This Week in the News

EU Lacking Military Capacities—Action Urged

Reuters reported on November 21:

“The European Union acknowledged on Friday that it lacks the capabilities to meet its goal – pushed most strongly by its biggest members – to become a standalone military power able to help NATO or deploy troops rapidly to regional crises. Seeking to address major shortfalls, the EU’s first annual defence review, presented to the bloc’s defence ministers on Friday, found that only 60% of the national troops and weapons nominally available to NATO are in a fit state to be deployed.

“EU governments are also reluctant to deploy those troops, the report found. Formal EU military missions receive just 7% of all EU states’ military personnel committed worldwide, with problems generating troop levels, it said. While such EU weaknesses were largely known, because the bloc has never had the military strength to match its economic might, major EU governments including France, Germany, Italy and Spain hope the detailed review and public recognition of failures will be a watershed… EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters: ‘European defence suffers from fragmentation, duplication and insufficient operational engagement.’…

“Meanwhile, tiny Belgium and Luxembourg are among the lowest military spenders in Europe, and Denmark has opted out of EU defence initiatives. France and Germany also disagree on how far to develop EU military cooperation independent of the United States, by far the biggest power in NATO and Europe’s effective security guarantor since World War Two. But after four years of hostility towards NATO from U.S. President Donald Trump, the EU says it can no longer rely solely on the United States to solve crises in its neighbourhood.

“The EU has been working since December 2017 to develop more firepower independently of the United States. The effort has been led by France, the EU’s remaining major military power after Britain, which opposed such cooperation, left the bloc. With a weapons development fund being set up, backed by 8 billion euros ($9.50 billion) from the EU budget for the first time next year, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for more ‘sovereignty’ in the EU’s ability to defend itself.

“The 27-nation EU aims to draw up a military doctrine by 2022 to define future threats and ambitions. The report, part of an EU strategy to develop self-standing military capacity over the next decade, urged EU governments to jointly produce six areas of weaponry and end costly national duplication, including focusing on a new battle tank, a patrol class surface ship and counter-drone technology.”

This “wakeup call” might trigger renewed efforts to create a unified European army. However, some European countries might not want to participate. The “need” for a core Europe of powerful wealthy member states seems to become inevitable.

German Social Democrats (SPD) Seek an Independent EU Army

Express wrote on November 18:

“A working group on Security and Defence Policy of the SPD ‒ Germany’s second-biggest political party ‒ has published a plan to create a 28th EU Army. Instead of concentrating on the further development of cooperation between the 27 national armed forces as before, the 12-page paper reveals how a new, separate force is to be created – parallel to the national troops such as the Bundeswehr. The 28th Army would report directly to the EU Commission and would be under the responsibility of a newly-appointed Commissioner for Defence… Fritz Felgentreu, Defence policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, said: “Our aim is to improve the EU’s ability to act, regardless of the tiresome questions of sovereignty… According to the concept paper, the nucleus of the 28th Army is based on already existing battlegroups…

“The original 12-page concept paper was originally published in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper… According to one of Germany’s most senior defence officials, the creation of an EU Army is now pretty much inevitable. In 2017, Hans-Peter Bartels, a former national defence commissioner, called for NATO’S EU members to organise their forces into a single unit. Mr Bartels said: ‘… In the end, there will be a European Army.’…

“Britain has repeatedly blocked plans for an integrated European defence policy, but other member states have warned it cannot expect to have a say in the issue post-Brexit. France has also led calls for a European Army. The Netherlands and Germany  have already merged some units, while the Czech Republic and Romania have expressed interest. Funding for a European Defence Fund has been included in the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) this year.”

The push for a European army from all sides and political parties is increasing.

Macron’s Napoleon Moment

The Algemeiner wrote on November 20:

“Napoleon Bonaparte… came to power at a crucial moment in French history. The glorious revolution of 1789 had descended into chaos. He saved it and restored order and French pride.

“At this moment, France is at a crossroads again. The decapitation of schoolteacher Samuel Paty by a Muslim extremist, and other subsequent attacks, is the continuation of an existential struggle for France’s character and future. Every country has the right to decide its character. If France wishes to remain an open and free society for all its citizens, it must fight for it. This is President Macron’s Napoleon moment…

“Napoleon had shown sympathy for Jewish aspirations at the siege of Acre in 1799 when he published a proclamation in which he invited all the Jews of Asia and Africa to gather under his flag. Unfortunately, Napoleon’s forces lost to Britain and he could not carry out his plan… The Jews of central Europe regarded Napoleon as the major forerunner of Jewish emancipation. In Austria, Chancellor Metternich said, ‘I fear that the Jews will believe [Napoleon] to be their promised Messiah.’ All the states that came under French authority applied Napoleon’s reforms. In Italy, the Netherlands, and the German states, the Jews were emancipated and able to act as free people for the first time in those nations. After Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, the Council of Vienna reimposed all previous restrictions on Jews outside France and the restoration of discriminatory measures. And post-Napoleon France’s antisemitism was so endemic that it led to the Dreyfus Affair, Marshall Petain, and continues to this day in certain circles.

“Napoleon was probably the greatest European military genius. His armies swept across the continent, winning battle after battle. But his success had the effect of forcing others to unite to destroy him. Even after defeat and exile to Elba, he was able to come back and try again with the support of his faithful armies. Finally, at Waterloo in 1815, he was brought down. Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena…

“Napoleon enshrined the concept of secularism in France. This vision is now being challenged and faces enormous pressure from a growing threat of radical Islamism in France. Up to now, Europe has treated the threat half-heartedly. At this moment, President Macron is talking the talk, but I doubt that he will do anything. Political expediency seems to override principle everywhere. Napoleon must be turning over in his grave.”

Whether the assessment of Napoleon is accurate or not, the article shows the “dilemma” Macron finds himself in, and the warning against extreme radical Islamism in France is well-taken. The question is, How will France react?

Poland Warns of Dictatorial EU

Breitbart wrote on November 22:

“Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused the European Union of wielding a ‘propaganda bludgeon’ against his country like the communist regime of old. ‘We know the use of propaganda bludgeons very well from communist times,’ he recalled, adding that a European Union ‘in which there is a European oligarchy that punishes the weaker and pushes them into a corner is not the EU that we joined. This is not an EU that has a future,’ he warned…

“‘The establishment in Germany and Brussels is trying to carry out a revolution and create a single European state based in Brussels or maybe Germany,’ warned Zbigniew Ziobro, a member of the United Poland party which governs alongside Law and Justice who serves as Minister of Justice. Prime Minister Morawiecki also bristled at suggestions that… Poles must ‘get on their knees’ and accept being dictated to…

“The Poles and Hungarians do have some reason to believe that the EU’s dominant powers intended to use any ‘rule of law’ in the budget to interfere in domestic politics, with European Parliament vice president Katarina Barley, of Germany, having suggested they should be ‘starved financially’ if they do not govern in a way Brussels approves…”

Poland and Hungary may have a point. Their warning should not be ignored.

Preparing for Civil War?

The U.S. Sun wrote on November 20:

“Hundreds of far-right groups have sprung up across the US and are ramping up recruitment in the fallout from the highly charged election and the coronavirus pandemic. Online forum My Militia – which promotes itself as an ‘American Patriot Network’ – has more than 20,000 users and has seen a flurry of activity in recent weeks. The network claims there are 544 militias currently active in the US, carries instructions on how to make explosives and improvised weapons, survivalist tips, threads dedicated to conspiracy theories, and lists of names of members of ‘Antifa.’  Many of the self-appointed militiamen say they are preparing to ride out mass civil unrest, while others more dramatically predict an upcoming ‘Civil War.’

“It comes after a string of violence over the summer with Donald Trump blaming extreme left-wing groups for stoking mayhem. Some groups are braced for attacks by ‘Antifa’ who Trump branded ‘scum’ after clashes at a recent march in Washington DC. Dr Rakid Ehsan, a research fellow from think tank the Henry Jackson Society,… warned the potential of these organisations clashing with extreme left-wing groups could turn the US into a ‘powder-keg’

“Antifa is an umbrella term for far-left militant groups… Trump has blamed Democrats for enabling the movement, and Barr has said police in ‘every city’ where there has been protests ‘identified Antifa as the ramrod for the violence’.”

Violence in the USA over the outcome of the election and regarding other matters, such as coronavirus restrictions, is inevitable. Please view our new StandingWatch program in this context, titled, “Are You Prepared for Civil War?”

When Christmas Was Cancelled in England…

The Conversation published an article on November 13 by  Martyn Bennett, Nottingham Trent University:

“… it seems likely that 2020’s [Christmas] festivities will be much more intimate affairs, potentially with households banned from mixing indoors.  But what if families ignore distancing rules, should they remain in place, and celebrate together rather than on Zoom? Politicians seeking to come down hard on rule-breakers might wish to recall a previously restricted yuletide.

“Back in 1647, Christmas was banned in the kingdoms of England (which at the time included Wales), Scotland and Ireland and it didn’t work out very well. Following a total ban on everything festive, from decorations to gatherings, rebellions broke out across the country. While some activity took the form of hanging holly in defiance, other action was far more radical and went on to have historical consequences.

“In 1647, parliament had won the civil war in England, Scotland and Ireland and King Charles was held in captivity at Hampton Court. The Church of England had been abolished and replaced by a Presbyterian system. The protestant reformation had restructured churches across the British Isles, and holy days, Christmas included, were abolished.

“The usual festivities during the 12 days of Christmas (December 25 to January 5) were deemed unacceptable. Shops had to stay open throughout Christmastide, including Christmas Day. Displays of Christmas decorations – holly, ivy and other evergreens – were banned. Other traditions, such as feasting and the celebratory consumption of alcohol, consumed in large quantities then as now, were likewise restricted.

“Christmas Day, however, didn’t pass quietly. People across England, Scotland and Ireland flouted the rules. In Norwich, the mayor… ignored illegal celebrations across the city. In Canterbury, the usual Christmas football game was played and festive holly bushes were stood outside house doors. Over the 12 days of Christmas, the partying spread across all of Kent and armed force had to be used to break up the fun.

“Christmas Day was celebrated in the very heart of Westminster and the churchwardens of St Margaret’s church (which is part of Westminster Abbey) were arrested for failing to stop the party. The London streets were decked with holly and ivy and the shops were closed… Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk also celebrated Christmas rowdily. Young men armed with spiked clubs patrolled the streets persuading the shopkeepers to stay shut.

Taking up arms and breaking the rules weren’t just about experiencing the fun of the season. Fighting against the prohibition of Christmas was a political act. Things had changed and the Christmas rebellion was as much a protest against the ‘new normal’ as it was against the banning of fun. People were fed up with a range of restrictions and financial difficulties that came with the Presbyterian system and the fallout of the civil war.

“The aftermath of the Norwich Christmas riots was the most dramatic. The mayor was summoned to London in April 1648 to explain his failure to prohibit the Christmas parties, but a crowd closed the city gates to prevent him from being taken away. Armed forces were again deployed, and in the ensuing riots, the city ammunition magazine exploded, killing at least 40 people. Norwich was not alone. In Kent, the grand jury decided that the Christmas party-going rioters had no choice but to answer to the law and the county went into exuberant rebellion against parliament. Royalists capitalised on the popular discontent and began organising the rioters.

“Successively in 1647 and 1648, parties led to riots, these riots led to rebellions, which, in turn, caused the Second Civil War that summer. King Charles was put on trial after his defeat in the war and was executed. This resulted in a revolution and Britain and Ireland became a republic – all because of Christmas.

“This Christmas, police across the country are ready to enforce COVID regulations and break up gatherings… politicians could learn from the fallout of the last time Christmas was cancelled. Like in 1647, many people today are fed up with the government’s restrictions. Many have also suffered financial difficulties as a result of the COVID regulations…

“Such a situation will have to be handled gingerly. There has already been civil disorder over lockdowns…  the last thing the country needs is further unrest…”

This goes for America too, as well as for other “Christian” nations. Even though God does not want His people to celebrate Christmas, the parallels between 1647 and 2020 are striking.

Explosive Charges

Newsmax wrote on November 21:

“Levying explosive claims of widespread voter fraud specifically tied to Dominion Voting Systems and potentially a pay-for-play scheme with GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell… vowed to deliver a ‘biblical’ voter fraud case this week…

“Among the most explosive claims alluded to by Powell were: Joe Biden votes being ‘weighted’ at 1.25 times and President Donald Trump votes being parsed at 3/4. Algorithms that gave Democrats 35,000 extra votes. Modifications made to voting machines after statutory cutoff dates for changes. Past election victories, including Hillary Clinton’s primary victory over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., being forced decided by Dominion Voting Systems. Alleged pay-for-play kick backs to public officials, potentially even Georgia GOP Gov. Kemp for a late grant to use Dominion Voting Systems.

“‘Georgia is probably going to be the first state I’m gonna blow up,’ Powell said rhetorically with her pending lawsuits alleging massive voter fraud.”

If massive voter fraud can be proven, then America stands convicted as a terribly corrupt country… to be comparable with the worst dictatorships… whether the presented evidence will allow Trump to stay in office or not.

Powell Not Part of Trump Legal Team?

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

Lawyer Sidney Powell said in a statement Sunday evening via Gen. (Ret.) Michael Flynn that… she understood the Trump campaign’s statement that she is not part of the campaign’s legal team and she is proceeding to file an ‘epic’ lawsuit this week. After Twitter suspended Powell for 12 hours, Flynn posted her statement on his Parler account, which said:

“‘I agree with the campaign’s statement that I am not part of the campaign’s legal team. I never signed a retainer agreement or sent the President or the campaign a bill for my expenses or fees. My intent has always been to expose all the fraud I could find and let the chips fall where they may —whether it be upon Republicans or Democrats. The evidence I’m compiling is overwhelming that this software tool was used to shift millions of votes from President [Donald] Trump and other Republican candidates to Biden and other Democrat candidates.  We are proceeding to prepare our lawsuit and plan to file it this week.  It will be epic. We will not allow this great Republic to be stolen by communists from without and within or our votes altered or manipulated by foreign actors in Hong Kong, Iran, Venezuela, or Serbia, for example, who have neither regard for human life nor the people who are the engine of this exceptional country…’

“Powell released the statements after the Trump campaign legal team, led by Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, released a short statement that said: ‘Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.’”

The Trump team had clearly said previously that Powell was part of their team, and Trump had declared that Powell was one of his attorneys. What is going on? Giuliani subsequently attributed the break to the pursuit of two different legal theories.

Sidney Powell Files Lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan because of Alleged Organized Voter Fraud

Breitbart wrote on November 26:

 “Attorney Sidney Powell filed lawsuits Wednesday challenging the results of the presidential vote in Georgia and Michigan, alleging ‘ballot stuffing,’ which she alleges was ‘amplified and rendered virtually invisible by computer software created and run by domestic and foreign actors.’…

“She alleges in Georgia: Mathematical and statistical anomalies rising to the level of impossibilities, as shown by affidavits of multiple witnesses, documentation, and expert testimony evince this scheme across the state of Georgia… This scheme and artifice to defraud affected tens of thousands of votes in Georgia alone and ‘rigged’ the election in Georgia for Joe Biden.

 “Powell makes similar allegations in Michigan, noting an ‘especially egregious range of conduct in Wayne County and the City of Detroit, though this conduct occurred throughout the State at the direction of Michigan state election officials.’ Powell traces the fraud to ‘software and hardware from Dominion Voting Systems Corporation,’ which she said derives from software created by ‘Smartmatic Corporation, which became Sequoia in the United States.’ She goes on to allege, in both the Georgia and the Michigan complaints, ‘Smartmatic and Dominion were founded by foreign oligarchs and dictators to ensure computerized ballot-stuffing and vote manipulation to whatever level was needed to make certain Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez never lost another election.’

“Based on the affidavit of a whistleblower, Powell alleges that the systems were designed to make ballot-stuffing hard to detect by a ‘simple audit.’ They were manipulated, she says, by people who had access to the systems.

“In Georgia, she says: [V]ideo from the State Farm Arena in Fulton County shows that on November 3rd after the polls closed, election workers falsely claimed a water leak required the facility to close. All poll workers and challengers were evacuated for several hours at about 10:00 PM. However, several election workers remained unsupervised and unchallenged working at the computers for the voting tabulation machines until after 1:00 AM. She also claimed that ‘the Dominion software was accessed by agents acting on behalf of China and Iran in order to monitor and manipulate elections, including the most recent US general election in 2020.’ One expert, she says, ‘concludes that hundreds of thousands of votes that were cast for President Trump in the 2020 general election were transferred to former Vice-President Biden.’

“And she adds that ‘Georgia’s election officials and poll workers exacerbated and helped, whether knowingly or unknowingly, the Dominion system carry out massive voter manipulation by refusing to observe statutory safeguards for absentee ballots. Election officials failed to verify signatures and check security envelopes. They barred challengers from observing the count, which also facilitated the fraud.’

“In Michigan, Powell says, in addition to problems with Dominion, there were ‘additional categories of “traditional” voting fraud and Michigan Election Code violations, supplemented by healthy doses of harassment, intimidation, discrimination, abuse and even physical removal of Republican poll challengers to eliminate any semblance of transparency, objectivity or fairness from the vote counting process.’

“Powell alleges, citing expert testimony, that Michigan saw tens of thousands of ‘excess voters,’ where unassigned or blank absentee ballots were filled out by election workers, and nearly all of those votes went to Joe Biden. She also alleges that in four precincts, more ballots were counted than could be physically processed during a two and-a-half hour interval Nov. 4. She alleges that glitches in Michigan — such as one that mistakenly counted 6,000 votes for Biden in Antrim County — were always in Biden’s favor. There are enough ballots affected, Powell argues, for the courts to set aside the results of the 2020 election in each state.”

Trump Approves Transition Proceedings, but…

The U.S. General Services Administration chief [Emily Murphy] informed Biden that her agency would move ahead with transition proceedings, stating: “In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.” Trump pledged to continue his legal challenge of election results, tweeting: “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily [Murphy] and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same” (compare Fox News, dated November 23, 2020).

In addition, Newsmax added on November 24:

“President Donald Trump is vowing to ‘never concede,’ the ‘most corrupt election in American political history’— despite the General Services Administration giving the go-ahead to Joe Biden to begin a transition to the White House. Trump’s remarks came in a late Monday night tweet. He wrote, What does GSA being allowed to preliminarily work with the Dems have to do with continuing to pursue our various cases on what will go down as the most corrupt election in American political history? We are moving full speed ahead. Will never concede to fake ballots & “Dominion.’”

Newsmax wrote on November 24:

“Newsmax is naming Joe Biden the winner of Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania after those states officially certified their election results. Newsmax has not yet called the entirety of the 2020 presidential race for former vice president Joe Biden, but expects to make a determination shortly after reviewing legal challenges made by the Trump campaign.”

Voter Fraud in Pennsylvania?

 Breitbart wrote on November 25:

 “Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared at a public hearing of Pennsylvania Republicans Wednesday to review his claims of voter fraud and election irregularities in the commonwealth… Several witnesses appeared in person to describe the voting irregularities they witnessed as they were prevented from meaningful access to the voting process… Other witnesses explained that thousands of ballots were counted in secret, as they were kept out of the room… Attorney Justin C. Kweder, a certified canvass observer… also raised concerns about more than 5,000 damaged mail-in ballots that were duplicated by poll workers.

“Other witnesses appeared via video teleconferencing to talk about their concerns with ‘illegal pre-canvassing,’ as Democrat counties contacted voters to help ‘cure’ their ballots so they would be counted… Giuliani also brought an election security specialist to talk about the voting systems in the United States. The expert questioned the anomaly of reporting spikes in the voting counts for Biden late in the evening as a ‘prime indicator of fraudulent voting.’ He claimed that there was a discrepancy of around 700,000 ballots between the number of mail-in ballots sent out and the mail-in ballots that were received. The audience laughed and gasped in shock as the expert noted a point when a spike of votes recorded in Pennsylvania had 600,000 votes for Biden and only 3,200 for Trump.

“President Trump called in to the hearing, appearing impressed by what he had heard from the witnesses. He vowed to fight the results of the election and thanked everyone present for sharing their testimonies. ‘We have to turn the election over, because there’s no doubt,’ Trump said. ‘We have all the evidence, we have all the affidavits, we have everything. All we need is to have some judge listen to it properly without having a political opinion or having another kind of a problem.’”

Where there is so much smoke, there got to be huge fires.

Trump said on Thursday he will leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden. The Electoral College is scheduled to make this decision on December 14, but it will only be publicly announced on January 6.

Trump Pardons Flynn

 Breitbart wrote on November 25:

 “President Donald Trump pardoned his former National Security Advisor, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret.), on Wednesday… Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI. He later withdrew his plea as exculpatory evidence emerged…

 “After Flynn had taken up his position at the White House, Comey sent FBI agents to interview him there, advising him not to bring counsel. Notes suppressed by the FBI but later revealed indicated that the FBI agents had discussed whether their purpose was to have him fired, or prosecuted. Flynn was not told that he was being investigated. He was asked about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Agents later reported that they did not believe he was lying to them.

 “However, after the contents of the surveillance intercepts were leaked to the Washington Post, Flynn was accused of having lied, both to the FBI and to Vice President Mike Pence, who had defended Flynn several weeks before. By the second week of February, Flynn was forced to resign… Flynn accepted a plea deal that required him to cooperate with the [Mueller] investigation, which he did; it later emerged that prosecutors had also pressured Flynn, ostensibly by threatening to prosecute his son as well…

 “The Department of Justice soon asked to drop the prosecution. But Judge Sullivan refused… [He] was accused of… waiting for a new administration to appoint new prosecutors to the case… [The pardon] was not the exoneration Flynn might have wanted, nor will it make him whole, or silence his critics, or restore faith in the justice system. But to millions of Americans, Flynn’s pardon is, at long last, the least he deserved.”

 What corruption galore!

“Trump Should Pardon Himself”

 Click Orlando wrote on November 25:

 “Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz said President Donald Trump should pardon himself and others in his administration before leaving office to prevent the ‘radical left’ from prosecuting them. Some Democrats have called on the incoming Biden administration to investigate Trump and other members of his administration for possible crimes such as conspiring with the Russians during the 2016 campaign, illegal campaign contributions and obstruction of justice…”

 It was pointed out by legal experts that even if a President can pardon himself legally [an open question which has not been addressed in the Constitution, nor has it ever been decided in courts], a pardon in this case would be “difficult” as Trump has not been convicted of anything. 

What If…?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 24:

“If Joe Biden is successful in his fight for the White House, he will be bringing with him a foreign policy team that is responsible for some of the biggest and deadliest fiascos in the past quarter century.

“From the idiotic attack on Yugoslavia, to arming jihadists in Syria, to the murder of Libya and the Ukraine coup, the team of rabid interventionists readying themselves to return to power have left a scorched earth behind them.”

Putin Not Ready to Recognize Biden

Newsmax reported on November 22:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin said he… isn’t ready to recognize the election victory of Joe Biden. ‘We will work with anyone who has the confidence of the American people,’ Putin said on Russian state TV Sunday. ‘But that confidence can only be given to a candidate whose victory has been recognized by the opposing party, or after the results are confirmed in a legitimate, legal way.’

“The comments are some of the most detailed since the election from Putin, one of a dwindling number of leaders who haven’t recognized Biden as the next U.S. head of state… When asked if the move could damage U.S.-Russia relations, he said: ‘there’s nothing to damage, they’re already ruined.’”

A lone voice in the wilderness…

US Supreme Court Sides with Churches against Cuomo

CNN wrote on November 26:

“In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court sided with religious organizations in a dispute over Covid-19 restrictions put in place by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo limiting the number of people attending religious services… it highlights the impact of Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the court… In the late-night decision, Barrett sided with her conservative colleagues in the dispute, while [left-leaning] Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent. Last spring and summer, before the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court split 5-4 on similar cases out of California and Nevada, with Roberts and the liberals in the majority siding against houses of worship. Barrett was confirmed in October to take Ginsburg’s seat…

“In the main, unsigned opinion, the majority ruled in favor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America that argued that the restrictions violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment because the regulations treated the houses of worship more harshly than comparable secular facilities…

“Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote his own concurrence… to explain his vote. He said that other businesses such as bicycle repair shops, did not have similar restrictions. ‘So, at least according to the Governor, it may be unsafe to go to church, but it is always fine to pick up another bottle of wine’ or ‘shop for a new bike,’ Gorsuch wrote…”

With Barrett on the Court, preventing Roberts to cast a “decisive vote,” future decisions might have a different outcome. 

Air Force Sends Bombers to Middle East

KFYR wrote on November 21:

 “B-52 Stratofortress crews assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base conducted a ‘short-notice, long-range mission’ in the Middle East Saturday, according to U.S. Central Command… the mission was intended to ‘deter aggression and reassure U.S. partners and allies.’… the bombers integrated with at least four other national defense elements.

“It’s unclear how many aircraft or crew members from Minot were involved in the mission… the last U.S. long-range bomber presence in the Middle East took place earlier this year. Minot Air Force Base is one of two military installations in the United States that houses the B-52s, the other being Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.”

 Just a “routine” exercise… or more?

The Times of Israel added on November 23:

“The United States this week rapidly deployed several heavy [B-52] bombers to the Middle East this week in an apparent threat to Iran, amid swirling speculation that US President Donald Trump plans to take military action against Tehran before President-elect Joe Biden enters office… The bombers were accompanied on the mission by F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as KC-10 and KC-135 refueling planes…”

Storming of the Temple Mount?

Israel 365 wrote on November 23:

“Wafa News and other Palestinian news sources reported that former Likud Knesset Member Rabbi Yehudah Glick had ‘stormed’ Al Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount… Among the offenses listed was the police allowing Jews to visit the site for an extra half-hour on Sunday, from 12:30-2:00 instead of limiting Jewish visitation to the site until 1:30. The Palestinian authorities also accused 28 Jews of breaking into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jews are expressly forbidden from entering the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock located in the Temple Mount Compound…

“Rabbi Glick, the man accused of ‘storming’ Al-Aqsa, was surprised to hear of his alleged exploits. ‘I “storm” the Temple Mount every Sunday,’ Rabbi Glick told Israel365News. ‘I don’t know why the Arab media thought yesterday was different. Everyone is welcome to join me in “storming” the Temple Mount.’

“Rabbi Glick has been misidentified in the past by the left-wing media as ‘the most dangerous man in the Middle East’ due to his advocating universal rights to pray at the Temple Mount. In 2014, Rabbi Glick survived an assassination attempt by a Palestinian who shot the rabbi four times at close range. ‘Sunday was one of the quietest, most pleasant days on the Temple Mount,’ Rabbi Glick said…

“This month, a prominent Saudi journalist published an article in which he dispelled the claim that the mosque on the Temple Mount is the Al Aqsa Mosque described in the Koran. Rabbi Glick founded the Shalom Jerusalem Organization to ‘redeem the Temple Mount from the Muslim demands for exclusive rights there, ensuring that all religions enjoy total freedom of access to and worship on the Mount, in order to turn the Mount into the prophetic House of Prayer for All Nations and pave the road for the rebuilding of the Third Temple.’

 A third Temple will be built in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount before Christ returns.

The Pope’s Strange Ideas

The Sun wrote on November 23:

“Pope Francis appears to compare President Donald Trump’s rallies to Hitler’s and praised Black Lives Matter reforms in his new book. In the pope’s 150-page book, set to be released on December 1, he supports demands for racial justice in the wake of Floyd’s police murder last May. He also blasted Covid skeptics and the news media that spread conspiracies in the book, which was penned during the Vatican’s coronavirus lockdown.

“In parts of Let Us Dream, it appears as though Francis is directing a message directly [to] the United States. Without identifying the US or Trump by name, Francis singled out Christian-majority countries where nationalist-populist leaders seek to defend Christianity from perceived enemies. ‘Today, listening to some of the populist leaders we now have, I am reminded of the 1930s, when some democracies collapsed into dictatorships seemingly overnight,’ Francis writes in his book. ‘We see it happening again now in rallies where populist leaders excite and harangue crowds, channeling their resentments and hatreds against imagined enemies to distract from the real problems.’…

“Francis also touched upon the pandemic and blasted people who have protested lockdown restrictions. He blasted those people ‘as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!’

“[He also related] the respiratory infection that nearly killed him when he was 21… After being saved, Francis decided to join the Jesuit religious order. [He also spoke about] the nearly two years he spent in exile in Cordoba, northern Argentina, as penance for his authoritarian-laced reign as head of the Jesuit order in the country….

“But he also revealed that [while in Exile] he read a 37-volume of the ‘History of the Popes.’ ‘Once you know that papal history, there’s not that much that goes on in the Vatican Curia and the church today that can shock you,’ he wrote.”

Indeed. It’s truly a corrupt church, and the Jesuits, too, have a lot to answer for.

What They do NOT Tell You about Covid

Daily Mail wrote on November 20:

How accurate were the Government’s grim predictions? The short answer is: not very. In a July report commissioned by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, scientists estimated that there could be 119,000 deaths if a second spike coincided with a peak of winter flu. Yesterday, that figure stood at 54,286 – less than half that… In mid-September, Sir Patrick made the terrifying claim that the UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October unless more draconian restrictions were introduced. Yet we have never got near that figure.

“What about its prophecies on deaths? Ditto. Its warnings simply don’t bear any relation to reality. During the ‘Halloween horror show’ press conference used by Sir Patrick and Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty to scare the Government into implementing a second lockdown, one of their slides suggested that daily Covid-19 deaths could reach 4,000 a day by December. With ten days to go, we’re still at less than 15 per cent of that figure… the current death rate is significantly below almost every modelled winter scenario.

“Are hospitals close to full capacity? The answer is ‘no’ – contrary to what the Government experts would have you think after they last month published a chart that gave the impression that hospitals were close to overflowing, when at least half didn’t have a single Covid-19 patient. Currently, only 13 per cent of NHS beds are occupied by patients with Covid-19. On Monday this week, 16,271 hospitals beds across the UK were taken up with patients who had tested positive for Covid-19. This did show a steady rise from the previous Monday, when there were 14,279 patients with Covid. But to put this figure into perspective, the NHS in England had 101,255 general and acute beds available in March of this year plus 15,392 in Scotland and 10,563 in Wales.

“How does it compare with last year? Remarkably… the number of NHS England beds currently occupied is lower than last year’s average. On November 5, the most recent date available, there were actually 1,293 fewer patients in hospital beds than last year’s November average…

“So who is Covid-19 killing? To put it simply, the victims are overwhelmingly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Of the 37,470 Covid-19 deaths recorded by NHS England up to November 18, 53.7 percent were of people aged over 80. In comparison, there have been just 275 deaths (only 0.7 per cent of the total) in people under 40. And crucially, those who have died from Covid-19 are overwhelmingly likely to have suffered from a pre-existing condition. Of those who have died from coronavirus, 35,806 people (95.6 per cent of the total) had at least one pre-existing serious medical condition. In fact, there have been just 42 deaths of people aged under 40 without a pre-existing condition…

“Are more dying now than in the first wave? No. The number of Covid-19 deaths is significantly lower than the peak in April… On April 21, for example, there were 1,224 Covid-19 deaths, and a daily average for the week of 838. Yesterday, 511 new deaths were reported.

“Are more dying now than last year? Despite what the fear-mongers would have you think, deaths are not far above average for this time of year…

“Surely more elderly people are dying than normal? It doesn’t look like it. According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures – for October 2020 – in spite of all the Covid-19 deaths, the average death rate in the over-75s was significantly lower this year than it was last October – 6,901.7 per 100,000 people, compared with 7141.7 for last year.

“But isn’t the infection rate now going up? The latest ONS estimate shows that in the week ending November 14, new infections were already levelling off: one in 80 people in England had the disease that week, compared with 1 in 85 the week before. And it could now be falling: according to research published this week by scientists at Cambridge University – whose data is used by the Government’s Sage advisory group – infection rates of Covid-19 have actually stopped growing across England… the infection rate is actually highest in school-age children and students – the least vulnerable demographics – and lowest among the over 70s.  In the week to November 14, the infection rate among secondary school pupils was 2.03 per cent, while in those over 70 it was just 0.48 per cent and falling…”

We dare to say that the same development can be seen in other countries as well, including in the USA. However, the British government’s response to the article was swift… and appalling. Note the next article.

British Government Fires Back.. but It Backfired

Daily Mail wrote on November 22: “Big Brother fury as the government uses Twitter as a propaganda tool to attack the Mail’s coronavirus analysis… last night a post on the [Health] department’s Twitter account declared: ‘This article is misleading. This is a global pandemic – national restrictions have been introduced to keep people safe and save lives. It is vital people follow the rules and continue to stay at home so we can bring the transmission rates back down and get back to normality.’

“Last night, leading Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith rebuked the Department of Health – telling it to get on with its job of looking after people’s health and stop criticising newspapers. The former Tory leader praised the Daily Mail report as ‘good journalism’ and said it was right to look beneath the official figures which ‘ultimately do not help the public understand the nature of the disease.’ He said: ‘The Daily Mail is right to highlight the problems with the [official] figures that are being produced. It’s what good journalism is about…’

“Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Tories 1922 backbench committee, signalled that it was not the Department of Health’s job to stifle debate on tackling the virus. ‘Our British tradition is that the people tell government what it can do – not the other way round,’ he said. ‘It’s essential that we have an open, national debate about the best way to tackle Covid-19 and everybody should be free to contribute to that.’

“Meanwhile, the Department of Health came under fire itself on Twitter last night. Ex-England footballer Matt le Tissier wrote: ‘Slightly desperate sounding tweet’. Carol McGiffin, of ITV’s Loose Women tweeted: ‘How? Exactly? No it IS NOT a global pandemic. It has nothing at all to do with ‘keeping people safe and saving lives’ and you know it?!!!’… Talk Radio presenter Mike Graham said: ‘Why is it misleading?…’”

It is incredible and disgusting how arrogant governments all over the world are trying to suppress the voices of those who dare to disagree with the “official” position.

“Freedom Passes” in the UK

Breitbart wrote on November 22:

“The British government will reportedly introduce ‘freedom passes’… for those who have two negative coronavirus tests per week. The government is also working with passport manufacturers to create coronavirus certificates for those that can prove they are free of the virus, according to The Telegraph.

“The immunity certificate would be stored on people’s phones after they receive a letter, card, or document from the government on testing negative for the virus. It is thought that the pass will permit Britons to see members of their families, which is largely banned at the moment, as well as being able to travel without a mask

“It is not clear at the time of this reporting whether the government will be handing out the ‘freedom passes’ to those who have been vaccinated… Factories and workplaces across the country will be subject to mass testing… It is possible that the military may carry out testing…

“The government will likely need the support of the left-wing Labour Party to pass the measure through Parliament, as a group of 70 Tory MPs has threatened to vote against the restrictions. In a letter to Mr Johnson, the anti-lockdown Covid Recovery Group of Conservative MPs demanded that the government reveal the economic damage that further lockdowns would incur… It is likely that the measures would pass through Parliament, however, as the Labour Party has consistently favoured harsher restrictions on the British public.”

The same is true for the USA where it is mainly left-wing Democrats who insist on harsher restrictions. The name for the passes is telling. If you have them, you are “free”… if not, you remain a slave and a captive?

“Gavin Newsom the Hypocrite Punishes Californians with Curfew”

The Washington Times wrote on November 22:

“Show the governor in a bad light — and you will pay. That’s the message sent Californians’ way after a photo that outed Gov. Gavin Newsom as a face mask-less, non-social distancing partying hypocrite surfaced, and shortly after, he ordered state residents to obey a curfew… It’s hard to see how this is scientific. It’s hard to see how this order comes by way of consideration of the real, true, accurate dangers of the coronavirus — and not as a petty toddler tantrum reaction to being shown a hypocrite.

“That’s right; Newsom is a hypocrite. Just a few days ago, a photo showed he and his wife dined in the cushy French Laundry restaurant with several friends and acquaintances — and lobbyists — in celebration of the 50th birthday of political adviser Jason Kinney. In midst of his scolding California residents to social distance, wear face masks, stay home when possible. In midst of his canceling of Thanksgiving — or, more to point, his order to residents to stay home for Thanksgiving and give up the normal family gatherings…

“That’s what hypocrites do — place demands upon others that they themselves refuse to abide. This is not the way of good governance. This is not the way of good leadership.

“In America, the people are the bosses, the governing officials the employees, and the Constitution the rule of law that’s supposed to be equally applied. The first rule of leadership is to lead by example, not dictate. Newsom, like too many in today’s coronavirus times, falls far short of that rule. It’s high time for citizens to demand accountability and insist public servants follow the same rules they create for others…

“A government of separate and unequally applied standards is not a republic. It’s a dictatorship. And far too many governors are using the coronavirus as cause to dictate.

Sadly, so true. Such vindictive hypocrisy!

More Hypocrites

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

“Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (D) is flying to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with his family despite advising residents against traveling for the holidays if possible as part of an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus. His spokeswoman confirmed that Hancock was traveling to Houston Wednesday to visit his daughter in Mississippi, and that his wife is already there. About 30 minutes before the flight, Hancock’s account tweeted out to ‘avoid travel, if you can’ in order to slow the spread of COVID-19… an email to city employee obtained by 9News, shows Hancock advised: ‘[A]s the holidays approach, we all long to be with our families with [sic] person, but with the continued rise in cases, I’m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday. For my family that means cancelling our traditional gathering of our extended family.’

“Hancock’s decision to ignore his own travel advice comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called off Thanksgiving plans with his 89-year-old mother and two of his daughters after strong backlash. In recent days, Cuomo has urged New Yorkers to  ‘stay away’ from their loved ones during the holidays.”

This is incredible and SO appallingly hypocritical! Where is this country heading with such kind of “leadership”?

Covid-9 rate in Oregon Way Overblown

FM News 101 kxl reported on November 20:

The covid-19 positivity rate in Oregon could actually be about half of what officials thought it was. The Oregon Health Authority now says the rate is about seven percent. They were saying it was about 13 percent… the OHA admits the virus numbers have not been accurate. Until now, people were testing negative more than once, and only their first result was counted. The state is now tracking the total number of tests taken, including all test results, which lowers the positivity rate. That rate is one of the metrics that decides if schools should be open and if businesses should close.”

However, that does not fit into the paradigm of Oregon’s governor. Note the next article.

You Tell on People? Shame on You!

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

“Not only is Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR) instituting an utterly pointless six-person limit on at-home get-togethers during Thanksgiving week, she’s calling on Oregon residents to snitch on one another if the six-person limit is violated… if you call the police on them, you are not being a good citizen, you are being a rat, a snitch, a tattletale, a jerk, and un-American. Shame on you forever.

People have the right to do whatever they want in their own homes, and the Constitution declaratively goes out of its way to protect the right to peaceably assemble, and that includes over turkey and dressing…

“Another story has revealed the human cost of lockdown as video footage revealed the moment a great-great-grandmother with dementia living in a care home was told she couldn’t hug her daughter… Man, you’d have to be a real scumbag, a born and bred authoritarian, to snitch on a neighbor because he invited over one too many aunts. Your neighbor did nothing to harm you, and you’re turning him into the Democrat-run Stasi, setting him up for 30 days in jail, a $1,250 fines or both…

“Governor Stalin is illegally imposing these lockdowns and bans (you can’t eat out, can’t go to the gym, etc.) by way of an executive order. The Marion County Sheriff basically said he won’t enforce any of this. ‘We recognize that we cannot arrest or enforce our way out of the pandemic, and we believe both are counterproductive to public health goals,’ he said in a statement.

“Now that’s a great American.

Demonstrations in Germany

RT wrote on November 22:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has hit out at protesters who compared their struggle against restrictions to the struggle of the anti-Nazi resistance, accusing them of ‘trivializing’ the Holocaust. ‘Anyone who compares themselves to Sophie Scholl or Anne Frank today is mocking the courage it took to take a stand against Nazis,’ Maas tweeted on Sunday.  ‘It trivialises the Holocaust and shows an unbearable ignorance of history. Nothing connects the corona protests with the resistance fighters. Nothing!’

“Maas’ outburst came a day after a woman in Hanover spoke at a protest against coronavirus restrictions, telling the crowd that she felt ‘just like Sophie Scholl’, a student sent to the guillotine by the Nazi regime in 1943 for distributing anti-war leaflets in Munich. At a demonstration in the city of Karlsruhe last weekend, an 11-year-old caused uproar when she compared her lockdown-defying birthday party to Anne Frank’s life of hiding from Hitler’s forces in occupied Amsterdam.

“Germany… went into a new partial lockdown on November 2. Restaurants, bars, theaters, cinemas, and gyms have been forced to close for a month, with private gatherings limited to 10 people from no more than two households…

“Protests against the partial lockdown have broken out in cities across the country, with some gatherings drawing counter-protesters and police deploying tear gas and water cannons. Germany still struggles to atone for its Nazi past, and criminalizes Holocaust denial and National Socialist symbols and insignia. Yet politicians and activists there are apparently as keen as anywhere else to fling Nazi comparisons at their opponents, particularly as the government limits liberty in the name of fighting the coronavirus.

“The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has compared Merkel’s new lockdown-enabling Infection Protection Law to the 1933 Enabling Act, which granted Adolf Hitler the power to rule by decree. Anti-vax protesters have used Nazi-era Stars of David at their demos, while left-wing counter-protesters [in an article of November 21, RT described them as “Antifa members”] have marched against the ‘Corona deniers and Nazi pigs’ on the sceptics’ side. Maas has been busy sniping at anyone making such comparisons. Shortly after the AfD compared the lockdown legislation to the Nazi-era Enabling Act, he tweeted that ‘whoever makes such opprobrious comparisons mocks the victims of National Socialism and shows that he learns nothing from history.’”

Propaganda and unsubstantiated accusations don’t destroy the facts. What is happening in Germany, under the disguise of protecting the German population, is horrifying. The frightening thing is that most Germans, IF you can believe the published polls, are in favor of such drastic and draconian governmental restrictions.

How Germany Wants to “Save” Christmas

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 23:

“German state premiers have agreed on new coronavirus lockdown measures for December and probably January. They also include a mini-amnesty over the Christmas period, from December 23 to January 1…

“The restrictions imposed this November are set for an extension for at least three weeks, until December 20.  Hotels, restaurants and gyms will remain closed. People should stay at home as much as possible, avoiding unnecessary travel and contact. Private gatherings will be limited to members of two households and up to five people…

Christmas exemptions [to] apply from December 23 to January 1: Meetings involving people from more than two households to be permitted. Maximum of five may be increased to 10 people (under-14s still exempt). Afterwards, people will be encouraged to voluntarily self-isolate for several days. Churches may be permitted to conduct festive ceremonies — aiming to avoid typical, larger services.”

How does this make any sense???

New Controversial Coronavirus Measures in Germany

 Deutsche Welle wrote on November 26:

 “New coronavirus measures in Germany will last until at least January, Angela Merkel has told lawmakers in the German Parliament [on Thursday]. A Christmas amnesty cannot be guaranteed… The speech in Parliament came after new restrictions were agreed during a seven-hour meeting with Germany’s 16 state premiers… If things go well, the rules will be relaxed slightly between December 23 to January 1 for the celebration of Christmas. Up to 10 people are to be allowed to meet, with children aged 14 and under exempt from the limit. Restaurants and bars will still be required to stay closed over the holiday period. People are urged to voluntarily self-isolate before and after holiday gatherings…

“After the speech, Beatrix von Storch, deputy leader of the AfD’s parliamentary party, told DW that the new laws were too onerous, and claimed that they were in breach of the constitution. ‘They are shutting down businesses, they are forcing people to stay home, they are forcing people to stay under quarantine. They are forcing people to wear masks… We can sit in the parliament, 1.5 meters apart from one-and-other, without a mask. And at the same time we ask people to wear a mask when they go shopping. We tell the people they can’t meet at home with more than 10 people, … but if you want to meet all your friends then go to a public bus. … There you can meet your friends.’

“The leader of the Left party in Parliament, Dietmar Bartsch, claimed the Chancellor and State Premiers were ‘not legitimized’ to intervene in basic rights. Business-friendly FDP faction leader Christian Lindner accused the government of setting the wrong agenda, saying it was relying on broad measures to prevent a spillover to vulnerable groups.”

Opposition was also expressed from a member of Parliament of Merkel’s own party. The German government has set the date of September 26, 2021 for new elections, which will determine who will succeed Merkel as the next German chancellor [assuming Merkel will not run again, as she had promised.]

“Lockdowns Greatest Policy Error in this Generation”

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article on November 21:

“Lockdowns are back on in Europe and are making a quick comeback in the US as well. Spain, the UK, Belgium, and France are back in full lockdown mode, although a multitude of restrictions on movement within each country remained in place even when full lockdowns were ended over the summer… Moreover, eastern Europe… is quickly finding that lockdowns aren’t likely to suppress total deaths there, either…

“… politicians and their allies in the ‘public health’ bureaucracies insisted that lockdowns would substantially reduce total deaths in countries that imposed them. Countries that failed to lock down would, on the other hand, experience runaway contagion with total Covid deaths per million orders of magnitude higher than those seen in countries that didn’t lock down. That’s not what happened.

“As early as July, studies were already beginning to show that lockdowns didn’t actually suppress total mortality. This one in The Lancet, for example, concludes [that] government actions such as border closures, full lockdowns, and a high rate of COVID-19 testing were not associated with statistically significant reductions in the number of critical cases or overall mortality.

“And in 2006, an extensive study in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism reported: ‘There are no historical observations or scientific studies that support the confinement by quarantine of groups of possibly infected people for extended periods’ to slow the spread of influenza. No evidence has been offered for why this might be true of flu, but not true of Covid. Moreover, in a recent report from JPMorgan, Marko Kolanovic concluded that ‘re-opening did not change the course of the pandemic’ and that “While we often hear that lockdowns are driven by scientific models, and that there is an exact relationship between the level of economic activity and the spread of [the] virus—this is not supported by the data.’ Overall, evidence backing the lockdown theory has simply failed to materialize.

“Dr. Gilbert Berdine [said:] ‘The data suggest that lockdowns have not prevented any deaths from covid-19. At best, lockdowns have deferred death for a short time, but they cannot possibly be continued for the long term.’ This, of course, is why even the WHO does not recommend lockdowns except as a very short term and ad hoc measure. The side effects of the lockdowns themselves are too dangerous.

“We already know that isolation, unemployment, and other social ills caused by lockdowns affect both physical and mental health. But we also know that lockdowns lead to deaths from untreated medical conditions. Moreover, government health experts in many cases have callously cut off the elderly from all their social and family support. The Associated Press estimates that for ‘every two COVID-19 victims in long-term care, there is another who died prematurely of other causes.’ Many of these deaths are brought on by neglect and isolation caused by state-mandated lockdown policies..

“After taking the unprecedented economic depression into account, history will likely judge these lockdowns to be the greatest policy error of this generation.”

But millions upon millions of people have suffered from the lockdowns in the meantime, with people dying or their livelihood being destroyed. Those responsible for such suffering WILL have to give account to God for their actions.

Beware of Side Effects!

MSNBC wrote on November 23:

“The CDC must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, doctors urged during a meeting Monday with CDC advisors. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer said that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines require two doses and she worries whether her patients will come back for a second dose because of potentially unpleasant side effects after the first shot. Both companies acknowledged that their vaccines could induce side effects that are similar to symptoms associated with mild Covid-19, such as muscle pain, chills and headache… ‘We really need to make patients aware that this is not going to be a walk in the park,’ Fryhofer said… ‘They are going to know they had a vaccine. They are probably not going to feel wonderful. But they’ve got to come back for that second dose.’…

“Participants in Moderna and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine trials told CNBC in September that they were experiencing high fever, body aches, bad headaches, daylong exhaustion and other symptoms after receiving the shots… One North Carolina woman in the Moderna study who is in her 50s said she… suffered a bad migraine that left her drained for a day and unable to focus…

“During the meeting on Monday, Patsy Stinchfield, a Children’s Minnesota nurse practitioner, said officials and drugmakers could try talking about the side effects in a more positive way… ‘These are immune responses,’ said Stinchfield…”

Interesting. Present serious side effects as positive immune responses. Or to put it differently: Explain why healthy people become sick when they take the vaccine.

No Vaccination Mandate? Think Again!

The Sun wrote on November 23:

“AUSTRALIAN airline Qantas will require travelers on international flights to have had the coronavirus vaccine once an inoculation is ready, CEO Alan Joyce said. He told Australian news programme A Current Affair: ‘Whether you need that domestically, we’ll have to see what happens with COVID-19 in the market, but certainly for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country, we think that’s a necessity.’ Other airlines are likely to impose similar requirements once health regulators around the world approve a vaccine, according to Joyce.

“He said the policies could be enforced by providing travelers with a digital ‘vaccination passport’ that shows what vaccine they’ve received and whether it’s ‘acceptable to the country you’re traveling to.’ He added: ‘I’m talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe and I think it’s going to be a common theme across the board. There’s a lot of logistics, a lot of technology that’ll be needed to put in place to make this happen, but the airlines and the governments are working on this as we speak.’”

The Associated Press wrote on November 24:

“South Korea’s largest airline has a similar message. Jill Chung, a spokesperson for Korean Air, said Tuesday there’s a real possibility that airlines will require that passengers be vaccinated. She said that’s because governments are likely to require vaccinations as a condition for lifting quarantine requirements for new arrivals… Air New Zealand echoed Chung’s position.”

We knew this was coming! Big Brother’s dictatorships continue.

Megafloods on Ancient Mars?

New Atlas wrote on November 22:

“Mars may be incredibly dry and dusty today, but evidence continues to pile up that it was once a very watery world. Now the Curiosity rover has found signs of an ancient flood of biblical proportions, most likely kicked off by a climate-changing asteroid impact. Apart from a few super salty underground lakes, modern Mars is a global desert. But that wasn’t always the case – decades of observations by orbiters in the sky and rovers on the surface have revealed the dried-up remains of rivers, lakes, and even oceans…

“In the new study, researchers from Jackson State University, Cornell, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Hawaii identified sediment structures in Gale crater indicating that megafloods occurred there around 4 billion years ago.

“Alberto G. Fairén, co-author of the study [said:] ‘The planet had the conditions needed to support the presence of liquid water on the surface – and on Earth, where there’s water, there’s life. So early Mars was a habitable planet. Was it inhabited? That’s a question that the next rover Perseverance will help to answer.”

What we know from the Bible is that God created in the beginning the heavens (the universe) and the earth, and that due to catastrophes, the earth became void and empty. The assumption is that the universe was also not created in a waste and empty state, which it is in today, but that it became that way due to similar catastrophes. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution” and “Heavens and Earth.. Before and After the First Man!”

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.

This Week in the News

A US-Israel Strike against Iran Coming Soon?

Israel 365 News wrote on November 12:

“It’s no secret that tensions between Washington and Teheran have been tense since Trump’s inauguration in 2016, recent developments indicate that a potential joint Israel/US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities could be closer than we realize.

“US President Donald Trump has fired his defense secretary, Mark Esper earlier this week. And while many speculate that the reason is because Esper was at odds with his boss over deploying US troops into cities during violent Black Lives Matter protests, there could have been another reason for the move that many seem to be overlooking… Esper also contradicted Trump on Iran and the assassination of top IRGC general Quassem Soliemani – walking back some of the Commander in Chief’s statements. But that’s not all.

“The New York Times reported that ‘Defense Department officials have privately expressed worries that the president might initiate operations, whether overt or secret, against Iran or other adversaries during his last days in office.’

“Trump then appointed Esper’s replacement, Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Officials claim that  Miller was a driving force in some of Trump’s policies against Iran and its terror proxy, Hezbollah. He was also a catalyst for anti-terror efforts in both Syria and Iraq. And although those officials remain anonymous, former National Security Advisor H.R McMaster went on the record saying that ‘it’s a possibility’ Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear sites before Trump leaves office.’

“Finally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has planned an upcoming visit to Israel where he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ‘joint efforts to address Iran’s malign activities.’ According to Israel’s Walla military reporter Avi Bohbot: ‘Pompeo’s visit appears to be a last ditch effort to move against Iran’ adding that IDF sources report that the Israeli Military’s commander in Chief Aviv Kochavi is ‘extremely concerned’ about the prospect of a Biden administration. He is then scheduled to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed ‘to discuss security cooperation and regional issues.’ Pompeo is also set to visit Qatar where he will discuss ‘bilateral and regional issues, including the importance of Gulf unity.’

“And if there’s anything that the Gulf can unite around, it is their opposition to Iran as demonstrated in the annual Gulf Co-operation Council summit where GCC member states were in agreement that ‘the greatest threat to the region was Iran.’”

Whether this will really happen remains to be seen. According to the New York Times, Trump had raised the issue to his advisors who allegedly dissuaded him from attacking Iran. However, it has been reported that Israel and the USA have worked together to secretly kill in Iran the No. 2 terrorist of al Qaida, Aby Muhammad al-Masri. He was accused of being one of the masterminds of the deadly 1998 attacks on American embassies in Africa. At this point, no one — Iran, Al Qaeda, the U.S. or Israel — has publicly acknowledged the killing, but intelligence officials confirmed that he was killed, according to the New York Times which also stated: “The attack was carried out by Israeli operatives at the behest of the United States, according to four of the officials…”

Trump also announced that he will reduce US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Deutsche Welle commented on November 18: “Donald Trump’s plan to reduce US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 each by mid-January is a slap in the face of US allies and strengthens extremism.”

Trump—the Anomaly for Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 12:

“Israelis have forgotten what a non-Trump president looks like. Whether it was Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama, every president opposed settlement activity and actively pushed for a two-state solution.

“Some focused on it more, others less…  The point is that opposition to settlements has always been US policy. The change came with Trump, the most unconventional of presidents, who took an alternative position on a complicated conflict. He was the anomaly, not the new normal.”

Assumption there is a Second Term

Politico wrote on November 13:

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Friday that the Trump administration is operating as if it will extend into a second term…  ‘We are moving forward here at the White House under the assumption there will be a second Trump term,’ Navarro said on Fox Business,  echoing a refrain from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the president’s most steadfast allies…

“The president has refused to concede to Biden and his administration has rejected any appearance of assisting with the transfer of power while Trump’s campaign pursues a portfolio of legal challenges in a last-ditch attempt to save the president’s reelection. ‘Until we do that, our assumption is a second Trump term,’ Navarro said. ‘Any speculation about what Joe Biden might do, I think, is moot at this point.’”

Trump Did NOT Concede

The Hill wrote on November 15:

“President Trump seemingly acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in a tweet early Sunday while continuing to [speak] about a rigged presidential election. ‘He won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more!’ Trump tweeted in response to a clip from Fox News’s Jesse Watters.

“‘All of the mechanical “glitches” that took place on Election Night were really THEM getting caught trying to steal votes. They succeeded plenty, however, without getting caught,’ the president said in a subsequent tweet. ‘Mail-in elections are a sick joke!’ Trump said in a tweet later Sunday morning, however, that his earlier post was not meant as a concession. ‘He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING!’ the president said. ‘We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!’”

 Among many other publications within the mass media, the UK’s Independent also falsely reported on November 15 that Trump “admits for the first time that Biden won the election.” So did the Daily Mail: “Trump Admits Defeat.” The left-leaning anti-Trump Drudge Report also wrote falsely: “Trump finally admits: Biden ‘won.’”

Wishful thinking by the anti-Trump mass media.

“I Won the Election”

Newsmax wrote on November 16:

“President Donald Trump late Sunday night declared on Twitter, in a four-word, all caps tweet, that he ‘WON THE ELECTION.’ The message came after a day of speculation that he’d admitted Joe Biden had won the presidential election in a message posted earlier in the day…

“Sunday night Trump also posted messages attacking the ‘fake news media’ for saying Biden will ‘ascend to the Presidency’ by not allowing his campaign to show ‘how badly shattered and violated our great Constitution has been in the 2020 Election.’ He also claimed, in posts flagged by Twitter, that large numbers of poll watchers were thrown out of vote counting rooms, ‘millions of ballots’ were altered by Democrats, and that votes were allowed after the election was over. Also, he tweeted that the ‘Radical Left owned Dominion Voting Systems, turned down by Texas and many others because it was not good or secure’ had helped throw the election Biden’s way. ‘Those responsible for the safeguarding of our Constitution cannot allow the Fake results of the 2020 Mail-In Election to stand,’ said Trump. ‘The World is watching!’…

“Newsmax has not called the election for Biden, citing the numerous legal complaints mounted by the Trump campaign.”

“The Greatest Theft in American History”

Newsmax added on November 15:

“President Donald Trump appears to be nowhere close to conceding the presidential election to former Vice President Joe Biden… In a story published Saturday night, Trump told [New York] Post columnist Michael Goodwin that the election ‘was stolen.’ ‘It was a rigged election, 100 percent, and everyone knows it,’ Trump said in the Friday night interview. ‘It’s going to be that I got about 74 million votes, and I lost? It’s not possible.’…

“Goodwin writes that Trump seems convinced that Biden’s victory was corruptly engineered by Dominion Voting Systems, a technology used by most states, including Michigan and Georgia. Trump repeatedly cited Dominion, according to Goodwin. ‘It was turned down by the state of Texas because it is insecure,’ Trump told Gooodwin. Trump also repeated allegations that the company’s owners and investors have ties to Democrats. Goodwin reports that ‘it is true the firm made a contribution and worked with the Clinton Family Foundation during the Obama-Biden administration.’

“The Associated Press also reported that a former top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the company’s lobbyists. The firm also employs a lobbyist who worked for Republicans Dick Cheney and John Boehner.

“Trump, according to Goodwin, views the suspicious election results as ‘the concluding act of a confederacy against him that began with the Obama-Biden administration’s corrupting of the FBI and CIA to spy on him in 2016 and tip the election to Hillary Clinton. That effort gave birth to the Russia, Russia, Russia narrative that wasn’t fully revealed as false until the probe of Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally concluded in 2019.’… ‘Then this, the greatest theft in the history of America. And ­everybody knows it,’ Trump told Goodwin.”

More than half of Republicans believe that the election was “rigged” against Trump.

The Week wrote on November 18:

“President Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening that he has fired Christopher Krebs, the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who [had denied] voter fraud… In his tweet about Krebs, Trump claimed that it was ‘inaccurate’ for Krebs to say the election was secure, and ‘therefore, effective immediately,’ Krebs has been terminated.”

In fact, Krebs or those speaking on his behalf even said that the vote was “the most secure in US history.” As many reports show, this allegation is laughable and totally wrong. So, Krebs’s termination should not surprise anyone.

Trump’s Legal Strategy?

Newsmax wrote on November 14:

“The legal battle for President Donald Trump is no longer about him reaching 270 electoral college votes, but denying Joe Biden from reaching it, according to legal expert Alan Dershowitz on Newsmax TV… ‘What he’s trying to do is to deny Joe Biden 270 votes, by challenging in Pennsylvania, Georgia, in Nevada, in Michigan, in Arizona.’ Keeping Biden from 270 would put the election on the House delegations – a state-by-state majority held by Republicans 26-23-1 – as designated by the U.S. Constitution. ‘If he can keep the Biden count below 270, then the matter goes to the House of Representatives, where of course there is a Republican majority among the delegations of states, and you vote by state if it goes to the House,’ Dershowitz told host Carl Higbie…

“You need a perfect storm for it to work. You need to get enough states, enough state attorneys general, or state departments, or whoever, secretaries of state or governors that are Republican that legitimately refuse to certify the results because they’re under challenge on the day the electoral college meets by statute. ‘If on that day, Biden doesn’t have 270 votes – you don’t get to vote two or three times on that; as far as the Constitution’s concerned, it’s one vote – and if the one vote doesn’t give the leading candidate 270 electoral votes, then automatically it goes to the House of Representatives, where a whole new process takes over, and a process that clearly favors President Trump.’”

Dershowitz has been wrong before on numerous occasions. We will see…

Massive Planned Centralized Election Fraud?

Breitbart reported on November 19:

“Rudy Giuliani and other lawyers representing President Donald Trump’s campaign outlined their case Thursday that the Nov. 3 presidential election was so deeply flawed in several key states that the results should be overturned in the president’s favor.

 “Giuliani said there was a pattern to the alleged irregularities in key states that suggested, he said, a ‘plan from a centralized place’ to commit voter fraud in cities controlled by Democrats. He said widespread adoption of vote-by-mail had allowed Democrats to take big-city corruption practices nationwide. ‘They picked the places where they could get away with it.’…

 “Voting machines and software are allegedly owned by companies with ties to the Venezuelan regime and to left-wing donor George Soros. Sidney Powell argued that U.S. votes were being counted overseas, and that Dominion voting machines and Smartmatic software were controlled by foreign interests, manipulating algorithms to change the results. Powell noted specifically that Smartmatic’s owners included two Venezuelan nationals, whom she alleged had ties to the regime of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. The legal team alleged that there were statistical anomalies, such as huge batches of votes for Biden, that could not be explained except as manipulation — which, they alleged, happened in the wee hours of the morning as vote-counting had stalled.” 

It will be interesting to see whether Giuliani and his legal team can prove those outrageous allegations in a court of law.

Judge Jeanine Pirro: Not Going Quietly into the Night

The Daily Mail wrote on November 16:

“Judge Jeanine Pirro launched an attack on Democrats and others who are telling President Donald Trump and his supporters to accept that he lost the election… at the top of her Fox News show on Saturday night… The host… insisted Trump has no obligation to concede until they are investigated fully.

‘We’ll pursue all legal avenues where there are irregularities, anomalies, illegalities and corruptions, and until the certification and the electors vote, that is not a lot to ask,’ she said of herself and other Trump supporters. ‘So don’t you dare ask us to just accept it and move on, and don’t you dare tell me I’m being un-American by questioning what even a Supreme Court justice has put a hold on. ‘And don’t you dare ask us to go quietly into the night.’

“Pirro pointed out that it is not up to the media to declare the winner of the election… She also questioned the true motivations behind changes made to this year’s election procedures in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as Trump has done. ‘We are criticized because we are asking questions,’ she said. ‘Under the cover of Covid, rules were changed, providing opportunities for wrongdoers…

“Pirro listed off several allegations of voter fraud pushed by the Trump campaign in lawsuits across various states, such as GOP poll watchers being barred from counting centers, ballots being accepted late and corruption of machines that tally votes… Pirro insisted that they must be probed extensively.”

 Fox News’ conduct and position has been more than dubious. Newsmax had reported that Fox News had suspended Pirro for a week and had cancelled her proposed show about election fraud.

It Has Begun–Violence Breaks out

Fox News reported on November 14:

“President Trump lashed out against ‘ANTIFA SCUM’ and the media Saturday night as violence continued in Washington, D.C., where pro-Trump supporters gathered for the ‘Million MAGA March.’ In a series of Twitter messages before midnight ET, the president also blasted counter-protesters as ‘Human Radical Left garbage’… Trump accused Antifa activists of returning under cover of darkness to cause mayhem…

“Trump also accused the ‘Silent Media’ of ignoring the Washington clashes, retweeting a message from Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, who alleged a ‘total media blackout’ as leftists launched ‘abhorrent’ assaults against Trump supporters… Earlier Saturday, the march was largely peaceful. But as the sun went down, snippets of scenes shared on Twitter showed chaos had overtaken areas of the nation’s capital…

“A National Park Service permit for the rally was issued for up to 10,000 people, although several thousand more appeared to show up.”

This is just a small foretaste of what is going to happen…

US Catholic Bishops under Attack over Biden/Harris Pro-Abortion Agenda

Breitbart wrote on November 14:

“National pro-life leaders from the American Life League (ALL) have denounced the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for congratulating abortion rights supporter Joe Biden, asserting the bishops are accepting of a so-called Catholic politician who is ‘spitting at the face of Christ.’ Judie Brown, the president of ALL, the nation’s oldest grassroots, Catholic pro-life organization, said in a statement this week: ‘The USCCB has affirmed what many of us have suspected for many years, and that is that most Catholic bishops have no problem with a Catholic politician spitting at the face of Christ by supporting the vile murder of the preborn. Joe Biden is such a man; he claims to be Catholic, yet he gives 100 percent support for abortion every day of the week and in every manner of brutality against the innocent. The Catholic bishops have erred, and as a Catholic, I am ashamed of them.’…

“Hugh Brown, ALL’s executive vice president said in the statement the election is still contested and ‘is not over.’ He added, nevertheless, Catholics should not be shocked that the bishops have congratulated Biden: ‘The reality of the USCCB issuing a statement of congratulations to Joe Biden should not be a surprise to anyone. The USCCB is a feckless spineless conglomerate of dead souls. They are not the descendants of the Apostles. They are what St. John Paul II referred to when he wrote of the Anti-Church. Every Catholic should shake the dust from his feet regarding the USCCB. Listen to them not. We must put our faith in Christ.’

“Jim Sedlak, ALL executive director and founder of its STOP Planned Parenthood… program, said in the statement the bishops’ message demonstrates the conference is a ‘political entity’: ‘In issuing its congratulations, the USCCB calls on Catholics to COMPROMISE with regards to the law and public policy. For Catholics, the law is the Law of God as expressed in the 10 Commandments. Which commandments should we compromise on? Perhaps God really didn’t mean ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ After all, Biden/Harris have spent all of 2020 telling us that, if elected, they would expand abortion in the United States. They also said they would restrict religious liberty. The clearest takeaway from the USCCB’s statement is the confirmation that they are now a political body issuing a politically correct statement.

“Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, also tweeted his deep concerns about the USCCB statement of congratulations to Biden: ‘A dark cloud has descended on this nation when the USCCB and Planned Parenthood speak in unison in support of a Biden-Harris administration that supports the slaughter of innocents by abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.’”

The entire Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope and the Vatican, has always been a political organization, being identified as the fallen woman riding the beast in the Book of Revelation. The Catholic Church does not even purport to be loyal to the Ten Commandments… it has flagrantly abandoned the fourth commandment of keeping the sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) by replacing it with the worship of a pagan day—Sunday—which was kept by Gentiles to worship their pagan sun gods.

Racism against Whites in New York City

Daily Mail wrote on November 18:

 “Journalist Megyn Kelly will pull her kids from their ‘far-left’ New York City school because they have ‘gone off the deep end’ following the death of George Floyd. Her sons Edward, 11, and Thatcher Bray, 7, attended the Collegiate School (inset) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where a letter was sent around to faculty that claimed ‘white school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops’. She said the letter asserted that white children are inherently racist, that ‘there is a killer cop sitting in every school where white children learn’ and that ‘white school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops.’ Kelly said the schools ‘have always been far-left’ but they’ve now ‘gone around the bend… I mean, they have gone off the deep end.’”

Travel Advisory for People Coming to California

KCRA reported on November 13:

“… the California Department of Public Health on Friday issued a travel advisory saying that people entering the state should self-quarantine for 14 days… ‘Persons arriving in California from other states or Californians returning from other states or countries could increase the risk of COVID-19 spread…’

“During the quarantine period, people should limit their interactions to their immediate household, according to the advisory, which applies to both visitors and Californians returning home… The advisory also encourages Californians to stay home or in their region and to avoid non-essential travel to other states or counties… [LA county even “advised” that  residents don’t travel out of state for Thanksgiving and, if they do, that they quarantine for 14 days upon their return.]

“The governors of Oregon and Washington state on Friday also issued travel advisories that urge against non-essential, out-of-state travel and ask people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country…”

The Associated Press added on November 14:

“The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet… Oregon Gov. Kate Brown [Wikipedia: “the first openly bisexual governor in US history”] ordered a two-week ‘freeze’ starting Wednesday, under which all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home ‘to the greatest extent possible.’ While most Oregon stores will remain open, gyms, museums, pools, movie theaters and zoos will be forced to close, and restaurants and bars will be limited to takeout. Social gatherings will be restricted to six people. The Democratic governor warned that violators could face fines or arrest.”

MSN added on November 14:

“Violators could face up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,250, or both.”

At the same time, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on November 13 about California Governor Newsom’s hypocrisy, as follows:

“Gov. Gavin Newsom attended a birthday party for one of his political advisers last week that included people from several households, the type of gathering his administration has discouraged during the coronavirus pandemic. The dinner the night of Nov. 6 at the famed French Laundry in Yountville in Napa County brought together at least 12 people to celebrate the 50th birthday of Jason Kinney, a longtime friend and political adviser to Newsom who is also a partner at the lobbying firm Axiom Advisors. In addition to the governor, his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, was in attendance.

“State guidelines limit gatherings, defined as ‘social situations that bring together people from different households at the same time in a single space or place,’ to no more than three households. Representatives for Kinney and Newsom declined to specify how many households the diners represented, but did not dispute that it was more than three.”

Incredible! He seems to be following the lead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who has “defended holding a large dinner for incoming members as Democrat leaders across the country urge Americans to cancel their traditional Thanksgiving plans to combat the Chinese coronavirus” (Breitbart, dated November 13). Due to the enormous backlash from co-Democrats, the dinner was finally cancelled.

Fox News wrote on November 13:

“While President Trump and Republican lawmakers have long been criticized for appearing to not take the pandemic seriously by not practicing mask-wearing and social distancing at multiple large events, it’s been Democratic officials who have been slammed for urging others to be cautious but appear to scoff at their own advice. Earlier this year, Pelosi was caught maskless on a security camera at a hair salon in San Francisco, breaking state and city ordinances in the process. Pelosi remained defiant, however, insisting she was “set up” by the salon owner.”

Pelosi has been under attack from Democrats “of all persuasions,” being blamed for not having achieved a (bigger) victory in the House and the Senate, due to her compromising attitude toward the “Squad” and other radical socialists.

More Draconian Measures in the USA—amidst Newsom’s Hypocrisy

Breitbart wrote on November 19:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a curfew Thursday that will run from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., starting Saturday, lasting for a month, in “purple tier” counties hardest hit by the coronavirus surge, covering 94% of the state’s population…. An ongoing surge in coronavirus cases has prompted several [Democratic-majority] U.S. governors to bring back draconian lockdown rules and tighten other restrictions, severely limiting where people can go, how they can worship, and whom they can see, all ahead of Thanksgiving and other holidays.”

Why is it always Democratic governors and mayors who are quick in restricting personal liberties and freedoms?

 Also, as the LA Times reported on November 19:

 “Anger over the perceived hypocrisy of California lawmakers continued to boil over Wednesday, as newly published pictures raised doubts about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claim that his French Laundry dinner was held outdoors… To add insult to injury, two top officials from the California Medical Assn. — a leading organization representing doctors in the state — were among those in attendance at the dinner…

“…All of which intensifies the anger over the decision made by more than half dozen a California lawmakers to attend an annual policy conference at a luxury Hawaiian resort this week… the names of more lawmakers attending a Maui junket surfaced. The opulence of both indiscretions — a nine-course dinner at a world-famous restaurant [with and several days at a Hawaiian resort where even the street-view rooms will set you back upward of $500 a night — certainly adds salt to the wound. Many Californians have been financially devastated by the pandemic, and the latest round of restrictions puts even more businesses and livelihoods in jeopardy.”

Fox News added on November 19:

“Among the Purple Tier counties are Napa, where the Democratic governor attended a friend’s birthday party earlier this month at the upscale French Laundry restaurant – even as coronavirus cases were spiking and as he preached daily to exercise increased caution. His administration didn’t acknowledge the birthday dinner until a week later when a reporter was tipped and asked about it… Last month, his office was widely ridiculed for tweeting: ‘Going out to eat with members of your household this weekend? Don’t forget to keep your mask on in between bites.’”

Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace added: “If you look up hypocrisy in the dictionary… there is a picture of Gavin Newsom.”

New Restrictions Coming, but… Lockdowns and Masks Don’t Work

Breitbart wrote on November 15:

“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) promised he would do ‘everything’ he could to ‘prevent’ a lockdown if former Vice President Joe Biden officially wins the presidency… Paul said the country cannot be under lockdown and be forced to wear masks like it has the majority of 2020 ‘forever.’ The physician-turned-senator said the idea of remaining inside and canceling Thanksgiving is ‘ridiculous’ and ‘not based in science.’

“‘Today, Biden’s talking more about a lockdown. This is absolutely why he’s going to be a terrible president if we get him,’ Paul warned. ‘He’s going to ruin the country. Lockdowns don’t work. And in fact, all of the evidence on mandatory masks show that they don’t work either. There’s about 10 different countries or venues, maybe 20, that instituted mandatory masks, and [in] every one of them — to a T — the infection rate, the COVID rate went up after the mask mandate…’”

Trump said last week that under his administration, there would be no lockdown. Dr. Fauci said on Sunday that even after someone is vaccinated, they should still continue to wear the mask and practice social distancing. Even though another company (US Firm Moderna) just announced their vaccine is 94.5% effective. And Pfizer declared, their vaccine is safe and 95% effective. Of course, we would not want to blindly accept such announcements. But what is Dr. Fauci up to?

In Germany, a draft for new regulations proposes:

People being urged to abstain from private parties completely; Youngsters being encouraged to meet with only one particular friend in their free time; Families limiting private get-togethers to their own household and people from one other particular household; Meetings in public restricted to members of one household and a maximum of two people from another household; Masks that cover the mouth and nose are to become compulsory for teachers and pupils of all ages on school premises and during lessons” (see Deutsche Welle, November 16).

AFP/The Local reported on November 16:

“Germany may see four to five more months of coronavirus restrictions, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Sunday, dashing hopes of a quick end to a partial lockdown introduced two weeks ago… Several demonstrations against the restrictions were held on Saturday across Germany, including one in Frankfurt where water cannons were used against counter-demonstrators.”

This would be complete lunacy. Another example of lunacy: “Germany has applauded the country’s ‘heroes’ who stay at home, ‘lazy as raccoons.’ In the ad, the government encourages citizens to do what is expected: ‘Absolutely nothing.’” (Deutsche Welle, November 15).

Jens Spahn and Sebastian Kurz—the new Dictators

Bild Online reported on November 12 that the two most popular German politicians are Angela Merkel (74%) and Jens Spahn (65%). It also informed about the proposed new health law which would give Spahn unique powers so that he would become the “corona chancellor,” according to the mass tabloid. As sole ruler, he would be able to reign without consent by the different German state premiers or mayors.

Not surprisingly, Austria follows suit. As Der Spiegel reported on November 14, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced a total lockdown for Austria, generally prohibiting to leave one’s home, beginning on Tuesday, November 17, and lasting, for now, until December 6. He said: “Do not meet anyone for the next few weeks. Every social contact means, it’s one too many.” Only one important person outside one’s own household can be met with.

Dr. Fauci declared that it is time for Americans to “obey” and to set aside their “independent spirit.” The world’s “rulers” and “scientists” must all be talking to each other. More and more are speaking now of a “dark winter,” suggesting that new lockdowns will last much longer than just for one month.

More Powers to German Government to Abolish Liberty and Freedom

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 18 that the German Parliament approved a revision of the Infection Protection Law which was also signed by the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This law, which has been highly propagated by Jens Spahn, has been widely compared to the Enabling Act of 1933 and the signing of the law by German Reichspresident Paul von Hindenburg. That law paved the way for Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship. At the same time, Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Reichskanzler:

“… today’s Infection Protection Law does indeed transfer some legislative power from the parliament to the executive, the government… It will now create a legal basis for the government to restrict some fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution in its attempt to fight the pandemic… In fact, a comparison to the Weimar Republic, Germany’s first democracy that lasted from 1919 to 1933, could be drawn…  In 1923… Germany was facing a currency crisis, hyperinflation with severe economic and social repercussions. The Reichstag then passed an ‘Enabling Law,’ making it possible for the government to take financial, economic, and social measures it considered necessary… And ten years later, it became a precedent for the ‘Enabling Act’ the Nazis pushed through.

“…  the movement against lockdown measures seems to be growing steadily. According to a survey by the Allensbach polling firm, the percentage of Germans critical of the government’s anti-coronavirus policies has risen from 15 to 28 % over the last three months.”

One must indeed be blind not to see the parallels between what is happening now in Germany and what occurred in Nazi Germany. According to Die Tagesschau, dated November 18, the new law temporarily supersedes the German Constitution and permits the government to “temporarily” restrict or abandon personal liberties and freedoms, including ordering the wearing of masks and practicing social distancing, travel restrictions, prohibitions to leave the home, contact limitations, closure of shops and businesses, prohibitions of assemblies and church services. These prohibitions and mandates can be unilaterally enacted by the government for four weeks, and can be extended if “reasons” are given to the parliament.

The Local wrote on November 18:

“In the parliament (Bundestag) 415 delegates voted on Wednesday in favour of the reform, which aims to give coronavirus measures a stronger legal footing. A full 236 voted against it, while eight abstained in the roll-call vote. During parallel protests, several thousand participants rallied against the change in the law as well as current coronavirus measures on Wednesday. There were clashes with police and more than 100 arrests…

“In the debate, federal Health Minister Jens Spahn defended the coronavirus restrictions and asked for further trust in government crisis management… The parliamentary director of the AfD faction, Bernd Baumann, said: ‘Today’s bill is an authorisation of the government, the likes of which has not been seen since historical times.’ Members of other parliamentary groups rejected the accusations. But the AfD was not the only parliamentary party that spoke against the reformed law, with members of the Free Democrats (FDP), Greens and Left Party also speaking out.”

The German government did not respond kindly to such comparisons. Breitbart wrote on November 18:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reacted sharply to the accusation from some protesters that the measures were akin to the 1933 ‘Enabling Act,’ which allowed the Nazis to enact laws without parliamentary approval. ‘Everyone, naturally, has the right to criticize the measures, our democracy thrives through the exchange of different opinions,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘But whoever relativizes or trivializes the Holocaust has learned nothing from our history.’”

It appears it is Maas who tries to relativize or trivialize troublesome developments in today’s Germany.

Religious Discrimination

The Associated Press wrote on November 13:

“Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sounded an alarm about restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying they shouldn’t become a ‘recurring feature after the pandemic has passed.’ ‘The pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty,’ Alito said… he said it is an ‘indisputable statement of fact’ that ‘we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020.’

“Alito was particularly critical of two cases earlier this year where the court sided with states that, citing the coronavirus pandemic, imposed restrictions on the size of religious gatherings. In both cases, the court divided 5-4 in allowing those restrictions to continue with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the court’s liberals. In May, the high court rejected an emergency appeal by a California church challenging attendance limits at worship services. The justices turned away a similar challenge by a Nevada church in July.  Alito said in both cases the restrictions had ‘blatantly discriminated against houses of worship’ and he warned that ‘religious liberty is in danger of becoming a second-class right.’

“Both cases came to the court before the death in September of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The liberal justice’s replacement by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett could change how the court might come out on similar cases in the future. Currently before the court is a case involving the Catholic church and limits on in-person services in New York.”

The unconstitutional prohibitions of religious services continue in most of the Democratic-run US states. The hypocrisy in all of this is mind-boggling.

“CNN Host’s Comparison of ‘Kristallnacht’ to Trump Era Derided as ‘Despicable’”

The Algemeiner wrote on November 13:

“CNN anchorwoman Christiane Amanpour raised eyebrows on Thursday when she marked the 82nd anniversary of ‘Kristallnacht’ — the November 1938 pogroms targeting Jews in Germany and Austria — by appearing to liken the values of the Nazis to those of US President Donald Trump. ‘This week, 82 years ago, Kristallnacht happened,’ Amanpour said. ‘It was the Nazis’ warning shot across the bow of our human civilization that led to genocide against a whole identity.’ ‘And, in that tower of burning books, it led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history, and truth,’ she continued. ‘After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden/Harris team pledges a return to norms.’

“Amanpour’s remarks were met with widespread derision on social media. The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) called her words ‘despicable.’ The StopAntisemitism.org watchdog group tweeted, ‘Hey @CNN @camanpour please stop using the horrors of the Holocaust to justify an agenda. Our suffering is not yours to play political ping pong with.’”

Many asked for her resignation or an immediate public apology for the “unacceptable comparison.” JTA reported on November 17: “CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said she ‘regrets any pain’ caused by her invoking the Kristallnacht pogroms in criticizing President Donald Trump, saying she ‘should not have’ juxtaposed the two issues.” Not quite an apology or a retraction.

Macron: Europe Needs Own Defense

Reuters reported on November 16:

“Europe still needs its own independent and sovereign defence strategy, even if it is dealing with a new U.S. government which may result in friendlier ties, French President Emmanuel Macron [said]… Macron rebuffed comments from German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to Politico on Nov. 2, in which the German minister said Europe would have to remain dependent on U.S. military protection for the near future.

“‘I am in complete disagreement with the opinion article published in Politico by the German defence minister,’ said Macron, adding he believed German Chancellor Angela Merkel shared his position on this issue. ‘The United States will only respect us as allies if we are serious about our own position, and if we have our own sovereignty regarding our defence,’ said Macron.”

The statements by German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer were indeed totally out of line with what is happening in Europe.

The World’s Largest Trade Pact

The Associated Press wrote on November 15:

“China and 14 other countries agreed Sunday to set up the world’s largest trading bloc, encompassing nearly a third of all economic activity… Apart from the 10 ASEAN members, it includes China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, but not the United States. Officials said the accord leaves the door open for India, which dropped out due to fierce domestic opposition to its market-opening requirements, to rejoin the bloc…

“ASEAN members include Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.”

Very soon, we can expect that Russia will join that fold as well, while countries such as Australia and New Zealand might be leaving the bloc.

Worldwide Hunger and Famine

The Associated Press wrote on November 14:

“20 countries ‘are likely to face potential spikes in high acute food insecurity’ in the next three to six months’… Of those, Yemen, South Sudan, northeastern Nigeria and Burkina Faso have some areas that ‘have reached a critical hunger situation following years of conflict or other shocks,’ the U.N. agencies said, and any further deterioration in coming months ‘could lead to a risk of famine.’

“Other countries requiring ‘urgent attention’ are Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somali, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, they said. [An official said:] ‘We’re very, very, very concerned’ that with deferred debt payments for low- and middle-income countries resuming in January, new lockdowns and the rippling economic impact, ‘2021’s going to be a very bad year…’”

These terrible lockdowns will greatly accelerate worldwide hunger and famine. It is interesting that the Editorial Board of the Washington Times published an article last week, saying that LOCKDOWNS DON’T WORK.

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.

This Week in the News

“Biden NOT the Elected 46th President”

Fox 8 wrote on November 7:

“President Donald Trump is not conceding the presidential race.

“He released a statement after the Associated Press and other news outlets declared Joe Biden the next President of the United States:

“‘We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed. The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor. In Pennsylvania, for example, our legal observers were not permitted meaningful access to watch the counting process.  Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media.

“‘Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots. This is the only way to ensure the public has full confidence in our election. It remains shocking that the Biden campaign refuses to agree with this basic principle and wants ballots counted even if they are fraudulent, manufactured, or cast by ineligible or deceased voters. Only a party engaged in wrongdoing would unlawfully keep observers out of the count room – and then fight in court to block their access.

“‘So what is Biden hiding? I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands.’”

Trump is raising good questions. In addition, according to Fox News, dated November 6: “Trump campaign general counsel Matt Morgan on Friday said… ‘In Nevada, there appear to be thousands of individuals who improperly cast mail ballots.’”

Important Decision by US Supreme Court Judge in Pennsylvania

The Washington Post wrote on November 6:

“Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure county election officials were segregating mail ballots delivered after Election Day… On Friday evening, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who received the petition because he is the justice responsible for that region, approved the GOP request for now, ordering county boards to comply with state guidance to keep the late ballots separate.”

To be exact, Alito ordered the election officials to keep the mail ballots separate which were received after Election Day, and, if they count those, to count them separately and not to include them in the figures of ballots for Biden. The reason being, under Pennsylvania law, those ballots must not be included in the final count, but election officials allegedly ignored that provision. So did the governor of Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, thereby acting totally unconstitutionally, according to legal scholars and experts. It is hoped that the United States Supreme Court will faithfully and dutifully apply the US Constitution and rectify these egregious violations.

In this regard, Fox News reported on November 8:

“Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Saturday that the Senate Judiciary Committee would investigate possible voting irregularities after receiving an affidavit from a Pennsylvania postal worker alleging a plot to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day.” This was also reported from Detroit. A “report” from the Washington Post suggested that the person in Pennsylvania, who had signed an affidavit, subsequently repudiated his claim after two U.S. Postal Service investigators “spoke” to him. However, the postal worker denied having repudiated his claim. 

Fox News also reported that two census takers told the Associated Press that their supervisors pressured them to enter false information into a computer system about homes they had not visited so that they could close cases. One supervisor said: “ It was all a sham.”

Computer “Glitch” in Michigan… with potentially massive consequences

Elexonic wrote on November 6:

“Software used to tabulate votes… gave 6,000 votes to Joe Biden in Anterim County [in Michigan where] ballots were counted for Democrats that were meant for Republicans…  Anterim County had to hand count all of the ballots, and these counties that used the software need to closely examine their results for similar discrepancies…  Of note, Trump won Antrim County in 2016 with 62% of the vote vs. 33% for Hillary Clinton.”

Breitbart wrote on November 6:

“The Associated Press has called battleground Michigan for the former vice president, who leads Trump by an estimated 146,123 votes. Hypothetically, a similar ‘glitch’ of 6,000 ballots in each of those 47 counties would call 282,000 ballots into question, well above Biden’s current margin of victory.”

It added on November 7:

“Two Georgia counties using the same electronic voting software as a Michigan county that experienced a glitch have also reported encountering glitches during the 2020 election… A Georgia election official said that a technical glitch that halted voting in the two counties was caused by a vendor uploading an update to their election machines the night before the election… the state reportedly implemented [the controversial system] in every county for the first time this year

“Trump attorney Jay Sekulow said that the Trump campaign’s lawyers should demand a manual recount of any other areas that used the same software… Sekulow said,… ‘If 30 states have used a software that there’s already proved to be a glitch of 6,000 votes in one balloting area, and now you’ve got over 30 states using it, lawyers should be… in every one of those jurisdictions… demanding a manual recount.’”

Sean Hannity reported on his show that in about 30 US states, the same software has been used (The software company admits to 28 states on its website.).  It is remarkable that these kinds of “errors” always seem to occur in favor of Biden and the Democrats.

Trump Can Still Win

Newsmax published on November 8 an article by Dick Morris, former presidential advisor and political strategist:

“President Donald Trump can still win the presidency… Only the Electoral College or the various state legislatures can declare a candidate the winner. To base this decision on network vote totals and projections and to call Biden the president-elect is irresponsible.

“The recounts in Arizona, Georgia, and the other states are likely to go heavily for Trump. Most of the likely errors or invalid votes took place on mailed in ballots… Since Biden won upwards of two-thirds of mail-in votes and absentee ballots, it’s likely that most of the discarded mail ballots will be subtracted from Biden’s total…

Alaska, where Trump has led by 2:1 all week and is now more than half counted will likely throw its 3 votes to Trump giving him 217. Trump has likewise led in North Carolina (15 votes) all week and his margin of 75,000 has not diminished. He will undoubtedly carry North Carolina…

“The vote count in Arizona shows Trump’s deficit shrinking from 30,000 on Friday to 18,500 on Saturday with about 100K left to count… In Georgia (16 votes), Biden leads by only 8400 votes, a margin that has been dropping. Like Arizona, Trump may still win the count and, if not, would have a very good chance of prevailing in the recount…

Wisconsin (10 votes) is tallied as having been won by Biden by 21,000 votes but a recanvass is in the offing. Given the facts enumerated earlier, there is a very good chance Trump will carry Wisconsin. The recount process in Wisconsin is uniquely fair and transparent — a model for the nation — so Trump may well flip the state…

“Then, it comes down to Pennsylvania and its 20 votes… Joe Biden currently leads by 37,000 votes in Pennsylvania. The number of late arriving ballots likely far exceeds this total… Justice Alioto and a Court majority may throw out the late ballots, likely delivering the state to Trump… If he wins Pennsylvania, he would have 289 votes and a victory.

“Will there be a recount in Pennsylvania? The current law requires one if the margin is under 0;.5% and in Pennsylvania it likely will be slightly greater. There are two ways to trigger a recount:

“First, the U.S. Supreme Court could order one after the vote counters so flagrantly violated Alito’s order to segregate the votes that he had to re-issue it. And remember, four Justices wanted to reconsider whether to allow late ballots entirely but the high court deadlocked 4-4. Now with Justice Barrett in the mix it may take a different view, particularly if the presidency hangs in the balance.

“Second, Article II Section 1 of the US Constitution reads: ‘Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.’

“The Pennsylvania State Legislature, solidly in Republican hands (both houses) may choose to demand a recount before appointing electors. To build the case for doing so, it may hold hearings into the allegations of fraud so as to help the voters of the state understand how flagrantly their votes were mishandled. Already, the leader of the State Senate in Pennsylvania and the Speaker of the State Assembly have held a press conference announcing their intention to ‘audit’ the vote counting process….”

Not Before the Middle of December

Breitbart wrote on November 9:

“Joe Biden is not ‘president-elect.’ Joe Biden has not won the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump’s re-election has not been defeated. Right now, Joe Biden is merely ‘ahead in the count’ of enough states to win the presidency. But this is a contested election and we have a long way to go, probably more than a month and a plethora of legal filings, before a winner is declared. Per our own Constitution, there is only one institution legally entitled to declare a winner in a presidential election,  and that’s the Electoral College, which does not meet until the middle of December

“Democrats, most especially Joe Biden, are also trying to gaslight us into believing the election is over (along with Vichy Republicans), which is why Biden gave a premature victory speech on Saturday, and why he is already behaving like a president-elect. What Biden is doing is un-American, anti-democratic, fascist

“Overall, though, what we are seeing the media do, aside from dismiss the possibility of widespread voter fraud before anyone has had adequate time to make their case and produce evidence, is declare Joe Biden the winner even before the legal recounts and re-canvassings have taken place. The bottom line is that the media want this election shut down before anyone has a chance to look into what happened, before anyone has a chance to even see if Biden did indeed win fair and square…”

What is happening in the USA is shocking and abominable. And even though certain foreign politicians want to see Biden in power and pretend to turn a blind eye on the scandal occurring in the USA, they will for sure not forget how corrupt the USA has become… and will act accordingly, when the time is ripe.

Biden’s Hypocrisy

Breitbart reported on November 10:

“During the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Chris Wallace of Fox News asked Biden if he would ‘pledge not to declare victory until the election is independently certified,’ to which the former vice president answered, ‘yes.’ ‘Will you urge your supporters to stay calm while the vote is counted, and will you pledge not to declare victory until the election is independently certified?’ asked Wallace of Biden at the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio. ‘Yes,’ answered Biden…

“Biden, however, has done nothing of the sort, as he has since carried on as if he is president-elect… as he seemingly ignores the fact that the 2020 presidential election has not yet been independently certified.”

Johnson’s Hypocrisy

Fox 5 New York reported on November 11:

“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called Donald Trump the ‘previous president’ of the United States and said it was ‘refreshing’ to talk to President-elect Joe Biden… he says he was ‘delighted to find the many areas in which the incoming Biden-Harris administration is able to make common cause with’ British lawmakers.”

Boris Johnson might become thoroughly disappointed.

Why Does the Mainstream Media Want to Suppress Investigations into Mail Fraud?

Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on November 11:

“I just don’t get the mainstream media’s vehement objections to President Trump’s desire to investigate whether Joe Biden [ends] up winning the election through fraud. Their argument, repeated from the very moment that Biden was declared the winner and ever since, is that Trump’s claims of fraud are ‘false’ and ‘baseless.’ But secrecy is normally at the core of fraud… It usually takes an investigation to ferret it out…

“Let’s assume, for example, that there was election software that corrupt officials were able to use to manufacture whatever number of votes Biden needed to win. How could anyone be expected to ferret out that fraud immediately after the election? One would need an investigation to discover fraud on that sophisticated level…

“The mainstream media asserts that there is nothing unusual about the massive number of votes that poured in for Biden after the election. But the fact is that it was unusual. Nothing like that has ever happened in U.S. presidential election history.

“Democrat Lyndon Johnson’s 1948 US Senate campaign in Texas, which I wrote about the day before the Trump-Biden election, is instructive. Johnson won that election by 87 votes out of almost a million votes cast.

“Johnson’s position was the same as that of the mainstream media today. Immediately after the election, he was asserting that there was no evidence of fraud. But as I indicated above, oftentimes election fraud is hard to ferret it. It takes an investigation to do so. Even with an investigation, Johnson’s opponent, Gov. Coke Stevenson, was unable to prevail in his election contest. Does that mean there was no fraud? No, it doesn’t. In fact, many years later, after Johnson had served as John Kennedy’s vice president and then as president, his electoral fraud rose to the surface.

“It turned out that Johnson had told a South Texas crony named George Parr to keep his poll tabulations open after the election, just in case Johnson needed more votes to win. Several days after the election, when Johnson was losing, Parr delivered 200 votes to him, which gave Johnson the win. This New York Times article, which is worth reading, details Johnson’s election fraud, which became known as the ‘Box 13’ scandal… In 1977, after Johnson and Parr were dead, an election judge in charge of Jim Well County’s Box 13, Luis Salas, came forward and confessed that he was part of the fraud. He said that Johnson told Parr that he needed 200 more votes to win the election. Parr instructed Salas to produce the additional 200 votes, which Salas did. The last 200 signatures on the election tally were all in the same ink, which was different from the ink of the other signatures, the signatures were in the same handwriting, and the names were in alphabetical order.

“Johnson went on to become US Senator. If he had lost the race, there is no chance he would have become president in November 1963.

“It’s certainly possible that Joe Biden’s election is legitimate. But it’s also possible that it’s not. What’s wrong with Trump investigating it now rather than have the fraud surface 30 years from now, as it did in the case of Lyndon Johnson? Surely, the mainstream media wouldn’t want another illegitimate Democrat president, would it?”

Rhetorical questions, of course!

What a Biden Presidency Might Mean for Israel

Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) wrote on November 5:

“The U.S. presidential election has illustrated more graphically than ever before that we are living beneath an erupting civilizational volcano. The flaming cultural lava is spreading well beyond America… If President Donald Trump is finally edged out, the recent startling prospects for peace in the Middle East may well be extinguished by the hideous prospect of a terrible war. Those who most threaten the Jewish people, as well as the peace of the world, have been banking on Joe Biden winning the presidency

War between Iran and Israel would become much more likely. There would also be a domino effect in the Arab world. The unprecedented moves by the Gulf states to normalize relations with Israel have been driven principally by their perception that Trump was determined to neutralize Iran, and that their interests therefore lay in an alliance with Israel and America. If America reactivates the nuclear deal, these Arab states may well revert to the strategy they adopted during the Obama administration’s appeasement of Iran…

“And a Biden administration, reflecting the increasing hostility to Israel within the ever-more radical Democratic Party, would be used by the Palestinians to reignite their terrorist and diplomatic onslaught on Israel which, under the pressure from Trump, had been dampened down.

“Beyond this looming Middle East disaster, the election has dealt a devastating blow to America’s standing and authority in the world…

In Britain and mainland Europe, the Jews are now trapped inside this civilizational onslaught against the West. As a result, they are in the cross-hairs of the left, the far-right and the Islamists. Whenever a culture is in deep trouble like this, the Jews get it from all sides.

“But just as America is divided, so the Jewish world is also now divided within itself… The Jews of Israel are determined to survive. The Jews of America are steadily destroying most of their communitymany of the Jews of Israel… are gazing in dread and despair at what America has now become.

… or for Britain

Express wrote on November 7:

“NIGEL FARAGE raged at a future Joe Biden presidency in a furious on-air rant as he warned the Democrat was ‘strongly anti-Brexit and even anti-Britain’… [he said] that Joe Biden would take the side of the EU in the crunch Brexit transition, which ends on December 31. Mr Farage said the UK would again ‘be at the back of the queue for a trade deal,’ referencing Barack Obama’s claim in 2016… ‘The prospects of a trade deal between the UK and the US under a Biden presidency are very low. He was the vice-president to Obama, who delightfully came to London in 2016 and said we’d be at the back of the queue if we dared vote for our independence…

“Mr Biden has already issued a warning about Boris Johnson’s apparent willingness to tear up the Brexit withdrawal deal over measures around the Irish border…”

How the Left Wants to Persecute Trump Supporters

Breitbart reported on November 6:

“Left-wing Democrats and Never Trump Republicans appealed Friday for assistance in compiling lists of Trump supporters so they could be held ‘accountable’ for supporting President Donald Trump after the election… Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted: ‘Is anyone archiving these Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or deny their complicity in the future? I foresee decent probability of many deleted Tweets, writings, photos in the future.’

“Michael Simon, who describes himself as a former staff member in Barack Obama’s administration, replied in the affirmative, linking to what he called the ‘Trump Accountability Project’: ‘Yes, we are… Every Administration staffer, campaign staffer, bundler, lawyer who represented them — everyone.’ The database at the site includes a list of federal judges appointed by the president

“Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post columnist and Never Trumper, tweeted that anyone challenging the 2020 election results should not only be disqualified from holding public office, but ostracized from society. ‘Any R now promoting rejection of an election or calling to not to follow the will of voters or making baseless allegations of fraud should never serve in office, join a corporate board, find a faculty position or be accepted into “polite” society,’ she tweeted. ‘We have a list.’”

Now, this is REALLY reminiscent of a socialist dictatorship. It was subsequently announced that the “Trump Accountability Project” was “no longer active”–whatever that means.

Trump Fires Defense Secretary

Newsmax wrote on November 9:

“President Donald Trump said Monday that he has fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper. In a pair of tweets, he announced that Christopher C. Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has been named acting secretary, mentioning almost as an afterthought that Esper ‘has been terminated.’…

“The relationship came close to collapse over the summer during civil unrest that triggered a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combatting domestic unrest. Esper’s opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington, D.C., infuriated Trump, and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to quit if faced with such an issue again.

“Esper’s departure could foreshadow a broader post-election purge of appointees who displeased the president…”

There is no doubt about that.

Europe Creates Hurdles for Non-Bloc Countries to Participate in Common Defense

Defense News wrote on November 3:

“European Union officials in Brussels are setting up a labyrinth of rules for non-bloc countries and their companies to join defense-cooperation projects under the PESCO framework… the agreement text leans heavily in the direction of making third-party participation an exceptional affair…

“The PESCO framework envisions groups of countries working together – three, at least – to solve defense problems that range from military logistics to cyber warfare. There are currently 47 such projects on the books. Approved projects can apply for subsidies through the multibillion-dollar European Defence Fund… Those case-by-case reviews [of applications for admission by individual non-bloc countries] are designed to dispel any notion of an automatic process for outsiders into what defense-minded officials throughout Europe hope will evolve into a reliable pipeline for building military capabilities on the continent

“It remains to be seen whether the most important NATO member, the United States, finds the terms enticing… Applicant countries must pass a series of requirements to be invited to specific projects. For example, it must ‘share the values’ of the European Union and honor ‘good, neighborly relations’ with member countries…”

Germany to Expand Air Force

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 5:

“Germany has given the green light to purchase [38 Eurofighter] jets worth at least €5.4 billion. The air force said that the new aircraft will be equipped with the latest technology and could be used against targets on the ground. The contract is part of the German Defense Ministry’s long-term plan to gain at least 93 Eurofighter jets, along with 45 F-18s from Boeing…

“According to the manufacturer Airbus, the new ‘Eurofighter Tranche 4’ is the best and most modern fighter aircraft that Europe currently has to offer. Germany’s ruling grand coalition government as well as the Free Democratic party (FDP), and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party voted in favor of the billion-dollar purchase. The Left party voted against the deal, and the Greens abstained.”

Forcibly Institutionalizing Quarantine Violators?

MSN wrote on November 6:

“Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) wants quarantine refusers to be forcibly transferred to a closed hospital [i.e., institutionalized]…  Strobl, who is also the CDU federal vice-president, invokes the Infection Protection Act, which provides for forced segregation in a closed hospital… If a person has been identified as a confirmed or potential carrier of the virus, the ‘separation does not serve as punishment, but as protection of others’. The same applies if ‘the person has to be forcibly separated against his will because he does not comply with the orders for domestic separation,’ Strobl affirms…

“Social Affairs Minister Lucha believes that tough sanctions must be imposed on those who refuse quarantine…

“The local police authorities should immediately initiate the judicial procedure for ‘forced separation in a closed hospital’ after the first quarantine violation, Strobl demands. The German Police Union sees a lot of work to be done by the police in such a case…

“Criticism came from the FDP. ‘Mr. Strobl seems to have completely lost measure and center. The CDU’s renewed commitment to pay attention to proportionality in the future Corona measures was apparently only a lip service,’ said Michael Theurer, head of the FDP state and member of the Bundestag. AfD member of parliament Christina Baum called the interior minister an ‘unbearable human enemy’…”

Not since Nazi Germany…

According to Focus, dated November 11, German Health Minister Jens Spahn is proposing that Google gives articles from his Health Ministry preference to articles from the press. This proposal has been criticized by the media as a unique and unparalleled attack on and discrimination of the free press. Spahn keeps trying to gain more and more power for himself, wherever he can do so.

Brexit in a Second Lockdown—”Worst of Both Worlds for UK Business”

Bloomberg wrote on November 4:

“Businesses must get ready to exit the EU single market at year-end, even if Britain and the bloc end up signing a free-trade agreement. With staff off work, an economic slowdown, and swings in the supply and demand for essential goods, the new Covid-related restrictions will add to pressure on logistics firms and supply chains…

“The stakes are high: If companies aren’t prepared, Britain could face widespread disruption to commerce with its largest trading partner in the difficult winter months… The government is already concerned about poor levels of Brexit readiness. Businesses will need to file new customs paperwork, food products will be subject to new animal health certificates and lorries will need to comply with new government IT systems to cross the U.K.-EU border.”

The second lockdown in Germany is likewise not going to end any time soon, even though the government had said it would only last until the end of November. Now, Merkel, Spahn and others have declared that it might last for several months, with serious prohibitions for public assemblies, including religious services. More drastic limitations on personal liberties and freedoms are to be expected; they are currently being debated by the German Parliament which wants to enact a new law very soon.

Denmark to Kill Up to 17 Million Mink for Fear of Coronavirus

CNN wrote on November 5:

“Denmark, the world’s largest producer of mink furs, plans to cull all mink in the country to contain a mutated form of novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday the decision had been made with a ‘heavy heart,’ but it was necessary based on the recommendation of health authorities. ‘The virus has mutated in mink. The mutated virus has spread to humans,’ Frederiksen said.

“Statens Serum Institut, the Danish authority based in Copenhagen which deals with infectious diseases, had found five cases of the virus in mink farms and 12 examples in humans that showed reduced sensitivity to antibodies, she said. Allowing the virus to spread could potentially limit the effectiveness of future vaccines… There are between 15 million and 17 million mink in Denmark, according to authorities. Outbreaks of coronavirus at the country’s mink farms have persisted despite repeated efforts to cull infected animals since June.

“One million mink within a five mile (8.4 kilometers) radius of suspected or confirmed farm infection were destroyed in October. Denmark’s police, army and home guard will be deployed to speed up the culling process, Frederiksen said. Mink have also been culled in the Netherlands and Spain after infections were discovered there.”

However, the Guardian added on November 6:

“… the experts stressed on Friday there was as yet no hard evidence to suggest [that the mutation of the virus could potentially have an impact on the efficacy of vaccines in development]. The World Health Organization also offered a circumspect assessment of the risk from the new mink variant.”

Disgusting and appalling…  and all in the name of “science.”

More Epidemics Coming?

Express wrote on November 6:

“It could happen AGAIN: New fatal bat virus ‘jumping to humans’ – WHO escalates response.

“SCIENTISTS have raised the alarm over a worrying new disease repeatedly ‘jumping’ from bats to humans – sparking fears of another pandemic… It has been listed by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 highest-priority pathogens which must be urgently dealt with…

“The virus can spread to humans after eating fruit contaminated by bats. However, scientists were concerned to discover the virus is also spreading when no contaminated fruit was eaten…

“It comes just two months after another paper warned the world was facing a wave of pandemics. Anthony Fauci… and… David Morens warned of ‘extreme backlashes from nature’ in the years ahead. They wrote for scientific journal Cell: ‘… In a human-dominated world, in which our human activities represent aggressive, damaging, and unbalanced interactions with nature, we will increasingly provoke new disease emergences…’”

Great. More lockdowns in the making?

A New Safe Coronavirus Vaccine?

Deutsche Welle reported on November 9:

“German company BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer announced on Monday that early results from ongoing Phase III trials showed that their vaccine was 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections… According to their reports, they found no serious safety concern connected with the vaccine… Biden welcomed the promising results from the vaccine trials, but warned that widespread vaccination was still months away. He also urged the US public to continue wearing masks and social distancing… US President Donald Trump celebrated the news and the boost to the stock market… on Twitter…

“German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the European Union will wait to approve the vaccine until late-stage safety data is collected to ensure the broadest possible acceptance for the vaccine…”

So now, Spahn is speaking for the EU? At the same time, the push for MANDATORY vaccinations is ongoing. While Merkel stated there would be no mandatory vaccinations in Germany, the German Parliament is debating a change in the law regarding infectious diseases which proposes the exact opposite, especially for tourists wanting to enter the country.  

Forcing Children to Be Vaccinated without Parents’ Knowledge and Permission

Natural News wrote on November 9:

“In the nation’s capital city, legislators are plotting to strip parents of their legal guardianship so their children can be coerced into vaccination behind closed doors… The new law would allow health care professionals to privately take children aside and coerce them to take vaccines, without parental consent… The new law would give health care professionals the power to establish the ‘informed consent standard’ for minors, allowing children as young as eleven to consent to vaccination without their parent’s knowledge.

 “The new law allows the school, health care provider, and the parent’s private insurance to conceal the child’s vaccination status from their parent or guardian… The bill’s primary sponsor, Mary Cheh, said the bill is important because covid-19 is a public health emergency. This is yet another example of this so-called public health emergency being escalated and weaponized to strip people of their rights… The state keeps a registry of children who have medical exemptions… and religious exemptions to the vaccines… Legislators are trying to remove the religious exemption

“Once the religious exemption is shamed out of existence, parents are left to beg medical professionals for medical exemptions. In order to receive a medical exemption, a child must have suffered an injury from the product first… vaccines would become the first and only product that a person must be injured from before they can legally opt out.”

This is truly an abominable assault on freedom and liberty.

 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.

This Week in the News

Massive Mail Fraud and Corruption in Presidential Election?

Newsmax wrote on November 5:

“President Donald Trump called out election ‘corruption’ and attempts to ‘rig an election’ in a White House news conference Thursday, setting up a potentially protracted battle in the courts over the counting and the monitoring of ballots. ‘If you count the legal votes, I easily win,’ Trump told reporters in the briefing… ‘If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us… You have Election Day and the laws are very strong and that you have an Election Day. And they don’t want votes cast after election day, and they want the process to be an honest one – so important. We want an honest election; we want an honest count.’

“Trump said he ‘predicted’ this election chaos with his rebuke of mass mail-in voting… ‘It’s destroyed our system; it’s a corrupt system. And it makes people corrupt, even if they aren’t by nature, but they become corrupt. It’s too easy. They want to find out how many votes they need and then they seem to be able to find them. They wait and wait and then they find them.’

“In a pair of Trump campaign moves Thursday, election ballot counting improprieties have been claimed in Pennsylvania and Nevada, two states that remain pivotal to the president’s path to 270 electoral college votes… ‘They don’t want anybody in there; they don’t want anybody watching them as they count the ballots, and I can’t imagine why,’ Trump said. ‘There’s absolutely no legitimate reason why they would not want to have people watching this process, because [if] it’s straight – they would be here should be proud of it – instead they’re trying obviously to commit fraud. There’s no question about that in Philadelphia observers have been kept far away.’…

“Earlier Thursday, Amb. Ric Grenell claimed the ‘Harry Reid machine’ has led to illegal voting in Nevada, including the casting of ballots by voters who are no longer legal residents. During a press conference in Las Vegas, Grenell and other officials announced their legal action, saying illegal voting practices have occurred in Nevada. Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt noted that ‘thousands of ballots’ have been found ‘in trash cans in apartment buildings.’”

Also, in Philadelphia thousands of ballots suddenly appeared, which were all in favor of Biden, with not one single vote in favor of Trump. This would be more than just suspicious.

The Sun added:

“Speaking from the White House  briefing room on Thursday evening, the president lashed out at what he called a ‘fraudulent’ election steered by the Democrats in cahoots with ‘big media, big money and big tech.’”

 He apparently alluded to the polls which were all terribly wrong. It has been suggested on FoxNews that they might have been wrong intentionally. 

Prof. Alan Dershowitz wrote on November 5 in Newsmax:

“President Trump’s legal team is filing lawsuits in a number of states. Some have better chances than others… no one can be absolutely certain about how the courts will decide cases and controversies brought before them regarding the current election, especially since so many current federal judges were appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the Republican senate. Stay tuned.

 “The counting of millions of votes may soon be over, but then we may be looking at the votes of just five people: the justices who could… determine the outcome of this election as they did the election 20 years ago [regarding Bush vs. Gore].”

For more information on this subject, see additional articles below, under the headline, Trump Speaks of Fraud… Europe ‘Concerned.’”

Neighbor vs. Neighbor in the USA

The Washington Post wrote on October 31:

“A Democrat in North Carolina changed her voter affiliation, scared to be outed in a red state. A Republican in Washington stopped speaking to his Democratic neighbors and lied to pollsters about his support for President Trump, calling himself a member of the ‘silent majority.’

“Across the United States, political signs have been set ablaze, cars have been vandalized and neighborhood scuffles and shouting matches have proliferated in the waning days of the most toxic election season in more than half a century.

“Amid the erosion of political discourse, a fear of retaliation has spread, pitting neighbor against neighbor and squashing the political exchange… Some Americans say they have taken down election yard signs and quit social media over fears they could be physically targeted. The victims are often political minorities: blue voters in red states and red voters in blue states….

“The threats have affected voters from coast to coast. A Pennsylvania family found six gunshots fired through the Biden sign in their front lawn in early October… An Alabama woman with a Biden sign in front of her home told local news she woke up to the word ‘Trump’ spray-painted in bright orange on the hood of her white Honda Civic. A convoy of trucks flying Trump flags aggressively chased a Biden campaign bus recently on an interstate near Austin…

“Trump supporters have been targeted, too. A video circulating online shows a man ripping a Trump flag off a car during a parade supporting the president in Orange County, Calif., in early October. Even the head of the Georgetown County elections board in South Carolina was swept into political tensions when local Republicans said they captured him and his wife defacing a Trump sign. Dean Smith, a 15-year veteran of the board, resigned a few days later…

“For quiet Trump supporters, fears of doxing and other online harassment from digital mobs have muted their political talk. Cities suffering vandalism by far-left actors further their concerns about retaliation for their political views, they said.”

It appears that civil unrest—if not worse—is inevitable in the USA.

The Dilemma for Voters

The Week published the following opinion piece by Bonnie Kristian on October 30. Even though written before the election, it shows the dilemma which many thinking voters felt. AND, it gives Church members another reason why they should have abstained from voting in the first place:

“On Tuesday or, more likely, sometime in the two months after it, we’ll know who won. And so, as I write my last pre-election column: I don’t want the winner to be Biden. But I do want Trump to lose. I realize, of course, the obvious objection to that pair of sentences: In the race we have, Trump losing means Biden wins. I understand that. I understand, too, the perfect symmetry of partisan conviction that failing to vote for one of these two candidates (whether via an alternative vote or abstention) amounts to a vote for his opponent. I reject that reasoning…

“But this is not a column about how I’ll vote, nor is it some strange attempt to deny the reality that, come January 20, 2021, one of these men will be our president. It is simply my registration of utter discontent with the choice we’ve been offered for the next four years… Part of this is about policy, as both candidates have promised to take actions I do not want done in my name…  both candidates have foreign policies I find unconscionable…

“Though each gets some things right, neither shows any sign of rejecting the past 20 years of global military interventionism and implementing a humane and prudent foreign policy where the goal is not American supremacy but peace. To vote for either candidate is to vote for innocents dead, markets turned to rubble, weddings turned to funerals. That we may expect other advantages of one candidate’s victory does not alter that fact…

“In other policy arenas, too, I find some things to like, usually with caveats, and more to vehemently oppose. In immigration and refugee policy as well as criminal justice reform, I’d prefer Biden. On religious liberty and abortion, I lean toward Trump… On health care and fiscal issues, I’ve reached a point of assuming nothing I’d support will ever happen — I’ll be surprised if I live to see a balanced federal budget…”

Some claim, not being oblivious to the obvious shortcomings of both candidates and the policies which they represent, that we ought to vote for the lesser evil. But we would still cast our vote for an evil, wouldn’t we?

Trump Speaks of Fraud… Europe “Concerned”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 4:

“German government officials signaled the country’s anxiety on Wednesday about the instability of the US election. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer warned that the US faced a ‘very explosive situation’ and a possible crisis, following comments in which President Donald Trump implied that [he] had won the election… The minister said it appeared ‘the battle over the legitimacy of the result, however it turns out, has begun.’ German vice chancellor and finance minister, Olaf Scholz, echoed Kramp-Karrenbauer’s concern…

“On the tough relationship between Germany and the US in the Trump era, Kramp-Karrenbauer… stressed that regardless of the ultimate outcome of the US vote, Europe would need to become more self-sufficient. Scholz backed the notion, saying that given the developments in the US, Europe needed to strengthen its own ‘sovereignty’ so that ‘a rules-based global order can exist.’…

“In France, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the outcome of the presidential vote will have little impact on US-Europe trade relations, predicting that no matter who wins, Washington is unlikely to drop its confrontational stance. ‘Let’s not kid ourselves: The United States has not been a friendly partner to European states for several years now, Bruno Le Maire told Radio Classique…. ‘The American continent has detached itself from the European continent.’”

Trump said that based on in-person votes, he had won, which is true for almost all states. He questioned the legitimacy of many mail-in votes which gave the victory to Biden in most states.

CBS added on November 4 that “Mr. Trump continued his efforts to undermine confidence in the legitimate vote-counting process on Wednesday…  ‘Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE, and the ‘pollsters’ got it completely & historically wrong!’ Mr. Trump tweeted, a clear attempt to cast doubt on the electoral process.”

The Trump campaign began its legal recourse by filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan, charging massive fraud and corruption by the Democrats, requesting a recount in Wisconsin, and they announced future lawsuits in other states. The campaign also suggested a “national” challenge, meaning that lawsuits might be filed in every state where the results are being contested. During the upheaval between Gore and Bush in 2000 and multiple recounts in Florida, it took the intervention of the Supreme Court and further political maneuverings until a winner was declared in the middle of December, with a victory in Florida of about 600 ballots.

In the words of Future of Freedom Foundation, dated November 3:

“The mainstream pro-Biden media is poking fun at Donald Trump’s suggestion that there could be fraud involved in the post-election receipt of mail-in ballots. Apparently they’re not familiar with the election-theft case of Lyndon Johnson, who would go on to become president of the United States… Johnson election theft took place in 1948, when he was running for the Democratic nomination for US Senate against Texas Governor Coke Stevenson… In the primary election, Stevenson led Johnson by 70,000 votes, but because he didn’t have a majority of the votes, he was forced into a run-off. The run-off was held on a Saturday. On the Sunday morning after the run-off, Stevenson was leading by 854 votes… the day after the run-off election it was ‘discovered’ that the returns of a particular county had not yet been counted. The newly discovered votes were overwhelmingly in favor of Johnson. Then, on Monday more returns came in from the Rio Grande Valley.

“Nonetheless, on Tuesday, the State Election Bureau announced that Stevenson had won by 349 votes… On Friday, precincts in the Rio Grande Valley made [fraudulent] ‘corrections’ to their tallies, which narrowed Stevenson’s lead to 157. But also on Friday, Jim Wells County… filed [fraudulent] ‘amended’ returns for what has become famous as ‘Box 13’ that gave Johnson another 200 votes. [The fraud in regard to the “additional” 200 votes was later confessed to by the perpetrator.] When all was said and done, Johnson had ‘won’ the election by 87 votes…

“Johnson got a friendly state judge to issue an injunction preserving the status quo, after which the Democratic executive committee, by one vote, declared Johnson to be the winner. … So, Lyndon Johnson stole the election and ended up going to Washington as Texas’ US Senator. Ironically, if Stevenson had become the state’s senator instead, Johnson would never have been selected to be John Kennedy’s vice-presidential running mate and, consequently, would never have been president.”

Incredible. But it seems that everything goes in America.

In addition, as the Week reported on November 4, “Democrats’ hopes of winning control of the Senate dimmed as several vulnerable Republicans appeared to have won re-election… Democrats appeared to have held onto their House majority in Tuesday’s election, but Republicans did better than predicted.”

Europe to Become a Powerful Independent Force

Express wrote on October 31:

“French MEP… Thierry Mariani suggested President Trump’s isolationist policies would serve as a ‘wake-up call’ for Brussels to seek alternatives to the NATO defence system. Speaking to France 24, Mr Mariani said: ‘…there will be a day when we have a common defence or common foreign affairs. For that, we need to have stronger force together and if NATO, little by little, is less present in Europe maybe some country will push the defence effort…  I think it’s in the interests of Europe to have less American troops inside the continent.’

“Earlier this year, Mr Trump announced the US would withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany and redeploy them back home or across other bases in Europe. Mr Mariani insisted a second Trump term could help the continent seek more independence from the US and establish itself as a leading power on the international stage… ‘What is my dream? I entered politics dreaming like General de Gaulle of an independent Europe. Europe as a power and not just as an all-the-time ally to America.’”

Exactly what is prophesied to happen.

New Lockdown for UK

Boris Johnson announced a second lockdown—the longest so far compared with other European countries.  But his announcement is not well received by many in the UK. Note the following articles.

 A Halloween Horror

The Sun on Sunday wrote on November 1:

“BORIS Johnson presented a Halloween horror show on primetime TV last night.

“… the human cost of Lockdown Two in cold, dark winter could also make the three-month clamp in the spring look like a walk in the park. Struggling small businesses already hit hard by the first wave will have no pre-Christmas trading to see them through. More firms will go to the wall and more jobs will be lost… many small firms such as hairdressers and nail bars plus local pubs suffered. They will now be pushed to the brink of disaster.

“The cost to the economy will be £1.8billion A DAY and the cost in lives lost to other untreated illness will be huge. Furthermore, how good is the exit plan from this new clamp?… [the consequences of] this lockdown [are] disastrous for Britain.”

Following the Doom-Mongering

Express published on November 1 the following opinion piece of Neil Hamilton, UKIP interim leader and a member of the Welsh Parliament:

“IT is a catastrophe that the Prime Minister has surrendered to the doom-mongering of the SAGE committee. These statisticians and mathematical modellers are more akin to professors of guesswork. There are many real scientists and epidemiologists who disagree with this approach. The signatories of The Great Barrington Declaration have presented a humane, sensible alternative to national lockdowns; however our Government seems intent on pursuing this sledgehammer approach.

This lockdown will make no difference whatsoever… These measures will serve as an incinerator to the already wrecked British economy. The hospitality sector has barely picked itself up from the blow of the last lockdown; these measures will act as the final nail for many. The human price for this Government’s obsession is already evident… up to 50,000 cancers are going undiagnosed due to COVID and projecting numbers to double in a year.

“If we ever do get a public inquiry about the way the UK have monumentally mishandled this crisis, we will find that more people were killed by Government policy than by the COVID virus. This is a colossal act of self-harm from a floundering Government.”

Lockdowns Don’t Work

The Daily Mail published on November 1 the following article by Dr. Tom Jefferson and Professor Carl Heneghan:

“You could be forgiven for thinking that the situation we now face is as clear as it possibly could be – and that it is becoming more dangerous by the day. The virus, we are told, is out of control, that Britain is heading for 3,000 to 4,000 deaths a day by Christmas, and that our hospitals are on the edge of catastrophe.

“Yet we believe the situation is not at all clear. There are only two things about which we can be certain: first, that lockdowns do not work in the long term. They kick the can down the road. The idea that a month of economic hardship will permit some sort of ‘reset’, allowing us a brighter future, is a myth. What, when it ends, do we think will happen? Meanwhile, ever-increasing restrictions will destroy lives and livelihoods.

“The second certainty is this: that we need to find a way out of the mess that does no more damage than the virus itself. We presented just such a plan to the Prime Minister himself more than a month ago…Our strategy would be to tackle the four key failings. We must address the problems in the Government’s mass testing programme; we must tackle the blight of confused and contradictory statistics; we must make real efforts to protect and isolate those who are vulnerable; and we must inform the public about the true and quantifiable costs of lockdown (as if they needed telling)….”

However, the wrong and irresponsible lockdown approach is taken all over the world and especially in Europe, including Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Belgium.

How the British Government Misrepresents to the People

On November 2, the Daily Mail published the following article by Ross Clark:

“It was the Halloween horror no one had been expecting: a series of mind-boggling graphs and charts presented at Saturday’s Downing Press… conference that purported to show the Covid-19 pandemic was out of control and a second national lockdown was needed.  But do the graphs and charts really support this?

“[One] chart was designed to show that some hospitals already had more Covid-19 patients than at the peak of the first wave in the spring… Certainly the chart gave the impression that hospitals were already close to overflowing. But the truth isn’t nearly as terrifying.

“For while 29 hospitals are shown on the slide, the full dataset, published by NHS England, actually includes 482 NHS and private hospitals in England – at least 232 of which (and probably more as some entries were left blank) had not a single Covid-19 patient on October 27. This is hardly surprising since official figures showed there were 9,213 patients in hospital with the disease on October 31, compared with 17,172 at the spring peak. Even back then hospitals were far from full and the Nightingale units were virtually empty

“Chris Whitty unveiled two charts showing where in England Covid-19 infections were increasing, with brown and yellow zones highlighting where cases were up and blue showing they were down. ‘Virtually across the entire country now there is a significant rate of increase,’ announced the chief medical officer. The map, however, begs to differ. In fact, it shows there are 34 districts in England where cases are static or falling… Most remarkably… it reveals that cases have fallen sharply across Merseyside over the past week, and that in parts of Liverpool they have fallen by more than 60 per cent. This is significant because Liverpool was the first part of the country to be placed into Tier Three restrictions…

“One slide… showed ‘the prevalence of the disease has been going up extremely rapidly over the past few weeks’. However, the chart actually suggested that the rate was no longer increasing exponentially, contrary to what Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, predicted in his briefing of September 14.

“… Moreover, the curve is clearly flattening in London, the West Midlands and the South East…”

With manipulated figures, governments successfully deceive a panic-stricken public.  

Opposition to Restrictions Rises

The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 29:

“As governments once again shut businesses across Europe to stop a surge in coronavirus infections, acceptance of restrictions is fading and some small businesses are refusing to cooperate. The sense of a common goal and solidarity with front-line medical workers evident in the spring has given way to frustration among restaurateurs, hoteliers, retailers and other business owners who are rapidly running through their financial reserves.

“This month’s lockdowns are more targeted than in the spring and in some cases come with substantial aid for those affected. Yet they are raising more opposition everywhere, from lawsuits in Germany to riots and demonstrative flouting of the rules in Italy. Restaurants, bars, clubs, entertainment and sport venues will largely close under the new measures. In France, curfews will confine people to their homes. Germany is barring hotels from hosting tourists for a month and banning normally legal prostitution.”

APK Metro added on October 30:

“Mr. Bragato [owner of a restaurant in Berlin]  took out a mortgage of €250,000, equal to $292,000, through the first lockdown. He has since invested into outside heating and an indoor air flow system. The restaurant hasn’t had a single coronavirus case amongst workers or friends, he mentioned. The German restaurateur affiliation Dehoga mentioned it was contemplating suing the federal government, saying revenues between March and August had dropped 40% [within] 12 months. A third of 245,000 companies are actually going through closure, it mentioned.

“Berlin bar house owners [successfully] sued… local authorities earlier this month after [they ordered] all bars within the metropolis to shut at 11 p.m.”

It goes beyond just mere discontent or vocal opposition. Note the next article.

Revolt is in the Air in Europe

The Guardian wrote on November 1:

Fears of civil unrest grow as people across the continent no longer trust leaders to protect them during the crisis… In tone and spirit, the messages [aired by politicians and governmental spokespersons throughout Europe] echoed those delivered in March, when shock and fear led populations to rally round leaders and consent to restrictions unknown outside wartime. Eight months on, that kind of trust and goodwill is in short supply… there is public exasperation and, in some cases, open rebellion…  Across the continent, there is… evidence of people facing dire economic hardship and psychological exhaustion. Earlier this month, a study from the [WHO]  reported widespread apathy and reduced motivation to follow public health guidance. The emotional toll of Covid-19 has been compounded by a growing scepticism in the capacity of governments to truly get on top of a crisis that is destroying people’s livelihoods as well as threatening their health

“After the spring lockdown was eased, the subsequent patchwork of regulations and restrictions hit some workers, and regions far harder than others. The Spanish government’s decision to declare a six-month state of emergency has led to angry protests across the country and a bitter row with the conservative regional government of Madrid, which has accused it of overstepping its powers… A poll following last week’s mini-riots found that over three-quarters of Italians believe there will be more violence in the streets this winter… the summer, local leaders in Marseille complained  bitterly that a nighttime curfew and mask regulations had been imposed from Paris without due consultation. Macron’s move to a new lockdown… is already creating new divisions, as those with sufficient means insulate themselves from the worst of what is to come. On Thursday evening, huge traffic jams built up as Parisians attempted to flee the capital and head for second homes before a 9pm curfew…”

In several German states, German tourists were ordered to leave. Such a thing has never happened since Nazi Germany. No more card games (like “Skat”) with three people. Health Minister Jens Spahn: “When there are three, there is one too many.” Austria has prohibited hotels from housing tourists. Austrians are prohibited to leave their houses from 8pm to 6 am. INSANE!

Spahn in High Gear

The Associated Press wrote on October 30:

“European countries are calling for the World Health Organization to be given greater powers to independently investigate outbreaks and compel countries to provide more data, after the devastating coronavirus pandemic highlighted the agency’s numerous shortcomings.

“After a meeting between European Union ministers to discuss how the U.N. health agency should be strengthened, German health minister Jens Spahn said Friday the WHO should receive more political support and financial backing for its international efforts to manage acute health crises.”

Giving the thoroughly political left-wing WHO even more political support (whatever that means) is beyond words.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 2:

“In the war for the leadership position in the CDU [replacing Merkel], more and more Germans propose a candidate who is not even (yet) on the list: Health Minister Jens Spahn who is just a little bit behind favorite Friedrich Merz.”

At this point the discussion related to in the article evolves just around the appointment of Merkel’s successor as leader of her party [the CDU] in early 2021 and not around her succession as Chancellor which would have to be determined through nationwide elections anyhow in October of 2021.

Mandatory Vaccinations against Covid-19?

The Associated Press wrote on November 1:

“Small groups of protesters gathered in Brazil’s two biggest cities Sunday to demonstrate against any mandate for the taking of a coronavirus vaccine, supporting a rejection campaign encouraged by President Jair Bolsonaro. People assembled in downtown Sao Paulo calling for the removal of Sao Paulo state Gov. Joao Doria, who has said state residents will be required to take a vaccine, likely the one being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac and the local Butantan Institute.

“The CoronaVac, as it is being called, has been a prime target for skepticism from Bolsonaro and others, with the president saying Brazilians will not be guinea pigs to the Chinese. The issue has become a talking point in mayoral and city council campaigns for elections later this month, and as most health professions support vaccination, social media campaigns have raised questions about possible perils of vaccines…

“The president quickly responded that he would not allow the import of vaccines from China. Though the health regulator later gave permission for Butantan to import 6 million doses, on Thursday the president said on his weekly live program that he would not buy the vaccine and that the governor should ‘find someone else to buy your vaccine.’ On Friday, Vice President Hamilton Mourao told the magazine Veja that ‘of course’ the country will buy the Butantan-Sinovac vaccine. Bolsonaro immediately responded that he is the one with the power and he won’t spend on any vaccine that is not approved by the Brazilian health regulator…”

The push towards mandatory vaccination will undoubtedly increase in all the world. Note the next article.

Scary—”No Vaccine for Tyranny”

Dr. Ron Paul wrote on November 2 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“The World Health Organization (WHO) recently admitted that lockdowns cause more harm than good. Following this announcement, one would have expected American politicians to immediately end the lockdowns. After all, the WHO ‘s pronouncements are considered infallible, so much so that social media sites silence anyone who dares challenge the great and powerful WHO. Yet, governors, mayors, and other government officials across the country are ignoring the WHO’s anti-lockdown position.

“Instead of admitting that the lockdowns were a mistake, many in the political class, which includes a disturbing number of medical professionals whose positions and prestige depend on government, claim that we cannot return to normalcy until a coronavirus vaccine is in wide use. This suggests that people among the majority of Americans who do not wish to be vaccinated will remain under lockdown or be forced to be vaccinated against their will.

“The assault on our liberty will not end with deployment and use of a vaccine. Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, a ‘public-private partnership’ in charge of producing and delivering a coronavirus vaccine, has said that those who receive a vaccine will be monitored by ‘incredibly precise … tracking systems.’ Slaoui has also indicated that tech giants Google and Oracle will help the government keep tabs on the vaccinated individuals. So, the vaccine program will lead to an increase in government surveillance!

“Slaoui is just the latest ‘expert’ to endorse forcing the American people to relinquish their few remaining scraps of privacy to stop coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates have urged development of a digital certificate for those vaccinated for coronavirus. People without the certificate would find their liberty severely restricted.

“Those who think that the new surveillance system will be limited to coronavirus should remember that Social Security numbers were only supposed to be used to administer the Social Security program. They should also consider that the PATRIOT Act’s expansion of warrantless wiretapping was supposed to be limited to stopping terrorists. However, these powers have been used for a wide variety of purposes. Whenever government is given power to abuse our rights for one reason it will inevitably use that power to abuse our rights for other reasons as well.

“Fauci and Gates’ digital certificate could, and likely will, be expanded to include proof individuals have received a variety of other vaccines and medical treatments. The digital certificate could even extend to monitoring a person’s lifestyle choices on the grounds that unhealthy habits make one more susceptible to diseases.

“The digital certificate could also be tied to the REAL ID program to deny individuals who have not been vaccinated the right to travel. It could also be combined with a future mandatory E-Verify system to deny unvaccinated individuals the right to hold a job. Those who consider this ‘paranoia’ should consider Britain is already developing a covid passport.

“Liberty lost in the ‘war on covid’ will not be voluntarily returned when the coronavirus threat ends — assuming the government ever stop moving the goal posts and declares the coronavirus threat is over…”

Dr. Paul’s article paints a terrible scenario, going far beyond George Orwell’s 1984 nightmarish novel, and it is not outside the realm of possibility. The USA is developing more and more into a dictatorship as well, such as Europe is.

Judge Rebukes Gov. Newsom… Limits His Powers

The New York Post wrote on November 2:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been barred by a judge from overstepping his powers and making controversial coronavirus directives that could change state laws. Since declaring a state of emergency in mid-March, Newsom has issued more than 50 executive orders over the pandemic — including ones on how people vote in the election…

“Sutter County Superior Court Judge Sarah Heckman on Monday tentatively ruled that one of his orders — requiring vote-by-mail ballots to be sent to the state’s 22 million registered voters — was ‘an unconstitutional exercise of legislative power.’

“The judge also issued an injunction barring the governor from using his emergency powers for action that ‘amends, alters, or changes existing statutory law or makes new statutory law or legislative policy.’”

Fox 11 added: “Newsom used his emergency powers to virtually shut down the state and its economy in the early weeks of the pandemic.”

In fact, he has been trying to do the same again in light of an unsubstantiated alleged “second wave.”

Censorship in the USA

The New York Post wrote on October 28:

“For all their talk of ‘neutral platforms,’ the Big Shots at Big Tech — Twitter, Facebook and Google–… figure they can dictate what Americans get to see and read, and what other media companies must do to reach the public via those platforms. It’s a clear threat to a healthy democracy — and Congress has noticed. On Wednesday, the Senate launched a hearing to investigate ‘Big Tech’s bad behavior.’

“Center-stage: Twitter’s strong-arm tactics to censor the Post  ever since we began reporting on Hunter Biden’s emails. First, it froze our account and banned our stories; then, amid a public backlash, it agreed to unfreeze us — but only if we deleted our original tweets.

“Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey sounded like every mob enforcer and shakedown artist in history… Sen. Ted Cruz wasn’t fooled: ‘Mr. Dorsey, who… elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report, and what the American people are allowed to hear?’ he thundered… Dorsey tried to claim it was all a mistake that had been fixed, but The Post account remained locked, even as he spoke…

“Besides, if it was an honest error, then why do they only happen to one side? As Sen. Marsha Blackburn noted, Twitter has ‘censored’ President Trump 65 times and Joe Biden zero. ‘There is a pattern of subjective manipulation of information.’

“Nor can Twitter and Facebook, which also moved to suppress The Post’s reporting, claim there’s anything wrong with the stories. Asked if they had any ‘evidence’ of that, Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg both admitted they didn’t…”

On Saturday, it was announced that Twitter finally unblocked the New York Post account. At the same time, Biden satisfied the left-wing mass media (“Biden put the story to rest”) by simply stating that the story about his son was a hoax, instigated by Russia and Trump, and that his son Hunter was an honorable man. The hundreds of published comments in Breitbart to that last statement are more than telling.

Court Strikes Down Trump’s New Public Charge Rules

The Associated Press reported on November 2:

“A federal judge in Chicago struck down a key immigration rule Monday that would deny green cards to immigrants who use food stamps or other public benefits, a blow to the Trump administration on the eve of the election. In a decision that applies nationwide, U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman rejected the rule that had taken effect recently after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a hold on the policy following lawsuits. Among other things, Feinerman said the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which makes federal agencies accountable to the public by outlining a detailed process for enacting regulations.

“The decision marked the latest turn in a complex legal battle over the rule that has been among President Donald Trump’s most aggressive steps in overhauling the nation’s immigration system. The Chicago lawsuit, filed by the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Cook County, was among numerous legal challenges. Under the  Trump administration policy, immigration officials could deny permanent residency to legal immigrants over their use of food stamps, Medicaid, housing vouchers or other public benefits. Green card applicants had to show they wouldn’t be burdens to the country or ‘public charges.’

“Federal law already required those seeking permanent residency or legal status to prove they wouldn’t be a ‘public charge.’ But the Trump administration rule included a wider range of programs that could disqualify them…

“The U.S. Supreme Court decided in a 5-4 vote in January that the rule could take effect, but enforcement was halted by a federal judge in New York because of the coronavirus pandemic. But by September, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had reversed that hold and the rule took effect nationwide…

“The Trump administration has touted the rule as a way to ensure only those who are self-sufficient come to the U.S., one of many steps to try to move the country toward a system that focuses on immigrants’ skills instead of emphasizing the reunification of families. U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services ceased applying the rule to pending applications and petitions after the ruling in Chicago…”

Vatican “Clarifies”

CNN wrote on November 2:

“The Vatican has sought to clarify Pope Francis’ comments in support of same-sex civil unions, saying they were taken out of context and do not signal a change in doctrine… the Vatican’s letter claims, the Pope ‘had spoken about the rights of these people to have certain legal protection,’ but not about same-sex marriage. In the film the Pope also says: ‘Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family,’ which was interpreted by some to mean that the Pope was in favor of same-sex couples forming families…

“Francis’ comments differ from his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who made the news when he labeled homosexuality ‘an intrinsic moral evil.’”

Fox News added on November 2:

“Neither the Vatican nor Afineevsky [the producer of the film] have responded to repeated questions about the cut quote or its origin. Francis is known to hunker down in silence when controversy mounts.”

The Vatican’s “clarification” comes rather late and sounds pretty shallow.

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.

This Week in the News

The Threat to German Democracy

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 21:

“Repeatedly Chancellor Merkel met with all 16 premiers of Germany’s powerful federal states to decide on measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic.  After the latest one, last week, politicians across the spectrum began complaining that, for months now, such measures were all decided behind closed doors and without due parliamentary debate or consultation. Among the most vehement critics of this apparent marginalization of parliament is Florian Post, a member of the Bundestag and legal affairs expert with the Social Democrats (SPD), the junior partners in Angela Merkel’s coalition government. ‘For nearly nine months now, regulations have been put in place by local, regional and central authorities which are restricting people’s freedoms in a manner unprecedented in post-war Germany,’ he told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper. ‘And not even once has an elected parliament been called on to vote on the measures,’ he complained. ‘There is no provision in the German constitution for the kind of power-sharing we are seeing between the chancellor and the heads of the federal states,’ Post argued. It is high time for the elected parliament to become more involved in the discussion, he concluded.

“Opposition parties are just as vociferous. ‘It’s simply not acceptable that parliament only hears about the latest anti-corona measures via Chancellor Merkel’s weekly podcast or random press conferences,’ said Christian Lindner, head of the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP.) ‘The Bundestag is being shut out, despite the fact that we’re witnessing drastic incursions into our fundamental rights and freedoms.’

“The Left Party is also calling for parliament to play a more central role in decision-making. One leading party member, Jan Korte, has gone so far as to say that he believes that last week’s controversial meeting between Chancellor Merkel and the heads of the federal states, ‘effectively means that an alternative government is making all sorts of decisions without even consulting parliament.’ The Greens, too, are up in arms. Their parliamentarians at the national and regional levels say they have been disempowered and kept in the dark by federal and national governments…

“Decision making behind closed doors by Angela Merkel and the state premiers was not the only thing to anger parliamentarians. It also emerged that the health ministry in Berlin is fast-tracking efforts to push through both an extension (beyond March 2021) and an expansion of the special rights granted to Health Minister Jens Spahn of the Christian Democrats (CDU). The new version of the so-called and much-cited Infection Protection Act would enable Spahn to issue directives on his own initiative, provided that these, ‘are required for the protection of the population against the danger of serious infectious diseases.’ The new legislation would, for instance, give the minister the power to impose controls on international and national transport systems and issue special regulations for air- and seaports.”

The proposed change of the law to give controversial Jens Spahn unlimited autocratic powers solely based on his own discretion would be “permanent”, according to an article by Der Tagesspiegel, dated October. What the article by Deutsche Welle—predictably—ignores is the fact that the AfD—Germany’s BIGGEST opposition party—is also totally against the dangerous actions of Merkel and Co. However, the next article does quote the AfD…

New Lockdown in Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on October 28:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Germany’s state premiers announced on Wednesday a new partial lockdown to begin on Monday, November 2….

“Restaurants and bars will close, except for take-away. Large events will be canceled again. Unnecessary travel is strongly discouraged. Overnight stays in hotels for tourist purposes is banned. [Meetings or gatherings in hotels will also be banned.] All those who can work from home should do so and employers should ease a transition into working from home. Meetings in public will be restricted to just two households of up to 10 people total. Entertainment facilities such as theaters and cinemas will be closed. Public recreation centers such as swimming pools, gyms and saunas will be closed. No crowds at sports events… Schools and kindergartens will remain open. Church services and protests will be allowed to continue due [to] constitutional concerns. Nursing home residents will be allowed to receive visitors. Shops will remain open, with one customer allowed per 10 square meters (108 square feet). Borders remain open…

“State and federal leaders will meet again in two weeks to assess if the new measures are having enough of an effect, and recalibrate if needed. Merkel promised that firms hit by the new measures would receive economic support. Companies with up to 50 employees and the self-employed will receive 75% of their income in support… According to media reports, a total of €10 billion ($11.8 billion) has been earmarked for support. Larger companies will be reliant on EU rules for assistance and this will vary from company to company. Emergency loans will be made available for self-employed workers such as artists and stage hands, while small businesses with less than 10 employees will gain access to very cheap loans.

“… public mood has been shifting and criticism among the population of government-ordained measures is on the rise… Some of those who vehemently oppose further restrictions are fearful of the economic impact. Many Berlin restaurant owners, for example, have said they would probably have to close down their business if faced with a second lockdown. They have already seen losses after the closure in the spring, followed by rules that forced them to adhere to social distancing regulations and then the curfew imposed last month…

“For many in Germany, the question of individual freedom is at least as important as a thriving economy. Leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is the largest opposition party in the German federal parliament, have been among those [who have been] widely critical of further restrictions. ‘No measures — including lockdowns — have had a demonstrable influence on the infection rate, but the lockdown fantasies of government politicians are becoming increasingly absurd,’ the AfD parliamentary leader Alexander Gauland said in a statement on Tuesday…

“Germany’s relatively strong acceptance of measures up until now may have been key in the low infection and death rates. But surveys show that 50% of Germans believe that efforts by police and authorities to enforce the restrictions have not gone far enough. The challenge is to make sure the German people accept the new measures — and to enforce them. Relying on goodwill and compliance, as the chancellor called for in her most recent video podcast, may not go far enough.”

Deutsche Welle reported on October 29:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the government’s decision to impose a [partial] lockdown in a tense speech to lawmakers in the Bundestag on Thursday… In a speech that was regularly interrupted by shouts from several German lawmakers, Merkel said the current rate of infection poses a massive threat to the country’s health system… ‘The winter will be difficult. Four long difficult months…’ she said….

“The chancellor also [said:] ‘Lies, disinformation and conspiracy theories not only damage democratic debate, but also the fight against the virus…’

“AfD parliamentary leader Alexander Gauland accused Merkel’s government of ‘wartime propaganda.’ [He also spoke of a war parliament and the corona dictatorship.]”

And so, are we going to see even more violent actions in Germany towards those who are unsatisfied with governmental restrictions? Similar restrictions were announced by Emmanuel Macron of France, shortly after Angela Merkel made her announcements. The French lockdown begins on Friday and will last at least until December 1. Is the USA facing lockdowns too? Fears are there. Note the next article.

Dow Plunges due to Fears of More Lockdowns

npr wrote on October 28:

“Stocks fell sharply on Wednesday as a spike in coronavirus cases in the United States and Europe is raising the prospect of further lockdowns that could hurt the global economy. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 943 points, a decline of 3.4%, and is in negative territory for the month… Losses accelerated Wednesday afternoon after Germany said it would close down restaurants and bars to contain a surge in coronavirus cases, while imposing other restrictions on social gatherings.  Germany’s action comes as the rise in coronavirus cases is leading European countries such as Spain and Italy to declare states of emergency as well as restrictions.

“In the United States, investors had been grappling with a wave of uncertainty that’s already sent the market lower in recent weeks. The White House and Democrats in Congress have struggled to agree on a new relief bill, and the possibility of a contested election makes the likelihood of an agreement even murkier. Now, the coronavirus appears to be surging in the United States as well…

Global lockdowns severely dented economies worldwide earlier during the pandemic, raising fears of a new hit should the spike in coronavirus cases accelerate… The ongoing slowdown in economic activity is taking a toll on companies, especially those that depend on travel and tourism.

“Boeing said Wednesday it plans to cut thousands of additional jobs through next year because of the decline in air travel. The airplane maker reported its fourth quarterly loss, sending its shares down 4.6%. Losses in markets were widespread, with airlines and leisure stocks continuing to extend recent losses. United Airlines was down 4.6%, while Marriott International fell 3.7%…”

Dr. Fauci declared that we might not see any  “normality” until sometime in 2022.

Lockdowns Based on Wrong Test Results?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on October 28:

“Across Europe, supposedly in reaction to rises in the numbers of coronavirus cases, many national governments are imposing increased crackdowns that severely restrict the exercise of liberty. These coronavirus cases are in large part derived from testing that produces many false positives and that is often conducted on relatively young and healthy people who have very little risk of dying or even becoming seriously sick from a coronavirus infection.

“Of course, the European politicians exerting their newly increased power say ‘the science’ supports their tyrannical actions. And they will tend to give platforms to doctors and other scientists who back up those claims while ignoring or deriding the many doctors and other scientists who disagree.”

The next article is a case in point.

President of German Medical Association Questions Efficacy of Masks

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 23:

“Klaus Reinhardt, the president of the German Medical Association… told a talk show on public broadcaster ZDF that he had doubts wearing simple non-medical masks outdoors was effective against the coronavirus. Such face coverings, he said, offered ‘no protection at all’ to those wearing them, and only ‘very little protection against infecting others.’… While Reinhardt acknowledged that masks served a purpose in areas where social distancing wasn’t possible, such as on public transport, he told ZDF that orders to wear them outdoors would be ‘nonsense.’ He also referred to German anti-terror legislation that bars people from covering their faces in open-air public areas for security reasons. ‘And now we have a “mask order”’, he said. ‘It does something to a society…’

Of course, something like this must not be said in panic-stricken Germany. As the article continues to state:

“The response to Reinhardt’s comments was swift, with one member of parliament even calling for his resignation. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Friday he found the remarks ‘from the highest authority in the medical profession’ to be ‘almost shocking.’”

It cannot be what must not be!

Largest Study on Masks Rejected by Medical Journals

The Blaze wrote on October 22:

“Why not just conduct a randomized controlled trial to test whether masks work against COVID-19? Why assume such a draconian and dehumanizing mandate works as if it’s an article of faith and create such division when we can discover which side is correct? That’s what a group of Danish researchers felt, which is why, over the spring, they conducted such a study. So why have the results not been published, three months later? According to [Denmark’s oldest operating daily newspaper], the study has been rejected by three medical journals because the results are too controversial… The article reveals that, thus far, the study has been rejected by the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA, three of the publications that have been posting much of the research on coronavirus…

“The CDC, prior to changing its position on universal mask-wearing, had previously cited 10 randomized controlled trials that showed ‘no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks.’ Now, the CDC and other elite institutions would have us believe that coronavirus is somehow different… do you think this study shows any degree of effectiveness in mask-wearing against the spread of COVID-19? Remember, this is the only study of its kind. If it truly showed what the media-political-scientific complex wants it to show, why would it not be published expeditiously? This is the most vexing question of our time. Yet nobody seems interested in having a debate or finding out the truth.

“The phobia among the political elites against subjecting mask-wearing mandates to the scientific method is not surprising. In July, Dr. Fauci told a group of Georgetown University students that he has no intention of conducting a controlled study in the U.S…. I’d say the realm of possibilities likely range from no effect at all to making the spread worse! Time will tell, but this ordeal raises a larger question: How many other scientific and academic studies covering an array of very consequential policy questions rooted in scientific debate are being censored because they don’t fit the narrative of the political elites?…”

Sadly, this is SO true!

Gov. Newsom’s “Thanksgiving Insanity”

Daily Mail wrote on October 25:

“Megyn Kelly joined in on excoriating California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday for his extremely restrictive Thanksgiving guidelines, which includes ‘strongly discouraging’ singing at the festivities this year in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. In a tweet posted Sunday morning, the former Fox News and NBC News host listed some of Newsom’s ‘Thanksgiving insanity.’…

“Social media users and public figures were quick to react to the Democratic governor’s announcement on attempts to control how people celebrate the holiday. Comedian and Saturday Night Live veteran Rob Schneider took to Twitter earlier this month to insinuate that Newsom is trying to run California like a monarchy by imposing such stringent rules for individual’s personal and private gatherings on Thanksgiving… Adam Carolla, radio personality and actor, also responded on Twitter. ‘How many of you sheep are going along with Newsom’s Thanksgiving protocols?’ he questioned.

“Among the rules announced by Newsom and CDPH are a three-household limit, and an urge to hold the gathering outside and keep it short… The rules also allow for attendees to take off face covering ‘briefly’ while eating their Thanksgiving meal, but requires that while they do so they ‘stay at least 6 feet away from everyone outside their own household, and put their face covering back on as soon as they are done with the activity’ of eating or drinking. The statement concedes that ‘face coverings can also be removed to meet urgent medical needs (for example, to use an asthma inhaler, take medication, or if feeling light-headed)…’ One Twitter user suggested Newsom could be swaying deep blue California voters to cast their ballot for President Donald Trump to gain personal liberties back.”

It is really insane what’s happening in the USA… and elsewhere.

CNN’s Censorship

Daily Mail wrote on October 23:

“Piers Morgan has slammed CNN for canceling his interview with the network after he said they and other American news outlets were being biased for not covering a story about a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden… ‘Last time I appeared on this show, I appeared after I wrote a series of negative Trump columns,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘They were prepared to take me when I was negative, but not so much when I would be slightly more positive.’

“He added that he believes most media outlets have likely not investigated the story because, if they do, it could lead to revelations that would cause the Democrats to lose the presidential election…

“Morgan told DailyMail.com that CNN spent at least a month asking him to appear on the show. He said he had a ‘weird feeling’ his appearance might be canceled, but he was still very surprised by the move. ‘Maybe they were worried I wouldn’t bash Trump as they wanted, and that’s what my [new] book itself is all about – illiberal liberals who want to cancel anybody who doesn’t suit their agenda,’ he said…

“’I just made the point that it doesn’t matter if you’re pro-Trump or anti-Trump. A major newspaper has published serious allegations, none of which have been denied by Joe Biden or Hunter Biden,’ he said… ‘The fact they’re not investigating is a hyper-partisan approach by the US media,’ he said.”

America’s mass media is mostly run by left-wing liberals who are not interested in reporting on questionable conduct by the Democrats’ presidential candidate. As the saying goes, “One crow does not peck the other’s eyes out.”

Amy Coney Barrett New US Supreme Court Judge

JTA wrote on October 26:

“Hours after she was confirmed in a narrow party-line vote in the U.S. Senate, Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in at the White House as a Supreme Court justice. Barrett, a conservative Roman Catholic who replaces Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the liberal Jewish justice who died last month, was sworn in Monday evening by Justice Clarence Thomas at an event where President Donald Trump presided. Barely an hour earlier, the Senate approved her in a 52-48 vote…

“Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican majority leader, rushed through Barrett’s nomination before Nov. 3 elections…

“A number of liberal Jewish groups joined others in speaking out against Barrett, citing evidence in her past statements that she favored overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision upholding a woman’s right to an abortion, and undoing the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature legislation. Conservative Jewish groups and figures, however, indicated their approval of Barrett, saying she would protect religious freedoms.”

With this appointment, the conservative judges have a strong majority on the US Supreme Court.

Military Collaboration between Russia and China

Newsweek wrote on October 23:

“China has reacted warmly to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the two nations could one day upgrade their strategic partnership to an official military alliance, thus uniting two of the United States’ top global competitors… The Russian leader explained that the reason such a pact had not already been forged had nothing to do with reservations on either side, but a lack of necessity.

“China and Russia launched a new joint Siberian pipeline in December. The two nations announced last year that they are seeking to double the trade between them, with a goal of reaching $200 billion a year by 2024.

“Russia has also stepped in to fill the gaps in China’s military experience, inviting the People’s Liberation Army to more joint exercises than ever before. Already a customer of Russia’s advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile system, Beijing contracted Moscow’s help in developing a new missile early warning system, demonstrating deep trust… ‘We have reached a high level of interaction in the field of military-technical cooperation, and this is probably the most important thing,’ Putin said Thursday… He hinted that there is more to come. ‘There are very sensitive things here,’ Putin said. ‘I will not speak about it publicly now, but our Chinese friends know about it.’

“While the U.S. leads the 30-member NATO Western military alliance, it has, particularly under President Donald Trump, shored up ties in the East with Australia, India and Japan as part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Both groupings have raised insecurities for Moscow and Beijing, who share concerns about the potential deployment of mid-range missile systems, made possible by the U.S. exit last year from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

“‘The intention and statement of our American partners about the possibility of deploying medium and shorter-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region, of course, cannot but alert us, and, without any doubt, we will have to do something in response,’ Putin said Thursday.”

The Associated Press wrote on October 22:

“Putin’s statement signaled deepening ties between Moscow and Beijing amid growing tensions in their relations with the United States… Russia has sought to develop stronger ties with China as its relations with the West sank to post-Cold War lows over Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and other rifts.”

The Bible shows that there will be a strong military collaboration between China and Russia in the near future.

Erdogan on the Attack

Israel 365 wrote on October 26:

“Tensions between France and Turkey turned personal as, Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in an address on Friday that French President  Emmanuel Macron was mentally unbalanced and required ‘treatment.’ Additionally, Erdogan issued a challenge to the US, daring them to sanction his country…

“The conflict arose earlier this month over a speech in which  Macron described Islam as ‘a religion that is in crisis today all over the world,’ proposing legislation to fight ‘Islamist separatism.’ The goal, said the president, is ‘to build an Islam in France that can be compatible with the Enlightenment.’ A few weeks later, an 18-year-old Muslim refugee murdered Samuel Paty, a French high-school teacher,  by beheading. [This week, another murder of an Islamist on three French churchgoers occurred.] 

“Turkey and France are both members of the NATO military alliance but have been at odds over issues including Syria and Libya, maritime jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean… [Erdogan’s] ire was due to American warnings not to get involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces. Turkey supports Azerbaijan but many are wary, remembering how Turkey perpetrated a genocide against the Christian Armenian at the beginning of the 20th century… He went on to rail against the US disapproval of his acquiring military hardware from Russia. When Turkey made a deal to purchase the advanced S-400 air defense system, the US canceled a deal for Turkey to purchase F-35 stealth fighters that the Russian system was designed to combat….”

Especially the situation between Turkey and the USA is bound to deteriorate drastically.

Francis and Vatican Criticized for Comments on Same-Sex Unions

The New York Post wrote on October 23:

“Pope Francis’ support for same-sex unions being openly criticized by several Roman Catholic leaders in America — who say his recently revealed pro-gay remarks cause ‘confusion and error’ and fly in the face of church teachings. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a frequent critic of Francis, said the pope’s comments should be ‘rightly interpreted as simple private opinions of the person who made them… Such declarations generate great bewilderment and cause confusion and error among Catholic faithful,’ Burke, a member of the Vatican’s highest court, said in a statement Thursday on his website. He added that Francis’ views were contrary to Catholic teachings.

“The pontiff, 83, endorsed civil unions for same-sex couples in a 2019 interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa. The never-before-seen clip was aired in the new documentary ‘Francesco’… On Thursday night, Televisa spokesman Ruben Acosta Montoya confirmed the pope’s comments in the 2019 interview to the Washington Post and accused the Vatican — which owned and controlled the cameras — of removing it from the segment

“Bishop Thomas Tobin, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, also agreed with Burke that the pope’s statement ‘clearly contradicts what has been the long-standing teaching of the Church about same-sex unions.’ ‘The Church cannot support the acceptance of objectively immoral relationships,’ Tobin said…

“Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, went even further, calling the pope’s gay support ‘confusing and very dangerous… The church is weak. The church is not clear… We were relying on the papacy to be this beacon of clarity and stability, and it just doesn’t feel clear and stable anymore,’ said Strickland, a frequent critic of the pope.”

In his new encyclical “Fratelli Tutti,” Pope Francs wrote this under No. 138: “We need to attain a global juridical, political and economic order ‘which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity.’”

Obviously, he perceives the Catholic church as such an “order” which can give direction or at least recommend such. In the above-mentioned encyclical, Pope Francis makes the further troublesome comments:

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the possibility of legitimate defence by means of military force, which involves demonstrating… certain ‘rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy’… For these reasons, the Church… does not restrict her mission to the private sphere. On the contrary, ‘she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines’ in the building of a better world, or fail to ‘reawaken the spiritual energy’ that can contribute to the betterment of society… The Church esteems the ways in which God works in other religions…”

Building a better world by using military force?

More Comments by Pope Francis

The National Catholic Register wrote on October 24:

“Pope Francis again returned to the theme of rigidity today, saying those who unbendingly follow the law of God are ‘sick’ and in need of the Lord’s help… He once called those who try to unbendingly follow the Law of God people as having ‘weak hearts’… In June, he said ‘rigid’ people in the Church who tell us ‘it’s this or nothing’ are heretics and not Catholics…

“‘A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism,’ he believes… He further believes that ‘in neither case is one really concerned about Jesus Christ or others’ and argues it is ‘impossible to think that a genuine evangelizing thrust could emerge from these adulterated forms of Christianity.’”

So, is Pope Francis advocating license to sin? Inasmuch as sin is the transgression of God’s law, he most certainly is.  

Pope Warns Europe

Crux Now reported on October 25:

“Pope Francis broke tradition again on Saturday, delivering an eight-minute off-the-cuff speech to members of a visiting Spanish delegation against the dangers of ideologies in the midst of a grave economic crisis which, the pope said, could be worse than the Great Depression of 1929…

“To make his point, he spoke about the book Sindrome 1933… This book, Francis said, details the situation Germany faced back then after the fall of the Weimar empire… ‘That marked the beginning of an ideology, the path of the national socialism… In this book the author, very delicately, makes a comparison with what is happening in Europe,’ warning that the continent is today following a path similar to the one Germany followed leading up to World War II.

“The book was written by Siegmund Ginzberg, published in June 2020 and [is] available only in Italian…”

In this regard, the Pope may be right, as we pointed out above. What we see in many European countries today (including in Germany) is clearly a movement towards autocratic dictatorship.

Pope Francis vs. Trump

The Washington Post wrote on October 22:

“Over the course of Trump’s tenure in office, few people have cut a more contrasting figure than Pope Francis…  two have already squabbled: In 2016, Francis suggested Trump was ‘not Christian’ because of his anti-migrant rhetoric and desire to build walls between nations. Trump reacted angrily at the time, calling the comments ‘disgraceful’ and warning darkly that when Islamist terrorists strike the Vatican, the pope would regret not supporting a Trump presidency.

“The following year, Francis questioned how Trump could be ‘pro-life’ while pursuing policies that broke up the families of immigrants and asylum seekers. In their sole meeting, in 2017, he presented Trump a copy of his treatise on protecting the environment and reckoning with climate change, but that hardly dissuaded the president from withdrawing from the Paris climate accord…

“Former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon… declared the pope to be ‘dead wrong’ and reportedly also advised far-right politicians in Italy to view Francis as ‘the enemy.’… The pope’s views… fit far more easily with the Catholicism of Trump’s challenger, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden…”

Biden supports same-sex marriages. But he also supports abortion. A Catholic archbishop in the USA refused to let him take the mass. What about the pope?

Trump Praises Faith and Prayer

Newsmax wrote on October 24:

“President Donald Trump, raised Presbyterian, now considers himself a ‘non-denominational Christian.’… Trump praised the power of faith and prayer in his recovery from COVID-19, crediting his parents who ‘taught me the importance of faith and prayer from a young age.’ ‘Melania and I have gotten to visit some amazing churches and meet with great faith leaders from around the world,’ Trump added…

“‘During the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, I tuned into several virtual church services and know that millions of Americans did the same. I said, “There were miracles coming down from heaven.” I meant it — Melania and I are very thankful to God for looking out for our family and returning us to good health.’”

What If…? Could Trump Lose and Still Stay in Office?

The Washington Post wrote on October 23:

“The answer, if it comes to that, will depend on the response of Trump’s fellow Republicans. It’s one thing if the numbers on election night, or in the days afterward, show Biden winning handily and Senate Republicans make clear they acknowledge that reality. Then there will be no suspense over the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that will serve as official confirmation of the result. But if Senate Republicans hesitate, waiting to see how things play out, then the responsibility will shift to Republicans in battleground states, where Trump could encourage GOP-controlled state legislatures to overturn their voters’ judgment…

“The result could look like this: A majority of voters in a battleground state — Pennsylvania is one potential example — back former vice president Joe Biden. The state’s Democratic governor certifies that result and approves a slate of electors pledged to support Biden. But the state legislature, controlled by Republicans, agrees with Trump that the results are rigged and approves a competing slate of Trump electors… if state legislatures refuse to accept the certified results of their popular votes, the fight will come to Congress in January. And Republicans — including Mike Pence as president of the Senate — will have to decide…

“If Democrats take control of the Senate, this won’t matter under the relevant statute. The Democratic House and Senate would reject the Trump elector slate from any state where the popular vote went to Biden. But if Republicans remain in control of the Senate, Republican senators would then have to choose whether to accept the certified results of the popular vote in that state or… to declare Trump the winner…”

Unthinkable? We will see…

It Has Happened Before…

The Chicago Tribune wrote on October 28:

“In an initial count, the Democrat won by roughly 100 votes. Then an audit found a counting error that put the Republican ahead. Officials launch a recount, but it’s not finished by the December deadline for the Electoral College to cast votes. So the state’s Democratic and Republican electors each declare victory and cast competing sets of electoral votes for their candidates.

“Outlandish? Not really. This happened in Hawaii in 1960, when John F. Kennedy faced then-Vice President Richard Nixon in a high-turnout election marked nationally by voting irregularities and allegations of fraud. This year, as millions of Americans mail their ballots or stand in line well before Election Day, Nov. 3, to make sure their votes get counted, few may be aware of the complex legal machinery that exists to select the next president if things go wrong at the ballot box.

“It’s a complex system of electoral fail-safes that starts and ends with the calendar. It’s also a system where voters don’t necessarily get the final word, at least not directly. For the 2020 election, the states have until Dec. 8 — six days before the Electoral College must meet — to count votes and settle all election disputes. If states can’t figure things out by that ‘safe harbor’ day, the newly elected Congress gains the ability to determine the state’s winner when lawmakers meet to count electoral votes on Jan. 6.

“…Congress passed the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which gave states the ‘safe harbor’ deadline by which they could resolve their own disputes without Congress getting involved. After that deadline, if state officials submit multiple sets of conflicting electoral votes, the U.S. House and Senate must agree on which set to accept. (If the chambers don’t agree, the votes certified by the state’s governor prevail.)

“… Consider Florida in 2000, where the race between the Republican, George W. Bush, and the Democrat, Al Gore, was unbelievably close, leading to an infamous recount as Florida’s Republican secretary of state initially certified Bush as the winner. The race ended after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling, Bush vs. Gore, on ‘safe harbor’ day, that ended the recount… Congress never got involved. It was obligated to accept the results presented by Florida in favor of Bush because the state met the safe harbor deadline.

“In North Carolina, a key 2020 presidential battleground, a state law enacted in 2001 actually spells out how the state would avoid another Bush vs. Gore scenario and ensure that Congress doesn’t meddle with its results. If there’s no certified winner by safe harbor day, the state’s currently Republican-controlled Legislature picks the electors ‘in accord with their best judgment of the will of the electorate.’ The statute adds that ‘the judgment itself of what was the will of the electorate is not subject to judicial review.’”

Try to make sense out of that one…

Europe Preparing for the Worst in Washington”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 16:

“A horror scenario is making the rounds these days in both Berlin and Brussels: Should the outcome of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3 be close, incumbent Donald Trump could declare himself the winner when polls close, even if he is behind in the vote count. He could… claim the presidency… What happens if Donald Trump simply refuses to leave the White House even if he loses the election?…

“[European] politicians and diplomats have made it clear that they see such a… scenario as a very real possibility. Some politicians have even been open about their concerns. ‘I am aware of the danger that, should the results of the election be close, Trump could declare victory prematurely and the U.S. could find itself in a constitutional crisis,’ says Peter Beyer, a parliamentarian with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the German government’s trans-Atlantic coordinator. Everybody must consider such a scenario, he says: ‘Years ago, such a thing was inconceivable.’…

“Would the EU then dare to declare Trump’s presence in the White House illegitimate, as it did most recently following Alexander Lukashenko’s claim to power in Belarus? ‘If it is blatant, the EU would have to quickly take a position,’ says Elmar Brok, a former long-time European Parliament member with the CDU. ‘It couldn’t act differently than it does in other instances.’”

Some European countries, favoring a Trump victory, would not participate, while others might. How far they would go remains to be seen. Trump did declare repeatedly that the only way he could lose the election would be if massive fraud was involved.

Allies or Friends?

Politico wrote on October 22:

“… the United States has never treated alliances as friendships. For one thing, prior presidents have coerced allies behind closed doors, threatening long-standing partners such as South Korea over their pursuit of nuclear weapons. Similarly, the second Bush and Obama administrations regularly aired grievances with U.S. allies in a bid to pressure them to accede to U.S. interests. For example, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates criticized NATO members for failing to be ‘serious and capable partners in their own defense’; former Secretary of State Colin Powell threatened those who opposed the 2003 Iraq War with punishment and hinted at possible abandonment; and even President Barack Obama accused allies from Europe to the Middle East of seeking a ‘free ride’ on American power while dragging the United States into their own conflicts…

“… the U.S often changed its ‘friends’ for the sake of larger interests. The United States de-recognized its Taiwanese ally in 1979 in order to gain the People’s Republic of China as an ally against the Soviet Union. Likewise, U.S. leaders have had little compunction ending U.S. partnerships with the Kurds. And, lest we forget, the United States’ German and Japanese ‘friends’ were anything but prior to 1945…

“The rhetoric of friendship obscures the reality of U.S. foreign policy to the American people… [it] risks undermining international stability by giving U.S. partners ill-placed faith in U.S. commitments… At a time of geopolitical change, a sounder approach instead would acknowledge the reality that alliances hinge on common interests and, as such, are neither permanent nor inviolateUltimately, America’s allies would be foolish to expect that… America would replace self-interest with friendship. Likewise, Americans should not expect their allies to align their interests with Washington consistently…”

Telling… America’s allies (or “friends”?) of today WILL BE its enemies tomorrow.

Politico wrote on September 29:

“French President Emmanuel Macron called for Europe to end its dependency on American weapons systems as he made a renewed pitch for the Continent to take control of its destiny… he made a plea for Europe to take on a more independent and assertive role in the worldsubservient to neither Washington nor Beijing… Macron has insisted the only way Europe can exist is by building a third way in global affairs, in which it doesn’t shy away from asserting its interests on the global stage. That would include building up Europe’s defense capabilities…”

A powerful unified European army is clearly prophesied.

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.

This Week in the News

Joe Biden… a Warmonger?

The Ron Paul Institute republished on October 16 an article by the Strategic Culture Foundation:

“The United States approaches the November 2020 election with growing apprehension, even dread.

“Among the possibilities: Protracted uncertainty about the presidential contest… A disputed outcome, perhaps with Donald Trump and Joe Biden both claiming victory… Violent civil conflict… A color revolution style regime change operation… perhaps culminating in a military coup to remove Trump… and install Biden in the Oval Office…

“For those who have followed events outside the United States during the past few decades, much of this sounds familiar… Once a country gets broken it tends to stay broken… once regime change occurs and corruption is rampant, another shoe drops: foreign vultures descend on the carcass, profiteers who in many cases are the very same people that helped to create the chaos on which they are cashing in…

“As a Senator in the 1990s, Joe Biden was one of the most militant advocates of US military action against Serbs during the breakup of the Yugoslav federation, first in Croatia (1991-95), then in Bosnia (1992-95), and then in Serbia’s province of Kosovo (1998- 1999)… Biden continually called for the US to bomb, bomb, bomb bomb the Serbs while… [he] pushed successfully for sending weapons to the Islamist regime in Bosnia…

“… if Joe Biden takes the helm, we can anticipate a bevy of globalist warmonger appointees that make Trump’s team look like disciples of Mahatma Gandhi… It’s a recipe for wars, regime changes, and color revolutions galore…”

Most predict that Biden will win. We disagree. Trump will stay in power.

Pat Robertson’s False “Predictions”

The Hill wrote on October 20:

“Televangelist Pat Robertson said on Tuesday that God told him President Trump will win, and more than five years later an asteroid will hit Earth and ‘maybe’ bring ‘the end.’… The 90-year-old forecasted disaster for the country and the world after the election, including civil unrest, at least two attempts on Trump’s life and a war against Israel that will be ‘put down by God.’

“Then, the world will see ‘at least five years or more of extraordinary peace’ before the asteroid. ‘What I think very frankly is the only thing that will fulfill the word of Jesus … is some kind of asteroid strike on the globe,’ he said. ‘It’s sudden destruction. It’s not going to be some nuclear war. We’re not going to be allowed to blow this earth up.’

“Following a description of the asteroid’s damage, Robertson said ‘then, maybe the end’ would come next.

“The televangelist had made similar predictions in the past, saying in 1976 the world would end in 1982. His 1990 book ‘The New Millennium’ anticipated the end of time on April 29, 2007…”

We wonder how God “told” him. His “predictions” have not been that accurate, to say the least, and even though we believe too that Trump will stay in power–and we have said this LONG BEFORE Robertson ever announced his “revelation”–there WILL BE a nuclear war between the USA and Europe, starting the Great Tribulation.  Israel will also be defeated by European armies. Asteroids –“stars falling down from heaven” – will strike this planet, but they are not the main cause for its destruction.  AND, there will be absolutely NO five years or more of “extraordinary PEACE” prior to Christ’s return. In fact, Christ said that if those days would not be shortened, “no flesh” would be saved alive.

 “Trump or Biden, the U.S. and Europe Will Split”

 The Washington Post wrote on October 9:

“Slowly but surely, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge keeps pushing the North American and European plates apart, at the rate of about an inch a year. Something similar is happening in geopolitical tectonics. One generation ago the U.S. was western Europe’s indispensable ally. Today… it often looks more like Europe’s ‘foe’ (Trump’s word) than friend. That’s why Europeans, too, are waiting with bated breath for the U.S. presidential election next month. If Trump wins, the transatlantic rift will make another audible crack. If Joe Biden wins, the loudest sound will be the popping of champagne corks. But before long, Europeans will have to admit that the gradual estrangement continues no matter who’s in the White House.

“Transatlantic relations started fraying long before Trump. They almost snapped during the administration of George W. Bush, before Barack Obama restored them a bit. Even that was largely cosmetic. It was Obama, with Biden as vice president, who announced America’s strategic ‘pivot’ to Asia, giving a name to a secular shift in orientation from the Atlantic to the Pacific. And previous U.S. presidents were already complaining — albeit politely — that the Europeans, and above all the Germans, were spending too little on their own armies to be dependable NATO allies, and free-riding on a global commercial system chaperoned by the U.S.

“Trump simply blew the diplomatic sheen and subtlety off these disputes. Like no U.S. president since World War II, he shows disdain for European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel…  According to John Bolton, a former national security adviser, the president might quit the alliance in a second term, just as he has walked out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the World Health Organization and other multilateral forums…

“Biden… won’t invest in transatlantic defense, either. That’s because every military dollar spent in Europe is one that’s unavailable in Asia. Meanwhile, existing tensions wouldn’t disappear. Like his predecessor, Biden would try to stop a gas pipeline being built from Russia to Germany. He would keep leaning on the Germans and others to boost military spending. He would also insist that they actually use their armies in missions where the U.S. no longer sees its own interests at stake — in the eastern Mediterranean, perhaps, or Africa.

“Above all, any president will expect America’s allies to stand with the U.S. against China. So the more the EU pursues its vague notion of ‘European sovereignty,’ the less valuable for America it becomes. A Europe equidistant between East and West is of little interest to the U.S…”

The deterioration between the USA and Europe is unstoppable.

Trump Attacks Biden

Bloomberg wrote on October 17:

“President Donald Trump called on Friday night for Joe Biden and his family to be jailed… ‘We’ve learned over the last couple of months: Joe Biden is a corrupt politician,’ Trump said to his supporters, ‘and the Biden family is a criminal enterprise.’

“Trump frequently demanded that his 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, be incarcerated over her use of a private email server as secretary of state. It was believed to be the first time he has ever used that sort of attack against the Bidens. The FBI declined in 2016 to recommend charges against Clinton…

“Trailing behind Biden in most opinion polls with the election less than three weeks away, Trump has zeroed in on a New York Post report from earlier this week that highlights documents purporting to show the business dealings of Joe Biden’s son Hunter in Ukraine and China. The Post article… alleged that Hunter Biden introduced a Ukrainian businessman to his father, who has said he’s never talked with his son about his international business dealings…

“The laptop’s hard drive was given to Trump ally Steve Bannon, who gave it to Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello. Giuliani, the former New York mayor and Trump’s lawyer, gave it to the Post…”

The Daily Mail added on October 17:

“Biden has finally been asked about reports about his son Hunter’s foreign dealings, and responded by saying he had ‘no response’ and furiously slamming the [CBS News] reporter [Bo Erickson] who quizzed him… ‘I know you’d ask it,’ Biden replied heatedly, wearing two masks. ‘I have no response, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask.’ … On Thursday night, ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, a former Democratic advisor, sparked controversy when he declined to ask about Hunter’s emails during a 90-minute town hall.”

Quite often, where there is smoke, there is fire…

Piers Morgan Attacks Facebook, Twitter, and the Mass Media over the newest Biden Scandal

On October 19, Daily Mail published the following article by Piers Morgan:

“Four days ago, the New York Post published a bombshell report raising serious new questions about presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s relationship with Ukranian energy company Burisma. The story, which made startling and apparently damning reading was based on a cache of emails and photos allegedly retrieved from Hunter Biden’s laptop that he had left at a Delaware computer store… the response from Joe Biden so far has done nothing to make me think [the story is] false. Crucially, there has been no denial of the fact that these emails are genuine.

“And if they are, then they raise important questions. The potentially most explosive part of the story is a 2015 email supposedly sent by a top Burisma adviser, Vadym Pozharskyi, thanking Hunter for giving him the chance to meet his dad Joe while he was Vice-President… This is significant because Joe Biden has always vehemently denied ever even speaking to his son about ‘his overseas business dealings.’

“Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates responded to the Post allegation by saying: ‘We have reviewed Joe Biden’s official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.’…  this sounds to me like a very narrow form of wording designed to allow some wriggle room should proof of such a meeting emerge.

“In another email to Hunter Biden sent by a business consultant in 2017, reference is made to ‘the big guy’ who would receive 10% of equity from a deal with a Chinese equity firm. Others on the email chain have told Fox News that ‘the big guy’ is Joe Biden… the Biden’s camp statement was also very revealing for what it didn’t say: i.e. that the emails are fake, or that ‘the big guy’ isn’t Joe Biden. Without any such denials, we’re inevitably led to the conclusion that they may be real, and if they’re real, then how does Joe Biden explain them without confirming he has misled the American people about his involvement with Hunter’s inarguably dodgy dealings with foreign national firms in Ukraine and China?…

“… the response to [the story] from liberal-dominated mainstream and social media firms has been staggering, terrifying and disgraceful. Just hours after the Post story appeared, Facebook announced it would be limiting its spread on the social media platform while it used independent fact-checkers to verify the paper’s allegations. Even more extraordinarily, Twitter than summarily banned anyone from posting a link to the story, including the New York Post itself. By taking these unprecedented actions, the tech firms were effectively abandoning any pretence at protecting free speech or the First Amendment…

“They were soon joined by the mainstream media who seem way more interested in knocking down the story and unmasking a conspiracy to smear Biden than investigating whether it’s true… US mainstream and social media companies have reacted to this story in an outrageously partisan and deeply sinister manner that is diametrically opposed to how they would have reacted if the name ‘Biden’ was swapped for ‘Trump.’ Shame on all of them….”

Fox News added on October 18:

“The flagging or removal of tweets or other social media posts has taken on a heightened level of scrutiny from conservatives since both Twitter and Facebook last week took actions to halt a New York Post article centered around Hunter Biden – with GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate decrying the move as censorship and calling on both companies to explain themselves before Congress.”

Breitbart added on October 19:

“Five days after the New York Post published a bombshell story about Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and the family’s alleged ties to Burisma, the Post remains blacklisted from Twitter for sharing the story. The newspaper has refused to delete its tweets linking to the stories, and Twitter has refused to relent on the Post‘s suspension, despite CEO Jack Dorsey admitting that blocking links on the platform is wrong.”

Free Speech in the USA… gone! Political dictatorship rules the media.

Trump’s Coronavirus Treatment

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 9:

“US President Donald Trump has been treated with an anti-COVID-19 drug developed with cells derived from fetal tissue. He called it a God-given miracle cure, but what will his anti-abortion supporters think?… Given the fierce resistance of the Trump administration to research involving fetal tissue, it seems extremely hypocritical that the US leader, who has widespread support from anti-abortion campaigners, has lauded REGN-COV2 as a heavenly gift

“Just last year, Trump cut federal funding for national research efforts into HIV and cancer treatments based on fetal tissue… In January, Trump spoke at the 47th March for Life, a Washington anti-abortion rally. There, he told activists ‘unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House’ and that ‘every child is a precious and sacred gift from God.’

“REGN-COV2 is not manufactured in human cells, but in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The effectiveness of the antibodies it contains, however, was tested on cells derived from kidney tissue taken from an abortion carried out in the Netherlands in the 1970s. This cell line, known as 293T, has been used in various research labs around the world. REGN-COV2 made use of these cells to produce so-called virus pseudoparticles: virus-like structures that contain the ‘spike’ protein of the deadly coronavirus. Only in this way was it possible to ascertain how effective the antibodies were against the virus…

The heated debate surrounding REGN-COV2 has once again put the spotlight on an important area of medical research that often uses cells originally derived from aborted fetuses, including during the development of vaccines. Regeneron has not denied using 293T, yet argues that the cells should not be considered ‘human’ tissue as they were grown in a lab… ‘”

Trump later said that he did not know what the doctors gave him…

Sharks to the Rescue for Coronavirus Vaccine?

Sky News wrote on September 28:

“Half a million sharks could be killed for their natural oil to produce coronavirus vaccines… One ingredient used in some COVID-19 vaccine candidates is squalene, a natural oil made in the liver of sharks… British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline currently uses shark squalene in flu vaccines. The company said it would manufacture a billion doses of this adjuvant for potential use in coronavirus vaccines in May.

“Around 3,000 sharks are needed to extract one tonne of squalene… If two doses are needed to immunise the global population, which is likely according to researchers, this would increase to half a million… Stefanie Brendl, founder and executive director of Shark Allies, said: ‘Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it’s a top predator that doesn’t reproduce in huge numbers…

“According to estimates made by conservationists, around three million sharks are killed every year for squalene, which is also used in cosmetics and machine oil….”

Sick!

Johnson & Johnson Pauses Covid-19 Vaccine Trial after ‘Unexplained Illness’”

CNN Health wrote on October 13:

“Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said Monday it has paused the advanced clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine because of an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers… ‘Adverse events — illnesses, accidents, etc. — even those that are serious, are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies.’…

“This is the second Phase 3 coronavirus vaccine trial to be paused in the US.  AstraZeneca’s vaccine trial was paused last month because of a neurological complication in a volunteer in Britain. While the trial resumed there and in other countries, it remains paused in the United States while the US Food and Drug Administration investigates…

“Johnson’s Phase 3 trial started in September. It’s one of six coronavirus vaccines being tested in the US, and one of four in the most advanced, Phase 3 stage…”

Safety is a big concern when a vaccine is finally available.

Britain’s Economic Pain

CNN Business wrote on October 16:

“The British economy has been pummeled by the pandemic. Now, with talks on a new trade deal with the European Union at risk of collapse, Johnson has to decide: Does he try to find common ground with Europe, or walk away? Britain already faces a tough 2021 as the country battles the twin shocks of coronavirus and Brexit. But failing to secure an agreement with the United Kingdom’s biggest export market would amplify the pain.

“Walking away empty-handed — which Johnson threatened to do on Friday — would create disruptions to trade when the transition period ends later this year, shaving more than $25 billion off the UK economy in 2021… That would put the country even further behind on its efforts to recover from the historic shock triggered by the pandemic…”

Britain’s economic downfall has been preordained.

“A Looming Disaster: Brexit Threatens to Become the Messiest of Messy Divorces”

Der Spiegel wrote on October 13:

“Essentially, the only choice now remaining is between an ugly divorce and an extremely ugly divorce… Significant damage has already been done. Since the British voted by a razor-thin margin to leave the European Union four years ago, trade between the UK and the EU has plunged. Prior to the Brexit vote, Britain was Germany’s third-largest export market, but it has since dropped to fifth place. At the same time, British exports to the Continent have sunk by 17 percent in just the first seven months of this year relative to the same time period one year ago…

“Should there be no deal… the government could be faced with having to send soldiers into the streets to maintain order, while the Navy would be sent out to prevent French fishing boats from encroaching on British waters. Because medications could get stuck at the border… there would be a danger of animal diseases spreading through the countryside. Across the country, one in 20 town halls could go broke, leaving millions of people without necessary financial support….

“Thus far, 5,000 officials have handled 50 million customs documents a year… After Brexit, there will be an increase of around 220 million declarations, meaning that the customs office would require tens of thousands of additional agents… Many EU haulers… could completely eliminate Britain from their schedules…”

This does not sound good for Britain. God is in the process of punishing Britain for their many sins.

Macron’s Threats

Express wrote on October 18:

“Emmanuel Macron reacted furiously to Boris Johnson’s claims that trade talks are ‘over’ between the UK and EU. Mr Macron has played hardball in the talks on fisheries, insisting on Thursday that French fishermen would ‘not be sacrificed’ for the sake of a deal. However, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal then French fishermen could face being banned from British waters.

“In response, the French President has signalled the EU would launch a devastating energy embargo against the UK unless Boris Johnson gives in on fisheries. Following the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Mr Macron told French radio that if the UK does not allow French fishermen in its waters, the EU would have to block the UK’s energy supplies to the European market. He suggested the right to fish in British waters was worth 650 million euros to EU fishermen, but that access to European energy markets was worth up to £2.3billion (€2.5bn) to the UK.”

YouTube Issues Warning to Ron Paul Institute

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 26:

YouTube… inexplicably removed our Ron Paul Liberty Report from 23 September, titled ‘Covid Whistleblowers Expose Narrative As ‘Total Fraud,'” and officially delivered a ‘warning’ to the Ron Paul Liberty Report You Tube channel. They claimed in the notice that the program… violated their ‘community guidelines’ regarding ‘spam, deceptive practices, and scams.’

“We are in danger of having our entire channel removed if we continue in these prohibited activities, they warned…

“Dr. Paul sent an appeal asking for specific clarification as to what in the program violated their ‘community standards.’… YouTube [answered that they] simply do not allow ‘content that explicitly disputes the efficacy of the World Health Organization’– a United Nations bureaucratic body that has absolutely no idea what to do about the Covid health problem. One week you must wear masks, the next week you don’t need them, etc. But don’t dare criticize them… the World Health Organization is not even led by a doctor, but by a violent Ethiopian communist politician

“It seems bizarre in what so many love to claim is the ‘freest country on earth’… that anyone challenging the prevailing mainstream media/US government narrative on Covid… must be silenced…”

And this in the land of the free?

Silencing a Minnesota Priest

Star Tribune wrote on September 25:

“Twin Cities priest… Robert Altier had delivered a 20-minute sermon Sept. 6, claiming COVID-19 was concocted in laboratories in the United States and China and that it was a ‘lie’ that tens of thousands of people are dying from it… Archbishop Bernard Hebda announced that he had spoken with Altier and told him such issues were not appropriate for a sermon

“Altier had argued that the virus was made in a lab, that a 2020 global pandemic preparation exercise revealed previous knowledge of the virus, that masks caused bacterial infections and that death figures were grossly inflated… The sermon, entitled ‘The Coronavirus: the Truth Revealed,’ has been pulled from the website of Altier’s church, the Church of St. Raphael in Crystal… Altier is a priest well-known among conservative Catholics…”

Some of his comments might be controversial or even far-fetched… others would not be… But still, he is not allowed to say these things in the Catholic Church? Sadly, this ungodly approach is even taken by some Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations.

Pope for Same-Sex Civil Unions

The Guardian wrote on October 21:

“Pope Francis has given his most explicit support to same-sex civil unions in a move that is likely to further enrage his conservative opponents in the Catholic church… He said: ‘Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family… What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.’…

“James Martin, a prominent Jesuit who has argued that the church should be more welcoming to LGBT people, wrote on Twitter: ‘Pope Francis’s support for same-sex civil unions is a major step forward in the church’s support of LGBTQ people. It is in keeping with his pastoral approach to LGBT people, including LGBT Catholics, and sends a strong signal to countries where the church has opposed such laws.’

“A spokesperson for António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations and a devout Catholic, said the pope’s comments were ‘a very positive move’…

“According to traditional church teaching, marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and the church has opposed legal recognition of same-sex unions. In 2003, a Vatican document set out why it was ‘necessary to oppose legal recognition of homosexual unions’ because they ‘obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage’. Pope Francis’s conservative opponents have been infuriated by statements that they regard as part of an effort to shift the church towards progressive values. Some have publicly attacked him, even accusing him of heresy.”

The Bible is clear that homosexual conduct is sinful.

Cuomo’s Anti-Semitic Attack on Religious Freedom

The Jerusalem Post wrote on October 16:

Catholics and Jews asked U.S. courts on Thursday to overturn New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order limiting worship to no more than 10 congregants in communities hard hit by the coronavirus, calling the measure a threat to religious freedom… In a 33-page complaint, laced with historical references to persecution, three Orthodox Jewish congregations told a U.S. District Court in Manhattan that Cuomo had outlawed ‘all but the most minimal communal religious worship.’…

“In the Catholic case, Bishop Raymond Chappetto… said weekly Mass was obligatory for Catholics and it was ‘absolutely essential’ that they be there in person.”

Israel 365 News added on October 14:

“Cuomo threatened to close synagogues. He did not threaten to close mosques. Nor did he display any pictures of mass Muslim religious gatherings. Instead, he found a photo of a Jewish funeral from 2006 to suggest that Jews were spreading the coronavirus… The differing treatment meted out to Orthodox Jewish and Shi’ite Muslim religious gatherings is a troubling demonstration of how anti-Semitism is baked into the intersectionality of the left.

In an almost conspiratorial fashion, the German government is contemplating limiting worship services to 10 people in attendance. It is also considering passing a law which would grant ambitious Health Minister Jens Spahn [who has now been allegedly tested positive for the coronavirus and went into strict isolation] unlimited sole autocratic powers to fight the coronavirus. Merkel also appealed to Germans to stay at home, if possible.

Jews Blamed for Coronavirus

Israel 365 News wrote on October 13:

“ABC News published an article on a forecast by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report was dire but even more shocking was the illustrative image which prominently featured Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews, implying that Jews, more than any other group, are responsible for the continuing pandemic… No studies have linked the spread of the coronavirus to Jewish communities nor have there been any studies showing that Jews, secular or religious, are especially hard-hit by the pandemic…

“There are many historical precedents for blaming Jews for pandemics but the worst case took place during the global Black Death pandemic in the 14th Century. During the Black Death in Europe from 1348 to 1351, Jews were blamed for the pandemic that killed over 100 million people, nearly half the population of Europe. This led to countless pogroms and at least 510 Jewish communities were destroyed in this period. In many cities, the civil authorities either did little to protect the Jewish communities or actually abetted the rioters. The pogroms motivated by the plague continued until 20 years after the plague disappeared.  These accusations were revived at the outbreak of the current pandemic by private citizens as well as governments.”

The truth is that the pandemic started in China and was exported from there into all the world. President Trump stated recently that the USA will not forget what China did to it.

“Masks Don’t Stop Coronavirus—’End the Lies’”

Israel 365 News wrote on October 17:

“In a growing sentiment against the use of masks, Dr Vladamir (Zev) Zelenko, the Ultra-orthodox Jewish physician who was famous for publicizing the use of Hydroxchloroquine against covid, now says that face masks are useless against the spread of coronavirus.

“In a tweet on Monday, the New York based doctor took to twitter exposing the truth about masks saying: ‘The government is trying to shut our mouths and cover our faces with masks. No basis in science. Covid-19 is around 0.1 microns. Masks block particles of more than 0.4 microns. In other words, masks don’t stop covid. End the tyranny and lies.’

“He then cited a study demonstrating the uselessness of masks blasting those who refuse to review the science and data recorded in the publication. [He] is in the midst of planning a class action lawsuit against Twitter for censoring his account…”

More and more studies have proven the utter uselessness and even danger of wearing masks.

Twitter Removes “Politically Incorrect” Statement on Masks

Fox News wrote on October 18:

“Twitter removed a tweet from top White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas for questioning the effectiveness of masks in combatting COVID-19. Atlas’ tweet read ‘Masks work? NO’ and preceded several others that questioned the use of face coverings in preventing the spread of the coronavirus… In a statement to the Hill, Twitter said the doctor’s tweet ‘was in violation of our COVID-19 Misleading Information Policy’ that ‘prohibits sharing false or misleading content related to COVID-19 which could lead to harm.’

“… The removal of Atlas’ tweet is the latest in a series of actions the company has taken to either remove or flag posts by members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, that it says are misleading or false when it comes to issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to the upcoming presidential election.

“Twitter’s removal of Atlas’ tweet is also not the first time the medical professional has run afoul of big tech. In September, a video of Atlas questioning the need for universal social distancing measures was removed from YouTube for violating community standards.

“Atlas, who supports a full reopening of the economy, filmed an in-depth interview with the Hoover Institution where he discussed the possibility of allowing natural immunities to control the virus. Atlas lashed out at the massive video platform during an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson – saying that YouTube was ‘censoring science.’ ‘It’s a disaster,’ Atlas said. ‘We’ve already seen the near obstruction of journalism. When you start censoring science you are removing fact, removing the basic way that we decide what is truth [and] what is not. This has been done I think historically in various countries and you know, we are sort of teetering on the edge of what is done in third world countries — the countries we used to be proudly distinguished from,’ Atlas said….”

Incredible, and this kind of censorship is very dangerous and mind-controlling… bordering on brainwashing gullible people.

And now… WHO AGAINST Lockdowns

BGR wrote on October 11:

“As recently as July, the World Health Organization was still scaring people around the world… by saying that ‘total lockdown’ might be needed to nip the COVID-19 pandemic in the bud in some places…

“The WHO was warning countries at that point that they should only very ‘slowly’ come out of any coronavirus lockdown they’d imposed, and that every nation around the world needed to answer the ‘fundamental question’ for itself as to when and how (and whether) there might be a need for another future lockdown period…

“[The WHO’s] new position on lockdowns as a means of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is quite different — and will come as cold comfort to anyone who was lucky enough to have avoided the virus but whose life has been wrecked by the ensuing lockdowns and their follow-on effects. Not only is the WHO now sounding a warning about the negative effects associated with too-harsh lockdowns, which have wrecked businesses and livelihoods in countless cities, states, and countries — but a WHO official in a new interview is actively recommending against them.

“Dr. David Nabarro, a ‘special envoy’ of the WHO’s director-general, said in an interview with the British magazine The Spectator that restrictions like lockdowns should really only be a last resort — if even that… ‘Too many restrictions damage people’s livelihoods and provoke resentment…’

“One of the only things these coronavirus lockdowns are really good at, Nabarro told The Spectator, is ‘making poor people an awful lot poorer.’ It may even be that we see a doubling of world poverty next year, he lamented.”

But through unconscionable recommendations by the WHO and the ridiculous restrictions of ignorant governmental officials, millions upon millions of lives have been destroyed. And the panic-stricken nonsense is still ongoing.

Fear vs. Faith… No Lockdown in South Dakota

Just the News wrote on September 27:

“South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has declined to lock down her state amid the coronavirus pandemic even as other government leaders around the nation issued restrictions that significantly throttled the U.S. economy. She said that she listened both to health officials and to individuals who informed her about the bounds of her gubernatorial authorities. ‘I know that when you have a leader overstep their authority in a time of crisis, that’s really when you lose this country. And I didn’t want to be guilty of doing that… So I never issued a shelter-in-place, I never closed a business. I didn’t even define an essential business … because I don’t have the authority to do that.’’

“Noem remarked that she spoke ‘with governors on conference calls all over this country about that and they had some of the same information that I had yet made completely different decisions.’ She said that she believes fear played a key role during the beginning of the pandemic, though more recently politics have been involved. During conference calls earlier during the coronavirus crisis… she found that fear was driving people’s actions… ‘I was shocked and amazed by how fear controlled people and how emotional that they were. And to me it indicated that in this country we’ve lost faith and the steadfast promise of God’s faithfulness in our life every day has real consequences. If you don’t have that in your life then your emotions and fear can control you and make you not have the discernment and the wisdom that you need in a time of crisis.’

“The South Dakota governor also said that no evidence supports the notion that severe restrictions help to protect the public health. ‘So, I know they all have the ability to say that they’re making these decisions to protect public health, but there is no science that proves that what they’re doing works,’ Noem said. ‘There is no expert that says these extreme measures that these states are taking and that the data behind it, that it is appropriate. So they are taking extremely restrictive actions to impact their people. And I’m concerned about what that does long term…’ She said that Americans must defend their religious liberty, which has been attacked amid the pandemic… ‘we have directly seen in many of these states where they have allowed other gatherings yet restricted those who want to go to church and worship together.’”

Even though there has been no lockdown in South Dakota and many restrictions are “recommended,” it was observed that fear also reigns among the people and businesses there, with some shops and restaurants mandating the wearing of masks and social distancing. Satan, the author of fear, is having a field day everywhere, and ministers and members in some Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations are no exception.

California’s Exodus and Demise

ZeroHedge wrote on October 11:

“California may be the most populous state in the Union, but it could transform into the exodus capital of America… Growth has slowed close to zero or even declined in most coastal counties… [Studies] have found that poorer households are more likely to flee than their affluent counterparts. But considering the policing being proposed or enacted, it is safe to say that the wealthy have no reason to be some of the left-behinds…

“Newsom recently signed an executive order that phases out the sale of all gasoline-powered automobiles by 2035the measure will certainly push consumers to switch to the heavily subsidized electric vehicle market… Newsom also endorsed a ban on petroleum fracking…  he urged the California Legislature to adopt prohibitions or restrictions on fracking. This could potentially impact the more than 360,000 people who are employed in the oil and gas sector.

“Despite being one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the world, California is mirroring Venezuela by enduring rolling blackouts. Although local left-leaning politicians and the mainstream press will allude to the widespread wildfires as evidence of climate change, it has been years of gross negligence contributing to the disaster…

“Not only is California going through power shortages but [it is] also suffering a government-induced water shortageresidents can face fines of up to $500 per day if they take a long shower… And, worse, this is all in addition to the plethora of Coronavirus restrictions Newsom and his pals at the local level have introduced over the last six months….”

California is indeed at the brink of total destruction.

Dangerous Anti-Semitism in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on October 16:

The Jerusalem Post can report the first US government criticism of three German MPs who are involved in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) activities targeting Israel and are on the advisory board of a group urging the destruction of Israel

“The three allegedly pro-BDS supporters are Omid Nouripour (The Green Party), Aydan Özoguz (Social Democratic Party) and Christine Buchholz (The Left Party).”

In spite of lip services to the contrary, many Germans, including politicians, are deeply anti-Semitic.

Jihad a “Personal Obligation”

Israel 365 News wrote on October 14:

“Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Hussein said that Islamic law obligates Muslims to ‘fight against the thieving Jews.’

“According to a report published on Monday by Palestinian Media Watch, in a Sept. 18 interview with Palestinian Authority TV, Hussein stressed that ‘if an inch of the Muslims’ lands is stolen, jihad ‎becomes a personal religious commandment for everyone.’

“The P.A. defines ‎the State of Israel as stolen Islamic land (waqf), an ‎inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, according to PMW. Therefore, said Hussein, Shariah law prohibits Palestinians from recognizing Israel, within any borders, and commands that every Muslim has a personal duty to ‎wage war against the Jewish state until the ‘Muslim’ land is freed.”

There will never be a lasting peace agreement between Israel and many Arab states, prior to Christ’s return.

Erdogan: Jerusalem Is Our City!

Israel 365 News wrote on October 4:

“‘In this city that we had to leave in tears during the First World War, it is still possible to come across traces of the Ottoman resistance. So Jerusalem is our city, a city from us,’ Erdogan said. ‘Our first qibla [direction of prayer in Islam] [towards] al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are the symbolic mosques of our faith…’

“The American Jewish Committee responded to Erdogan’s claim to Jerusalem noting that the Muslim occupation of Judaism’s holiest site ended with the Ottoman empire. ‘So were Cairo, Athens, Budapest, Bucharest — and many more — at the height of the Ottoman Empire,’ the AJC tweeted. ‘But this is 2020… Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.’”

According to the Bible, Turkey will participate in a cruel war against Israel and Jerusalem.

The Temple Will Be Built on the Ruins of Al-Aqsa

Israel 365 News wrote on October 11:

“Sheikh Ekrima Sa’id Sabri, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem appointed by Yasser Arafat and the current head of the Temple Mount Islamic council, warned that Israel has been successful in marketing the ‘Zionist narrative’ that the Al Aqsa Mosque is situated on land that was once part of the Jewish Temple… In this statement, Sabri is incorrectly using the term ‘Al Aqsa’ to refer to the entire Temple Mount rather than just the silver-domed mosque at the southern end of the Temple Mount complex… According to Sabri, this illusion was built around a false narrative that ‘Palestine’ was the land that Jews had a right to, and that the Temple will be built on the ruins of the Al-Aqsa Mosque

“Dr. Kedar… a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University, explained. ‘Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are at the epicenter of the Palestinian story. Without Jerusalem and Al Aqsa, the Palestinian issue has almost no meaning… This is why they keep repeating the allegation that the Jews have no connection to the Temple Mount or Jerusalem even though this flies in the face of all recorded history.’”

A Third Temple will be built on the Temple Mount, prior to Christ’s return.

In this context, the following was reported by Israel 365 News on September 29:

“Rabbi Yehuda Glick…  a former Member of Knesset for the Likud Party, is considering running for the position of President of Israel. The position of president is largely ceremonial, becoming significant after national elections. Presidents are elected by an absolute majority in the Knesset by secret ballot and serve a seven-year term. Any Israeli resident citizen is eligible to run for President…The current president, Reuven Rivlin, assumed office in July 2014 so it is assumed he will complete his term in the summer of 2021…

“Frequently mislabeled a religious extremist, Rabbi Glick advocates opening the Temple Mount on an equal footing to prayer by Muslims, Jews, Christians, and others. For his efforts, Rabbi Glick was awarded the 2015 Moskowitz Prize for Zionism for being ‘Active for human rights and religious freedom on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount’… In October 2014, an Arab on a motorcycle approached Rabbi Glick after he gave a speech at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, shooting him four times at point-blank range. Rabbi Glick survived the assassination attempt, the assassin, a member of Islamic Jihad, was later killed trying to escape from police.”

Rabbi Glick is also a strong supporter of the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount.   

Why all of Merkel’s Partners End up Being Destroyed

The conservative paper, Die Welt, wrote on September 25:

“First, the Chancellor crushed the FDP, now the SPD… Merkel is going to have to face questions about why all her partners end up being destroyed.

“There is only one people’s party left in Germany, and that is the Union (CDU). But even the CDU, led by Merkel, and its sister party in Bavaria are pretty broken after four years of grand coalition… For the SPD it has proved disastrous… So there won’t be another grand coalition. The SPD isn’t up for it. And rightly so…

“Let us turn now to the winners: the politicians of the AfD, who will now have up to 100 members of parliament… The AfD is the classic protest party, but it is also the product of a Union that is only too happy to absorb and integrate red-green positions… That Merkel’s refugee policy was never attacked by the left-wing opposition in the Bundestag proved… disastrous…”

Merkel was also largely responsible for the downfall of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU), stabbing him in the back, as many claim. Merkel is right now nothing more than a lame duck. Some are preparing for taking her helm. At this point, according to ntv, dated October 9, Jens Spahn is the most popular candidate in Merkel’s party. He is also openly gay. In an interview with Domradio, dated October 9, he said that God made him so for a reason, and that there is no contradiction between being Catholic, conservative and gay, adding that the Catholic rituals of the “holy Roman church” give him support in his daily life. It will be interesting to see who is going to succeed Merkel, and whether he could be a candidate for the “beast” mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The time is ripe for sure.

European Imperialism Preparing for War

Newsclick wrote on October 12:

“For the ruling circles in Germany, it was Franz Josef Strauss (a right-wing politician) who formulated the position as early as the 1970s that Germany has its own military-political interests and, if necessary, should be able to conduct operations even if they do not correspond to the interests of the United States… For this scenario, Germany needs its own armed forces… Thus, Germany is seeking this alliance within Europe through building an EU army.

“A European Army has been a demand for 15 or 20 years now… PESCO, the Permanent Structured Cooperation, of which 25 of 28 countries are members, as a strategy, is …to build this army of Europeans step by step from the bottom-up with small projects. For example, common ambulance trains or joint projects in the logistics sector are being set up or certain armament projects are being pushed forward. All this is taking place within the framework of PESCO, and it is unspectacular. No one reports on a German-Hungarian ambulance train. This does not cross the threshold to get into a major daily newspaper or the television news. But it is taking place!… Countries taking part in PESCO, and that is de facto all of them, must be prepared to support the wars that will come – that’s the objective of this project. Germany is indeed the leader at PESCO… [While] PESCO – being a German project – receives some attention within the German press at least, the second European Intervention Initiative, works differently and is not reported on at all as an actual deliberate project.

“A dozen European countries are now participating, and they are not doing training like ambulance trains and joint armament projects. Instead, they orient their existing armed forces towards joint operations. What is already taking place today – such as joint situation analyses and at least thinking through joint deployment scenarios – is thus geared towards rapid joint deployment. The model for this is the war in Libya in 2011, which, with the support of the USA and the participation of other armed forces, was ultimately led primarily by France and Great Britain. And they did not set up a bilateral alliance for years to come, but quickly threw their lot together and learned how to wage war together in practice.

European imperialism is on the march and preparing for war…”

And so it is, but the world is too blind to recognize it… ntv reported on October 13 in an article, titled “Bundeswehr Probt Atomkrieg” (“Bundeswehr rehearses Nuclear War”) that the German army is participating in at least two NATO maneuvers in Germany (called “Steadfast Noon” and “Resilient Guard”) to prepare for nuclear war. Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are also participating.

Germany’s Military Presence in Lithuania

Modern Diplomacy wrote on October 18:

“The German Air Force is setting up a Deployable Control and Reporting Centre (DCRC) at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, supplemented by additional sub-elements at Skede, Latvia and Ämari, Estonia…  Germany is Lithuania’s principal ally and a cornerstone guarantee of security and stability in Europe… Germany is also an active participant of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States…

“Germany is the framework nation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group deployed for deterrence and defence purposes in Rukla since early 2017, and has the largest portion of troops there…

“Generally, the Baltic States are now on the front line of the increasing tension between NATO and the Russian Federation…  Russia might escalate the situation and even could use nuclear weapons. In addition, Ambiguous Nuclear Doctrines in NATO’s and Russia’s nuclear policies create the potential for deliberate escalation. Thus, a potential conflict between NATO and Russia could provoke not only the use of conventional weapons, but also nuclear weapons.”

Germany’s military involvement should not be underestimated, even though it is generally ignored or even ridiculed.

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.

This Week in the News

EU Coalitions of the Willing or Core Europe Needed

Carnegie Europe wrote on September 17:

“The EU is clearly at its strongest and most convincing and has the most global impact when the twenty-seven countries speak with one voice but also really act together. That’s the nice theory. The reality is different… EU coalitions of the willing—and decisions by qualified majority voting—are inevitable. They are also essential if Europe is to matter in this challenging post-pandemic environment and not be relegated to the role of passive bystander…

“… a second administration by U.S. President Donald Trump would definitely uproot any resemblance of U.S.-European special relationship, dismantling NATO, cozying up to Putin, pointlessly feuding with China, and pushing for a Middle East settlement with no role for EU diplomacy.”

As Trump WILL stay in office, the US-EU relationship WILL deteriorate even more… This, in turn, means that a core Europe WILL develop soon which will give its power and authority to the “beast.” Then, Europe will NOT be a passive bystander in the Middle East… just the opposite.

Europe Knows that USA Is Right, but Does not Want to Support it

 Newsmax wrote on September 20:

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday lamented Europe isn’t on board with the United States in its effort to stop arms sales by Iran. In an interview on Fox News… Pompeo asserted ‘they know we are right’ in wanting to extend the international arms embargo on Iran…

“‘They tell us privately we don’t want the arm sales to come back and they put it in the letter they are very concerned about these sales but they haven’t lifted a finger and done the work that needs to be done,’ he said… ‘They are still wedded to this silly nuclear deal that was signed now five years ago.’”

But the EU does not care about who is right or wrong, as long as they can oppose Trump and cowardly kneel to Iran. Note the next article.

Germany, France and UK Oppose USA

The Guardian wrote on September 20:

“European leaders have warned the US that its claim to have the authority to reimpose sweeping UN-mandated sanctions on Iran has no effect in law, setting up a major legal clash that could lead to Washington imposing sanctions on its European allies. In a joint statement on Sunday, France, Germany and the UK (E3) said any attempt by the US to impose its own sanctions on countries not complying with the reimposed UN ones was also legally void.

“On Saturday, the US moved to reinstate a range of UN sanctions against Iran, saying it had the authority to do so as an original signatory of the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and other major powers. The other signatories claim the US left the JCPOA in 2018 and therefore no longer has a unilateral legal right to either declare Iran in breach of the agreement or to reimpose sanctions in the name of the UN.

“The dispute leaves the US at loggerheads with much of the world on whether UN sanctions have been reimposed. The disagreement is not just a legal wrangle since the Trump administration claims the US now has the authority to act against any country breaching the reimposed sanctions. The US also claims the scheduled lifting of the UN embargo on arms sales to Iran in October is null and void. There is also a risk that the US will claim it has a new mandate to interdict Iranian shipping, a move that could lead to a naval clash in the Gulf.”

This conflict is bound to become a major escalation between the USA and much of the world.

Controlling US Tech Giants

Business Insider wrote on September 20:

“The EU is looking to give itself sweeping new powers to crack down on US tech giants, EU commissioner Thierry Breton revealed… [saying] the new powers the EU is seeking include punitive measures such as forcing tech companies to break off and sell their European operations should their market dominance grow too large.

“Another massive penalty being considered is that the EU could boot tech firms out of the European single market altogether. Breton said these measures would only be used in extreme circumstances, but did not elaborate on what would qualify as extreme… ‘There is a feeling from end-users of these platforms that they are too big to care… We need better supervision for these big platforms…’

“Alongside these powers is a proposed rating system which would give companies scores on categories including tax compliance and how quickly they take down illegal content. The proposals have not yet been finalized, and once they’re submitted, they will have to be approved by the European Parliament and the European Council. Breton said the first draft of the new laws would be ready by the end of this year.

“Europe isn’t the only place where Silicon Valley is facing increased regulation. President Donald Trump is trying to…  weaken legal protections currently afforded to internet companies under a US law [which] protects companies from being liable for illegal content posted by users, and gives them broad powers to moderate their platforms.”

As we mentioned before, these tech giants have no constitutional mandate to protect free speech. But governmental intrusion to compel them to take down illegal content might be equally problematic, depending on how governments define “illegal” content.

Belarus and “Brotherly” Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 17:

“Embattled Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said troops would be pulled from the street to guard its borders with EU countries. ‘We are compelled to withdraw our troops from the streets, have half our army on guard and close our state border with the West, first of all with Lithuania and Poland,’ said Lukashenko. ‘To our greatest regret, we are compelled to strengthen our border with brotherly Ukraine.’…

“On Friday, nearly 30 countries issued a joint statement calling on Belarusian authorities to end internet blackouts…”

Still, Ukraine and Belarus will become part of or at least supporters of Russia, in opposition to the EU.

Thousands of Brits May Lose their Bank Accounts in Europe

The Guardian wrote on September 21:

“Thousands of Britons living in the EU will have their UK bank accounts closed by the end of the year because of the UK’s failure to agree [to] a post-Brexit trade deal. Lloyds, Barclays and Coutts have informed retail and business customers that they will lose their accounts before or when the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December and more banks are expected to follow suit. Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, has contacted its 13,000 customers in the Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany, Ireland and Portugal, warning them they must make alternative arrangements as the bank is no longer allowed to offer services…

“Last week, the Dutch National Bank confirmed that UK banks will no longer be able to provide current or savings accounts to retail customers in the Netherlands.”

The separation between the EU and the UK becomes bigger.

Hyperactive Atlantic Hurricane Season

The Week wrote on September 19:

“Tropical Storm Beta formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday night right after Tropical Storm Wilfred and Subtropical Storm Alpha in the Atlantic, marking the first time since certainly 1953 — when storms were first named — and possibly 1893 that three new storms were named in one day. There have been 23 named storms during the 2020 hurricane season.

“Because the World Meteorological Organization skips the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z, forecasters officially ran out of planned names for the season with Winifred, forcing them to turn to the Greek alphabet. It’s only the second time that the Atlantic hurricane season has made it through the alphabet and the earliest that has happened as well, underscoring this year’s hyperactivity. Winifred is expected to fizzle out before hitting land, Alpha is headed toward Europe, and Beta could become a Hurricane that poses a serious threat to the Texas coast.”

Newsmax wrote on September 20:

“Tropical Storm Beta on Sunday was making a slow crawl to the shores of Texas and Louisiana, casting worries about heavy rain, flooding and storm surge across the Gulf Coast. Beta was one of three named storms whirling in the Atlantic basin during an exceptionally busy hurricane season. If the system makes landfall in Texas — which forecasters predict it will sometime Monday — it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. Colorado State hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said that would tie a record set in 1916.”

Who can honestly deny the fact that the USA IS cursed?

Fierce Battle over US Supreme Court Looms

Reuters and The Algemeiner wrote on September 19:

“A fierce political battle was shaping up on Saturday over the future of the US Supreme Court after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with Democrats opposing any move by President Donald Trump to nominate a replacement this late in an election year.

“Ginsburg, the senior liberal justice, died on Friday night at age 87 of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer after 27 years on the court. Her death gives Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 3, a chance to expand the court’s conservative majority to 6-3 at a time of a gaping political divide in America… Supreme Court appointments require Senate confirmation, and Trump’s fellow Republicans control the chamber, holding 53 seats of the 100 seats. Democrats lack the votes to block any Trump nominee unless some Republican senators join them.

“With the assistance of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has made confirmation of Trump’s federal judicial nominees a top priority, the president potentially could announce a nominee and move rapidly through the confirmation process, which usually takes at least two months… McConnell pledged that the Senate would vote on any Trump nominee…

“Conservative activists for years have sought to get enough votes on the Supreme Court to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to appoint justices who would overturn that decision. But the court in July, even with its conservative majority, struck down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law on a 5-4 vote…”

After Jewish Justice Ginsberg’s death on the Feast of Trumpets, Trump said Republicans have the “obligation” to move forward with the selection of a new Supreme Court Justice “without delay.” Trump announced that he will nominate a woman by this weekend. After Mitt Romney announced that he will vote for the nomination, enough Republican votes in the Senate have been secured so that Trump’s victory of getting a new conservative judge is assured.

House Approves Stopgap Measure to Avoid Shutdown

The Week wrote on September 23:

“The House passed a stopgap funding bill on Tuesday with a 359-57 vote, averting a government shutdown after the budget year ends on Sept. 30. This measure, which keeps federal agencies running through Dec. 11, is expected to pass in the Senate. It includes Agriculture Department subsidies for farmers and ranchers, which was pushed by the Trump administration, as well as food aid for poor families whose children cannot get free or reduced lunches due to schools being closed, something House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requested. In addition to keeping agencies funded, the measure also extends health programs, as well as federal flood insurance and highway and transit programs.”

Anarchist Jurisdictions in New York City, Portland and Seattle

The Daily Mail wrote on September 21:

“The Justice Department declared New York City, Portland, and Seattle as ‘anarchist jurisdictions’ that can have federal funding ripped away for failing to clamp down on violence according to its criteria. It listed the three cities as among those ‘that have permitted violence and destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activity.’

“The designation comes with billions of dollars in federal funding at stake, following President Donald Trump’s order to make the designations amid violence and property damage that occurred during a summer of protests…”

Democrats cry foul, but are they blind towards what is going on in these cities under their rule?

Biden’s Incredible Screw-Ups… or Lies….

MSN wrote on September 20:

“Speaking Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, the former vice president said 200 million people will die from the coronavirus ‘probably by the time I finish this talk.’ Either that or he said 200 million have died already from the pandemic. It is not clear exactly what he meant to say. What is clear is that Biden said the COVID-19 death toll in the United States is somewhere in the millions. It is not…

“Biden almost certainly meant to say that 200 million have died already from the coronavirus, not that 200 million likely died in the time that it took for him to deliver his address in Philadelphia. But, man alive, that is not much of a defense. Biden’s number is nowhere near close to being accurate. As of this writing, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. stands at 199,479… Biden is off by a magnitude of 199,800,521. Missed it by that much.

“The question now is whether Biden’s estimate is a simple screw-up or an intentional falsehood. Given how badly he botched his reading of his prepared remarks, it seems more likely the Democratic nominee merely made a mistake when he said ‘million’ instead of ‘thousand.’ After all, he did get the ‘200’ part right.

“Then again… Biden tends to overstate estimates. Badly. Biden claimed earlier this year during a visit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that 120 million people had died from the coronavirus. Not even close. Earlier than that, the Democratic nominee claimed 150 million Americans have been killed by gun violence since 2007. Again, that is not even close to being true. There is also the fact that Biden has a long, long history of exaggerating, embellishing, and outright lying.

“Did Biden intentionally lie Sunday? Probably not. It was probably an honest gaffe… is more likely that along with everything else he screwed up during his address, he simply bungled the COVID-19 death toll. But that is what happens when one tells as many lies as Biden has. Even honest screw-ups must be handled with suspicion.”

We know that Trump lies. We also know that Biden lies. What a choice for voters…

Nobel Peace Prize for Trump?

The Hill wrote on September 19:

“President Trump ‘has broken a 39-year streak of American presidents either starting a war or bringing the United States into an international armed conflict.’ The Norwegian official who said that, in nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, minced no words about why the president should win it.

“Trump’s Peace Prize nomination has yet again killed expertise. For decades, the self-proclaimed experts have peddled solutions that never worked. Now, while the president brokers historic peace deals in a region where 4,500 American military members died, the experts propose cancelling the Peace Prize. Instead, if the Nobel committee fails to award the Peace Prize to Trump next month, the Peace Prize will end itself. ‘For his merit,’ said the Norwegian official of Trump, ‘I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees.’

“No doubt that is true. Certainly, Trump has created more peace than 1994 winner Yasser Arafat — and more than the 2009 winner, then-President Obama, who relied heavily on foreign policy experts to downgrade America’s preeminence in world affairs.  Foreign policy experts countered former President Reagan in his fight against communism. They opposed Reagan at every turn; he ignored them and won the Cold War…

“Trump campaigned on promising to end our ‘forever’ wars… His agenda was clear. His goals were unpopular with foreign policy experts but popular with the families of our military members, not to mention with taxpayers. Why pay for no discernible progress in Iraq and Afghanistan while our own infrastructure crumbles at home?…”

Even the EU received the peace prize in 2012. This is something to contemplate…

California Discriminates against Churches

Newsmax wrote on September 20:

“Democrat leadership in California has gone so far in overreaching its ‘authority’ on pandemic restrictions, churches are forced to crusade to get their rights back… according to San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone…

“‘The government really has no authority to tell us whether or not we can worship,’ he said. ‘They have no authority to tell us whether or not we’re essential. They have no authority to tell us what forms of worship are essential and which are not… Religious freedom is a fundamental right; it’s protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. It’s not given by the First Amendment; it’s protected by the First Amendment.’

“San Francisco is not respecting the rights of its constituents, and is ‘absolutely targeting’ people of faith, he added. ‘… They are discriminating against us…’ People of faith need to rise up against the Democrat leaders doing it, he concluded. ‘I sense that people are getting really fed up…’”

There can be no doubt about this. Note the next article.

Political and Legal Persecution of California Church Continues

Patch wrote on September 13:

“Grace Community Church in Sun Valley held a packed morning service Sunday, defying a court order directing them to refrain from holding indoor services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pastor John MacArthur prefaced the service by complaining about the many health measures required by local and state authorities to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

“‘The question has come up a number of times about why Grace Church does not just comply with the orders that have been laid down for churches, and I thought it might be helpful to give you the list of things that are required of us as a church, so that you understand how utterly impossible that would be,’ MacArthur said. He then read a long list of requirements, occasionally drawing laughter from parishioners at rules about parking, restroom protocols and social distancing. MacArthur said following all the rules would ‘completely shut the church down.’

“… On Thursday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order directing the church to refrain from holding indoor services, saying there’s an ‘immediate threat to public health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.’ Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff also directed Grace Community Church to mandate that congregation members wear masks and practice physical distancing if the house of worship decides to hold outdoor services. Beckloff heard arguments on Los Angeles County’s motion for a preliminary injunction on Sept. 4, then took the case under submission before ruling. Both he and Judge James Chalfant had collectively denied the county’s four previous bids for a temporary restraining order, but Beckloff said this time, the county had ‘demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits’ of its claims…

“Church attorney Charles LiMandri said there will be an appeal… ‘The coronavirus is dying out,’ LiMandri said, while maintaining that the massive protests that came after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked the rise in cases, not people going to church. ‘They are targeting the church, they don’t go after the protesters,’ LiMandri said…”

That extremely left-wing California is targeting and discriminating against Christian churches is obvious. A movement has begun to recall Governor Newsom, but the question is, who would replace him? California has not been very fortunate with having a somewhat competent governor, Ronald Reagan being a notable exception. Arnold Schwarzenegger did not deliver what he had promised, and subsequently lost even more credibility due to his long-lasting infidelity and his ridiculous support of wearing masks, self-isolation and house arrests, and other California governors turned out to be corrupt.

To be clear, such illegal persecution is happening all over the world. Let’s take Germany as another example where constitutional rights are trampled underfoot. As Focus reported on September 22, a superior court judge from the state of North Rhine – Westphalia,  Thorsten Schleiff, voiced strongly his opposition to German politics, seriously infringing on fundamental constitutional rights of millions of citizens due to coronavirus measures, claiming that the courts should have prevented this but that many of his colleagues were too fearful and “panic-stricken” to do so. He is absolutely right.

The Peace Deal Mirage

EricMargolis.com wrote on September 21:

“The Trump administration… just manufactured its own news by confecting a ‘peace’ deal between Israel and a bunch of… Arab monarchies… The Gulf monarchies – the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – that signed this agreement are so frightened of neighboring Iran that they would happily have opted for Israeli rule…

“Few Americans could find these little sheikdoms on a map. But many evangelical voters… will think the Trump administration has achieved a major feat by supposedly bringing peace to the Holy Land…

“The United Arab Emirates, population just under 10 million, is only 10% Arab. The rest of its people are mainly Indians and Pakistani…

“As for peace in the Mideast, recall the biting words of Roman historian Tacitus, ‘where they make a desert they call it peace.’…”

… and a mirage it IS…

New Lockdowns… Insane!

The Times of Israel wrote on September 17:

“Israel will become the world’s first country to reimpose [a second] lockdown on Friday… Scheduled to last for at least three weeks, the imminent national closure has been met with fury by many Israelis,… decrying the economic consequences, and devastated at the idea of the Jewish holiday season confined within 500 meters of their homes.

“In an address to the nation on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted not only that the lockdown is necessary, but that around the world, other governments will also face the decision of whether to impose new nationwide lockdowns, ‘and most of them in my opinion will have no choice but to do so.’  By contrast, opposition leader Yair Lapid is adamant. The lockdown, he says, ‘is an admission of failure. The citizens are being punished because the government failed.’ Lapid called it a ‘death blow to the Israeli economy,’ and predicted that it won’t save lives…

Doctors are divided as to whether the coming lockdown is actually the solution with the best chance of success… It’s telling that official notices of lockdown rules don’t feature a firm end date. The ‘three week lockdown’ could wind up lasting much longer.”

And so, Satan is vigorously pursuing his goal of imprisoning the entire world, knowing that this is his fate when Christ returns.

Israel Is Getting Mad

The Times of Israel wrote on September 20:

“Police on Sunday afternoon said they had handed out 2,802 fines over the past day for various infractions of lockdown rules and other coronavirus regulations…

“Police said the majority of fines, 2,044, were given to people who ventured out over a kilometer from their homes without valid cause. Another 629 were given for failure to wear masks, 37 were handed out for breaking quarantine, 30 were given to businesses or other locations that opened against the rules, and other small numbers for various offenses.”

This IS insane autocratic dictatorship!

Sleepwalking into a Second Lockdown

The Daily Mail published on September 19 an article by Professor Karol Sikora:

“Britain is now in grave danger of sleepwalking into a second national lockdown. The consequences of doing so would be disastrous. We find ourselves in this wretched position partly because the Government’s main achievement since the pandemic first emerged in China has not been suppressing the virus or saving lives or the economy, but in spreading irrational fear… The disruption to family life caused by the summer lockdown, and the new restrictions imposed since then, have demoralised and isolated many. Their fear has been compounded by the actions of a Government that is not in charge of events, buffeted by the conflicting advice of scientists

“… a return to a blanket lockdown is the last thing we should be contemplating if we are serious about the nation’s mental and physical well-being. We simply cannot afford to panic… the vast majority of those currently testing positive for Covid are experiencing mild symptoms and remain in good overall health. The other point to remember is that the terrible death toll Britain suffered in the spring was due largely to the grotesque error of clearing hospitals of elderly patients and sending them, untested, into care homes… Not a single young child has died in the UK from Covid without some other serious pre-existing condition… anyone under 50 is more likely to die in a car crash than from the virus

My field is cancer. I make no apology for highlighting that 30,000 extra cancer deaths will soon emerge thanks to delays in doctors picking up symptoms and in patients being referred for scans and tests. Tragically, these people are doomed to die, though many of them do not know it yet. Many will be thirty or forty years younger than the vast majority of those dying of Covid. And it’s not just cancer: Roughly 100,000 people suffer a stroke every year. This year, almost one third of sufferers have put off seeking treatment during the pandemic, delaying the use of vital blood-thinning drugs that limit the long-term damage caused by a stroke…”

On September 20, BBC news gave the number of deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours and in small print below it read: “Deaths for any reason within 28 days of a positive test.” Now that’s interesting: Someone has a positive test and dies of cancer, a heart attack or a road accident within 28 days of the test and it counts as a coronavirus death! This is just plain dishonest and whipping up fear!

Express added on September 20:

“Boris Johnson announced new strict rules on Saturday which will see heavy penalties ushered in for rule-breakers. As of September 28, anyone caught ignoring the rules risks incurring a £1,000 fine while repeat offenders could be fined up to £10,000

“Asked if people should be forced to fork out £10,000 for failing to quarantine themselves,… 57 percent… said yes. While… 42 percent… said Britons should not face such a hefty penalty. Only… one percent… of respondents said they didn’t know.”

That would mean, the majority of panic-driven manipulated Brits have gotten totally mad…

More Dangerous Nonsense from the UK

The Sun wrote on September 21:

“Boris Johnson [announced] a 10pm closing time for pubs… Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster said that people would be BANNED from mixing with other households inside… The clampdown will see pubs and restaurants shut down by patrols – and groups could be broken up and fined…

“First Minister Nicola Sturgeon… faces a backlash as ministers fear a second lockdown will kill the economy… People in the North and Midlands are already banned from visiting others in their homes or gardens, or hanging out with people they don’t live with in pubs and restaurants… This also means people who don’t live together can’t meet their lovers either…

“Wales also revealed today four new areas will face local lockdowns from tomorrow night, it was confirmed today… People can’t leave the area without a good reason – such as school or work… people will not be allowed to socialise with ANY friends and family outside of their own households either – inside or outside. That includes public places like pubs and parks, but also inside private homes and gardens too… Those measures could be seen across the nation.”

Boris Johnson also said his new measures might have to last for 6 months, and that “significantly greater restrictions” could be slapped on the country. He also said that the army could be used to help police enforce his restrictions. Britain will NEVER recover from this economic destruction. There have been enough studies and articles by now proving that such serious measures and lockdowns don’t work and are dangerous. Willful ignorance does not protect against or prevent disaster.

England and Sweden… a Comparison

Global Research wrote on September 20:

… both countries were showing a slight decline in deaths over the last five years… less people were dying in Sweden than England… [within a] few months into 2020 (when the lockdowns began) both countries saw a sudden and sharp rise in deaths; but England’s peak was at least twice that of Sweden. Clearly a higher percentage of people have dropped dead in England than Sweden.

“Sweden of course had very little containment measures in place. Social distancing was done on a volunteer basis. There was no lockdown. Nursing homes were belatedly put into quarantine. England, on the other hand, went into full lockdown mode with police drones trailing joggers with a timer clicking away their allotted exercise ration…

“Sweden’s lack of restrictions did not hurt its population. The country’s winter death toll was not much higher than in 2015, 2017 and 2018. On the other hand, despite lockdown, masks and a social distancing police state, England saw about double the number of deaths it usually sees at that time of the year…

“As studies have shown, there are many reasons to conclude that locking people up, scaring them out of their minds and destroying their livelihood is quite harmful to their health.”

The Sun reported on September 22 that “lockdown-free Sweden [is] ‘on the brink of beating Covid after achieving herd immunity.’”

Wall Street Hits New Low

Newsmax wrote on September 21:

“Wall Street’s main indexes hit their lowest in nearly seven weeks on Monday as concerns about fresh coronavirus-driven lockdowns and a stalemate in Congress over more fiscal stimulus raised fears about another hit to the domestic economy… Wall Street has tumbled in the past three weeks as investors dumped heavyweight technology-related stocks…

“Another round of business restrictions will threaten a nascent recovery in the wider economy and add further pressure on equity markets, analysts said. The first round of lockdowns in March had led the S&P 500 to suffer its worst monthly decline since the global financial crisis.”

The evil consequences of ill-conceived lockdowns…

Spahn Speaks against Panic while Creating Panic

rtl wrote on September 19 about the following comments by German Health Minister Jens Spahn:

“Be watchful and alert, but don’t adopt an end time approach… there is no reason for that… the rising cases are caused mainly through parties, weddings and religious assemblies…”

These comments are not very comforting or reassuring… and the basis for his claimed reasons for rising cases is not supported by the evidence.

The Pope’s Latest Blasphemy

The New York Post wrote on September 20:

“Pope Francis reassured parents of LGBT children that ‘God loves your children as they are,’ and that there is a place in the church for them… The exchange came during a meeting last week with ‘Tenda di Gionata,’ or ‘Jonathan’s Tent,’ an Italian group of Christian parents of LBGT children founded in 2018…

“The group grew out of a church vigil in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, where [several] parents of LGBTQ children [met] — inspired by the preaching of the Rev. Paolo Cugini, who believes that ‘faith and homosexuality are not in opposition.’”

The Catholic Church might think and teach that way, but the Bible says otherwise. In the Word of God, the practice of homosexuality is an “abomination,” and children must NOT be taught that it is all right in the eyes of God.

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.

This Week in the News

EU’s Further “Pressure” on Serbia

Army Technology wrote on September 10:

“Serbia has suspended all military exercises with foreign partners for six months citing ‘tremendous’ pressure from the European Union (EU). The move comes just a day before the beginning of Slavic Brotherhood 2020 military exercise in Belarus, in which Serbia was scheduled to participate. According to news reports, Serbia was pressured by the EU to withdraw from the exercise.

“In a statement, Serbian Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin said: ‘The pressures that make no sense and are not grounded in our decisions or our actions, or even in reality, are the result of hysteria, which determines political decisions and directions of great and powerful countries. We are required to suspend the planned military exercises with Belarus at the cost of abandoning our European future and at the cost of even greater pressure on our policy, but also on our people in Kosovo and Metohija and Republika Srpska.’

“According to the government decision, Serbia will not participate in any international military activity with any country in the following six months to preserve its neutrality. Furthermore, Serbia’s participation in peacekeeping operations will be considered and if required will also remain suspended. Minister Vulin added: ‘The process of equipping and strengthening our armed forces will not be stopped, and we will work to increase our combat readiness harder and more persistently than ever.’”

The dictatorship of the EU continues…

EU Threatens UK

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 12:

“The UK prime minister accused the EU of threatening to cut food deliveries between Northern Ireland and Britain…

“‘We are now hearing that, unless we agree to the EU’s terms, the EU will use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea,’ Johnson wrote in an article that was published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper…

“He said the EU was posing a risk to the UK and peace in Northern Ireland, where sectarian violence had mostly been kept at bay since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. He stated he wanted a trade deal similar to that between Canada and the EU, adding that ‘if the EU is willing to offer these terms to Canada then it makes sense to offer the same to us.’…

“European parliament leaders threatened to veto future UK-EU trade deals unless Johnson withdrew legislation attempting to alter parts of the Withdrawal Agreement.”

The relationship between the EU and the UK has become incurably bad.  

The Need for a European Army

The Atlantic Sentinel wrote on September 12:

“French president Emmanuel Macron called for a European army in 2018, arguing the EU needed to defend itself from ‘China, Russia and even the United States of America.’ Two years later, the argument for a common European defense is even stronger.

China’s authoritarianism can no longer be denied. It has effectively revoked the autonomy of Hong Kong, is carrying out a cultural genocide against the Uighurs in west China, threatening its neighbors around the South China Sea and extending its reach as far west as Europe and as far north as the Arctic.

Russia continues to abrogate international norms. It still supports Bashar Assad in Syria, who is responsible for driving millions of his compatriots from their homes, many of them fleeing to Europe; it still occupies the Crimea and still supports an insurgency in southeastern Ukraine.

“The United States are led by an impetuous president, who has accused the EU of ‘taking advantage’ of America, called NATO ‘obsolete’, withdrawn 9,500 soldiers from Germany, but expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin and doubts that he ordered the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a defector, and Alexei Navalny, an opposition leader…

“Trump’s laments about Europe underinvesting in its defense are widely shared [in the USA]… Americans have been pulled into American-led wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, despite doubts from European leaders and opposition from European voters.

“A European army would address all these issues. If Europe is forced to confront its own geopolitical challenges, it will no longer have to yield to the interests of America… A European army would enhance — and require — greater integration between member states.

“The foundations are set. A Common Security and Defense Policy has nominally existed since 1999 and was strengthened by the Lisbon Treaty of 2009. Macron isn’t the first national leader to call for an EU army. François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl expressed the same ambition in the 1990s. Europe’s noisy opposition to a common defense — the UK — is on its way out; with it, the main excuse for not taking action…

“An EU army would inhibit member states’ ability to conduct an independent foreign policy. Countries that share a border with Russia (like Finland) or have tried to maintain good relations with it (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy) would be forced to take sides…

“Some countries are already sharing military resources. Belgium and the Netherlands have integrated their air defenses… Finland and Sweden announced bilateral military cooperation in 2013 and held a joint military exercise with NATO in 2019. Are others willing to do the same? Would Poland, for instance, be willing to put its soldiers under a German command and concede a significant level of sovereignty? Would Italy? Public opinion is divided. 89 percent of Lithuanians want a European army. Only 37 percent of Austrians and 33 percent of Swedes agree.

“Yet the opportunity is there, and more importantly: the need. As the German defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, put it: ‘it is in our own real interest that we should make faster and better progress in Europe’ to unify defense and foreign policy.”

A European army will come into existence, and Europe’s core nations will transfer their authority to a military leader of German or Austrian descent.

Germany’s “Catastrophic Awareness Day” a “Fiasco”

The Local wrote on September 10:

“Germany’s first nationwide ‘catastrophe awareness day’ was described as ‘a fiasco’… The Interior Ministry had to admit that the day… was ‘a failure’.

“At 11am alarms were supposed to go off across the country, while people should have been warned via warning apps. But it soon became apparent that many parts of the country no longer have sirens. A fire department spokesperson explained for Munich that there had been no sirens in the state capital for many years. They had been gradually dismantled after the end of the Cold War, he explained. In many parts of the country, the warnings passed completely unnoticed. Meanwhile, the message from the warning apps NINA and KATWARN arrived on smartphones after a half-hour delay. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in Bonn explained the breakdown was caused by agencies simultaneously triggering a large number of warning messages…

“The flop was met with mockery on social media. The association of deaf people jokingly tweeted: ‘Well, we didn’t hear anything.’… The so-called ‘warning day’, which in future is to take place every year on the second Thursday in September, is intended to prepare for dangerous situations such as floods, chemical accidents or even terrorist attacks. All existing warning devices such as warning apps, radio and television, digital billboards, sirens and loudspeaker vehicles were supposed to be integrated.”

 And still, in spite of Germany’s blatant incompetence… see the next article.

Germany Replaces France

Daily Sabah wrote on September 12:

“Macron… represented Washington’s hope in counterbalancing German economic and political might within the EU. Washington was unhappy about the hegemonic role that Berlin has been playing within the bloc over the last two decades. Washington instead tried to support Macron in offsetting the influence of Berlin, especially in the diplomatic and military spheres.

“Macron spun out his credibility as the promising leader who would replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the leader of Europe. Macron’s risky economic and strategic choices also generated skepticism among the other member states of the EU. France’s stagnant economy and exclusionary political system have failed to accommodate migrants and Muslims, and a lack of a geopolitical vision has reduced the status of France within the EU.

“France, once the equal partner of Germany in the EU project, has gradually lost its standing in the partnership. While Berlin managed to maintain financial and economic stability and integration in the aftermath of the Cold War, Paris failed to offer an encompassing geopolitical vision for Europe…

“Macron developed unique relations with Moscow and invited Russia into Libya… Macron’s erratic moves are not just a threat to Turkey’s national security but are undermining NATO and EU interests… The real beneficiary of Macron’s geopolitical mistakes is Moscow, Abu Dhabi and the Trump administration in the U.S., which is unhappy about Berlin’s supremacy in the EU…”

The antagonism between the USA and Germany will continue, and Germany’s leadership in Europe will become more and more manifest…

Germany’s Leadership in Europe

Bloomberg wrote on September 14:

“Germany has become far more explicit, and unapologetic about calling the shots in Europe… Leaders who grew up in the shadow of World War II were content to confine Germany’s place on the world stage to the economic sphere… Merkel is the first chancellor born after the war. Enough time has passed that German strength is no longer a frightening proposition. And partly it’s a recognition that Germany has no choice but to step up to the plate with Europe caught in the middle of a growing conflict between the world’s two superpowers.

“Under Donald Trump, the U.S. has become an unpredictable and even hostile ally, while Xi Jinping praises multilateralism as China becomes increasingly bold in its forays in international relations…

“Finance Minister Olaf Scholz acknowledged the current landscape means Germany has to take on ‘more responsibilities,’ which means maneuvering the Brussels machine… Merkel’s increasing willingness to cajole her EU partners into accepting a more muscular German industry marks a break with Berlin’s historic relationship with Europe.”

Germany and the USA … No Longer Allies

The Hill wrote on September 15:

“A practical ‘alliance’ between [the USA and Germany] no longer exists. Washington and Berlin disagree on far too much in policy terms for us to whistle past the graveyard any longer…

“Bonn was generally content to follow the American geopolitical lead. However, this was a very specific historical time, one that today’s leaders and analysts have lazily extrapolated into being how things will always work. 

“But this is not the world in which we now live. Germany is the most glaring case in point of when an ally is no longer an ally. Over vast patches of primary foreign policy terrain, Washington and Berlin simply do not agree… Germans do not like their long-term ‘ally’ very much…

“It is a logical truism that if two major powers fundamentally disagree about trade, defense spending, China, Russia, and even disapprove of one another, these disagreements between ‘allies’ means that they are no longer really allies at all.”

This “alliance” has been shaky for a long time.

US Hits Historic Lows of Approval from Its Closest Allies

Business Insider wrote on September 15:

“A handful of [countries], including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Australia, gave their lowest favorable views of the US on record since Pew started polling nearly two decades ago…

“Germans gave the US some of ‘its worst ratings,’ the authors note, with only 10% who said they have confidence in Trump…

“Most people across the 13 countries surveyed said they have less trust in Trump to ‘do the right thing’ than they do in Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Only an average of 16% said they have confidence in Trump as a leader, versus 19% who said the same for Xi and 23% for Putin…

“… the study… depicts a deepening downward trend of the US’ international reputation…”

Shocking Ignorance

The Guardian wrote on September 15:

“Almost two-thirds of young American adults do not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and more than one in 10 believe Jews caused the Holocaust, a new survey has found, revealing shocking levels of ignorance about the greatest crime of the 20th century.”

Iran Threatens Bahrain

The Times of Israel wrote on September 12:

“Iran said Saturday that Bahrain is now a partner to the ‘crimes’ of Israel, after the announcement of a deal to normalize relations between Jerusalem and Manama… Iran accused its arch foe Israel of ‘decades of violence, slaughter, war, terror and bloodshed in oppressed Palestine and the region.’… Iran said that through this ‘shameful’ deal, Bahrain has ‘sacrificed the Palestinian cause at the altar of American elections.’ Its ‘result will undoubtedly be growing anger and the lasting hatred of the oppressed people of Palestine, Muslims and the free nations of the world,’ the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

“The Friday announcement by US President Donald Trump made Bahrain the second Arab country in a month, after the United Arab Emirates, to normalize ties with Israel under US sponsorship… Bahrain is acutely aware of threats posed by Iran — the Kingdom has a majority Shiite population, despite being ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. The ruling elites are firmly allied with Saudi Arabia in its rivalry with Shiite Iran, even as the Bahrain’s Shiites have familial, linguistic and political ties with Tehran going back decades. Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had pushed to take over Bahrain after British protection ended, though Bahrainis in 1970 overwhelmingly supported becoming an independent nation and the UN Security Council unanimously backed that.

“Since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrain’s rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island and stirring unrest. Iran denies the accusations. Bahrain’s Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations… Tehran-Riyadh relations deteriorated further last year following a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf, which Washington blamed on Tehran despite Iranian denials….”

With these antagonistic attitudes even amongst the Arabs, there will never be peace in the Middle East in this day and age.

The New “Peace” Deal

 BBC News wrote on September 15:

“The deal [to normalize relationships with Israel, which was signed on September 15 by Israel, the UAE and Bahrain at the White House] helps the ambitious Emiratis, who have built themselves into a military power… It looks as if the Americans helped seal the deal with the promise of advanced weapons that in the past the UAE has barely been able to window-shop. They include the F-35 stealth fighter and the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. The UAE has used its already well-equipped armed forces in Libya and Yemen… Netanyahu… has muted his original complaints about the UAE’s possible arms deal.

“Mr Netanyahu is also beleaguered, facing a trial for corruption that might land him in jail. His handling of the coronavirus pandemic started well and has gone badly wrong. Opponents stage weekly rallies outside his residence in Jerusalem…

“The deal works on a number of levels for the US president. It is a big boost for his strategy of ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran. It is also useful ammunition, especially in an election year, to back his boast that he is the world’s best dealmaker. Anything he does that benefits Israel, or more specifically the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, goes down well with American Christian Evangelical voters, an important part of his electoral base… President Trump’s so-called ‘Deal of the Century’ to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians is a non-starter. But the ‘Abraham Accords’, as the Israel-UAE agreement is known, is… being presented by the Trump White House as a major foreign policy coup.

“[The Palestinians] have condemned the Abraham Accords as a betrayal. The new agreement breaks a long-standing Arab consensus that the price of normal relations with Israel was independence for the Palestinians. But now Israel is cementing new public relationships with Arab states while the Palestinians still languish under occupation in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and in what amounts to an open prison in Gaza

 “The Saudis were the authors of the Arab peace plan that demanded Palestinian independence. King Salman’s status as custodian of Islam’s two holiest shrines gives him enormous authority. It is unlikely that he will suddenly recognise Israel…

“The deal has been roundly condemned by the Iranian leadership. It is more than rhetoric. The Abraham Accords put them under extra strain… Israel’s home airbases are a long flight from Iran. The UAE’s are just across the waters of the Gulf. That would be highly significant if there was a return to talk of air strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites…”

The Week added on September 15:

“Many experts doubt there will be any tangible move toward peace in the region, though the deals are considered historic and symbolically noteworthy.”

Are the USA and Israel creating a Frankenstein monster?

Turkey’s Dangerous Ambitions

The Algemeiner wrote on September 14:

“Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan… wants to take his country back to what he perceives as the glory days of the Ottoman Empire, but the leader… appears to be leading the country down the wrong path as he quashes secularism, supports radical Islamism, suppresses democratic reforms and adopts a forceful foreign-policy approach that aims to assert Turkish hegemony in the region…

“The perception that the United States is planning to significantly reduce its military presence in the Middle Eastannounced by US President Donald Trump this week—and the power vacuums that have emerged as one of the consequences of the Arab upheavals… are causing several actors, including Turkey, to act in a more assertive manner…

“With Erdoğan’s Islamist identity and close ties with Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and Hamas, this triangle seems dangerous for Israel… one of the reasons Israel and the United Arab Emirates have worked out a normalization agreement between them is related to… the growing concerns from Turkey’s greater role in the region…

Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told JNS that as an Islamist, Erdoğan ‘has no great love for Jews and for Israel.’ According to Inbar, ‘Erdoğan believes that Turkey has a great destiny and should be a world power. The fact that the US is slowly reducing its footprint in the Middle East adds to even greater freedom of action for Turkey in regional affairs.’…

“Turkey is in Iraq and Syria, and has a military base in Qatar and in Somalia. Erdoğan tried to build a base in Sudan, and now he is busy in Libya. As part of this new Turkish nationalism, he is challenging the border with Greece, essentially seeking to reverse the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which officially ended the Ottoman Empire. ‘There is a fusion here of nationalism and Islamism between Turkish nationalism with its roots in Islam, the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire,’ said Inbar. ‘There is a clear alliance between Turkey and Qatar, which both support the Muslim Brotherhood… Going after Israel gets him votes and makes him popular in the Muslim world, which he wants to lead, so Israel is a good target for him.’”

Watch Turkey!

A Divided USA

New Europe wrote on September 8:

“For the first time since the country’s civil war in the mid-19th-century… Americans remained divided after the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016. Since then, that division has accelerated at a dangerously rapid pace.

“The division was triggered by the deeply entrenched American financial establishment, which cannot understand that the time has irrevocably come to enter into a new civilization, but it thinks that by voting Trump out, the establishment will exorcise the evil. The oxymoron is that the Democratic Party in this election is struggling. It is using all of the means available to it to support the interests of Wall Street while [Trump] is fighting for Main Street, which goes against the interests of the traditional establishment Republicans.

“Historically, the foundations of the decay in the US were placed by former President Bill Clinton who, in the 1990s, ended his political career… Clinton, under the dilemma of being impeached or not, opted to remain president and repealed the Banking Act of 1933. That act, known also the Glass-Steagall Act, was designed to address the 1929 Wall Street crash that resulted in the Great Depression…

“The worst-case scenario will be when the president-elect will not to be able to control the transition and have the people – through social disobedience, riots and bloodshed – impose the new normal from the bottom-up and therefore turning a smooth evolution into a revolution…. In any case, no matter who will be the winner, he will neither have the possibility to change the course of history nor the ability to unite the American people again…”

And this means, another American civil war is a distinct possibility.

American Democracy Gets Bad Marks

Study Finds on September 12:

“As millions struggle to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey claims American democracy isn’t faring much better. According to the political watchdog group Bright Line Watch, the ‘health’ of several democratic principles are at their lowest levels in three years…

“The August 2020 poll, featuring 776 political science experts, finds large declines among several principals including protections of free speech, toleration of peaceful protests and protection from political violence

“The watchdog’s 11th democracy poll looks at the country’s stability since March, when COVID-19 put much of the U.S. into lockdown. The political experts contend that democratic principles regarding limits on government power and accountability are continuing to fall… the country has poor grades for civility and behavior… Those issues include having patriotism questioned, seeking compromise, and electoral dysfunction…”

It was not COVID-19 which put much of the U.S. into lockdown, but irresponsible restrictions by ignorant governmental officials. And the same ignorance continues to prevail, as following articles will discuss.

Senseless Sheriff-Shooting

Daily Mail published the following article by Piers Morgan on September 14:

“I didn’t think I would see anything as sickening this year as the appalling killing of [black] George Floyd at the kneed of a callous [white] police officer. But I was wrong. The grainy video of a disgusting [black] coward sneaking up to shoot two [white] deputy sheriffs in Compton, Los Angeles as they sat in their patrol car was just as repulsive and disturbing. There was no warning, and no provocation. This was just a deliberate, pre-meditated attempt at a cold-blooded execution.

“The shooter clearly intended to kill his targets as he fired a number of rounds from his pistol at point blank range into their car before running off. Fortunately, as I write this column, he appears to have failed in his mission as both deputies are reported to have miraculously survived the ambush, although they were seriously injured… One is a 31-year-old woman, and mother of a young son. The other is a 24-year-old man. To compound the senseless barbarity of the shooting, ‘protesters’ yesterday blocked the entrance and exit to the hospital emergency room where the two deputies were taken, chanting vile abuse…

“President Trump blasted the attack, raging about the shooter, ‘Animals that must be hit hard!’ and adding later: ‘If they die, fast trial death penalty for the killer. Only way to stop this!’… Of course, the same President Trump has been far less vocal about what should happen to the police officers who killed George Floyd…

“Only if we all come together and agree that unjustified violence of any kind is wrong, whoever is the victim, and whatever the color of their skin or uniform, can any real progress be made in the battle for racial equality and justice.

“The tragedy of this latest incident is that it makes no sense. Just as the killing of George Floyd defied all logic given his alleged crime was trying to buy cigarettes with counterfeit money, so the purpose of this attack is impossible to understand…

America has been a racially charged tinderbox since George Floyd’s death, with emotions exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. At a moment like this, the country needs unifying leadership from its political leaders but also from its most inspirational high-profile stars. Instead, it is getting nothing but flame-fanning rhetoric and complicit silence from those who know what’s the right thing to say – but choose not to say it.”

America’s perceived or real racial divide is unbridgeable.

Trump Is the Dynamite

CBS News reported on September 13:

“Washington Post’s Bob [Woodward’s] new book, ‘Rage,’ is his latest work in a 50-year career investigating American presidents. His first investigation, reported with Carl Bernstein, led to the resignation of Richard Nixon. For ‘Rage,’ Mr. Trump agreed to 18 recorded interviews…

“Bob Woodward [said:]: ‘… one of the things that President Trump told me, “In the presidency, there’s always dynamite behind the door.” The real dynamite is President Trump. He is the dynamite.’”

In other words, one never knows what he will do next. This assessment is shared by Trump’s former Security Adviser, John Bolton.

Newsom’s Hidden Support of LGBTQ People

Breitbart wrote on September 13:

“Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a controversial bill into law Friday that will give judges greater discretion to decide whether adults who commit sodomy with minors should be placed on California’s sex offender registry. The bill, which passed the Democrat-led legislature last week, created a firestorm as proponents said its main purpose was to end discrimination against LGBT adults who have oral and anal sex with minors who claim to be consenting to the sexual activity.

“State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), who introduced the legislation, said in a statement on social media the new law would put an end to ‘blatant discrimination against young LGBT people engaged in consensual activity.’… Proving again he‘s a true champion for the LGBTQ community… Gov Newsom signed [the bill], ending discrimination against LGBTQ young people on CA’s sex offender registry…

“‘Well what a shock. Newsom signed SB145, the bill that allows a 24 year old to have sex with a 14 year old and escape a felony conviction and requirement to be a registered sex offender. Absolutely disgusting,’ (Senator Melissa Melendez wrote on September 12, 2020)…

“San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) also tweeted after Newsom signed the bill into law, ‘As a parent I’m appalled that last night our governor signed a law maintaining a 24-year-old can have sex with a 14-year-old and it not be considered predatory.’…

“The legislation also assumes teens as young as 14 are capable of fully consenting to sex of any variety with any adult, regardless of sexual orientation. Attorney and researcher Jane Robbins said in a statement to Breitbart News, ‘… If Mr. Wiener were concerned about children, he would push to restore penalties on straight adult predators who prey on minors…  Instead, he extended the leniency to gay adult predators.’”

Sick!

Newsom: California Wildfires because of Man-made Climate Change

Reuters reported on September 11:

“California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday toured communities devastated by the state’s raging wildfires and said the deadly, record-shattering fire season across the U.S. West should end all debate over climate change. Newsom, a Democrat, appeared to direct at least some of his remarks at suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that poor forest management, and not warming temperatures, were to blame for the raging conflagrations.

“‘I’m a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue. This is a climate… emergency. This is real and it’s happening. This is the perfect storm,’ Newsom, 52, said…

“All told some 100 wildfires across the U.S. West have burned an area nearly as large as the state of New Jersey, putting half a million people under evacuation alert in Oregon and pouring out thick smoke across three states.

“‘The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California. Observe it with your own eyes,’ Newsom said. ‘California, folks, is America fast forward. What we’re experiencing right here is coming to communities all across the United States of America unless we get our act together on climate change, unless we disabuse ourselves of all the… that’s being spewed by a very small group of people that have an ideological reason to advance the cause of a 19th century framework and solution,’ he said…

“The governor demurred when asked by reporters to respond directly to suggestions by Trump, a Republican, that seasonal wildfires could be mitigated if state and local officials had worked harder to clear dense, dry underbrush.”

Whatever the cause for this disaster, blaming something or someone for it instead of taking personal responsibility for mistakes and incompetent actions is far too common and also very obvious in the case at hand.

So Predictable… Left-Liberal Court Rules against Church

The Federalist wrote on September 11:

“Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff of the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that prohibits Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church from ‘conducting, participating in, or attending any indoor worship services.’ The ban also extends to services held outside ‘unless onerous restrictions are followed.’

“Since the church first began meeting in-person and defying local lockdown orders in July, Los Angeles County officials have threatened fines, arrest, and even terminated the lease held between the church and the county for parking lot space claiming health and safety concerns.

“A $1,000 fine issued by Los Angeles County was also imposed on the church this week for signs asking congregants to refrain from entering if they were experiencing ‘an elevated temperature, a cough, or any flu-like symptoms.’ According to the county, the signs were not placed at the proper entrances and exits and did not contain instructions asking people to ‘wash hands or use sanitizer, to wear face coverings and to maintain social distancing.’

“Special counsel Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri expressed their disappointment in Thursday’s ruling, claiming that the court ‘ducked the issue’ and failed ‘to apply the appropriate constitutional standard of review.’ They also explained their belief that the church was held to a different standard than other activities during COVID-19 lockdowns. ‘The court also did not properly consider the medical and scientific evidence that the current number of people with serious COVID-19 symptoms no longer justifies a shuttering of the churches. Nor do we believe that the court gave adequate consideration to the fact that churches have been treated as second-class citizens compared to the tens of thousands of protestors,’ LiMandri said.

“This opinion by the court, according to Ellis and LiMandri, shows that the church was unfairly targeted. ‘Church is essential, and no government agent has the runaway, unlimited power to force churches to close indefinitely. The County’s argument was basically “because we can,” which is the very definition of tyranny,’ Ellis said. ‘Without limiting government’s power in favor of freedom and protected rights, we have no liberty. We will fight for religious freedom, as our founders did when they wrote the First Amendment.’

‘‘More than ever, California’s churches are essential,’ LiMandri agreed. Despite the court’s ruling, Pastor John MacArthur told Fox News’s Shannon Bream on Thursday night that the church would still be meeting. ‘1/100th of 1 percent of Californians with a virus apparently wins over the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom for all? That is not what our founders said,’ said MacArthur. ‘Nor is that what God says, who gave us our rights that our government—including the judicial branch—is supposed to protect. The scale should always tip in favor of liberty, especially for churches.’

“The Thomas More Society also said that they will appeal it to ‘ultimately vindicate our clients’ constitutionally protected right to free exercise of religion.’ ‘Although this is a temporary setback, we will continue to fight for Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church’s constitutionally protected right to hold church,’ Ellis promised.”

Attorney Ellis also posted the following: “Apparently signs asking people not to enter if they have an elevated temperature or symptoms of Covid (located at every entrance & exit) aren’t good enough for LA County. The bullying and harassment continues. This is NOT about health. LA County just wants to shut down church.”

In left-wing California, this POLITICAL decision was so predictable… and it is so shameful and so ungodly.

Todd Starnes wrote on September 8:

“Los Angeles County is trying every angle to harass and bully Pastor John MacArthur and the congregation of Grace Community Church… Make no mistake. This is an abusive, overt attempt to shut down the church. But Pastor MacArthur is a man who humbly stands on the Word of God. He will not be bullied. He will not be intimidated – no matter what the godless government in Los Angeles ultimately decides to do.

“Christians around the nation should lift this church up in prayer. And Christians in California should make a very public statement and demonstration that religious intolerance will not be tolerated in the Golden State.”

The ungodly attack on Christianity in California [and elsewhere] continues. At the same time, the LGBTQ movement is heavily supported (compare the article above).

Some Judges Still Have Common Sense

Fox News wrote on September 14:

 “A federal judge on Monday ruled that some of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s restrictions implemented amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic were unconstitutional — marking a win for businesses struggling to stay afloat amid the forced shutdown.

“U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV, who was appointed by President Trump, sided with plaintiffs that included hair salons, drive-in movie theaters, a farmer’s market vendor, a horse trainer and several Republican officeholders in their lawsuit against Wolf, a Democrat, and his health secretary. The ruling found that Wolf’s restrictions that required people to stay at home, placed size limits on gatherings and ordered ‘non-life-sustaining’ businesses to shut down were unconstitutional.

“The Wolf administration’s pandemic policies have been overreaching, arbitrary and violated citizens’ constitutional rights, Stickman wrote in his ruling… Courts had consistently rejected challenges to Wolf’s power to order businesses to close during the pandemic, and many other governors, Republican and Democrat, undertook similar measures as the virus spread across the country….”

Shame on those Republican and Democrat governors and timid judges who have been destroying thousands, if not millions of people’s lives through their unconstitutional and ridiculous measures and judgments, all the while claiming that they acted for the welfare and protection of the people.  

China Injects Hundreds of Thousands with Experimental Vaccine

The Wall Street Journal wrote on September 12:

“A Chinese pharmaceutical company has injected hundreds of thousands of people with experimental Covid-19 vaccines, as its Western counterparts warn against administering mass vaccinations before rigorous scientific studies are complete.

“China National Biotec Group Co., a subsidiary of state-owned Sinopharm, has given two experimental vaccine candidates to hundreds of thousands of people under an emergency-use condition approved by Beijing in July, the company said this week. Separately, Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said it has inoculated around 3,000 of its employees and their family members, including the firm’s chief executive, with its experimental coronavirus vaccine…

“CNBG said it has received orders for 500 million doses from overseas, the most among Chinese drugmakers, though it didn’t specify which countries put in orders. The company is conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates and Argentina.

“The company’s vaccine regimen may require people to get injected with two or three doses. CNBG said it would be able to produce around 100 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccines by the end of the year and then up to one billion doses annually.”

One would have to be crazy to agree to such experimental drug testing.

Finally, but Very Late: Vatican Urges Public Masses

Breitbart wrote on September 13:

“The Vatican has issued a letter to the world’s bishops urging the resumption of public Sunday Masses, stressing that ‘it is necessary and urgent to return to the normality of Christian life’… ‘The Christian community has never pursued isolation and has never made the church a city with closed doors,’ writes Vatican Cardinal Robert Sarah in the letter, which bears the explicit approval of Pope Francis. The ‘community dimension’ of Christian worship is essential, the cardinal writes, and constitutes ‘a fundamental trait of Christian life,’ according to Jesus’s teaching that ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’

“During coronavirus lockdowns, many countries made a distinction between ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ activities, often judging public worship as belonging to the latter category, something the cardinal suggests was a mistake. The Bishops should act firmly to ensure ‘that the participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Eucharist is not downgraded by the public authorities to a “gathering,” and is not considered as comparable or even subordinate to forms of recreational assemblies,’ he writes…

“In his recent letter, Cardinal Sarah also stresses that online streaming is no substitute for public worship as a community since ‘no transmission is equivalent to personal participation or can replace it.’… The cardinal also notes that ‘proper attention to hygiene and safety rules must not lead to the sterilization of gestures and rites, or to spreading, even unconsciously, fear and insecurity in the faithful.’ In this regard, ‘liturgical norms are not matters on which civil authorities can legislate, but only the competent ecclesiastical authorities,’ he insists.”

It is sad that the Catholic Church, including the pope himself, for a long time, prostrated themselves in submission to the power of secular governments, even supporting their restrictions. Their stance now for public worship services sounds hollow and hypocritical. It is also sad that some Sabbath-keeping Church of God groups have become equally guilty of such unbiblical behavior. This does not only apply to wrong decisions of ministers in charge, but also to members who are following blindly, like dumb sheep, and adopt such bad and ungodly injunctions. This is even more troublesome and ungodly when those churches or their ministers demand restrictions from their members, pertaining to worship services, which go BEYOND those of the governments. It has been established that governmental lockdown decisions were wrong and have cost many lives, while destroying the livelihood of millions of people.

Note the following articles as well.

Crazy—Israel Considers total Lockdown during the annual Fall Holy Day Season

Israel 365 News (formerly Breaking Israel News) wrote on or about September 11:

“On Thursday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein called for a full lockdown for all of Israel beginning on September [18], [just before the start of] Rosh Hashannah [and to close schools by Wednesday, September 16]… The proposed lockdown may last until the end of the holidays which will be when Simchat Torah (the last day of Sukkoth) ends on Sunday, Oct. 11.  All academic institutions and workplaces will be closed.  A ban will be in place on public and private gatherings. The holidays are normally a time for extended families to gather so the lockdown will prevent this. It also calls for the entire public sector to be placed in a ‘state of emergency.’…

“According to the Finance Ministry, a general closure over a ‘holiday week’ would cost the country NIS 4 billion, and closure on a full week NIS 5 billion to NIS 6 billion…”

Times of Israel wrote on September 12:

“The Health Ministry’s plan for a full national lockdown faced intense pushback shortly after more of its details were unveiled Saturday, with one unnamed minister telling Israeli television the plan was ‘insane,’ and others vowing to oppose it. Ministers… said they would not agree to approve the proposal in its current form, decrying the damage a closure would do to the Israeli economy even as a public outcry by business owners grew, amid threats of mass rebellion against the new restrictions.

“Meanwhile, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told Channel 12 that ‘there will be no negotiation’ on the plan, saying there was currently no better alternative… The proposal is highly controversial with the public, with many business leaders threatening to defy it. Hotels are furious that they will be required to cancel reservations for the High Holidays just days in advance, having geared up staff and purchased immense quantities of supplies and food.

“There are also complaints that the lockdown unjustifiably closes down the entire country rather than focusing on COVID-19 red zones, and allegations that it is politically impacted, with the government reluctant to be seen singling out ultra-Orthodox areas, which along with Arab areas, have some of Israel’s highest contagion rates…

“With the country facing its second national lockdown and the government’s pandemic policies being widely perceived as disorderly and at times random, many businesses have vowed in recent days to defy closure orders, saying they will not survive a new shutdown. Meanwhile, top business leaders warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday that a new lockdown would be disastrous to the local economy.

“Reports have indicated hundreds — and perhaps thousands — of business owners could refuse to shut down if closure orders come, being unable to withstand the financial burden of a further lockdown. Business owners have said promises of compensation down the road are irrelevant, and that they will refuse to shut their doors unless they receive government aid in advance.

“Channel 13 reported that the Manufacturers Association of Israel, the Chamber of Commerce and other business bodies wrote in a letter to the premier that a new lockdown would cause a further wave of unemployment and bring about ‘an “economic coronavirus” whose effect will be far more destructive than the medical coronavirus,’ and warned that the effects of the harm to the economy could be felt for a decade.”

Subsequently, Times of Israel reported on September 13:

“The cabinet has given its approval to a three-week full nationwide closure, beginning Friday at 2 p.m… The final details… are reported to include a ban on venturing more than 500 meters from home, except for essential errands. Schools, malls, hotels and leisure activities will be shuttered, while supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.”

Man’s attempts to deal with the panic of the coronavirus are truly insane. In the process, God’s commands of assembling in person on His Holy Days are being blatantly violated. This makes God VERY angry!  Note especially the articles above and below on the failed attempts to deal with the crisis and the hypocritical conduct of the Catholic Church and the ungodly decision of a left-liberal court in California.

Resignation in Protest

JTA wrote on September 13:

“Israel’s housing minister has resigned from the government to protest a nationwide lockdown… Yaakov Litzman, a top haredi Orthodox lawmaker, stepped down to oppose the closures of synagogues over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, saying that even a policy allowing small-scale prayer services would still impede Israelis’ right to come together during the High Holidays.”

The Times of Israel wrote on September 13:

“Litzman… also said his United Torah Judaism party could bolt the coalition. Litzman accused coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu of planning for months to impose a lockdown on Rosh Hashanah — which begins this week — and Yom Kippur while avoiding the move during the summer season. In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Litzman decried the fact that the lockdown would prevent worshipers, including tens of thousands of Jews who don’t go to a synagogue during most of the year, from attending the most important and well-attended Jewish services of the year…’

It is in fact a horrendously stupid decision by Israel’s government… and it is deeply ungodly.

Dangerous Lockdowns—Carefully Planned for a long Time…  

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 11:

“The toll lockdowns have taken on human life and human rights has been incalculable. Increases in child abuse, suicide and even heart attacks, all appear to be a feature of mandatory stay-at-home orders issued by politicians who now rule by decree without any legislative or democratic due process. And then, of course, there is the economic toll on employment…

“These measures also have made a mockery of basic human rights while essentially expropriating private property. Mom-and-pop business owners were told to shut their doors indefinitely or face arrest. The unemployed were told it was now illegal to work for a living if their careers were deemed ‘nonessential.’ Police officers have beaten citizens for not ‘social distancing’ while mothers have been manhandled by cops for attempting to use playground equipment.

“This was all done because some politicians and bureaucrats—who were in no danger of losing their large paychecks—decided it was a great idea to carry out a bizarre and risky experiment: forcing large swaths of the population to stay at home in the name of preventing the spread of disease.

“Indeed, politicians have long dreamed of forcing people into isolation en masse. But this was most recently revived during the George W. Bush administration. As the New York Times reported in April: ‘Fourteen years ago, two federal government doctors, Richard Hatchett and Carter Mecher, met with a colleague at a burger joint in suburban Washington for a final review of a proposal they knew would be treated like a piñata: telling Americans to stay home from work and school the next time the country was hit by a deadly pandemic. Drs. Hatchett and Mecher were proposing… that Americans in some places might have to turn back to an approach, self-isolation, first widely employed in the Middle Ages. How that idea — born out of a request by President George W. Bush to ensure the nation was better prepared for the next contagious disease outbreak — became the heart of the national playbook for responding to a pandemic is one of the untold stories of the coronavirus crisis. The concept of social distancing is now intimately familiar to almost everyone. But as it first made its way through the federal bureaucracy in 2006 and 2007, it was viewed as impractical, unnecessary and politically infeasible….’

“And why was it considered impractical and unnecessary? There is more than one reason, but one major reason is that lockdowns have never been shown to be particularly effective… it’s now becoming apparent that lockdowns don’t work when actually tried. Earlier this month, for example, Donald Luskin noted in the Wall Street Journal: ‘Measuring from the start of the year to each state’s point of maximum lockdown—which range from April 5 to April 18—it turns out that lockdowns correlated with a greater spread of the virus. States with longer, stricter lockdowns also had larger Covid outbreaks. The five places with the harshest lockdowns—the District of Columbia, New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts—had the heaviest caseloads.’

“Basically, Luskin searched for a clear correlation between lockdowns and better health outcomes in relation to covid-19. He found none. He continues: ‘[T]here’s no escaping the evidence that, at minimum, heavy lockdowns were no more effective than light ones, and that opening up a lot was no more harmful than opening up a little. So where’s the science that would justify the heavy lockdowns many public-health officials are still demanding?’…

“… A June study published by Advance by Stefan Homburg and Christof Kuhbandner found that the data ‘strongly suggests’ that ‘the UK lockdown was both superfluous… and ineffective…’

“Along these lines, Simon Wood, examined the progression of the disease in the United Kingdom and in Sweden and found that the data ‘strongly suggest that the decline in infections in England and Wales began before full lockdown, and that community infections, unlike deaths, were probably at a low level well before lockdown was eased. Furthermore, such a scenario would be consistent with the infection profile in Sweden, which began its decline in fatal infections shortly after the UK, but did so on the basis of measures well short of full lockdown.’…

“Extraordinary measures require extraordinary evidence. And the burden of proof is on those who seek to use the coercive power of the state to force people into their homes, cripple the economy, and abolish countless basic freedoms for the duration. Have the advocates for lockdowns made their case? It’s hard to see how they have. For one, advocates for lockdowns need to present obvious and overwhelming evidence that lockdowns bring big benefits far in excess of the no-lockdown approach. They have not done so. Moreover, they have not shown that a lack of lockdowns is anywhere near as dangerous as they have claimed in the name of pushing lockdowns to begin with. We can already see what the no-lockdown scenario looks like. It looks like Sweden, and that’s a better outcome than many prolockdown regimes can claim. Governments are nonetheless likely to continue claiming their lockdowns worked. In ancient days, a witch doctor might perform a rain dance on Tuesday and claim credit when it rained on Wednesday. Lockdowns are increasingly looking like the modern equivalent of a rain dance.”

The comparison of lockdowns with witch doctors is not that far-fetched. Ignorant but power-hungry governmental officials, under the rule of Satan, and following ignorant but self-righteous medical “experts,” have been contributing to the destruction of their countries and citizens, and all those who have been supporting these measures, by action or word, also have a heavy burden of responsibility on their shoulders as well. May God forgive them upon true repentance! The above-cited article quoted and linked to many more surveys concluding that lockdowns were useless and devastatingly destructive.  

The Despicable Mass Media Propaganda

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on September 14:

“Just when the fear starts to subside, and growing public skepticism seems to push governors into opening, something predictable happens. The entire apparatus of mass media hops on some new, super-scary headline designed to instill more Coronaphobia and extend the lockdowns yet again. It’s a cycle that never stops. It comes back again and again.

“A great example occurred this weekend. A poll appeared on Friday from the Kaiser Family Foundation. It showed that confidence in Anthony Fauci is evaporating along with support for lockdowns and mandatory Covid vaccines. The news barely made the headlines, and very quickly this was overshadowed by a scary new claim: restaurants will give you Covid!

“It’s tailor-made for the mainstream press. The study is from the CDC… And the thesis is easily digestible: those who test positive for Covid are twice as likely as those who tested negative to have eaten at a restaurant. ‘Eating and drinking on-site at locations that offer such options might be important risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection,’ the study says.

“Very scary! Thus the implied conclusion: don’t allow indoor dining! Otherwise Covid will spread like wildfire!

“After six months of this Corona Kabuki dance, driven by alarmist media and imposed by wacko, power-abusing governors and mayors, I’ve become rather cynical about the whole enterprise, so I mostly ignore the latest nonsense. In this case, however, I decided to take a closer look simply because so many millions of owners, workers, and customers have been treated so brutally in the ‘War on Restaurants.’

It turns out, of course, that this is not what the study said

“Lockdowns have become a conclusion in a desperate search for evidence… This is precisely where we’ve been for six solid months now. The media has become the handmaiden of lockdown tyranny, blasting out simplistic versions of sketchy studies to keep the panic going as long as possible. And the public… eats it up.”

We wonder who those gullible people are who are falling for this mass media propaganda

Absolutely Braindead Decision of Southwest Airlines

USA Today wrote on September 14:

“A woman traveling from Fort Myers, Florida, to Chicago said she was escorted off her Southwest Airline flight on Saturday because her 2-year-old son was snacking prior to takeoff and wasn’t wearing his mask… Degyansky said she boarded the flight with her son… and he took off his mask to eat some of the snacks that were served. On multiple occasions, a flight attendant told her that he needed to be masked, but he was eating, she said. The plane had already left the gate, but returned for staff to escort them off the flight. For about 15 minutes, Degyansky argued with airline personnel because her son had his mask back on, but they did not listen to her, she said.

“According to CDC guidelines, children 2 years and older should wear a mask over their nose and mouth if it’s difficult to social distance. ‘My toddler who literally turned 2 two weeks ago. … I know you have to draw the line but let’s be a little compassionate with everyone’s individual circumstances,’ she said… ‘If a Customer is unable to wear a face covering for any reason, Southwest regrets that we are unable to transport the individual…’ said Ro Hawthorne, a spokesperson for the airline.”

How much more STUPID can this get?

AG Barr Condemned for Telling the Truth

The Associated Press wrote on September 17:

Attorney General William Barr drew sharp condemnation Thursday for comparing lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic to slavery… Barr had called the lockdown orders the ‘greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history’ since slavery. His comments… also criticized his own prosecutors for behaving as ‘headhunters’ in their pursuit of prominent targets and for using the weight of the criminal justice system to launch what he said were ‘ill-conceived’ political probes…

 “It’s not the first time Barr has condemned stay-at-home orders. He has previously said that some orders were ‘disturbingly close to house arrests’ and the Justice Department sent letters to several states warning that some of their virus-related restrictions might be unlawful. Prosecutors also filed statements of interest in several civil cases challenging some of the restrictions.”

We would even go a step further and state that the lockdown did not only come close to house arrest, but that it constituted house arrest, and that those locked in were indeed victims of autocratically enforced governmental slavery.

Sweden Reports Fewest Coronavirus Cases

The Guardian wrote on September 15:

“While many European countries are seeing their infection rates surge to levels not seen since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sweden – whose light-touch approach has made it an international outlier – has recorded the fewest daily cases since the virus emerged. The Scandinavian country’s rolling seven-day average of new cases stood at 108 on Tuesday, its lowest level since 13 March. Data from the Swedish national health agency showed only 1.2% of its 120,000 tests last week came back positive…

“Sweden also has fewer new daily infections than Norway and Denmark, its Nordic neighbours… Anders Tegnell, the country’s chief epidemiologist and architect of its no-lockdown strategy, told broadcaster France-24 in an interview: …’In the end, we will see how much difference it will make to have a strategy that’s more sustainable, that you can keep in place for a long time, instead of the strategy that means that you lock down, open up and lock down over and over again.’… Shops, bars, restaurants and gyms stayed open and the wearing of masks has not so far been recommended.”

Sweden is one example. South Dakota is another one. 

South Dakota Stands Out

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 13:

“Many state fairs across America were canceled this year. The reason offered: coronavirus. It should be no surprise that among the states where an annual state fair did occur this year is South Dakota. South Dakota is the state whose governor — Kristi Noem — has resisted, more than has any other governor across America, the temptation to use coronavirus as an excuse to exercise dictatorial powers.

“Following last month’s annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that brought hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state, South Dakota has continued to demonstrate with the state fair that ended on Monday that coronavirus is no excuse for canceling events that bring joy to life

“Noem was among the many people who enjoyed the South Dakota State Fair free of mask and ‘social distancing’ mandates.”

 Don’t Ask Questions!

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on September 15:

“If you are a good person, you will submit, for as long as it takes. Deviate from the rules, and you are a bad, selfish person, who does not care if others die.  We have been introduced to the corona gods and they are ferocious, and make many demands. They require children to forgo school, or to attend school by staring into a screen. That is, for those whose parents or school districts can afford the screens. They can play together only if masked, faceless and muffled, six feet apart. Their cognitive development is likely to be hampered by their inability to read facial expressions, perhaps for a lifetime, but that is an unavoidable price we must pay, or so we are told.

“The corona gods ask much, too, of young adults. Whether they were embarking on new careers or enrolled in institutions of higher learning, they must surrender their hopes and aspirations and separate from each other, however contrary it might be to their natures…

“The bereavement of business owners… is unavoidable collateral damage, the politicians say mournfully…

“We are not to ask certain questions, according to the politicians, the experts, our friends… Do not ask: are we ultimately causing more deaths, or ruining more lives, in the long term, than the coronavirus itself?… It’s over when we say it’s over, they say. We must keep each other safe. So cover your nose and mouth. Stand six feet apart. Stay home. Comply!

We are witnessing the creation of a perfect dictatorship! Note the next article.

“Great” Britain… the Perfect Dictatorial Police State!

The Sun wrote on September 14:

“BRITS should snitch on their neighbours if they are breaking the new coronavirus rule of six, the policing minister has said. Kit Malthouse said this morning people who spy someone doing the wrong thing by having more than six people over should call the cops. He told BBC Radio 4: ‘What we’re hoping we’ll see for the rule of six is what we saw for the whole of lockdown which is extremely high compliance. ‘In the end we all have to recognise that we have an individual duty towards our collective health and we hope that view will prevail. There is the non-emergency number that people can ring and report issues if they wish to.’… Mr Malthouse said during lockdown there was a surge from people spying on their neighbours reporting them to the police for breaking restrictions….

“National Police Chiefs Council Chairman Martin Hewitt said… ‘Once these rules and regulations are enacted, they are the law. If people are deliberately breaking the law, we would expect members of the public to take responsibility to report that… And Home Secretary Priti Patel said troublemakers would be handed a criminal record if they ignore the fines… Home Office officials say those who refuse to accept £100 on-the-spot fines will be arrested and taken to court….”

First of all, as the evidence proves, lockdowns DON’T WORK. The new regulations in Britain are just plain crazy and stupid. Then, in reading this abominable development, we must say: Welcome, “Great” Britain, to the dictatorships of China, Russia, North Korea, Nazi Germany, and former East Germany. Here we have now the perfect storm of spying on others, dictatorial autocratic nonsensical damaging governmental measures and the establishment of a police state. Democracy… gone forever!

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.

This Week in the News

“Stop the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline”… but Merkel Resists

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 4:

“Leading politicians in Germany from all mainstream parties are demanding that construction on the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 be suspended as a result of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. But Merkel’s government is so far resisting such calls…

“Germany’s relationship with Russia will change significantly. The clear evidence that [an] internationally banned nerve agent was used makes it even more likely that the Kremlin [and Putin] was behind the poisoning… a debate has erupted over which sanctions the German government should now consider applying. The expulsion of Russian diplomats and sanctions against the individuals responsible for the annexation of Crimea did little to impress Moscow. Economic sanctions against certain industries or products could be effective, but they would likely hurt Germany as well, given that Moscow’s retaliations against such sanctions in the past have been just as severe.

“The only penalty that would primarily hurt Moscow would be a construction stop on the almost completed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

“‘The German government’s starry-eyed indifference to President Putin’s brutality must finally come to an end,’ says Agnieszka Brugger, deputy group leader for the Green Party in parliament. ‘Putting an end to Nord Stream 2 would be the minimum.’ The business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) tend to agree. The pipeline ‘must immediately be examined,’ says Bijan Dijr-Sarai, the foreign policy spokesman for the FDP in parliament. He is in favor of an immediate moratorium. ‘It was a mistake from the very beginning to ignore the political backdrop to Nord Stream 2. It is now coming back to bite the government,’ he says.

“But even members of political parties in Merkel’s governing coalition, which pairs her conservatives with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), are increasingly demanding that the pipeline project be abandoned. One is Norbert Röttgen, a candidate to become chairman of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag. Another is Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party group in European Parliament, to which German conservatives belong…

“Within the government, however, that step remains off limits. Officially, at least… Daniel Caspary, head of German conservatives in the European Parliament, believes that the attack on Navalny is just more evidence that Putin doesn’t take EU foreign policy seriously… EU diplomats who have long been involved in Russia policy hold similar views…”

It will be interesting to see as to whether Germany will show some strength and go ahead with the cancellation of the pipeline project… perhaps in collaboration with other EU member states.  Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Russia’s role in the poisoning is even more amazing as Trump wants the pipeline project to be canceled as well.

US Sanctions ICC

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4:

Germany calls US sanctions against the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda [which include freezing her US assets] ‘a serious mistake’ while France describes them as a ‘grave attack.’… Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said the US sanctions were ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unprecedented.’…

“The United States has never been a party to the ICC and in the past, Pompeo has referred to the tribunal as a ‘kangaroo court.’… Speaking on Wednesday, Pompeo said the US would not tolerate what he called the ICC’s ‘illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction.’”

Germany and France vs. the USA… a usual pattern is emerging.

What’s Macron Up to?

Daily Sabah wrote on September 4:

“[Macron visited Lebanon] to have talks with Lebanese leaders to make sure that they were ready to implement reforms immediately required for the survival of the country, which was already facing an economic crisis. He said Lebanese leaders would be sanctioned if reforms are not implemented – as if Lebanon is still a French mandate… many started to ask what Macron is planning.

On the other hand, while the tension between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean is growing, Macron is coming to the forefront with his remarks and decisions about it – though France does not have a coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean. Adding tension to the dispute in question, Paris sent warships and jets to support Athens and threaten Ankara recently. And last week, Macron said he set red lines with Turkey in the East Mediterranean…

“In June, the French president accused Turkey of playing ‘a dangerous game’ in Libya, although Paris has been sending clandestine military aid for several years to the war-torn country. The French president first made the ‘NATO’s becoming brain-dead’ remark last November after U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw American troops from northern Syria…

“As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is busy with the Brexit endgame problem, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has chosen to keep a low profile due to a paralyzed grand coalition in Germany and the U.S. has lost its authority over the West, it looks like President Macron has seen the vacuum in question as an opportunity. He now acts as if he is Europe’s foreign policy leader by default and thinks that he has to run the show because there is a diplomatic-relations gap in the Western world.

“… With his ‘brain-dead’ allegation, he is trying to show European leaders that Europe can no longer rely on America to defend NATO allies. He presses for a greater Europe in terms of defense; he calls for a European army. According to him, ‘a true European army’ will protect Europe from ‘China, Russia and even the U.S.’… the idea of creating a European army will make the EU stronger and less dependent on the U.S. But this will come at a price. Lessening dependency on Washington will enlarge the fissure between the EU and the U.S. and weaken the Western alliance in the global arena. Most importantly, a European army and NATO cannot coexist. If the European leaders are persuaded by the French president, they will probably bring an end to the transatlantic alliance.

“The irony is that the idea of a European army dates back to the years following World War II, and it might have come to fruition if then-French President Charles de Gaulle had not prevented it. He wanted a directorate of three – namely France, Britain and the U.S. – to dictate Western security. When the idea of a ‘European defense force’ was proposed, de Gaulle worried that a European army would threaten French sovereignty and integrity and could bring back a militarized Germany… de Gaulle rejected a European army idea in the post-war era because he was opposed to giving power to Germany and took France out of NATO since he disliked the U.S. penetration of Europe’s political arena. Macron claims that he is trying to unify Europe’s military power, but the question is: Is France ready for a rearmed Germany especially while Britain is leaving the EU?…

“Does Macron actually want to dominate Europe while he says that Europe has to be controlled by Europeans?”

Is Macron determined to become Europe’s leader… using the vacuum created by weak, tired, inconclusive and undecisive Angela Merkel? The Bible shows that a military leader of German or Austrian descent… not a Frenchman… will rise soon.

Germany’s Military Endeavors in the Indo-Pacific Region

Naval News wrote on September 4:

“The German Government recently formulated the interests, principles and central areas of German policy in the Indo-Pacific region. The new guidelines are also a contribution to a possible EU-European Union overall strategy for the region, the country’s Ministry of Defense stated on September 2… ‘With the rise of Asia, the political and economic weights are increasingly shifting to the Indo-Pacific region. The region will become the key to shaping the international order in the 21st century,’ the new guidelines say…

“‘It is time for Germany to defend its interests more vigorously,’ German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized last year… Allies and partners would expect Germany to take the initiative, provide impetus and show options, said the minister. With the measures that have now been adopted, this approach is reflected in the official guidelines of the federal government…”

The Fight for the Mediterranean

The Washington Times wrote on September 2:

“The Mediterranean — an on-again, off-again geopolitical hot spot since before the pyramids were built — is emerging anew as a sea of division and instability, with powers including Russia, China, Turkey and Israel jostling aggressively for influence, natural resources and military advantage. Moscow is eyeing a possible military base along the oil-rich shores of Libya. China is seeking investment deals across the region. Turkey is clashing with NATO partner Greece over drilling rights and militarized islands. Newly discovered offshore natural gas deposits have nations scrambling to stake their claims. Even the Trump administration on Wednesday partially lifted an arms embargo with Cyprus in what was widely interpreted as a shot across Turkey’s bow.

“Analysts generally agree that NATO is failing to ease regional tensions. The U.S., despite multiple interests, lacks leverage in many of the disputes, with President Trump accelerating a U.S. pullback begun under President Obama that opened a power vacuum that others are now scrambling to fill.

“While a range of unsavory players are making moves — Iran, Hezbollah and the Islamic State are among those seeking to exploit the situation — many in Europe and Washington are pointing the finger at Turkey for escalating the crisis by threatening to use force to take possession of natural gas finds beneath a string of Mediterranean islands that most in Europe say belongs to Greece.

“The two NATO member states are now locked in a dangerous maritime standoff that is shaking the alliance to its core, with mediation attempts by Germany and others in the European Union so far going nowhere while the Trump administration warily monitors the situation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that Mr. Trump has held private discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and that the White House is ‘urging everyone to stand down.’”

NATO is falling apart, to be replaced by a powerful European army under German leadership.

Turkey Destroys Christian Church

Breitbart wrote on September 3:

“Turkish authorities razed to the ground the historic St. Georgios Christian church late Wednesday, an iconic structure known as the ‘Hagia Sophia of Bursa.’

“The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Georgios had been restored and transformed into a cultural center… The municipality took over the church in 2006 and invested some 2 million Turkish lira in restorations… Seven years ago, however, an Islamic organization… filed a lawsuit to gain ownership rights over the church and in 2013 proprietorship was assigned to [it]… After the transfer, the building received no regular maintenance and was allowed to go to ruin… Aware of the danger, the… Municipality had attempted again in 2016 to recover control of the church to be able to carry out necessary renovations, but received the reply that the building could not be used for any purpose other than a place of Muslim worship. Last July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reconverted Istanbul’s iconic 6th-century Hagia Sophia church into a mosque, after 86 years serving as a museum. He then proceeded to convert another historic former church, the 4th-century Chora church, one of Istanbul’s oldest Byzantine structures.

“President Erdogan has come under fire for undoing the work of secular Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, appeasing more radical Muslim elements by re-Islamizing the country. A Time magazine article Thursday warned of Mr. Erdogan’s ‘Love Affair with the Ottoman Empire’ that is moving the nation in a dangerous direction. ‘Much has been written about Erdogan’s attempts to “resurrect” the Ottoman Empire or to style himself a sultan,’ the article states. More precisely, Erdogan seems to be adopting the persona of the empire’s ninth sultan, Selim I, during whose reign ‘the Ottoman Empire grew from a strong regional power to a gargantuan global empire,’ it relates.”

Erdogan’s ambitions are far too obvious.

Trump’s “Peace Plan” Failing

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 3:

“… after two trips through the region by senior Trump advisors to build on what they hoped would be momentum from the Emirates deal, no other Arab nation has said it is willing to take the long-shunned leap to accept and recognize Israel as a legitimate Mideast neighbor, at least not until Israel resolves its conflict with Palestinians… their hesitance also reflects decades of political and religious tension, in which most of the Arab world steadfastly pretends Israel does not exist.

“The Emirates would become only the third Arab country in history to recognize Israel, after Egypt and Jordan… The Emirates has been partly motivated by its desire to buy some of the most sophisticated fighter jets in the U.S. arsenal. An undisclosed number of F-35 fighter jets will reportedly be sold to the Emirates, despite Israeli objections…

“Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, despite its close relationship with the Trump administration, reiterated that it would not recognize Israel without an agreement with the Palestinians. The Saudis see themselves as leaders of the Sunni Arab world, with custody of Islam’s most important religious shrines, and have to tread carefully.

“Morocco and Bahrain echoed Saudi Arabia. Morocco is a unique case because it quietly enjoys tolerant relations with Israel. Moroccan Jews make up the second-largest immigrant population in Israel, after Russians, and there are cultural, travel and other connections between the two countries, albeit conducted discreetly.

“The official Bahrain News Agency reported that King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa told Pompeo that he would countenance only the two-state solution.

“Sudan, receiving Pompeo on Aug. 25, hinted it might come on board but only if it was removed from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. Qatar rebuffed Kushner, telling him upon his arrival there Wednesday that only a two-state solution — recognition of an independent Palestinian country alongside Israel — was acceptable.

“In U.S.-friendly Kuwait, legislators are pushing through a law that would prohibit normalization and impose a boycott on Israeli goods. ‘Kuwait has not changed its position, and it will be the last country to normalize with Israel,’ an unnamed government official was quoted as saying in the daily newspaper Al Qabas….”

It was clear from the outset: This “peace plan” has NO CHANCE of lasting success.

EU Threatens Serbia and Kosovo

The Associated Press wrote on September 7:

“In an unexpected move last week, Trump said that Serbia and Kosovo had agreed to normalize economic ties as part of US-brokered talks that include Belgrade moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and mutual recognition between Israel and Kosovo…

“‘There is no EU member state with an embassy in Jerusalem,’ European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said. ‘Any diplomatic steps that could call into question the EU’s common position on Jerusalem are a matter of serious concern and regret.’”

More and more, the EU is ruling its members and prospective members with an “iron hand.” Subsequently, Serbia and Kosovo have tried to somewhat distance themselves from Trump’s comments, fearing EU dictatorship.

Coming… a Brexit without a Trade Agreement?

Business Insider wrote on September 7:

“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to overwrite key parts of the Brexit withdrawal deal he agreed with the EU last year as he insists that leaving all existing trade arrangements without a fresh deal at the end of the year would be a ‘good outcome’ for Britain… Johnson’s official spokesman confirmed on Monday that the government will move to ‘clarify specific elements’ of the deal…

“In practice, the bill will give UK ministers the power in primary legislation to determine what goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are ‘at risk’ of entering the EU… Critics of the move say these changes are significant changes that could undermine the entire Withdrawal Agreement.

“Under the terms of the Northern Irish protocol, while Great Britain will leave the EU’s single market and customs union at the end of the year, Northern Ireland will continue to follow the EU’s trading rules in order to avoid a controversial hard border with the Republic of Ireland. This arrangement will create new checks on goods moving both ways between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from January….

“Responding to the reports, the EU warned that any attempt to rip up parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement would wreck any chance of agreeing on a new future trading relationship. The prime minister on Sunday night reiterated that he was prepared to walk away from negotiations without an agreement and trade with the EU on the harshest terms if Brussels did not shift its position on fishing and state aid.

“Johnson… said that Thursday, October 15 was the deadline for striking a deal, telling the EU: ‘If we can’t agree by then, then I do not see that there will be a free trade agreement between us, and we should both accept that and move on.’”

And so, the possibility of a no-deal Brexit becomes more and more likely.

Further Obstacles regarding a Brexit Deal

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 9:

“The UK government has admitted that rewriting its EU divorce treaty ‘breaks international law in a very specific and limited way.’ The EU has warned that the move could have serious consequences… Appearing in the UK Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was accused of presiding over a ‘rogue state….

“Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, warned the UK… [adding]  that any deviation from the withdrawal agreement, however minor, would ‘break international law and undermine trust.’…

“Ministers say the new law will define specific circumstances when the UK can override parts of the withdrawal agreement it ratified last year. The government says it will be able to unilaterally decide which goods are ‘at risk’ of entering the EU….”

Further Locust Plagues in Southern Africa

ABC News reported on September 4:

“Locusts are threatening another part of Africa, with up to 7 million people in the southern region facing further food insecurity… The outbreaks of African migratory locusts in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are not related to the huge outbreak of billions of desert locusts that has affected East Africa for months…

“While far smaller, the southern outbreaks need quick attention to prevent a wider problem as farmers and others already struggle to recover from a serious drought last year and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic… While all four countries have launched pesticide spraying efforts that have been called the only effective locust control, the work has been limited… A new emergency response initiative seeks environmental friendly pesticides…”

These are terrible curses for a world in defiance of God and His laws.

California Turns into a Furnace

MSN wrote on September 7:

“The largest new wildfire, the Creek Fire, was burning out of control across 79,000 acres in Fresno County as of Sunday night… The area is a popular summertime retreat of cabins, scout camps and campgrounds, but it turned into a fiery trap over the weekend. More than 200 people had to be rescued by air from the Mammoth Pool reservoir area. Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters plucked up the evacuees…

“Fire crews elsewhere in California were trying to contain new blazes: A 7,000-acre fire in San Bernardino County in Southern California… A 9,850-acre fire burning in the Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego…”

The Week added on September 7:

“California wildfires have burned nearly 2.1 million acres so far in 2020, surpassing the record for the most land scorched in the state in a single year, CAL Fire Capt. Richard Cordova said Sunday. ‘This is crazy,’ Cordova said. ‘We haven’t even got into the October and November fire season, and we’ve broken the all-time record.’ The news came as a record-setting heat wave created new challenges for exhausted firefighters who had finally started making headway containing some of the biggest blazes.

“The temperature in Woodland Hills, California, reached 121 degrees on Sunday, the highest ever recorded in Los Angeles County. The National Weather Service said the area could get even hotter as a dangerous heat wave continues in California, Nevada, and Arizona, and records could be broken in other parts of the region. ‘This is unmatched, just unprecedented, unreal,’ said John Lindsey, a meteorologist with Pacific Gas and Electric.”

California has been staring total disaster and financial collapse in the face. Its situation was already precarious before the coronavirus restrictions, but got much worse following the ill-conceived lockdown which has destroyed hundreds, if not thousands of businesses.  And now, further “natural” curses add to the catastrophe. How many more warnings must Californians receive before they wake up?

Wildfires at the West Coast

npr wrote on September 9:

“Intense wildfires are ravaging large swaths of the West Coast, prompting thousands of people to flee parts of Oregon and forcing power outages in California, where fires have already burned a record of more than 2.3 million acres this year. Fires are burning from Washington state to Southern California. In southern Oregon, people in parts of Medford, Talent and nearby communities were ordered to evacuate the area immediately Tuesday, with officials citing the imminent threat of fast-moving fires. The entire town of Phoenix — which has several thousand people — was told to leave.”

The Week added on September 9:

“With several catastrophic fires burning across Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown (D) warned on Wednesday that all residents ‘must be on high alert,’ as the blazes could lead to the ‘greatest loss of human life and property due to wildfire in our state’s history.’”

No Protection from Facebook and Twitter?

JTA wrote on September 3:

“Nadine Strossen, [John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law and] the former head of the ACLU and a daughter of Holocaust survivors… believes… moves to censor hate speech are generally ill-advised

“‘… it’s really important to understand that there is no agreed upon legal definition of hate speech in the United States — the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently, unanimously refused to carve out an exception from free speech protections…

“‘The First Amendment protects us only against government restrictions on our speech. We have no free speech rights against Facebook or any private sector entity. There are a lot of people who are shocked to learn that! …”

So, Facebook, Twitter and others can do what they want. Users should be aware of that.

Wilders Not Guilty of Inciting Hatred

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4:

“The far-right populist Geert Wilders had been found guilty by a lower court in the Netherlands of inciting hatred against Moroccans. But an appeals court has dismissed the charges. Judges did, however, uphold his prior conviction for collectively insulting the Moroccan people…

“The charges against Wilders were levied in 2016 and related to one of his campaign rallies two years earlier. At the event, Wilders led supporters by asking whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. ‘Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!’ his supporters chanted back. ‘We’re going to take care of that,’ Wilders told the crowd.”

It is hard to see how Wilders’ comments, as quoted, could be remotely characterized as hate speech.

Australia’s Ridiculous Travel Ban

News.com.au wrote on September 5:

“Australia’s international travel ban has been extended by a further three months — news that’s painful enough for anyone hankering for an overseas holiday, but devastating for those who have more serious reasons to travel abroad… it has also made Australians some of the only people in the world who need special permission to leave their country during the pandemic, with no clear end in sight.

“Aside from a few exemptions for special workers, dual nationals and those who usually live overseas, there are only six reasons Australians can ask permission to leave: critical business work, urgent medical treatment not available in Australia, urgent and unavoidable personal business, compassionate or humanitarian grounds, and travel in the national interest… only about a third of requests submitted to the Australian Broder Force are successful — no matter how desperate or heartfelt the reasons for travel are. news.com.au has been told of cases where people have had requests denied to see dying relatives — including those as close by as New Zealand — or to attend funerals of immediate family members, including parents. Those cases would generally be thought to fall under the category of compassionate grounds, but still haven’t gotten over the line.

“In other cases, baffled applicants have struggled to produce sufficient evidence — including power bills and school enrolment paperwork — to prove they really do mostly live in another country, which is another reason Australians can apply to travel. Many have expressed confusion about why they can’t leave if they are willing to fork out thousands for hotel quarantine when they return. In some instances people have had their applications denied by border officials, and then had the same application approved by someone else after resubmitting.

Dual Australian-British citizen Clare Hamilton-Bate told The Guardian she was initially rejected from travelling to London to see her terminally ill, 95-year-old stepfather… Ms Hamilton-Bate, who also wanted to spend time in London with her 90-year-old mother, who has dementia, said she submitted the request with six weeks’ notice… She was successful on her third attempt and managed to make it to London.

“Melbourne man Niall Williams told news.com.au he and his brother were knocked back multiple times trying to get permission to leave Australia to see their dying dad in the UK — and they got approval only after he passed away. ‘My brother is in Sydney, I’m in Melbourne but the Australian Government wouldn’t allow us to leave,’ he said…

“Another traveller, Mickey Chung, told 9 News his application to see his dying grandmother in Hong Kong was denied. ‘I got an email basically just saying, “We don’t believe this is urgent, we don’t believe this is an exceptional circumstance”’, he said. The request was eventually granted, but only after his grandmother had died. He managed to get to Hong Kong for the funeral, and completed the total of 28 days of quarantine required for the quick trip…”

These are terrible and unconscionable restrictions in Australia by a left-wing government.

Britain’s Dictatorship… and the People Love It?

Breitbart wrote on September 9:

“The British government is set to reimpose strict legal limitations on public gatherings, and it is reportedly considering a draconian national curfew… social gatherings of more than six will be banned in England… The new rules would give police the power to break up gatherings of more than six people both indoors and outside…  This includes people’s private homes and gardens, pubs, parks, and restaurants. Family gatherings of more than six are also banned. Weddings, funerals, schools, team sports, and workplaces, however, will be exempt from the rules…

“Refusing to abide by the rules will result in a £100 fine, doubling for repeat offences to a maximum of £3,200. Policing forces were already criticised for overreacting to the outbreak earlier this year, including following dog walkers with drones and last month,  breaking up a child’s birthday party…

“Meanwhile, an astonishing three-quarters of Britons do not think that the public has taken the pandemic seriously (74 per cent) and are worried about a second wave (73 per cent)… The findings from Tuesday suggest that citizens will offer little objection to any such new rules, and will welcome further curtailment of their freedom.

“Businessman and peer Lord Alan Sugar hit out at the mainstream media for stirring up fear over coronavirus, as he urged people to return to work…  ‘I’m sick and tired of watching CNN, Sky [News], Bloomberg, BBC, the lot, because all they do is cause panic amongst people. I’m not interested in any of this stuff, because you can switch the television on any time of day and the first thing you’ll see is more bad news.’”

In a related article, Breitbart wrote on September 9:

“Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has slammed the government’s new ‘draconian’ lockdown laws, saying that it is hard to justify law-abiding citizens following the new rules when police fail to stop protests and illegal raves… Mr Farage may be right to point out the hypocrisy of threatening to police free, law-abiding Britons after months of authorities failing to crack down on far-left Antifa and Marxist Black Lives Matter protests, so-called ‘street parties’, and illegal raves… Despite several weekends of violent and destructive Black Lives Matter protests, the police admitted that the events were ‘unlawful’ under coronavirus regulations, but effectively did nothing

“In April, Farage warned of the coronavirus ‘police state’ with Britons expected to live under a ‘house detention regime’, writing: ‘I fear, however, that the arbitrary powers now given to the police may remain in place for a long time to come.’… Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption had remarked in March that the way the police and government were treating coronavirus regulations was akin to a ‘police state’. ‘This is what a police state is like — it is a state in which the government can issue orders or express preferences with no legal authority, and the police enforce minister’s wishes,’ he said.”

Dangerous developments indeed… and the people are so blind…

California Church in Defiance of Coronavirus Rules…

CBS wrote on September 5:

“A Los Angeles Superior Court judge is expected to have a decision sometime next week regarding a Sun Valley church’s holding in-person church services in defiance of coronavirus health orders. L.A. County lawyers lost four tries for a temporary restraining order against Grace Community Church, directing leaders to refrain from holding packed indoor services. ‘I recognize the importance of the decision,’ Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff said after an hours-long hearing on Friday.

“Even though an order has not yet been issued by the judge, Beckloff said he won’t allow Gov. Gavin Newsom to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the county’s stand.

“L.A. County sued Grace Community Church on Aug. 14 after it began holding indoor services on Sundays. The church, led by Pastor John MacArthur, filed a suit against the county in response and that case is awaiting trial in Burbank Superior Court.

“MacArthur has argued that he’s holding services not to be ‘rebellious’ but because ‘our Lord has commanded us to come together.’ Attorney Amnon Siegel, who is arguing on behalf of the county, pushed back saying ‘religion doesn’t trump health and safety.’”

Italians Wake Up to Health Dictatorship

Breitbart wrote on September 6:

“Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Rome Saturday to protest an extended national ‘state of emergency’ for the coronavirus, which allows the government to issue decrees outside of the legislative process.

“Much of the thrust of messages painted on signs and banners denounced the long-term economic effects of Italy’s lockdowns as well as an alleged ‘strategy of terror’ employed by government-controlled media and an ongoing ‘health dictatorship’ used to thwart the democratic process… From the stage, organizers decried plans for a mandatory coronavirus vaccine, while accusing the left-wing government of ‘intimidating people.’”

Liberman: Reject Israel’s “Illegal” Health Regulations

Times of Israel wrote on September 7:

“Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman urged Israelis on Monday not to comply with the government’s ‘illegal’ health regulations, which he said were purely political and not in citizens’ best interest… Ministers on Sunday evening approved nightly curfews in some 40 cities with high infection numbers, instead of the previously planned full lockdown on a smaller number of towns, in the wake of a threat of rebellion from some ultra-Orthodox mayors and a major political crisis with the ultra-Orthodox parties…

“Liberman said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ‘sacrificed public health on the altar of protecting the coalition, and therefore all decisions made are blatantly illegal… We cannot allow citizens of the State of Israel to become hostages of Deri, Litzman and Gafni,’ Liberman said, proposing to abolish the so-called coronavirus cabinet and give full control over Israel’s virus response to the Israel Defense Forces.

“Liberman’s comments were met with a barrage of criticism… President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter. ‘Calls for civil disobedience harm the principles ensuring our well-being and the well-being of the entire public, specifically during crises…’ Health Minister Yuli Edelstein of the Likud party said, ‘Liberman is playing with fire,’ charging that the opposition politician was acting ‘recklessly and irresponsibly and taking advantage of a fragile health and economic situation. Shame.’

“Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, also of Likud, said in a statement that the call for civil disobedience will ‘create anarchy and endanger the health of all citizens of Israel…’ Defense Minister and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz also called Liberman’s comments ‘irresponsible’…”

Trump’s Ill-Advised Fight with Fox News

CNN wrote on September 5:

“After spending much of the day bashing The Atlantic for Jeffrey Goldberg’s jarring report which said Trump had disparaged military members who died in service to the country, Fox News itself confirmed key aspects of it… [Fox News’ national security] correspondent Jennifer Griffin said she had confirmed Trump disparaged veterans; didn’t want to honor the dead at the Aisne-Marne Cemetery; and did not want to lower flags after the death of John McCain…

“In a late-night Friday tweet, Trump attacked Griffin… saying, ‘Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting.’ He added that he believed Fox News is ‘gone.’

The Daily Beast wrote on September 6:

“Filling in for Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this weekend, Bret Baier took the opportunity to accuse President Donald Trump of ‘cancel culture’ hypocrisy…  [Griffin had] confirmed with her sources that, among other things, he had described U.S. service members as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’…

Cavuto called her a ‘very good reporter’ who is ‘pretty scrupulous when it comes to making sure all the i’s are dotted, all the t’s are crossed.’”

Trump also denied having called McCain a “loser.” However, he clearly did so, saying this before millions of TV viewers.

How “Evangelical” is Trump?

The Independent wrote on September 8:

“A new book by Donald Trump’s disgraced former lawyer Michael Cohen has described the president leaving an event with evangelical leaders and ridiculing their faith in crude terms… According to Mr Cohen, the president emerged from the session with contempt. ‘Can you believe that bulls**t?’ he allegedly said. ‘Can you believe people believe that bulls**t?’ [Reference is made to an incident when evangelical leaders placed their hands on him to pray for him.]

“The White House has dismissed Mr Cohen’s account of the incident, along with the book as a whole and other incidents that it alleges…

Hardly known for his religiosity before entering politics, Mr Trump has successfully cultivated a relationship with evangelical leaders and voters since he began running for president in 2015. When asked by interviewers at the time to name a favourite Bible verse, he refused; pressed on whether he preferred the Old or New Testament, he said ‘probably equal’…

“Telling evangelical congregations that he would end a supposed national ‘siege’ of Christianity, he also formed a bond with many of the US’s most prominent Christian leaders, including Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the highly conservative Liberty University. (Mr Falwell has recently been pressured to leave the university amid allegations of abusing his position for financial gain and enjoying a three-way sexual relationship with his wife and a male pool attendant. He denies the claims of impropriety.)

“However, even as Mr Trump has maintained his claims to be devout during his presidency, especially during his nomination of two conservative Supreme Court justices, not all are convinced. He was widely castigated for a notorious photoshoot in Washington, DC this summer in which he ordered police to tear gas… protesters out of the way so he could pose with a Bible outside a church. The incident saw many political and religious leaders outside the evangelical movement accuse him of exploiting the book as a prop….”

Politics and religion don’t mix, but sadly, they are clearly embraced, in one way or another, by ALL political candidates. See the next article about Joe Biden and other Catholic Democrats.

How “Catholic” is Biden?

CNA (Catholic News Agency) wrote on August 12, 2020:

“Biden, a Catholic, is in the habit of going to Mass while traveling… it will soon raise questions familiar both to bishops and to pundits: Can pro-choice politicians like Biden receive the Eucharist? And will anyone stop Biden if he approaches the communion line?

“The norm of canon 915 itself is clear: Catholics ‘obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.’… In 2004, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger [later Pope Benedict, who subsequently retired], then head of the Church’s doctrinal office, wrote a memorandum to the U.S. Catholic bishops, explaining the application of canon 915 to the question of pro-choice politicians. The case of a Catholic politician who is ‘consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws’ would constitute ‘formal cooperation’ in grave sin that is ‘manifest,’ the letter explained.

“In such cases, ‘his pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist,’ Ratzinger wrote. If the individual perseveres in grave sin and still presents himself for Holy Communion, ‘the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.’…

“Asked by a journalist, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said in October that he would not deny Biden the Eucharist. Before that, in January 2019, Dolan had said that he would not deny the Eucharist to New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, who signed into law one of the most permissive abortion laws in the country’s history

“Biden… supports the federal funding of abortion and in 2016 officiated at a same-sex wedding

“So here’s what’s likely to happen: At some point between now and election day, a young priest will find Joe Biden in his communion line. Because of the priest’s convictions about the unborn and his sacramental theology, he will deny Biden the Eucharist.

“Someone will see it, a report will get out… The priest will issue a statement explaining himself, and then be roundly criticized… Pro-choice or progressive leaning Catholics will on social media call the priest a fundamentalist…

“If that prediction sounds quite specific, that’s because it’s what happened in October 2019, the last time Biden was denied the Eucharist… That leaves priests who put the policy into practice standing often by themselves. It leaves some Catholics confused about how seriously the Church takes its own teaching and its own sacramental discipline…”

Biden has insisted that his religious faith has been a “bedrock foundation” of his life and that his personal beliefs should not be confused with his official position as a politician. What kind of a rationale is that?

As a Catholic, how can he or Pelosi or Como or other Catholic politicians support a concept which is in blatant opposition of Catholic doctrine? And it is untrue that a distinction should be drawn between his private and his official position. When he officiated a marriage at a private event for a same-sex couple, that too violated Catholic doctrine.

Pelosi’s Hypocrisy and the Destruction of Another Business

Fox News wrote on September 9:

“San Francisco hair salon owner Erica Kious is shutting her doors for good after controversy over a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week destroyed her business… Fox News obtained surveillance video last week of Pelosi visiting the salon for a hair wash and blowout, despite the fact that San Francisco salons were closed at the time due to the coronavirus pandemic. The video showed Pelosi walking through the interior of the salon without wearing a mask.

“Kious told host Tucker Carlson she was attacked for exposing Pelosi. ‘I started to just get a ton of phone calls, text messages, emails, all my Yelp reviews… saying that they hope I go under and that I fail,’ she said. ‘So just a lot of negativity towards my business.’ Kious said the negativity has made her hesitant to return to San Francisco, where she has lived for the past 15 years. ‘I’m actually afraid to go back… It’s a little scary and sad,’ she said. ‘I do have a lot of positive calls and text messages from clients. But other than that, nothing but negativity.’”

What terrible developments in a country which is destroying itself…

 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.

This Week in the News

Russia’s Ambitions regarding Alaska

The Associated Press wrote on August 28:

“The Russian navy conducted major war games near Alaska involving dozens of ships and aircraft, the military said Friday, the biggest such drills in the area since Soviet times… more than 50 warships and about 40 aircraft were taking part in the exercise in the Bering Sea, which involved multiple practice missile launches…

“Russia has prioritized boosting its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to one-quarter of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and gas. Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion…

“The Russian military has expanded the number and the scope of its war games in recent years as Russia-West relations have sunk to their lowest level since the Cold War after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, and other crises.”

Russia has had its eyes on Alaska for a long time.

Russia Ready to Intervene in Belarus

TRT World wrote on August 28:

“Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin that their countries could unite their troops in the event of a threat from the West… Lukashenko… is facing the biggest challenge in his 26 years in power after protests and strikes erupted following a contested August 9 election… Lukashenko ordered half of the country’s army to enter combat preparedness

The EU… is preparing sanctions against his regime for ballot fraud and a violent crackdown on opposition protesters… German Chancellor Angela Merkel… said she has also tried to call Lukashenko, but that he has refused to speak with her thus far.”

It seems that Russia’s intervention in Belarus is only a matter of time. Belarus will not become a part of the EU. Neither will Ukraine.

Lukashenko Plays Hardball

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 29:

“Authorities in Belarus stripped several foreign media journalists of their press accreditation on Saturday, with some reportedly facing expulsion from the country. Journalists working for news agencies Agence France Presse and the Associated Press as well as British broadcaster BBC, German public broadcaster ARD and US broadcaster Radio Liberty had their accreditation stripped.

“German broadcaster ARD said that one of their camera teams was arrested overnight despite having the appropriate accreditation. They were released in the morning after authorities withdrew their accreditation and ordered two Russian members of the team to leave the country. Their Belarusian producer has been threatened with legal action… the Belarusian Association of Journalists spoke of a massive wave of accreditation withdrawals for journalists working for foreign TV, radio, newspapers and news agencies.”

The Associated Press added on August 30:

“Belarus on Saturday cracked down hard on foreign news media that have been covering the protests, deporting at least four Russian journalists, including two from The Associated Press. The government also revoked the accreditation of many Belarusian journalists working for foreign new agencies, including journalists working for AP.”

VOA News reported on August 29:

“Lukashenko… said he would block neighboring European countries from shipping goods to Russia over Belarusian territory and divert Belarusian exports now shipped through ports in neighboring EU member Lithuania to other outlets.

“‘If they, Poles and Lithuanians, used to fly through us to China and Russia, now they will fly through the Baltic or through the Black Sea to trade with Russia, and so on, and they can only dream of sanctioned products, those products on which Russia has imposed an embargo,’ he said. Lithuania, Poland and Latvia have called for Europe to take stronger action against Lukashenko…”

Demonstrations Ongoing

The Associated Press wrote on August 30:

“Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied Sunday in the Belarusian capital of Minsk to begin the fourth week of daily protests demanding that the country’s authoritarian president resign… There were no official figures on the crowd size, but some opposition sources claimed it exceeded 100,000

“Putin and Lukashenko talked by phone on Sunday, but a Kremlin statement gave few details of the conversation, other than noting that Putin congratulated the Belarusian leader on his 66th birthday.”

The situation in Belarus is nearing its boiling point.

Merkel: Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Was Poisoned

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 2:

“Angela Merkel said there was ‘shocking information’ that showed ‘beyond a doubt’ that the apparent poisoning of Alexei Navalny was ‘an attempted murder with nerve agent’ after a toxicology test in Germany showed that the opposition leader had been targeted with Novichok. Merkel said Navalny was ‘the victim of a crime intended to silence him.’

“She said the gravity of that fact made it important for her to ‘take a clear stance.’ The chancellor said the case raises ‘very serious questions that only the Russian government can answer — and must answer,’ adding, ‘the world will wait for an answer.’…

“Berlin will now confer with its EU and NATO partners to discuss an appropriate reaction to the incident… Calling for a united diplomatic reaction in her statement, Merkel said, ‘The crime against Alexei Navalny was aimed at the fundamental values and rights for which we stand.’” 

It will remain to be seen what “diplomatic” measures the EU and NATO are willing to take against Russia.    

The Nord Stream Pipeline–Resisting the USA “from the Beginning!”

Der Spiegel wrote on August 28:

“Threats of sanctions from the U.S. have put a stop to the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The multibillion-euro project is now at risk, and leading German politicians are not amused. … It’s not just environmentalists who have spent years resisting the project. Many of Germany’s European Union partners, particularly Poland and the Baltic countries, see it as a strategic error since it makes Europe dependent on Russian gas… the German government has stubbornly pursued its completion, and now, the two 1,230-kilometer-long pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea from the Narva Bay in Russia to the German town of Lubmin is virtually finished. Only about 150 kilometers still have to be laid.

“Now, though, U.S. President Donald Trump could torpedo the project at the very last moment. Washington is currently threatening to impose sanctions on companies that are involved in the pipeline. Both houses of Congress are intending to expand the Sanctions Act to include the pipeline. Construction has currently been halted due to concern over the potential sanctions… U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the pipeline falls under 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), effective immediately. The act was originally passed as a lever against enemies like Iran and North Korea, but now Germany has also become a target of extraterritorial sanctions…

“Placing Germany on the same level as Iran and North Korea in the debate over the pipeline marks a new low in the German-American relationship. ‘Sanctions between partners is clearly the wrong path. Germany and Europe make their own decisions about energy policy,’ said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). He was echoed by Manuela Schwesig, the SPD governor of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which is where Mukran Port is located and has borne the brunt of the halt in construction. ‘The behavior of the U.S. government is scandalous,’ she said. ‘We can’t accept that. I expect the federal government to make it clear to the U.S. that we do not accept such behavior.’

“But it’s not that easy. For Berlin, the conflict with the U.S. is a sensitive tightrope walk. On the one hand, it must try to protect domestic companies from the American aggression. On the other, it makes Berlin look even more like a sponsor of the project, which promises to provide a significant financial boost to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Given the recent poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, calls for sanctions against Putin have grown louder. Were Berlin to now step in on behalf of the multibillion-euro joint project, say critics, it would seem rather counterproductive. Indeed, there have been increasing demands for Germany to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline… At the same time, though, it would be a victory for Washington and Trump’s foreign policy, which many have begun to view as a form of extortion….

“Germans have underestimated the danger eminating from Putin’s Russia. The suspicion is that the pipeline is part of his geo-political ambitions, giving him yet another lever with which he can exert pressure. It would allow him to simply cut off the gas supply to countries formerly in the Soviet sphere of influence without affecting flows to customers further to the west. Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia and Estonia are all dependent on natural gas from Russia. At greatest risk, however, is Ukraine, where Russia has been supporting separatists in the country’s far east for many years. Some 40 percent of the natural gas imported by the EU from Russia flows through Ukraine…

That, in turn, will allow Moscow to exert more pressure on Kiev, thus potentially sabotaging the country’s attempts to establish closer ties to Europe…

“Many EU countries that have thus far been critical of the pipeline, however, felt the need to show solidarity with Germany in the face of the harsh U.S. sanctions. In mid-August, 24 of the 27 EU member states sent the State Department a sternly worded note of protest in the form of a video conference. Hungary, Latvia and Romania did not join the protest… Should the U.S. find success with its bullying tactics, says one diplomat, every EU member state would have to prepare for being a U.S. target at some point – and thus dependent on assistance from its partners in the bloc. Today, the focus is on Nord Stream 2, ‘but tomorrow it could be on computers, ships, cars or something else,’ says Daniel Caspary, head of the German conservatives group in the European Parliament. ‘We have to resist at the beginning.’”

Europe’s intent to gang up with Germany against the USA is only too obvious.

Turkey Grants Citizenship to Hamas Operatives

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 28:

“The Telegraph reported its reporter had seen Turkish identity papers issued to at least one of 12 senior Hamas operatives. At least seven of the operatives were granted citizenship and issued an 11-digit identity number and passports, while the five remaining Hamas operatives are in the process of receiving passports…  Turkish passports would allow the operatives to travel extensively around the world.

“In a shocking revelation, the Telegraph reported that all of the 12 operatives were released and deported from Israel under the Shalit Deal of 2011, in which 1,027 mostly Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for an Israeli soldier. Two-hundred and eighty of these had been sentenced to life in prison for planning and perpetrating various attacks against Israeli targets. Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari was quoted… as confirming that the prisoners released under the deal were collectively responsible for the killing of 569 Israelis.”

The Bible does not have too many good things to say about end-time Turkey.

Turkey’s Ambitions in Lebanon

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 27:

“… officials in Lebanon are concerned at increased indications of Turkish efforts to build strength and influence in the country. The report quoted two sources in Lebanese intelligence, who mentioned recent Turkish efforts to bring [‘an incredible amount of’] weapons into northern Lebanon…

“Turkey is actively involved using both its own forces and proxies in the two fragmented Arab countries to Lebanon’s east – Syria and Iraq. The deployments in both countries already have the look of the long term about them, with clearly defined areas of control. Turkey is also active in Libya…

“To these areas add Turkey’s aggressive naval stance in the Eastern Mediterranean, and its active backing of Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank and of Islamist organizations in Jerusalem. All these add up to a strategy in which Ankara is seeking to emerge as the main strategic beneficiary of the chaos and fragmentation that has gripped much of the region over the last decade….

“The fragile Lebanese sectarian balance has been shattered over the last decade by the entry of around one million overwhelmingly Sunni Syrian refugees… Sunni Islamist Turkey is seeking to fill the vacuum, and to recruit the Lebanese Sunni street to its banner…”

Turkey would love to become the leader of Sunni nations, but this will never happen. For instance, Saudi Arabia would never agree to this.

Trump Accepts Republican Nomination

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 28:

“In a speech delivered from a huge stage on the White House front lawn he… described the upcoming election as ‘the most important in the history of our country.’ In an attack on his Democrat rival Joe Biden, he said there had never been ‘a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies… Joe Biden is not a savior of America’s soul, he is a destroyer of America’s jobs and if given the chance he will be the destroyer of American greatness,’ Trump said…

“The location of Trump’s speech broke tradition and regulations of not using the White House mansion for purely political events. There was no social distancing in place for the crowd sat watching the speech and face masks were not required…

“Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday [accepted] his… nomination. He defended police and called for an end to unrest in cities where violence broke out following anti-police demonstrations… He added: ‘We’re not going to defund the police. Not now, not ever.’”

The coming election might very well turn out to be the most important one in the history of the USA, as it might be the last one.

South Dakota under Attack

KELO wrote on August 28:

“Right now South Dakota has the highest number of active Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started. There were 2,182 active cases in the state as of Friday’s briefing from the State Department of Health. But Governor Noem says that’s not the number she’s most concerned about.

“‘What we’ve always been focused on is the hospitalization numbers,’ Noem said. ‘We’ve seen a little bit of an increase in those as well but previously for the last several weeks they’ve been declining. I think we’re exactly where we thought we would be.’”

Satan is very anxious to try to destroy South Dakota and with it the feast site for the Church of the Eternal God. But he will not prevail.

Deadly Violence in Portland, Oregon

The Associated Press reported on August 30:

“Police issued a plea early Sunday for videos, photos or eyewitness accounts of a fatal shooting in Portland, Oregon, that unfolded after hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters in the streets of the city. The shooting late Saturday night came about 15 minutes after a caravan of about 600 vehicles that were part of a pro-Trump rally left downtown, police said. It wasn’t clear if the shooting was related to the clashes between Trump supporters and counterprotesters in Oregon’s largest city, which has become a flashpoint in the national Black Lives Matter protests…

“On Sunday, Trump issued a flurry of tweets and retweets including several that blamed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler for the death… Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blamed local officials for failing ‘to protect their communities.’…”

Breitbart added on August 30:

“Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) issued a statement on Sunday blaming President Donald Trump for the violence seen across American cities, particularly in Portland, after a Trump supporter was shot and killed. Brown’s comments came after months of inaction by local authorities to wrangle violent protests across the city of Portland under Mayor Ted Wheeler…

“Since the death of George Floyd, Portland has become a hot spot for violent crime, including the burning and looting of buildings, the tearing down of statues and monuments, and various shootings. Police in Portland have been left to fend for themselves with little to no backing from state or local officials.

“Protests across Portland for the past few months have been mostly anti-police. One group took to the streets to burn the American flag and copies of the Bible. Another group set ablaze a severed pig’s head, donned with a cop hat sitting atop an American flag.”

This hypocrisy by Oregon’s Democratic governor and Portland’s incompetent mayor will undoubtedly help Trump in November’s election.

Hunger in the USA

Bloomberg wrote on September 2:

“The ranks of Americans fighting hunger are projected to swell some 45% this year to more than 50 million… About one-third of those relying on food shelves, large-scale and emergency food distributions now are doing so for the first time… In parts of Minnesota, that number is closer to 70%.

“During the pandemic, about a 10th of American households reported they haven’t had enough food in a given week. That’s a shocking figure for the world’s richest country. It’s more than double pre-Covid figures and the highest since comparable government data [started] in 1995… lockdowns have snarled supply chains, and food inflation is projected to rise at the fastest pace in almost a decade. Meanwhile, unemployment, low wages and reduced working hours are diminishing purchasing power—all of which are disproportionately impacting women and minorities, as is food insecurity…”

Terrible consequences of lockdown measures…

Black Lives Matter… That’s How the Nazis Began

The Daily Mail wrote on August 27:

“The footage could hardly be more chilling, like something from the wilder fringes of Hollywood’s dystopian imagination. A woman sits at a table, recoiling in fear. She is penned in, surrounded by a mob of masked men and women, their clenched fists raised menacingly in the air. Again and again the rhythmic chants go up: ‘White silence is violence! No justice, no peace!’ The woman shrinks further back in her chair. The mob moves in. Some of them lean into her face. They stand over her, fists raised, shrieking and shouting, demanding that she too raises her arm in salute. On and on it goes. Nobody comes to her defence. It’s an awful scene, reminiscent of the street scenes in Germany in the spring of 1933, when Nazi thugs demanded that ordinary people raise their arms in homage to Hitler.

“But this is not Germany in 1933… This was Washington DC, one of the great capitals of the democratic West, just two days ago. The woman’s name was Lauren Victor, and her crime was to have been spotted having dinner outside a Washington restaurant. The mob were, inevitably, Black Lives Matter protesters, roaming the streets of the US capital during their latest demonstrations about alleged police brutality towards black Americans. According to an appalled reporter from the Washington Post, the predominantly white activists were trying to force ordinary diners to raise their fists and join in with their chants. Miss Victor, an urban planner, said no.

“Ironically, it turns out she had previously been on Black Lives Matter marches herself, but now she just wanted to have her dinner in peace. ‘It didn’t feel right,’ she said afterwards, adding that she felt ‘under attack’. That seems a remarkably understated way of putting it. I wonder how many of us, in Miss Victor’s shoes, would show the same grace and guts under such horrendous pressure. In almost every detail, it’s a scene that turns your stomach.

“The snarls of aggression and ritual chanting are nothing new. Neither is the hysterical, bullying tone of the protesters. But the facemasks give the episode a deeply sinister feel. So do the ubiquitous camera phones, held up as if the protesters are recording Miss Victor’s non-compliance for some future show trial. In America, the pictures inspired well-deserved horror. Many moderate black leaders were quick to express their condemnation, and even some Black Lives Matter protesters were eager to distance themselves… for weeks now it has been obvious that whatever its origins, the Black Lives Matter movement has become a nihilistic, monomaniacal cult

“It is now perilously close to fascism – not, perhaps, the same kind of fascism practised by Hitler, Himmler, Goering and Goebbels, but fascism of a peculiarly sinister 21st-century variety. Like all true fascists, the most extreme BLM supporters have a crude… view of history… They believe that through the fires of destruction – ‘defunding’ the police, tearing down statues, emptying museums – humanity can be purged…

“Over time, it has become glaringly obvious that the BLM movement is largely driven by rich, white, expensively educated Left-wing university graduates, like the people involved with Oxford’s Rhodes Must Fall movement. A year ago, they were marching behind the banners of Extinction Rebellion. But anti-racism has become their new status symbol… Their sacred cause permits them to break whatever laws they like…

“It is no exaggeration to say that these self-styled activists will not rest until every museum has been remodelled, every patriotic hymn suppressed, every country house ‘contextualised’, every employee re-educated, every curriculum rewritten. That, too, is how fascism works. There is only one way to stop them. They cannot be appeased, for with every concession their appetite grows. We cannot ignore them and hope they will go away. Nor can we go along with them and hope they leave us alone. The only way to beat them is to stand up to them, and say: ‘No.’”

This is awful conduct! The comparison with Nazi behavior in the 1930s is well deserved.  

Californian County Retaliates against Church—“The Essence of Tyranny”

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on August 31:

“A California church challenged local coronavirus restrictions on worship services, and county authorities responded by canceling the church’s five-decade-old lease.

“County officials informed Grace Community Church that it will terminate its decades-old lease on a parking lot after the church filed a lawsuit over local restrictions against in-person worship. The county told the church in a letter it intends to terminate the lease of a large section of the parking lot that the church leases, threatening to forcibly remove any of the church’s property that remained in the lot. ‘If Grace fails to vacate the premise as required, the District may enter the premises and remove Grace’s personal property in accordance with the Agreement and applicable law, and Grace will be responsible for any resultant expenses incurred by the District,’ the letter states.

“Jenna Ellis, special counsel to the Thomas More Society, said the move is meant to punish a religious organization for requesting the same privileges afforded to protesters. She accused county officials of attempting to ‘abuse their power through burdensome, restrictive, and unconstitutional orders’ and retaliate against those who object. ‘L.A. County is clearly trying to evict Grace Church from use of their parking lot for no other reason than because Pastor John [MacArthur] stood firm and is challenging their power,’ she said. ‘This is the essence of tyranny.’

“The church has leased the parking lot since 1975 without interruption. The county has given the church until October 1 to vacate the lot… The church returned to in-person indoor services in July following more than a month of protests tied to the Black Lives Matter movement. While state and local officials turned a blind eye to—and in some cases participated in—the demonstrations that attracted tens of thousands of people, church leaders filed suit. The lawsuit argues that the ongoing state and local coronavirus restrictions violate the church’s First Amendment rights and unconstitutionally favor political protests over religious services. The church won a temporary victory last week when a judge rejected the county’s attempt to obtain a temporary restraining order to shut down church services…”

Shameful and SO hypocritical!

Don’t Rush out a Vaccine too Soon!

CNN wrote on September 1:

“Vaccine experts are warning the federal government against rushing out a coronavirus vaccine before testing has shown it’s both safe and effective. Decades of history show why they’re right…

“On April 12, 1955 the government announced the first vaccine to protect kids against polio. Within days, labs had made thousands of lots of the vaccine. Batches made by one company, Cutter Labs, accidentally contained live polio virus and it caused an outbreak. More than 200,000 children got the polio vaccine, but within days the government had to abandon the program… From 1955 to 1963, between 10% and 30% of polio vaccines were contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40)… It was being transferred to millions of Americans

“In 1976, scientists predicted a pandemic of a new strain of influenza called swine flu. More than 40 years later, some historians call it ‘flu epidemic that never was… Ford was being cajoled to put forward a vaccine that was hastily put together… Ford made the decision to make the immunization compulsory. The government launched the program in about seven months and 40 million people got vaccinated against swine flu, according to the CDC. That vaccination campaign was later linked to cases of a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome…

“It took several incidents for people to start distrusting vaccines

“A too-early EUA for a vaccine could cause a ‘nightmare scenario,’ for a few reasons. One, the vaccine may not be safe. Two, if it is not safe, people will lose faith in vaccines. Three, if a vaccine doesn’t offer complete protection, people will have a false sense of security and increase their risk. Four, if a substandard vaccine gets an EUA, a better vaccine may never get approval, because people would be reluctant to enroll in trials and risk getting a placebo instead of a vaccine….”

And fifth, even “safe” vaccines are not safe, as they all have the risks of serious side effects.

Inflated Figures and Lockdown Useless and Harmful

Collective Evolution wrote on August 30:

“According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), out of all the deaths that have been labelled as a COVID-19 death in the United States so far, for 6% of them ‘COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned’ and for 94% of the deaths, there were other causes and conditions in addition to COVID-19. The CDC states that ‘for deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death.’

“…[For] the majority of deaths that have been attributed to COVID-19, the new virus may not have been the cause of the death… There have also been many claims around the internet that people who have died in car accidents and other causes have been marked as a Covid death if they test positive… a study published in Italy shows that 99 percent of people who had died so far from COVID 19 at the time of the study had pre-existing medical conditions that made them more susceptible to death… we do not see people who die of a heart attack tested to see if they have the flu. What’s been happening here is that if someone dies of a heart-attack but tests positive for COVID-19, it’s also marked as a covid death…

“There have been some eye-opening statements from health authorities all over the world that seem to have emphasized that some deaths that are clearly not a result of covid, but of something else, have again, also been marked as a covid death if the patient tested positive. This has been a common theme throughout the pandemic. For example, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, recently stated that, even if it’s clear one died of an alternative cause, their death will still be marked as a COVID death… Toronto Public Health tweeted in late June that ‘Individuals who have died with COVID-19, but not as a result of COVID-19, are included in the case counts for COVID-19 deaths in Toronto.’

“The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced a change to how it tallies coronavirus deaths amid complaints that it inflated numbers… Vittorio Sgarbi, Italian politician Mayor of Sutri, gave an emotional speech at a hearing on the 24th of April where he emphasized that the number of deaths in Italy due to COVID-19 are completely false and that the people are being lied to. He stated his belief that governments were doing this to exercise more control over the population. This sentiment echoes the thoughts of many notable people, like Dr. Ron Paul for example…

“It’s also important to mention the research and opinions of many health experts who have been emphasizing that the case-fatality rate of COVID-19 is very similar to a severe flu. For example, Ronald B. Brown, Ph.D., from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada says, based on his research, that the coronavirus fatality rates we were/are given represents ‘Worst Miscalculation in Human History.’ Dr. Brown added that CDC and WHO documents show that the case fatality rate for influenza was similar to the coronavirus, implying that the lockdowns were pointless. His paper questions why the 2017-2018 influenza season in the United States did not ‘receive the same intensive media coverage as COVID-19.’

“The Physicians For Informed Consent (PIC) recently published a report titled ‘Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC) Compares COVID-19 to Previous Seasonal and Pandemic Flu Periods.’ According to them, the infection/fatality rate of COVID-19 is 0.26%… Many doctors and scientists around the world have been emphasizing from the very beginning that lockdown measures [are] completely unnecessary, harmful, and don’t really make any sense. For example, more than 500 German doctors & scientists have… expressed the same thing multiple times early on in the pandemic all the way up to today…

“What makes it even more important is that the thousands of scientists and doctors all over the world who are sharing opinions, research, and data that seems to contradict what we’ve been given from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) are being heavily censored, and in some cases ridiculed. A lot of the information presented in this article is never really presented by the mainstream media, and as a result the masses are usually beamed with a one-sided perception while these same networks simply ridicule and label any opposing information that threatens their narrative as a ‘conspiracy theory.’…

“We live in a world where big interests seem to dominate politics and science… Understanding what’s going on here, or at least attempting to through the process of critical thinking and questioning, is all part of the process. In an ideal world there would be complete transparency of all issues, but today we have a digital authoritarian ‘fact-checker’ that seems to be patrolling the internet telling people what is and what isn’t instead of allowing people to make up their own minds. You are not stupid, and you have the ability to think for yourself! Don’t ever forget that.”

Very well expressed! Also, the Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 2 about the “Pelosi-Gate: House Speaker’s Hair-Raising Hypocrisy,” continuing:

“US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was busted yesterday, sneaking in to a beauty salon in San Francisco for a shampoo. Salons in California had been closed for months to ‘fight Covid’ but the Speaker obviously believes that some people are more equal than others.”

Robert F Kennedy at Berlin Anti-Corona Demonstrations

BBC News reported on August 29:

“Some 38,000 people took to the streets in [Berlin] for mostly peaceful demonstrations… Similar rallies took [place] in other European cities… Thousands gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square to protest against issues including coronavirus restrictions… Similar protests took place in Paris, Vienna and Zurich…

“The protests have also gained support from Robert F Kennedy Jr. The anti-vaccination campaigner, also the son of assassinated US Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy and nephew of assassinated US President John F Kennedy, is at the demonstrations in Berlin.

“Mr Kennedy told the crowd at the Victory Column that his uncle had famously addressed Berlin in 1963 to counter totalitarianism and that ‘today Berlin is again the front against totalitarianism’, warning of a surveillance state…’”

The Irish Times wrote on August 29:

“Robert F Kennedy, a US vaccination sceptic, praised the cheering crowd for pushing back against what he called efforts to spread fear in the pandemic and impose a new surveillance state. Half a century after his uncle visited Berlin, then a cold war frontier against totalitarianism, Mr Kennedy delighted the crowd by repeating his uncle’s most famous slogan, but in a very different context. ‘Today Berlin is once again a front against totalitarianism,’ he said to huge cheers. ‘And that is why I’m proud to say, ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’”

Spahn Criticizes Demonstration

Die Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on August 30:

“Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) [criticized] on Saturday the demonstration in Berlin against the corona-virus. ‚It showed a lack of solidarity and was deeply unpatriotic, not to wear masks, not to practice social distancing, and thereby to jeopardize others,’ Spahn said.”

Maybe Herr Spahn should check the meaning of the words “patriotic” and “lack of solidarity.” It is interesting that even the higher court, allowing the demonstration, thereby overruling the appeal of the police in Berlin, did not demand the wearing of masks, even though it did require social distancing. However, just about two hours after the demonstration started, police called off the protest, citing as justification the disregard for social distancing rules. According to reports which we received, the police provoked the protestors from the outset. They blocked all side streets and they kept delaying the start of the demonstration in an apparent attempt to prevent social distancing. This then was used by the police as “justification” to call off the demonstration. It was reported that demonstrators held posters that read “stop the coronavirus madness” and “end the coronavirus dictatorship,” and a protest leader called for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to resign.

German Politicians Conveniently Outraged over Reichstag Incident

Fox News reported on August 30:

“German police forcibly removed far-right protesters and others who stormed the parliament building in Berlin following a protest against the country’s strict coronavirus restrictions. Police dispersed the protesters after they broke away from a large peaceful demonstration, breached a security barrier and then ran up the steps of the Reichstag late Saturday… Scuffles broke out as police drove back the demonstrators with pepper spray…”

What has been consistently “overlooked” in the mainstream media and the “scandal-mass” tabloids is the fact that those who “stormed” the Parliament building (they never entered it) were a few people who were not part of the demonstration, but acted, “following” the demonstration.

Deutsche Welle reported on August 29:

“President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the incident as an ‘unbearable attack on the heart of our democracy.’

“Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tweeted: ‘It is shameful to have flags of the German Reich in front of Parliament.’ ‘Nazi symbols and flags of the Reichsbürgers and of Imperial Germany have no place in the German Bundestag,’ wrote Finance Minister Olaf Scholz…

“Authorities arrested around 300 people… Around 200 of those were detained in front of the Russian embassy…”

200 or 300 allegedly “violent” people out of 38.000 mostly peaceful demonstrators! According to reports and video material posted on social media, the police acted or reacted very violently against the protestors in front of the Reichstag building or the Russian embassy. Most of them were average citizens and NOT Nazis or far right protestors. Typical propaganda of the mass media in an attempt to manipulate the public! Will this incident be used by Germany’s politicians as a further excuse for prohibiting any anti-corona demonstrations from now on? A macabre parallel could be drawn from the famous Reichstagsbrand in 1933, allegedly perpetrated by a socialist Jew (although some feel that the Nazis themselves were behind the fire), which was then used by Hitler to enact autocratic laws and suspend civil liberties.

The ”comments” by German President Steinmeier on Monday were quite interesting in this regard. He said, as reported by Deutsche Welle, dated August 31:

“My understanding ends where demonstrators allow themselves to be harnessed to the carts of the enemies of democracy and the political agitators, those who seek cooperation with right-wing extremists on the street, but also those who simply walk — without being concerned — alongside neo-Nazis, xenophobes and anti-Semites. Those who don’t clearly and actively separate themselves from them, make common cause with them.”

As mentioned above, there is no evidence that those who “stormed” the Reichstag were right-wing extremists, neo-Nazis, xenophobes and anti-Semites. But even allowing Steinmeier’s comments to be accurate, with that rationale, EVERY demonstration could be prohibited, as some “political agitators” will always be mingling with peaceful protesters. Maybe this is what the German government wants to achieve. Due to the one-sided political reporting of Germany’s mass media and tabloids, a discussion as to whether to ban all anti-Corona protests has already begun.

It Was SO Predictable

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 1:

“In Berlin, anybody taking part in a rally of over 100 people [will] soon be required to wear a face mask [beginning this Saturday]… Face masks also have to be worn at smaller demonstrations if the protesters chant slogans or sing.

“Berlin Mayor Michael Müller announced the new amendments on Twitter, stating that ‘at open-air meetings of more than 100 people, especially demonstrations, the wearing of a mouth and nose cover is now compulsory.’ Until now masks have only been obligatory in shops and on public transport, as well as for children at school, outside of lessons.

Alongside the decision to make masks mandatory at protests, further new regulations were also agreed on. These included demanding that anyone who wishes to host a private party such as a wedding or birthday will be responsible for ensuring that safety measures are abided by and to keep track of guests contact details to support the tracing of any possible outbreaks.”

Many New Corona “Cases” in the UK, BUT no deaths

The Daily Mail wrote on August 30:

“Another 1,715 people have tested positive for coronavirus today in the biggest daily rise in 12 weeks…

“But, in a positive sign, the country’s death toll is remaining low as just one person died after testing positive for the disease… There were no new deaths in Scotland for the fourth consecutive day. Wales and Northern Ireland each had no new fatalities for the third straight day.”

And so, the scare tactic continues… Newsmax wrote on August 30: “Health experts say PCR testing is too sensitive and needs to be altered to rule out people who have insignificant amounts of COVID-19 because they’re likely not contagious…”

They must be kidding…  

Stiff Fine imposed on Anti Coronavirus Organizer

The Guardian wrote on August 30:

“Piers Corbyn (73) has become one of the first people to receive a £10,000 fixed penalty under new coronavirus laws restricting public gatherings of more than 30 people. The weather forecaster and climate change denier, who is the older brother of the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was arrested and fined for his part in organising Saturday’s demonstrations in central London against lockdown restrictions… Corbyn said he was held for 10 hours by police and told officers he and other organisers had filled out all the necessary risk assessments and spent two weeks negotiating with Scotland Yard over the event. He said he planned to challenge the fixed penalty notice in court… Under new changes to regulations, those attending a gathering of more than 30 people may be committing a criminal offence….

“Corbyn’s fine comes after the Met last week dropped a threat to investigate the organiser of another protest on suspicion of breaching coronavirus regulations, after accepting that as a political protest it was exempt.”

What dangerous hypocritical political nonsense.

Another Approach in Italy

Breitbart wrote on August 30:

“The mayor of the Italian town of Sutri north of Rome has established fines for wearing masks except when required by law, insisting that ‘only thieves and terrorists wear masks.’ The contrarian Italian parliamentarian Vittorio Sgarbi, who is also the mayor of Sutri, has been a vocal critic of mask-wearing and other restrictions imposed by the Italian government to address the coronavirus. Mr. Sgarbi announced Saturday that in Sutri ‘anyone found wearing a face mask without need will be fined,’ noting that there are no cases of coronavirus infection in the city. ‘In compliance with the decree of the President of the Council of Ministers, the use of the mask outdoors in the City of Sutri is prohibited for obvious health reasons and indoors except in the case of assemblies,’ the city ordinance reads.

“Mr. Sgarbi said that in all other cases, those found wearing a mask will be fined in compliance with legislation on public order, which prohibits face coverings. ‘The use of protective helmets or any other apparel making it difficult to recognize a person is prohibited in a public places or places open to the public without sufficient reason,’ the law states.

“Mr. Sgarbi also takes aim at certain mask-wearing practices that he finds ‘ridiculous’… ‘the use of the mask in public places, except for employees, appears in evident contrast to the time dedicated to eating that requires taking food without a mask,’ he writes. ‘It therefore seems contradictory that after eating without a mask you get up from the table and put it on. These are ridiculous forms of ostentation that have nothing to do with healthcare needs,’ he concludes.”

His assessment regarding the mandates of wearing masks is quite convincing.

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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.

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