So, the latest official conspiracy theory alleges the Russians engaged in propaganda, trolling, and fake news stories, in order to brainwash the general public into voting for Trump.
My thoughts on the matter are yes, and so?? Of course they did. Likely they also played the Alt-Right and created themselves some useful idiots. The Alt-Right has been a bit entertaining with all their endless Putin alpha-adoration. The last time I saw a photo of him shirtless riding a bear, I started to catch on.
I’ve been talking about social engineering for years, or trying to. Manipulating public perception through propaganda and influencing human behavior. Gaming off our biological bliss hits. I believe Mark Zuckerberg of FB fame calls it, “introducing an emotional contagion.”
It’s a bit complicated trying to speak clearly of propaganda and social engineering in a country that engages in…. propaganda and social engineering. Mediated reality. It’s like trying to play this never-ending guessing game about whose ulterior motives are more truthful.
So, to try to provide some old-fashioned journalistic balance here is The Washington Post, “Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say”
and here are the Russians, “WaPo blasted online for article accusing Russia of ‘sophisticated’ US election propaganda.”
Here’s what I want people to know, brainwashing is a real thing in the world and there are shenanigans and tom foolery going on all the time. Just because you read it on the internet, doesn’t make it true. “Click bait” is a term that means, you are the fish. There is a hook hidden in your bait.
But what I really want people to know, this kind of propaganda works by sowing discontent, creating divisions, and fueling cynicism. Separate, divide, control, psy ops 101. So the more Americans distrust their government, the more cynical we become about our elections, the more we perceive one another as the enemy, the more unstable we become as a culture, and as a society. It weakens us.
Fueling cynicism, like “your cops aren’t doing their job, society is about to collapse, and your election was just stolen by a bunch of Russians trolls.”
I say “stop blaming the Russians” because while there really are a few very skilled people working the internet psy-ops, the very idea that the general American public is so blasted stupid that we all sat here ingesting fake news stories and believing them until we all got up and walked zombie like to the polls, is just insulting to the intelligence. Yes, perhaps a few hundred thousand of us do live in a perpetual echo chamber waiting for the mothership to download our instructions to us, but most of us do not. Most of us actually have a filter on our brains.
Those of us who do not probably just read the Washington Post.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
The biggest reason Trump won is spelled Clinton. Unless she’s Russian I see no further conspiracy. 😉
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There’s a man at my church who said “I didn’t vote for any one. I just voted against Hillary.” Me: “So who did that vote against Hillary end up going to?” Him: “Trump.”
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Yep. She was a bad candidate. Although I don’t mind saying he was too and there are other factors besides her in why it was nearly any republican candidate’s turn to win. It wouldn’t have been as it was in the whole ridiculous she-won-the-popular-vote controversy if he had not also been such an abysmal candidate, if the party power players had not failed so badly and so often for the last couple of election cycles before. As much as I love politics as a spectator sport, it tends to just make me sad anymore.
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as Mr Putin is laughing all the way to Lenin’s tomb….
Hillary has blamed everyone but the person she sees daily in the mirror…and she and her minions are really starting to give me a headache….
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Not true! Hillary, as Kelly-Anne Conway, blamed herself!
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ahhh a split personality 😉
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I’d find the Russian propaganda threat to our democracy more believable if every time I got on the computer or turned on the television for the past several months, it showed something awful about Trump.
It’s not difficult to see who was in real control of the propaganda base (500 million buys a lot of propaganda).
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A great piece. I also think another reasons Americans should not blame the Russians is because Russians can’t vote. At the end of it all, Americans made their decision on their own.
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Au Contraire… If the Russians illegally snuck into the United States, they can vote.
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You mean like the illegals that voted in California?
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Good point 😉
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IB, the first thing I look to is news from the Russians when it comes to these matters. Afterwards, I look at how the U.S. media handles it. When the U.S. media’s only response is to insist the Russian story is “fake” without even engaging it or interacting with its points, this should seriously tell us who should be doing the soul-searching. Of course the media is spreading propaganda!
Here’s vote-recounter Jill Stein on alt-media by the way. Warning, what she says is 100% FAKE because it was on RT!
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Agreed and so appreciated, but the ‘click-bait’ = apparently half the nation is sadly “that stupid” having been clearly brain washed by the media. LOL.
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Interesting! Will this ever end???
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Propaganda? Fake news? Useful idiots? And so forth?
I suppose information warfare has gotten a slightly more sophisticated. The information warfare strategy use to a bit simpler. The primary objective was to convince the other guy if he fought he would die, if he surrendered without resisting he would live. The rest of the strategy involved disinformation. You think I am here, that I am going to attack there, but I am really over there, and I am going to attack that place. And the old information warfare strategy still works best. The problem is putting people in charge who understand that.
Meanwhile, we send our children to school where they are indoctrinated by minions of the Democratic Party. And we worry about Russian propaganda?
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Can I take a detour and say in my best James Bond voice; ‘The name’s Putin. Vladimir Putin. oo6’
There is a resemblance doncha know msb.
After all, Ian Fleming gave us a heads up on all this spy crap. lol
But I agree with CT’s last sentence above, and we worry bout them!
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Blame the Bolivians. It’s always the Bolivians.
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Oh, another well articulated post, IB! Isn’t it pathetic how everyone else is to blame and no one can ever take responsibility for their own actions which lead to their own failures? After all, it’s never our own fault!
In this case, blame the Russians, blame the FBI, blame Obama, blame Trump, blame his supporters, blame the media.
In other cases, we humans blame everyone and anything else for our flaws. We blame the laws for being too strict, blame the judges for being to harsh or lenient, blame the parents for not doing a better job raising the kids, blame the alcohol and drugs for not being less addictive.
Sadly, it’s been going on since the fall of mankind when adam and eve decided to blame everything else and not take responsibility for their own disobedience. Their off-spring hasn’t changed. It’s always someone else’s fault.
Webster’s dictionary should change the definition of “Blame” to read — ‘Something that has been ongoing since humans decided to take a bite out of that little piece of fruit.’ If they did, I imagine more humans would consider that their attitudes & behaviors never really change.
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Very true, Facebook Fake News is troubling but not as misleading as some who have “reputable” names. Even perhaps the Washington Post and the NYT. I don’t have much trouble spotting fake when the “news” is that the Pope Supports Trump and other way out there stuff. As you say, we would have to leave our brains behind to believe that stuff. But fifty hours of Trump’s tape on CNN was as brainwashing as any Facebook stuff. I don’t know about the fifty hours but I was in Rehab with nothing to do but wander around. For days, that was the brainwashing going on there. If there is ever a time for “discernment” it is now!
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That last line, the burn!
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Ok, I just spent some time responding to your apparent line that we are deluded to thing there was Russian interference, and now you say there really was but its just too bad. “Oh, we are not KKK, but then again, what is wrong with them anyway? Ok we are, and we were just advertising with a mask on.” American elections are balanced between the parties of the interests of the many and the few, and as every martial artist knows, a little touch in the right spot allows a small man to throw a large one. Our slavish indifference to spy-marketing system allowed this to occur, because congress was paid in campaign contributions to prostitute our fourth and Fifth Amendment rights, and Putin knows our vices. The selfie stick was the #1 invention last year. Once the republicans chose to support Trump for the self-interest of their party, it became possible to throw the election, since education has focused only on “jobs and technology,” and we no longer know the difference between tyranny and liberty. Because we oppose affirmative action and abortion, we will vote for a tyrant? Knee jerks! The very word “republican” means that we reject tyranny, even that we have “sworn on the altar of god eternal hostility to every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Hence, the Republican party is now toast, self-destructed, and this need only play itself out, if they do not get rid of this man. Whether it becomes the tyranny-an party or gives way to a third party is the only question, if it does not recover the principles of Lincoln, who incidentally incited a civil war that Chief Justice Taney could have prevented simple by deciding that Dredd Scott is in fact a man.
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You seem to have missed the ‘heart’ of the matter. Clever sarcasm often tends to ‘go-over’ many people’s heads. You appear quite grounded in your ideology and I celebrate your right to freely express it, although I disagree. The real point is NOT who really ‘controlled’ the election, but that each individual has been endowed by our Creator with the free-will to CHOOSE, thereby ‘controlling’ our own individual destinies. Conspiracy theories ‘brush’ close to truth & sometimes (though rarely) rightly expose the ‘man behind the curtain’. But true ‘enlightenment’ begins with self. National problems must be realized as personal. If you’re not part of the solution – YOU are the problem.
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Those things may all be true, the election decided by fraud, and Trump an absolute disaster for our nation and a delight to Putin. Let us then control our individual destiny by exposing fraud and what may be treason, and avoiding delivering our nation to a tyrant.
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Trust God, that’s the only sure hope. Engaging in political pursuits armed merely with unsubstantiated facts about certain conspiracy theories is futile and dangerous. Backing the wrong horse in a race costs, and accepting that another horse is superior to the one you backed is a bitter pill to swallow, but that doesn’t mean that there is any justification in hobbling the winning horse or smearing its reputation based on mere personal resentment. Remember, while pointing the finger of accusation, three are pointing back at you. Research, disciplined study, and objectivity have exposed former perceptions of reality as mere facades. Consider the possibility that you may be wrong. Divorce yourself from preconceptions and assumptions derived from the parroting masses who are no more well informed than you. Investigate with a clear mind, gather evidence, then and ONLY then, draw a conclusion.
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Back at you, cowboy. The Trumpsters must say something! I am a centrist, and you are invited to visit Alex Haldeman, the U of M Computer scientist who can comment more authoritatively about the computer matters. Since all the Trump followers have clearly and carefully considered these things, so as to reject new thoughts immediately, I am sure you, a theologian, have read him thoroughly, and his articles of November 23 in the New Yorker. He is the one “parroting the masses,” (who only learned of the matter from him.) I have only spent my life studying politics for free, rather than attending Trump University. Again, though, since I am the one to miss the “heart of the matter,” and am merely hobbling the winning horse, rather than introducing serious matters we need to consider before “electing” a tyrant, and you have thoroughly considered the possibility that you may be wrong, leaving plenty of time to plumb the depths of my flawed psyche, I will go repent, as Trump has surely done to purify his soul while trusting God. Again, everything you said may be true, and still lTrump a tyrant and traitor delivering our nation to the greatest harms in our entire history. That is because you are onto the heart of the matter, while I miss the point. What was that on the BBC about Russian threats over Ukrainian missile tests? Don’t draw any conclusions, though, till about 2026, when you have investigated the matter with your clear mind. That will please both Trump and Putin, your winning horses, if only a prize were at stake.
Apologies for misspellings
How is your translation and commentary on the Revelation coming, the one you carefully considered before thinking anything so as not to be influenced by oblivion and the masses? And your study of Sister Lucy and the three secrets of Fatima?
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I commend your attempts to flatter through rhetoric. Having read Haldeman before, I decline your invitation. I fear you have confused me and my intentions with some one else. I am admittedly ignorant of the “study of Sister Lucy and the three secrets of Fatima?”
Although having learned and written HTML code myself to enhance my comprehension so as to conduct substantial independent research, I am personally confident that I have quite objectively considered ALL sides and legitimate biographical portfolios of the related parties. While hacking is indeed a distinct POSSIBILITY – within the realm of PROBABILITY, its odds are incredibly slim.
Haldeman’s advice to Clinton was to investigate to absolutely eliminate ANY and ALL possibilities of a hack changing the results. But he cited that the electronic voting machines have been hackable in previous elections as well, and there’s no indication that there’s ever been ANY interference.
The DNC hack and subsequent email release has put a spotlight on Russia. But the blowback from such direct interference in a USA election would be too severe. Besides, Putin’s main objective was likely to embarrass Hillary Clinton, rather than elevate Trump, and he’s certainly achieved that much already.
The three states that ultimately decided the election—Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—have voting machines that are in relatively good shape. Florida has a long-standing audit requirement in place. Ohio not only conducts audits, it has an “automatic recount provision,” where close races trigger a manual recount without requiring a candidate to request one. Pennsylvania is of the most concern, based on the fact they have so many paperless DREs in use. But even there, election officials were set to actively deploy paper ballots in the event that those machines failed, which they didn’t. As for any recounts – in the wrong hands, the doubt itself is damaging enough.
The “parroting the masses” I refer to are NAMELESS, ordinary people who have no professional credentials nor even a self-educated basis for their beliefs (political or religious). They tend to be a majority who depend upon the education and advice or opinions of others without conducting any personal research into the validity of the claims and representations of those particular ‘others’.
As for any perceived relationship between Putin and Trump, both men have gone on record citing their disapproval of American foreign policy. Reminiscent of Reagan’s diplomacy with Gorbachev, I have similar hopes that civil relationships can endure. Putin, like me, complains about HRC and the current administrations history of hypocrisy and clandestine bartering to promote Globalism. Easily verifiable FACTS available to sincere seekers of truth.
In closing sir, I do not know you personally, but I have visited your blog to hopefully gain a better insight into your convictions. I appreciate much of what you have shared there and consequently do not understand how one such as you (with your demonstrated skills of unbiased research) can be still naive to the well documented criminal activities of the liberal factions in American politics. Admittedly, conservatives also have their faults. But the depths of the extreme-left criminality is grounds for prosecution for anyone other than those belonging to their private elite group of ‘non-deplorables’. I’m NOT calling a liberal persuasion or ALL liberals wrong. I cite the ‘extremists’, the far-left element that pushes globalism and defines itself as ‘progressive’ on the political front.
I notice you are against ‘fascists’ and conspiracy theories, yet you state verbatim – “you want to know my private thoughts: I believe my ex-fiancé was set on me by my own government in order to spy on and perhaps blacklist and ruin me. While at first I was cautious, speaking only to my elected representatives, I have of late gone public with the story a bit more, though no one cares or understands, and it is still my fault.” With that self-representation, I sincerely pray for you in hopes that you receive the closure you need.
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b…Because again you know the matter without inquiry, aqnd know for sure our executive agencies or some rogue element would not ever do such a thing, that it is simply impossible without inquiry. The Russians do that stuff all the time, do they not? So it is impossible without consideration, like Russian involvement in the election, Do you think there are any “fascists?” But thank you for your response. Do pray, but not in order to denounce someone as defective while appearing pious to yourself. You might help me ask my government to answer certain questions about facts that are agreed upon again by anyone, such as the disappearance of certain records, ignoring of FOIA requests, and the little surprise that certain other persons turned out to be employed by the agency, etc. If I establish these facts, my Representative will not ask the question to the persons who need to be asked. What would anyone think? It is fear that prevents the inquiry or even questioning of these people. But I will answer better in a bit. Do you care if such a thing did occur? Do they do whatever they want and can, and are you not afraid to inquire and in fear showing your obedience to anyone who might be looking? Just like with the question of fascism? A German who saw what was happening as Hitler rose would not be listened too, and for just the same reasons. He would give plenty of reason to inquire, and then “prayed for.” How nice. But your government does do that sort of thing (Church Committee) and we do not inquire. So once again, I find myself saying X is occurring, having it denied, then demonstrating it, to find no one cares if it did occur, like the Oxy-heroin scandal, or is too afraid to do anything about it. Have you checked on Philippean politics lately? That is a preview.
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Sir, I am sorry that my expression to pray for you was perceived as mere sarcasm by you. Your reply – “Do pray, but not in order to denounce someone as defective while appearing pious to yourself” – indicates that again you’ve missed the ‘heart’ of the issue. Yes, I do believe – “…there are any fascists?”
Ironically, while your perception of tyranny places the blame on Trump, I have concluded my personal research into the matter and the result exposes evidence that points to extreme leftist liberals like Clinton and the current Obama administration (which Trump is REPLACING) as the perpetrators of injustice and fraud.
Consider that it is THEM that declined your request for investigation. I have not “checked on Philippian politics lately?”
But I do know that Marxism is a big influence there, and the far left liberals in the USA share similar ideologies. In constant attempts to distance themselves from the reality of how like Marxism, Fascism, and other Communist forms of socialism their ideology actually is, they keep changing the ‘LABEL’ of their ‘brand from moderate, to liberal to left, to progressive.
I DO care about that – and you. Peace!
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Thanks. I was over on your eschatology page, which is very nice, and will see more soon. The FBI controls information received by them, though it is both, and I have blogged naming my three representatives, two Democratic Senators. It is touchy, because I was invited to apply for the CIA (and have proof), declined, and learned that certain persons were that and had spied on me in some detail, while also being beneficent. It is less dangerous now because the Russians are so far into our government that it matters less, but that is why I wanted Congress to do their job, rather than appeal to the fourth branch. We need prayers! At the extreme of Left and right are communism and fascism respectively, conservatives falling in one way and conservatives the other. We are centrists, and so appear the opposite to each. We like Obama quite a bit, but were cooler toward Hillary. Still, the danger of the Donald, if he cannot be controlled by the more sane Republicans, is incomparable. He inclines toward fascism, but it is those who can control him and will come next that are of grave concern, unless he has much deeper and higher knowledge than appears. He seems to me to be about where Tiberius was, and that coincides with the life of Christ, about the same year his ministry began. We are in the bi-millennium, and as Jack teaches from Micah, “after two days…then on the third.” Not that it is sure, but this crosses the numbers in Daniel, which point right at the seven years of Hitler, though the beginning date is uncertain. Our internal danger never was Communism, as we have labor unions and middle class stock owners to prevent a disenfranchised industrial proletariat from developing. But our South was the first to set a nation on the principle of race (and invented the concentration camp, etc.). Like this election, we beat them once, and here they are again rising up all by themselves in the nation as did the Skinheads, from music culture. In horror movies the villains stopped dying but coming back for sequels, a new thing. A mortal would? Symbols can work that way, but we ae not sure. The Spirit is sue, and speaks through us, but we ourselves can be mistaken. Koresh was perhaps an example of Christian religio-cidaI tyranny. I watched Klan and Nazi folks try to recruit them, though, back about 1986, but they did not cause them. The psych of “totalitarianism” is mysterious, but both forms are an inversion of Christianity, both replacements of religion which begin in atheism and rise out of German philosophy. These are the same in a list of ways and opposites in a list of ways, so that they hate one another more than they hate free government or “liberal democracy.” Marx says this, about the inversion, explicitly in the essay with Hegel in the title. Nietzsche writes an essay titled “the Antichrist,” (hurts, and is not good to read) and we blame him for fascism, not directly, but through the turn of soul. Because we do not even have words for these, they ty to call all these “genocide.” Communism killed 100 million in China, Russia and Cambodia. Now we have apparently found theistic versions and these will commit not race-ocide, not ?
“class-ocide” (See Paul Johnson, “Modern Times)” but religi-ocide, and it is even more wicked, if that is imaginable, but ISIS is an example. Guess who is their prophesied target? This stuff is very difficult, requiring all the human studies, Psych, politics, Bible and philosophy, history, literature and more. I had better teachers than I deserved! Hitler too at first was at first sending the Jews out of Germany, because he had not thought to kill them all just yet. The list of comparisons, though, is astonishing, from “great again” right down the line. Putin will get us mired in the Middle East, if he has his way, and aims to direct U. S. Nukes. Ask Jack (Van Impe) what’s in the cards! But the U.S. in scripture is not set. The prophets and John see from Jerusalem, and it surrounds Jerusalem. I do not think, for example, that we are to host the Antichrist or Beast, but who knows? The wonder is that anything at all is foreseen, and its not like prophecy gives all knowledge. You can move this comment over to your eschatology, if it is on insanitybytes22 and they do not want it. Thanks again, and also for prayers, but dude, this really probably happened, and it is a wonder I am doing as well as I am. Love, as in the Song of Solomon, is based on the image of God in man. See Carl Jung for Psych (but maybe not philosophy!) . They set women between two friends to get them to accuse one another, and I saw the M.O. twice. The women are meta-prostitutes, and this was meta-rape. Police do this all the time (See 60 Minutes, CI,s). They should have listened, cause now it will be harder to do when it is justified, as for really bad criminals who do not love.
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He’s fun.
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I am indeed!
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As I have stated in several articles posted on my blog – I have discovered much evidence that reveals sufficient suspicion of ANY Dispensational Eschatology – Jack Van Impe being among them. I do NOT accept nor ebdorse ANY of their views. Therefore, attempting to ‘name’ contemporary persons as fulfillment of 1st century prophecies is reckless, if not heretical. Of course your entitled to your opinions, but I suggest you study more deeply the specific scenarios, comparing history with scripture. Then read legitimate biographies of both Clinton and Trump before continuing to share your theory. Peace!
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Ezekiel prophesied the return of the Jews to Israel from a second world wide dispersion. Catholics say in the Credo “He is coming again to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” Is this “dispensationalism? We believe in the God of Abraham and the last day. Do you?
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In theology, a dispensation is the divine administration of a period of time; each dispensation is a divinely appointed age. Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes these ages ordained by God to order the affairs of the world. Dispensationalism has two primary distinctives: 1) a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially Bible prophecy, and 2) a view of the uniqueness of Israel as separate from the church in God’s program. Classical dispensationalism identifies seven dispensations in God’s plan for humanity.
When such ‘generic’ application is employed by biblical scholars, sound doctrines have been established. However, in 1875 a new kind of premillennialism called dispensationalism began to spread. John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), a former priest in the Anglican Church of Ireland, developed a new variety of futurist premillennialism. It is his teachings on eschatology to which I referred.
I have written several articles on the subject of eschatology, among them one titled Dispensational Eschatology – Sound Doctrine? @ /mjthompsons.wordpress.com/2014/07/16/eschatology-study-of-end-times/. Hopefully, this answers your question.
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Thanks, that is a nice summary! We like the credo and Fatima, and have not seen sets of seven that are very persuasive. Eardman (the founder of Zondervan’s!) is quite worth reading, though, as he finds an order in the text we might otherwise miss. And of course Scofield. Hal Lindsay, for example, thinks the four horsemen all refer to this time now, and the Baptists have to insert the rapture at 4:1, which is not very literal. But this is literal: In chapters 19-20, before the millennium, it appears that the Beast is ruling in Jerusalem, while after the millennium, the saints are there, and the whole world comes against Jerusalem for a second time. We too do not like sayings that this or that guy is the Beast- we do not even know it is an incarnate guy.
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Amen! It’s insulting to be considered so stupid and easily misled.
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The CIA has said, and the FBI agrees, that Russian influence occurred, and may have been decisive, to the extent that the president has assured retaliation. General Hayden called this “The greatest covert operation of all time,” just before the electors failed to consider or do their job according to Federalist 68. Yea, stop blaming the Russians and indict this tyrant before we send our sons and grandsons out in brownshirts and receive them home in boxes, and see civil strife to Putin’s great delight.
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What there is evidence of is that, during the campaign, there were consistent and repeated cyber attacks on various institutions associated with the campaign. At least two states reported intrusions into their voter registration databases. The DNC was hacked, and damaging emails were recovered and released to Wikileaks. John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign manager, had his email account hacked, and damaging information was again released to Wikileaks. And Russian-sponsored actors appear to have been involved in efforts to spread propaganda on social media and the internet.
These things, collectively, were an attempt to influence the election, but NOT directly change it.
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Why would General Hayden say such a thing? Where is the home base for Kaspersky, the security company that handles “4 hundred million” accounts? Google that, while we wait here. And by whom is Kaspersky staffed? And was the spy-marketing and targeted interference a good idea in retrospect? And Did Barack, early on, think we might have friendly cooperation with Russia against Al Q-ISIS? And is Russia striking Isis? And Who turned the Philippine elections (a preview of the tyranny we just voted for). And did they coordinate with Bright Bart? And did Trump, who hosted the Miss Universe Pageant in Russia (according to Christian values, no doubt) ever give them the wink? And if he did, is it treason? And if so, do we care? Bownshirts and boxes, look those grand kids in the eye, cause Putin has wanted us mired in the Middle East so he can waltz to the Atlantic. Ans who is smart, Putin, the chess-Judo boy and career tyrant, or Donney Trumpette, who praises a man who bombs hospitals and calls seven year old girls Al-Quada? Do you think the estimate of 40 million Russian deaths when no civil war was even occurring is more correct, or do you go with the estimate closer to 70 million? And is it not rather foul for a Christian to support one for whom one clear plank in his platform is admiration for Putin, and the other points, on which he does not take both sides of the issue, are all consistant with fascism?
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We clearly disagree on many levels of political perspective. I have repeatedly denounced the extreme liberal (AKA ‘progressive’) agenda that has spread much globalist propaganda through the media that supports their platform. As in earlier posts where we agreed that any attempt to label ANYONE as THE antichrist (regardless of party affiliation) is absurd, I continue to maintain that ascribing the present woes to specific individuals is at the very least naive, and worse – rather ignorant.
As a Christian minister and theologian, I believe that there are dark spiritual forces behind all evil. Certain individuals can indeed be overly influenced by them (as many actually are), but you and I are just as prone to entertain their deceptive persuasions – although not likely on such a level as to affect national opinion. It is the ideology of the extreme left that I believe is diametrically opposed to biblical theology. By THAT standard, I oppose the current ‘progressives’ in American politics.
As I believe regarding ALL different doctrines, policies, and opinions that do NOT agree with my personal convictions – it is the IDEOLOGY, NOT the individual, that I oppose. Not every member of recognized parties, religions, or organizations unanimously agree about EVERY tenet of their professed mission. The fall-out by so many Republicans distancing themselves from Trump within the last year (most of whom have now done an ‘about-face’) is a prime example of how individual opinion is quite often contrary to the formal declarations of their organization.
I do NOT know either Putin or Trump personally, which provokes me to reserve my personal opinion regarding any judgment of them. I have stated my opinion against certain ideologies, and if either of them are indeed propagating those, I do not endorse THAT. My observance of politics regarding national foreign policy has me far more concerned about Obama’s recent abstinence from veto regarding the UN pro-Palestinian two-state move in Israel.
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I just wrote on the 1 1/2 state solution. Diabolic tyranny is for us on the extremes of both the left and the right, and we opine that you are blind to fascism on the right, as well as to a Russian conspiracy that is destroying liberty and dressing your grandsons for war to the advantage of foreign powers. Consider the possibility. I will go write on the faith of Obama. You go write on the faith of Trump, as a political force, if not as a private person, because that is what we address. The soul of a monarch is the regime.
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Communism was Globalist, while nationalism, the oot of fascism, is not. But White racism is again globalist, and the borrder between Putin and Bright Bart may disappear on this basis, leaving no more “America first.” No problem with German or Russian Immigrants? Might vet their ideology first, eh? But to fail to distinguish the globalism of communism from that of doctors without borders is absurd, is it not? I notice you do not answer questions, but only state the ideologies that you think differ. I encourage you to think these things through, try to say why, not just that you disagree, and when you do not know, learn! It is indeed quite fun, and safer for the grandkids, eh?
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In response to YOUR allegation = ” I notice you do not answer questions, but only state the ideologies that you think differ.” – I disagree. What do you call responses to ALL your questions that I have posted? Many of your ‘questions’ are rather multi-faceted, leaving any response necessarily less specific than YOU may expect. But the implication that I purposely refrain from answering direct questions (as if I cannot refute your claims), is insulting. MY contact information is readily available to all those who desire a more detailed answer.
More importantly, I NEVER presented myself as a pundit. I am a minister and theologian with convictions and an opinion, but NOT a platform. My ideology is based upon my scriptural research and personal spiritual experiences amassed over the last 40+ years, NOT from political propaganda (from ANY source – left or right). Although I am currently a political conservative, in my youth I was quite liberal, until I became further enlightened to the foundational differences between the two. I was once a blue-collar worker and affiliated with Democrats. When I became a manager and business owner, I saw Republicans as more aligned with my personal experiences and mentality. I do not see either persuasion as absolutely right, or wrong – just different.
As for my personal convictions of right and wrong, I base them upon my relationship with God and what I believe He has revealed through His Word and Spirit. My political views are ENTIRELY based upon those spiritual convictions. Those who disagree with THEM call me bigot, but they crucified my Lord for the SAME reasons.
My world-view is as consistent as one can hope to be with what God has revealed of His perspective. Again, many disagree, and consider this merely my opinion, insisting theirs is just as valid. I do not judge them, I’m not God, and it their right to believe and express whatever free speech grants. But to imply that I DO NOT answer questions is unfair and NOT true. Peace!
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To return to the beginning, then, why (italics) is murder wrong? Does Trump even believe that it is wrong? Is Putin who he praises properly termed a murderer? Do you worship the same God as Islam? What are the 5 new things I say have walked right past you? You are against globalism and progressivism? How about the companies that seem to have engineered the oxy epidemic? Should we deregulate these? Even economic, 2 dimensional questions…Do you see an extreme on the right as well as one on the left, or is it all the better the futher right one goes?
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I’m still waiting for that essay on the faith of Donald Trump.
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In addition, if Trump invited the Russian interference, it is TREASON,, no?
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I think that unacceptable strategies by candidates hoping to secure votes have been employed in every election. Whether any specific one (hacking or direct invitation, etc.) equates to an act of treason, I leave such decisions to the DOJ and due process. I observed so much mud-slinging in the recent campaigns that were above and beyond the ‘usual’ that neither candidate was beyond reproach. Sadly, it came down to the majority of voters choosing CHANGE, rather than status quo.
BTW – Clinton received 48% to Trumps 46% of the ‘popular vote’. 48 + 46 = 94. That leaves 6% of voters who chose NEITHER Clinton or Trump, meaning that 52% of all ‘popular votes’ were AGAINST Clinton. How is THAT rightly considered ‘winning’ the ‘popular vote’?
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By almost three million is the count, and compared with the electoral vote, given Trump put little money into T.V. adds, very, very strange, and that is where J Alex and the actuaries come in. Overconfident, was he? I wait for someone to ask him under oath on the stand. We are going to indict him for election fraud, and possibly treason, emoluments and any other high crimes and misdemeanors we can come up with, to save your grandsons and our nation from tyranny and the end of the Bill of Rights. Ok with you?
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But you won’t agree that it is treason. In fact the Trump supporters seem not to realize the significance of Russian interference in the election- it seems ok with them so long as they win. Hence he says we should “get over it,” etc, which is just what he would say if he were guilty. That is why I try to remind you all of the deeds of the KGB under Communism, returning under the Putin fascism. I do not think you understand the significance if Putin through election fraud in the Brexit vote, the Philippines, the U. S. primaries and the election, has encouraged a worldwide turn toward fascism. Sure, he could not do this without the roots of fascism in the right wing of U. S. politics, nor without republicans thinking economic issues are the whole of politics, indifferent to fascism. My own representative would not support the speech of John McCain against torture. You disdain of the “globalism” of the left seems to us in the center to make you indifferent to fascism, which is again the extreme of the right, Sure, the Catholics in Poland might think fascism and religion are compatible, but we ask you again as a Christian minister if this is so, and as a grandfather, to foresee the brownshirts and boxes as a result of this treason and election fraud, which we may well overturn.
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MMCDONALD – 18 U.S. Code § 2381 – Treason = Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
According to this definition within US Code, I see ZERO reason to think as you do that TRUMP is guilty of treason. That you base your conclusions on allegations of cyberspace hacking by the Russians (for which there is substantial evidence that shows THEM guilty of the practice for several years) – BUT whether or not any of those hacks actually influenced the recent elections – is yet to be proven.
Since Russian involvement is ‘Russian’ – NOT ‘American’ – allegations of treason are ridiculous! Trump has indicated that he is meeting next week with security officials to learn more about the alleged interference and possible FUTURE dealings with Russia. His comments about ‘moving on’ simply address the issue in relativity to MORE important matters that directly affect America’s immediate future.
As properly stated, these hacks have been occurring for several years, so the recent ‘urgency’ has many in government (Democrats, Independents, & Republicans) questing the validity & wisdom of Obama’s reaction to banish Russian diplomats NOW, instead of months ago when he would still have time left in office to more effectively deal with hacking in general.
Besides, I think that such influence is quite ridiculous, and only the extremely naïve would be so swayed. In fact – it was Trump who warned of these hacks and possible voter-fraud during the campaign – all pooh-poohed by his opponents THEN. NOW THEY’RE crying “foul”? Seriously, what ‘influenced’ YOUR vote?
Most see this and Obama’s recent order to abstain from VETO over Israel’s settlements as inappropriate ‘lame-duck’ rebellion, NOT consistent with American policy of the past 50 years in dealing with our allies or foreign affairs. It has been mentioned that if anyone may be guilty of treason – perhaps it is Obama!
My disdain for ‘globalism’ as an ideology is that, at its CENTER is the drive to ELIMINATE boarders, countries, and eventually, all independent governments. The true aim of ‘globalism’ is NOT peace, but OCCUPATION. Fascism, Communism, Nazism, under whatever ‘label’ – it is the SAME ideology. The extreme left mindset that created ‘political correctness’ NOW is challenged by the reality of their hypocrisies as THEY prove to be the ‘poor-sports’, the whiners and complainers, the violent protestors, the one’s who are so blind that THEY cannot see, because they’ve CHOSEN to remain closed-minded and willfully ignorant. – that’s THEIR position, and they’re sticking to it.
Finally, regarding YOUR appeal to me – “as a Christian minister if this is so, and as a grandfather, to foresee the brownshirts and boxes as a result of this treason and election fraud, which we may well overturn” – I am quite hopeful that we shall indeed overturn the ‘brownshirts’ as soon as the REST of America RIGHTLY identifies them. Of course, I place my trust, NOT in the political arena (of which Trump is the only non-professional, life-time politician), but in God ALONE!
Who knows? Perhaps this current turn of events will actually usher in the inevitable END that scripture warns is someday coming. I am much more concerned about God’s perspective through all this, than all the political rhetoric. Peace!
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If Trump invited or rewarded Russia, and they helped us elect a tyrant who takes us to war to serve Russian interests what do you call it? If he sets aside constitutional government do you care? But by definition, I do not know of any of your “globalists” that ran in this election. And did you think Putin our friend or enemy? But the constitution defines treason quite narrowly, on purpose, and requires 2 witnesses to an overt act, and may require a declared war. Election fraud and ethical treason, though, is plenty for me. I want Trump arrested and indicted. I am still waiting for your essay on the faith of Trump, Mr. Christian minister.
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Mmcdonald – That’s a whole lot of “ifs”!!! Certainly, IF any of those things were true, treason would be a valid accusation – but even then , must be subject to due process of law. Unlike the actual situation your hypothetical scenario suggests, Obama literally took the allegations away from such due process and appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner by implementing the sanctions against Russia without any verified PROOF that they influenced the election!
I conceded in an earlier post that Russian hacks are widely known to exist. They got into DNC emails for sure, and likely other cyber attacks. But Russia is not the only country we know that engages in these spy tactics – China, Iran, N. Korea, have all been similarly caught with their ‘hands –in-the-cookie-jar’. Why is it that ONLY NOW Obama singles out Russia as a necessary target of retaliation? The news about these hacks dates back to October, when he did nothing (probably because he then thought Clinton was a ‘shoe-in’ to win).
Like I also said earlier, if anyone is guilty of treason, Obama’s betrayal of Israel, giving money unapproved by Congress to Iran, adding 20k pages of new federal regulations also NOT approved by Congress, (talk about setting aside Constitutional Law) and doing all this less than 22 days from the inauguration makes HIM much more suspect to me.
You say you do not know of any ‘globalists’ who ran in this election? Did you not know Hillary is one? Do you not know her VP choice is one? Her largest campaign funds came from George Soros, a long-time confidant and renowned Globalist. The facts to support these claims are well documented public domain articles available through some simple investigation.
You want the president-elect arrested for treason – THAT sounds more like treason than any of the listed shenanigans by either parties. I would be careful about saying such things on social media, MR. Mcdonnald.
Apparently you missed my ‘essay’ on Mr. Trump’s faith; It figures. He actually grew up in Norman Vincent Peales congregation, but you probably don’t know who that minister is. GOOGLE him….
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What on earth do you mean by “globalist,” a supporter of NAFTA or free trade? Look at I.C.E under Obama- no borders? The faith of Trump will make a very short essay. He cannot guide national prayer, as Lincoln did, except by lying. Intimidation is a tactic of tyrants, and yes they do kill people, because they do not believe that murder is wrong, let alone consider why. We have a First Amendment so that citizens may consider fraud in government, and treason in leaders. Pe the Rosenberg case, treason does not apparently require a declared war. A tyrant is a disaster for his nation, and they do not come into power because the people are smart. Will he not use Jesus or the devil according to his own advantage? Did Peale teach at Trump U., in the Theology department? How to use Jesus to win friends and influence people, and sell a little real estate, the truely important things in life ?
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MMcdonald – It has become increasingly apparent to me that you do not have sufficient knowledge of the ideologies I refer to. Therefore I shall cease to invest any more time in response to your questions about them. As I said many times before, we disagree, and I am OK with that.
I advised you to conduct some independent research, which would provide much evidence in support of my position. However, you seem clearly cemented to your ideas, and quite biased against Christianity, so let’s leave it at that. Peace!
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Why is murder wrong? Explain your “globalism” You have run out of words? I suggest you do not know, cannot ask, and that Trump does not believe that murder is wrong. God by ye.
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Far be it from me to run out of words – [RE: “You have run out of words?”]. But another thing I’m perpetually charged with is the wisdom to choose my battles rightly. I prioritize my time. Having come to the recent impasse in our correspondence, I choose to move on to more mutually beneficial blogging. I am quite content to remain characterized as one of Trump’s ‘deplorables’ by all who oppose him. I always withhold judgment, allowing space for the benefit of the doubt, deferring to God’s control all things He has NOT anointed me to personally champion. I voted against the leftist liberals as a matter of an exercise of my civil duty. I am at rest with God and my fellow man, please allow me this grace.
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Why, according to the Bible, is murder wrong?
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“adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.” If Trump invited or rewarded Russia, and they helped us elect a tyrant who takes us to war to serve Russian interests what do you call it? If he sets aside constitutional government do you care? But by definition, I do not know of any of your “globalists” that ran in this election. And did you think Putin our friend or enemy? But the constitution defines treason quite narrowly, on purpose, and requires 2 witnesses to an overt act, and may require a declared war. Election fraud and ethical treason, though, is plenty for me. I want Trump arrested and indicted. I am still waiting for your essay on the faith of Trump, Mr. Christian minister.
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