Monday, December 08, 2008

The Jesuits and The Reformation

Ignatius Loyola
Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time, the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off from every earthly tie and human interest, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its power. The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.


When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of State, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants, to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind, and dazzle and captivate the imagination; and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.


To give them greater power, a bull was issued re-establishing the Inquisition. Notwithstanding the general abhorrence with which it was regarded, even in Catholic countries, this terrible tribunal was again set up by popish rulers, and atrocities too terrible to bear the light of day were repeated in its secret dungeons. In many countries, thousands upon thousands of the very flower of the nation, the purest and noblest, the most intellectual and highly educated, pious and devoted pastors, industrious and patriotic citizens, brilliant scholars, talented artists, skillful artisans, were slain, or forced to flee to other lands.


Such were the means which Rome had invoked to quench the light of the Reformation, to withdraw from men the Bible, and to restore the ignorance and superstition of the Dark Ages. But under God's blessing and the labors of those noble men whom he had raised up to succeed Luther, Protestantism was not overthrown.





The Great Controversy, E. G. White, pp.234-236.





Note: Bolds, Highlights, and Italics added for emphasis...........................Arsenio.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

From Sabbath to Sunday: The Bacchiocchi Agenda


From Sabbath to Sunday: The Bacchiocchi Agenda
Which "Sabbath" Does He Truly Support?

From Sabbath to Sunday, Divine Rest for Human Restlessness, The Sabbath in the New Testament, The Sabbath Under Crossfire--these are some of the many books authored by Samuele Bacchiocchi, the purported Seventh Day Adventist scholar, which have received great accolades from many "Church of God" organizations for their apparent defense of the seventh day Sabbath. A deeper examination of his books though actually reveals his ecumenical concern--not concern for the Scriptural Sabbath, but for a Sabbath--be it the last, or the first day of the week.

The following quote is from Bacchiocchi, as posted on his website "Biblical Perspectives" [bold face emphasis mine throughout article ~bh]:



"I grew up as a Seventh-day Adventist in Rome, Italy, a stone-throw from the Vatican wall in the days when considerable hostility existed against religious minorities. I vividly remember the ridicule and rejection I experienced, especially for honoring the Savior on the Sabbath. For example, my classmates called me "Il Giudeo–the Jew," or "L'eretico-the heretic" because I would not attend school on Saturday and would not play soccer with them on that day.

These painful experiences instilled within me the desire to know more about which is God's Holy Day and how should it be observed by Christians today. As a teenager I would have never imagined that the Lord would one day make it possible for me to research and publish my dissertation at the most prestigious Jesuit University in the world, the Pontifical Gregorian University, founded by Ignatius Loyola [founder the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)~bh] himself, over 450 years ago.

The idea of attending the Gregoriana was suggested to me by a beloved Catholic priest, Father Ravasio, whom I came to know in Ethiopia where I was serving as a missionary. One day I told him that I had been accepted at Yale for a doctoral program in Church History. He replied: "Sam you are a Roman and should go to study at the Gregoriana." How can I? I replied. Surely they will never accept a heretic like me. "Don't say that!" he said. "After Vatican II you are no longer a heretic. You are a separated brother. If you apply, you stand a good chance to be accepted." I followed his advice.

Truly I can say that though I was accepted as a "Separated Brother," I was treated as a real Christian brother. I treasure the pleasant memories of the five years I spent at the Gregoriana. The professor who directed my dissertation, Father Vincenzo Monachino, S. J., [Society of Jesus--that is, he is a Jesuit ~bh] is brilliant, godly and open minded. At first he was reluctant to allow me to investigate the origin of Sundaykeeping, because he had worked on the same subject for the previous two years with a Jesuit priest C. S. Mosna, who also wrote his dissertation on the history of Sunday during the first four centuries (STORIA DELLA DOMENICA --HISTORY OF SUNDAY). When he noticed my keen interest he graciously approved my proposal and spent many hours with me reexamining the Biblical and historical data. It takes a great scholar to be willing to reconsider one's conclusions. Prof. Monachino was such a scholar whom I will respect for the rest of my life.

My dissertation FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY was first published in 1977 by the Pontifical Gregorian University Press with the official Catholic imprimatur (approval). Since then it has been reprinted 13 times in English and has been translated in a dozen of languages. The French translation was done by two Belgian Benedictine monks as a labor of love and published by a Catholic press in Paris." [this info is quite similar to that which he included in the book itself (p.5) ~bh]

"Since Dr. Bacchiocchi seems intent on pushing his books based upon the fact that he has an imprimatur on one of them [From Sabbath to Sunday ~bh], it is important to know what the word imprimatur means. Simply stated, it means that there is nothing in the book that is contrary to the teaching of the [Catholic ~bh] Church." (Ed Faulk, Usenet Catholic Newsgroup message, December 15, 1997)

Merriam Webster's dictionary defines imprimatur as follows:

" im*pri*ma*tur (noun) [New Latin, let it be printed, from imprimere to print, from Latin, to imprint, impress -- more at IMPRESS] First appeared 1640

1 a : a license to print or publish esp. by Roman Catholic episcopal authority

b : approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship

2 a : SANCTION, APPROVAL

b : IMPRINT

c : a mark of approval or distinction "

One must ask themselves, if this book truly proves and advocates Seventh Day Sabbath, why would it receive this Catholic imprimatur, and yet further, why would Sunday keeping monks translate his work "as a labor of love" if it disproved or went against what they stand for? Recall the hatred that the Catholic Church has had for the Seventh Day Sabbath throughout history.

Let us further examine this book:

"How can the pressing problem of the secularization of the Lord's day be resolved?" (Samuele Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday, back cover).

How can the "secularization" of a secular day (Sunday) be seen as a "pressing problem" that needs be "resolved"--especially by a professing Seventh Day Sabbath observer??

"Should Sunday be viewed as the hour of worship rather than the holy day of rest to the Lord?" (ibid, p.303).

Should it be viewed by anyone, especially one who claims to be a 7th day Sabbatarian, as either one of these??

"To find the answer to these questions, Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi spent five years at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, examining the most ancient available documents. The results of this investigation are presented in From Sabbath to Sunday." (ibid, back cover)

Notice carefully the reason for this book: "To find the answer to these questions..." Which questions? One of them is "How can the pressing problem of the secularization of the Lord's day be resolved?"

This fact of seeking a Sabbath basis for Sunday as being the purpose for his research and writing of From Sabbath to Sunday is bore out further in the following quote:

"To accomplish a sound theological reappraisal of Sunday it is necessary to investigate its Biblical basis and its historical genesis. On the other hand, the many studies on this topic, though excellent, have not given a fully satisfactory answer because of the lack of consideration of some of those factors which in the Church of the first centuries contributed to the concrete genesis and development of a day of worship different than the Jewish Sabbath."

"On account of this, the new work of Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi is to be welcomed."

"We gladly mention that the thesis that Bacchiocchi defends regarding the birth-place of Sunday worship: for him this rose not in the primitive Church of Jerusalem, well-known for its profound attachment to the Jewish religious traditions, but rather in the Church of Rome."

"The event of Christ's resurrection on that day, had naturally signifigance importance."

"The strict scientific orientation of the work does not prevent the author from revealing his profound religious and ecumenic concern. Conscious that the history of salvation knows not fractures but continuity, he [Bacchiocchi] finds in the rediscovery of the religious values of the Biblical Sabbath, a help to restore to the Lord's Day its ancient sacred character. This is in reality the exhortation that already in the fourth century the bishops addressed to the believers, namely to spend Sunday not in outings or watching shows, but rather to sanctify it by assisting at the eucharistic celebration and by doing acts of mercy (St. Ambrose, Exam. III, 1, 1.)."

"Rome, June 29th, 1977, VINCENZO MONACHINO, S.J. Chairman of Church History Department, Pontifical Gregorian University." (From Sabbath to Sunday, pp.7,8) [This is from the "brilliant, godly and open minded" Jesuit which directed Bacchiocchi's study and writing of this subject]

Some more on this, from Samuele himself: "Many well-meaning Christians view Sunday observance as the hour of worship rather than as the holy day of the Lord. Having fulfilled their worship obligations, many will in good conscience spend the rest of their Sunday time either engaged in making money or in seeking pleasure." (ibid, p.10)

"Some people, concerned by this widespread profanation of the Lord's day, are urging for a civil legislation that would outlaw all activities not compatible with the spirit of Sunday. To make such legislation agreeable even to non-Christians, sometimes appeal is made to the pressing need of preserving natural resources. One day of total rest for man and machines would help safeguard both our power resources and the precarious environment. Social or ecological needs, however, while they may encourage resting on Sunday, can hardly induce a worshipful attitude." (ibid, p.10).

As noted above, Bacchiocchi is one of these very people who are "concerned by this widespread profanation of the Lord's day." He therefore makes these very appeals himself in his book, Divine Rest For Human Restlessness, chapter VI, part IV The Sabbath as Service to our Habitat, pp. 204-214 (ecological appeal), and chapter VII Good News of Divine Rest for Human Restlessness, pp. 217-226 (social appeal).

"Might not more hopeful results be expected from educating our Christian communities to understand both the Biblical meaning and experience of God's 'holy day'?" (From Sabbath to Sunday, p.11) [Is this not exactly what the Jesuit Vincenzo Monachino (quoted above) stated was Bacchiocchi's purpose for this investigation? To provide understanding for how to keep Sunday from being "profaned" by looking into the Scriptural Sabbath. Recall: "he {Bacchiocchi} finds in the rediscovery of the religious values of the Biblical Sabbath, a help to restore to the Lord's Day its ancient sacred character."]

"In introducing our study we posed several vital questions: What are the Biblical and historical reasons for Sunday-keeping? Can Sunday be regarded as the legitimate replacement of the Sabbath? Can the fourth commandment be rightly invoked to enjoin Sunday observance? Should Sunday be viewed as the hour of worship rather than the holy day of rest to the Lord? We stated at the outset that to answer these questions, and solve the pressing problem of the widespread profanation of Sunday, it is indispensable to ascertain both the Biblical basis and the historical genesis of this festivity." (ibid, p.303)

"Our study has shown (we hope persuasively) that the adoption of Sunday observance in place of the Sabbath did not occur in the primitive Church of Jerusalem by virtue of the authority of Christ or of the Apostles, but rather took place several decades later, seemingly in the Church of Rome, solicited by external circumstances." (ibid, p.309)

"On what ground then can Sunday rest be defended? Mosna finds a 'fundamental reason' in the fact that the Church 'influenced Constantine's decision to make Sunday a day of rest for the whole empire, and this undoubtedly in order to give to the Lord's day a preeminent place above the other days.' Therefore, Mosna argues that the Church 'can claim the honor of having granted man a pause to his work every seven days.' This explanation harmonizes well with the traditional claim that Sunday observance 'is purely a creation of the Catholic Church.' But if Sunday rest is an ecclesiastical-imperial institution, how can it be enjoined upon Christians as a divine precept? What valid ground can this provide to enable theologians to reassess the meaning and function of the Lord's day for Christians today? One can hardly hope to cope with the widespread profanation of the Lord's day, merely by invoking ecclesiastical authority without providing an adequate theological rationale." (ibid, pp.312-313)

Samuele continues as such: "Should we then conclude that Sunday is to be regarded as the hour of worship rather then the holy day of rest to the Lord? Apparently it is toward this direction that some Christian churches are moving." (ibid, p.313)

"To say the least, this interpretation not only reduces the obligation of the Lord's day to the attendance of a church service, but it even accomodates the social and recreational priorities of modern Christians. Does this view of the Lord's day as the hour of worship reflect correctly the Biblical teaching of the sanctification of the Sabbath, accomplished by renouncing the utilitarian use of its time? Hardly so." (ibid, pp 315-316).

"Does this proposal contribute to solving or to compounding the problems associated with Sunday observance in our time? Does not this provide Christians with a rational justification for spending most of their Sunday time in either making money or in seeking pleasure? Is this what Sunday observance is all about? To divorce worship from rest, regarding the latter as non-essential to Sunday observance, it means to misunderstand the meaning of the Biblical commandment which ordains the consecration not of a weekly hour of worship but of a whole day of interruption of work out of respect for God. Undoubtedly for some Christians the reduction of Sunday observance to an hour of worship is unacceptable, but our study has shown that both the historical genesis and the thelogical basis of Sunday observance offer little help to encourage the consecration of the total Sunday time to the Lord." (ibid, p.317)

"Is there a way out of this predictament? The proposal which we are about to submit may at first appear radical to some, but if it were accepted by Christians at large it could indeed revitalize both the worship and the real content of the Lord's day. Since our study has shown that Sunday observance lacks the Biblical authority and the theological basis necessary to justify the total consecration of its time to the Lord, we believe that such an objective can be more readily acheived by educating our Christian communities to understand the Biblical and apostolic meaning and obligation of the seventh-day Sabbath." (ibid, p.318). [Please note that he is not suggesting that all "Christians" begin to keep the seventh day Sabbath, but rather, that they get educated as to the meaning and obligation of it, and apply it to Sunday.]

"Sabbath observance in this cosmic age can well be for modern man the fitting expression of a cosmic faith...a faith that would treat the Lord's Day as God's holy day rather than as a holiday." (ibid, p.321) [Again, the Sabbath observance he is speaking of is NOT to occur on the seventh day, but rather on the "Lord's Day" (i.e., sunday)].

The following are some "scholars' " comments on Samuele's books. Please, when you read their words, take notice that they are Catholics:

"The warning has gone out, Sunday is in trouble....In order to gain a much needed perspective on this issue, a practical and worthwhile reading of FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY is needed."

Thomas G. Simmons, Director

CATHOLIC DIVINE WORSHIP APOSTOLATE

Review, MODERN LITURGY MAGAZINE


"DIVINE REST FOR HUMAN RESTLESSNESS invites every reader to a penetrating and suggestive analysis of the tradition and significance of Sabbath keeping."

Most Reverend Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin

ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO

Richard Nickels, of Giving and Sharing, & the Bible Sabbath Association, gave the following review of Bacchiocchi's God’s Festivals in Scripture and History :

"More than one intelligent, well-educated Sabbath-keeper has mentioned to me that they think Samuele Bacchiocchi is a Jesuit. They have presented no proof for this assertion, and as a result, I place such accusations in the category of malicious gossip....Nevertheless, there are a number of disturbing tendencies that have come to light with the publication of Bacchiocchi's books on the Holy Days.

(1) He is more of a salesman than a scholar. The shoddy work on his first book on the Holy Days is ample proof that he rushed to make a commercial deadline, rather than carefully doing his research.

(2) Time and again, he says that the Bible alone doesn't tell us much of how to keep the Holy Days, and thus he turns to church tradition. Although he stops short of saying that church tradition is above the Bible, by citing and supporting extra-Biblical customs, he elevates these traditions above the Bible.

(3) He lauds and honors Catholic "fathers," even well-known enemies of the true faith, such Origen, Jerome, and Augustine. He acts as if Patrick of Ireland, Columba, Vigilantius Leo, and heroes of the Sabbath-keeping Church of the East did not exist. I care little what Catholic fathers said, but I would be interested in learning more of what Sabbath-keeping church leaders said about the Holy Days.

(4) He liberally quotes from apocryphal sources, as authoritative guides, that prescribe our Christian practices of today, such as his support for a Passover vigil, so-called Lord's Supper, and agape feast.

(5) At times he seems to be purposely ambiguous, even contradictory. He sometimes takes stands on several sides of the same issue, and rarely speaks plainly. [Nickels notes many of such instances, such as the following: "On page 169, Bacchiocchi agrees with Alfred Edersheim, Josephus, and Philo, on the Sivan 6 date for Pentecost. Yet later on, on page 233, he agrees with a Sunday Pentecost. He was either in a hurry to publish his book, or he purposely straddled the fence."]

(6) He ignores plain Bible commands, or minimizes them, and instead concentrates on what men say about the Bible.

What is the common denominator of these tendencies of Bacchiocchi? They are traits of the Jesuits! Jesuits believe and practice that the end justifies the means. The Jesuit-led Council of Trent, the touchstone for Catholic success over Protestantism, upheld the Catholic dogma that tradition is above Scripture. Jesuit techniques include the eradication of all history about 'heretics,' the ascendancy of the Apocrypha and translations such as the Vulgate Bible, based on the corrupt Vaticanus and Sinaiticus texts, supported by Origen and Jerome. The Catholic Church in general, and Jesuits in particular, ignore plain Bible commands so as to uphold their anti-Biblical traditions.

Rene Fulop-Miller says of the Jesuits, 'In actual fact, the Jesuit casuists [reasoners about what is right or wrong] deal with two forms of permissible deception: that of 'amphibology' and that of reservatio mentalis. 'Amphibology' is nothing else than the employment of ambiguous terms calculated to mislead the questioner; 'mental reservation' consists in answering a question, not with a direct lie, but in such a way that the truth is partly suppressed, certain words being formulated mentally but not expressed orally,' (cited in Facts of Faith, page 281[by Christian Edwardson]). Dr. Bacchiocchi is so steeped in the study of the Catholic Church early fathers that he cannot help himself from thinking like them. Truly, you become what you read!...I am not accusing him of being a Jesuit. But, I am warning others to reject Bacchiocchi’s Jesuit tendencies. After thoughtful consideration, we will not continue to recommend his books on the Holy Days. We do, indeed, recommend books even if we do not agree with the author on every point. But the tone of Bacchiocchi’s books on the Holy Days, is, in my opinion, Catholic rather than Biblical, and that is something that I will not support." (Richard Nickels, Giving and Sharing newsletter review of Samuele Bacchiocchi's God’s Festivals in Scripture and History)

From Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary :
"Jesuit ...1 : a member of the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus founded by St. Ignatius Loyala in 1534 and devoted to missionary and educational work 2 : one given to intrigue or equivocation"

"intrigue ... 1 : a secret scheme"

"equivocate ... 1 : to use equivocal language especially with intent to deceive 2 : to avoid committing oneself in what one says- synonym see LIE"

"equivocal ... 1 a : subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse"

J.I. Rodale, The Synomym Finder :

"equivocate ... doubletalk ... talk out of both sides of one's mouth"

William Lutz, Double-Speak :

"Doublespeak is not a slip of the tongue, or language used out of ignorance, but is instead a very conscious use of language as a weapon or tool by those in power to achieve their ends at our expense." (p. xii)

"Doublespeak enables speaker and listener, writer and reader, to hold two opposing ideas in their minds at the same time and believe in both of them." (p. 9)



"Andrews University, the Seventh-Day Adventist world headquarters where Samuele Bacchiocchi is a professor, has been so heavily infiltrated with ecumenical theologians that its yearbook has used illustrations of nuns, priests, and people giving the papal sign." [John Osborne and Bob Trefz (independent Seventh Day Adventists), Jesuit Agenda for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, video tape, 1992].

The above cited SDA minister, Bob Trefz, reportedly wrote a letter to a Church of God member which stated: "I know Bacchiocchi. He is doing the very work that one would expect from a Jesuit. Of course he was trained at the highest Jesuit University in the world...Bacchiocchi is best friends with the leaders of the Lord's Day Alliance--the premier organization pushing for a National Sunday Law. Bacchiocchi arranged for the Lord's Day Alliance to come to Andrews University where the SDA theological seminary is located. We believe he is pushing the Jesuit Agenda." [Bacchiocchi actually had the head of the Lord's Day Alliance, Dr. James P. Wesberry, write the forward to his book Rest For Human Restlessness--bh].

This man, Samuele Bacchiocchi, is supported by many "Church of God" organizations, and defended by (including against allegations that he is a Jesuit) Ron Dart of Christian Educational Ministries. You have just read of the "fruits" of Bacchiocchi, whom Ron refers to as "one of the strongest advocates of sincere Sabbath observance in the world." (Understanding Deception, point 6, Ron Dart). Do you agree with him? Just which "sabbath" is being advocated?

Author: Brian Hoeck


The whole armour of God


10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; ...


Ephesians 6: 10-18. (King James Version)

The King of the Jews

Mark 15

1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it.

3And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

4And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.

5But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.

6Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

7And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

8And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.

9But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

10For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

11But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

12And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

13And they cried out again, Crucify him.

14Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

15And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

16And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

17And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

18And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!

19And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

21And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

22And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

24And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

29And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

30Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

35And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

36And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

37And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

39And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

40There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

41(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

42And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

44And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

45And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

46And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.


Friday, December 05, 2008

Israeli Troops Evict Settlers in the West Bank


Israeli soldiers and police officers forced Jewish settlers from a contested building in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday. Some settlers then went on an angry rampage, and Israel declared the southern West Bank off limits to nonresidents.




Published: December 4, 2008


HEBRON, West Bank — Israeli troops forcibly evicted about 200 hard-line Jewish settlers from a contested building in this volatile biblical city on Thursday, the first serious clash in what seems to be a spiraling confrontation between the government and defiant settlers.


The operation, carried out by 600 soldiers and policemen with stealth and efficiency, took half an hour and resulted in two dozen relatively light injuries. But events did not end there. Young settlers then rampaged through Palestinian fields and neighborhoods, setting olive trees on fire and trashing houses.

Maj. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli Army spokeswoman, said the southern part of the West Bank, known in Israel as Judea, was designated a closed military area. That means only those who live here may now enter, an effort to prevent outside settlers from causing further trouble. Within an hour of the order, cars were backed up in huge lines at new military roadblocks.

The contested building, which occupants had dubbed the House of Peace, is on the road to the Cave of the Patriarchs, where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives are said to be buried, a site Muslims and Jews have coveted and fought over for centuries.

As the sun descended, the area around the building looked like a war zone. Evacuees were still being dragged about, with four police officers per person; rocks were strewn on the roadways; plumes of black smoke were rising from the olive groves; and hundreds of helmeted troops in riot gear were confronting a crowd of infuriated settlers.

The men in the crowd wore beards and sidecurls, while women had long skirts and covered heads, members of the religiously observant Jewish population in and around Hebron, which numbers several thousand among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

As Palestinians watched from rooftops and windows, some settlers shouted at the troops, calling them Nazis. A few had sewn yellow stars on their shirts, as Jews were obliged to do under Hitler. On a wall near the confrontation, Hebrew graffiti declared, “There will be a war over the House of Peace.”

Much is at stake for both sides in this confrontation because the Israeli government says it wants to ease the construction of a Palestinian state in most of the West Bank, whereas the settlers and their backers say they will do all in their power to prevent such a state. They are focusing partly on increasing their numbers in Hebron, second only to Jerusalem in its historic and religious significance to them.

The four-story building in question was built and owned by a Palestinian who agreed to sell it. He said he had been unaware the buyers were Jews and that he had been tricked, and that he had backed out of the deal. The settlers say that he knew very well what he was doing but that threats against him had made him claim otherwise.

The Israeli government ordered the settlers out. They challenged the order. Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court took the government’s side in a 3-to-0 ruling and gave it 30 days to make good on the order. In the past week or two, settlers had grown more rebellious, throwing rocks at soldiers and defacing Palestinian buildings and graves. It was clearly only a matter of time before the army would step in.

The official who made the call for the evacuation on Thursday was Ehud Barak, the defense minister and head of the Labor Party, who said at a news conference later that “what was tested today was the ability of the state to enforce its laws and its essence upon its citizens.”

Mr. Barak had met with settler leaders on Thursday morning to find a way out of the confrontation. The settlers emerged from the meeting believing there was still negotiation to be done, but Mr. Barak clearly thought otherwise.

Because elections are scheduled for February and Mr. Barak is his party’s leader, opponents of the evacuation accused him of seeking political advantage through his decision.

“Barak sent the army and police as part of the left wing’s election campaign and the blood of the casualties is on his hands,” said Arieh Eldad of the National Religious Party.

Settler leaders were indignant, saying Mr. Barak had tricked them after talking soothingly to them in the morning. They said there was nothing more scandalous in the land of Israel than for Jews to evict Jews from their homes.

In a separate development, the Israeli government agreed Thursday for the first time in four weeks to allow journalists and foreign aid workers to enter Gaza. The area, ruled by the militant group Hamas, is under a closing led by Israel that severely limits goods and people from going in and out. But only recently did the closing include foreign journalists who had appealed to the government and Supreme Court for renewed permission to enter.



New ID Scanners at Borders Raise Privacy Alarm


Monday, December 1, 2008 6:19 PM

By: Dave Eberhart


The federal government has already deployed new detection machines that can scan citizens without their knowledge from as far as 50 feet away and "read" their personal documents such as passports or driver's licenses.


The Homeland Security Department touts the high-tech devices as increasing security at border crossings, but privacy advocates are raising all sorts of red flags.


Critics say the new machines, which read one's personal information right through a wallet or purse, do so without consent or a warrant and may set a worrisome precedent.


The devices, called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) machines, allow officials to read remotely any passports, pass cards, and driver's licenses that contain special chips with personal information.


The RFIDs are so sensitive that, even before a vehicle pulls up at a border checkpoint, agents already will have on their computer screen the personal data of the passengers, including each person's name, date of birth, nationality, passport or ID number, and even a digitized photo.


The new gadgets are in place, or soon will be, at five border crossings: Blaine, Wash.; Buffalo; Detroit; Nogales, Ariz.; and San Ysidro, Calif. They are slated to have a dramatically expanded presence in June.


Lee Tien of the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that the technology could make Americans less secure because terrorists or other criminals may be able to steal the personal information off the ID cards remotely.


Tien and other critics warn that people up to no good can use their own RFID machines in a process called "skimming" to read the information from as far as 50 feet.


Indeed, consumer privacy expert Katherine Albrecht maintains that the chips create the "potential for a whole surveillance network to be set up." Among other abuses, she says police could use them to track criminals; abusive husbands could use the technology to find their wives; and stores could trail the shopping patterns of patrons.


Homeland Security, however, rebuts the criticism, arguing that the embedded chips surrender only a code to machine readers. That code is then broken in order to display the personal information on the border agents' screen.


Meanwhile, the same agencies that are issuing the newfangled IDs supply a sleeve that keep out all prying electronic eyes when not in use.



© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.



Ireland's president to dedicate famine memorial

Mary McAleese
Print Edition: 11/27/2008

Mary McAleese, president of Ireland, visits Portland next month to dedicate the newly installed Oregon Irish Potato Famine Memorial at Mount Calvary Cemetery.


The event — set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 — is open to the public.

This will be the first visit to Portland by a standing President of the Republic of Ireland.

The Oregon Irish Potato Famine Memorial was commissioned by Portland’s Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish-American philanthropic group that was strong in the city more than a century ago and was revived in the past decade.

The memorial is a Celtic cross modeled on the ancient Cross of the Scriptures from Clonmacnoise in County Offaly, Ireland, which Irish monks carved in 916.

It honors those who died of hunger and disease during the Great Irish Potato Famine of the middle of the 19th century. The memorial also lauds the dedication and commitment of Irish who made the trek to the West, and lived out the remainder of their lives in Oregon.

Famine struck Ireland from 1845-1851. With the loss of its potato crop for five successive years, the island nation’s rural population was driven to near extinction. One million died, while two million emigrated to save themselves from a similar fate. Most of those came to America.

Many Irish traveled the Oregon Trail to Portland, or sailed by ship around Cape Horn. Census records show that between 1850 and 1880, the Irish were Portland’s largest foreign-born group, comprising almost ten percent of the city’s population. The Ancient Order of Hibernians formed a division in Portland in 1877.

The 14-foot-tall stone replica was hand-carved in Donegal Town, Ireland, by Brendan McGloin, an Irish stone sculptor and artist. The Irish press have reported on the project.

The cross design was chosen for the memorial because it symbolizes Ireland’s contribution to world history and western civilization. The Celtic cross is also a strong symbol of Ireland’s sovereignty, like the shamrock and the harp.

The memorial was funded by Portland’s Ancient Order of Hibernians with contributions from members of Portland’s Irish community.

Mount Calvary Cemetery donated the property for the Celtic High Cross memorial. The cemetery was established in 1888.


Survival of the fittest


ECM takeover bid points to 'development Darwinism' for real estate


By Stephan Delbos Staff Writer, The Prague Post


November 26th, 2008 issue

An international private equity group’s recent takeover bid for a Prague-based real estate development firm will be the first in a series of buyouts, as investors scramble to cash in on low share prices in the property development industry, which has been on shaky ground since the U.S. market crash in September, say analysts.



ECM Group made an offer of 303 Kč ($15) per share to shareholders of ECM Real Estate Investments (REI) Nov. 14. ECM Group already owns 30 percent of ECM REI and hopes to acquire a controlling stake in the company, which has been devastated this year by stock losses totaling more than 75 percent. The bidding developed further Nov. 21, when ECM REI announced the issuance of 2 million shares at 44 Kč by the end of this year. Entrepreneur Milan Janků, who owns ECM Group and is also chairman of the board at ECM REI, immediately responded by offering to buy all of the shares at 303 Kč per share, which would earn ECM REI 606 million Kč. ECM Group hopes that the original bid, which expires Dec. 12, will help re-establish EMC REI’s stability. However, some analysts say Janků’s bid reflects his shrewdness at buying up stocks in an industry that, although battered, is bound to improve with time.
“It’s a very opportunistic bid, and the motivation could be to exploit the low share price and get a higher stock in the company,” said Patrick Vyroubal of Atlantik FK. “I see it as a low offer, because it’s about 31 percent below the six-month average of the share price.”


Snapping up shares


According to Vyroubal, the takeover bid has had a short-term stabilizing effect on ECM shares, which have leveled off to just below 300 Kč.
If the bid runs out unsuccessfully, shares will most likely fall. It is now up to shareholders to decide whether they want to get out of their investments before prospects get worse, or if they will hold out for better times.



“It’s a difficult question for shareholders,” said Vyroubal. “It’s a low bid, but in the future the market could get worse.”



The takeover bid came as a relief to some shareholders with negative outlooks for the property industry, which has been crippled by Czech banks’ increasing unwillingness to lend to investors and developers, and by public panic, which has caused extreme fluctuations across the PX Index.
On Nov. 19, the ECM REI board encouraged shareholders to accept the bid, which offered an 11 Kč profit per share.



“According to the company, the takeover should stabilize the shareholder structure and prevent the company from being taken over [by other companies],” said Jiří Kašek of ECM. “The offer supports the company’s long-term strategy,” he added.



Analysts say takeover bids will soon be the norm in the property development industry, which has deteriorated rapidly over the past three months after a decade of phenomenal growth fueled largely by foreign investment. With share prices lower than ever, savvy investors could begin to snap up shares which will inevitably gain in value.



“This is development Darwinism. Most likely we’ll see more of these purchases across the board, and we’ll see more strategic partners taking stakes as the discounts continue,” said Angus Wade, managing director of King Sturge, a property consulting firm. “There are many people out there with cash who will be looking to get a bigger share in companies they believe in.”



Property development firms, whose profits are based primarily on speculation, often rely on banks for up to 70 percent of funds for building projects. As banks have become more stringent in lending over the past three months, even large property firms like ECM and Orco have been forced to shelve projects for lack of funds. With banks now virtually unwilling to administer loans, the property market sits at a deadlock. Once banks start lending again, analysts expect that the property market will begin recovering.



“This is a crisis caused — and now controlled — by banks,” said Wade. “Banks are the catalyst to recovery. When they start lending again, people will start buying again.”



Some analysts are optimistic that the speed of the industry’s downturn will allow for an equally quick recovery. Year-end audits at the close of 2008 should increase transparency throughout the banking sector. Many hope this increased transparency will increase trust among banks and encourage banks to begin lending again, both on the interbank industry and to the public.



“Banks have to lend to each other — that’s their business,” said Wade. “They will hopefully free up interbank lending, and by April or May, we’ll start to see some transactions coming out.”
Real estate and development is not the only Czech industry that has been devastated by the credit crunch, but the Czech National Bank and the Finance Ministry have remained optimistic about what they call the minimal effects of the world financial crisis on the Czech economy.


However, CEE economies like the Czech Republic, which are heavily dependent on foreign investment and exports, are inextricably tied up with foreign economies, said Wade. With the European Central Bank predicting a deep recession throughout the European Union in 2009, Czech industries are sure to feel the pinch.



“We didn’t have time to build up enough to become an investment hub that would offer a certain degree of protection,” he said. “We are not an island. We are at the mercy of Western Europe.”
Stephan Delbos can be reached at mailto:sdelbos@praguepost.com

Reverse Darwinism 2008


Survival of the Fittest?


That's not what they taught us in school!

Schwarzenegger declares fiscal emergency


By JULIET WILLIAMS, The Associated Press 1:13 p.m. December 1, 2008


SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday declared a fiscal emergency and called lawmakers into a special session to address California's $11.2 billion budget deficit.
Unless budget corrections are made quickly, the state is likely to run out of cash in February and see its revenue gap widen to $28 billion over the next 19 months.


"Without immediate action, our state is headed for a fiscal disaster, and that is why with more than two dozen new legislators sworn in today, I am wasting no time in calling a fiscal emergency special session," Schwarzenegger said in prepared remarks.


The Republican governor and Democrats in the Legislature have proposed a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts, but Republican lawmakers have remained steadfast in their refusal to raise taxes.


Lawmakers failed to reach a compromise during the special session Schwarzenegger declared last month, pushing the problem to the new Legislature that was sworn in Monday.
There appeared to be little reason to believe that Republican lawmakers are any more likely to support Schwarzenegger's compromise appeal for program cuts and tax increases than they were when they rejected a Democratic proposal to do that last week.


"If anything, I think our resolve (against raising taxes) is deeper than it has ever been because of the economic realities," Senate Minority Leader Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, said Monday.
Democrats were expected to gain three seats in the state Assembly, but failed in the November elections to win a two-thirds majority in either house, which is needed to pass tax increases or a state budget.


Democrats proposed $8.2 billion in spending cuts and $8.2 billion in tax increases during the special session Schwarzenegger called last month, but Republicans rejected the package because of the taxes. Instead, they seek an economic stimulus program to kick-start the economy.
Schwarzenegger asked for both, offering essentially the same plan legislative leaders rejected last month.


His proposal includes raising the state sales tax by 1.5 percentage points – or 1 1/2 pennies on the dollar – for three years, generating $3.5 billion in the current fiscal year. He also seeks to increase the annual fee for registering vehicles.


Schwarzenegger called two special sessions, one addressing the budget deficit in the current fiscal year and another to consider an economic stimulus plan.


The stimulus session would focus on two issues: preventing more home foreclosures through loan modifications and preventing the state's unemployment insurance fund from sliding into insolvency. The governor wants to raise the taxes employers pay into the pool and slightly reduce benefits.


Without changes, the unemployment fund is projected to have a $2.4 billion shortfall next year, according to the governor's office.


Schwarzenegger enacted the fiscal emergency under Proposition 58, the initiative approved by voters the year after he took office. It forces the Legislature to address the current-year budget deficit within 45 days.


If lawmakers do not, they would be prevented from acting on any other bills until the problem is solved.


Schwarzenegger was expected to declare the fiscal emergency in Sacramento, but thick fog prevented him from flying from Southern California to Sacramento. The governor instead made the announcement at his Los Angeles office.


–––
Associated Press writers Samantha Young in Sacramento and Solvej Schou in Los Angeles contributed to this report.



Obama Won - What is Next?

Catherine, Geopolitical, Mortgage Markets and News & Commentary,
November 5, 2008 at 12:11 pm

President-elect Obama and his transition team now have 77 days to assemble a staff and Cabinet, determine the chief policies and goals for their first term and year in office, rework the federal budget accordingly and begin to make 7,840 presidential appointments of which 1,177 will require Senate confirmation. The FBI does the background checks.



Want to see the list of positions at the center of federal government transition? The two definitive sources on this topic are the government’s Plum Book and the Brooking Institution’s



Prune book:
Plum Bookwww.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/



The 2004 Prune Book
www.brookings.edu/press/Books/2004/2004prunebook.aspx


GAO Lists Top “Urgent Issues” for Next President and Congress
www.gao.gov/press/press-transition-release2008nov06.pdf


Message to the President-elect’s Transition Team
http://directory.presidentialtransition.gov/


Office of the President Elect
http://www.change.gov/


One White House chief of staff, who I was consoling after a particularly tough day, confessed to me that the President’s job was to tell the chosen applicant yes for the 1,177 presidential appointees requiring Senate confirmation and his job was to tell 999 applicants per position no.


Source: http://solari.com/blog/?p=1786

Pentagon raises status of 'irregular warfare'


Published: Thursday December 4, 2008


The Pentagon has issued a directive putting the fight against terrorism and guerrilla warfare on the same footing as traditional warfare in terms of military planning and doctrine, officials said Thursday.



The directive was signed December 1 by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, who outlined roles and responsibilities for developing capabilities for fighting non-conventional threats.



"It is DoD policy to recognize that IW (irregular warfare) is as strategically important as traditional warfare," the directive said.



Under the directive, irregular warfare is defined as encompassing counter-terrorism operations, guerrilla warfare, foreign internal defense, counterinsurgency and stability operations.
It instructs the Defense Department to develop capabilities to:


-- identify and prevent or defeat irregular threats from state and non-state actors


-- extend US reach into denied areas and uncertain environments by operating with and through indigenous foreign forces


-- train, advise and assist foreign security forces and partners


-- support a foreign government or population threatened by irregular adversaries


-- create a safe, secure environment in fragile states.



Pentagon officials acknowledged the US military has been performing these missions for years in Afghanistan and Iraq, but say the directive gives a formal bureaucratic structure to those efforts.



"It codifies roles and responsibilities," said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.
The directive follows the release of a US defense strategy in July that places the "Long War" against extremism above potential conventional challenges from China and Russia.



"For the foreseeable future, winning the Long War against violent extremist movements will be the central objective of the US," the defense strategy paper said.


Source: http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Pentagon_raises_status_of_irregular_12042008.html

Financial crisis a distraction, says Nobel winner


Agence France-Presse
Published: Wednesday December 3, 2008




LONDON (AFP) — The global financial crisis is distracting attention from other pressing issues such as high food and energy prices, and environmental damage, Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus told AFP Wednesday.

The Bangladeshi economist warned that not addressing those other issues would lead to a "much bigger crisis ahead" that would have political and financial implications.

"What we see as a financial crisis is a part of many more crises, which are going on simultaneously in 2008," Yunus said in an interview while attending a summit of business leaders in London.

"You remember the food crisis? It's still on, it didn't disappear. Simply, this (financial crisis) became much more pressing and everybody is paying attention."

He continued: "Then we have the energy crisis, it's still there... And then the environmental crisis, we have not solved anything about the environmental crisis."

Yunus, who along with his Grameen Bank won the Nobel peace award in 2006 for efforts to lift people out of extreme poverty by giving them small loans, said that any solution had to "address simultaneously all these four" crises.

"It's a framework problem: we have to have a framework which can address these issues about the lifestyle, about food production, technology, pricing, globalisation, tariffs."

Though food prices have dropped off recently, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation notes in a briefing that should not "assume that the world's food problems have been fixed."

Energy prices have also declined from highs of around 150 dollars a barrel in the middle of the year to under 50 dollars, but Yunus said the decline would be temporary.

The former economics professor noted, though, that the "worst kinds of disasters, which we have right now, are also the best of opportunities.

"Now, we should be looking at the opportunity part, in a big way, in a global way, and in a comprehensive way, together," he said.

In recent weeks, governments in Europe and the United States have pledged trillions of dollars in public funds to bail out financial institutions reeling from the credit crunch -- sparked by a crisis in the American sub-prime mortgage sector -- and re-ignite lending.

Most recently, finance ministers from all 27 European Union countries met Tuesday to discuss proposals for a stimulus plan totalling 200 billion euros (250 billion dollars), equivalent to 1.5 percent of EU gross domestic product.

Yunus criticised the government aid for banks, describing it as "bailing out the people who are responsible for creating this crisis but... not looking at the victims of this crisis.

"The real victims of this crisis are the bottom three billion people of this planet," he said.

"They are the ones who will be losing their jobs, they will be losing their livelihoods.

"It's the guy who has only one job for the whole family, he is the bread winner, he lost his job and the whole family suffers because of this. Nobody is paying attention to that.

"If you continue to ignore that, it will grow into a big political problem, a big financial problem, attached with the food crisis, the energy crisis and so on."



What Would a Coalition Government Mean for NAFTA and the SPP?



What Would a Coalition Government Mean for NAFTA and the SPP?



By Dana Gabriel



Stephen Harper once again failed to secure a majority mandate in the last election. In the process, he has managed to bring the Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) together, with plans to form a coalition if the minority Conservative government is defeated on a non-confidence vote. Harper has shown an unwillingness to work with the opposition parties and assumed that he could bully his agenda through another minority parliament. He essentially backed the opposition into a corner with plans to remove some of their funding. A move to form a coalition government has been called undemocratic and nothing more than a power grab, but many would have to agree that the last thing Canada needs is another election. A Liberal-NDP coalition should be given a chance to govern. Many see this as an opportunity to have a functional parliament, which could serve to curb the apathy that many Canadians feel towards their politicians. It could also be used to further press for renegotiating NAFTA, and could finally lead to a parliamentary debate on the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America.



The Liberal-NDP coalition agreement would expire on June 30, 2011. There is also an 18- month written pledge of support from the Bloc Quebecois. Their leader, Gilles Duceppe, said that at this time, a coalition government will best represent Quebec interests. The Bloc would prop up the government, but would not be formally part of the coalition. Some view this as hypocritical, that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, a staunch federalist who crafted the Clarity Act, would have to rely on the support of the separatist Bloc party. Harper has said that a coalition with the Bloc will harm Canada. The single biggest reason given by the opposition parties for forming a coalition government is that they feel Harper has not adequately addressed the economic crisis. The Liberals, NDP, and the Bloc Quebecois have agreed in principal to a $30 billion stimulus package for the auto and forestry sectors. Dion would be the interim prime minister under a coalition government and be replaced in May by the winner of the Liberal leadership race. Harper could prolong the matter to pursue other actions to save his government by asking for a parliamentary recess until late January, when the Budget is to be tabled. In buying more time, he could hope that cracks in the coalition start to form, and that Canadians reject the very notion of government assuming power without being elected. He could also ask Governor General Michaelle Jean to call an election. Dion has sent a letter to the Governor General, stating that he has the confidence of the House to form a coalition, should Harper’s minority government be defeated.



The Council of Canadians supports a progressive coalition government, and they have outlined what they feel should be some of its priorities, including renegotiating NAFTA. They have called for the removal of the Chapter 11 clause, along with water and energy provisions from NAFTA. The Council of Canadians has also called for the implementation of an independent Canadian energy strategy as well as a national water policy that bans bulk water exports. Vancouver writer, Murray Dobbin, said in a recent article that such a coalition government “would be based on a limited policy agenda.” He went on to say that, “The Liberals’ Bay Street agenda could be put on hold as the price it paid to survive and rebuild.” What could a coalition government mean for the already stalled SPP agenda?



It is interesting to note that former Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, and former Liberal finance minister John Manley, who have both been chosen as part of Dion’s economic team, were also instrumental in the launching of the SPP. It began under Martin, and the agenda has been carried on by the Harper Conservative government. With the release of Liberal Blueprint for the North American Leaders Summit in Montebello, Quebec in August of 2007, Dion stated that Harper was taking the SPP in a very different direction. The Liberal policy paper called for “the complete list of the SPP working groups, their contact persons, and participating membership; requiring quarterly public disclosure of their discussions; providing opportunities for public input into the SPP; and allowing Parliament to examine the SPP’s work.” It is hard to take this seriously because Dion and the Liberals, for the most part, have been silent and complacent on the SPP and plans for a North American Union. A coalition with the NDP could force the Liberals to carry through on promises to make the SPP more transparent.



As part of the agreement to form a coalition government, the NDP would have six out of 24 cabinet positions, with the Liberals holding the finance minster portfolio. There is no doubt that NDP leader, Jack Layton, would be part of the cabinet, but it is my hope that NDP MP Peter Julian also plays a crucial role in a coalition government. He is credited with getting the Standing Committee on International Trade to hold hearings on the SPP. The NDP has rejected the SPP and deeper integration into a North American Union. They have worked with legislators from the U.S. and Mexico in order to try and stop the SPP, and tabled a motion in parliament in an effort to make the working groups more accountable. They have held forums and town hall meeting on the SPP all across Canada. Julian is on record, calling for a full parliamentary debate on the SPP, and with a coalition government, this might become a reality.



Some see a coalition government as an opportunity for the Liberal party to rebuild for the future. Others fear that, with the NDP part of the government, it could take away more votes and seats at the expense of the Liberals in the next election. Could this also be a possible first step in trying to unite the left? What will be the fate of the Canada-Colombia FTA under a coalition scenario? This could very well be the final death blow for the SPP and another nail in the coffin for a North American Union. My wish is that that if a Liberal-NDP coalition government does take power, they will better represent the majority of Canadians.

newworldordermustbestopped@hotmail.com

What doth the LORD require of thee?



Micah 6


1Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

2Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

3O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

4For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

5O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

6Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

9The LORD's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

10Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?

11Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.

14Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.

15Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

16For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.


Thursday, December 04, 2008

Bug-Sized Spies: U.S. Develops Tiny Flying Robots


Monday, November 24, 2008


DAYTON, Ohio — If only we could be a fly on the wall when our enemies are plotting to attack us. Better yet, what if that fly could record voices, transmit video and even fire tiny weapons?

That kind of James Bond-style fantasy is actually on the drawing board.

U.S. military engineers are trying to design flying robots disguised as insects that could one day spy on enemies and conduct dangerous missions without risking lives.

"The way we envision it is, there would be a bunch of these sent out in a swarm," said Greg Parker, who helps lead the research project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. "If we know there's a possibility of bad guys in a certain building, how do we find out? We think this would fill that void."

In essence, the research seeks to miniaturize the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle drones used in Iraq and Afghanistan for surveillance and reconnaissance.

• Click here for FOXNews.com's Patents and Innovation Center.


The next generation of drones, called Micro Aerial Vehicles, or MAVs, could be as tiny as bumblebees and capable of flying undetected into buildings, where they could photograph, record, and even attack insurgents and terrorists.

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Parker and his colleagues plan to start by developing a bird-sized robot as soon as 2015, followed by the insect-sized models by 2030.

The vehicles could be useful on battlefields where the biggest challenge is collecting reliable intelligence about enemies.

"If we could get inside the buildings and inside the rooms where their activities are unfolding, we would be able to get the kind of intelligence we need to shut them down," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va.

Philip Coyle, senior adviser with the Center for Defense Information in Washington D.C., said a major hurdle would be enabling the vehicles to carry the weight of cameras and microphones.

"If you make the robot so small that it's like a bumblebee and then you ask the bumblebee to carry a video camera and everything else, it may not be able to get off the ground," Coyle said.

Parker envisions the bird-sized vehicles as being able to spy on adversaries by flying into cities and perching on building ledges or power lines.

The vehicles would have flappable wings as a disguise but use a separate propulsion system to fly.

"We think the flapping is more so people don't notice it," he said. "They think it's a bird."

Unlike the bird-sized vehicles, the insect-sized ones would actually use flappable wings to fly, Parker said.

He said engineers want to build a vehicle with a 1-inch wingspan, possibly made of an elastic material. The vehicle would have sensors to help avoid slamming into buildings or other objects.

Existing airborne robots are flown by a ground-based pilot, but the smaller versions would fly independently, relying on preprogrammed instructions.

Parker said the tiny vehicles should also be able to withstand bumps.

"If you look at insects, they can bounce off of walls and keep flying," he said. "You can't do that with a big airplane, but I don't see any reason we can't do that with a small one."

An Air Force video describing the vehicles said they could possibly carry chemicals or explosives for use in attacks.

Once prototypes are developed, they will be flight-tested in a new building at Wright-Patterson dubbed the "micro aviary" for Micro Air Vehicle Integration Application Research Institute.

"This type of technology is really the wave of the future," Thompson said. "More and more military research is going into things that are small, that are precise and that are extremely focused on particular types of missions or activities."



Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security


By Spencer S. Hsu and Ann Scott TysonWashington Post Staff Writers

Monday, December 1, 2008; A01


The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.


The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.


There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.


But the Bush administration and some in Congress have pushed for a heightened homeland military role since the middle of this decade, saying the greatest domestic threat is terrorists exploiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.


Before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, dedicating 20,000 troops to domestic response -- a nearly sevenfold increase in five years -- "would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable," Paul McHale, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, said in remarks last month at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But the realization that civilian authorities may be overwhelmed in a catastrophe prompted "a fundamental change in military culture," he said.


The Pentagon's plan calls for three rapid-reaction forces to be ready for emergency response by September 2011. The first 4,700-person unit, built around an active-duty combat brigade based at Fort Stewart, Ga., was available as of Oct. 1, said Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the U.S. Northern Command.


If funding continues, two additional teams will join nearly 80 smaller National Guard and reserve units made up of about 6,000 troops in supporting local and state officials nationwide. All would be trained to respond to a domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive attack, or CBRNE event, as the military calls it.


Military preparations for a domestic weapon-of-mass-destruction attack have been underway since at least 1996, when the Marine Corps activated a 350-member chemical and biological incident response force and later based it in Indian Head, Md., a Washington suburb. Such efforts accelerated after the Sept. 11 attacks, and at the time Iraq was invaded in 2003, a Pentagon joint task force drew on 3,000 civil support personnel across the United States.
In 2005, a new Pentagon homeland defense strategy emphasized "preparing for multiple, simultaneous mass casualty incidents." National security threats were not limited to adversaries who seek to grind down U.S. combat forces abroad, McHale said, but also include those who "want to inflict such brutality on our society that we give up the fight," such as by detonating a nuclear bomb in a U.S. city.


In late 2007, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signed a directive approving more than $556 million over five years to set up the three response teams, known as CBRNE Consequence Management Response Forces. Planners assume an incident could lead to thousands of casualties, more than 1 million evacuees and contamination of as many as 3,000 square miles, about the scope of damage Hurricane Katrina caused in 2005.


Last month, McHale said, authorities agreed to begin a $1.8 million pilot project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through which civilian authorities in five states could tap military planners to develop disaster response plans. Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Washington and West Virginia will each focus on a particular threat -- pandemic flu, a terrorist attack, hurricane, earthquake and catastrophic chemical release, respectively -- speeding up federal and state emergency planning begun in 2003.


Last Monday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered defense officials to review whether the military, Guard and reserves can respond adequately to domestic disasters.
Gates gave commanders 25 days to propose changes and cost estimates. He cited the work of a congressionally chartered commission, which concluded in January that the Guard and reserve forces are not ready and that they lack equipment and training.


Bert B. Tussing, director of homeland defense and security issues at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership, said the new Pentagon approach "breaks the mold" by assigning an active-duty combat brigade to the Northern Command for the first time. Until now, the military required the command to rely on troops requested from other sources.


"This is a genuine recognition that this [job] isn't something that you want to have a pickup team responsible for," said Tussing, who has assessed the military's homeland security strategies.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the libertarian Cato Institute are troubled by what they consider an expansion of executive authority.


Domestic emergency deployment may be "just the first example of a series of expansions in presidential and military authority," or even an increase in domestic surveillance, said Anna Christensen of the ACLU's National Security Project. And Cato Vice President Gene Healy warned of "a creeping militarization" of homeland security.


"There's a notion that whenever there's an important problem, that the thing to do is to call in the boys in green," Healy said, "and that's at odds with our long-standing tradition of being wary of the use of standing armies to keep the peace."
McHale stressed that the response units will be subject to the act, that only 8 percent of their personnel will be responsible for security and that their duties will be to protect the force, not other law enforcement. For decades, the military has assigned larger units to respond to civil disturbances, such as during the Los Angeles riot in 1992.


U.S. forces are already under heavy strain, however. The first reaction force is built around the Army's 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, which returned in April after 15 months in Iraq. The team includes operations, aviation and medical task forces that are to be ready to deploy at home or overseas within 48 hours, with units specializing in chemical decontamination, bomb disposal, emergency care and logistics.


The one-year domestic mission, however, does not replace the brigade's next scheduled combat deployment in 2010. The brigade may get additional time in the United States to rest and regroup, compared with other combat units, but it may also face more training and operational requirements depending on its homeland security assignments.


Renuart said the Pentagon is accounting for the strain of fighting two wars, and the need for troops to spend time with their families. "We want to make sure the parameters are right for Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. The 1st Brigade's soldiers "will have some very aggressive training, but will also be home for much of that."


Although some Pentagon leaders initially expected to build the next two response units around combat teams, they are likely to be drawn mainly from reserves and the National Guard, such as the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from South Carolina, which returned in May after more than a year in Afghanistan.


Now that Pentagon strategy gives new priority to homeland security and calls for heavier reliance on the Guard and reserves, McHale said, Washington has to figure out how to pay for it.
"It's one thing to decide upon a course of action, and it's something else to make it happen," he said. "It's time to put our money where our mouth is."