential for a social conflagration.

“Some economists are predicting a death blow to small businesses that were already under unprecedented financial strain. If they weren’t ransacked, looted, and destroyed by hooligans, they will feel the macro effects of urban decline and flight, plummeting consumer confidence, falling property values, and worsening budgetary crises for state and local governments…

“The currency crisis will also come… No government can borrow into oblivion and no currency can be printed into oblivion without that currency losing credibility and purchasing power…

“The… leaders in positions of power who are failing us now can be expected to continue failing. The elites who control the media and both political parties seem to be operating as if wrecking the country is their goal – a point Tucker Carlson powerfully drove home on his Fox News show Monday. It’s time to get prepared both personally and financially if you’re not already.”

Bayer Prohibited to Sell Controversial Herbicide in the USA

 Bloomberg wrote on June 4:

“Bayer AG is blocked from selling its controversial dicamba-based herbicide in the U.S. after an appeals court rejected a federal regulator’s permit for the product… The three-judge panel concluded the Environmental Protection Agency had ‘failed entirely’ to acknowledge some risks dicamba poses and that the agency violated federal regulations when it extended its approval of registration for the herbicide for another two years in October 2018.

“The ruling means farmers who bought seeds to be used with dicamba for this year’s growing season may not be able to plant them, since pesticides can’t be sold or distributed in the U.S. without EPA registration. The decision is the latest blow to Bayer in the wake of its $63 billion takeover of Monsanto — a deal that made the German company a leader in agriculture products but also saddled it with a mountain of legal liabilities related to weed killers…

“Dicamba is a central ingredient in Bayer’s XtendiMax, and can vaporize after being applied to crops and drift onto neighboring fields that aren’t resistant to the herbicide. It’s widely blamed for damaging 3.6 million acres of untreated soybeans in 2017, and more than 1 million acres in 2018.”

Not to speak of the effects on human health.

US Supreme Court Upholds California’s Ban on Churches

Breitbart wrote on May 29:

“The Supreme Court on Friday night ruled in favor of coronavirus restrictions on religious services in California in a 5-4 decision. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four liberal justices to side with California’s legal argument that they had the right to shut down or limit religious services… Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch, and Brett M. Kavanaugh voted against.

“In his dissent, Kavanaugh argued that ‘comparable secular businesses’ such as supermarkets, stores, hair salons, and marijuana dispensaries were not subject to the same restrictions as churches. The church and its congregants simply want to be treated equally to comparable secular businesses,’ Kavanaugh wrote…

“The case was brought to the Supreme Court by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, Ca. California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered that in-church gatherings can only reach 25 percent of capacity and under 100 people. President Trump last week demanded that all religious services be considered ‘essential services’ during the coronavirus pandemic, just as liquor stores and grocery stores are.

“Roberts’ decision to side with the liberals marks a stark contrast with judicial precedence to side with religious liberty enshrined in the Constitution.”

These kinds of decisions by the US Supreme Court’s liberal judges, with the support of flip flopping John Roberts, are hard to comprehend or to support. They are strictly political, constituting a shame for the alleged independence of our legal system.

Chief Justice Roberts’ Fight against Religious Liberty

The Hill wrote on June 1:

“Roberts… champions the power of government officials to dictate to the people who elect them without ‘second-guessing by an unelected federal judiciary’ — exactly the power that the Bill of Rights, and the incorporation jurisprudence by which the court has applied much of it to the states, are meant to deny…

“By the chief justice’s lights… it ‘seems quite improbable’ that the Supreme Court would find unconstitutional the actions of state and local officials wrestling with ‘a novel severe acute respiratory illness’ which has ‘killed … more [than] 100,000 people nationwide,’ and as to which ‘there is no known cure, no effective treatment, and no vaccine.’

“There is no recognition, in Roberts’ rendering, that there is another side to this equation — a side where 400 times the number of people who’ve died have lost their jobs, millions of them facing ruin. The stubborn message: Don’t expect the court to help you, you’re the ones who elected these people; if you don’t like what they do, un-elect them…

“The justices are happy to order that abortion must be available, to decide which couples (or perhaps throuples) must be permitted to marry, and to dictate what’s ever next in the ceaseless march of progressive, organic ‘liberty.’ But as for the liberties that are actually in the Constitution, we are on our own.”

One just HAS to wonder as to what is going on here!

Merkel Won’t Attend G7 Meeting in June

Politico wrote on May 30:

“Angela Merkel has rebuffed Donald Trump’s invitation to attend a G7 summit… ‘The federal chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G7 summit at the end of June in Washington. As of today, considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, to a journey to Washington,’ German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told POLITICO Friday…

“Merkel’s refusal to accept Trump’s invitation is the latest in a long line of examples of the difficult relationship between the two leaders… In a call between Trump and Merkel this week, the two leaders had heated disagreements on topics including NATO, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, and relations with China… Officials aware of the transatlantic discussions said Trump was furious over Merkel’s reluctance to attend the summit…”

It is obvious that Merkel’s decision is political and not based on health concerns. Trump’s reaction is telling. Note the next article.

Trump Postpones G-7 Summit

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 31:

“US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that he will be postponing a Group of 7 (G 7) summit until fall this year… Trump called the G7 a ‘very outdated group of countries’ that could not properly represent ‘what’s going on in the world.’ He said he wanted to expand the list of invited states to Russia, Australia, South Korea and India…

“Along with the US, the G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Five years ago, Russia was excluded from the then-G8 over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.”

Trump never liked Russia’s exclusion. This might be his way of reversing this course of action and, at the same time, trying to humiliate Germany and other European powers who insisted on Russia’s exclusion. It might or might not work out for Trump.

Trudeau: Russia? — No Way!

Politico wrote on June 1:

“Justin Trudeau says inviting Russia back to the G-7 table would be unacceptable, even as Donald Trump plans to open the 2020 summit’s doors to Vladimir Putin… The Canadian prime minister told reporters Monday that Russia should not be welcomed back. The U.K. also said Monday that it would veto any such plan… Decisions on membership must be backed unanimously by the G-7 members.”

But arguably, Putin could be invited as a “participating” guest, without becoming a member. Trudeau and Johnson were more sympathetic towards that idea.

Germany Wants to Make Europe Strong Again

Politico wrote on May 30:

“Forget Make America Great Again. Here comes Make Europe Strong Again. The German government has settled on ‘Gemeinsam. Europa wieder stark machen’ — which translates into English as ‘Together. Making Europe strong again’ — as its slogan for the country’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, which kicks off on July 1…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Friday that the motto… aims to illustrate the German presidency will have to ‘find compromises and solutions to tackle the challenges posed by the corona pandemic’ across Europe. The logo is meant to symbolize ‘joint action emerging from the EU’s diversity again and again,’ he said.

“Merkel said earlier this week that China would be one of the priorities of the German presidency. On Friday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Berlin wants to develop ‘a robust EU strategy on China’ during the coming six months, with a flagship summit of all EU leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for September 14. ‘I believe that the best way to influence China is to make it clear that the European Union is very united … and that it will not be possible to break individual countries out of this unity,’ Maas said.”

And Germany will become strong and great again… for a while… unlike America.

Britain’s New Nightmarish Quarantine Rules

The Sun wrote on May 30:

“From June 8, anyone arriving in the UK faces a £1,000 fine if they do not self-isolate for two weeks—including holidaymaking Brits coming back to the country… But fears over the cost of the quarantine – claimed to be £650million-a-week – and over how difficult it could be to police have been raised.

“Border Force staff told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s a completely new way of doing things and no-one knows how it’s going to work.’ He said there had been no clear instruction as of yet what to do if passengers simply refuse to sign the form that will tell officials where they plan to isolate…

“These online forms won’t be paired with a passport or linked to a database, meaning officers may need to check manually if they have been filled out. It has been suggested this would cause hours of queues for people making their way through British airports…  Once out of the airport and quarantining, it is understood travellers will get regular follow-up phone calls from agency staff to assess how honestly they were isolating themselves, and some could get a visit from the police….”

These rules are really ridiculous…

Lockdown a Colossal Failure

The Daily Mail wrote on May 24:

“The coronavirus lockdown could have caused more deaths than it saved, a Nobel laureate scientist has claimed. Michael Levitt, a Stanford University professor… suggested the decision to keep people indoors was motivated by ‘panic‘ rather than the best science. Professor Levitt also said the modelling that caused the government to bring in the lockdown – carried out by Professor Neil Ferguson – over-estimated the death toll by ’10 or 12 times’.

“His claims echo those in a JP Morgan report that said lockdowns failed to alter the course of the pandemic but have instead ‘destroyed millions of livelihoods‘. Author Marko Kolanovic, a trained physicist… said governments had been spooked by ‘flawed scientific papers’ into imposing lockdowns which were ‘inefficient or late’ and had little effect… Prof Levitt [said:] ‘I think lockdown saved no lives. I think it may have cost lives… social damage – domestic abuse, divorces, alcoholism – has been extreme…

“His comments come as other scientists working in the same field also reported that they couldn’t verify Prof Ferguson’s work. Competing scientists’ research – whose models produced vastly different results – were largely ignored by government advisers…”

These are mind-provoking thoughts, calling totally into question as to how governments went about “fighting” the coronavirus.

Trump’s Fight with China

Newsweek wrote on May 29:

“President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Friday [effective on June 1] prohibiting entry to the U.S. for… [Chinese] graduate students and [some] researchers…

“The proclamation… does not apply to permanent residents of the U.S. or their spouses…

“The measure was one of several that Trump made on Friday in apparent retaliation for China’s recent moves to tighten control over Hong Kong… Trump also announced that he was ‘terminating’ the U.S. relationship with the [WHO], insisting that China has ‘total control’ over the global health authority…”

It seemed for a while that the relationship between the USA and China was improving. This is now a thing of the past… again.

Trump’s Plans towards Hong Kong

Regarding Trump’s plan of rescinding Hong Kong’s special status, Reuters wrote on May 28:

“Trump gave no time frame for the moves, suggesting he may be trying to buy time before deciding whether to implement the most drastic measures, which have drawn strong resistance from U.S. companies operating in Hong Kong…

“Trump also has to take into account the effect on the more than 1,300 U.S. firms that have offices in Hong Kong and provide about 100,000 jobs… from 2009 to 2018, the cumulative U.S. trade surplus of $297 billion with Hong Kong was the biggest among all U.S. trading partners.”

Hong Kong—once one of the “gates” in the house of Israel’s possession—will be totally lost to China, and in allowing or even provoking this development, the USA will be doing themselves a great disservice.

The Eurozone of Core Nations WILL Stay

Money Marketing wrote on May 28:

“… it now appears highly unlikely that the eurozone will collapse ‘by accident’… we have a eurozone with a central bank that has virtual impunity to print money to underpin its banking system. And we have the biggest players (Germany, France, Spain and Italy) basically agreeing to the principle of burden sharing on the fiscal side.”

As we have ALWAYS said in defiance of those “prophets” who claimed to know it better, the euro is here to stay.

Transitioning NATO into a European-led force

The Washington Times wrote on May 31:

“EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell told an audience in Berlin on Monday that some European analysts had been talking more and more about the ‘end of an American-led system…’ The 27-nation bloc, he concluded, should… ‘follow our own interests.’… Washington should realize that Mr. Borrell has a point… A re-evaluation of the trans-Atlantic relationship is long overdue…

“The first NATO Secretary-General, Lord Hastings Ismay, famously said that NATO existed to ‘keep the Soviets out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.’ But with the collapse of the U.S.S.R. — along with the rise of  France, the U.K., and a reunified Germany as rich nations — the fundamental reasons for NATO’s existence vanished. The once-compelling justification for the United States to underwrite the security of Western Europe has likewise disappeared…”

This shows again how faulty human reasoning and the outward appearance can lead to decisions which will heavily backfire.

Israel’s Annexation Plan

Times of Israel wrote on May 29:

“Jordan’s foreign minister on Thursday night warned the top diplomats of the US and UK against the ‘unprecedented threat’ Israel’s planned annexation of parts of the West Bank posed to the region, his office said. Ayman Safadi spoke with British FM Dominic Raab, urging him to make efforts to ‘safeguard’ peace and prevent Israel from moving forward with the annexation project… In a conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he said, he expressed Jordan’s strong opposition to the move…

“Washington on Thursday warned its citizens to take extra caution when traveling to the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, anticipating potential violence. A security alert by the US Embassy in Jerusalem advised citizens to ‘maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.’ It warned that ‘violence can occur with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, government checkpoints, markets and shopping facilities or government facilities.’…

“Netanyahu’s vow to go through with annexation has led to condemnations from a growing list of countries, including Arab states such as Jordan and European nations like France and Germany…”

In that context, Breaking Israel News reported on May 26:

“Several European leaders reportedly sent personal letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days asking him not to push ahead with plans to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank [including Emmanuel Macron, Boris Johnson, Pedro Sánchez and Giuseppe Conte].

“Several European nations are currently considering ways… to punish [Israel] if it ignores their warnings and carries out the annexation…”

It will be interesting to see what Europe and the international community will do when Israel goes ahead with its annexation.

EU Hostility Against Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on June 2:

“Has the European Union reached a tipping point over Israel?… A number of member states, headed by France along with Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Belgium and Luxembourg, are calling for a hard line…

“Their hostility is the product of three factors: historic and ineradicable anti-Jewish prejudice; the pathological inability to deal with collective guilt over the Holocaust; and the perception that their interests have for decades lain with the Arab world…

“Taking punitive action against Israel would also expose it to the wrath of U.S. President Donald Trump…”

This could lead to a confrontation between the USA and Europe over Israel.

Israel Unprepared for War with Iran

Breaking Israel News and YNET News wrote on May 28:

“… it seems the question is not will there be a conflict [with Israel] where the Iranians use the massive rocket arsenal they supplied Hezbollah with, but rather when… Israel is not ready for the next war, neither against Iran nor against Hezbollah. Their missiles won’t destroy Israel, but the home front is not prepared, the army is not prepared, and the damage will be far-reaching…

“Our enemies could easily bankrupt us through mass production of primitive rockets that cost only a few dozen dollars apiece…”

The warning of Hosea 5:13 (“… when Judah saw his wound”) comes to mind.

Facebook Oversight Board Stacked with Leftists

Judicial Watch wrote on May 29:

“The recently appointed Facebook oversight board that will decide which posts get blocked from the world’s most popular social networking website is stacked with leftists… Judicial Watch conducted a deep dive into the new panel that will make content rulings for the technology company that was slammed last year with a $5 billion fine for privacy violations. The information uncovered by Judicial Watch shows that the group of 20 is overwhelmingly leftist and likely to restrict conservative views.

“More than half of the members have ties to Soros, the philanthropist who dedicates huge sums to spreading a radical left agenda that includes targeting conservative politicians. Other Facebook oversight board members have publicly expressed their disdain for President Donald Trump or made political contributions to top Democrats such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren. As one New York newspaper editorial determined this month, the new Facebook board is a ‘recipe for left-wing censorship.’…

“The new board has only a few token conservatives… The overwhelming majority of those making Facebook’s ‘final and binding decisions on whether specific content should be allowed or removed,’ are leftists… ‘The cases we choose to hear may be contentious, and we will not please everyone with our decisions,’ Facebook warns.”

This does not sound too good for those expressing conservative views and who want to uphold principles as stated in the Bible.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Pompeo Accuses Iran

Times of Israel wrote on May 22:

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday accused the Iranian leadership of ‘echoing Hitler’s call for genocide’ after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for ‘eliminating the Zionist regime’… Khamenei also posted on his website an anti-Israel poster that invoked the term ‘final solution’ which is usually associated with Nazi Germany’s efforts to eliminate all Jews.

“The poster showed people celebrating at the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem after apparently capturing it from Israel as a Palestinian flag is raised over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. ‘Palestine Will Be Free. The final solution: Resistance until referendum,’ the text on the poster says…

“The European Union on Thursday evening condemned the Iranian leader’s threats against Israel with the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell issuing a consensus statement on behalf of all 27 members of the EU. ‘Such statements are totally unacceptable and represent a deep source of concern. They are also incompatible with the objective of a stable and peaceful Middle East region pursued by the EU,’ the statement read. ‘The European Union reiterates its fundamental commitment to the security of Israel.’

“Israel’s Ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff… said Friday that the union’s statement did not go far enough. Khamenei ‘did not just bring into question Israel’s legitimacy, he wrote explicitly about ‘eliminating the Zionist regime which goes from denying the Holocaust to promoting one,’ the Israeli diplomat wrote on his Twitter account. ‘The gravity of his remarks is not reflected in the EU reaction.’”

 The EU’s alleged support of Israel is questionable at best.

Israel Will Annex

The Times of Israel wrote on May 25:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said he has set a July date for when Israel will extend its sovereignty to areas of the West Bank, and… he has no intention of changing it…

“Netanyahu said there has never been a better time in the country’s history to apply sovereignty, which is tantamount to annexation, to these areas…

“The move would be coordinated with the US, in accordance with the Middle East plan US President Donald Trump unveiled in January, which endorsed extending Israeli sovereignty over roughly 30 percent of the West Bank. However, the entire peace plan has been rejected by the Palestinians, who seek the West Bank as territory for a future Palestinian state.”

Israel’s planned annexation, which has also been condemned by the EU, will set in motion turbulent developments in the Middle East.

Into the Abyss

Marketwatch wrote on May 23:

“Charles Hugh Smith… the man behind the OfTwoMinds.com, which was recognized by CNBC as one of the best alternative financial blogs on the internet, has been calling for the implosion of the U.S. empire for years now, and the coronavirus pandemic has him believing that time has finally come…

“The slippery slope to collapse — decadence — is characterized by greed, corruption, irreconcilable internal political rifts, moral decay, frivolity, materialism,’ Smith writes… The pandemic is merely ‘the final kick into the abyss,’ he said, after the global financial crisis laid bare the fragile nature of an economy kept alive with artificial stimulus. ‘Elites have done nothing but kick the can down the road for over a decade,’ he wrote. ‘Nothing that’s broken has been fixed; all that’s been done is trillions in currency has been borrowed or printed to paper over the dissolution, decay and decline.’

“Smith warned of a ‘terminal crisis’ that begins in 2021, regardless of any progress made to bring an end to the pandemic and kickstart the ravaged global economy. ‘A COVID-19 vaccine, or lack thereof, will have zero effect in terms of reversing these cycles,’ he said. ‘Call it fate, call it karma, call it what you will, but the cycles have aligned and nothing can stop the unraveling of all that was foolishly presumed to be permanent.’”

America is indeed beyond recovery… even when it comes to the economy. Also note the next article.

Rental Car Giant Hertz Files For Bankruptcy Protection

npr wrote on May 23:

“Car rental company Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, citing an ‘abrupt decline in revenue’ during the coronavirus pandemic… Retailers J.C. Penney, J. Crew and Neiman Marcus all filed for bankruptcy protection this month. Home-decor chain Pier 1 Imports announced it would be closing for good…

“After many states began to declare stay at home orders in March, car rentals dried up, and Hertz reduced spending, implemented furloughs and laid off 20,000 employees. In April the company, which includes car-rental brands Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly, missed a payment on its debt, but reached a short-term deal with its creditors. The company was unable to secure a long-term agreement.”

Measures of German State of Saxony Remind of Nazi Germany

Deutsche Wirtschaftsnachrichten reported on May 21 that beginning on May 25, the German state of Saxony is threatening parents of students who fail to bring with them daily a signed letter from the parents that their children are healthy. The letter will also have to state whether someone else in their household is sick.

If the parents forget to give that letter to their children, the school will inform the parents to immediately collect the children. In case of a repeat, the state may come in to take the children away from their parents.

Wochenblick added on May 20 that this reminds one of methods in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

Germany’s Antisemitism—from the Kaiser to Hitler and Beyond

The Algemeiner published on May 27 the following opinion piece by Historian Harold Brackman:

“Among the ideological causes of World War I were hubris and hatred by Germans that reinforced Kaiser Wilhelm’s — and ultimately Adolf Hitler’s — antisemitism. In broad terms, many Germans became intoxicated with the ‘völkisch’ conception of themselves as a conquering race…

“Houston Stewart Chamberlain [was] a prolific self-taught pseudo-scholar who had Kaiser Wilhelm I’s ear before and during World War I — and lived long enough to influence Hitler… [His book] The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century (1899)… gave Chamberlain a following as far as the United States, whose doom he prophesied.

“The book’s… theme was that Germans had been a master race ever since they vanquished the Roman Empire… In 1901, after Kaiser Wilhelm read Chamberlain’s Foundations, they became fast friends and regular correspondents… German defeat and the kaiser’s abdication in 1918 did not end Chamberlain’s influence. Sensing that a man of destiny was emerging… he wrote a fawning letter in 1923 thanking Hitler for ‘transform[ing] the state of my soul.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 27:

“Authorities… recorded 2,032 crimes motivated by anti-Semitism – a rise of 13% over 2018, and the highest since those statistics were collected. Some 93.4% of those crimes were carried out by far-right perpetrators.”

German anti-Semitism is by no means a thing of the past. The same goes for anti- Semitism throughout Europe and the entire world.

Guidelines for School Children in the USA

In an article published by the Ron Paul Institute, Ron Paul wrote on May 25:

“Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)… unveiled ‘guidelines’ for schools to follow when they reopen. Among the CDC’s guidelines are that schools put tape on the hallways, directing children which direction to walk and how much distance to keep between themselves and their classmates. The CDC also recommends children do not share electronic devices or learning aids. The guidelines even say children should wear masks at school.

“The CDC’s guidelines instruct schools to close playgrounds and cafeterias, and to cancel all field trips and assemblies. Instead, students are to spend all day at their desks, not even leaving classrooms for lunch or recess.

“The CDC’s guidelines may not have the force of law, but it is likely most government schools will adopt them in order to ensure continued access to federal funding… by forbidding children from going outside to play, exercise, and get sunshine, the guidelines actually endanger children’s health. The guidelines also harm children by limiting their ability to interact with their fellow students and develop social skills.”

These guidelines are indeed horrible and, if implemented, would be harmful to our children.

Separating New-Born Babies from their Mothers

Breaking Israel News wrote on May 26:

“The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a statement recently that recommends separating newborn babies from their mothers in an effort to stem the spread of Covid-19. The separation is intended for mothers who tested positive for coronavirus. However, the CDC also recommends separating them from mothers who are suspected to have coronavirus. In other words, the CDC is looking to separate newborn babies from their mothers even if they didn’t test positive for Covid-19.”

This is just so SICK and so INSANE!

A National Disgrace

ABC News reported on May 22:

“People arriving in the U.K. next month will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days and could face an unlimited fine if they fail to comply… the rules will take effect June 8 and will apply to arrivals from all countries except Ireland… Britons returning from overseas will also have to stay home and avoid mixing with others for 14 days under the measures, which will be reviewed every three weeks…

“Arriving passengers will have to provide contact details and will be checked on regularly during the two weeks… They will also be ‘encouraged’ to download a contact-tracing app that authorities are developing — if the glitch-filled app is ever put into use…

“There has been confusion about the U.K. policy, after the government initially said it would not apply to people arriving from France… Britain later said France would not be exempt. Airlines have warned that the British move could hobble their efforts to rebuild a business devastated by pandemic-related travel restrictions. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines U.K., said a blanket quarantine was ‘just about the worst thing government could do if their aim is to restart the economy.’…”

The Mirror added on May 22:

“The move will anger some sectors, with Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary earlier this week branding the plan ‘idiotic’ and ‘unimplementable’, while trade body Airlines UK has previously said a quarantine ‘would effectively kill’ international travel to and from Britain…”

Europe Might Retaliate Against Britain

Express wrote on May 20:

“European countries have said they will open their borders to British tourists, but only if the UK does not impose the 14-day travel rules…

“Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio also said… ‘From mid-June to September it will be possible to travel in Italy without any problems… We will [open the borders] and we expect reciprocity.’…”

This might very well lead to further alienation between the UK and the European power bloc.

No Masks Allowed

The Guardian wrote on May 22:

“Shops around the US make headlines for denying entry to those wearing masks as protesters argue against preventative measures… On Thursday…, a Kentucky convenience store that put up a sign reading: ‘NO Face Masks allowed in store. Lower your mask or go somewhere else…’

“Another sign was posted by a Californian construction store earlier this month encouraging hugs but not masks. In Illinois, a gas station employee who put up a similar sign has since defended herself, arguing that mask-wearing made it hard to differentiate between adults and children when selling booze and cigarettes.”

Deutsche Welle added on May 26 that the east German state of Thüringen [Thuringia] announced “that they might be the first to lift the restrictions [including to wear face masks] altogether on June 6, but later seemed to go back on those comments. Thuringia said it reserves the right to pass measures that differ than the ones recommended by the national government in the public space… Germany is set to extend its coronavirus distancing measures until June 29… The measures allow up to 10 people or members of two households to meet in public.”

UN Advances Abortion in the Midst of Corona Crisis

Breaking Israel News reported on May 24, 2020:

“Last week, John Barsa, the acting administrator for the US agency for international development (USAid), sent a letter to the UN secretary-general António Guterres, criticizing the UN’s decision to include abortion as an ‘essential service’ during the pandemic.

“‘… the UN should not use this crisis as an opportunity to advance access to abortion as an “essential service”… by cynically placing the provision of “sexual and reproductive health services” on the same level of importance as food-insecurity, essential health care, malnutrition, shelter, and sanitation. Most egregious is that [the UN] calls for the widespread distribution of abortion-inducing drugs and abortion supplies, and for the promotion of abortion in local country settings.’”

This is despicable. While measures are allegedly implemented to save lives, at the same time measures are promoted to take lives. The rationale of the UN might be that cells of many aborted fetuses are needed to produce vaccines.

California Opens Up to Essential Church Services… Really?

The Los Angeles Times wrote in a daily newsletter on May 26:

“Amid growing political pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom to address church reopenings… attendance at services will be capped at 25% of total capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower. The attendance limits will be in place for 21 days and then reassessed. The reopening of houses of worship will be subject to approval by county departments of public health… the guidelines… strongly encourage churches, mosques, temples and other houses of worship to continue to facilitate remote services for those who are especially vulnerable to COVID-19…

“On Friday night, the 9^th Circuit Court of appeals [one of the most liberal courts if not the most liberal court of appeals in the country] upheld Newsom’s prior ban on in-person church services in a split ruling… hours after [Trump declared church services as being essential.]

“The rethinking of the state moratorium also came just ahead of Pentecost Sunday, which falls on May 31 this year. More than 1,200 pastors had vowed to hold in-person services on the holy day, in defiance of what had been the state guidelines… houses of worship will be discouraged from sharing items used during services, such as prayer books, cushions and prayer rugs… congregants must be screened for fever or other symptoms of illness and are asked to use hand sanitizer and wear face coverings. The passing of offering plates will also be discontinued…

“[The guidelines also said that] ‘activities such as singing and group recitation negate the risk-reduction achieved through six feet of physical distancing’… As individuals project their voices to join together in song, they could also be dispersing viral particles into the room…”

Has one ever heard such nonsense? The same nonsense prevails in Germany. See the next article.

No Singing in Germany

The Daily Mail wrote on May 27:

“German authorities are warning against singing and several states have banned it from church services over fears it spreads the coronavirus… In recommendations for the resumption of church services, the federal government stated that singing should be avoided ‘because of the increased production of potentially infectious droplets, which can be spread over greater distances’…

“[However, the] Bundeswehr University in Munich published a study in early May showing that singing only disturbs air flow up to half a metre (1.6ft) in front of the person. Freiburg University’s Institute for Performing Arts Medicine has also published guidelines for singing with similar results…

“Germany’s Catholic Church has endorsed ‘quiet singing’ in services, as well as restricting numbers. By contrast, the Protestant Church continues to advise a complete ban.”

It is sickening to see how the two big Churches in Germany, perhaps due to unsubstantiated fear or politics, are advocating and supporting questionable recommendations by the German government.

How Coronavirus Statistics Are Exaggerated

Breitbart wrote on May 27:

“… according to a report from [Italy’s] national health authority (ISS)… only 4.1 percent of fatalities testing positive for Wuhan coronavirus happened in the absence of serious comorbidities… 15 percent of fatalities occurred with the presence of just one other serious pathology, while 21.4 percent died with two other pathologies, and 59.6 percent with three or more pathologies…

“One of the most astonishing findings of the report was that only 1.1 percent of all coronavirus deaths in the country happened to people below the age of 50, while more than 57 percent were over 80…

“This week Spain had to revise down its official death count for the coronavirus by nearly 2,000 after discovering a series of reporting errors and duplications… representing a seven percent drop in the total deaths reported.”

Is this mere “coincidence,” negligence and incompetence, or is more behind these terribly exaggerated figures?

Fauci’s Change of Mind?

The Street wrote on May 22:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, warned Friday that stay-at-home orders that are intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus could end up causing ‘irreparable damage’ if they are imposed for too long…

“Earlier this month, Fauci warned senators that areas that disregard government guidelines in reopening their economies risk ‘triggering an outbreak you may not be able to control.’”

Fauci had demanded stay-at-home orders in the first place and he had also demanded that they remain in force and effect. His sudden “change of heart” really sounds extremely hypocritical, and one has to wonder what is behind this sudden reversal.

Defiance

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 26:

“From the Lake of the Ozarks to the Texas Gulf Coast, Americans spent Memorial Day weekend in defiance of the forced ‘lockdown’ orders of the politicians. Dr. Birx was furious over people refusing to wear masks at the beach. Other local tyrants screamed and threatened. The people are ignoring them. Deliverance from this coronavirus-induced government tyranny is not coming about because politicians have seen the error of their ways. It is coming about because the people are finally waking up.”

The Week wrote on May 27:

“If the unprecedented global race for the first effective human coronavirus vaccine is successful, only 49 percent of Americans say they would get the vaccine… 31 percent said they were not sure while 20 percent said they would not get the vaccine. About 70 percent of those currently refusing the future vaccine cited safety concerns…”

How long can governments insist on lockdowns and social distancing regulations and even possibly mandatory vaccinations until “civil disobedience” becomes overwhelming and perhaps even violent?

Alan Dershowitz’s Wrong Concepts of the Bible

The Gatestone Institute published the following article on May 22 by Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law Alan Dershowitz:

“Most of the emails and phone calls that I have gotten since I stated that the Constitution permits safe mandatory vaccination against highly contagious and lethal diseases have been from anti-vaxxers who claim the authority of the Bible… The Bible speaks volumes about the need to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Large sections of the Bible deal with diagnosing contagious diseases such as leprosy and quarantining carriers outside the city walls until they were no longer contagious…

“Supporters of slavery cited the Bible, as did anti-Semites and anti-gay bigots. And now anti-vaxxers are distorting and weaponizing the Good Book, religion and God against science. This has happened before, with evolution, the age of the earth, abortion and assisted suicide. But this time the anti-vaxxers who cite the Bible have no plausible argument as anyone can see by turning to Leviticus and other portions of both the Jewish Bible and the Christian New Testament.

“These are God’s words, as recorded in Leviticus, Chapters 13 and 14. ‘The priest shall isolate’ the contagious person for seven days and then an additional seven days if the contagion persists. ‘And he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.’ Nor was this quarantine voluntary. The priest could compel it. In light of the Bible’s great concern for preventing the spread of contagious diseases – innumerable rules and regulations are devoted to it — can there be any doubt that if a safe and effective vaccine had been developed, it, too, would have been mandated along with a compelled quarantine?…”

This article was obviously written in light of the coronavirus and the present house-arrests and self-isolations and quarantines of healthy persons. In that, Alan Dershowitz is dead wrong. He twists and perverts the Bible by insinuating that God would ever demand quarantining a healthy person.

In his convoluted scriptural reasoning, Dershowitz seems to even admit that only unhealthy persons suffering from a contagious disease should be quarantined, but then seems to suggest that everyone is presumed unhealthy and could be quarantined, unless a “safe” vaccine is developed against the coronavirus. Also, is Dershowitz honestly suggesting that the Bible does NOT condemn homosexuality, abortion, assisted suicide or evolution? Dershowitz is not a credible authority on the right understanding of the Bible.

Locusts Plague Widens

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 27:

“On Tuesday, Indian authorities sent out drones and tractors to track desert locusts and spray them with insecticides, in one of the worst locust swarms seen by the country in nearly 30 years… India is facing its worst food shortages since 1993… Thousands of migrant workers have died from hunger after India suddenly imposed a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, leaving workers penniless. An agrarian crisis because of a locust swarm will further hamper relief efforts of the government.

“… the locust infestation will increase next month, when locusts breeding in East Africa reach India. India isn’t the only country attacked by a huge swarm of locusts this year. Pakistan, countries in East Africa, and Yemen have also faced the desert pests and their destruction.”

This is INSANE: In fighting “coronavirus” via lockdown, the government of India has caused the death of thousands of migrants!

Women Not to Give Public Prayers

Fort Worth Star Telegram wrote on May 21:

“The mayor of a Dallas suburb does not want women leading public prayers at city council meetings, according to an email that circulated online. Eric Hogue, the mayor of Wylie and a preacher at one of the town’s churches, confirmed the contents of the email to multiple TV stations. He quoted Corinthians and Timothy scriptures from the Bible…

“‘Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law,’ 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 states. ‘And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.’ ‘Let the women learn in silence with all subjection,’ 1 Timothy 2:11-12 states. ‘But I suffer not a woman to teach, not to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.’

“The mayor went on to tell the recipient of the email he understands not everyone will agree with him, but he said ‘I can’t go against my conscience… I believe, and this is me, when it comes to (picking) somebody to lead the invocation at a city council meeting, because of those two sets of verses, I’m going to choose a male.’

“Hogue added to KXAS, “In a religious setting, the bible teaches that she’s not to say a public prayer or to lead the singing or to deliver the sermon.’ He has been mayor of Wylie for the past 12 years and has been a pastor at Cottonwood Church of Christ since 2010, WFAA reported.”

The Bible does indeed prohibit women from preaching in public or from a church pulpit, writing religious articles with Scriptural quotations or giving public prayers.

Catholic Mother Earth Worshippers?

Grandin Media wrote on May 21:

“In angry corners of the Internet, there’s no shortage of voices warning that Pope Francis is trying to change the Gospel, or change Catholic doctrine. Such a change simply can’t be found in the text of Laudato Si’, [Development and Peace deputy director Luke] Stocking said. ‘Those who fear the change think we’re becoming Mother Earth worshippers, or that we are becoming essentially pagan…’

“When Laudato Si’ was published in 2015, many thought the kind of economic change the Pope was proposing would be simply impossible. The global economic system was too big to turn around. But our national and international response to COVID-19 shows that we can put the brakes on the economy and change direction on a dime, said University of St. Michael’s emeritus professor Dennis Patrick O’Hara….

“Catholics who experience the joy of the Incarnation at Christmas, who mourn on Good Friday, who celebrate every Sunday, cannot fail to understand Pope Francis and Laudato Si’, said Sr. Margot Ritchie…

‘What’s more Christian than the Incarnation?’ she asked. ‘What other spiritual tradition holds so closely to the fact that God takes flesh, takes body, becomes human, becomes material?…’”

It is interesting that in refuting the idea that Pope Francis is embracing the worship of Mother Earth, a relationship is supposed to be drawn with all kinds of other pagan practices, such as “the joy of the Incarnation at Christmas,” the mourning of Catholics on Good Friday and their celebrations on every Sunday.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

Vaccine a Long Way off, if Ever

The Associated Press wrote on May 17:

“In separate, stark warnings, two major European leaders bluntly told their citizens that the world needs to adapt to living with the coronavirus and cannot wait to be saved by the development of a vaccine…

“Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte [said] that Italy could not ‘afford’ to wait [with lifting governmental restrictions] until a vaccine was developed. Health experts say the world could be months, if not years, away from having a vaccine available to everyone despite the scientific gold rush now on to create one.

“Britain’s Johnson… speculated Sunday that a vaccine may not be developed at all, despite the huge global effort to produce one.”

This conflicts with and contradicts President Trump’s ambitious and controversial plans. Note the next article.

US Military to Enforce Vaccinations?

Beforeitsnews wrote on May 14:

“The endgame of the global Coronavirus pandemic is beginning to come into view, and in addition to a quantum leap forward in mass surveillance and tracking and tracing individuals, it will also include a rushed, mass vaccine, and as President Trump just told America, will be administered in the U.S. by the military… President Trump echoed recent statements made by Bill Gates, who is telling the world we have to vaccinate ‘7 billion healthy people’ in order to ‘return to normal.’

“[Trump said this:] ‘I think we’re going to have a vaccine by the end of the year… we’re mobilizing our military, and other forces… so at the end of the year we’re going to be able to give it to a lot of people very, very rapidly… We’re of the assumption that by the end of the year we’re going to have a vaccine, and then we have to be able to give it, to use it on most of our population. Now, we’ll focus on elderly, we’re going to focus on nursing homes and, you know, senior citizen centers… that is a very vulnerable group…’

“Trump’s comments come after Chicago Health Commissioner, Allison Arwady, made similar public statements, telling area residents the city was already investing in and planning a mass vaccination campaign: ‘…and then finally we’ll be moving towards this mass vaccination campaign, continuing to follow, and I want you to know, the CDPH is already deep in the planning stages around vaccination. We’ve already bought the syringes. We already know where it’s going to happen. We’re thinking about what that’s going to be. It’s all part of this plan.’

“This news comes at a time that mainstream media is reporting that vaccines may not ever work for Coronavirus, that the virus has already mutated, that a vaccine may not even be possible, and that we may need multiple vaccines… Either way, a rushed through product injected into hundreds of millions, or billions, of people without any long-term testing whatsoever is insanely dangerous. And in this case, Bill Gates is already warning us that a Covid-19 vaccine will use new RNA vaccine technology, which actually permanently alters the genes of anyone who takes it. This represents an even bigger human experiment…

“It remains to be seen what restrictions or punitive measures will be taken against Americans who refuse the vaccine.”

All of this is really a deeply frightening prospect. And the next three articles make it even more disturbing.

US Governmental Right to Forcibly Vaccinate?

WorldNetDaily reported on May 18:

“Harvard Law School emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz claimed in an interview that the government has a constitutional right under the 10th Amendment to forcibly vaccinate a citizen to curb the spread of a contagious disease… ‘And if you refuse to be vaccinated, the state has the power to literally take you to a doctor’s office and plunge a needle into your arm.’…

“Dershowitz clarified that if a person is threatened with a deadly disease that is not contagious, he can refuse treatment. ‘But you have no right to refuse to be vaccinated against a contagious disease,’ he said…

“The Supreme Court has recognized each state’s ‘police power’… which gives the state authority to enact health laws, including quarantine and vaccination requirements, to protect public health. The argument against forcible vaccination is based on the 14th Amendment’s provision that no state ‘shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.’

“But Dershowitz points to the Supreme Court’s Jacobson v. Massachusetts decision in 1905, which concluded a state may require vaccination if the board of health deems it necessary for public health or safety…”

Newsmax added on May 19 that, according to Dershowitz, “the government can provide an alternative to those who do not want to be vaccinated: Live in your home and ‘never, ever leave your home’ or ‘live in a bubble.’ But if you want to interact with other people, you can’t [refuse to be vaccinated].”

Centipede Nation wrote on May 17, 2020:

“Alan Dershowitz… has stated that he hopes the government mandates the latest vaccine and that he’ll be the first in line to receive it. He also stated that he’ll want to be in front of the Supreme Court to argue for its legitimacy. On the other end, Dershowitz also seems to be a little confused as he states that he and his family would get vaccinated only if it’s safe. The contradiction seems to fly right over his head as this is the exact point vaccine-skeptics also share. For some reason, he thinks these people are conspiracy theorists and should be forced to stay in their homes if they refuse the vaccine.

“He… went on to state that… if the majority of the population agree and support public health measures that include mandatory vaccinations, then you have to be vaccinated…

“The Supreme Court has long recognized that ‘involuntary confinement of an individual for any reason, is a deprivation of liberty which the State cannot accomplish without due process of law,’ and some justices have called freedom from such confinement fundamental in nature. While it has not decided a case that involved isolation or quarantine for disease, it has held that civil commitment for mental illness is unconstitutional unless a judge determines the person is dangerous by reason of a mental illness…”

By using twisted “legal” logic, one might argue in the way that Dershowitz does, we surely hope that Dershowitz is wrong with his analysis, because forcible vaccinations against the will of healthy persons are the hallmark of a police state and of totalitarian dictatorship.

In addition, as Focus reported on May 19, the Chairman of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, supported mandatory vaccinations against the coronavirus. “I was for mandatory vaccinations against measles, and I am for mandatory vaccinations“ against the coronavirus, he said.

“The German Government emphasized again on Monday that there will be no mandatory vaccinations against the coronavirus, according to the Deputy Government Spokesperson Ulrike Demmer.

“Montgomery demanded that the German Government must see to it with legal injunctions that residents of old people‘s and nursing homes and personnel in clinics must be vaccinated. He said: ‘There will be people who do not want to be vaccinated. If they become infected, then they are a danger for those who cannot be vaccinated because of medical reasons. We must therefore vaccinate as many people as possible.”

Again, it is the doctors and medical scientists who want to rule the world.

Coronavirus Cure without a Vaccine?

 Tweaktown wrote on May 20:

“Chinese researchers are claiming that a newly developed drug can cure the coronavirus COVID-19 without the need of a vaccine. The claims are coming out of a Peking University, a major research university located in Beijing, China. According to the director of the university, Sunney Xie, who spoke to AFP, the drug has currently only been tested on mice but has shown extremely promising results. Xie says that the drug reduces the viral load (the amount of the virus found in a body) ‘by a factor of 2,500’, which is an astronomical amount.

“So how did this happen? The drug uses ‘neutralizing antibodies’… the researchers sourced these antibodies from blood samples of patients who have successfully recovered from the virus… the researchers are… isolating those antibodies that have already fought the disease off once, and then injecting them into the bloodstream of a new host. This process gives the new host’s body a figurative blueprint on how to fight off the live virus if it comes into contact with it. Xie’s team is currently preparing for human trials.”

Dr. Fauci Under Attack

Natural Health wrote on May 16:

“Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD., has made some jaw-dropping allegations about [Anthony Fauci]… She is the former research director of the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) research organization Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) from 2006 to 2011. Reports also say she was a former colleague of Dr. Fauci who studied other conditions as well, including HIV/AIDS (the subject of her 1991 doctoral thesis) and cancer.

“She alleges that Dr. Fauci… sabotaged her work investigating a potential cause of cancer, a rodent virus known as xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV)…

“A 2009 paper she co-authored and published in the peer-reviewed journal Science – which explored the link between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and XMRV – was later fully retracted. Interestingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on their website that XMRV has been identified in patients with prostate cancer as early as 2006. The CDC also notes that XMRV is presumed to be able to be ‘transmitted through blood transfusion’ and that ‘the safety of blood could be a concern if XMRV … is confirmed to cause human illness and disease.’ Mikovits was fired from WPI after her paper was retracted. [Of course, finding a cure for a sickness would not necessitate the development and use of ongoing costly medication or a vaccine.]

“Dr. Mikovits was arrested in November 2011 and charged for allegedly stealing property from WPI, including laboratory notebooks and computer data. She was released five days later and not long after the charges were dropped. Many allege the arrest was nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to silence and intimidate her, since she has been a vocal critic of supposed government corruption related to vaccines.

“Regarding COVID-19, Dr. Mikovits is on record stating that she believes SARS-CoV-2 was manipulated within a laboratory setting. She bases her claims on what she says is evidence for ‘accelerated viral evolution’ that could only have come from human intervention. According to Science, it is true that NIAID had been funding a U.S.-based group working with Wuhan lab, but that funding has since been stopped.

“Dr. Mikovits also claims, along with others, that the COVID-19 pandemic was maliciously designed as a way to advance the agenda Big Pharma and vaccines researchers seeking to gain profit and launch mass immunization campaigns.

“Dr. Mikovits is also the author of a bestselling book Plague of Corruption: Restoring Faith in the Promise of Science, ‘a behind the scenes look at the issues and egos which will determine the future health of humanity.’ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote the foreword for the book, which was co-authored by Kent Heckenlively.

“According to mainstream media critics, virtually all of Mikovits’ statements are ‘untrue or overexagerrated’… So, is she an intrepid truth-seeker or self-serving aggrandizer? Are there any legitimate kernels of truth in the claims that she and others make…?”

Many of Mikovits’ statements and claims are contained in videos about and by her, which were seen by millions of viewers and then blocked and deleted, only to be reposted, blocked and deleted, reposted again… and so on… .

Bill Gates: New Coronavirus Vaccine, if Developed, Could Injure or Kill up to 700,000 People

Natural News reported on May 17:

“In his rush to develop one, two, or even seven different vaccines for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), billionaire software tycoon Bill Gates openly admitted that upwards of 700,000 people could become injured or die from these jabs.

“The Microsoft co-founder and prominent eugenicist has been more outspoken in recent days than perhaps ever before about his desire to vaccinate the entire world, in this case as soon as possible for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). And the reality is that many more will die from the vaccine than from the virus itself.

“Speaking during a recent segment on CNBC, Gates admitted that in order to make vaccines ‘work’ for the most vulnerable groups, they have to be super-charged, in a sense. And this super-charging means that some people are going to be injured or killed as a result. ‘We clearly need a vaccine that works in the upper age range because they’re most at risk of that,’ Gates stated about his plans for Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination. ‘And doing that so that you amp it up so that it works in older people, and yet you don’t have side effects, if we have one in 10,000 side effects that’s way more, 700,000 people who will suffer from that.’

“During this same interview, Gates admitted… that influenza vaccines are pretty much useless in older people. Though supposedly high-risk seniors are pushed to get their flu shots annually, Gates confessed to the fact that this yearly ritual does nothing to protect them against the flu…

“In his own analysis, Martin Armstrong of Armstrong Economics crunched the data and found that the number of deaths around the world that are being attributed to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pales in comparison to the number of people who will be injured or killed by Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, based on Gates’ own admission…

“Vaccine experiments like the ones Gates is pushing for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) have been tried before… Back in the ’70s, the United States rolled out a vaccine for ‘swine flu’ that was administered to some 45 million people over the course of 10 weeks. This vaccination effort was halted, however, after it was discovered that no cases of swine flu were even detected outside of the military base where it was said to have originated. Meanwhile, one in 100,000 vaccinated individuals ended up suffering from side effects that included Guillain-Barré syndrome, while another 53 died…”

This is deeply upsetting. Is the mass media purposefully suppressing this kind of information, and if so, why?

Ongoing Demonstrations in Germany against Governmental Restrictions

AFP wrote on May 16:

“Angered by a slew of lockdown measures, purported vaccine plans or alleged state surveillance, thousands took to the streets on Saturday in Germany in a growing wave of demonstrations that has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel…

“The growing demonstrations have sparked comparison to the anti-Muslim Pegida marches at the height of Europe’s refugee crisis in 2015, raising questions over whether the strong support that Merkel is currently enjoying due to her handling of the virus crisis could evaporate… A recent poll commissioned by the Spiegel news magazine found that almost one in four Germans surveyed voiced ‘understanding’ for the demonstrations. The development has shocked the political establishment…

“[Opposition AfD] Party co-chief Alexander Gauland said it was ‘completely correct that people are exercising their fundamental rights and demonstrating against corona measures.’ Any resulting split in society over the demonstrations should not be blamed on the protesters, but on ‘the sweeping vilification of participants as right-wing extremists, nutcases or conspiracy theorists’, he charged.

“… Spiegel… cited the urgent need for Merkel to get a grip on the situation…”

Focus reported on May 19 that a high school (“Gymnasium”) in Germany offers “voluntary” coronavirus tests, but those who are not tested will be identified with a green mark, and other rules will apply to them than those who have been tested. This is SHAMEFUL and really reminds one of the Yellow Badges for Jews in the Third Reich.   

Suppressing Criticism in Germany?

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“Questioning the intelligence of anyone who criticizes coronavirus protection measures shows we haven’t learned from the polarization of the past and shuts the door on any chance for dialogue… What yesterday was considered a conspiracy theory has now become widely accepted fact… And yet many journalists, analysts and politicians still have a need to put everyone who thinks differently into a clear-cut cubbyhole…

“People have put up with so much over the last few weeks: Following stay-at-home orders and contact bans, trying to understand contradictory experts’ opinions on face masks, doubling time and reproduction rates, somehow managing to work from home and check their children’s schoolwork. Others were forced into a government-sponsored short-time scheme and sometimes into existential distress. And then when these very people want to express their displeasure, concern or skepticism, they are, at best, called perfectly normal citizens who let themselves be manipulated by ‘conspiracy theorists!’

“Has it really come to the point where all critics and demonstrators need to hold up a disclaimer saying that they do not necessarily agree with everything that is said on stage?… Is all criticism forbidden…?

“A spiral of polarization looms ahead, as the website for the weekly newspaper Die Zeit accurately described: ‘A growing protest leads to added criticism and attention, which leads to even more protests.’… There is something of déjà-vu about it: five years ago, the much-vaunted ‘welcome culture’ still prevailed in Germany, and, in many opinion pieces, anyone who voiced reservations about German refugee policy was labeled a far-right radical. But ostracizing any form [of] criticism was a spectacular failure…

“The crazy thing is that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has long since responded to the ‘concerns of the citizens’ by signing a refugee agreement with Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a more consistent deportation policy. But… she’s never come out and said it…

“It seems that little has been learned from the previous spiral of polarization as from previous pandemics. A democracy worthy of the name must be able to withstand controversial debates and protests without creating insurmountable rifts. It is simply not enough to muzzle unwelcome criticism with derogative classifications… The very people who consider themselves the champions of democracy should refrain from using such exclusionary labels…”

This is so true, but many just REFUSE to listen.

Angela Merkel’s New Challenges

Express wrote on May 19:

“ANGELA Merkel is gearing up for one last, desperate battle to make her mark on the EU in the shadow of coronavirus, which poses a threat to the bloc’s very existence, Germany’s ambassador to Brussels, Michael Clauss, has warned in a leaked memo.

“Germany is due to take over the Presidency of the European Council in July for the first time in 13 years – but the pandemic has dramatically changed the landscape, and piled the pressure on Mrs. Merkel, 65, who is scheduled to step down as Chancellor next year. The rotating Presidency – currently held by Croatia – will switch to Germany on July 1, with a total of 17 ministerial meetings planned between July and October involving leaders from across the bloc, as well as the EU-China summit which had been planned for Leipzig in September. For Mrs Merkel, it represents an opportunity at a crucial time, with the UK due to complete the process of Brexit on December 31.

“However, in the classified dispatch to Berlin, leaked to German magazine Der Spiegel, Mr Clauss warned: ‘The first experiences with the new reality show that our presidency will no longer be able to take place in the planned way… From now on, the focus will be on the ability of the European institutions to act, crisis management, exit and reconstruction – possibly maintaining the EU integration itself.’…

“Mrs Merkel, who has been German Chancellor since 2005, is under increasing pressure as the extent of the economic damage wrought by the pandemic becomes apparent. Speaking today about the latest survey conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President Eric Schweitzer predicted a 10 percent contraction in Germany’s economy… When we look around the world, we now feel all the signs of a global economic crisis.’

“Mrs Merkel has also had to contend with persistent rumours about her health after a spate of episodes in which she visibly shook in public, with some attributing it to an underlying medical condition…”

EU’s Travel Recommendations, If Adopted, May Lead to Inflation

Barron’s wrote on May 16:

“The European Commission recently published guidance on ‘how to safely resume travel.’ If its proposals are widely adopted, travel is going to get more complicated… And it might get more expensive too…

“It… recommends ‘measures to limit contact’ between workers and passengers, as well as passenger-to-passenger contact. That includes the use of personal protective equipment, such as masks as well as barriers, reduced tables in common areas, more cleaning, and reconfigured boarding procedures. The commission is also advocating ‘reducing, where feasible, the density of passengers’ as well. That means fewer people on planes and trains.

“Another reality for future travelers might be the use of ‘voluntary’ contact-tracing apps… to alert people who have come in contact with an infected person.

“Less traveler ‘density’ could mean higher prices, with fewer people bearing a larger portion of the costs… Many of the proposed changes sound inflationary…

“… the travel sector will be smaller than it was in the recent past. That realization… has hammered the airline, aerospace, and tourism industries. A lot of pain has been felt by travel investors in 2020. Aerospace supplier stocks… are down about 50% year to date. Stock in Boeing… is down more than 60% so far in 2020…

“Cruise operator shares are down about 75%, hotels stock have fallen… about 40%. All the drops are far worse than the comparable falls of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.”

In their attempts to solve or at least deal with the “coronavirus crisis,” overzealous and many times ignorant governmental officials have been literally destroying large sectors of the business community and the economy.

Many Travelers Still Arrive from China and other Countries

 CBS New York wrote on May 19:

“CBS2 has learned some of the same international flights that have long been blamed for causing coronavirus to explode in our area are still operating… in the last two weeks international flights to Newark Liberty Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport have arrived from China, South Korea, and much of Europe, including the United Kingdom and Italy… ‘What is being done now to screen those travelers? What is the step-by-step process?’… ‘That’s the federal government, that’s Border and Customs control,’ Cuomo responded… ‘There is coordination, but they determine who comes, who doesn’t come, is purely federal, and they determine what procedures and practices are in place…’

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. customs and Border Protection… would only say there is an ‘enhanced entry screening,’ adding the passenger is asked about medical history, current condition, and some are having their temperature taken… Customs said state and local officials are ensuring compliance, but New Jersey and New York health officials acknowledge they are not tracking travelers once they land. ‘So how do you make sure they stay quarantined for 14 days?’… ‘It’s not a state role,’ the governor (Cuomo) reiterated. But it could become the state’s problem as airlines increase international flights.”

Trump Threatens WHO to Pull US Membership and Funding

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 19:

“Donald Trump has written a furious letter to the World Health Organization’s director-general, threatening to pull US membership and funding…

“Trump’s argument is extremely blunt: he wrote that the WHO had shown an ‘an alarming lack of independence’’ from China in its COVID-19 response, and that the US will leave if there aren’t ‘substantive improvements’ in the next 30 days… ‘I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests,’ Trump wrote…

“The US is the world’s largest donor to the WHO — it contributed nearly 15% of its two-year budget for 2018-2019. If Washington were to stop contributing to the agency it would blow a sizeable hole in WHO funds. That’s not ideal, to say the least, especially in the middle of a global pandemic. The WHO would have to find alternative funding — fast.

“… Beijing wasn’t too impressed. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, called the letter slanderous and said the US decision to stop WHO contributions was a violation of its international responsibilities…

“In a resolution at the World Health Assembly on Tuesday, member states called for… ‘universal, timely and equitable access’ to health technologies to help fight the pandemic… Many of the members, in particular European Union countries, are ‘trying to reinforce this organization, which is greatly needed today…’”

Is the EU going to replace the USA?

Division in the USA

npr wrote on May 15:

“… there are fears that the pandemic — especially landing in an election year — has the potential to inflame divisions to dangerous levels if left unchecked… Polling shows that masking brings the starkest partisan breakdown of any protective measure: 76% of Democrats say they wear a mask when leaving home, compared with 59% of Republicans…”

Fox News wrote on May 16 the following, authored by Tucker Carlson:

“The country appears to be splitting into two hemispheres before our eyes: There are those places where public officials are allowing science to guide their decisions; states like that are cautiously beginning to relax their lockdowns and finding no spike in illness as they do it. Those are the free states. And then there’s the other half of the country, the places where you’re glad you don’t live right now. In those places, power-drunk politicians crow about science but resolutely ignore its findings… Their decisions are driven by ambition, political calculation and the pure animal joy of controlling other people’s lives. Places like that are tightening their lockdowns even now.

“Maybe no place in the country represents the authoritarian approach, the Chinese approach, more starkly than Los Angeles does… Los Angeles Mayor Gil Garcetti has now extended the lockdown through the end of July… using law enforcement, liberally, to make certain that his citizens obey his orders. Police say they’ve brought criminal charges against at least 60 ‘non-essential’ businesses for the crime of going to work. Countless other businesses have shut forever. They’re not coming back.

“The citizens who remain stuck in Los Angeles are effectively hostages of the mayor. Garcetti has demanded that anyone who goes outside, for any reason, as the heat rises in L.A.,  must wear a mask. It goes without saying there [is] no science to back up this order — or any of Garcetti’s so-called health decisions. In fact, it’s possible that requiring masks outside will not prevent a single [person] from being infected in Los Angeles…

“Garcetti explains that anyone who goes to the beach must make certain not to touch dry sand. Wet sand is fine. Dry sand is now illegal… This… is the expression of an autocrat… It means that America’s second-largest city has fallen under the total control of a neurotic megalomaniac, who’s terrified of dry sand. Eric Garcetti’s personal phobias are now law in Los Angeles…

“In New Jersey, for example, citizens are still banned from assembling to worship together as they choose. That’s a direct violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution…”

The example of Los Angeles is indeed stupid and outrageous. How long will the people of Los Angeles put up with such ridiculous autocratic nonsensical orders? And what will happen if they refuse? Are we going to experience hostility, clashes, and worse?

Justice Department Warns California Coronavirus Rules May Violate Religious Freedoms

The Los Angeles Times wrote on May 19:

“The measures Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus and his plans to unwind them may discriminate against religious groups and violate their constitutional rights, the U.S. Justice Department warned in a letter Tuesday. In a three-page letter to the governor, Eric S. Dreiband, an assistant attorney general and the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said Newsom had shown ‘unequal treatment of faith communities’ in restricting their abilities to gather and ultimately reopen. ‘Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,’ Dreiband wrote.

“Newsom’s office had no comment beyond confirming that it had received the letter. Dreiband raised issues both with California’s stay-at-home order and Newsom’s plan to roll it back. While worshipers cannot gather in person, even while following social distancing protocols, California has deemed employees in the entertainment and e-commerce industries essential and allowed them to continue working in person, ‘regardless of whether the product they are selling and shipping are life-preserving products or not,’ Dreiband said. ‘This facially discriminates against religious exercise,’ he said.

“Moreover, Dreiband wrote, the governor has permitted restaurants, shopping malls and offices to resume operations in the second phase of his plan to reopen California’s economy, but houses of worship cannot hold in-person services until its third, later phase. ‘The Constitution calls for California to do more to accommodate religious worship, including in stage 2 of the reopening plan,’ Dreiband said.

“In April, the Justice Department intervened in a dispute between a Mississippi church and the city of Greenville, whose police officers had broken up a service held in the church’s parking lot. At the time, Atty. Gen. William Barr said religious groups ‘must not be singled out for special burdens.’”

Oregon Supreme Court Stays Order Declaring Governmental Restrictions Null and Void

The Associated Press wrote on May 18:

“The Oregon Supreme Court late Monday halted a rural judge’s order earlier in the day that had tossed out statewide coronavirus restrictions imposed by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. [The lower court had stated that the order by Governor Brown was null and void and unenforceable.] Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff had ruled that Brown erred by not seeking the Legislature’s approval to extend the stay-at-home orders beyond a 28-day limit. The Supreme Court’s ruling stays Shirtcliff’s decision pending review by all the high court justices…

“The lower court judge had issued his opinion in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by 10 churches around Oregon that argued the state’s social-distancing directives were unconstitutional. In a seven-page opinion, Shirtcliff wrote that the damage to Oregonians and their livelihood was greater than the dangers presented by the coronavirus. He also noted that other businesses deemed essential, such as grocery stores, had been allowed to remain open even with large numbers of people present and have relied on masks, social distancing and other measures to protect the public…

“Courts in other states have ruled against similar orders. The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ stay-at-home order last week, ruling that his administration overstepped its authority when it extended the order for another month without consulting legislators. A federal judge in North Carolina on Saturday sided with conservative Christian leaders and blocked the enforcement of restrictions that Gov. Roy Cooper ordered affecting indoor religious services during the pandemic…

“In Louisiana, however, a federal judge refused a minister’s request to temporarily halt Gov. John Bel Edwards’ stay-at-home order, which expired that same day…”

It seems to us, based on Oregon law, that the restrictions by Governor Brown ARE in fact null and void. Why the Oregon Supreme Court stayed the order of the rural judge is a mystery.

There is also much talk of a second pandemic in the fall.

Pat Buchanan uttered the following opinion, as published on May 18 by WND:

“Yet, even if the pandemic returns in the fall, the establishment cannot keep the country closed indefinitely. Prediction: If the people conclude they have done all they can do to mitigate the suffering from a virus they cannot eradicate, they will resist the imposition of another shutdown, and the establishment will have neither the will nor ability to push them back into their homes…”

We will see…

Staggering Unemployment Numbers in the USA

 The Associated Press wrote on May 21:

“The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the two months since the coronavirus took hold in the U.S. has swelled to nearly 39 million, the government reported Thursday,… a job-market collapse unprecedented in its speed.”

Jordan and Europe on Collision Course with Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on May 17:

“Jordan’s King Abdullah warned of ‘massive conflict’ between his country and Israel if the Jewish state proceeds with annexing territory this summer in Judea and Samaria… He also suggested that his country could pull out of its peace agreement with Israel. Jordan and Egypt are the only Arab nations that formally recognize the Jewish state…

“The comments by the Jordanian leader come as several European nations are pushing for punitive action against Israel if the country forges ahead with annexation… U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that Washington would not oppose Israeli annexation after July 1.”

The Times of Israel added on May 16:

“Jordan has been lobbying the EU to take ‘practical steps’ to make sure annexation doesn’t happen.”

Psalm 83 comes to mind. Verses 8 and 9 refer to Ammon and the sons of Lot (both referring to modern Jordan) and verse 9 refers to Assur (modern Germany).

Abbas Breaks with Israel and USA

JTA wrote on May 19:

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared an end to all agreements with Israel, including security cooperation, effectively turning over to Israel’s government the running of the entire West Bank. ‘The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the commitments based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones,’ Abbas said in a speech in Ramallah, which functions as the capital of the Palestinian Authority…

“Abbas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank left him no choice, and he blamed the Trump administration’s ‘peace vision’ unveiled in January… Abbas said the PLO remained committed to the two-state outcome…

“The U.S. has little leverage to use on Abbas, with the administration having cut almost all assistance, except money for security cooperation.”

Israeli Court Tells Netanyahu He Must Appear at Start of Trial

The Algemeiner wrote on May 20:

“An Israeli court rejected on Wednesday a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be absent from the opening of his corruption trial next week, saying he must abide by the practice of hearing the charges in person. Netanyahu had asked Jerusalem District Court to be excused from his May 24 arraignment, deeming the event a formality and arguing that bringing his bodyguards would be a waste of public funds and a strain on coronavirus rules against congregations.

“Some critics, however, believed Netanyahu was trying to reduce the optics of the first criminal prosecution of a sitting Israeli prime minister. Indicted for bribery, fraud and breach in three long-running cases, he denies wrongdoing. ‘It is incumbent upon the requester, as with all other defendants, to appear and have his say in court,’ the three-judge panel said in its ruling.”

Europe’s Army Is Taking Shape

Express wrote on May 6:

“URSULA VON DER LEYEN has hinted at the formation of a European army on a number of occasions, and in a startling article she claimed the idea is ‘already taking shape’. The European Commission President wrote an article in 2019 titled ‘Europe is forming an army’ when she was still a Defence minister in Angela Merkel’s government. [She argued that the] continent needs to be self-sufficient in defending itself, and can do so by closely integrating its military forces. She added in her article for Handelsblatt: ‘Europe has to build an army.’…

“This came after Mr Juncker had also expressed interest in an EU military force. In March 2015, he said: ‘Such an army would help us to build a common foreign and security policy, as well as jointly assume the responsibilities of Europe in the world. A common army among the Europeans would convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union.’”

Europe WILL develop a mighty and powerful army… and much sooner than many think.

“No More EU Concessions to the UK”

BBC News wrote on May 19:

“Europe’s economic problems will not force the EU to make more concessions to the UK over Brexit or any trade deal, the French finance minister Bruno Le Maire has said. UK minister Michael Gove had previously said the Covid crisis would in some respects ‘concentrate the minds of the EU negotiators.’

“But Mr Le Maire told Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur: ‘There won’t be any further concession from the EU and on the contrary I think this economic crisis will lead to the reinforcement of the EU, will lead to more solidarity among member states and we are not ready to make concessions that might jeopardise the EU construction.’”

US Ambassador Accuses Germany of Undermining NATO

Reuters wrote on May 14:

“The U.S. ambassador in Berlin has accused Germany of undermining NATO’s nuclear deterrent, taking aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partners after some of their leaders called for nuclear disarmament.

“Rolf Muetzenich, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), called earlier this month for the withdrawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons from Germany – a view that divides his left-leaning party and is not shared by Merkel’s conservatives.

“In an opinion piece for German newspaper Die Welt, Ambassador Richard Grenell wrote: ‘Instead of undermining the solidarity that forms the basis of NATO’s nuclear deterrence, it is now time for Germany to meet its commitments to its allies and to continuously invest in NATO’s nuclear participation.’

“‘Germany’s political leadership, especially that of the SPD, must now make it clear the federal republic is honouring these commitments and standing by its allies,’ added Grenell, who is also U.S. President Donald Trump’s acting national intelligence chief.

“The remarks are the latest twist in relations between Berlin and Washington that have often been strained during Trump’s presidency. The president has pressed Germany to raise its defence spending and accused Berlin of being a ‘captive’ of Russia due to its energy reliance. But Grenell’s comments also come a day after Merkel cited ‘hard evidence’ that Russia was behind a 2015 hacker attack on her Bundestag office — an assault that she said ‘pains me’.

“‘The dangers threatening peace in Europe are not an “anachronism”, as some would have us believe,’ Grenell said. ‘The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the deployment of new nuclear-weapon-capable missiles by Russia on the periphery of Europe and new capabilities of China, North Korea and other countries make it clear that the threat is all too present.’”

While the threat from Russia is “all too present” for Germany, the relationship between Berlin and Washington is deteriorating consistently and the rift is widening. This is another reason why Germany is strongly supporting and working towards a “self-sufficient” European army.

The Pope’s Wrong Understanding of True Christianity

Crux Now wrote on May 15:

“Christians must follow the Ten Commandments, of course, but Christianity is not about following rules, it is about having a relationship with Jesus, Pope Francis said… the pope focused on… the account of the first Christian converts from paganism being ‘disturbed’ by other Christians who insisted the converts must first become Jewish and follow all Jewish laws and customs… ‘Theirs was a religion of prescriptions and, in that way, they took away the freedom of the Spirit,’ who had brought the converts directly to Christ without first having them become Jewish… ‘the Spirit of God is freedom,’ the pope said.

“The problem of individuals or groups trying to impose extra conditions on believers was present from the beginning of Christianity and continues in some quarters of the church today, he said… ‘In our own time, we have seen some church organizations that seem to be well organized, to work well, but they are all rigid… and then we have discovered the corruption that was inside, including in the founders.’”

IF the Pope believes that the Ten Commandments must be followed, “of course,” then he must teach and keep the Fourth Commandment of the Sabbath instead of Sunday. The Bible says that true Christians are spiritual Jews. And what about the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.