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Sunday, March 31, 2024
My personal Easter reflection by John-Henry Westen Co-Founder and CEO LifeSiteNews.com
My personal Easter reflection - micheletkearney@gmail.com - Gmail
Dear Michele T,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
That Easter morn at break of day,
the faithful women went their way
to seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia!
A happy and blessed Easter to you all!
These words – which many of us have just heard sung at the Easter Vigil – put me in mind of the feelings of St. Mary Magdalene when she was reunited with Our Risen Lord on the first Easter morning.
WATCH JOHN-HENRY'S REFLECTION
When Mary encountered Christ early on Easter Sunday, she was weeping.
“Why art thou weeping?” the angels asked.
“Because they have carried away my Lord” she replied, “and I cannot tell where they have taken him.”
For Mary Magdalene, the discovery of the empty tomb must have seemed to be a final, catastrophic, blow.
For three days she had been enduring crushing psychological torments.
She had seen her Lord and Savior, the One she “loved much,” who had forgiven her sins and restored her dignity, undergo the agonies of His passion.
She had seen Him betrayed, arrested, imprisoned, falsely accused, tortured, mocked, and finally put to a death more painful than any other death, because He bore the sins of the world.
And now, as she came out that morning, before it was even light, she found that she had been deprived of the opportunity of tending to His body in death.
It was the culmination of a personal tragedy and an unbelievable horror.
And yet a few moments later she encountered her Risen Lord.
In just a few moments, she must have passed from the depths of unimaginable agony to the exaltation of incomprehensible joy.
Is there a lesson here for us who today endure the suffering of Christ in His Church?
St. Mary Magdalene knew that she was a sinner, and that Christ was her Savior. On the night of Holy Thursday, He was wrenched away from her by evil men, and she did not know when, or if, He would be restored to her.
We know that we are sinners and that we need the Church for our salvation. We know that without her we cannot go to heaven.
But many of us have felt as though the Church has been wrenched away from us by evil men.
In our parishes, in our dioceses, in our countries, evil men, corrupt bishops, and fallen priests have tried to take Christ away from us.
They have laid their hands on Our Lord as did the soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and they have kissed Him with the kiss of Judas.
And we have witnessed it and experienced a horror akin to that of St. Mary Magdalene witnessing Our Lord’s passion.
Christ suffered then in His physical body. Today He suffers in His Mystical Body.
This is not just a metaphor. It is a reality.
The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. He is the head, and we are the members.
And as St. Thomas Aquinas said:
“The head and members are as one mystic person.”
Because Christ and the Church are one, Fr. Faber could write:
"A man’s love of the Church is the surest test of his love of God.”
When we love God, we love the Church. When we love the Church, we suffer with the Church.
And we have seen her suffer much in our lifetimes.
Easter is an important reminder that the triumphs of evil are only temporary.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ And she turned and said to him, ‘Rabboni’.”
The space of time that it took for Jesus to say the name “Mary” was all that it took to transport St. Mary Magdalene from the depths of grief to the heights of joy.
And so too God has the power to vindicate His Church, and cast down His enemies, in a moment, in the blink of an eye.
And He will do it!
We can be quite certain that God is only permitting this terrible period of trial because He is going to bring greater good from it.
And what kind of good can result from the greatest period of evil in human history?
Only something more glorious than we can imagine – just like the Resurrection of Our Lord was something beyond the most fervent hopes of St. Mary Magdalene.
The message of Easter is the message of the final victory of good over evil, of light over darkness.
Our duty during this dark night is to keep watch.
In the book of Revelation, Our Lord speaks to the church of Sardis, in words which almost seem to be addressed to us today. He says:
“Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die.” (Rev 3:2)
Strengthen the things that remain.
That seems to be our great mission today, and it is a central part of the mission of LifeSiteNews.
You and I cannot save the Church – only God can do that – but we can work to “strengthen the things that remain,” to strengthen the things that it is in our power to strengthen, even when it seems like they are ready to die.
We must strengthen our spiritual lives. We must work to strengthen our families, our friends, and the communities to which we belong. We must strengthen our knowledge and grasp of the Catholic faith, which is the “pearl without price.”
St. Paul warned us:
Stand firm and hold by the traditions you have learned, in word or in writing, from us (2 Thess 2:15).
And he commands us:
Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal 1:8).
This means that we must reject the false gospel of a false welcoming and acceptance without repentance, and therefore a gospel without salvation.
We must be faithful to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the gospel of which St Paul says:
The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For neither did I receive it of man, nor did I learn it; but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11-12).
This gospel was given by God to the Apostles, and by the Successors of the Apostle to us. It has been presented to us by the infallible magisterium of the Catholic Church, and we must keep every dot and iota of it.
No matter how many fall away – as Judas fell away - we must keep awake, and we must keep watch.
We may find the watch to be long and painful, but Our Lord has promised us that we will not watch alone. A faithful remnant will always remain:
But thou hast a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy (Rev 3:4).
And this faithful remnant will receive its reward:
He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Rev 3:5).
One day, our watch shall come to an end, and those who have remained faithful will be clothed in the white garments of eternal life.
White is the color of Easter.
Tonight, Holy Saturday, men and women across the world were washed clean by the waters of baptism and were clothed in garments of white.
For the next fifty days, our altars will be dressed in white, reminding us that in every age the Church is renewed by the celebration of Easter and by the grace of Our Lord’s Resurrection.
And today the Church will sing, as she has for many centuries past:
That Eastertide with joy was bright;
the sun shone out with fairer light,
alleluia, alleluia!
when, to their longing eyes restored,
the apostles saw their risen Lord.
Death is temporary. Evil is temporary. Christ’s victory is forever.
From all of us here at LifeSite we wish you and your families all the joy of our victorious and risen Lord this Easter!
John-Henry Westen
Co-Founder and CEO
LifeSiteNews.com
Evil Empire - TomDispatch.com
Evil Empire - TomDispatch.com
Best of TomDispatch: Chalmers Johnson, Ending the Empire
March 31, 2024
[Note for TomDispatch Readers: Back in 2007, in one of TomDispatch's longest pieces ever, Chalmers Johnson, author of the classic bestseller, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire, laid out a vision of a distinctly imperial (and increasingly militarized) America as it was then. He saw in that reality (or do I mean irreality?) a crisis of sorts, but also imagined a possible future of "imperial liquidation." He suggested then that "the American people must make the decision to dismantle both the empire that has been created in their name and the huge (still growing) military establishment that undergirds it... de-garrisoning the planet and liquidating our empire." However, he also feared (all too correctly) that "the decision to mount such a campaign of imperial liquidation may already come too late, given the vast and deeply entrenched interests of the military-industrial complex." As it happened, it didn't come at all.
If he were alive today, almost 17 years later, I suspect he would be anything but shocked to discover that the Pentagon is now on the way to a trillion-dollar budget, while the full national security state budget passed that point long ago. Nor would he be shocked to find out that the U.S. has done nothing to dismantle its global system of 750 or more military bases or that the Global War on Terror is, in its own grim fashion, ongoing.
Now, let me just suggest that you settle in with "Chal" (as he once was called) and consider our all-American world, then and now, including my own 2007 introduction to his piece. And to bother you a little in the process (though Chal would have approved!), let me urge that any of you who would like to see TomDispatch chug on for a while longer consider visiting our donation page and offering a hand. Believe me, it will truly be appreciated! Tom]
Way back in 1999, when I was still a Tomdispatch-less book editor, I read a proposal from Chalmers Johnson. He was, then, known mainly as a scholar of modern Japan, though years earlier I had read his brilliant book on Chinese peasant nationalism -- about a period in the 1940s when imperial Japan was carrying out its "3-all" campaigns (kill-all, burn-all, loot-all) in the northern Chinese countryside. The proposal, for a book to be called "Blowback" -- a CIA term of tradecraft that, like most Americans, I had never heard before -- focused on the "unintended consequences" of the Agency's covert activities abroad and the disasters they might someday bring down upon us. Johnson began with an introduction in which he reviewed, among other things, his experiences in the Vietnam War era when, as a professed Cold Warrior, a former CIA consultant, and a professor of Asian studies at Berkeley, he would have been on the other side of the political fence from me.
In that introduction, he recalled his dismay with antiwar activists who were, he felt (not incorrectly), often blindly romantic about Asian communism and hadn't bothered to do their homework on the subject. "They were," he wrote, "defining the Vietnamese Communists largely out of their own romantic desires to oppose Washington's policies." He added:
"As it turned out, however, they understood far better than I did the impulse of a Robert McNamara, a McGeorge Bundy, or a Walt Rostow. They grasped something essential about the nature of America's imperial role in the world that I had failed to perceive. In retrospect, I wish I had stood with the antiwar protest movement. For all its naivete and unruliness, it was right and American policy wrong."
It was a reversal of sentiment to which no other American of his age and background, to the best of my knowledge, had admitted. It reflected a mind impressively willing to reconsider and change -- and, as it happened, it also reflected a man on a journey out of the world of Cold War anti-communism and into the heart of the American empire. When Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire finally came out in 2000, it was largely ignored (or derided) in the mainstream -- until, that is, September 11th, 2001. Then, "blowback," and the phrase that went with it, "unintended consequences," entered our language, thanks to Johnson, and the paperback of the book, now seen as prophetic, hit the 9/11 tables in bookstores across the United States, becoming a bestseller.
Johnson's intellectual odyssey had begun when the Cold War ended, when the Soviet Union disappeared and the American imperial structure of bases (and policy) in Asia remained standing, remarkably unchanged and unaffected by that seemingly world-shaking event. An invitation, five years later, to visit the heavily American-garrisoned Japanese island of Okinawa, in turmoil over a case in which two U.S. Marines and a sailor had raped a 12 year-old Okinawan girl, also strongly affected his thinking. There, Johnson saw firsthand what our global baseworld looked like and what it did to others on this planet. ("I was flabbergasted by the 37 American military bases I found on an island smaller than Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands and the enormous pressures it put on the population there. As I began to study it, though, I discovered that Okinawa was not exceptional. It was the norm. It was what you find in all of the American military enclaves around the world.")
Now, five and a half years after the 9/11 attacks, Johnson has reached the provisional end of his quest and the single prophetic volume, Blowback, has become "The Blowback Trilogy." In 2004, a second volume, The Sorrows of Empire, arrived, focused on how the American military had garrisoned the globe and how militarism had us in its grip; and finally, this year, a magisterial third and final volume, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic, appeared. No one should miss it. It lays out in chilling detail the ways in which imperial overstretch imperils the American republic and what's left of our democratic system as well as the American economy.
Now, in a step beyond even his latest book, Johnson considers whether we can end our empire before it ends us. Tom
"A new path leads through that empty tomb" (Urbi et Orbi)
"A new path leads through that empty tomb" (Urbi et Orbi)
fter Easter Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis, 87, appeared at noon to pronounce the beautiful Urbi et Orbi blessing from the basilica’s central loggia . In front of nearly 60,000 faithful (according to the Vatican press office), he noted one by one, for around 10 minutes, the people, regions, and nations all around the world that are most in need of Easter peace.
Here is a Vatican translation of the Pope’s reflection:
~
Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!
Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed 2,000 years ago from Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!” (Mk 16:6).
The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women disciples of Jesus, we ask one another: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (cf. Mk 16:3).
This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: The stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: The tomb of Jesus is open and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! A new path leads through that empty tomb: the path that none of us, but God alone, could open: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility.
Pope Francis waves from the central loggia of St. Peter's basilica during the Easter 'Urbi et Orbi' message and blessing to the City and the World as part of the Holy Week celebrations
Antoine Mekary | ALETEIA
Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way: the way that leads to life, the way of peace, reconciliation and fraternity. He opens that path, humanly impossible, because he alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives us our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, that stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no overcoming the barriers of prejudice, mutual recrimination, the presumption that we are always right and others wrong. Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world.
Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world. Today we want, first and foremost, to turn our eyes to the Holy City of Jerusalem, that witnessed the mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, and to all the Christian communities of the Holy Land.
Pope Francis waves from the central loggia of St. Peter's basilica during the Easter 'Urbi et Orbi' message and blessing to the City and the World as part of the Holy Week celebrations
Antoine Mekary | ALETEIA
My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all!
I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip.
Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: The children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.
How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: The children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction?
Brothers and sisters, let us not forget Syria, which for 13 years has suffered from the effects of a long and devastating war. So many deaths and disappearances, so much poverty and destruction, call for a response on the part of everyone, and of the international community.
My thoughts turn today in a special way to Lebanon, which has for some time experienced institutional impasse and a deepening economic and social crisis, now aggravated by the hostilities on its border with Israel. May the Risen Lord console the beloved Lebanese people and sustain the entire country in its vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence and pluralism.
Pope Francis waves from the central loggia of St. Peter's basilica during the Easter 'Urbi et Orbi' message and blessing to the City and the World as part of the Holy Week celebrations
Antoine Mekary | ALETEIA
I also think in particular of the region of the Western Balkans, where significant steps are being taken towards integration in the European project. May ethnic, cultural and confessional differences not be a cause of division, but rather a source of enrichment for all of Europe and for the world as a whole.
I likewise encourage the discussions taking place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so that, with the support of the international community, they can pursue dialogue, assist the displaced, respect the places of worship of the various religious confessions, and arrive as soon as possible at a definitive peace agreement.
May the risen Christ open a path of hope to all those who in other parts of the world are suffering from violence, conflict, food insecurity and the effects of climate change. May the Lord grant consolation to the victims of terrorism in all its forms. Let us pray for all those who have lost their lives and implore the repentance and conversion of the perpetrators of those crimes.
May the risen Lord assist the Haitian people, so that there can soon can be an end to the acts of violence, devastation and bloodshed in that country, and that it can advance on the path to democracy and fraternity.
May Christ grant consolation and strength to the Rohingya, beset by a grave humanitarian crisis, and open a path to reconciliation in Myanmar, torn for years now by internal conflicts, so that every logic of violence may be definitively abandoned.
May the Lord open paths of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering peoples in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique, and bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger.
May the Risen One make the light of his face shine upon migrants and on all those who are passing through a period of economic difficulty, and offer them consolation and hope in their moment of need. May Christ guide all persons of good will to unite themselves in solidarity, in order to address together the many challenges which loom over the poorest families in their search for a better life and happiness.
Pope Francis presides over the Easter Mass as part of the Holy Week celebrations
Antoine Mekary | ALETEIA
On this day when we celebrate the life given us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember the infinite love of God for each of us: a love that overcomes every limit and every weakness. And yet how much the precious gift of life is despised! How many children cannot even be born? How many die of hunger and are deprived of essential care or are victims of abuse and violence? How many lives are made objects of trafficking for the increasing commerce in human beings?
Brothers and sisters, on the day when Christ has set us free from the slavery of death, I appeal to all who have political responsibilities to spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking, by working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of exploitation and to bring freedom to those who are their victims. May the Lord comfort their families, above all those who anxiously await news of their loved ones, and ensure them comfort and hope.
May the light of the resurrection illumine our minds and convert our hearts, and make us aware of the value of every human life, which must be welcomed, protected and loved.
A happy Easter to all!
The Easter lily: A simple (yet majestic) symbol of rebirth
The Easter lily: A simple (yet majestic) symbol of rebirth
The Easter lily: A simple (yet majestic) symbol of rebirth
This majestic white flower, with its trumpet-like shape and sweet scent, is as much a symbol of Easter as any other.
You’ve heard of Easter eggs and Peeps and bunnies. But chances are you do not really know the story of the lilum longiflorum – the Easter lily. This majestic white flower, with its trumpet-like shape and sweet scent, is as much a symbol of Easter as any other. But why, and how?
The Easter lily has a fascinating history. Native to Taiwan and the Ryukyu islands off the coast of Japan, it quickly became a prized European decorative plant in the 1700s, as Portuguese and Spanish sailors arrived in the area. But the true rise of the Easter lily in the West began when a World War I soldier, Louis Houghton, started cultivating them. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, growing lilies became an industry on its own.
Now, the symbolism of the flower in Christianity is relatively complex. On the one hand, the Easter lily blooms purely white – a color heavily associated with purity and holiness. The flower’s trumpet shape is said to symbolize a herald announcing Christ’s resurrection. But the very way a lily grows is symbolic: From a dormant bulb buried in the earth, a beautiful and vibrantly alive flower emerges, mirroring the story of Jesus rising from the tomb.
Lilies are found in the Bible – although the text is clearly not referencing this Japanese variety. Jesus himself mentioned the flower, saying “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Luke 12:27). A pious legend claims that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane. The same legend has it that these flowers sprang up where drops of Jesus’ bloodied sweat fell as he prayed.
Now, the Easter lily isn’t just about symbolism. Its potent fragrance fills churches and homes during the Easter season with a heady sweetness. For many, this scent is inextricably linked to a sense of celebration and spiritual awakening, as Easter finally arrives.
While lovely to look at, be warned: Easter lilies are toxic to cats. If you’re a cat owner, admire these flowers from afar or opt for safe alternatives.
Whether gracing an altar or adorning your Easter table, the Easter lily holds both beauty and profound meaning. Its presence reminds us that even from the darkest times, new life will always bloom.
The easily forgotten truth about the Resurrection
The easily forgotten truth about the Resurrection
Without the Resurrection, nothing else we believe really matters. Christ rising from the dead is the linchpin of our whole faith.
I’ll never forget celebrating Easter Sunday right before the tomb of Jesus, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, about a dozen years ago.
According to traditions dating back to the 4th century, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains the site where Jesus was crucified, at a place known as Calvary or Golgotha, and Jesus’s empty tomb, where he was buried and resurrected.
As you can imagine, celebrating Easter there was an unforgettable experience. One of my favorite parts was the homily given by a kindly Franciscan priest, Father Fergus, one of the caretakers of the sacred site. He helped me see the importance of Christ’s resurrection in a totally new way.
What happened at that church is the most important event in history, he said. When God died and rose again, he destroyed the power of death and made all things new.
He reminded us of the words of Scripture: “And if Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty, too, your faith… and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain.” (1 Cor 15-17)
It’s easy to forget how important this is: Without the Resurrection, nothing else we believe really matters. Christ rising from the dead is the linchpin of our whole faith.
The first Easter turned the world upside down
Nowadays it seems as though Easter is all about bunny ears and spring flowers, making it easy to forget how shocking Christ’s resurrection is. It’s easy to overlook the absolutely wild and unimaginable nature of what we are celebrating.
In truth, Christ’s victory over sin and death shook the world, both this earthly world and the supernatural one we cannot see.
At the heart of the Christian message lies the amazing truth of the resurrection – that Jesus, who was crucified and buried, rose from the dead on the third day, fulfilling the Scriptures and conquering the power of sin and death.
This miraculous event not only reveals the divinity of Christ but also offers all of us the promise of his eternal life and salvation.
The Resurrection is a testament to God’s boundless love and mercy for humanity. Through Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, we are offered forgiveness for our sins and the hope of new life in Him.
As Christians around the world celebrate with egg hunts and brunches, let’s not lose sight of Easter’s life-changing message of redemption and reconciliation, inviting us to turn away from darkness and embrace the light of Christ.
Our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during Lent was an opportunity for spiritual preparation and renewal, bringing the “inner conversion of heart” to which this season calls us. As Easter approaches, it’s awe-inspiring to reflect on the transformative power of Christ’s resurrection and his promise of mercy.
The most important event in history
As we celebrate this Easter season, let’s hold closely in our hearts the victory won for us through Christ’s resurrection. Let’s rejoice in the triumph of life over death, light over darkness, and hope over despair.
Thanks to the Resurrection, we know that no matter what trials we may face in life, God’s love and mercy will be with us always.
As we gather with family and friends to celebrate Easter, let’s keep at the center of our festivities Christ’s resurrection and the hope it brings to the world, knowing that it’s the most important event in human history.
May we not forget how crucial the Resurrection is to our entire lives as Christians, but let our hearts be filled with renewed faith, joy, and gratitude for the gift of God’s love. May the light of Christ’s resurrection shine brightly in our hearts, now and always!
Jesus is alive – celebrate on Easter Sunday! - from Fr. Warren
HAPPY EASTER! - JESUS IS ALIVE!
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
– Romans 10:9
Dear Michele,
What joy we celebrate today knowing that Christ is risen. Through Him, God offers us the gift of salvation!
Jesus is the solution for all our troubles today. He understands the challenges that we often experience. His choices and His values went against the culture of His day. Those who opposed Jesus had to silence Him, so they hung Him on a cross. But to the surprise of all, He did not stay dead! He rose again, and through our relationship with Him we are reconciled to God.
Because He is righteousness for those who believe, we are able to follow His example and live rightly in our world. Jesus is about the decisions we make at business and school. He is about honesty and caring and concern for others. He is about ethics and fidelity. He is about truth. He is about making relationships work. He is about keeping one’s word.
Jesus loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Jesus loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
The resurrection we celebrate today is more than God’s answer to the problem of death. The resurrection of Christ has as much to say about living as about dying. The resurrection of Christ is a unique sign that this world, as well as the world to come, is filled with new beginnings if we try to live as He did. Because of Christ’s resurrection, we are made righteous by faith in Him.
We praise You, o’ God, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. Happy Easter! Jesus is alive!
Father Bob Warren, S.A.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Robert Warren, S.A.
Spiritual Director
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024
Good Friday - The Saddest of Days - Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
Good Friday - The Saddest of Days - Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
As we come to the end of Lent, we arrive at what is the saddest of days-Good Friday. On Good Friday you cannot avoid the Christian issue. At Christmas, you can dream of angels and a star, of a teenage mother and an infant asleep in the hay. On Easter Sunday, you will be glad and rejoice because God and goodness have risen from the grave. But today, there is no dreaming. Today there is nothing to rejoice. Today, you come face to face with the primary Christian symbol: that is, a cross.
So let’s briefly look at some facts. First, God died on that drab afternoon 2,000 years ago. The God of you and me died. Oh, I know death could not destroy divinity. The Trinity was not suddenly two persons, but still, it is true, God died. On Calvary’s Cross, there was only one person, and He was God, and He died. If there is one mystery harder to accept than God was born, it is the mystery that God died.
The second fact is Jesus really suffered. Don’t fictionalize Calvary. Don’t imagine that because Jesus was God, He felt pain less than we do. If anything, He suffered more intensely. He was more sensitive, more alive to everything human. The crown on His head was plated with real thorns. It was warm spit that splattered His face. A tough whip made His back flinch. Those were sharp nails that pierced His hands and feet. The blood reddening the earth of Calvary was His. “Into Your hands I commend my spirit” was really His last breath. Little wonder He called out in the garden, “Father, take this cup away from me. God, don’t let me die.”
The third fact is Jesus suffered and died for you. There are two protagonists in that passion: Jesus is one, the other is I. In the words of St. Paul, the Son of God gave Himself for me. He did not die for a misty mass called humanity. He died for Adam, that strange creature who could not abide in God’s love, for the space of one temptation. He died for Judas, as well as for John. For Mary Magdalene, as well as Mary of Nazareth. He died for both thieves who were crucified with Him, even the bandit who kept cursing Him. He died for me, as if Christ and His cross had arms only for me. He died for every sinner and every sin, from the first Eden, until His final coming.
Fourth fact: Jesus died for me because He loved me. He did not have to die. He did not die because He had no other choice. He told us, “No one takes my life from Me. I lay it down of My own free will.” St. Paul has no doubt about the reason why. He tells the Galatians, “The Son of God loved me.” It is so difficult to accept, isn’t it? That God should die for love of me.
The fifth fact is that by His death, He gave me life. I am not denying that His whole life is life-giving; I am stressing the centerpiece of the salvation drama. Without His death, we would be dead. I mean, we would be without faith, without hope, without love, and yes, without joy. But what do these facts say to us? God died a painful death for me, out of love, to give me life.
But where is our sharing in the passion of Christ? I cannot tell you. You are, each of you, a unique authority on your own Calvary. But I would ask you to ask yourself, what do you usually avoid and whom? Are you built only for comfort? Do you ever keep fast except to lose weight? What keeps you from being a saint? Who matters most in your life? If you had to confess what you want out of human living, would it have anything to do with a crucified Lord? Where does He rank in your top ten?
How do you handle illness, from a common cold to the threat of cancer? What are you afraid of? Death? Life? In whom do you see Christ? Do you only see Him in those you like and those who like you? To whom do you give bread and drink? To the hungry and thirsty? Or to the well-fed and well-oiled?
When did you last welcome a stranger? Give clothes to the naked? Who are the sick you visit? What prisons of body or mind have seen your face?
On this Good Friday, at this point in your existence, who are you like? Mary…John…Pilate…Herod…Joseph of Aremathea …Peter…The Disciples looking on from a safe distance?
The Church will survive heresy and hatred, sin and persecution. What imperils Catholicism is our lukewarmness, yours and mine. Jesus Christ does not turn us on. Justin Bieber sings, and there is a stampede to attend. The Mets lose, and the Hudson floods with weeping. But God dies on a Cross for us, and business goes on as usual. I am not asking for ceaseless emotion, wailing and weeping or balloons and guitars. Emotion peters out. I am suggesting that we all live our Christian commitment to live day after day, the dying and the rising that Holy Week symbolizes. It is not enough to represent the crucifixion of Christ liturgically, play it out once a year. The liturgy expresses ritually what goes on in the rest of our lives. The liturgical journey ritualizes the human journey. But does it? Does this afternoon’s crucifixion sacramentalize what goes on in the rest of your life? Where, my friends, is your Good Friday? Where is your Calvary?
Thursday, March 28, 2024
[Salon] The French Road To Nuclear War
[Salon] The French Road To Nuclear War - micheletkearney@gmail.com - Gmail
The French Road To Nuclear War
By Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, Consortium News.
March 27, 2024
Above photo: U.S. President Joe Biden preparing to disembark Marine One, July 2021. White House, Adam Schultz.
France could be leading the American people down a path toward a nuclear conflict.
Decidedly not in the interests of the American people – or of humanity itself, VIPS warns President Joe Biden.
March 24, 2024
ALERT MEMORANDUM FOR: The President
FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals For Sanity
SUBJECT: On The Brink Of Nuclear War
Mr. President:
France is reportedly preparing to dispatch a force of some 2,000 troops — roughly a reinforced brigade built around an armored battalion and two mechanized battalions, with supporting logistical, engineering, and artillery troops attached — into Ukraine sometime in the not-so-distant future.
This Force Is Purely Symbolic, Inasmuch As It Would Have Zero Survivability In A Modern High-Intensity Conflict Of The Scope And Scale Of What Is Transpiring In Ukraine Today. It Would Not Be Deployed Directly In A Conflict Zone, But Would Serve Either As
(1) A Screening Force/Tripwire To Stop Russia’s Advance; Or
(2) a replacement force deployed to a non-active zone to free up Ukrainian soldiers for combat duty. The French Brigade reportedly will be supplemented by smaller units from the Baltic states.
This would be introducing combat troops of a NATO country into a theater of war, making them “lawful targets” under the Law of War.
Such units would apparently lack a NATO mandate. In Russia’s view, however, this may be a distinction without a difference. France appears to be betting – naively – that its membership in NATO would prevent Russia from attacking French troops. Rather, it is highly likely that Russia would attack any French/Baltic contingent in Ukraine and quickly destroy/degrade its combat viability.
In that case, French President Macron may calculate that, after Russian attacks on the troops of NATO members – NATO mandate or not – he could invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter and get the NATO alliance to intervene. Such intervention would likely take the form of aircraft operating from NATO nations – and perhaps include interdiction missions against tactical targets inside Russia.
On Precipice of Nuclear War?
Doctrinally, and by legal right, Russia’s response would be to launch retaliatory strikes also against targets in NATO countries. If NATO then attacks strategic targets inside Russia, at that point Russia’s nuclear doctrine takes over, and NATO decision-making centers would be hit with nuclear weapons.
We do not believe Russia will initiate a nuclear attack against the U.S., but rather would leave it up to the United States to decide if it wants to risk destruction by preparing to launch a nuclear strike on Russia. That said, Russian strategic forces have improved to the point that, in some areas – hypersonic missiles, for example – its capability surpasses that of the U.S. and NATO.
In other words, the Russian temptation to strike first may be a bit stronger than during past crises, and we are somewhat less confident that Russia would want to “go second”.
Another disquieting factor is that the Russians are likely to believe that Macron’s folly has the tacit approval of some key U.S. and other Western officials, who seem desperate to find some way to alter the trajectory of the war in Ukraine – the more so, as elections draw near.
What Needs To Be Done
Europe needs to understand that France is leading it down a path of inevitable self-destruction.
The American people need to understand that Europe is leading them to the cusp of nuclear annihilation.
Since Russian leaders may suspect that Macron is working hand in glove with Washington, the U.S. needs to make its position publicly and unambiguously clear.
And if France and the Baltics insist on sending troops into Ukraine, it must also be made clear that such action has no NATO mandate; that Article 5 will not be triggered by any Russian retaliation; and that the U.S. nuclear arsenal, including those nuclear weapons that are part of the NATO deterrent force, will not be employed as a result of any Russian military action against French or Baltic troops.
Void of such clarity, France would be leading the American people down a path toward a nuclear conflict decidedly not in the interests of the American people – or of humanity itself.
FOR THE STEERING GROUP,
VETERAN INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS FOR SANITY
William Binney, former Technical Director, World Geopolitical & Military Analysis, NSA; co-founder, SIGINT Automation Research Center (ret.)
Richard Black, former Virginia State Senator; Colonel, USA (ret.); Former Chief, Criminal Law Division, Judge Advocate General (associate VIPS)
Marshall Carter-Tripp, Foreign Service Officer (ret) and former Office Director in the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research
Bogdan Dzakovic, former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security, (ret.) (associate VIPS)
Graham E. Fuller, Vice-Chair, National Intelligence Council (ret.)
Philip Giraldi, C.I.A., Operations Officer (ret.)
Matthew Hoh, former Capt., USMC, Iraq and Foreign Service Officer, Afghanistan (associate VIPS)
James George Jatras, former U.S. diplomat and former foreign policy adviser to Senate leadership (Associate VIPS)
Larry C. Johnson, former C.I.A. and State Department Counter Terrorism officer
John Kiriakou, former C.I.A. Counterterrorism Officer and former senior investigator, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Karen Kwiatkowski, former Lt. Col., U.S. Air Force (ret.), at Office of Secretary of Defense watching the manufacture of lies on Iraq, 2001-2003
Douglas Macgregor, Colonel, USA (ret.) (associate VIPS)
Ray McGovern, former U.S. Army infantry/intelligence officer & C.I.A. analyst; C.I.A. Presidential briefer (ret.)
Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council & C.I.A. political analyst (ret.)
Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, U.S. Army Judge Advocate (ret.)
Pedro Israel Orta, former C.I.A. and Intelligence Community (Inspector General) officer
Scott Ritter, former MAJ, USMC; former U.N. Weapons Inspector, Iraq
Coleen Rowley, FBI Special Agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel (ret.)
Lawrence Wilkerson, Colonel USA, ret.), Distinguished Visiting Professor, College of William and Mary (associate VIPS)
Sarah G. Wilton, CDR, USNR, (ret.); Defense Intelligence Agency (ret.)
Kirk Wiebe, former Senior Analyst, SIGINT Automation Research Center, NSA
Robert Wing, former Foreign Service Officer (associate VIPS)
Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army reserve colonel and former U.S. diplomat who resigned in 2003 in opposition to the Iraq War
Background: Earlier VIPS Memos For President Biden On Ukraine
May 1, 2022
MEMORANDUM FOR: The President
FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals For Sanity (VIPS)SUBJECT: Nuclear Weapons Cannot Be Un-Invented, Thus …
“The growing possibility that nuclear weapons might be used, as hostilities in Ukraine continue to escalate, merits your full attention.”
++++++++++++++++++++++
Sept. 5, 2022
MEMORANDUM FOR: The President
FROM: VIPS
SUBJECT: Ukraine Decision Time & Secretary Of Defense
“If Austin Tells You Kyiv Is Beating Back The Russians, Kick The Tires”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jan. 26, 2023
ALERT MEMORANDUM FOR: The President
FROM: VIPS
SUBJECT: Leopards To Ukraine: Decisions In An Intelligence Vacuum
“None of the newly promised weaponry will stop Russia from defeating what’s left of the Ukrainian army. If you have been told otherwise, replace your intelligence and military advisers with competent professionals – the sooner the better.”
“There is a large conceptual – and exceptionally dangerous – disconnect. Simply stated, it is not possible to “win the war against Russia” AND avoid WWIII. It is downright scary that Defense Secretary Austin may think it possible. In any case, the Kremlin has to assume he thinks so. It is a very dangerous delusion.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++
January 25, 2024
ALERT MEMORANDUM FOR: The President
FROM: VIPS
SUBJECT: Throwing Good Money After Bad
“On Jan. 26, 2023, we reminded you that National Intelligence Director Avril Haines had said Russia was using up ammunition extraordinarily quickly and could not indigenously produce what it was expending.”
“On July 13, you said Putin “has already lost the war”. You may have gotten that from C.I.A. Director William Burns who, a week before, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post saying: “Putin’s war has already been a strategic failure for Russia – its military weaknesses laid bare.” Both statements are incorrect. Nor is the war a “stalemate”, as Jake Sullivan has claimed more recently.”
[Salon] Gaza: World court issues fresh measures for Israel as crisis deepens
Transmitted at the link below is the UN NEWS report on the additional provisional measures issued today by the International Court of Justice in the genocide case against Israel -- unanimously except for the ad hoc Israeli judge.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1148096
The full text of the court's order can be accessed at https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/192/192-20240328-ord-01-00-en.pdf.
The additional provisional measures are set forth on page 13.
One may eagerly anticipate one of the spokepeople for the U.S. government being asked whether the United States considers orders of the International Court of Justice, like resolutions passed by the UN Security Council, to be non-binding.
[Salon] Official statement by the Investigative Committee of Russia
Chas Freeman via Salon
4:29 PM (34 minutes ago)
to salon
Official statement by the Investigative Committee of Russia:
"The initial results of the investigation into the attack at Crocus fully confirm the planned nature of the terrorists' actions, their meticulous preparation, and financial support from the crime's organizers, reports the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
As a result of interrogating the detained terrorists, examining the technical devices seized from them, and analyzing information about financial transactions, evidence of their connections with Ukrainian nationalists has been obtained.
The investigation has confirmed evidence of significant sums of money and cryptocurrency being transferred from Ukraine to the perpetrators of the act, which were used in the preparation of the crime.
Another suspect involved in the financing scheme of the terrorists has been identified and detained. The investigation will petition the court to impose the measure of detention."
Your Reflection for Holy Thursday - Given for You
FRANCISCAN FRIARS of the ATONEMENT™ | RESTORE YOUR FAITH THIS LENTEN SEASON | LENTEN DEVOTIONAL HOLY THURSDAY
Remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us all.
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
— 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Of Life and Lithium - TomDispatch.com
Of Life and Lithium - TomDispatch.com
Joshua Frank, As the Rich Speed Off in Their Teslas
March 28, 2024
Let's face it: we're now on a different planet in a different era and it matters not at all that a committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences wasn't yet willing to officially call it the Anthropocene or (all too) human age. I mean, why sweat about that when, in a distinctly overheating world, we have so much else to sweat about? Call it what you will, but thanks to humanity, we're already sweating big time -- and not just in South Sudan, where schools were recently closed for two weeks in expectation of a heat wave that could hit 113 degrees! After all, last year set a dazzling record for heat and the U.N.'s weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization, expects 2024 to repeat the pattern in some equally grim fashion. It's already sounding a "red alert," warning that, as the organization's secretary-general recently put it, “never have we been so close -- albeit on a temporary basis at the moment -- to the 1.5C lower limit of the Paris Agreement on climate change.”
In that context, it's no small thing that, just the other day, the Biden administration issued an important new climate regulation designed, as the New York Times reported, "to ensure that the majority of new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States are all-electric or hybrids by 2032." And on a planet where startling heat records were set monthly in 2023 and the same thing may indeed be happening again this year, that is no small thing.
Those words "no small thing," however, do trigger something else in my mind. It's a subject that TomDispatch regular Joshua Frank, author of Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America, takes up vividly today. It's no small thing that some of the same creatures responsible for heating this planet to the figurative boiling point now have the urge to try to "save" the planet. And while that's a distinct positive, don't think those creatures, who have already created so many problems, won't create more as they try to -- so to speak -- change gears.
Ah, gears! Yes, if we humans remain in the same gear as we try to solve the problem of climate change that we've been in while creating it, count on this: there will be a steep price for all too many of us. Think, for instance, of the parts of the Global South that had so little to do with creating the conditions for climate change in the first place or, in the case of the lithium that Frank focuses on today, both Native Americans and the land itself. We are, after all, the very same creatures who created the problem, so hold your hat as the "solution" comes down the line. The question remains: Who will pay what price in the perilous future to come? And how large might it be? Tom
Is it a Mystery? Where Trump stands on Israel-Gaza war | Responsible Statecraft
Is it a Mystery? Where Trump stands on Israel-Gaza war | Responsible Statecraft
Kelley writes:
"The great parlor game is on: would Trump 2.0 be better or worse than Biden on the Israel-Gaza war? Despite his bombastic comments — "you hate your religion if you're a Jew who votes Democrat" —Trump seems to be deliberately ambiguous about what he thinks about the actual military operations and what comes next. So James Carden and I examine what we do know about Trump on the issue of Israel-Palestine — his record, his fundraising, and who he surrounds himself with. Please give our piece on Responsible Statecraft a read today: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-israel-gaza/
Is it a Mystery? Where Trump stands on Israel-Gaza war
His past record and 'finish it up' comments today suggest a hard line, though he leaves just a sliver of ambiguity
Fr. Bob's Reflection for Palm Sunday -
Holy Week begins as it will end: in triumph. We see the fleeting triumph of Palm Sunday and it's followed by the lasting triumph of Easter Sunday.
In between is a strange mixture of joy and pain; of sorrow and fear, known to all of us human beings. At some point or another, most of us carry a cross. We sometimes wish life was like a bowl of cherries. But we know all too well that the real situation is often the exact opposite.
We may talk as much as we like about joy, contentment and peace. But only a fool believes that Christians have the recipe for a trouble-free golden future.
The truth is, we don't. Common sense tells us that human life - yours and mine - is at times complex, confusing, even tragic. At this very moment, you are near to someone who is carrying some kind of a cross.
There is a husband or a wife who has lost a beloved partner. Couples who long for children, but whose hopes remain unfulfilled.
There are others, young and old, who are crippled by disease or badly injured by accidents. Those who suffer from depression and mental illness. There are those who feel unloved and unwanted, and even unlovable.
Each Sunday, a great number of people come together as a Church to worship. The gathering represents a cross-section of society. That means there are some who carry around within themselves burdens; terrible mistakes of the past. Ones that may have diminished them, or damaged others.
To imagine that we are a group of perfect Christians is foolish. Most of us have problems.
Whatever your problems, as crushing as they might seem, must not prevent you from being a Christian. The Church is not a club for the respectable and the clean. God is not just the God of the normal; of the Saints. He is the God of everybody.
There is nothing that can change God's love for us. He accepts us as we are, even though many of our fellow Christians may not see it that way. And we are the ones who sometimes have difficulty in accepting ourselves.
There is truth to the saying, "No cross, no crown." We can use our sufferings to become the person God wants us to be. If used correctly, suffering can enable us to know ourselves and to get outside ourselves. It can mature us into the fullness of being human.
The type of suffering the cross in our lives brings does not matter. How we react to it is the most important thing.
Jesus did not shy away from suffering. His was a literal cross, and He showed us how to deal with it. Take hold of it with both hands, grab it and wrestle with it.
As we begin Holy Week, it reminds us that suffering is a journey with a goal. Not an endless road that leads nowhere. The end of the journey is the resurrection - a new kind of existence.
Yet, none of us like the cross. But remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They had left Jerusalem, left the cross. Put the suffering and pain in the rearview mirror.
We all like to do that. The trouble is, when we walk away from suffering, when we walk away from the cross, we miss the resurrection.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Robert Warren, S.A.
Spiritual Director
The Time Is Now, To Do What You Know Is Right
The Time Is Now, To Do What You Know Is Right
March 26, 2024 (EIRNS)—The Time Is Now, To Do What Is Right
I met Murder on the way—
He had a mask like Castlereagh—
Very smooth he looked, yet grim;
Seven bloodhounds followed him…
And many more Destructions played
In this ghastly masquerade,
All disguised, even to the eyes,
Like bishops, lawyers, peers , or spies. “
—Percy Shelley, The Masque of Anarchy (1819)
It is genocide, says the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese. She spoke from Geneva yesterday, regarding the systematic mass-killing campaign now being conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, under orders from the Netanyahu regime, and subsidized and fortified by the weapons, money, and influence of Great Britain, the United States, and NATO. In testimony to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday, Albanese said (unofficial transcript): “Following nearly six months of unrelenting Israeli assault on occupied Gaza, it is my solemn duty to report on the worst of what humanity is capable of, and to present my findings: ‘The Anatomy of a Genocide.’
“History teaches us that genocide is a process, not a single act. It starts with the dehumanization of a group as other, the denial of that group’s humanity, and ends with the destruction of the group in whole, or in part. The dehumanization of Palestinians as a group is the hallmark of their history—of ethnic cleansing, dispossession and apartheid.
“... When the ground offensive started, the number of daily casualties had seemed to reduce, but, in fact, the level of atrocities increased. Mass disappearance and arbitrary detentions, widespread and systematic torture and inhumane treatment, add to the experience of endless death and loss…. One of my key findings is that Israel’s executive, military leadership and soldiers have intentionally distorted the rules of International Humanitarian Law—distinction, proportionality and precaution—in an attempt to legitimize genocidal violence against the Palestinian people….
“In light of this, I find that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide against Palestinians as a group has been met. Specifically, Israel has committed three acts of genocide with the requisite intent, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent birth within the group. The genocide in Gaza is the most extreme stage of a long-standing settler colonial process of erasure of the native Palestinians…. This was a tragedy foretold.
“While the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will have to deliberate, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will have to investigate. It is my responsibility to remind you that the Genocide Convention includes a non-derogable obligation to prevent the commission of genocide, a reality the ICJ recognized as plausible, exactly two months ago. The time for states to act was then, and as they did not, the time to act is now. In its darkest hour, the international community cannot continue to ignore that it is Israel’s project to rid Palestine of Palestinians in defiance of international law. The world’s failure to call Israel to account has led to genocide, laid bare in Gaza. Denial of the reality and the continuation of Israel’s impunity and exceptionalism is no longer viable.
“Especially in light of yesterday’s binding UN Security Council resolution, I implore member states to abide by their obligations, which start with imposing an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel, and so ensure that the future does not continue to repeat itself. Thank you.”
Other important developments, in particular the ruling of the British Court in the Julian Assange Case, are covered in the body of today’s reports below. The finding of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, however, is of particular, singular importance. It rips away the mask, not merely from Israel’s overseers, but also the mask from each and every one of us. This is the reason for the demanding crisis of conscience, first experienced and expressed by young people, most notably Jewish Voice for Peace, then other institutions and individuals, finally now affecting many of the most impenetrable, from American commentators like Candace Owens, Alex Jones, and Christiane Amanpour to politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said Friday: “As we speak, in this moment, 1.1 million innocents in Gaza are at famine’s door, a famine that is being intentionally precipitated through the blocking of food and global humanitarian assistance by leaders in the Israeli government.”
Today, the world cannot claim, as it did 90 years ago, after Adolf Hitler’s accession to power, that it was not told, that the truth was hidden until it was too late to stop the crime. Rapporteur Albanese’s rebuke of the international community for not having acted two months ago, at the end of January, following South Africa’s December presentation before the International Court of Justice—"The time for states to act was then”—and her proposal for an immediate arms embargo against Israel—"the time to act is now”—is an important world reality-check. Whatever the Biden Administration is saying, the truth is that the United States is continuing to supply arms to Israel, as are Great Britain and Germany.
The Biden Administration refuses to admit that the nation of Israel is committing genocide, committing crimes against humanity, judged to be such by America’s own Justice Jackson 80 years ago at the Nuremberg Tribunals. Why do the United States, and its “special relationship partner,” Great Britain, tacitly endorse the policy of the depopulation of Gaza? Let us never forget, that, from the time of the April 1968 founding of the Club of Rome, depopulation and de-industrialization has been NATO’s middle name. China’s development projects in Argentina and Ibero-America, in the African continent, and its international Belt and Road Initiative, are hated by NATO and the depopulators. In Ukraine, as in Gaza, as in the intentional and racist destruction of Haiti by the “Dope, Incorporated” international financial/intelligence/drug cartel, depopulation, sometimes through genocidal means, is the willful, intentional, designed result.
This Friday, the International Peace Coalition, joined by various members of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) and other organizations, will raise the standard for action to defeat these crimes, to that outlined in Principle Nine of Helga Zepp-LaRouche’s “Ten Principles for A New Security and Development Architecture”: “In order to overcome the conflict arising out of quarreling opinions, which is how empires have maintained control over the underlings, the economic, social and political order has to be brought into cohesion with the lawfulness of the physical universe. In European philosophy, this was discussed, as being in character with natural law, in Indian philosophy, as cosmology, and in other cultures appropriate notions can be found.” It is urgent that we find the “common high ground,” and form the international association that, through this shared commitment to viewing all people as one humanity, can implement readily available solutions, such as the LaRouche Oasis Project, free from the terminal disease of thermonuclear geopolitics. We must act in time, and that time is now.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
The Icarus Trap: Arrogance, Misperception, and the U.S. Invasion of Iraq - War on the Rocks
The Icarus Trap: Arrogance, Misperception, and the U.S. Invasion of Iraq - War on the Rocks
https://warontherocks.com/2024/03/the-icarus-trap-arrogance-misperception-and-the-u-s-invasion-of-iraq/
March 26, 2024
The Icarus Trap: Arrogance, Misperception, and the U.S. Invasion of Iraq
Chas Freeman writes:
If only it was an isolated example of what is wrong with US engagement in war. US is a terminal patient unwilling to accept its condition. Maybe also those millionaires in Congress are a problem as being in this elite class tends to be isolating.
As I have said before US is rotting from top to bottom. Ad I think it is inaccelerating decay and decline and has the wrong leadership (a bipartison problem). A relative, a graduate of one of UK's two most elite universities, recently said its leaders have destroyed the country and it is skiing downhill,. I think this can also be said of the US.
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