This Week in the News

Will Biden’s Fall Be Worse than his Summer?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on September 30:

“The White House should be feeling alarm. It hasn’t been a good summer for the president, and it isn’t looking to be a good fall. The manner and timing of the withdrawal from Afghanistan was a catastrophe that left Americans infuriated and ashamed. The president’s statements and interviews in the aftermath were highly unsuccessful. The testimony of his top military leaders that they advised him to leave 2,500 troops to keep the process safe made him look dodgy. The whole thing was a botch from beginning to end, and it will stick in history. The images it yielded (kids running to the planes, 13 Americans killed as they tried to bring order) seemed to sum up the political moment, making this seem not like merely a bad event for the president but a definitional one.

“The White House pandemic response has been uneven to the point of baffling. Inflation is going up (in June the Federal Reserve estimated it at 3.4% for the year; by September, 4.2%.) Immigration is not a problem but a crisis, and there appears to be no administration plan to deal with the reality that those from other countries who want to come here approach our border as if there is no border. What the crisis requires, at a bare minimum, is a sense of urgency, of something being done. There is no such sense. Their only plan seems to be hoping Border Patrol agents will do something wrong, or at least something that looks bad, so White House officials can lay blame with indignation and performative compassion….”

Breitbart added on October 1:

“Polling shows that a majority of voters know… Joe Biden lied about Afghanistan and now want him to resign over that fiasco.”

Why the World Does Not Listen to Biden

The Hill wrote on September 28:

“The Economist asked… author Robert Kaplan, political scientist Francis Fukuyama, diplomat Henry Kissinger, and historian Niall Ferguson – to opine generally on America’s future, and particularly on whether the U.S. will be able to maintain its influence on global politics in the future. While in broad agreement on the fact of American decline, they brought varying perspectives on causation and what the path to the future might look like. Kissinger’s diagnosis was particularly compelling: ‘The United States has torn itself apart in its counterinsurgent efforts because of its inability to define attainable goals and to link them in a way that is sustainable by the American political process.’

“…Walter Russell Mead examined the world’s dilemmas through an even wider lens and declared that the root cause of American decline… stems from the fact that ‘globalists have so far failed to master the challenges of the 21st century.’…

“All of this history is the necessary backdrop to understanding President Biden’s recent speech at the United Nations… Had Biden with some humility acknowledged past mistakes, both recent and more distant, and proposed a bold change of course credibly aimed at rectifying errors, the applause he heard might have been sincere and even hopeful. Instead, a wondering audience and worried world heard a speech that seemed to come out of a time warp, in which it was still 1991 and not 2021… the fading notes of an uncertain trumpet echoing a world gone by.

“Unsurprisingly, people are disinclined to listen when the words they hear are simply no longer believable.”

To compare Biden’s speech and his entire agenda with an “uncertain trumpet” is quite telling, as this analogy is derived from Paul’s statement in the Bible.

Biden Unfit for Office?

Fox News reported on September 22:

“Former Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage [said] that some in Britain are asking if Joe Biden is fit to be in office.

“[Farage said:] ‘What a bizarre spectacle, to see two important world leaders muzzled behind the thickest face masks that could possibly ever been made. So much so it was actually quite difficult to hear anything anyone was saying. But that was the first thing that was utterly bizarre. And I think Boris Johnson and of course, you know, our culture as yours has always been, is that leaders are accountable to the press, from all sides and all opinions, who could ask questions. And I think Boris was completely stunned that the new culture in America, who was supposed to be the leaders of the free world, is that the president doesn’t take questions.

‘‘So Boris decided to sort of in an impromptu way, try and take a few questions and the White House press team didn’t like it and protested. And so we’re sort of asking ourselves a question here in the UK this morning. If Joe Biden doesn’t take questions from journalists and therefore isn’t accountable for what he’s doing as leader of America or leader of the free world, we have to ask ourselves a question. Is he actually fit and proper and competent to be doing the job? ‘”

The answer should be obvious. Judging by his record, he is clearly not fit and competent to do his job.

Greece Replaces USA

The New York Post wrote on September 25:

“Last week, Greece announced it would be sending US-made Patriot anti-missile batteries and soldiers to man them to Saudi Arabia, to replace US-manned Patriots the Biden administration withdrew in April. It was a momentous development in the rapidly changing geopolitical environment of the Middle East, and received zero coverage in the corporate media in the United States. When Greece steps up to fill the vacuum left by a US pullout, it gives you a measure of just how far the United States has retreated from the world stage over the past nine months.

“This is not the Greece of Alexander the Great, but today’s Greece. Nearly bankrupt just a few years ago, Greece has now replaced the United States as defender of the world’s largest oil producer… Biden’s decision to outwardly alienate the Saudis has real-world implications. With the US turnover of Afghanistan to the Taliban, another Qatar-ally, a pattern is beginning to emerge: This administration foolishly prefers Sunni Muslim jihadis and Iranian mullahs building nuclear weapons over traditional allies of the United States who oppose a nuclear-armed Iran…

“The dismissal of these allies could also be seen in the way Washington simply ignored the first anniversary of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords negotiated by the Trump administration and the governments of Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco last year.”

Greece replaces the USA! What a development. Greece might very well play an important role in the final configuration of a coming core Europe.

America’s Decline

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 11, 2021:

“Biden has made clear that US foreign policy should serve only US interests. US military involvement will be scaled down even more… In terms of foreign policy, there is really only one issue that still carries weight for the US, which is its power struggle with China. In Syria, the US has already left the field to Russia and it is also holding back in Libya. Even Israel is trying to become less dependent on its strongest ally by building ties with the Arab states. It is unclear how long these new alliances might hold.

“But in the meantime, many experts fear that the further the US moves away from the global game, the lower the barrier inhibiting states from carrying out preemptive strikes will become. Twenty years after the terrorist attacks, the collapsing towers of the World Trade Center symbolize the disappearance of the world’s global policeman. And they are an urgent warning that there will have to be new alliances if the emerging and widening vacuum is not to be filled by anti-democratic forces.”

Anti-democratic forces are already at work in most countries, including in the USA and many other nations which are descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah, judging for example by the authoritarian measures in regard to the coronavirus (see below).

White House Presses US Airlines to Mandate Vaccinations for Staff

Newsmax wrote on October 1:

“The White House is pressing major U.S. airlines to mandate coronavirus vaccines for employees by Dec. 8… White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients spoke to the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines on Thursday to ensure they were working expeditiously to develop and enforce vaccine requirements ahead of a Dec. 8 deadline for federal contractors… Large U.S. airlines have a number of federal contracts, including the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), which was activated in August to help ferry people who have been evacuated from Afghanistan in support of the U.S. Defense Department.”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on September 23:

“The Biden Administration is demanding that members of the US military who refuse the covid shot be DISHONORABLY discharged! The Administration is also taking aim at military members who prefer to pass on the vax because they have natural immunity from a previous infection.”

These threats and demands are appalling.

Rand Paul Exposes Xavier Becerra’s Ignorance

Life Site News reported on October 1:

“Republican Senator Rand Paul sharply criticized the Biden administration’s push for vaccination and its refusal to acknowledge natural immunity during a hearing on Thursday. ‘Mr. Becerra, are you familiar with an Israeli study that had 2.5 million patients and found that the vaccinated group was actually seven times more likely to get infected with COVID than the people who had gotten COVID naturally,’ Paul asked Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra.  Becerra, who is tasked with overseeing the public health infrastructure for the country, said he is not familiar with the study. ‘I think you might want to be if you’re going to travel the country insulting the millions of Americans, including NBA star Jonathan Isaac, who have had COVID, recovered, look at a study with 2.5 million people, and say, well, you know what, I should make the decision. Instead, you’ve called Jonathan Isaac and others, myself included, “flat earthers,”’ Paul said. Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac said… that he does not plan to get jabbed because he has already been infected with COVID…

“The senator asked Becerra if he had a science degree or a medical degree. Becerra does not have either background… ‘And yet you travel the country, calling people “flat earthers” who have had COVID, looked at studies of millions of people,’ Paul said, ‘and made their own personal decision that their immunity they naturally acquired is sufficient but you presume somehow to tell over 100 million Americans who survived COVID that we have no right to determine our own medical care. You alone are on high and you’ve made these decisions, a lawyer with no scientific background, no medical degree. This is an arrogance coupled with an authoritarianism that is unseemly and un-American. You, sir, are the one ignoring the science,’ Paul said. ‘Quit lording it over people, acting as if these people are deplorable and unwashed,’ he continued, adding that ‘there is no more basic medical right than deciding what we inject into our bodies.’…

“As Paul noted, Becerra’s health policy background somehow has not led him to have an understanding of the benefits of natural immunity, which has been well-documented. Professor Martin Kulldorff, an epidemiologist who teaches at Harvard University’s medical school, has said that an Israeli study about natural immunity has weakened the argument for ‘vaccine passports.’”

It is shocking that Paul has to lecture Becerra who seems to be totally ignorant about the matter of immunity.

The American Monarchy

Reason wrote on September 13:

“President Joe Biden’s national vaccine mandate sparked a lot of debate… [the] question is raised by the president’s gambit to displace the Afghanistan fiasco from the headlines: How, in the United States, can one guy just impose his preferred policies, whether they’re good, bad, or indifferent?

“… how can one person do this in a country with a Constitution that lays out the limited powers of the state, and provides for two other co-equal branches of government? It’s as if the president has become a king—and many people embrace the development, so long as they like the outcome. In fact, that’s a fair interpretation of the system under which we live, and the direction in which it’s evolved from the beginning.

“‘We elect a king for four years and give him absolute power within certain limits, which after all he can interpret for himself,’ then-Secretary of State William Seward observed of the presidency during the Civil War…

“‘Great Britain is a republic, with a hereditary president, while the United States is a monarchy with an elective king,’ the Knoxville Journal snarked in 1896 during the presidency of Grover Cleveland, who was one of the less autocratic chief executives. But the implicit and growing power of the presidency remained, even when the office was held by somebody who exercised a modicum of restraint.

“‘I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President,’ then-President Donald Trump told an enthusiastic conservative gathering in 2019…

“Unsurprisingly, Trump was accused of acting like a monarch, just as his predecessor, President Barack Obama, was charged with kingly pretensions, and so was President George W. Bush before him. And the accusations were spot on—they all acted unilaterally and built on the precedents of those who went before them…

“The answer, then, is that Biden issued a unilateral vaccine mandate because the presidency has always had monarchical tendencies and, through multiple administrations, chief executives succumbed to the temptation to exercise power…”

Very sad and shocking, but apparently true.

California to Require Covid Shots for All Schoolchildren

Newsmax wrote on October 1:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the nation’s first coronavirus vaccination mandate for schoolchildren, a plan that will have all elementary through high school students get the shots once the vaccine gains final approval from the U.S. government for different age groups.

“The government has fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and over but only granted an emergency authorization for anyone 12 to 15. Once federal regulators fully approve the vaccine for that group, the state will require students in seventh through 12th grades to get vaccinated in both public and private schools, Newsom’s office said.

“The state will require the COVID-19 vaccine for students in kindergarten through sixth grade only after the federal government has given final approval for anyone 5 to 11. The announcement comes as infections in most of California have dropped markedly in the last month. But Newsom has been emboldened after easily defeating a recall effort last month following a campaign where he emphasized his commitment to vaccine mandates to end the pandemic…

“The state’s vaccine mandate would take effect the semester after the federal government grants final approval. If it comes in January, then the mandate would take effect in July. Students would be granted religious and medical exemptions, but the rules for how the state would apply those exemptions have not been written yet. Any student who refuses to take the vaccine would be forced to complete an independent study course at home.”

It was predictable. Newsom wants to show how great and smart he is… and is thereby only contributing to California’s downfall…

More Vaccination Rules—No End to the Madness

Fox News wrote on October 2:

“The largest health system in Louisiana will start fining employees hundreds of dollars a month if they are married to an unvaccinated person… charging employees $200 per month, or $100 per pay period, if their spouse or partner is unvaccinated… The announcement was met with condemnation by some on social media, including the Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian student activism organization: ‘This is a taste of what’s coming. There is no end to the madness…’

“The rollout of vaccine mandates in hospitals is spurring nurses and other healthcare workers across the country to quit their jobs or face termination over their refusal to comply with the rules… ‘We were celebrated last year,’ Indiana nurse Adara Allen told Fox News this week. ‘But a few nurses did end up leaving due to [the hospital] not accepting their medical issues or having a reaction or adverse effect to the first dose of the covid vaccine.’ Allen was told to no longer come into her hospital in Indianapolis over refusing the vaccine during her high-risk pregnancy.”

These are terrible reports about blatantly ungodly behavior, totally doing away with God-given individual liberties and freedoms. Oregon has just ordered all healthcare workers to get vaccinated against Covid.

The NSBA’s Outlandish Request

Breitbart wrote on October 3:

“The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has written a letter to President Joe Biden, requesting ‘federal law enforcement and other assistance’ to cope with angry parents concerned about their children wearing masks in school all day and learning concepts of Critical Race Theory (CRT).”

INCREDIBLE! This kind of “anger” will only increase, due to the incomprehensible measures and restrictions by the Biden Administration. New reports state that the FBI is treating parents as “domestic terrorists” who want to attend school board meetings to complain about CRT. 

Zimbabwe a Tyranny, persecuting Christians

Life Site News wrote on October 1:

“Zimbabwe has barred Christians who have not taken COVID jabs from church worship despite a High Court ruling suspending the ban.  Only 19% of the majority-Christian country has had even one COVID-19 shot…

“Christians in Zimbabwe… explicitly alluded to dictatorship and tyranny… Zimbabwe boasts a large and faithful Christian population…  COVID-19 inoculation rate, including people who have had only one dose, is a mere 19%, and so this gives heft to the local theory that this governmental action is a direct persecution of Christians.”

It was also reported that by October 15, a million workers across Victoria in Australia will need to have at least one dose of a COVID vaccine to keep working on site. They are required to receive both shots by November 26. Essential workers include farm workers and “faith leaders broadcasting services and ceremonies at places of worship, with the minimum number of people required for the broadcast to occur (no more than 5 people).” About the only workers not requiring a vaccination are consular and diplomatic staff and emergency situations where un-vaccinated workers can work during the emergency.

YouTube’s Censorship of Free Speech Continues

Life Site News wrote on September 30:

“Google-owned YouTube announced Wednesday a new policy against videos that promote vaccine ‘misinformation’… The Big Tech company boasted that it had removed 130,000 videos in just the past year for violating its ‘COVID-19 vaccine policies’… The prohibition applies to ‘content that falsely alleges that approved vaccines are dangerous and cause chronic health effects, claims that vaccines do not reduce transmission or contraction of disease, or contains misinformation on the substances contained in vaccines will be removed.’

“The censorship will also extend to ‘content that falsely says that approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility, or that substances in vaccines can track those who receive them,’ YouTube said. ‘Our policies not only cover specific routine immunizations like for measles or Hepatitis B, but also apply to general statements about vaccines.’ YouTube has already brought the hammer down on… Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Sheri Tenpenny

“Mercola responded to the ban in a statement on his website. ‘ The world is becoming increasingly aware of the rampant corruption in the media and are rising up against tyrannical governments and the pharmaceutical industry that are coordinating this assault on our freedom and civil rights,’ Dr. Mercola wrote. ‘Anyone who asks questions or challenges the hard sell is immediately censored on social media.’ ‘Independent media platforms that defend freedom of speech and the rights of Americans to speak out against the global tyranny will defeat the censorship extremists,’ he said…

Daily Wire host Michael Knowles announced on his show today that YouTube removed his entire episode from Wednesday because he discussed NBA players who shared why they did not want to get jabbed…  He said that he was accused of violating the policy against posting information that claims COVID vaccines are not effective in stopping transmission.  But as Knowles pointed out, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control has said this before… This is still the position of the CDC…

A liberal law professor [George Washington University law Professor Jonathan Turley] analyzed the situation and said that YouTube is being pushed to censor content that the federal government cannot legally silence on its own… ‘YouTube continued the expansion of corporate censorship on the Internet with the encouragement of leading Democratic leaders,’’ [he wrote]…. ‘This is the face of censorship. As demanded, the companies are now sanitizing their sites to remove opposing views on these subjects,’ Turley argued. ‘Rather than offer a free forum for the full debate on such issues, anti-free speech advocates have again prevailed in silencing those with opposing views.’”

YouTube, Google, Facebook and Twitter, among others, have become an authoritarian government within the USA, with the support, approval and cooperation of the Biden Administration.

Russia Retaliates Against YouTube

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 29:

“Russia on Wednesday threatened to block Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube.

“The development comes just a day after YouTube deleted state-backed broadcaster Russia Today’s (RT) German language channels.  YouTube said RT had violated its COVID misinformation policy, but the move has not been well received at the Kremlin… Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the removal of RT from YouTube as ‘unprecedented information aggression’ in a statement. The ministry is now considering ‘a proposal to develop and take retaliatory measures against the YouTube hosting service and the German media.’”

No surprise here.

More Power to the IRS!

The Heritage Foundation wrote on October 2:

“President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats are trying to force financial institutions to report their customers’ account balances to the Internal Revenue Service, thereby invading your privacy and putting more of your financial data at risk. It’s part of a provision in the $3.5 trillion spending bill that should raise the ire of all Americans. Under this requirement, the Internal Revenue Service—an already scandal-ridden and historically politicized government agency—could once again be weaponized against political opponents while leaving middle-class Americans vulnerable to having more of their financial information hacked or leaked.

“This is because the Biden administration’s proposal would require financial institutions to report all transactions from accounts holding more than $600. It is couched as an effort to catch tax evaders and pay for the $3.5 trillion spending package. After sparking outrage among both consumer and financial institutions, House Democrats were sent back to the drawing board. Instead of realizing that the policy itself massively violates Americans’ privacy, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., still considers it a financial issue and said that Democrats may raise the threshold from $600 to $10,000.

Regardless of what the Democrats ultimately agree to, this provision raises concerns over the return of an egregiously politicized Internal Revenue Service. The federal government’s tax-collecting agency has had a history of attacking groups and individuals who hold particular political beliefs.”

One has to wonder as to what “brain-storming” dangerous ideas evolve from some political heads.

The Next Pandemic in Waiting?

The Sun wrote on September 29:

“HORRIFIC images have emerged showing baby monkeys chained up by their NECKS in a wet market in Indonesia. The caged baby primates are just one of many animals to be captured on camera in the region amid fears that the markets continued existence could spark the next global pandemic after Covid

“Professor Malcolm Bennett, from the University of Nottingham, explained deadly pathogens could spread to humans through infected animals at the chaotic markets… ‘Every single animal at a wet market is likely to have an infection… It is going to happen again,’ he concluded.

“Traditionally, wet markets sell fresh produce and live animals, such as fish and exotic animals, which are butchered in the open air… they are poorly regulated and, given that animals are usually caged in public areas and on pavements, it’s a breeding ground where faeces and blood can contaminate people…”

Do people ever learn?

Catastrophic California Oil Spill

Newsmax wrote on October 4:

“A large oil spill off the southern California coast left fish dead, birds mired in petroleum and wetlands contaminated, in what local officials called an environmental catastrophe… An estimated 126,000 gallons, or 3,000 barrels, had spread into an oil slick covering about 13 square miles of the Pacific Ocean…

“The spill was caused by a breach connected to the Elly oil rig and stretched from the Huntington Beach Pier down to Newport Beach, an area popular with surfers and sunbathers. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife ordered a fishery closure for coastal areas affected by the spill.”

As if God is responding to California’s [modern Sodom’s] terrible politics…  Note the next article as well.

Drought in the US Southwest Worst in Recorded History

Life Science wrote no September 25:

“The ongoing drought in the U.S. Southwest is the worst drought the region has experienced since record keeping began in 1895… The 20 months from January 2020 through August 2021 saw the lowest total precipitation and the third-highest daily average temperatures ever recorded in the Southwest (which encompasses Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah), resulting in an ‘unyielding, unprecedented and costly’ crisis…

“Given fall rainfall predictions, the drought is likely to last well into 2022… and drought could last considerably longer if low regional precipitation continues…  the drought will continue to take a tremendous toll on the Southwest’s more than 60 million residents, and the countless millions of others who depend on goods and services from the region… ‘Economic losses associated with the drought for 2020 alone are approximately between $515 million and $1.3 billion, not including losses from associated wildfires’… Add in wildfires, and the costs of this crisis rise to between $11.4 and $23 billion — for six states, for one year.”

Iran’s Armies Outside the Country’s Borders

Israel 365 wrote on October 1:

“The head of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiyah Central Headquarters said in a recent interview that Iran had created six armies outside the country’s borders, in a ‘corridor’ stretching from Iran all the way to the Mediterranean Sea… Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid said that these armies, among them Hamas and Hezbollah, deterred the enemies of the Islamic Republic, in particular the United States and Israel…

“One of these armies is in Lebanon, said Rashid, and is called Hezbollah. ‘Another army is in Palestine, and it is called Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. One army is in Syria. Another army is in Iraq, and is called the PMU [Popular Mobilization Units], and another army is in Yemen, and is called Ansar Allah [the Houthis],’ he added.”

And it is obvious that Iran will use those armies in their fight against Israel.

The European Army

Breitbart wrote on September 23:

“President Emmanuel Macron is willing to trade control of France’s permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to Brussels in exchange for European Union member states backing his plan to forge an EU Army, [Sandro Gozi, former Italian Europe minister, current transnational MEP for Macron’s party in Brussel and] an ally of the French leader has said. Macron, who at the start of his presidency declared that he wished to govern like the Roman God Jupiter, is set to become the European Union’s most influential leader with Chancellor Angela Merkel set to step down after Sunday’s elections in Germany. Part of this Jupitarian strategy will be to push for the creation of a centrally controlled European Army with France at the helm in the wake of President Biden’s bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan and the AUKUS defence pact signed between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia…

“France is currently the only EU member state to have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council after the UK left the bloc at the beginning of this year… The indication of a potential trade of the UN seat for a France-led EU Army comes as the French are set to take control of the rotating EU presidency on January 1st. President Macron is set to lead a joint summit on European defence alongside the EU Council president and close Macron ally Charles Michel during the six-month period in which France controls the presidency…

“Interestingly, Germany previously called on France to cede control of its UN seat so the EU could speak with ‘one voice’ on the world stage but France refused. The call came from then-German finance minister Olaf Scholz, who is currently the frontrunner to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor.”

Express wrote on September 26:

“In a tweet shared this morning, the French President reminded his followers of his pledges, four years ago, for a stronger EU. Sharing his government’s manifesto plan for more integration in the Brussels bloc, he wrote: ‘An initiative for a sovereign, united and democratic Europe. This is what we launched at the Sorbonne four years ago… The manifesto called for a ‘real European sovereignty’ alongside a project for a united defence and military power for the bloc.

“His dream for a European defence strategy has been accelerated by a recent deal signed between the UK, the US and Australia, which left France short of a lucrative contract for the production of submarines. Paris described the deal as a ‘stab in the back’ after it led to Canberra pulling out of a £30 billion agreement for France to supply conventionally powered diesel-electric vessels…”

Express wrote on September 21:

“HOURS before Germany publicly backed Emmanuel Macron over the diplomatic row with Australia, the US and the UK, German and Australian generals signed a military alliance in Berlin… ”

The Morning Star wrote on September 28:

“Emmanuel Macron raised the prospect of a European army today as he signed a new defence deal with Greece worth about £2.5 billion. Speaking after Athens formalised an agreement to buy French frigates, Mr Macron said that efforts to increase European military autonomy were even more vital after the scrapping of his government’s submarine deal with Australia. ‘The Europeans must stop being naive,’ he said. ‘When we are under pressure from powers, which at times harden [their stance], we need to react and show that we have the power and capacity to defend ourselves. Not escalating things, but protecting ourselves.’… France will host a European defence summit next year that is likely to be dominated by discussions of a so-called EU army.”

Charles Michael, the European Council President, said at the annual Charlemagne Prize event, which celebrates European Unity: “Stronger allies make stronger alliances. 2022 therefore will be the year of European defence.”

EU Must Have Political Will to Fight

The Guardian wrote on September 15:

“The EU must learn the lessons of the abrupt end of the US-led mission in Afghanistan and acquire the ‘political will’ to build up its own military force to deploy to future crises, the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said. In her annual state of the union speech in the European parliament in Strasbourg, Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, said the withdrawal of the US-led mission in Afghanistan, and the subsequent collapse of President Ashraf Ghani’s administration, raised troubling questions… ‘You can have the most advanced forces in the world – but if you are never prepared to use them – of what use are they?’ she said. ‘What has held us back until now is not just a shortfall of capacity – it is the lack of political will. And if we develop this political will, there is a lot that we can do at EU level.’…

“Von der Leyen said she was working with the Nato general secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, on issuing a ‘new declaration’ on EU-Nato relations by the end of the year. Six EU member states are not in the military alliance – Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden. Von der Leyen said there would be crises where the EU’s own military force should operate independently from both the UN and Nato… ‘It is time for Europe to step up to the next level,’ Von der Leyen said.

“Germany’s current defence minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said: ‘Ursula Von der Leyen is right […] Real EU defence depends on the political will of member states. That’s why Germany and France must lead.’

Breitbart added on September 16:

“The speech from the EU President comes amid a growing consensus in Brussels for a fully-fledged EU Army in the wake of Afghanistan.”

In Germany’s Election, the Fate of the EU Is at Stake

The Guardian wrote on September 15:

“The [EU] is like a giant slot machine. The more pineapples, or oranges, line up on the screen, the better the results. The German election will account for about four fruits in a row; France’s presidential election next spring will spin another three. Italy and Spain contribute perhaps two each, with the rest being generated by other European countries and the European institutions.

“Whatever the EU’s own treaties say, in practice the alignment of national governments remains the key to any major initiative it takes. My friends in Brussels constantly talk about ‘the Germans’ pushing this or ‘the French’ pushing that…

“In the capital of Germany, Europe’s central power, the talk is all about the different possible coalitions that might emerge from what will probably be months of talks between parties following the federal election on 26 September…

“Armin Laschet, the Christian Democrat candidate for chancellor, is a classic West German West European, with a statue of Charlemagne in his office. (His brother claims the family is actually descended from Charlemagne.) There is no doubting his personal European commitment…

“The government that emerges in Berlin is the first, but only the first, test of whether the European model of change through democratic consensus can deliver the goods. If democracy does not deliver, then young Europeans will look for alternative models… 53% of young Europeans said they think authoritarian states are better equipped than democracies to tackle global heating. Europe’s challenge is to prove the opposite – and not just for the climate crisis.”

Germany’s Election

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 27:

“Around 51% of center-right Christian Democrat (CDU) voters think that party leader Armin Laschet should step down… 70% of those taking part in the survey were in favor of him resigning from his party post… Many viewed Armin Laschet as the likely successor chancellor to Angela Merkel after being chosen as leader of the CDU in April this year. But a series of blunders since taking over the top position saw his party take a tumble in the ratings. His party came second in Sunday’s general election, with 24.1%. This was over 8% down on the previous election and their worst result since World War II…

“Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bundestag seat has gone to an SPD candidate for the first time in over three decades… The Greens won a smattering of seats in the Bundestag across the country, and the AfD were the most popular party in the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia after the CDU slumped there.

Two transgender women… from the Green Party are set to join the German parliament

“Markus Söder from the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Laschet’s Christian Democrats (CDU), discussed the failures of the conservative union in Sunday’s election. ‘Yesterday’s result is disappointing for the whole Union, and yes it was a defeat, that’s true for the CDU and it’s true for the CSU,’ the state premier for Bavaria said…

“With the German vote extremely fractured, there could be weeks or even months of messy coalition negotiations ahead. After the last federal election in 2017, it took six months to form a government after the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) walked out of talks with the CDU and the Green Party after a month. This resulted in a second four years of the so-called ‘grand coalition’ of the CDU and SPD. While another grand coalition of the two biggest parties is mathematically possible, both parties have appeared unenthusiastic about the prospect. The FDP and the Greens have signaled that they see themselves at kingmakers in a possible future government, but would need to hear what the CDU and SPD are offering first…”

Many feel that the defeat of Merkel’s CDU has much to do with the government’s restrictive corona policy. However, according to Focus, dated October 1,  CDU’s man of the hour and of the future could be Health Minister Jens Spahn. The magazine wrote: “In the chaos of the union, a man who has already been written off suddenly becomes a figure of the future… Spahn dares to do everything – the CDU chairmanship, the chancellorship, whatever. And he possesses the nefariousness without which it obviously seems to be impossible [to be successful] in this political death zone.”

Scholz the Likely Winner in Germany’s Election

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 27:

“Often likened to a robot, [Olaf Scholz] has never really been popular within his own party. But now he might head the next German government… Who will govern Germany will only become clear after the coalition negotiations that will unfold in the coming weeks and months. Despite the SPD’s lead in the polls, the conservative CDU/CSU could still form the government if they forge an alliance with the Greens and neoliberal FDP…

“Scholz has been the finance minister in Merkel’s Cabinet since 2018 and is also the vice chancellor in the current governing coalition consisting of the CDU/CSU and SPD…  Under his leadership, Germany would work for a ‘strong, sovereign Europe’ that speaks ‘with one voice,’ ‘because otherwise, we won’t play a role,’ he said…  Charisma is certainly something Scholz lacks. He doesn’t know how to express himself or show emotion. Even in moments of great joy, he shows all the restraint of a British butler….

“Scholz underwent a remarkable political transformation. As deputy chairman of the SPD youth organization Jusos, he was still a radical socialist in the 1980s, promoting ‘the overcoming of the capitalist economy.’”

Newsweek wrote on September 28:

“A Germany under Olaf Scholz, the man most likely to succeed Angela Merkel as the country’s chancellor, might have to choose between supporting China or the United States as tensions rise between the two global superpowers…”

At the same time, reports have emerged wondering whether Austria’s Sebastian Kurz’s political days are numbered, due to a criminal investigation and charges filed by criminal prosecutors against him and other associates for some type of alleged tax violations (which Kurz strongly denies).

Is Russia Blackmailing Europe?

Reuters wrote on October 1:

“European gas prices surged to all-time highs on Friday as Russia kept a tight lid on supply, signalling further price pressures on European consumers heading into the winter heating season.

“Russian gas supplies via the Yamal-Europe pipeline fell on Friday by almost 77% from Thursday, according to data from grid operator Gascade, as Kremlin-controlled Gazprom booked only a third of its available capacity for October.”

According to Bild Online, Russia is engaged in blackmailing Europe, trying to force them to begin to transport gas via the new Nordstream pipeline.  

Cooperation Agreement between Germany and PA

Israel 365 wrote on September 19:

“Germany and the Palestinian Authority have signed a 100 million euro ($117 million) cooperation agreement that will see German investment in areas under P.A. control. The donation will finance ‘sustainable economic development in [Palestine] over the next two years,’ according to P.A. Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh. ‘We hope our friends in Germany, the European Union and the international community will help put pressure on Israel to allow elections to be held in all the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem,’ he added.

“Germany’s representative to Ramallah Oliver Owcza praised the bilateral relations between his country and the Palestinians, reiterating German support for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

Chinese Provocation against Taiwan

Newsmax wrote on October 4:

“Taiwan reported the largest ever incursion by China’s air force into its air defense zone on Monday at 52 aircraft, saying the Taiwanese air force had to scramble for the fourth straight day to warn off the intruders, as tensions spiraled.

“Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force near the democratically governed island… But since Friday, when China marked its national day, the country has embarked upon a massive ramping up of its missions, with almost 150 aircraft flying into the defense zone over the space of four days…

“Taiwanese fighter jets scrambled to warn away the Chinese planes, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them… The United States on Sunday urged China to stop its ‘provocative’ military activities near Taiwan, while the island’s government has also condemned Beijing.”

As if China cared what the USA does or says these days.

Abortionists Attack Heartbeat Laws

Life News wrote on September 27:

“Mainstream news outlets are quoting abortionists and pro-abortion doctors who claim that an unborn baby’s heartbeat is not really a heartbeat yet at six weeks of pregnancy. Instead, it’s ‘cardiac activity,’ ‘electrical pulsing,’ ‘flickering’ and other terms… mainstream news outlets… have joined in on the misinformation campaign, but it is not difficult for Americans to find out the truth. From textbooks and medical experts to baby websites and even Planned Parenthood, the basic scientific facts are revealed: The heart is one of the first organs to develop in the human body and it begins beating at the earliest stage of life… an unborn baby’s heart begins to beat as early as 22 days gestation.

“…polls show Americans support heartbeat laws that prohibit abortions once an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy… The Texas heartbeat law went into effect Sept. 1. If allowed to remain in effect, the law potentially could save tens of thousands of unborn babies from abortion every year.”

A judge has now stopped the Texas law from being enforced. Human life begins with conception. To kill the unborn through abortion is murder.

Pope: Abortion Is “Murder,” But US Bishops Should Not Be Political

Newsmax wrote on September 15:

“Pope Francis said on Wednesday that abortion is ‘murder,’ even soon after conception, but appeared to criticize some U.S. Catholic bishops for dealing with U.S. President Joe Biden’s pro-choice position in a political rather than pastoral way…

“Church law says a Catholic who procures an abortion automatically excommunicates themselves from the Church. But there is no clear policy on Catholic politicians who say they have no choice as elected officials to support abortion rights even if they are personally opposed. This has led to heated debates in the U.S. Church.”

What a remarkable example of hypocrisy!

Arizona Senate Report—Not as the Mass Media Portrays It

Breitbart wrote on September 25:

“The report of the Maricopa County Forensic Election Audit of the 2020 election released at a public hearing of the Arizona State Senate chaired by Senate President Karen Fann (R-1) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Warren Petersen (R-12) on Friday identified a number of significant election irregularities discovered during the audit… Joe Biden was certified as the winner of Arizona’s 11 Electoral College votes over former President Donald Trump by Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) and Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) on November 30, 2020 by a margin of 10,475 votes According to those certified results, Biden received 1,672,143 votes in the state, while Trump received 1,661,686 votes…

“Establishment media outlets have celebrated the fact that the Maricopa County Forensic Audit hand count showed that Biden’s margin over Trump was 360 votes greater than the Maricopa County Official Canvass results. (Biden gained 99 votes, while Trump lost 261 votes in the audit hand count). They have claimed these results confirm Biden ‘won’ Arizona.

“The results of the audit, however, actually raise more doubts about the legitimacy of more than 49,000 votes included in the final counts of both the forensic audit and the Maricopa County Official Canvass results, a number that is more than four times greater than Biden’s 10,457 vote certified margin of victory. Of these more than 2 million votes counted, the report stated the results of the audit found that there were questions about 49,718 of these votes that had a critical, high, or medium ‘potential impact the finding may have had on the election.’

“Judiciary Chairman Petersen identified eight key points at the close of the hearing: The county’s obstructionism must be addressed. Their willingness to spend resources to block this audit; The numbers don’t reconcile. We should be able to pull up these election results and be able to come up with a reconciliation so everything balance; It appears they broke the law with duplicate ballots; Churning of logs. we need to find out why that happened. Who did it; Chain of custody; Failure to preserve data files; Cybersecurity weaknesses; and, The envelopes with blank signatures. We have a lot of questions there that need to be answered.”

It is amazing how the mass media perverts the facts to fit into their agenda.

Trump: Only Bad Call from a Doctor

Newsmax wrote on September 25:

“Former President Donald Trump said Friday that ‘a bad call from a doctor’ would be one of the only reasons he would not seek the Oval Office in 2024.

“When asked what would prevent him from running again during an interview Friday on America’s Voice News program ‘The Water Cooler,’ Trump said he could think of only one thing. ‘I guess a bad call from a doctor or something,’ [Trump said.] ‘Things happen through God, they happen. But I feel so good, and I hate what’s happening to our country.’”

This call may never come. Hence…

Noah’s Ark Found?

The Sun wrote on September 24:

“A GIANT shape claimed to match the Biblical description of Noah’s Ark has been found by researchers using 3D scans. Biblical archaeologists used ground penetrating radar to study the boat-like formation on Mount Tendürek which has long been rumoured to be the location of the legendary vessel from the Book of Genesis.

“US and Turkish investigators have boasted the initial scans are promising and suggest a manmade object heading beneath the mountain – and they remain hopeful it may be the Ark. Creationists have long claimed that Noah’s legendary ship is real and was buried beneath the rocky spot, known as the Durupınar, in the east of Turkey…

“In the Book of Genesis, the mountains of Ararat in what is now eastern Turkey is the region in which Noah’s Ark comes to rest after the Great Flood – which is close to Mount Tendürek. The site was originally discovered in 1959 by Turkish army captain Ilhan Durupinar, who noticed the boat formation in aerial photographs of the area by the military.”

It has been speculated and claimed for a long time that Noah’s Ark—or at least parts of it—is located at the very spot as described above.

Mount Sinai Located?

The Sun wrote on October 1:

“BIBLICAL archaeologists have claimed to have located the holy mountain where the Bible says God gave Moses two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. They believe features and archaeological remains on the site in Saudi Arabia directly line up with the passage in the holy tome, some of which are fenced off as protected areas by the Saudi theocratic regime.

“… A mountain range in Egypt was for hundreds of years thought to be the site of the holy mountain… Ryan Mauro, who is a Middle East expert, told the Sun: ‘One of the main reasons certain scholars claim that the Exodus is a myth is because little to no evidence for what the Bible records has been found at the traditional Mount Sinai in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. But what if these scholars have actually been looking in the wrong spot? Move over into the Arabian peninsula and you find incredibly compelling evidence matching the Biblical account.’ The researchers then went on to identify Jabal Maqla, a peak within the Jabal al-Lawz mountain range, as Mount Sinai.

“The Bible said God descended on Mount Sinai as a fire. And they claim the mountain, with its clearly blackened peaks, suggests this is the site…

“Chapter 32 of Exodus tells of the Golden Calf incident, where the Israelites make a golden calf, which was an Egyptian god, and worship it while Moses is on Mount Sinai. When Moses comes back down the mountain, the golden calf worshippers are killed for their idolatry. Mr Mauro said: ‘Close to the mountain, we have this site covered with depictions of people worshipping bulls and cows. And what’s really significant is that these petroglyphs are isolated to this area. It’s not like they’re carved all over the mountain.’”

Interesting ideas and findings.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

September 11, 2001—The Day That Changed Our World

Newsmax wrote on September 6, 2021:

“It was America’s worst nightmare.

“Four back-to-back acts of terror on a cloudless, late summer morning that forever changed our nation — and the world. The way we traveled, the way we entered buildings, the way we raised our kids, the way we looked at others had all changed. And it’s hard to believe that Sept. 11, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of that horrific day.

“Every generation has its watershed moment. In 1929, the stock market collapsed. In 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked. In 1963, JFK was assassinated…

“But none of these events can compare with the unfathomable evil that unfolded 20 years ago.

“In carefully choreographed attacks, al-Qaida terrorists commandeered two passenger jets and crashed them into the Twin Towers in New York City, seized a third plane that slammed into the Pentagon, and crashed a fourth that was likely intended to destroy the U.S. Capitol. In just 77 minutes, nearly 3,000 perished on American soil.

“… The U.S. declared war with Afghanistan for allowing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida to plot the attack from its territory… The months-long effort to find victims buried in the debris of the World Trade Center ushered in new, sophisticated ways of searching for victims at other disaster sites… Still, despite great advances in forensic science, the remains of more than 1,000 victims of 9/11 are still unidentified today.”

A terrible tragedy. Will it happen again?

Biden’s Shifting Uncatholic Pro-Abortion Stance

Newsmax wrote on September 3:

“President Joe Biden on Friday continued to slam the new Texas abortion law that this week was allowed to stand by the U.S. Supreme Court, saying he doesn’t agree with the Catholic teaching that life begins at conception.

“The position looks to be a striking shift from the one he espoused some six years ago… Biden — the second Catholic president in the nation’s history — in 2008 and 2015 spoke about the moment life starts, saying he thought it was at conception….”

The Catholic Church teaches of course, and quite rightly so, that life begins at conception.

Breitbart wrote on September 3:

“The White House continues struggling with President Joe Biden’s support for abortion, even though he claims to be a practicing Catholic… The White House either repeats Biden is a practicing Catholic or repeats he is a supporter of abortion rights.”

Biden and the White House shift positions and change “convictions” whenever they think that this suits their purposes at the moment.

Biden Not a Devout Catholic

Newsmax wrote on September 5:

“Biden has long faced criticism from conservative Catholics and Republicans on the issue of abortion. Last year, there was a call to restrict him from receiving Holy Communion, and in June, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops weighed denying pro-choice politicians from receiving communion. That issue will be revisited in November by the conference…

“Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City [called] on the president [in February] ‘to stop defining himself as a devout Catholic’ and ‘acknowledge that his view on abortion is contrary to Catholic moral teaching,’ Politico reported…

“Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, said perception is reality with Biden’s positioning himself as a devote Catholic and a staunch pro-choice defender at politics’ highest level. ‘The implication is that he’s being phony,’ Stowe told Politico… ‘when he travels with a rosary in his pocket or goes out of his way to attend mass every Sunday…’”

Viewing Biden’s position and that of the Catholic Church, it is obvious that Biden is not a “devout” Catholic. But this is true for most Catholics. And normally, the Catholic Church is quite content with welcoming anyone into their fold, as long as they describe themselves as Catholic—no matter as to what they really believe and how they live. That is why paganism, superstition and sorcery are rampant in Mexico and many South American and African “Catholic” countries.

Limited Access to Abortion Medication in South Dakota

The Associated Press reported on September 7:

 “South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday issued an executive order to restrict access to abortion medication and make it clear that medicine-induced abortions fall within state law requiring an in-person consultation with a physician…

 “Noem directed the state Department of Health to create rules that abortion-inducing drugs can only be prescribed or dispensed by a state-licensed physician after an in-person examination. South Dakota law already places that requirement on doctors, but the Republican governor’s order was made in anticipation that the Food and Drug Administration later this year will allow abortion medications to be dispensed through the mail or virtual pharmacies.”

Pope: The Ten Commandments Have Expired

Israel Today wrote on September 5:

“When the Pope said in a recent sermon that ‘the Torah cannot give life,’ the rabbis would not let it go… the rabbis were livid when they learned that Pope Francis sermonized that ‘Christianity replaces the Torah which cannot give life’ and ‘the commandments have expired and void of meaning.’…

“The battle between ‘works and faith’ has been raging since the Apostle Paul penned his letters, and James, the brother of Jesus, took an uncompromising stand on the essential place of commandments as opposed to just faith. According to James, it is faith that is dead without works. For a pope to conclude that keeping God’s commandments in the Torah is passe, would be like the Chief Rabbi saying faith and grace are a waste.

“The lack of appreciation the Pope displayed for the world of Judaism into which Paul, James and the Lord Yeshua were born and raised, signaled a regression back to the dark ages in Christian-Jewish relations, and the rabbis were having none of it.”

Subsequently, Francis flip-flopped again, asking Cardinal Kurt Koch to “explain that his words on the Torah reflecting on the writings of St. Paul in the New Testament should not be taken as a judgment on Jewish law… Last week Koch sent a letter… containing a quote made by Pope Francis in 2015: ‘The Christian confessions find their unity in Christ; Judaism finds its unity in the Torah.’ Jewish sources said they saw the Vatican letter as a sign of reconciliation” (The Algemeiner, dated September 6). How this could be a sign of reconciliation is difficult to decipher. At best, the pope’s “explanation” is as ambiguous as it could be. This happens when the pope and “theologians” try to explain the Bible.

Are biblical comments about homosexuality protected in Germany?

Bild Online reported on September 4:

“Can the Bible really justify homophobic, seditious statements made by a pastor? The Bremen Regional Court is concerned with this question. The scandal: The arch-conservative Protestant pastor Olaf Latzel described homosexuals as ‘criminals’ and homosexuality as a ‘degenerative form of society’ in a marriage seminar. The Bremen District Court sentenced him to a fine of 8,100 euros for inciting people, saying that Latzel’s hateful statements had exceeded the limits of freedom of expression. But Latzel appealed.

“Now a theological report commissioned by the regional court is supposed to clarify whether Latzel’s statements ‘are still covered by the Bible’ and thus possibly should be valued more highly in terms of religious freedom.

“The ex-council chairwoman of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Margot Käßmann (63), clearly contradicts in Bild am Sonntag: ‘For me, such derogatory statements about other people are not covered by religious freedom. They also fundamentally contradict the spirit of charity that Jesus preached.’ The Protestant Church in Berlin ‘asked homosexuals in particular for forgiveness for decades of exclusion.’ Theologically it has been clarified that 2000 year-old statements of the Apostle Paul ‘do not refer to homosexual loving people who today live together in trusting partnerships.”

Explosive: The expert in the Latzel case is, of all people, the theologian Christoph Raedel (49), who himself described ‘practiced homosexuality’ as a sin and claims that homosexual people could change their orientation if they come to the faith.”

 The opinion by Margot Käßmann about the Apostle Paul, claiming that he did not refer to “homosexual loving people,” is an outrageous perversion of the clear statements of the Bible which condemns homosexual practices as sinful. But this is how theologians twist and abolish God’s Word. How the court will decide this issue will have to be seen, especially since high-ranking politicians, such as Health Minister Jens Spahn, are openly gay.

Merkel Intervenes… Too Little, Too Late?

The Guardian wrote on September 7:

“Angela Merkel has used what is likely to be her last speech in the German parliament to make her most impassioned intervention in the electoral race so far, urging the public to vote for her party’s beleaguered candidate over his surging centre-left rival. The chancellor, who will stand down after federal elections on 26 September, warned of the possibility of the Social Democratic party (SPD) and the Greens governing the country in a coalition with the far-left Die Linke. ‘What is at stake are real economic and tax-related decisions that will determine the future of our country, the number of jobs,’ Merkel said, adding that Armin Laschet of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was the only candidate capable of forming ‘a moderate government that will lead our country into the future’.

“Laschet’s star has sunk dramatically in recent weeks with one poll published on Tuesday forecasting the CDU to drop below 20% for the first time in Germany’s postwar history. The SPD, fronted in this campaign by the vice-chancellor and finance minister, Olaf Scholz, is leading the polls on about 25%.

“Merkel also used her speech to criticise Scholz for using the term ‘guinea pigs’ to describe people vaccinated against Covid-19. At a campaign rally on Saturday, the SPD candidate had urged unvaccinated people to get a jab against the virus, saying ‘guinea pigs’ like himself had shown the vaccines were safe. Merkel said… ‘None of us are guinea pigs, neither Olaf Scholz nor I…’

“Germany has fully vaccinated 61.4% of its population against Covid, lagging behind other large European nations such as Spain, France and Britain.”

Scholz’s widely reported suggestion of being a guinea pig, while pleading for vaccination, is quite inconsistent. He later said it was a joke, but it was not funny. Another report, published by Bild Online on September 7, stated that Merkel’s coalition party, Bavaria’s CSU under Markus Söder, dropped under 30%. If that were the result for the next election, it would be the worst outcome for the CSU in its history. Germany’s immediate uncertain future looks very grim.

Many Christian Churches Challenge Australia’s PM over Covid-Passport

Christian Post wrote on September 1:

“Nearly 2,500 church leaders from different denominations in Australia are urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison not to implement vaccine passports in the country, warning that it would create ‘an unethical two-tiered society’ and ‘medical apartheid.’… [An open letter was] composed by three pastors from Baptist churches and signed by church leaders from across the country… [The letter states:] ‘Free citizens should have the right of consent, especially when the vaccine rollout has been labeled as a “clinical trial”… an individual forced to act in a way that is objectionable to their conscience will never be at peace, either before God or before the state.’… They cite a DCD study that shows 74% of people infected in Massachusetts’ COVID-19 outbreak were fully vaccinated

“The letter adds: ‘We as Christian leaders find it untenable that we would be expected to refuse entry into our churches to a subgroup of society based on their medical choice…’

“Last month, officials in Israel said that of the country’s 650 new daily COVID-19 cases, more than half were among the fully vaccinated… studies have also shown that people who’ve already contracted the coronavirus will likely have lifetime immunity. Separately, a [study] found that vaccinating people with ‘natural immunity’ did not increase their level of protection.”

The international push by governments and the mass media for vaccinations and passports increases drastically.

Australia’s Big Brother Surveillance State

Tutanota wrote on August 31:

“This month the Australian government has passed a sweeping surveillance bill, worse than any similar legislation in any other five eye country… What makes this legislation even worse is that there is no judicial oversight

“The new Australian surveillance bill signals the end of respect for Human Rights in Australia… Having the ability to secretly hack into people’s computers, take over their social media channels, and spy on them fundamentally undermines our right to privacy.

“Surveillance is power, and that is a threat to our free and open societies. In Germany, we know from recent history how devastating a surveillance state is.”

Australia—No Longer a Free Country

The Atlantic wrote on September 3:

“In a bid to keep the coronavirus out of the country, Australia’s federal and state governments imposed draconian restrictions on its citizens… Up to now one of Earth’s freest societies, Australia has become a hermit continent. How long can a country maintain emergency restrictions on its citizens’ lives while still calling itself a liberal democracy?…

“Before 2020, the idea of Australia all but forbidding its citizens from leaving the country, a restriction associated with Communist regimes, was unthinkable. Today, it is a widely accepted policy…

“… the government of South Australia, one of the country’s six states, developed and is now testing an app as Orwellian as any in the free world to enforce its quarantine rules. Returning travelers quarantining at home will be forced to download an app that combines facial recognition and geolocation. The state will text them at random times, and thereafter they will have 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the location where they are supposed to be. Should they fail, the local police department will be sent to follow up in person…

“The state of Victoria announced a curfew and suspended its Parliament for key parts of the pandemic… In New South Wales, Police Minister David Elliott defended the deployment of the Australian military to enforce lockdowns… In Sydney, where more than 5 million people have been in lockdown for more than two months, and Melbourne, the country’s second-biggest city, anti-lockdown protests were banned, and when dissenters gathered anyway, hundreds were arrested and fined.

“… if a country indefinitely forbids its own citizens from leaving its borders, strands tens of thousands of its citizens abroad, puts strict rules on intrastate travel, prohibits citizens from leaving home without an excuse from an official government list, mandates masks even when people are outdoors and socially distanced, deploys the military to enforce those rules, bans protest, and arrests and fines dissenters, is that country still a liberal democracy?

“Enduring rules of that sort would certainly render a country a police state…”

Indeed. But this same kind of spirit is affecting the entire planet.

Australia’s and New Zealand’s Insane Policies

Breitbart wrote on September 9:

“Australia has now resorted to monitoring alcohol consumption and in some cases confiscating drinks in areas under strict lockdown… Residents in Sydney complained authorities have often searched ‘care packages sent by friends and relatives’ to check for violations of the order… Whether or not NSW Health has the authority to limit alcohol consumption for people being quarantined in their private residences has been called into question…

 “Australia’s neighbor New Zealand has already vowed to close its borders for the remainder of the year, continuing the country’s embrace of a total isolationist strategy in its fight against the coronavirus…

 “Australia’s national carrier Qantas will ban unvaccinated travelers from international flights, CEO Alan Joyce reaffirmed this week… The announcement follows the airline’s announcement of mandatory vaccination for its staff, which will affect approximately 22,000 people.”

Pushing for Vaccinations

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 3:

“…it’s now clear that even those who have gotten their shots can still contract and spread the virus…

“California  health officials recommend residents delay both domestic and international travel until they’re fully vaccinated…”

npr wrote on September 2:

“If you’re not vaccinated, you shouldn’t travel over the long Labor Day weekend. That’s the bottom line, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.”

It’s tantamount again to a recommendation for a lockdown and self-imprisonment of the unvaccinated. One can anticipate the time when these recommendations turn once more into mandates.

WARNING! More Autocratic Mandates by Biden

CNN wrote on September 9:

“President Joe Biden on Thursday will impose stringent new vaccine rules on federal workers, large employers and health care staff in a sweeping attempt to contain the latest surge of Covid-19.

“The new requirement could apply to as many as 100 million Americans, according to the White House, and amount to Biden’s strongest push yet to require vaccines for much of the country. The President will direct the Labor Department to require all businesses with 100 or more employees ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week. Companies could face thousands of dollars in fines per employee if they don’t comply.

“Biden plans to sign an executive order requiring all government employees be vaccinated against Covid-19, with no option of being regularly tested to opt out. The President will also sign an order directing the same standard be applied to employees of contractors who do business with the federal government.”

The Huffington Post added on September 9:

“The directives represent a significant step in pushing the private sector, an area where the president has been hesitant to use federal powers too heavily.”

This is socialist dictatorship, plain and simple. Will Americans ever wake up to this dangerous intrusion into their rights in light of Biden’s complete failure and utter incompetence in the Afghanistan debacle?  Not very likely. Note the next article.

RELIGIOUS Persecution by United Airlines

The Hill wrote on September 8:

“United Airlines told its staff on Wednesday that those who are granted religious exemptions from getting vaccinated against the coronavirus will be placed on a temporary unpaid leave… In August, United became the first major U.S. airline to issue a vaccine mandate for its employees.”

Medical Exemptions—Few and Far Between

Newsmax Health wrote on September 3:

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially given its full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. This opens the door for companies, universities, and other organizations to mandate COVID immunization. People can request medical exemption from getting the vaccine, however, experts say these exclusions are few and far between…

“Medical exemptions are usually based on ‘contraindications’ or reasons why an individual should not get the vaccine… In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, now called Comirnaty since its full approval, the only contraindication is a ‘known history of a severe allergic reaction to any component’ of the drug…

“… the Pfizer vaccine consists of messenger RNA and four lipid nanoparticles. One of these particles, called polyethylene glycol or PEG, could be an allergic component of the vaccine, and has been previously linked to anaphylaxis… The same lipid is found in the Moderna jab, another mRNA vaccine, but not in the Johnson & Johnson formulation…

“The CDC says that people who experienced an allergic reaction to the vaccine within four hours of getting it may also be exempt from getting another dose. The symptoms include hives, swelling and wheezing…

“Pregnant women are also cleared by the CDC to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are not allergic to any of the components.  Some people have experienced myocarditis, or heart inflammation, after an mRNA vaccine… The CDC recommends waiting until the symptoms are resolved before getting a second dose…”

Doctors tell us that these side effects or allergic reactions are extremely rare. They were compared with the probability of being struck by lightning. But more than half of Americans have allergies. Therefore, it would be wise, no matter what the personal decision may be, to ask God for guidance and help and not just rely on recommendations by the CDC and other doctors who may or may not have the correct answers.

Did Fauci Lie?

Breitbart wrote on September 7:

“The U.S. government contributed funding to controversial gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, a report alleged Monday.

“Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the chief medical advisor to Democrat President Joe Biden, has previously denied the National Institute of Health [NIH] has ever funded such research.

“The Intercept reported 900 new pages of previously undisclosed information from the NIH, which The Intercept obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, that the EcoHealth Alliance used federal grant money to fund dangerous bat coronavirus research in the Chinese labs. The Intercept reported:

“‘The bat coronavirus grant provided the EcoHealth Alliance with a total of $3.1 million, including $599,000 that the Wuhan Institute of Virology used in part to identify and alter bat coronaviruses likely to infect humans. Even before the pandemic, many scientists were concerned about the potential dangers associated with such experiments…

“Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University, reviewed the material… ‘The documents make it clear that assertions by the NIH Director, Francis Collins, and the NIAID Director, Anthony Fauci, that the NIH did not support gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen enhancement at WIV are untruthful,’ he wrote.

“As Breitbart News reported, Fauci has admitted some funds went to Wuhan but claimed they were never used for ‘gain of function’ support…”

So, would Fauci be also partially responsible for the outbreak of the virus in China?

Unvaccinated Blamed, but the Facts Paint Different Story

Breitbart wrote on September 6:

Daily coronavirus cases are up by over 300 percent compared to last Labor Day despite the prevalence of vaccines, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. This comes despite the fact that vaccines, which politicians have presented as the key to returning to the state of pre-pandemic normalcy, are widely available. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 176 million people in the U.S., or 53 percent of the U.S. population, are considered ‘fully vaccinated,’ and over 206 million have received at least one dose.

“USA Today, however, squarely places the blame on the Delta variant and ‘a swath of Americans refusing easily accessible vaccines…’ The newspaper is hardly the only source to place the blame on the unvaccinated for rising case levels. Dr. Anthony Fauci… has also placed blame on the unvaccinated population…

“Again and again, the administration has presented the vaccine as the answer to returning to pre-pandemic life. Yet, some states and localities have ushered mask mandates back in, forcing the vaccinated to cover up yet again. Recent surveys, however, suggest that the majority of unvaccinated Americans remain rigid in their decision to refrain from getting the shot.”

The problem is, with Fauci’s changing stories, acting hypocritically and lying to the American people, how can one be sure that he is telling the truth now, or that he even knows what he is talking about? When it comes to the propaganda of the left-wing mass media, the answer to that question presents itself as being quite obvious.

Parental Legal Rights Come Second?

Politico wrote on September 3:

“Mask mandates by schools have quickly become one of the most politically charged aspects of the pandemic. At least six states in the South and Southwest have banned or undercut school mask mandates…

“When it comes to society’s interest in protecting children, the legal precedent is unambiguous: The rights of their parents come second. Parents do have the freedom to direct the health care and education of their children, but these rights are not unlimited… Governments can and do limit parents’ discretion with the goal of protecting the health, safety and welfare of children…

“All 50 states also have the power to limit parental discretion to protect other children… it is clear that schools and day care facilities can require masks as a condition of attendance.

“Masks in schools are a particularly good idea when you consider how easy it is for most children to wear a mask. Children are already familiar with superheroes who wear masks, including Batman and Batwoman, Spider-Man and Captain America…”

This article describes the dangerous legal situation in the USA, severely limiting parents’ rights, and it engages in absolutely nonsensical “rationale” to make its unfounded points. To say that children are already familiar with mask-wearing superheroes and that it is therefore no problem for them to wear masks all day borders on lunacy. Many reports suggest that masks do not help, but could even be harmful. We must pray to God, daily, for His protection, especially and including for our helpless children who are growing up in a Satanically-controlled society.  

Incompetence and Chaos at London Airport

Daily Mail wrote on September 4:

“The Home Office has finally admitted that massive queues at London Heathrow where people including a pregnant woman have fainted are ‘unacceptable’ after airport bosses accused Border Force of causing chaos at Terminal 5 all this week.

“A furious blame-game broke out this morning after images posted to Twitter overnight showed thousands of British arrivals forced to cram into small hallways with no social distancing measures in place and queueing for several hours to pass immigration.

“One holidaymaker… told Sky News he saw a pregnant woman pass out while in the queue on Friday night. ‘There were thousands of families queuing and just two people in booths up front checking documents,’ he claimed. ‘Children were screaming and crying… One photo even appears to show a male traveller lying on the floor in the London airport after apparently passing out while queueing for passport control, amid claims that stressed holidaymakers had no access to ventilation or toilets, and no shuttles were available.”

This happens when utter incompetence and indifference reign.

Words of War between the US and the UK

Insider wrote on September 4:

“A furious war of words between the US and UK over the chaotic troop withdrawal from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan… exposes serious fault lines in the two countries’ ‘special relationship’ at a time when the growing threats of China and radical Islam mean international cooperation is more important than ever…

“While Boris Johnson’s government initially went along with the decision, there has been fury and indignation in Westminster toward Biden following the chaotic scenes in Kabul, where both countries scrambled to evacuate nationals and allies after the Taliban’s lightning-fast takeover of the country…

“Johnson had started referring to Biden as ‘Sleepy Joe’ — reviving former President Donald Trump’s favorite nickname…

“Biden, well known for his ability to hold grudges, has long demonstrated wariness towards Johnson…

“Transatlantic relations would appear, then, to be at a low ebb, and Biden also appears to have damaged US standing within NATO.”

All of this is very dangerous for the USA, the UK, and their relationship with other countries.

BBC Shoots at Biden and USA

Breitbart wrote on September 3:

“The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has suggested that Joe Biden’s relationship with Europe has ‘turned sour’, indicating that the elderly Democrat is losing the devotion of the international media as well as world leaders post-Afghanistan.

“…the publicly-funded BBC… is widely regarded as having an institutional left-liberal bias not only by Brexiteers and conservatives but by some of its own longest-serving broadcasters, and its content was biased against Donald Trump by its own admission on occasion. However, a recent analysis… [suggests] the end is here for Europe’s love-in with President Biden…

“‘[I]n capitals across Europe, from London to Berlin, Afghanistan has soured the sweetness of Joe Biden’s honeymoon,’ the BBC  reported, noting that it was ‘not the fact of the withdrawal itself that has rankled’ but the Biden administration’s ‘lack of coordination with allies, particularly since the NATO mission at the time of the drawdown comprised troops from 36 countries, three-quarters of whom were non-American’…

“The BBC did not shy away from highlighting some of the scathing remarks that have been levelled at Biden in the wake of the Afghan fiasco, such as Czech president Milos Zeman branding it an episode of ‘cowardice’ and lamenting that ‘the Americans have lost the prestige of a global leader’…

“Biden losing his cheerleaders among Europe’s liberal ‘centrist’ establishment are compounded by the fact that he came into office having already thoroughly alienated conservative-led NATO allies such as Poland and Hungary…

“The Hungarian government, in particular, hit back at ‘the continuous lecturing, accusations and attacks’ of Democrat administrations over the years, with the country’s foreign minister saying that ‘It would be great if Joe Biden could tell us why he put pressure on the Ukrainian government to fire its chief prosecutor, and how all of this related to the investigation into his son’s Ukrainian energy deals grinding to a halt’ in a stunning public rebuke.”

A deterioration of the relationship between the USA and the UK is prophesied in the Bible.

Quo Vadis, Europe?

Geopolitical Intelligence Services (GIS) published on September 1 this article by Prince Michael of Lichtenstein (with a B.A. in Business Administration):

“The painful exodus from Afghanistan has made many losers. The people who worked for the occupying forces were left behind and betrayed. The entire Afghan population will suffer under the Taliban yoke…

“Europe had to come to terms with its total ineffectiveness as a global geopolitical player. In the capitals of the old continent, many entertained the naive illusion that President Biden’s ‘America is back’ slogan meant Washington would treat Europeans as equal partners. This fantasy was short-lived. In essence, President Biden’s policies have amounted to less cooperation than under the ‘America first’ days of President Trump. The new administration seems to operate under the motto ‘America only.’”

So, what is Europe going to do about it?

Biden Administration Does Not Understand the Muslim World

JNS wrote on September 5:

“The Western concept of ‘negotiations’ is alien to the Muslim world [where] concessions denote weakness..

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House press secretary Jen Psaki and others serving the Biden administration have been playing right into the hands of America’s enemies… The Taliban not only mocked [Blinken] for his ‘empty words,’ but were fully aware of their absurdity… the Taliban now has an endless supply of military equipment, as well as huge amounts of cash, which the Biden administration left behind when it absconded from Afghanistan.

“Frustrated young Muslim males throughout the world are thus concluding that the tide of their future is pulling towards joining the Taliban, ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other jihadi groups on the march to convert the globe to Islam. If the West in general and the United States in particular had any understanding of the above mindset, they would know that the only way to put the jihadi genie back into the bottle is to mercilessly attack and destroy the terrorist organizations.

“It would be a serious mistake to fall into the Biden administration’s trap of assuring the world that the US was working with the Taliban against ISIS-K to safeguard Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. How can anyone be sure that the Taliban and ISIS-K didn’t coordinate the suicide attacks there, which left 13 US servicemen dead? After all, this is how such groups normally operate against common enemies…

“Welcome to the Middle East, where people go with the winner. Unfortunately, America chose defeat in Afghanistan. And from the Biden administration’s stated policy regarding the reopening of the consulate in Jerusalem, it looks to the Muslim world as though it wants Israel to be defeated as well….”

The naivety of the Biden Administration with regard to the Taliban and the Muslim world is mind-boggling, but the Bible says that God has poured out a spirit of stupor and blindness on our leaders.

Taliban Prevents Americans from Leaving Afghanistan

The New York Post wrote on September 6:

“Six planes funded by a Glenn Beck-founded charity were identified as some of evacuation aircrafts being grounded by the Taliban in Afghanistan… The flights chartered by Mercury One cost the organization $750,000 each and are currently sitting empty at an airport in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif…

“More than 1,600 people, including over 100 Americans are expected to evacuate the country on the planes, which were chartered from Afghanistan’s largest private airline, Kam Air… the Taliban has failed to grant ‘final clearance’ amid negotiations with the State Department that have been ‘stuck at this point.’

“Earlier Sunday, Texas Rep. Michael McCaul said six airplanes carrying Americans and Afghan refugees were being held ‘hostage’ by the Taliban at the airport in Mazar-i-Sharif… ‘This is really turning into a hostage situation where they’re not go​ing to allow American citizens to leave until they get full recognition from the United States of America.’”

Or Is the State Department to Be Blamed?

Fox News wrote on September 6:

“Americans engaged in the rescue of U.S. citizens, SIVs and green card holders left behind in Afghanistan … are horrified by what they describe as inexplicable delays from the State Department that are preventing evacuation flights from leaving the country. The State Department’s delays are recklessly endangering American lives, three different individuals involved in the private evacuation effort told Fox News…

“[It was] suggested that the State Department’s obstruction is motivated in part by embarrassment that private individuals are rescuing Americans that the U.S. government left behind. Those seeking clearance to land in Qatar were informed by military channels that they must first go through the State Department to gain approval…”

And so, the blame game continues, while Americans are prevented from leaving.

Working with the Taliban???

Deutsche Welle reported on September 7:

“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Washington was working with the Taliban to facilitate additional charter flights from the Afghan capital… Blinken said members of the Taliban had said they would allow people with travel documents to depart Afghanistan freely…

“After US forces withdrew from Afghanistan on August 30, the Taliban took over the airport, which has been largely closed since then… Blinken denied a ‘hostage-like’ situation in Mazar-i-Sharif, saying that some passengers did not have their travel documents

“Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Kabul on Tuesday in demonstrations against the Taliban. The Taliban fired shots into the air to scatter hundreds of people who had gathered at several rallies in Kabul. Videos show people running to escape gunfire….”

What an embarrassing and deeply humiliating situation for the world’s greatest superpower.

Taliban “Allows” Departure of One Flight

 Deutsche Welle reported on September 9:

 “More than 100 passengers, including citizens of the United States and several other Western nations, on a Qatar Airways flight from Taliban-controlled Kabul landed in Doha on Thursday. It was the first time a civilian, international flight departed the Kabul airport since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan last month… Qatari officials said Thursday that Taliban authorities permitted a flight out of Kabul for passengers who had the proper documents.”

 So, Taliban terrorists determine whether someone has proper paperwork permitting him or her to leave the country!

Far More Americans Left Behind

Breitbart wrote on September 6:

“At least 500 Americans are reportedly stranded in Afghanistan, contradicting President Joe Biden’s estimate of between 100 and 200, according to the Associated Press (AP) on Sunday.

“Among those who believe Biden has miscalculated how many Americans remain trapped behind enemy lines includes Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who told the AP, ‘the number of U.S. citizens still there and wanting to leave is closer to 500.’ And if the family members of those trapped Americans are included, Issa believes the overall ‘number of people could be as high as 1,000.’…

“The true number of Americans stranded behind enemy lines is unknown. The White House’s original number of Americans within Afghanistan before the country collapsed was about 11,000. But the Biden administration said after the deadly evacuation finished, only 6,000 Americans had been flown out of the country, potentially leaving about 5,000. Yet Biden told the world after the deadly evacuation in a prepared speech a few days later that his administration left ten percent of Americans in the country.”

So it appears, the number of Americans left behind is even much greater than just 500 or 1,000, let alone 100 or 200.

Does The State Department Keep Lying?

Newsmax wrote on September 7:

“The State Department ‘lied’ when it said it helped get an American mother and her three children out of Afghanistan, Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Monday night. ‘To see that the State Department goes out and takes this credit for this, it is a flat out, disgraceful lie, for them to do that,’ Mullin [said]. ‘This is on par for this administration.’

“State Department officials said the woman, a U.S. citizen, and her three children, escaped the war-torn nation via an overland route to another country…  Mullin said, while there was some help provided Monday, the two-week ordeal to get her out, which he and his team were working on around the clock, was offered no assistance from the State Department and were even told many times to ‘stand down’ from intervening.”

Disgraceful!

Americans Balk at Intrusive Government Surveillance

 The Associated Press wrote on September 7:

“As the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, Americans increasingly balk at intrusive government surveillance in the name of national security, and only about a third believe that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were worth fighting, according to a new poll…

“46% of Americans say they oppose the U.S. government responding to threats against the nation by reading emails sent between people outside of the U.S. without a warrant, as permitted under law for purposes of foreign intelligence collection. That’s compared to just 27% who are in favor…

“About two-thirds of Americans continue to be opposed to the possibility of warrantless U.S. government monitoring of telephone calls, emails and text messages made within the U.S.

“… about two-thirds of Americans say they are extremely or very concerned about the threat from extremist groups inside the U.S. By contrast, about one-half say they are extremely or very concerned about the threat from foreign-based militants…”

However, terrorist threats from outside the USA have grown tremendously since the ongoing debacle in Afghanistan. Of course, outside terrorist groups might very well have already placed sleeper killer cells in the USA. Sadly, we should be aware of the possibility of another terrible terrorist attack on US soil in the very near future.

Americans Suffer from Warning Fatigue!

The Associated Press wrote on September 4:

“Cellphones across New York and New Jersey pulsed with urgent warnings of catastrophic flooding as the fury of Hurricane Ida’s remnants, carrying torrential rains, approached upper New Jersey and New York City on Wednesday… A barrage of other alerts from a litany of apps lit up phone screens throughout the night — prompting some to wonder if people were just too inundated with information to take the threat seriously. Experts call it ‘warning fatigue,’ and no one can be sure what role it might have played in a tragedy that killed scores of people across the Northeast… many drowning in their basement apartments or in cars trapped in submerged roadways…

“‘It’s either they don’t believe the information that they’re hearing — they can’t verify it — or there’s some other reason that is completely out of anybody’s control,’ said Ross Dickman, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in New York….”

The Church of God has warned the American people for decades that terrible events will happen to them, unless they repent. But they seem to be plagued with warning fatigue in that regard as well.

North America’s Punishing Drought

Reuters wrote on September 3:

“Record-setting heat and sparse rain left [Canadian rancher Dianne] Riding with too little grass or hay to feed her cattle near Lake Francis, Manitoba. She sold 51 head at auction in July, about 40 percent of her herd…

“Such liquidations of breeding stock are expected to limit cattle production in the coming years, tightening North America’s beef supply and driving up consumer prices…

“The drought spanning much of western North America – from western Canada to California and Mexico – has cooked pastures and hay crops that fatten cattle. The ranchers’ plight is one impact of many from the punishing drought, which has also damaged wheat across North Dakota and cherries in Washington state, weakened bee colonies, and forced California to shut a major hydroelectric plant. In British Columbia, an entire town burned, while California is expected to see a record number of acres go up in flames this year…

“Adding to ranchers’ problems, prices of feed alternatives such as corn, soy and wheat are the highest in years. There is so little feed available that Manitoba farmers have bought 280 tons of hay from as far away as Prince Edward Island, some 3,400 kms (2,000 miles) to the east…

“In the United States, the world’s third-biggest beef exporter… a third of U.S. cattle are in drought areas… and producers are making the painful decision to send animals to slaughter early.”

The Bible predicts droughts with devastating consequences for the USA, Canada and other English-speaking countries in these end times.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

America’s Embarrassing Retreat

The Associated Press reported on August 30:

“Taliban fighters watched the last U.S. planes disappear into the sky over Afghanistan around midnight Monday and then fired their guns into the air, celebrating victory after a 20-year insurgency that drove the world’s most powerful military out of one of the poorest countries.”

The Daily Mail reported on August 31:

“The Taliban celebrated the American withdrawal by hosting mock funerals with coffins draped with the US, UK and French flags as well as NATO’s insignia. They launched fireworks into the Kabul skyline and flaunted the American weapons and equipment they obtained that U.S. military personnel left behind…”

In his address to the nation on August 31, Joe Biden called his incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan “an extraordinary success,” adding that the “operation couldn’t have been done in a ‘more orderly manner.”

The Sun added on August 30:

“Ex-British Army officer Colonel Richard Kemp said that for 20 years the West had stopped terrorist attacks being launched from Afghanistan. But President Biden’s withdrawal of forces from the country ‘betrayed all the efforts made by UK and US troops’.

“He said: ‘It makes the threat from Afghanistan the greatest it’s ever been.’… The last US take-off ends a trillion-dollar, 20-year war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and finishes as it began, with the Taliban in power.”

So it was all for nothing, while thousands of Americans and Afghan allies are left behind. And so, history will repeat itself… And if that was not enough, note the next article.

Military Got it Wrong… Again

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on August 30:

“Sunday’s news reports that the Biden Administration mistakenly killed nine members of one Afghan family, including six [or seven] children, in ‘retaliation’ for last week’s suicide attack which killed 13 US servicemembers, is a sad and sick epitaph on the 20 year Afghanistan war.

“Promising to ‘get tough’ on ISIS, which suddenly re-emerged to take responsibility for the suicide attack, the most expensive military and intelligence apparatus on earth appears to have gotten it wrong. Again….

“Sadly these children killed on Sunday, two of them reportedly just two years old, have been the ones forced to pay the price for a failed and bloody US foreign policy.

“Yes, the whole exit from Afghanistan has been a debacle. Biden, but especially his military planners and incompetent advisors, deserves much of what has been piled onto him this past week or so about this incompetence.”

All Based on Lies

The Daily Mail wrote on August 31:

“President Joe Biden wanted the now-departed Afghan president to create the ‘perception’ that his government was capable of holding off the Taliban – an indication he knew it was only a matter of time before the US ally fell to the Islamic group even while reassuring Americans at home that it would not happen. In the last phone call between Biden and his Afghan then-counterpart Ashraf Ghani–four weeks before Kabul collapsed–Ghani pleaded for more air support and money for soldiers who had not had a pay rise in a decade.

“A transcript obtained by Reuters reveals two leaders… focused on spinning the message.

“‘I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan , I believe, is that things are not going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban,’ Biden said. ‘And there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture.’”

Our Failure in Afghanistan Is a Spiritual One

The Christian Post wrote on August 26:

“… our failure in Afghanistan is a spiritual one because our policies no longer reflect our Christian values

“The Taliban have pledged an oath to their radical interpretation of Islam and their desire to uphold its draconian laws for society and the state. The statement from President Biden that the Taliban is undergoing an ‘existential crisis about whether they want legitimacy on the global stage’ completely disregards the Taliban’s unwavering commitment to the Islamic state. The Taliban would never sacrifice their eternal goals in exchange for a seat at the ‘table’ with nations they have vowed to subdue or conquer. Their intent was simply to get the US to withdraw from Afghanistan, and they had no interest in power-sharing with a democratic regime. To claim otherwise is at best naive and, at worst, dangerously ignorant.

“Finally, the worst example of ‘hearts that have grown cold’ is the fact that the US withdrew its troops and abandoned thousands of US citizens without an exit strategy… Ironically, just one week before the hasty withdrawal, our counter-terrorism apparatus released the latest Homeland Security bulletin that claims one of the significant threats of domestic terrorism emanates from Americans who question the results of the 2020 election or new COVID restrictions. Sadly, it seems our government is so misguided that it focused on vilifying its own citizens instead of saving thousands of them from a terrorist regime overseas….”

The Sun wrote on August 26:

“[Biden’s] dwindling supporters blame Donald Trump for setting the pullout in motion. But Biden has led the free world since January. He could have changed course. He appears every bit as obstinate as his predecessor and ­arguably now even less competent…

“76 years after World War Two Biden has shown that America will no longer defend its values — liberal democracy, the rule of law and free markets — where they are threatened.”

Of course, America’s values are no longer what they once were.

 Biden Administration and Taliban vs. Christians in Afghanistan

Israel 365 News wrote on August 30:

“On Thursday, Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson interviewed Glen Beck, a TV presenter for Blaze. The interview was held remotely as Beck was in the region of Afghanistan where he was working to help Christian refugees flee Afghanistan…

“The Biden administration has turned over the security of the airport in Kabul to the Taliban who have set an August 31 deadline for evacuations. Beck told Carlson that he had thus far succeeded in evacuating 5,100 Christian refugees from Afghanistan via chartered airliners. Beck described a horrifying scene in which 500 Christians were waiting to board the next plane inside the airport’s safe zone when the bombings occurred.  A military official ordered them to return to the other side of the gate, beyond the protected area of the airport…

“‘The State Department has blocked us every step of the way,’ Beck told Carlson.  ‘The State Department and the White House have been the biggest problem.  Everyone else has been working together, putting aside differences and trying to get these people to safety.’…

“Beck gave as an example a phone call made presumably by the US State Department to a Macedonian ambassador instructing him not to accept any of the refugees into his country… Beck described his efforts to open up new avenues to extract the Christian refugees but did not go into detail as he was concerned the US State Department would work to shut down those as well…

“In a separate discussion on Twitter with Sen. Tom Cotton, Beck described the predicament. Cotton confirmed that he had heard similar reports from other quarters…”

If this turns out to be true, then woe unto Biden and his administration and supporters.

Taliban Sets ISIS Free

Breitbart wrote on August 27:

“Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed Friday that ‘thousands’ of Islamic State prisoners were freed after the United States handed over bases to the Afghan government…

“[Kirby said] the U.S. did not transfer the prisoners over to Guantanamo because the plan was to turn the prisons over to the Afghan National Security Forces… Military officials say they are not sure if the Taliban — who the U.S. has been relying on to man checkpoints to the airport — allowed the ISIS bomber and additional attackers through.”

With that kind of information, why does the left-liberal press talk about Taliban and ISIS as arch enemies?

Depending on the Taliban?

The Sun wrote on August 30:

“As the last US planes leave Kabul, we are reduced to putting our faith in the Taliban’s proclaimed benevolence. Yet hostility to Western values is a defining characteristic of Afghanistan’s new rules… it is naïve in the extreme to think we won’t fall victim to their deadly nature.

“Taliban henchmen have already been meting out their brutal mockery of justice to their fellow Afghans, executing comedians and folk singers just for failure to match their medieval values… Gun-toting thugs providing airport ‘security’ speak of their thirst to shoot Americans even as they stand guard.

“We warned the new regime would be a honeypot for jihadists hell-bent on bringing death to our streets. That nightmare is fast becoming reality, with Osama bin Laden’s security chief among those swarming back into Afghanistan… In fairness, alternative strategies are thin on the ground. But what a thoroughly depressing state of affairs.”

According to news reports, Taliban militants are carrying out “house-to-house executions.”

Taliban’s Terror Regime

Daily Mail reported on August 31:

“There are reports the Taliban harsh rule has returned. A top Afghan female cop is on the run after suffering a ‘brutal beating’ from them. She was singled out by the Taliban as a target at the gates outside Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul, where she spent five nights attempting to secure a place on an evacuation flight…”

Three More Years of Biden?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 27:

“A politician who came to power on a ticket of competence, empathy, foreign policy experience and simply not being Donald Trump has been found out.  And some of his former supporters now think that even Trump might have made a better fist of America’s catastrophic departure from Afghanistan.

“This in an America which is still recovering from the Trump years, when they put up with a president [Biden] regarded as a worldwide laughing stock and national embarrassment. Suddenly, they’re beginning to realise that what came after Trump could be even worse… Where there was hope, now I see concern — genuine fear that Biden, flailing already at the age of 78, will be here for another three years…

“While Biden spent 50 years working his way up to the top job in Washington — convincing millions that here, finally, was a man who could reunite America and restore its world leadership — it’s taken just a few days for the whole edifice to crumble….

“If the last few days haven’t been about the world’s greatest military power losing in the most humiliating manner possible after being intimidated by a bunch of rag-tag guerrillas, what have they been about?…

“It’s difficult to imagine how even Donald Trump could have left a bigger mess in so short a time. And yet the world has another three years of Biden at the helm. It’s a terrifying thought but, according to former U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, it could be even more bleak. ‘Should Biden step down or be removed for his handling of Afghanistan? Yes,’ she tweeted. ‘But that would leave us with [far-Left deputy President] Kamala Harris which would be ten times worse. God help us.’

“God help us, indeed.”

Amen to that!

B&B—Two Leaders in Trouble

JTA wrote on August 27:

“In his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Joe Biden said that although he prefers diplomatic means to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he is not afraid to ‘turn to other options’ on the issue.

“The pledge captured what both men, who are in varying degrees of political precariousness right now, hoped to extract from the meeting: A bigger focus on what they agree on than what they disagree on, and the start of a new era in relations between Israel and U.S. Democrats…

“For Biden, it was a welcome momentary distraction from the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan… Bennett is presiding over a fractious political coalition with a single vote majority, struggling to control a new COVID-19 surge that has dented his popularity and dealing with the fallout of an embarrassing phone call, in which he confused the name of a fallen soldier…

“Bennett opposes Biden’s efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal — the diplomacy Biden referred to — but… extracting a robust promise from Biden to consider ‘other options,’ including possible military ones, will allow Bennett to claim he influenced the president…

“Beyond Iran, Biden also emphasized the defense assistance the United States delivers to Israel, and reiterated a pledge to fully restore Israel’s Iron Dome capability, after the short range anti-missile defense system was depleted by Hamas rocket fire during the last Gaza conflict, in May…

“Only Biden mentioned a peace deal with the Palestinians, and in passing — his aides have said that they recognize that substantive moves toward peace are not in the cards right now, particularly given the unwieldy political coalition Bennett leads at home. They talked more about each country’s respective battle to combat the resurgent coronavirus.

“Afghanistan, and more specifically the Taliban, have historically not posed issues for Israel. Bennett began the talk by expressing condolences for the dead in Afghanistan, but he also used the moment to get back to his main concern. ‘These days illustrate what the world would [be] like if Iran or a radical Islamic regime acquired a nuclear weapon,’ he said.”

One will have to wait and see where this current shaky relationship between the USA, under Biden, and Israel, under Bennett, will lead…

US and Europe at a Crossroad

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 31:

“The US pullout from Afghanistan after 20 years has made the erratic Trump years look like more than a blip of American unilateralism… The Bundeswehr, Germany’s army, entered Afghanistan to support the US after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001… Along the way, Germany committed to the nation-building project. Now those hopes have been dashed. The chancellor candidate for Merkel’s Christian Democrats, Armin Laschet, spoke of a major blow to the trans-Atlantic relationship and dismay at US President Joe Biden’s actions...

“Germany had rejected US calls to participate militarily in Vietnam… Although the US, under President George W. Bush, urged the German government to participate in the war against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, then-foreign minister Joschka Fischer from the Green Party stood by his legendary phrase: ‘I am not convinced.’…

“However, the current situation is unprecedented…  ‘Afghanistan is a reality check for those who had big plans for a revived trans-Atlantic relationship,’  says Bastian Giegerich of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. ‘Germany’s direct involvement has made recent events much more painful. It mixes a sense of failure, disappointment and humiliation,’ he says…

“‘The EU must be able to act without its American partner. We must be able to secure an airport like the one in Kabul on our own,’ said Laschet in his interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“Recent events in Afghanistan may have been counterproductive, says political analyst Giegerich. ‘Afghanistan was a mission that from a German and European point of view was undertaken out of solidarity with the US. Many here will feel, “we did this for the US and look how it ended.”’”

Europe’s Failure Even Worse

Bloomberg wrote on August 25:

“The nations involved in Afghanistan include three nuclear powers, the U.S., U.K. and France, and one of the world’s greatest economic powers, Germany. These mighty nations would have us believe that they can’t stay in Afghanistan a minute longer than the U.S. does, because, even together, they are unable to hold back a ragtag force like the Taliban — not even long enough to evacuate their own citizens and the Afghans who had worked with them… The impression of utter powerlessness this creates about the Europeans is worse than any damage America’s reputation is suffering because it has set such a tight deadline, effectively abandoning thousands of people to their fate.

“Yet to what extent is that powerlessness real?… Theoretically, European NATO members could bomb the Taliban into temporary submission long enough to complete the evacuation… From a cynic’s point of view, the U.S. deadline offers Europeans a convenient excuse to end their own rescue efforts, given that it’s overwhelmingly Afghans who will still require protection by then.

“And yet the troubles of European leaders will truly begin once the evacuation ends… voters who probably wouldn’t buy an extended military presence will wonder why their governments should get involved in further U.S.-led operations… After the U.S. acted unilaterally in Afghanistan, repeatedly ignoring allies’ objections, a nagging doubt about the reliability of the U.S. security guarantee will always be present…

“And of course, the refugees are coming no matter how many fences are built along Central Asian, Middle Eastern and southern European borders… There must be no repeat of 2015. That’s been the refrain from politicians across the European Union as they watch the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, which can be expected sooner or later to cause renewed mass migration.

“These European politicians include candidates for chancellor in Germany, nervous about a national election on Sep. 26; leaders such as Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who’s already ruled out accepting any refugees from Afghanistan; or French President Emmanuel Macron demanding a ‘robust response’ to any new influx of migrants.”

Europe Must Have Its Own Army

The Economist wrote on August 28:

“After decades sheltering behind American might, Europeans will have to spend more on defence, as well as build up military capacity and improve planning and co-operation. But even as they take halting steps in that direction, Britain is holding itself aloof… [As] the fall of Kabul revives calls for an EU army, Britain is silent…

“For all that… see Britain’s future outside the EU as being closer to America, this… approach is not even to America’s liking…”

Express wrote on August 27:

“As the crisis in Afghanistan rapidly escalated in the last few weeks, EU leaders tried once again to push for the creation of a European Army… The idea of creating a European army in order to ‘liberate’ Europe from US influence has been floated before by former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker…

“The call to create a joint European army was proposed by Mr Juncker five years ago, and he said it was needed for the EU to combat the perceived Russian threat and ‘convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union’. The EU chief argued that NATO was not a satisfactory military defence for the EU, considering that not all EU members were members of NATO…

“Brexiteers have been warning for decades about the prospect of a European army being formed by the ever-more integrating Brussels bloc. On January 31… European Parliament President David Sassoli confirmed such a project may indeed come to fruition very soon…”

The EU Observer wrote on August 30:

“The messy US pull-out from Afghanistan has shown Europe must build up its own army, EU internal-market commissioner, Thierry Breton, a close ally of French president Emmanuel Macron, has said.

“Europe needed ‘a military projection force’ capable of ‘intervening militarily outside our border’, he wrote in a blog on Friday, adding: ‘Europe has always exercised its global influence through its soft power … this is no longer sufficient.’”

That Europe has “always” exercised its influence through “soft power” is clearly false. European core nations will become strong militarily, even though they will be divided amongst themselves on other issues.

Euractiv wrote on August 22:

“The fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the chaotic international evacuation effort shows that Europe needs to develop its own military capacity independent of the United States, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argues… European policy makers fear that Kabul will not be a one-off and that future crises in Iraq or in the Sahel region of West Africa could require similar military missions to secure European citizens and interests — perhaps without US support

“‘We will propose to give the Union a 50,000-strong expeditionary force, capable of acting in circumstances like we’re seeing in Afghanistan,’ he told AFP. ‘Europe only responds in a crisis. Afghanistan could wake it up. The moment has come to give it a military force capable of fighting if necessary.’”

Pay Attention to Spahn?

The Tagesschau wrote on July 26th:

He didn’t really want to head the Ministry of Health, he had other plans. But when Chancellor Angela Merkel offered him the post, he didn’t say no. At the handover from Hermann Gröhe to Spahn on March 15, 2018, the young and dynamic new minister immediately declared that he wanted to tackle exciting issues. That was strategically smart because it leaves its mark. And Spahn wants to continue to leave traces.

“In Berlin, he has long been believed to be the strong man of the Union to come

“In July 2019, Spahn’s steadfastness as health minister will be put to a tough test. His cabinet colleague Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated as EU Commission President, so Spahn’s dream of becoming Federal Defense Minister is within reach. But nothing comes of it. Merkel appoints Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. So Spahn continues to whirl around in his ministry.

“He’s putting forward an insane pace of reform, a turbo minister – one legislative proposal chases the next …

“Spahn, the secret hope of the younger generation in the Union, the conservatives, for whom Norbert Röttgen is too cool, Armin Laschet too lukewarm and Friedrich Merz too harsh … leaves the chairmanship to Laschet. ‘There can only be one party leader, which also means that someone has to back off,’ he explains, knowing full well that his time is yet to come. But then, first of all, there is Corona …

“Even in the spring of 2020, nobody knows anything about this new type of corona virus. Neither science nor politics. Spahn takes an offensive approach to ignorance. That brings him the best poll results that a federal health minister has ever had. It’s popular now, but the pandemic is far from over …

“The ministry is initially completely overwhelmed with the procurement of masks, test center infrastructure, vaccine procurement – and distribution to the federal states. Then there is the federal competence chaos. The dissatisfaction between lockdown… and relaxation is growing among people. Spahn’s polls are plummeting

“Spahn is not one of those people who give in. His stable self-confidence helps him with this. The Minister of Health steers through the pandemic relatively undeterred – he lets criticism roll off. Spahn gives the constant reminder – at least once a week …

“Spahn is unlikely to remain Minister of Health. Not because he didn’t trust himself to go through the post-pandemic phase. But he simply feels he is called to higher things. ”

The absurd thing is this: Despite his insane policy, Spahn is still at the head of the government. This should give one a reason to think.

Watch the Nordic Countries

The European Council on Foreign Affairs wrote on August 17:

“Europeans should not ignore some of the increasingly problematic politics of the Nordic countries.

“The Danish secret service was recently revealed to have helped the United States spy on high-profile politicians in Germany and across Europe… That is not the only recent scandal: this year the Danish government announced plans to move refugees arriving in Denmark to asylum centres in ‘partner countries’ outside Europe…

“The Danish policy is the product of a Social Democrat-led government but has come about under the influence of the far-right Danish People’s Party, sustained over many decades…

Sweden is exhibiting similar tendencies. Just recently, the Left party worked with the far-right Sweden Democrats to topple the prime minister, Stefan Lofven… He has since been restored to his former post, but the Sweden Democrats emerged from this midsummer crime story stronger than ever…

Finland, too, is not immune to these shifts. The right-wing Finns Party has lately been rising in popularity…

“[Nordic states present] themselves as forerunners, ensuring they, for example, use negotiations to persuade the EU to go further and faster on issues such as gender equality and the environment…

“Nordic countries’ hugely positive image is so well established that more difficult news simply does not fit into the established frame. As a result, the recipient of bad tidings tends to dismiss what they hear…

“It is time to cast a cooler eye over Scandinavia’s domestic politics and what these could mean for the rest of Europe. If we assume they can never do any harm, one may, for example, be taken by surprise at the coalitions that form after the next European Parliament election… In 2020, the Sweden Democrats vetoed the rule of law conditionality for accessing EU funds and thereby cosied up to Poland and Hungary. This gesture was repeated when members of the Sweden Democrats abstained in the European Parliament resolution condemning Hungary’s controversial LGBTIQ law. It was the only Swedish party that failed to support the motion – quite a statement to be made by MEPs from the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries and a global advocate for equal rights.

“Those who support European integration and the defence of human rights within the EU should more urgently acknowledge this state of affairs, rather than brush it aside. If deeply illiberal and Eurosceptic right-wing parties continue to become more influential in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, then it is not only the citizens of those countries who will bear the consequences….”

Whether the Nordic countries remain in the EU will have to be seen. It is highly unlikely that they will belong to core Europe, consisting of ten nations or groups of nations.

Harvard University’s New Chaplain—an Atheist!

The New York Post wrote on August 26:

“Harvard University’s organization of chaplains is getting a new president to coordinate the campus’ Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and assorted other religious communities. Only the new president, 44-year-old Greg Epstein, does not identify with any of those traditional religions himself. He is an atheist

“‘We don’t look to a god for answers,’ he [said]. ‘We are each other’s answers.’

“… Harvard’s liberal values and desire to prioritize engagement over tradition make Epstein a great fit for the job, many insiders feel. Indeed, his election was unanimous. “

And these are the kinds of sources influencing and brainwashing our young “intellectuals.”

Ida Hits New Orleans

The Guardian wrote on August 30:

“Up to 2 million people remained without power in and around New Orleans on Monday as residents and authorities began to assess ‘catastrophic’ damage from Hurricane Ida, a 150mph monster storm that was the most powerful ever to hit Louisiana

“Almost 5,000 national guard troops were activated, a number [that] would double by Tuesday.

“Residents woke to widespread devastation caused by the category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Sunday at Port Fourchon, then tore a path north towards New Orleans. The storm struck the city on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800, mostly by flood.”

It is claimed that Ida was the fifth-strongest storm EVER to hit the USA. And that exactly 16 years after Katrina. Mere coincidence?

The Caldor Fire

CBS News reported on September 1:

“Crews in California are in a desperate fight to stop the Caldor Fire as it races toward heavily populated areas around Lake Tahoe. Flames are now just three miles from the resort city of South Lake Tahoe, which hasn’t seen danger like this in decades. Tens of thousands of homes there are under threat.

“The fire has already burned more than 300 square miles and destroyed hundreds of homes. Around 50,000 people are under evacuation orders.”

Fresh EU Restrictions for US Travelers

Bloomberg wrote on August 30:

“European Union countries voted to subject the U.S. to fresh restrictions on nonessential travel… dealing a fresh blow to the tourism industry… The change appears most likely to affect unvaccinated Americans… The guidance from the bloc is a recommendation and any decision on who to let in, and what restrictions to impose, ultimately rests with the governments of each member state. Countries can also choose to accept proof of vaccination to waive travel restrictions… Flagship European carriers such as Lufthansa and Air France have been counting on their long-haul passenger numbers to pick up…

“Travel between the EU and U.S. has been a point of political contention. The Biden administration has kept border restrictions in place despite pressure to allow visitors from allies like the EU…”

All “explanations” aside, this is a retaliatory move of the EU against the Biden Administration, and the timing in light of the Afghanistan debacle is telling.

The Associated Press added on August 30:

The EU recommendation doesn’t apply to Britain, which formally left the EU at the beginning of the year and opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. earlier this month.

“The United States remains on Britain’s ‘amber’ travel list, meaning that fully vaccinated adults arriving from the U.S. to the U.K. don’t have to self-isolate. A negative COVID-19 test within three days before arriving in the U.K. is required and another negative test is needed two days after arriving.”

Eric Clapton vs. Authoritarians

Breitbart wrote on August 29:

“Rock legend Eric Clapton has released a new, pro-freedom single in which he rails against authoritarians who crush individual liberties. ‘This Has Gotta Stop,’ which the singer dropped Friday, features the refrain, ‘This has gotta stop / Enough is enough / I can’t take this BS any longer.’ Clapton also released a music video for the single that features animated images of people being controlled like marionettes. Other sequences show crowds of people addicted to smartphones and protestors demonstrating for freedom.

“The song is mostly devoid of political references, preferring to stay as general as possible. The one exception is a reference to Jam for Freedom, the British anti-lockdown group that Clapton has supported. Clapton has publicly opposed shutdowns and has expressed skepticism of COVID-19 vaccines after experiencing what he has described as debilitating side effects from the AstraZenica shots.

“In the new single, he seems to reference his bad experience by singing ‘I knew that something was going on wrong / When you started laying down the law / I can’t move my hands, I break out in sweat / I wanna cry, I can’t take it anymore.’ The video and the song come as protests against COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions break out across the world.

“Most of the video promotes pro-freedom themes. Some scenes call attention to severe weather events from wildfires to ocean pollution. In one sequence in the animated music video, people are shown dangling from strings connected to the hand of what appears to be an all-powerful authority figure.

“In another scene, a solitary figure is being manipulated by strings attached to his arms.

“This isn’t the first time Eric Clapton has used music to air his views over the loss of freedoms during the coronavirus pandemic… Clapton teamed up with Van Morrison last year to release the single ‘Stand and Deliver,’ which criticized government-imposed lockdowns.”

Most don’t see it, however.

Twitter’s Ongoing Dictatorship

On August 20, the Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley:

“Twitter’s growing censorship program has targeted former New York Times journalist and author Alex Berenson who is an outspoken critic of the government’s science and response to the pandemic. Berenson was previously suspended for merely expressing an opinion over the need for a ‘pause’ on any federal mandates on Covid-19 as new research is studied. Twitter also suspended a journalist for posting CDC information that was deemed as critical of its own official line on vaccines. Now he is permanently suspended after his criticism of the vaccine and possible side effects. Twitter has again showed that it will silence those who dare to disagree or even question its approved narrative and that of government…

“The most chilling aspect of this story is how many on [the] left applaud such censorship… Faculty and editors are actively supporting modern versions of book-burning with blacklists and bans for those with opposing political views… The rise of corporate censors has combined with a heavily pro-Biden media to create the fear of a de facto state media that controls information due to a shared ideology… Berenson has never tried to silence others. These advocates of private and government censorship are only undermining faith in vaccines with their aggressive pursuit of anyone expressing doubts or challenging policies.”

The phrase, “modern versions of book-burning,” is well chosen. That normally only happens in dictatorships.

No Longer a Free Country

JTA wrote on August 27:

“Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie… compare[d] public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 to the Holocaust when he posted an image of a tattooed wrist on Twitter on Wednesday. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have also done so, along with several lower-level officials who have made similar comparisons across the country in recent weeks.

“‘If you have to carry a card on you to gain access to a restaurant, venue or an event in your own country … that’s no longer a free country,’ read the text in the image Massie tweeted, which he deleted shortly afterwards.”

Why deleting it? Because some opposed him! Sad, because he is so right when saying that we are no longer a free country.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Terror Attacks in Afghanistan Have Begun

The Sun wrote on August 26:

 “THIRTEEN US troops and at least 90 Afghans have been killed in ISIS suicide bomb attacks at Kabul Airport.

“Two explosions rocked the airport in Afghanistan yesterday just hours before the evacuation deadline… The attacks made for America’s deadliest day in Afghanistan for 10 years – and Republicans claimed US President Joe Biden had “blood on his hands”.

“Mr Biden told those behind the Kabul airport attacks: ‘We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.’… Other blasts were heard in Kabul in the hours after the earlier two… ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack…”

The End of the American Era

The Washington Post wrote on August 20:

“‘Let me speak clearly and bluntly. This is a catastrophe,’ said Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, in an address Thursday to the European Parliament. He echoed the widespread dismay felt by policymakers and politicians across the continent over the sudden Taliban takeover in Afghanistan – and the Biden administration’s military withdrawal that preceded it. Many of the United States’ NATO partners in Europe had invested considerable manpower and resources in the American-led war and nation-building project in Afghanistan, though on a smaller scale than Washington…

“Now, European onlookers are shocked to see the fruits of their labor seemingly vanish in the space of a few harrowing days. Across the pond, a defiant White House has doubled down on its decision-making, showing little contrition for its role in the chaotic scenes unfolding in Kabul. ‘I say this with a heavy heart and with horror over what is happening, but the early withdrawal was a serious and far-reaching miscalculation by the current administration,’ Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German parliament, told Politico. ‘This does fundamental damage to the political and moral credibility of the West.’

“Röttgen’s British counterpart, conservative parliamentarian Tom Tugendhat, cast the Afghan government’s implosion and the Taliban’s surge into power as an epochal blow. ‘Afghanistan is the biggest foreign policy disaster since Suez,’ he tweeted, referring to the 1956 crisis over control of the strategic Egyptian canal that, to some historians, marked the ultimate waning of the British Empire. ‘We need to think again about how we handle friends, who matters and how we defend our interests.

“That may include reevaluating the role of the United States. Tobias Ellwood, another Tory parliamentarian, who chairs the Defense Committee in the House of Commons, questioned President Biden’s repeated insistence that his administration was bringing America ‘back’ on the world stage… In an essay for the Economist, Stanford University political theorist Francis Fukuyama suggested that the horrors on view in Kabul may mark a ‘major juncture in world history, as America turned away from the world.’ But in truth, he continues, ‘the end of the American era had come much earlier.’”

Indeed, it did come much earlier. America has not won a major war since WW2, and it won’t in the future either.

“Britain loses Patience with” Biden

Daily Mail wrote on August 22:

“Tony Blair has blasted Joe Biden’s ‘imbecilic’ decision to withdraw US troops from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, calling the President’s scuttle ‘tragic, dangerous and unnecessary’ and claiming the move had ‘every Jihadist group round the world cheering’

 “Relations between Britain and US are strained… the Prime Minister [Boris Johnson] has allegedly privately referred to Mr Biden as ‘Sleepy Joe’, the nickname coined by Donald Trump. Mr Johnson also allegedly remarked Britain ‘would be better off with Trump’ – allegations branded ‘categorically untrue’ by Downing Street.

“’For Britain, out of Europe and suffering the end of the Afghanistan mission by our greatest ally with little or no consultation, we have serious reflection to do,’ said Mr Blair. ‘We don’t see it yet, but we are at risk of relegation to the second division of global powers.’”

The National News added on August 22: “Mr Biden’s decision is set to have major ramifications for Europe, which is predicting a refugee crisis after the fall of Kabul.”

The refugee crisis will be one of many problems and issues Europe will be facing due to Mr. Biden’s creation of chaos in Afghanistan.

No Military Cooperation between US and UK

Fox News wrote on August 25:

“Nigel Farage, former Brexit party leader, slammed the Biden administration’s Afghanistan blunder Tuesday, arguing the crisis has led his country of Britain feeling ‘betrayed’…

“Farage [said:] ‘The medium-term problem is the resurgence of international terror… Certainly, if it’s a Biden or Harris administration, honestly, there is no way, there is no way a British parliament right now would vote for military cooperation with America led by this administration. And that’s a very sad thing to say, because since 1917, the U.K. and America have been side by side in virtually every major conflict. We’ve been the closest allies in terms of military action, in terms of intelligence sharing, in terms of culture, in terms of business. You couldn’t have a better ally in the world. And right at the moment, I’m sorry, but there’s no way we could enter into another operation with you.’”

The Bible predicts that Ephraim (the UK) would be against Manasseh (the USA), and vice versa.

Afghanistan Crisis Proves Need for EU Army

Express wrote on August 23:

“Guy Verhofstadt took to Twitter earlier today to say that an EU army ‘is common sense.’

“Mr Verhofstadt wrote: ‘Afghanistan once more shows armies are crucial to the security of our citizens & allies abroad. EU countries need to do that together: cooperate & integrate forces so our people, interests & values are protected. Think beyond taboos or caricatures: an EU army is common sense!’”

Express added on August 24:

“Anger over the US approach to Afghanistan sparked plans for a European defence force from EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell this weekend. He wants to assemble an EU force of 50,000 men and women. He said Afghanistan could be the wake-up call for Europe. He said: ‘The time has come to create a military force that can fight when necessary. We are going to propose to provide the Union with an expeditionary force of fifty thousand men.’

“Mr Borrell is currently working on a so-called ‘defence strategy’ for the European Union. The plans and their elaboration are on the agenda of a European summit to be held in November. But now Brussels is already using the chaos surrounding the evacuation of European citizens in Afghanistan to argue for a large European army… He said: ‘Europeans have no choice. We have to organise ourselves to deal with the world as it is and not with the world we dream of.’”

And so, a powerful European army will come… but this will require some fundamental changes in the leadership of European countries, especially in Germany. Note the next article.

No Trust in the USA and Germany’s Incompetence

The Globalist wrote on August 24:

“No question, trust in American leadership is badly damaged. The disastrous end of the Afghanistan military mission has raised questions about whether the United States will defend its long-time allies if they do not defend themselves…

“A key focus of the potential global fallout is on Germany, Europe’s largest economy. Politically, Germans may be looking to get out from under American dependence. Militarily, however, they are utterly dependent on the Americans

“To protect himself and probably also his party, the SPD, ahead of critical elections on September 26th, [Germany’s Foreign Minister Maas] still seeks to explain away Germany’s de facto complete rejection of international foreign and security responsibilities. To that end, Mr. Maas is throwing the German intelligence service (BND) as well as his own Foreign Office (AA) under the bus. That is as disrespectful as it is cowardly…

“Mr. Maas’s influence, though, seems on the wane. His days in the Foreign Office are likely numbered in the dual-digit range.”

That the German government has acted and is continuing to act in a completely incompetent way is without doubt. But all of this might change very soon.  

Biden Gives in to the Taliban—No Extension

Deutsche Welle wrote  on August 24:

“At an emergency G-7 summit, US allies pushed Washington to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond next Tuesday in order to facilitate evacuation flights. But President Biden is refusing to budge.”

The Associated Press reported on August 25:

“The United States clashed with some of its closest allies over President Joe Biden’s insistence on sticking to an Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal date that will shut down a frantic international evacuation effort from Taliban rule… ‘I want to stress again that of course the United States of America has the leadership here,’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin after the meeting. ‘Without the United States of America, for example, we — the others — cannot continue the evacuation mission.’”

American Military News wrote on August 18:

“During a Wednesday press briefing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan has the capability to extract some Americans in extreme circumstances, but not to gather up large groups of Americans who cannot get to the U.S.-controlled airport in Kabul…”

Thousands of Americans are still stranded behind Taliban lines. This is shameful! It will not restore any confidence of allies towards the USA. To the contrary, Bild Online reported on August 24 that the American military expelled eleven international journalists from Kabul, including one Bild Online reporter. Bild stated that the US is afraid of independent critical reporting and wants no witnesses testifying about the shameful situation in Afghanistan which has been caused by the USA.  

US in Danger of Terror Attacks

Reuters wrote on August 25:

“With no U.S. troops or reliable partners left, jails emptied of militants and the Taliban in control, doubts are mounting within President Joe Biden’s administration over Washington’s ability to stem a resurgence of al Qaeda and other extremists in Afghanistan… Weeks before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States by al Qaeda, the lack of visibility regarding potential extremist threats is a chilling prospect for officials…

“The U.S. troop departure ordered for Aug. 31 by Biden and the subsequent collapse of Afghan security forces have stripped the CIA and other spy agencies of protection, forcing them to close bases and withdraw personnel as well. The Biden administration cannot rely on neighboring countries because it has so far been unable to strike accords on bases for U.S. counterterrorism forces and drones…

“Nathan Sales, the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism until January, estimated it would now take al Qaeda six months to reconstitute the ability to conduct external [terrorist] operations. The Taliban freed hundreds of detainees from prisons, stirring fears that some may include leading extremists… Daniel Hoffman, a former chief of CIA covert Middle East operations, expressed doubt that the Taliban would constrain al Qaeda, noting their decades-old ties and shared ideologies… A series of United Nations reports say that hundreds of al Qaeda fighters and senior leaders remain in Afghanistan under Taliban protection

“Pakistan has said it will not host U.S. troops and countries in central Asia are reluctant to accept American requests because of concerns that it may anger Russia.”

What a nightmare and disaster. What IF another terrorist attack on American soil would occur?

Taliban’s Rule of Terror

The New York Post wrote on August 18:

“The Taliban are collecting weapons and ammunition from civilians in Kabul… A Taliban official told Reuters that people no longer needed weapons for personal protection because ‘they can now feel safe’ since the insurgents have taken over..

“The news came as reports emerged that a woman had been shot dead Tuesday for not wearing a burqa in public…

“Kabul residents have said groups of armed men have been going door to door in recent days seeking out individuals who worked with the ousted government and security forces.”

The promises of the Taliban that they became less violent and radical are not worth the paper they may be written on. Terrorists don’t change. Note the next article.

Israel 365 News wrote on August 22:

“Frontier Alliance International, a global Christian missionary organization, released a statement last week stating that the Taliban in Afghanistan is going door-to-door, searching for Christians and executing them. The Taliban has a hit list of known Christians they are targeting to pursue and kill. The US Embassy is defunct and there is no longer a safe place for believers to take refuge. All borders to neighboring countries are closed and all flights to and from have been halted, with the exception of private planes. People are fleeing into the mountains looking for asylum…

“The Taliban are going door-to-door taking women and children. The people must mark their house with an ‘X’ if they have a girl over 12 years old, so that the Taliban can take them. If they find a young girl and the house was not marked they will execute the entire family. If a married woman 25 years or older has been found, the Taliban promptly kill her husband, do whatever they want to her, and then sell her as a sex slave. Husbands and fathers have given their wives and daughters guns and told them that when the Taliban come, they can choose to kill them or kill themselves—it is their choice.

“The Daily Wire reported that Taliban terrorists are going through people’s cell phones, searching for Bible apps that would indicate they are Christians… Taliban are pulling people off public transport and killing them on the spot if they’re Christians or considered ethnically ‘unpure.’…

“The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan does not recognize any Afghan citizen as being Christian so there are officially no Christians in Afghanistan. Despite the legal restrictions, many sources claim that there is a secret underground church of Afghan Christians living in Afghanistan… Due to the hostile legal environment, Afghan Christians practice their faith secretly in private homes.

“On Thursday, USA Today ‘debunked’ claims of the Taliban executing Christians, describing it as a ‘decade-old hoax’… USA Today judged the current reports of Christian persecution by the Taliban to be false in light of the Taliban’s stated intentions that they are moderating their actions.”

Can one believe the stupidity of our mass media? (Note the next article.) And when it comes to the Taliban terrorists, these are the murderous people to whom Joe Biden gave the country. Shocking, embarrassing, appalling!

Is the Mass Media Giving Biden another “Free Pass”?

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on August 18, 2021:

“You won’t find a more powerful example of the media’s pro-Democratic tilt — and outright hostility toward former President Donald Trump — than their refusal this week to call out President Joe Biden as a downright liar, as they did with his predecessor, when it comes to his comments about his Afghanistan pullout.

“Back in July, the [President] flatly rejected suggestions that the intelligence community feared an increasingly rapid collapse of the Afghan government as US troops withdrew. ‘Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse,’ a reporter noted at the July 8 presser. Biden denied it. ‘Can you please clarify what [intelligence officials] have told you?’ he was asked. Biden fumed again: ‘They did not — they didn’t — did not reach that conclusion.’ Indeed, the president insisted that the idea there’s ‘going to be one unified government in Afghanistan controlling the whole country is highly unlikely.’

“As the world learned painfully this week, he was dead wrong… In truth, it appears Biden was lying through his teeth: It actually might be hard to find a top official who didn’t warn him about the dangers of his pullout.

“As The Wall Street Journal reports, ‘the president’s top generals, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, urged Mr. Biden to keep a force of about 2,500 troops, the size he inherited, while seeking a peace agreement between warring Afghan factions, to help maintain stability. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin . . . said a full withdrawal wouldn’t provide any insurance against instability.’ Military and intelligence officials told Biden they were concerned about the Afghan army’s capabilities and the likelihood that the Taliban would control major cities.

“The New York Times, meanwhile, cited ‘classified assessments by American spy agencies over the summer’ that ‘painted an increasingly grim picture of the prospect of a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.’

“Biden simply appears to have lied, claiming intelligence reports did not paint a bleak picture. And though the Times briefly noted the contradiction, it refrained from using the word ‘lie’ — as it did freely for Trump’s remarks…

“[Biden’s] little ‘obfuscation’ is leading to madness in Afghanistan today. There has been utter chaos at the airport and reports of revenge killings and other brutality. By denying and ignoring the warnings, Biden left thousands of Americans and Afghans who’ve worked with us stranded, with many now fearing for their lives. Yet somehow the Times — and other left-leaning outlets — is suddenly once again not comfortable using the word ‘lie.’ How shameful.”

That Biden has been shamelessly lying through the years is well-known. But the TRUTH is, ALL politicians are liars. Otherwise, they could not be politicians. However, in Biden’s case, being a liar might be combined with mental disability, as the next article suggests.

Joe Biden Unfit for Office?

The Daily Mail wrote on August 20:

“Questions have been raised about US President Joe Biden’s cognitive wellbeing after a car crash interview over his handling of the unfolding Afghanistan crisis. America’s oldest president provided jumbled responses to questions and mixed up details about his son in an interview with ABC. The stumbles did not make the broadcasted version but were revealed when a full transcript of the interview was published overnight.

“It revealed the President incorrectly stated his late son Beau Biden worked for the Navy in Afghanistan, before correcting himself that he served for the Army in Iraq. It follows a spate of gaffes and slips of the tongue since the 78-year-old ran his successful presidential campaign in 2019.

“Mr Biden has previously suffered two brain aneurysms and a heart condition which makes the muscle beat too fast, causing dizziness and confusion. A top cardiologist told MailOnline today that both conditions are linked to memory difficulties and confusion, as well as dementia. Dr Aseem Malhotra, an NHS consultant and expert in evidence-based medicine, said: ‘Certainly there’s a link [between the conditions and cognitive decline]. But just as a doctor observing him, given his medical history and age, I’m worried about early onset dementia. I would be worried about anyone exhibiting issues with recall and memory at Joe Biden’s age.’…

“Mr Biden is known for his blunders and even referred to himself as a ‘gaffe machine’ in 2018. Just last month he forgot his reasons for running for president, and when he was newly elected he referred to his deputy as ‘President Kamala Harris’… Mr Biden has also experienced accidents since becoming President, including falling three times on one occasion in March while climbing up the stairs of Air Force One… He also introduced his granddaughter as his deceased son Beau, who passed away from brain cancer in 2015…”

 Apart from his obvious confusion, gaffes and “slips of the tongue,” combined with his well-documented ongoing misrepresentations and lies over the years, Mr. Biden is also unfit for office due to his terrible politics and implementation of destructive measures. Less than 40% of voters think that Biden is even in charge, according to Newsmax, dated August 20.  The tide is turning. The support and protest vote for Biden, which was a predictable catastrophe from the beginning, is ebbing away.

“Biden’s Failure Could Let Trump Back in the White House”

Express wrote on August 20:

 “The fall of the Afghan Government is nothing short of a disaster for Mr Biden’s tenure as President, coming within his first eight months in office. Bipartisan criticism has ramped up significantly over the past several days — amid scenes of chaos at the international airport in Kabul — as both Democrats and Republicans contend the administration was unprepared to safely evacuate American citizens and Afghan allies out of the country…

“[Biden’s] statement, which blamed the Afghanistan army for failing to hold the Taliban back, was met with criticism world over. He has also been accused of showing no sympathy for Afghans… His disastrous handling has led to comparisons with the Bay of Pigs invasion, which occurred in the first year of President Kennedy’s time in office…

“Former president Donald Trump has naturally taken the opportunity to eviscerate his successor. Mr Trump called it the ‘greatest embarrassment in the history of our country.’ And it seems that Americans, and not just Republicans, are inclined to agree with him. Mr Trump has made it no secret that he may plan to run for the presidency again in the 2024 election… Mr Trump still has an enormous following in the states, despite his lifetime ban from Twitter, which was often used as his main method of gathering support…

“But most of all, America’s reverence of its armed forces could likely be a key reason voters would back Mr Trump at a future election… At the heart of it all is the memory of 9/11, which spurred America to invade in 2001 as the Taliban harboured those responsible for the deaths of 2,977 men, women and children in New York…

“It remains to be seen what the American public will think come the next election, but it’s unlikely the fallout from Mr Biden’s spectacular mishandling of crisis will be forgotten.”

Of course, memory fails quickly. But it is not to be expected that the Afghanistan debacle will be the last of Biden’s acts of incompetence.  It is breathtaking to realize the current leadership imposed on the USA. The Bible speaks of “children” (not necessarily by age, but more by lack of wisdom) and “women” running the country. For instance, when the Afghanistan debacle was unfolding, rather than calling Joe Biden, Canada’s PM Trudeau reportedly called Hillary Clinton for advice.

The Embarrassing Conduct of Kamala Harris

Breitbart reported on August 22:

“Vice President Kamala Harris, who is currently traveling through South Asia, busted out in a fit of laughter when reporters attempted to ask her about Afghanistan… Harris has been noticeably absent since the Taliban toppled the U.S.-backed Afghan government last week. For at least eight days after the crisis began, she vanished from public view and maintained complete silence about the issue, despite claiming to have played a key role in the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan…

“The vice president has a nervous habit of laughing when faced with tough questions about serious political topics. Before Harris went to the U.S.-Mexico border — 93 days after President Joe Biden assigned her the immigration crisis — she chuckled during an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt when pressured about her delay in visiting. Holt stated, ‘You haven’t been to the border.’ ‘And I haven’t been to Europe,’ Harris said with a laugh…

“She also once broke out in bizarre laughter before she became vice president when asked if she presents a ‘socialist or progressive perspective.’”

However, it’s not really a laughing matter.

… and Biden Laughs Too

On August 23, the New York Post published the following opinion piece by Miranda Devine:

“The laughter was so off-kilter, it made you wonder if Joe Biden had taken leave of his senses… The first bout of hilarity came in response to a question from CBS News reporter Ed O’Keefe, one of four questions Biden allowed from a pre-approved list of reporters in the Roosevelt Room, seven days after the fall of Kabul.

“Did he trust the Taliban? A swaggering, streetwise smile swept his face…

“His derisive chuckles began when O’Keefe apologetically asked about a new CBS/YouGov poll that shows a majority of Americans disapprove of the way he has handled the Afghanistan exit… ‘I haven’t seen that poll,’ said Biden, shaking his head with a half-smirk… ‘It’s out there,’ said O’Keefe. ‘From CBS this morning.’ This led Biden to burst out laughing. What was funny? If the mirth was a face-saving performance, it was appallingly ill-judged…

“The problem is the incompetence of the withdrawal, the premature closure of Bagram Air Base, placing our troops in an impossible position, needlessly endangering lives of American citizens and Afghan allies, and leaving billions of dollars of weaponry in the hands of our enemies…

“The unfamiliar feeling of universal condemnation, more than anything, is what has had his team reeling… He kept fantasizing at the podium Sunday, as if saying something grotesquely false will make it come true… history will record that he bungled the troop withdrawal… and set in motion a disaster that has echoes of the last disaster he had oversight of in the Middle East, when he was the VP in charge of withdrawing troops from Iraq, spawning ISIS and the Christian genocide.

“No matter how he tries to shift the blame, he is responsible for the calamity in Kabul. Yet his lack of humility or reflection shows he is nothing better than a con man, trying one last time to shaft the American people…”

Other reports from the Ron Paul Institute suggest that Biden is aware of his demise and shows by his conduct that he most certainly won’t be running again in 2024.

America’s Enemies Knew [and Know]…

Daily Mail wrote on August 20:

Osama bin Laden banned al Qaeda from assassinating Joe Biden because the Democrat would become an incompetent president and ‘lead the US into a crisis’ if jihadists were successful in killing Barack Obama.

“Bin Laden made the remark in a 2010 letter that was found in a trove of documents at the Pakistan compound where he was killed by US special forces in 2011. The document was first made public in 2012 but has been brought back to light and given new significance amid the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan that has gifted the country back to the Taliban.”

Bin Laden knew. Many enemies know it today. And allies know it too—and they are extremely worried.

Israel Can’t Rely on USA

Israel Today wrote on August 20:

“Israeli officials have remained largely mum on the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan…  But behind closed doors, Israeli leaders are reportedly voicing grave concern…

“The biggest lesson of Afghanistan as far as average Israelis are concerned is that the Jewish state can’t rely on foreign powers, even a genuine friend like the United States, to guarantee its security, let alone its future.”

Israel will be forsaken by all… and so will be, by the way, the USA and the UK.

Ukraine Next?

Putin’s propaganda outlet, Tass, wrote on August 19:

“The situation in Afghanistan will top the agenda of one of the next meetings of the Security Council, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said… According to him, a similar situation is in store for those who support the US in Ukraine… He noted that about $90 bln was spent on training the Afghan servicemen… Additionally… the US ‘didn’t even bother to take out of the country a large number of weapons and military property, and just abandoned it all,’ while the military industrial complex and subcontractors raked in ‘superprofits.’

“He also noted that Washington is pumping Ukraine full of weapons that it has no use for… In his opinion, Ukraine is heading towards dissolution and at some point, the US won’t even remember its supporters much like what happened in Kabul…”

Ukraine will ultimately work hand in hand with Russia against Europe. In a meeting with Merkel [see below], Putin warned the West not to interfere with or impose their values on Afghanistan. Amazing when considering that Putin is doing exactly that in countries which he wants to control.

Merkel’s Embarrassing Visit with Putin

Bild Online wrote the following on August 21:

“Angela Merkel (67) was in Moscow this Friday – and made it clear: she was once the most powerful woman in the world. Now she is no longer. Once upon a time …

“Because if this visit served anyone, it was him: Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin (68). Next to Merkel in front of the press, he twisted the truth as he wanted, bent and lied as it suited him. And this time he got away with it for the most part …

“And after the performance here in Moscow, there is only one question left: what was that supposed to mean, Ms. Merkel? …

“The Chancellor has asked for Navalny’s release – so far, so good. Only: Putin was not interested, he used the opportunity to attack Navalny and the West. You don’t have to go to Putin’s court for that! …

“If it is true that Angela Merkel can read Vladimir Putin, then the question remains whether she marched into this Kremlin performance with open eyes.

“… That Merkel lied about the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, which she saved for Putin when dealing with US President Joe Biden a few weeks ago, calling it a ‘European project,’ is almost at Putin’s level. Because the EU Commission, the EU Parliament and all of Eastern Europe – even France – are against it!…

“And after Putin accused Ukraine of deliberately not wanting peace in eastern Ukraine, which is occupied by Russian forces, and of turning away from the peace process, the German Chancellor, who invented the Minsk process, could think of little more than that both sides – expressly also Ukraine – would not implement agreements. As if Russia and its irregulars were not waging war there, having occupied entire stretches of land …

“The old wisdom remains: a lame duck shouldn’t fly to the vulture.

“And Merkel’s sentence remains: ‘It is better to talk to each other than not to talk at all’ … Talking for the sake of talking with someone who incidentally wages his wars, creates frozen conflicts at his borders, silences the free press, expels, murders or imprisons the opposition, murders in Berlin and hacks the Bundestag… with his hacker brigades—who plays a hypocritical game and wages an open, hybrid war against us and our values, who wants nothing from us but our money and investment opportunities for his criminal oligarch clan.

“So that was it?

“That is a state declaration of bankruptcy and means nothing else than: In the end, the mafiosi and secret service man in the Kremlin won and mostly got what he wanted. Also from the once most powerful woman in the world …”

Sad. And dangerous. Because Germany will not remain powerless forever, being humiliated by Putin and other world leaders.  

Trump Booed in Alabama

CNBNC wrote on August 22:

“Former President Donald Trump was booed at a rally on Saturday in Alabama after telling supporters they should get vaccinated. ‘And you know what? I believe totally in your freedoms. I do. You’ve got to do what you have to do,’ Trump said. ‘But, I recommend: take the vaccines. I did it. It’s good. Take the vaccines.’

“Some boos rang out from the rally crowd, who were largely maskless. ‘No, that’s okay. That’s all right. You got your freedoms,’ Trump said, echoing rhetoric from opponents of mask and vaccine mandates. ‘But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know. Okay? I’ll call up Alabama, I’ll say, hey, you know what? But [the vaccine] is working. But you do have your freedoms you have to keep. You have to maintain that.’…

“Alabama has the lowest vaccinated rate in the U.S., with just more than 36 percent of its population fully inoculated… Republicans were the second-least likely demographic group to be vaccinated, only above uninsured Americans under 65. While 57 percent of Republicans have received at least one dose of the vaccine or say they will get a shot as soon as possible, 40 percent say they either never will, will only do so if it’s required or are still in wait-and-see mode…

“Trump has endorsed vaccination previously but has often matched it with similar caveats. Just last week, after promoting the vaccines in an interview with Fox Business personality Maria Bartiromo, Trump claimed upcoming booster shots recommended by the Biden administration as ‘a money-making operation for Pfizer.’”

Trump has to be careful that he does not lose necessary support due to his controversial vaccination push.

FDA Bows to Pressure

 CNBC wrote on August 23:

“The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to Pfizer and BioNTech [for their] Covid-19 vaccine[s] [for use in people over the age of 16] – becoming the first in the U.S. to win the coveted designation and giving even more businesses, schools and universities greater confidence to adopt vaccine mandates. Up until now, the mRNA vaccine, which will be marketed as Comirnaty, was on the U.S. market under an Emergency Use Authorization that was granted by the FDA in December. Since then, more than 204 million of the Pfizer shots have been administered…

“Federal health officials had been under mounting pressure from the scientific community and advocacy groups to fully approve Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine ever since the drugmakers submitted their application to the agency in early May…

“Pfizer and BioNTech are now able to market the shots directly to U.S. consumers…  It also allows the shot to stay on the market once the pandemic is over and the U.S. is no longer considered in an ‘emergency.’…

“Pfizer and BioNTech have said they expect to generate billions from the vaccine. Under full approval, the companies could also decide to charge more for the vaccines… The companies have already raised the price of their vaccine in the European Union…

“Pfizer and BioNTech also plan to ask the FDA to approve a third dose as a booster shot following full approval….”

Breitbart added on August 23:

“Concerns over mandates and long-term side effects loom as polls show a majority of the unvaccinated indicating they will not get the jab.”

No wonder that many Americans are skeptical when considering how the FDA’s approval was rushed through, due to pressure from politicians, the Biden Administration, paid scientists and money-making companies.

Military Troops Ordered to Vaccinate

The Associated Press wrote on August 25:

“Military troops must immediately begin to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo Wednesday, ordering service leaders to ‘impose ambitious timelines for implementation.’ More than 800,000 service members have yet to get their shots… Fulfilling the vaccine mandate, however, may be a challenge for National Guard forces who are scattered around the country…

“Asked about specific punishments for noncompliance, [Pentagon spokesman John] Kirby said commanders have a ‘wide range of tools’ to use. ‘It’s a lawful order and we fully anticipate that our troops are going to follow lawful orders,’ he added… The Pentagon decision only applies to the Pfizer vaccine. Moderna has also applied to the FDA for full approval of its vaccine. J&J said it hopes to do so later this year.”

The Washington Post had written on August 21:

“Though Pentagon officials have made clear… that those who refuse risk losing their jobs, inoculation has been voluntary since the vaccines were introduced over the winter — a rare optional task in an organization where orders are the norm… It remains to be seen precisely how the military will address any continued resistance once the vaccine mandate takes [effect]…”

Indeed. It remains to be seen whether the Pentagon has a tiger on their hands.

Australia’s New Restrictions

Life Site News wrote on August 18:

“Australian officials, having legislated the Stay-at-Home order for New South Wales (NSW), have instructed their citizens to report all infringements of COVID regulations including those committed by neighbors and co-workers… Premier Gladys Berejiklian… admonished the people to report ‘anything which is not according to the health rules,’ anywhere, even on your fellow co-workers…

“Dr. Kerry Chant, the Chief Medical Officer for NSW, is also working to keeping people safe by discouraging social interactions and neighborly exchanges. In a public broadcast a week earlier, Chant made it very clear that ‘whilst it is in human nature to engage in conversation with others, to be friendly, unfortunately this is not the time to do that.’ Chant gave the example of meeting a neighbor in the grocery store. In such cases, the people of NSW are not to ‘start up a conversation.’ ‘Now is the time for minimizing your interactions with others,’ Chant continued…

“Effective this past Sunday at midnight, the NSW police have launched ‘Operation Stay at Home,’ which…  entails ‘a 21,000 personnel operation — including 18,000 police officers and 800 members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) — to enforce public health orders.’ In response, the Australian Lawyer Alliance (ALA) called the excessive use of military force to police the streets a ‘dangerous precedent.’

“People are not allowed to leave their homes without ‘a reasonable excuse,’ and if they do leave, they must ‘carry a face mask at all times.’ An individual who chooses to exercise is not allowed to move beyond a 5km radius from their home, and must provide proof of address upon request if stopped by the police.

“Other restrictions limit individuals living alone to having one ‘nominated visitor’ that is not ‘visiting’ other people and resides in the same government area. All places of worship are completely closed down, and only live-stream worship is allowed. All outdoor gatherings are limited to two people.

“As of the end of July, NSW State police commissioner Mick Fuller stated that the reporting hotline has received 15,000 complaints regarding the breaking of COVID restrictions…”

This is not the time to obey God by loving your neighbor as yourself??? Rather, this is the time to spy on and report on [and perhaps lie about] your neighbors???  This is Nazi Germany all over!

Trudeau Blaming the Innocent

Life Site News wrote on August 20:

“The Prime Minister of Canada has encouraged Canadians to confront neighbors who choose not to take COVID-19 inoculations. Justin Trudeau, 49, also suggested that people who refuse the experimental medical products are endangering Canadians, even Canadian children. On Thursday August 19, while campaigning in Calgary for the upcoming federal elections, Justin Trudeau said that people who remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus will be barred from plane and train travel. He also encouraged his supporters to protect themselves by confronting the unvaccinated people in their lives.

“In a video posted to Twitter, Trudeau can be heard at the Calgary Liberal Party rally yelling… ‘If you don’t want to get vaccinated, that’s your choice, but don’t think you can get on a plane, or a train, beside vaccinated people and put them at risk…

“Trudeau’s statement that unvaccinated people in particular endanger the vaccinated conflicts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) advice that even the vaccinated can contract and spread COVID-19… Trudeau’s statement that we need to ‘protect’ children from COVID-19 is at odds with the expert opinion of epidemiologist Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, a former senior adviser to COVID pandemic policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)… Alexander stated that: ‘… There is zero benefit to children from the vaccine.’”

As it is true for many of his colleagues in power all over the world, Trudeau is becoming a left-wing socialist autocrat. So is the current leadership in the USA.

SF Gate wrote on August 21:

“… the federal government is extending its mask mandate for all airline, train and bus passengers into next year. The rule had been due to expire in mid-September, but now travelers will have to keep wearing appropriate face coverings at least until Jan. 18. Consumer surveys have indicated that most travelers support the rule…”

And so, Americans, being pressured or duped by left-wing propaganda, support measures which severely violate their liberties and freedoms. It’s like the story about the proverbial frog in hot water, which is described in this way: “The boiling frog is a fable describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.”

Coming… Repeat of the 2008 Housing Crisis?

Newsweek wrote on August 20:

“… it is safe to say that the U.S. housing market is as overvalued as it ever has been in history. So there is little reason to doubt that a large bubble has inflated in this market…

“The net result is that lessons hard learned are soon forgotten. As soon as a public health crisis like COVID-19 emerges, all those warnings from the financial crisis a decade previous are thrown in the trash like so many unloved toys. Borrowing statistics become passé; case numbers and deaths are in vogue now…

“How much damage could this housing bubble do? Housing bubbles affect the real economy through their impact on residential construction investment and employment. Construction firms see that prices—and, with them, profits—are rising, so they borrow and invest… If prices fall, it seems likely that investment will go into hard reverse… If property prices decline and construction investment dries up, many… workers will lose their jobs…

“But now consider the problems in the junk bond market. This is a double bubble. We have a bubble in the junk bond market allowing bankrupt businesses to keep their lights on, and a bubble in the housing market driving record rates of residential construction investment. It is hard to come to any other conclusion: the next financial crisis could make 2008 look like a dress rehearsal.

The article also claimed that the same phenomenon can be observed all over the world, so that the coming housing crash will be worldwide.

Bank of America’s Radical Racist “Re-Education Program”

The New York Post wrote on August 19:

“Bank of America Corp. has implemented a racial re-education program that claims the United States is a system of ‘white supremacy’… Bank of America teaches employees that the United States is a ‘racialized society’ that uses ‘race to establish and justify systems of power, privilege, disenfranchisement and oppression.’ According to the training program, all whites… are ‘living a life with white-skin privileges.’ Even children are implicated in the system of white supremacy: According to the program materials, white toddlers ‘develop racial biases by ages 3 to 5’ and ‘should be actively taught to recognize and reject the “smog” of white privilege.’…

People of color, on the other hand, can’t be racist, because ‘racism is used to justify the position of the dominant group . . . and to uphold white supremacy and superiority’…

“America’s economy is described as a ‘caste system,’ with ‘African-Americans kept exploited and geographically separate.’ The American policing system, according to the materials, was founded on ‘slave patrols whose task was to capture, control and brutalize enslaved people’;… this system is ‘woven into the DNA’ of US society and, according to the activists in the training module, can be solved only through ‘the defunding and even the abolishment of the police.’…

“In its very name, Bank of America claims to represent the United States. Yet instead of promoting American ideals, the company’s executives have adopted the radical… concepts of critical race theory…”

Bank of America’s claims are utterly ridiculous and constitute huge lies. Who in his right mind would believe any of it?

Most Americans Believe in Blasphemous Fairy Tale of Evolution

Israel 365 wrote on August 22:

“A new study published by the University of Michigan in the journal Public Understanding of Science reported that after many years of public opinion being evenly divided, the majority of Americans now claim to support the theory of evolution…

“The study identified levels of education as the strongest factors in determining the opinion of the theory of evolution. ‘Almost twice as many Americans held a college degree in 2018 as in 1988…

“Participants were asked to agree or disagree with this statement: ‘Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals.’… Over the last decade, until 2019, the percentage of American adults who agreed with this statement increased from 40% to 54%.

“The current study consistently identified religious fundamentalism as the strongest factor leading to the rejection of evolution… Political affiliation was also found to be a factor. As of 2019, 34% of Republicans accepted evolution compared to 83% of liberal Democrats…”

The “wise” or intellectuals in this world are fools in the eyes of God.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

America’s Mission in Afghanistan Collapsed in One Day

The Guardian wrote on August 15:

“The 20-year western mission to Afghanistan collapsed in a single dramatic day as Taliban gunmen poured into the capital, Kabul, on Sunday to seize back control of the country.

“Amid scenes of panic, the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled the country and the US ambassador was evacuated to Kabul airport, abandoning the American embassy…

“In deeply humiliating scenes for the Biden administration, less than a month before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, smoke spiralled from the embassy compound as staff hastily destroyed documents, before a final group took down the stars and stripes flag and headed to the airport by military helicopter…”

In an accompanying article, the Guardian wrote on August 15:

“The president thought he would gain credit for getting out. So far, it’s been all brickbats… Last time Kabul fell to the Taliban, in 1996, the president, Mohammad Najibullah, was captured and tortured to death. His corpse was hung from a traffic light at a roundabout, signalling a new era of Islamist rule.

“Already, a powerful international chorus is decrying the consequences of Biden’s too-hasty retreat. The UN and aid agencies foresee a humanitarian catastrophe. European countries fear a Syria-scale refugee crisis. Women’s organisations are aghast at the cruel subjugation of Afghanistan’s women and girls. Senior military men from Nato allies bemoan an ‘historic’ strategic blunder. The US departure is a gift to China and Russia, pundits say. It reinforces claims, heard in Iraq in 2011, that the US lacks staying power and leaves friends in the lurch… the Taliban are reportedly fighting alongside al-Qaida and possibly Isis terrorists, too…

“This is exactly what the US (and Britain) always insisted must never happen. Crushing Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida in the wake of the 9/11 attacks was the reason the US invaded in the first place. Allowing al-Qaida a way back is an anathema. Americans would never forgive it. Even so, the situation begins to resemble Iraq after the US withdrawal in 2011. Within two years, Isis had seized large areas of Iraq and Syria and declared an Islamic caliphate. A series of terrible terrorist atrocities ensued, there and across Europe… Will history repeat itself in Afghanistan?”

Sadly, it might. The incredibly disastrous defeat of the USA by Islamist terrorists and the perceived utter incompetence of President Biden and his administration is being noticed by friends and allies around the world.

Bloomberg wrote on August 15:

“Even allies who understood why the U.S. was leaving Afghanistan are likely to be affected by the haste, irresponsibility and callousness with which Washington has made its departure….”

Biden Broke the Peace Deal

Breitbart wrote on August 15:

“The Taliban victory follows Biden breaking the peace deal former President Donald Trump negotiated with the jihadist organization. Under Trump’s terms, the U.S. would have withdrawn all of its combat personnel by May 1 of this year in exchange for the Taliban promising not to harbor terrorist groups like al Qaeda, to negotiate in good faith with Kabul, and to refrain from attacking U.S. forces as they left.

“Biden announced in April he would extend the U.S. presence to September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that prompted the American invasion. He later advanced the withdrawal date to the end of August. The Taliban expressed outrage at the delay and indicated Biden’s actions released them from their commitments under the deal. The terrorist group’s crippling offensive against the Afghan government swiftly followed.”

Of course, there is no guarantee that the Taliban would have abided by any “agreement” with the USA under President Trump.

Biden’s Defeat like Vietnam—only worse!

The Hill wrote on August 15:

“In the past week, comparisons to the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 – which included the chaotic evacuation of the U.S. embassy as communist forces took over the South Vietnamese capital – have gained steam in headlines and on social media… Team Biden is getting hit from the right, the left and everywhere in between for its miscalculation that the Taliban could be reasoned with and would not immediately proceed to take back the country, including the capital city of Kabul…

“A whopping 86 percent of Americans are [concerned] about inflation’… Almost 8 in 10 (78 percent) of voters say they believe violent crime is a ‘major problem’ in the U.S… Just 33 percent approve of Biden’s handling of the border…

“Now the president has a fourth front to defend: Afghanistan, a country that is about to be governed by a terrorist organization that will not hesitate to harbor the likes of ISIS and al Qaeda again.

“It’s the ’70s all over again, except things overall are actually worse…”

Politico wrote on August 13:

“Even if you ignore the fact that Biden has been wrong on almost every U.S. foreign policy and national security issue of the last 40 years…,  what is happening today [in Afghanistan] matters more than most of his previous mistakes….”

Biden’s Afghanistan Surrender

The Editorial Board of the Wallstreet Journal wrote on August 15:

“President Biden’s statement on Saturday [August 14] washing his hands of Afghanistan deserves to go down as one of the most shameful in history by a Commander in Chief at such a moment of American retreat. As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, Mr. Biden sent a confirmation of U.S. abandonment that absolved himself of responsibility, deflected blame to his predecessor, and more or less invited the Taliban to take over the country.

“With that statement of capitulation, the Afghan military’s last resistance collapsed. Taliban fighters captured Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country while the U.S. frantically tried to evacuate Americans. The jihadists the U.S. toppled 20 years ago for sheltering Osama bin Laden will now fly their flag over the U.S. Embassy building on the 20th anniversary of 9/11…

“Mr. Biden’s Saturday self-justification exemplifies his righteous dishonesty… Worse is his attempt to blame his decisions on Mr. Trump…”

Another one of Biden’s Most Shameful Speeches

The Sun wrote on August 17:

“Joe Biden’s speech last night [Monday, August 16] will surely rank as one of the most shameful in presidential history… The mission to prevent terrorism had been a success, he told us, and nation-building was never part of the deal. ‘The buck stops with me,’ he declared, after blaming Donald Trump, as well as the Afghan government, soldiers and people for the ‘gut-wrenching’ scenes… He boasted of resettling 2,000 Afghan allies and their families, as if it absolved him of blame for the many thousands more he has abandoned to their fate…

But there has to be a better way to exit than this shambolic headlong retreat that sold millions of ordinary Afghans down the river…”

Trump Speaks out and Is Regaining Popularity

Fox News wrote on August 17:

“Donald Trump strongly condemned President Joe Biden and the catastrophe unfolding in Kabul, Afghanistan since the weekend, in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday… [He said] that Biden has humiliated the United States more than any other president in history…

“Trump said that he warned presumed Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in discussions last year that the United States will strike back tenfold if an American was harmed or the militants encroached on unapproved areas… Trump claimed he never had any confidence in the now abdicated government of President Ashraf Ghani, claiming the politician was in it for the money… That description was proven true, Trump claimed, following Ghani’s reported escape in which he took several vehicles and an untold amount of cash.”

Breitbart wrote on August 18:

Most voters blame… Joe Biden for the Afghanistan catastrophe and Donald Trump would beat him in a re-vote, per the latest from Rasmussen Reports…  When asked, ‘Who is to blame for the Taliban taking over Afghanistan?’ 51 percent blamed Biden, only 33 percent said Trump, while 15 percent remained undecided…

“The poll also asked who the respondent voted for in the 2020 election. An equal number, 45 percent, said they voted for Biden and Trump. But when asked‘If the next presidential election were held today, who would you vote for?’ Trump now beats Biden by 43 to 37 percent.”

UK Criticizes Biden over Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle reported on August 13:

“… the British government has called the US move to withdraw from Afghanistan ‘a mistake’ because the country ‘is heading towards civil war.’…  “Some international allies, including Germany, warned, ‘that pressing ahead with the plan to leave would create a security vacuum.’…”

According to the New York Times, Biden was pleading with the Taliban to spare the US Embassy in Kabul. Bild Online wrote: “Bidens Kniefall vor den Taliban.” (“Biden kneels down before or bows the knee to the Taliban.”)  

Truly embarrassing for America. But then, America’s allies, including the UK and Germany, are hypocrites, as they had already withdrawn their troops from Afghanistan.

It’s America’s Fault

The Guardian wrote on August 12:

“‘[The Afghans have to] fight for themselves, fight for their nation,’ Joe Biden said. Jen Psaki, the White House spokeswoman, added: ‘They have what they need. What they need to determine is whether they have the political will to fight back.’

“But despite more than $80bn in US security assistance since 2002 and an annual military budget far in excess of other developing nations, Afghan military resistance to the Taliban is collapsing with greater speed than even most pessimists had predicted…  the attempt to put all the blame on the Afghans obscures the share of responsibility of the US and its allies for the military disaster…

“… many military analysts argue the abruptness of the US withdrawal, begun by Donald Trump and continued by Joe Biden, has contributed to the speed of the collapse… Without US soldiers on the ground directing precision air strikes in the midst of the battle, US air support to Afghan troops is of limited help… Afghanistan has its own air force but it is dependent on US military contractors to service it, and the contractors were among the first to leave…”

No wonder that the Afghan “army” is collapsing and on the run, leaving powerful weapons and tanks and war machines behind for the Taliban to grab—most of them “made in the USA.” The USA, both under Trump and now under Biden, is being accused of a terrible shortsightedness and miscalculation of reality. But the same goes for America’s allies. Note the subsequent articles.

Europe Alarmed and Frustrated

The Washington Examiner wrote on August 18:

 “President Joe Biden’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan has sent a shiver of frustration and bewilderment through allies at home and abroad who regarded his inauguration as a break from former President Donald Trump’s oft-haphazard approach to foreign policy… [Allies] are stunned to see him follow Trump’s line in Afghanistan and compound that choice with mismanagement.

“German politician Armin Laschet, the heir-apparent to outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, [said:] ‘This is the greatest debacle that NATO has seen since its foundation, and it is an epochal change that we are facing’…

“That’s the kind of criticism European officials might have expected Trump to earn rather than Biden, given the former president described the alliance as ‘obsolete.’… In June, Biden said he had ‘strong consensus among the leaders … on Afghanistan’ during his appearance at the NATO summit in Brussels. That statement belied the disagreement over his decision to withdraw so soon after taking office, and the fall of Kabul just months later has caused transatlantic frustration to break into public. ‘It looks like NATO has been completely overtaken by American unilateral decisions,’ former British national security adviser Peter Ricketts told Financial Times. ‘First of all, Trump’s decision to start talking to the Taliban about leaving and then the Biden decision to set a timetable.’”

Politico wrote on August 17:

Now… European officials worried he has unwittingly accelerated what his predecessor Donald Trump started: the degradation of the Western alliance and everything it is supposed to stand for in the world. Across Europe, officials have reacted with a mix of disbelief and a sense of betrayal.

“Even those who cheered Biden’s election and believed he could ease the recent tensions in the transatlantic relationship said they regarded the withdrawal from Afghanistan as nothing short of a mistake of historic magnitude. ‘I say this with a heavy heart and with horror over what is happening, but the early withdrawal was a serious and far-reaching miscalculation by the current administration,’ said Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the German parliament’s foreign relations committee. ‘This does fundamental damage to the political and moral credibility of the West.’

“At a time when some European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have been pushing for the bloc to pursue a security policy less dependent on America, Afghanistan is bound to be used as evidence for why ‘strategic autonomy’ is necessary… While dismay over the course of events in Afghanistan was widespread across Europe, it is particularly pronounced in Germany…”

“European autonomy” is clearly prophesied.

“Whatever Happened to ‘America is Back’? Allies Fume at Biden Failure in Afghanistan”

Breitbart wrote August 15:

“U.S. allies are fuming at President Joe Biden’s failure to defend Afghanistan from the Taliban, wondering if the country’s rapid collapse, and Biden’s refusal to consult other countries before withdrawal, means America’s decline as a world power.”

“The Washington Post reported Sunday:

‘“Whatever happened to ‘America is back’?” said Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the Defense Committee in the British Parliament, citing Biden’s foreign policy promise to rebuild alliances and restore U.S. prestige damaged during the Trump administration. ‘People are bewildered that after two decades of this big, high-tech power intervening, they are withdrawing and effectively handing the country back to the people we went in to defeat,’ Ellwood said. ‘This is the irony. How can you say America is back when we’re being defeated by an insurgency armed with no more than [rocket-propelled grenades], land mines and AK-47s?’

‘“Israeli officials are worried, according [to] the Times of Israel, noting some links that exist between the Taliban and Hamas…  In Britain, the Daily Mail blared the front-page headline alongside a military coffin: ‘What the… did they all die for?’

“Biden has used the phrase ‘America is back’ to signify his willingness to cooperate with other nations — in contrast to Trump’s supposed assertion of American preeminence. ‘America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy,’ Biden said in a speech at the State Department, shortly after taking office.”

America is being defeated for biblical reasons. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Making America Great Again?”  

Merkel Failed the German People

On August 15, Bild Online published the following commentary by chief editor Julian Reichelt:

“We capitulate, the barbarians triumph. During these hours, the Taliban are establishing an Islamist state of God in the country where more than 50 German soldiers and thousands of soldiers from the Western Alliance have lost their lives so that that same caliphate would never exist again. The images are a dramatic reminder of the debacle of the lost Vietnam War. The barbarians who attacked New York and Western civilization 20 years ago on September 11th are triumphant.

“What President Biden had ruled out in June is now a reality: Americans are being flown out of Afghanistan. During these hours, thousands upon thousands set off for Europe, fleeing from the Stone Age Islamists. We see that the words of Chancellor Angela Merkel to COMBAT the causes of flight on the ground were completely worthless.

“We don’t fight, we surrender. The case of Kabul shows the strategic indifference and incompetence of our federal government on global issues: China gets influence in Afghanistan, we get the refugees from Afghanistan. And it won’t be long before terror is brought back to the world from there. After the debacle in Syria, Chancellor Merkel did not even attempt to forge a military alliance that could have protected our interests on the ground for the second time, for example by providing air support for the Afghan army, which we only built with billions in taxpayers’ money to see them collapse now and leave the guns to the Taliban.

“The full extent of the inability can be seen in Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who unfortunately forgot to evacuate the German embassy staff in time because she simply ignored the threat posed by the approaching Taliban. In the first really important moment she showed how completely unsuitable she is for the office of defense minister. She only noticed the Taliban when their flags were flying in the suburbs of Kabul. It is a failure that could still cost lives.

“The Chancellor has been claiming for 16 years that she thinks everything from the end. The end of the Afghanistan mission, for which she is politically responsible, could not have been more devastating.”

Merkel’s days are over, and her time is far spent, and her successor, whoever it might be in the short term, will prove to be as weak, or weaker, than Merkel (see the article below on the German elections in September).

This Hypocrisy Must Stop

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 16:

“The mission was one big lie… Human rights? Women’s rights? Democracy? That’s no longer the West’s problem, it seems, it’s suddenly for Afghans to sort out among themselves…

“But what Biden fails to mention is that the US did not only invade Afghanistan back in 2001 in order to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida. The US also promised the Afghan people that it would bring democracy to their country. Protecting the rights of Afghan women was one of the main arguments for the US-led war on Afghanistan. But two decades on, it’s clear that this was all just empty rhetoric; neither women’s rights nor democracy were the top priorities.

“The same women who… were placated with promises… are now being cast back into the darkness in which they existed prior to 2001. They have been betrayed and abandoned… The EU and Germany’s asylum policy is no less hypocritical…  EU politicians have refused to acknowledge the gravity of the security situation in Afghanistan and that the international mission has failed.

“But now that it’s too late, politicians, the media and academics are professing their shock… Instead of supporting warlords and corrupt politicians in recent years, they should have made concerted efforts to understand and engage with the Afghan people, their culture and society… Rather than helping build an army, they should have been helping the Afghan people build a future….”

And so, hypocritical Europeans place all the blame on America.

Far Eastern Military Cooperation

Newsmax wrote on August 13:

“Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing on Friday and suggested it could develop further, after flying to China for joint maneuvers involving more than 10,000 troops… Russia and China have conducted joint drills since 2005, but Shoigu — a close ally of President Vladimir Putin — noted that it was the first time the Russian military had taken part in an event of this kind in China… [Reportedly,] the drills also marked the first time Russian soldiers had used Chinese weapons.

“… China is Russia’s biggest trade partner. Russian Railways this week said the first railway bridge between Russia and China, over the Amur River, would open soon, a boost for bilateral trade.

“Separate Russian drills with Indian forces in the Russian city of Volgograd involving around 500 soldiers ended on Thursday…”

A military cooperation between Russia, China and other countries, such as India, Pakistan and Iran, which will be hostile towards the EU and the USA, is prophesied. It is also interesting that China and Russia are enjoying a very good relationship with the Taliban in Afghanistan and are not vacating their embassies. Note the next article.

Modern Diplomacy wrote on August 11:

“The American exit from Afghanistan has created a power vacuum. The quartet of China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran stands to benefit the most from the US withdrawal…

“From a long-term perspective, the American exit signals a shift in US foreign policy away from the Middle East and South Central Asia…

Beijing would prefer to work closely with Moscow than with Washington. China and Russia share similar concerns, and both oppose a Western military presence….”

EU Relies on its Military Might

National News wrote on August 13:

“Determined not to open Europe’s borders to another wave of refugees, the EU is preparing to guard its frontiers with a growing reliance on military might… People travelling to Europe can expect to face drones, army troops and more guards from the EU’s border agency Frontex… The agency uses planes, helicopters, sea vessels, patrol cars and other equipment, such as heartbeat detectors, to root out illegal migrants in what experts consider a growing militarisation of its operations…

“Airbus supplies Frontex with drones equipped with infrared vision to monitor the Mediterranean. Guards are allowed to use service weapons… Frontex is in high demand from EU countries… Frontex has working arrangements with 18 countries, including Ukraine, one of the main sources of people who are deported from the EU…”

The EU is relying more and more on mercenaries such as Frontex.

Germany after September 26

European Politics and Policy as well as the London School of Economics published the following piece by Minna Ålander, Julina Mintel and Dominik Rehbaum on August 12:

“… the choice of Germany’s next leader will also have significant consequences for the EU

“The current governing coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) consider the EU to be a central part of Germany’s future… The Greens want to [see] a Federal European Republic, and the FDP envisions a decentralised federal European state… Die Linke… would like to… cut all funding for military projects. In contrast, the AfD would like Germany to leave the EU altogether.

“Regarding foreign and security policy, all parties with the exception of the AfD [want] to enhance the EU’s decision-making capacity. The FDP, CDU/CSU and SPD support a European Defence Union and the creation of a European armed forces… The CDU/CSU manifesto envisions a core Europe… in all matters of foreign and security policy…  While the CDU/CSU, the Greens and Die Linke all favour the introduction of a digital euro by the European Central Bank to guarantee means of payment, the AfD proposes a return to a national German currency.

“It is exceptionally difficult to predict the outcome of the election [on September 26], but the most likely scenario is that the CDU/CSU will remain in power with a new coalition partner. One such coalition would be an agreement between the CDU/CSU and the FDP…

“At present, the polling presents a mixed picture and it remains unclear what direction Germany will take as it enters the post-Merkel era. It will be up to German voters to decide on whether the country should continue to pursue a similar path under a new leader, or whether it is time to initiate a major break with the past….”

Germany’s future is indeed interesting, and this even more so now, in light of the Afghanistan debacle for which the German government bears their share as well. The Bible shows that a powerful core Europe will develop, and a charismatic leader of German or Austrian descent, ruling over core Europe, will arise.

“Spahn’s Punch in the Face!”

Bild wrote on August 14th:

“Jens Spahn wants us to ‘hold out again until spring’. Say what?

“Talk of perseverance is the last thing we need in the current situation! The Spahn sentence is a slap in the face – for all families, schoolchildren, daycare children, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs and artists. For everyone who has ‘held out’ for a year and a half. And who now have the right to live their lives in freedom again. But no: more rigidity instead of Freedom Day in Germany!

“How can there be an atmosphere of optimism that our country so urgently needs? We have to get out of pandemic mode… No more Corona symbol politics! Finally stop with compelling even our children to wear masks and with abusive and arbitrary treatment through rules of madness!”

Spahn is a truly controversial and polarizing figure. His coronavirus policies have been appalling at times, but most Germans seem to have loved them. It seems like Bild Online is trying to wake up these Germans, but not with much success.

Catholic Church and Resistance “to the Face”

The New York Times wrote on August 12:

“To stamp out the old Latin Mass, Pope Francis is using the papacy in precisely the way that progressives once claimed to deplore: He centralizes power in Rome, usurps the local bishop’s prerogatives and institutes a micromanaging style that is motivated by paranoia of disloyalty and heresy

“I believe the practice of the new Mass forms people to a new faith: To become truly Christian, one must cease to be Christian at all. Where the new faith is practiced with a zealous spirit — as in Germany now — bishops and priests want to conform the religion’s teaching to the moral norms of the nonbelieving society around them…

“I don’t know if bishops will adopt Francis’ zeal to crush the Latin Mass. I don’t know how painful they are willing to make our religious life. If they do, they will create — or reveal — more division in the church. The old slogan of the traditional Latin Mass movement comes to mind: We resist you to the face….”

Unity within the Catholic Church seems to be elusive. The author of the article also compared the current situation with the upheaval during the Protestant Reformation.   

The Pope and the Ten Commandments

Life Site News wrote on August 18:

“‘I observe them, but not as absolutes,’ Pope Francis said of the Ten Commandments… Pope Francis made the statement in the context of how Christians live a moral life…

“This is not the first time Pope Francis has offered his own catechesis on the Ten Commandments. In November 2018, he also suggested that the Ten Commandments are not an absolute or binding on Christians.

“… on August 11, 2021,  [he] spoke again of the Ten Commandments, as well as the Mosaic Law… In his estimation, it was not only the Laws of Moses applicable to the Old Covenant, but also the Ten Commandments themselves that were part of the norms for the Israelites at the time.”

Pope Francis’ ignorance of the Bible and the Ten Commandments is mind-boggling.

Department of Justice accused of Dereliction of Duty

Newsmax wrote on August 13:

“The Department of Justice is taking heat for its dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration last year against the University of Vermont Medical Center.

“The chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ religious liberty and pro-life committees said Thursday that the Justice Department ‘is acting in dereliction of its duty to enforce the plain meaning of federal law’ by voluntarily dismissing a lawsuit against a hospital that forced nurses to assist in elective abortions against their religious beliefs… [and] their conscientious objections….

“‘It is hard to imagine a more horrific civil rights violation than being forced to take an innocent human life,’ said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities…

“The Catholic bishops were not the only ones expressing outrage at the voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit. Earlier this week, 84 House Republicans sent a scathing letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra that called the dismissal a ‘profound miscarriage of justice.’… The lawmakers concluded that the DOJ’s actions ‘signal that this administration would rather allow consciences to be violated at the behest of the abortion lobby rather [than] enforce the law and protect religious liberty.’”

Religious liberty and freedom, as well as religious belief and conscientious objections, have been under attack in the USA for quite a while. But these days, especially with the arrival of COVID 19 and governmental restrictive measures to “combat” it, it’s getting worse and worse.

Mandatory Vaccine Passport for Interstate Travel?

Newsmax wrote on August 13:

“Several media outlets reported Friday that the Biden administration… has discussed requiring Americans to obtain a vaccine passport for interstate travel… Conservative lawmakers responded swiftly and loudly to even the mention of such an idea…

“… the AP story confirms that ‘more severe measures — such as mandating vaccines for interstate travel … have been discussed.’ The report adds the Biden administration is concerned that these actions ‘would be too polarizing at this time.’ As a result, a White House official said that mandating vaccines for interstate travel is ‘not under consideration at the moment.’

“The clarification from the White House did not convince conservative podcast host Liz Wheeler, who said via her Twitter account: ‘Mandating the covid vaxx for interstate travel has “been discussed”?!… This is a called a test balloon, to prepare people for when the Biden admin drops this dictate. This is OUTRAGEOUS.’”

It truly is. To even raise such an unparalleled idea in American history shows how autocratic and dictatorial the US government is willing to become.

New York’s Incredible Dictatorship

Daily Mail wrote on August 18:

“New York City business owners are suing Mayor Bill de Blasio over the city’s new ‘arbitrary and capricious’ vaccine requirements that will force them to check the vaccine status of every single indoor customer…

“De Blasio’s controversial ‘Key to NYC’ scheme officially kicked off August 17, marking the US’s first rules separating the vaccinated and the unvaccinated in day-to-day life. Cities like New Orleans and San Francisco have since followed suit with similar mandates.

“New York’s rules require staff and customers at dining, entertainment and fitness venues to have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter indoor spaces…

“Restaurants have until September 13 to get up to speed with the rules, after which time they will be faced with city inspections and slapped with hefty fines if they fail to comply.

“The mandate also applies to other indoor social settings, with vaccine passports now required to enter the city’s gyms, fitness centers, indoor pools, movie theaters, music and concert venues, museums, indoor stadiums and arenas, convention centers, bowling alleys and indoor play areas.”

This is so diabolical and dictatorial! It surely brings Nazi Germany’s policies to mind.

Patients with Weak Immune System to Receive a THIRD Shot?

NBC News wrote on August 13:

“An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Friday [unanimously] to recommend that certain patients with weakened immune systems receive an extra dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine….

“Dr. David Cohn, chief medical officer at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center [said that now] that it is clear that many of those patients have not been well protected by the vaccines,… the third dose will be a welcome boost in immunity.”

Has one ever heard such dangerous scientific nonsense and insanity before?

Jews Asked to Modify Holy Day Services

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 17:

“Only those vaccinated with the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, those who have recovered from the virus and those who were recently tested should be allowed to attend High Holy Day services in synagogues, the World Organization of Orthodox Communities and Synagogues recommended… All other worshipers should pray in services in open areas…

“The organization also stressed the importance of wearing masks throughout the entire service, keeping distance between worshippers and avoiding kissing the Torah scroll or shaking hands. The organization also recommended that sites be set up for outdoor prayer services near synagogues with adequate seating and protection from the sun, adding that prayer services should begin early and be shortened as much as possible…

“Rosh Hashana begins this year on Monday, September 6, in the evening. Yom Kippur takes place this year on the evening of September 15. Last year, Israel was under lockdown for the High Holy Days, with strict restrictions regulating the size of prayer services. Officials have expressed concerns that if infection rates continue to rise or a new variant enters Israel, Israel could be in lockdown for the holidays again this year…”

Are they making a mockery of God and His Holy Days? Now, the Pope said that getting vaccinated is an act of love. Incredible! No wonder God is so ANGRY with the religious leadership and establishment of

“Christians” and “Jews” around the world.

Canada’s Vaccination Passport for International Travel

Global News wrote on August 11:

“Canada is getting a vaccine passport for international travel, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced on Wednesday. The vaccine certificate will be common across all provinces, and will include the holder’s COVID-19 vaccination history, the date they got it, the type of jab they received and the location where they received their shot. It will be available to all citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents living in Canada who are fully vaccinated.

“As for a timeline, the passport will be ready to go ‘early this fall’ … In the meantime, the government will have to gather all the vaccination data from each province and territory in order to plug it into their new passport system and get it ready to go… the passport is being crafted with international travel in mind…”

Under Satan’s influence, more and more countries are trying to prevent its citizens from traveling to keep God’s annual Holy Days. For instance, parts of Australia are under complete lockdown again, and Germany is refusing entry to anyone arriving from certain designated countries.

Supreme Court Won’t Block Vaccination Mandate

The Washington Post wrote on August 13:

“Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday rejected a plea from a group of Indiana University students [Klaassen v. Trustees of Indiana University] to stop the university’s requirement that all students be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Barrett, who received the request because she is the Supreme Court justice tasked with emergency petitions from that region of the country, did not give a reason. It appears she made the decision on her own, as she did not mention referring the matter to the other justices.

“It was the first case about vaccination requirements to reach the Supreme Court. Both a federal district judge and a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit had previously rejected the request that the university’s requirement be put on hold while the issue was further litigated…

“The university in May required all faculty, students and staff to be vaccinated unless they applied and qualified for an exemption, such as a religious objection or a medical reason for not receiving the vaccine… the school announced it would require all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. According to the school’s policy, those who receive a religious or medical exemption must wear masks in public spaces and be regularly tested…

“In their filing to the Supreme Court, the students claimed a constitutional violation [by being coerced] to give up their rights to bodily integrity, autonomy, and of medical treatment choice in exchange… They contended the vaccine could be more dangerous to them than the virus… ‘The known and unknown risks associated with COVID vaccines, particularly in those under 30, outweigh the risks to that population from the disease itself.’…

“The lower courts relied on a Supreme Court precedent from 1905. In Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the court backed a government requirement that people get vaccinated against smallpox or pay a fine….”

Another typically political and cowardly decision by the US Supreme Court. But it shows again the deeply troubling movement towards American dictatorship.

Animal Abuse

The New York Post wrote on August 12:

“Animal rights groups are outraged at Dr. Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after reports emerged it spent $400,000 on research to infect beagles with disease-causing parasites… The beagles were reportedly allowed to develop infections for three months before they were then euthanized so their blood could be collected…

“PETA’s vice president Kathy Guillermo [said:] ‘[The National Institutes of Health’s director Francis Collins, who oversees Fauci] is spending billions of dollars on studies that include infecting and cutting up dogs, frightening monkeys, and addicting mice to cocaine that don’t lead to cures or vaccines while humans die from Alzheimer’s, HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and other deadly ailments.’”

The Daily Caller wrote on August 4:

“Members of Congress earlier this year called for increased transparency on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) animal testing after WCW revealed that around 20,000 dogs per year are used in FDA experiments, many of which scientists say are unnecessary and harmful to the animals involved.”

This is so SICK! It shows how perverted and corrupt human nature is.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Fight between Israel and Hezbollah Worsens

JTA wrote on August 6:

“Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah are engaged in their heaviest fighting since the 2006 Lebanon War. On Friday morning, Hezbollah fired 19 rockets at Israel… Israel responded with artillery strikes…

“This appears to be the first time since 2006 that Hezbollah has openly claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel…”

PM Bennett under Attack

Israel 365 wrote on August 8:

“… the Health Ministry, at the behest of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, instituted restrictions on public gatherings. The restrictions come just a few weeks before the high holidays, leading one rabbi to compare Bennett to Yerovam ben Nevat, the rebellious king of Israel who tried to keep his subjects from arriving at the Temple in Jerusalem…

“Criticism of the Prime Minister increased after a Facebook Q&A session last week in which he compared not getting vaccinated to committing mass murder… Bennett went on to compare not getting vaccinated against COVID-19 to spraying machine-gun fire at innocents. He said a lockdown during the Jewish High Holidays in September will depend on the number of those who do get immunized…

“Rabbi Michoel Green… suggested a disturbing Biblical precedent for the PM’s draconian and divisive measures. ‘Yerovam [Jeroboam] ben Nevat blocked Israelites from entering the Holy Temple with their fellow Judeans,’ Rabbi posted on Facebook, noting that ‘Nevat’(נבט) is written with the same letters as Bennett (בנט). ‘Naftali Bennett seeks to block Israelis from entering synagogues & approaching the Western Wall with their fellow Jews,’ Rabbi Green explained…

“Jeroboam reigned the northern kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel from 797-776 BCE.  To keep his subjects from making the yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem, which was under the control of the Davidic dynasty, Jeroboam erected idolatrous golden calves in Beth-El and in Dan and instituted yearly festivals for them. Jeroboam is considered one of the greatest sinners in Jewish history.”

Bennet’s statements are outrageous. The rabbi is making an interesting comparison…

UK Warns: Leave Afghanistan Immediately!

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 7:

“The British government has told all UK nationals to leave Afghanistan immediately as fighting intensifies between Taliban militants and Afghan security forces… Britain’s Foreign Office warned that  ‘terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks’ amid a drawdown of international troops stationed there… ‘There is a high threat of kidnapping throughout the country…  [It was also announced that] Britons would not be able to rely on the UK government for an emergency evacuation…

“The Taliban has made rapid advances across Afghanistan in recent months…  The hardline Islamist insurgents captured the provincial capital of Zaranj, in the southern Nimroz province, on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, Afghan officials confirmed the loss of another provincial capital, the city of Sheberghan in Jawzjan province…

“General Nick Carter, the head of the British armed forces, said last month that the situation in Afghanistan was ‘pretty grim’ and warned there was a danger of ‘state collapse.’…

“Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has criticized Washington’s withdrawal strategy. ‘The reason for our current situation is that the decision was taken abruptly,’ he told parliament on Monday, adding he had warned the Biden administration the withdrawal would have ‘consequences.’… George W. Bush, the former US president who launched the offensive in Afghanistan, said the pullout of Western forces was ‘a mistake.’”

Taliban Winning

The Washington Post reported on August 8:

“Taliban fighters overran three major cities in the north of Afghanistan on Sunday, the most significant territorial gains the militants have netted in a single day since the withdrawal of U.S. forces entered its final phase this year. In nearly simultaneous operations, the Taliban pushed into the center of Kunduz city and the capitals of Sar-e Pol and Takhar provinces…

“The developments marked a sharp escalation in the pace of Taliban gains across Afghanistan… the Taliban is increasingly accusing Afghan forces and the United States of indiscriminately using air power that is killing and wounding large numbers of civilians. Human rights groups are also voicing concerns about a spike in civilian casualties…”

The Guardian added on August 9:

“The Taliban captured another provincial capital on Monday and were pressing on the biggest city in the region, Mazar-i-Sharif…

“Armed fighters swept into the city of Aibak without meeting any resistance… The Taliban have now overrun six provincial capitals in mere days.”

All of this was so predictable and to be expected. On August 12, it was reported that the Taliban also seized Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Ghazni city.

A Never-Ending Endeavor?

The New York Post wrote on August 7:

“The United States was sending B-52 bombers, AC-130 gunships and fighter jets into Afghanistan Saturday to turn back dramatic recent advances by the Taliban. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers, the mainstay of American strategic airpower since 1952, were flying into Afghanistan from al-Udeid airbase in Qatar…

“The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, stationed in the Arabian Sea, is contributing its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets to the missions, but they are not involved in the bombing, the report states. Lockheed AC-130 Spectre attack planes, dubbed ‘the world’s deadliest gunship,’ have also been sent into action.

The onslaught of American airpower comes as the Taliban makes territorial gains throughout Afghanistan in the wake of the near-total departure of U.S. forces ordered by President Biden… Meanwhile, insurgents in the Afghan capital of Kabul assassinated Dawa Khan Menapal, the government’s chief media officer

“The deteriorating security situation forced the US Embassy on Saturday to urge American citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately. ‘The defense sources insisted that there was every intention to continue with the airstrikes after August 31, the date set for the withdrawal of the last remaining US troops in Afghanistan,’ the Times reports.”

The US is now trying to rectify what many have considered to have been a big mistake when leaving Afghanistan. However, the new methods employed will not give the US any glory.

Ukraine’s Future Impossible without Russia

TASS wrote on August 5:

“Deputy Speaker of the Russian State Duma (lower house) Pyotr Tolstoy urged Ukrainian citizens, who wanted to live in Europe, to leave the country and ‘look for a place in the EU’, stressing that Ukraine’s future was impossible without Russia. Tolstoy commented on the words of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who called it a big mistake to stay in Donbass for citizens who considered themselves Russian… According to Tolstoy,… without Russia, there will be no civilization [in Ukraine]…”

EU’s Superstate Plot Exposed

Express wrote on August 5:

“After Leigh Evans, editor-in-chief of Facts4EU claimed the EU now enjoys ‘supreme power’ over large parts of life within individual states, Britons revelled in seeing Brussels’ superstate plot exposed… The furious reaction was sparked following a report by Mr Evans’ think-tank which claimed former Prime Minister Ted Heath began membership negotiations well aware of the plans to formulate an EU superstate. Mr Evans also claims civil servants had warned that accession would involve a progression towards a closer political union within the bloc.

“The history of the EU from its beginnings as the ‘European Economic Community’ or EEC/Common Market has been one of mission creep. ‘Theirs was always a project to absorb member countries into one superstate, as they made clear from the start when they talked of ‘ever closer union’…

“‘All we’ve done is to highlight some of the major steps the EU has been taking along the road to the creation of this superstate, run by an undemocratic and inefficient bureaucracy, controlling vast swathes of the continent, and centralised in Brussels…

“Emmanuel Macron has previously spoken of his wish for a greater European superstate and EU army. After becoming President in 2017, Mr Macron initiated the call for a collective EU army in order to combat China. He said: ‘We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States… We will not protect Europeans unless we decide to have a true European army.’”

The EU—or at least core European nations—will become a corrupt dictatorial power bloc with its own army.

London and Paris Relationship at New Low

Express published on August 9 an article with the following headline:

“Boris & Macron on collision course as France-UK relations sink to lowest since Iraq War.”

The article continued:

“TENSIONS between London and Paris are at an all-time low, a former ambassador has claimed, as Emmanuel Macron skewers Britain for leaving the EU. Paris and London sources said disputes over vaccine orders, fishing, migrants and the Northern Ireland protocol have put Mr Macron and Boris Johnson on a collision course

“Lord Ricketts, formerly ambassador to France… who served between 2012 and 2016 [said:]: ‘The many disagreements that have arisen in recent months have created such a climate of mistrust that one decision cannot undo the damage done. Franco-British relations have fallen to an all-time low, a deterioration reminiscent of the deep divisions over the Iraq war in 2003… He claimed President Macron was ‘one of the European leaders most hostile to the withdrawal from the European Union.’

“The Peer continued: ‘Controversies over-vaccination or quarantine have not helped matters, far from it.”

Core Europe will turn violently against the UK. What we experience now is just a very small foretaste.

Dealing with Dissident EU Member States

VOA News wrote on August 8:

Hungary’s growing list of European Union worries includes controversial LGBT legislation and potentially hacking the phones of journalists, rights activists and political opponents.

Poland has rebuffed a ruling by the bloc’s highest court, claiming its own constitution has precedence over the EU laws it vowed to follow when it joined the club in 2004, although it now appears to have backed down.

“Farther north and politically opposite, Denmark’s leftist government is also feeling legal heat over its recent decision to return hundreds of Syrian immigrants to Damascus, a move critics say violates basic human rights and could set a dangerous precedent for other deportations….

“European leaders are speaking out against dissident members

“The [EU] commission is also probing allegations Israeli spyware was used against EU media…

“The commission’s July rule-of-law report… found a raft of concerns about Hungary and Poland in areas such as press freedom, judicial independence and corruption. It also faulted other states, including Western members such as Austria and Italy, although on a lesser scale…

“There is no mechanism for ousting errant member states, and efforts to suspend their voting rights risk being difficult…”

Ultimately, ten powerful core European nations or groups of nations will emerge from the EU. Italy will definitely be part of them.

Germany’s Unpopular Candidates

The Local wrote on August 8:

“With only 50 days until Germany’s federal election, the frontrunner to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor — CDU/CSU candidate Armin Laschet — is fast losing favour with voters, according to the latest poll. Only 24 percent of those surveyed in the latest ARD “Deutschlandtrend” (Germany trend) poll were satisfied with Laschet… This was a full 13 percentage points less than a month ago.

“Laschet, currently state premier in North-Rhine Westphalia, has been criticised for his crisis management ability and recently came under fire for his response to the floods, which badly hit his own state. To make matters worse, he was captured on camera laughing while German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid homage to flood victims.

“The polls indicated that the Green candidate Annalena Baerbock was also quite unpopular; with 27 percent (down 1 percent on the previous month) she was rated only slightly better than Laschet. These represent historically bad values for both candidates…

“In the latest poll, SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz came out as by far the most popular of the three candidates for chancellor with a 48 percent satisfaction rating. If it were possible to vote directly for the chancellor, Scholz would win by a clear margin…

“Interestingly, both Laschet and Baerbock were also less popular than their respective internal competitors. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed were satisfied with CSU boss Markus Söder, who would have liked to run for the CDU/CSU Union instead of Laschet…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel remained the most popular politician with a 66 percent approval rating (down 3 percentage points on the previous month)…”

This is remarkable. As in the past, Germans will finally want to have a strong and powerful leader… and sadly, they will get one.

Kamala Harris Most Unpopular VP since the 1970s

RSBN (Right Side Broadcasting Network) wrote on August 4:

“Despite typical division along party lines, Republicans and Democrats agree on one thing: Kamala Harris is one of the most unpopular Vice Presidents in the United States since the 1970s.

“The most recent ratings show record lows for the vice president, with 47-48 percent who disapprove of her performance at the White House versus 46 percent who approve…

“Despite that young people typically lean toward Democrats, young American voters ages 18-29 indicated low favorability of Harris. Only 36 percent found her favorable while 41 percent disapproved. Similar numbers were found among Hispanic voters….

“Although she has spent several months touting her gender and unique ethnicity in order to garner support, as well as criticizing GOP-backed electoral integrity bills, Kamala Harris cannot bring even the most radical liberals to support her job performance.”

Kamala Harris’s unpopularity might very well be the reason why no one is really pursuing the question as to how competent, mentally, Joe Biden is for serving as President. Because if he were (asked to) step down or be removed, Kamala Harris would take over his position—and this nightmarish scenario nobody wants to contemplate.  

US Government Funds Abortion to Collect Fetal Tissue

Breitbart wrote on August 4:

“The National Institutes of Health (NIH) granted $3.2 million in federal funds to the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) to achieve its goal of becoming a fetal tissue collection site that could quickly harvest the organs of full-term aborted babies, according to documents obtained as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.

“Judicial Watch and the Center of Medical Progress (CMP) announced Tuesday the receipt of 252 pages of documents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees NIH, the nation’s medical research agency…

“Daleiden, who conducted undercover investigations of Planned Parenthood’s alleged fetal tissue trafficking with biomedical procurement companies, elaborated: ‘… Infants in the womb, some old enough to be viable, are being aborted alive and killed for organ harvesting, in order to bring in millions of dollars in taxpayer funding for Pitt and the Planned Parenthood abortion business it supports…’”

This is so abominable and ungodly.

The Draft—”Equality in Slavery”

Ron Paul wrote on August 9 in the Ron Paul Institute:

“The Senate Armed Services Committee approved last month a National Defense Authorization Act that includes a requirement that women register with Selective Service on their 18th birthday. If the bill becomes law with this provision included and a military draft is reinstated, women will be forced to join the military, and America will have equality in slavery…

“Forcing young people, regardless of their sex, to fight, kill, and even die in war is the worst violation of individual liberty a government can commit. Those who support the military draft implicitly reject the Declaration of Independence. How can someone support forced military service and still claim to believe all individuals are endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

“While commonly thought of as a ‘left-wing’ position, opposition to the draft has historically united Americans across the political spectrum. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater both opposed the draft while running for president. Russell Kirk, the scholar who helped popularize the term ‘conservative,’ opposed conscription…”

What does God say about fighting in war and joining the military? Please read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?”

Troubling Executive Order in Tennessee

WND wrote on August 8:

“An executive order signed quietly by Tennessee’s Republican governor is troubling some Americans as it greenlights the National Guard and State Guard to implement quarantines and involuntary commitment of citizens ‘in connection with certain health care and emergency services operations,’ with the governor specifically concerned about ‘an increase in COVID-19 cases.’…

“The group says it found some of the provisions in the executive order ‘exceptionally concerning,’ including:

‘”Discretion to utilize National Guard and State Guard members in connection with certain health care and emergency services operations… Telephone assessments for involuntary commitment cases are permitted… Temporary quarantine and isolation facilities may be constructed.’”

This is actually quite disturbing, bringing up memories of Nazi and Soviet concentration camps, and of today’s Chinese concentration camps.

An Open Letter to the Unvaccinated

On August 2, OCLA (Ontario Civil Liberty Association) published the following open letter to the unvaccinated in an attempt to counter the fearmongering of the Canadian government:

“You are not alone! As of 28 July 2021, 29% of Canadians have not received a COVID-19 vaccine, and an additional 14% have received one shot. In the US and in the European Union, less than half the population is fully vaccinated, and even in Israel, the ‘world’s lab’ according to Pfizer, one third of people remain completely unvaccinated. Politicians and the media have taken a uniform view, scapegoating the unvaccinated for the troubles that have ensued after eighteen months of fearmongering and lockdowns. It’s time to set the record straight.

“It is entirely reasonable and legitimate to say ‘no’ to insufficiently tested vaccines for which there is no reliable science. You have a right to assert guardianship of your body and to refuse medical treatments if you see fit… It is your body, and you have the right to choose. You are right to fight for your children against their mass vaccination in school.

“You are right to question whether free and informed consent is at all possible under present circumstances. Long-term effects are unknown. Transgenerational effects are unknown. Vaccine-induced deregulation of natural immunity is unknown. Potential harm is unknown as the adverse event reporting is delayed, incomplete and inconsistent between jurisdictions.

“You are being targeted by mainstream media, government social engineering campaigns, unjust rules and policies, collaborating employers, and the social-media mob. You are being told that you are now the problem and that the world cannot get back to normal unless you get vaccinated. You are being viciously scapegoated by propaganda and pressured by others around you. Remember; there is nothing wrong with you.

“You are inaccurately accused of being a factory for new SARS-CoV-2 variants, when in fact, according to leading scientists, your natural immune system generates immunity to multiple components of the virus. This will promote your protection against a vast range of viral variants and abrogates further spread to anyone else.

“You are justified in demanding independent peer-reviewed studies, not funded by multinational pharmaceutical companies. All the peer-reviewed studies of short-term safety and short-term efficacy have been funded, organized, coordinated, and supported by these for-profit corporations; and none of the study data have been made public or available to researchers who don’t work for these companies.

“You are right to question the preliminary vaccine trial results. The claimed high values of relative efficacy rely on small numbers of tenuously determined ‘infections’…”

Some speak up. Most do not listen.

France Moves towards Total Dictatorship

The Associated Press wrote on August 9:

“France took a big step Monday into a post-pandemic future by requiring people to show a QR code proving they have a special virus pass before they can enjoy restaurants and cafes or travel by plane, train or bus across the country… The measure also applies to tourists visiting the country.

“Many in the entertainment business are annoyed that the government is foisting such a job on them… In hospitals, visitors and patients who have appointments are required to have the pass…

“Polls show that most French support the health pass… Yet the measure has prompted strong opposition from some people who say it compromises their freedoms by limiting movements outside the home… The virus pass has already been in place for last month for cultural and recreational venues including cinemas, concert halls, sports arenas and theme parks.

We know, of course, that the prophesied end-time beast, mentioned in the book of Revelation, will be of German or Austrian descent. Still, Macon’s and the French government’s conduct reminds us to an extent as to what we can expect the beast to do. And most of the French love it. The Bible describes them as unstable as water. But Germany may not be far behind France. Note the next article.

Germany to Follow France’s Footsteps?

Deutsche Welle reported on August 9:

“Two top members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have kicked off a big debate over special rights for those vaccinated against COVID-19: Health Minister Jens Spahn and Merkel’s chief of staff, Helge Braun, support the move… And with less than two months to go until a general election, politicians from all political parties are keen to make their voices heard.

“Wolfgng Kubicki, a senior member of the opposition party (FDP) accused the current coalition government… of breaking its promise against making vaccination mandatory. Spahn’s plans, he said, would be exactly that by other means.  The SPD, though they govern with Merkel’s conservatives at the federal level, are also skeptical of the plan to privilege the vaccinated over the non-vaccinated. Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht and some state-level SPD officials have expressed their discomfort, as the party campaigns ahead of September’s vote that will likely end their coalition with conservatives. Lambrecht added, however, that while she did not want to see unequal treatment in the law, private venues can make their own decisions.

“… more than 72% of respondents said they supported giving vaccinated people more rights than those who forego their shots. “

Bild Online reported this week that the German government had lied to the public in several respects and broke many promises which had been made regarding the end of coronavirus restrictions. It is no surprise that uninformed Germans, blindly following the propaganda of the government and the mass-media, as they did in the past, would support Spahn and Co. And Spahn’s popularity, which suffered a great decline recently, may be on the rise again.

CDC Issues Another Warning… Will It Ever End?

Newsmax wrote on August 9:

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Monday against travel to Israel, France, Thailand, Iceland and several other countries because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in those nations…”

Satan is busy to resurrect the circus of travel bans… just in time for God’s annual Holy Days.   

Former Pfizer Vice President Warns against Covid Vaccines for Pregnant Women

Life Site News reported on August 5:

“… former Pfizer vice president Dr. Michael Yeadon highlighted three reasons why women of childbearing years and younger should entirely reject experimental COVID-19 gene-therapy vaccines. ‘You’re being lied to, I’m being lied to,’ said the professional research scientist. ‘The authorities are not giving us full information about the risks of these products.’

“Yeadon, who has degrees in biochemistry and toxicology and a Ph.D in respiratory pharmacology, worked for 32 years in the pharmaceutical industry and retired in 2011 from the most senior position in his field as vice president and chief scientist for allergy and respiratory at Pfizer…

“The British national explained his first point as being ‘so obvious’ that all can agree. ‘We never, ever, give experimental medicines to pregnant women. Why do we not do that?’ he asked. He went on to explain how 60 years ago ‘women were exposed to a new product for morning sickness called thalidomide and it led to at least 10,000 birth malformations.’… ‘You never ever give inadequately tested medicines, medicinal products, to a pregnant woman,’ he emphasized. ‘And that is exactly what is happening. Our government is urging pregnant women, and women of childbearing age, to get vaccinated. And they’re telling them they’re safe. And that’s a lie because those studies have simply not been done.’…

“Yeadon said that given two other studies, the situation looks ‘much worse’ due to evidence of actual damaging effects on fertility… Yeadon discussed how a study… revealed ‘how the vaccine [substances] distributed around the body’ of rats over time. What we find is the vaccine doesn’t just distribute around the body and then wash out again… It concentrates in ovaries of rats… You don’t want this product in your ovaries. It’s simply not necessary to induce immunity to have a vaccine in your ovaries…’

“Yeadon called his final point ‘even worse’ because it entails study results from experiments on actual humans. Last December, Yeadon issued a petition to the European Medicines Agency with another physician from Germany expressing several concerns with the testing of the COVID-19 vaccines… While Yeadon’s petition was ignored, he states that “a study has just come out a few weeks ago, and it says exactly what I was worried about.

“‘Fifteen women were given the Pfizer vaccine. They drew blood samples every few days. When they measured antibodies against spike protein, which took several weeks to appear, they also measured antibodies against the placenta and they found that within the first one to four days an increase of two and a half to three times. That’s a 300% increase in the antibodies against their own placenta in the first four days,’ he explained… ‘that is a vaccine-induced autoimmune attack on their own placenta. And I think you can only expect that that is happening in every woman of childbearing potential. It’s generating antibodies against this critical [spike] protein required for fertilization and successful pregnancy,’ he said…

“‘So, I’m here to warn you that if you are of childbearing potential, or younger, not at menopause, I would strongly recommend you do not accept these vaccines,’ he concluded.”

A warning coming from the former Pfizer vice president should not simply be ignored or suppressed.

Suppressing Medical Opinions

Life Site News wrote on August 4:

“Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet… explained how her own clinical experience and medical research have shaped her understanding of COVID-19 and the mRNA jabs, and given her a burning desire to help the public with her insights.

“Vliet shared that her background in internal medicine and climacteric medicine, which studies the effects of hormonal changes on the body during menopause, has informed her understanding of COVID-19 treatment, as well as the side effects of the so-called vaccines…

“Vliet said the ‘coordinated government-media-big tech collusion’ is being dishonest about the actual effectiveness of the COVID jab in order to ‘drive people’ to receive it. ‘And the tragedy of it is that people are being totally lied to, when they are using the Delta variant as a reason to rush out to get the experimental COVID shot, because the COVID shots don’t protect against the Delta variant…’

“Vliet lamented the fact that relatively few doctors are standing up to ‘the suppression of medical information,’ and that even these doctors are being silenced… Vliet said, ‘Never in my career, never ever has there been this degree of censorship across the board: medical boards, governors, media outlets, government agencies, health systems, hospitals, medical schools, research institutions… Never has there been such a coordinated draconian attacking physicians who are simply trying to do their job to assess the patient, determine treatment to the best of their ability, use the tools at hand, that are FDA approved medicines, widely available, and used every day in medical practice. Never have we had anything like this. It is totally unprecedented.’…

“When asked why she believes censorship and suppression of medical information is occurring, Vliet said… ‘There are 3 things that tend to motivate decisions like this: Money, power, and control…’

“Vliet said that people have given up their usual ‘common sense’ approach to life when confronted with COVID-19… ‘people are blindly going into one of the largest experiments in human history, asking no questions, and that’s not what they do in any other aspects of their lives…’”

Sadly, she is absolutely right when speaking of “blind” submission and giving three reasons (and there might be more) for censorship and suppression of medical (and other) information: Money, power and control by the government, Big Tech, the mass-media and its medical pharmaceutical supporters.

Big Business

RTL Today wrote on August 11:

 “Covid vaccines have brought billions of dollars to the coffers of pharmaceutical companies… Pfizer has earned more than its competitors, raking in $10.8 billion (9.2 billion euros) in the first half of this year… expecting to make $33.5 billion in sales for the full year.

“BioNTech reported on Tuesday revenues of $7.3 billion euros in the first half. Unlike its larger partner, the company’s only product on sale is the coronavirus vaccine. BioNTech expects vaccine revenues to reach 15.9 billion euros for the full year…

“Moderna reported turnover of $5.9 billion in the first six months of the year. It expects to make $20 billion in revenues thanks to the vaccine this year… AstraZeneca and… Johnson & Johnson had their vaccines approved by the EU later than their rivals.

“AstraZeneca’s Covid jab generated $1.2 billion in sales in the first six months of the year. J&J reported $264 million in sales and expects to make $2.5 billion for the full year. AstraZeneca has not provided a detailed full-year estimate.”

But it is all, of course, for the benefit and health of the customers…

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Strange Movie

A new “science fiction” movie with Chris Pratt was released on July 1. It describes the need to destroy hostile Sabbath-keeping aliens, called “White Spikes.” At about 30 minutes in the movie, the following remarks are made about the aliens: “They crawl back into their nest to keep the Sabbath, their day of rest.”

A review by pluddedin.com states:

“The only real reference we’re given to spirituality at all is that the White Spikes, as the aliens are known, rest every seventh day. Naturally, humans call it their ‘Sabbath.’”

The website of sreenrant.com states:

“An intriguing quirk of the Whitespikes’ story in The Tomorrow War is the routine that they go into hiding for one day every week. The absence on the seventh day is a convenient plot device at first, as this gives the human army a designated day to bring new recruits from the past to the future. However, there is never an explanation given for why the Whitespikes do this, to begin with. Are they returning to the Queen Whitespike for breeding purposes? Are they honoring some sort of Whitespikes Sabbath? It is a puzzling mystery that The Tomorrow War doesn’t address.”

Overall, the movie has received many bad reviews. What is concerning is the concept (intentional or not) that Sabbath-keeping aliens are determined to conquer the earth and that they must be destroyed. The movie also claims that these aliens have been on planet earth for a long time without having been noticed. An old Catholic prophecy states that Antichrist will come, claiming to be Christ, and forcing Sabbath-keeping upon mankind. According to that demonic prophecy, Antichrist needs to be fought against. Whether the moviemakers knew anything about this concept, is doubtful. But Satan does know.

Germany and Poland

euronews.com wrote on July 31:

“[Armin Laschet who is] Germany’s centre-right candidate to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor in the country’s September election said he feels ‘deep shame and humility’ over Nazi Germany’s ‘crimes’ against the Poles during World War II… ‘This responsibility will determine our policy toward Poland also in the future,’ said Laschet… ‘Germany must always be aware of its historical responsibility for Poland’s freedom and independence,’ Laschet said.

“Germany was a great advocate of Poland’s joining the European Union in 2004 and is attentive to the current rule-of-law conflicts between the right-wing Polish government in Warsaw and the EU’s leading bodies…

“[Laschet’s visit occurred] exactly 77 years since the start of Warsaw’s two-month devastating struggle against the occupying Nazi German forces… The revolt ended in the surrender of the Polish Home Army resistance fighters. The Germans destroyed the city, believing it would never rise from the rubble or be Poland’s capital again.”

Laschet’s speech was deeply political and delivered with the attempt to woo Poland to stay within the EU and submit to the EU’s “standards.”

Merkel and what Comes Next…

Foreign Policy wrote on July 9:

“Though Merkel would never contemplate cooperating with the far-right Alternative for Germany at home, she was happy for the past decade to ally at the EU level with Orban’s right-wing, autocratic Fidesz party [of Hungary]…. Merkel recognized how good relations with the Orban regime served German commercial interests and hence used her enormous influence to shield him from EU criticism….

“Most analysts agree that Merkel would probably have been reelected if she had chosen to run for an unprecedented fifth term in office. She remains Germany’s most popular politician by quite some distance… Her CDU successor, Armin Laschet, lacks both charisma and fresh ideas

“Though Merkel may not be the savior of Europe some have made her out to be, she may have paved the path for a new leader who could be.”

Iran Attacks Israeli Tanker

Israel 365 News reported on August 1:

“Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett blamed Iran on Sunday for the attack that left two dead on the Israeli-managed oil tanker in the Arabian Sea on Thursday night… Bennett was quoted… as saying that while Iran is denying responsibility for the incident, ‘I state here absolutely: Iran is the one that carried out the attack on the ship.’ ‘The intelligence evidence for this is there and we expect the international system to make it clear to the Iranian regime that they have made a serious mistake,’ said Bennett, who called the attack ‘cowardly’ and ‘piratical.’ Regardless, he added, Israel knows how to ‘convey the message to Iran in our own ways.’

“The Japanese-owned vessel Mercer Street is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd., a London-based company owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer. It sails under a Liberian flag… A Briton and a Romanian died in the attack… The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher escorted the Mercer Street to a safe harbor following the attack…

“‘Upon arrival, U.S. forces determined through clear visual evidence that an attack had occurred,’ the statement [by the US] said, adding that initial findings indicated the ship had been hit by a drone strike. Iran and Israel have accused each other of multiple attacks on each other’s vessels in recent months…

“In mid-March, U.S. sources told The Wall Street Journal that Israel had attacked 12 ships illegally carrying Iranian oil to Syria since 2019, using weapons such as naval mines to damage the vessels….”

It will remain to be seen how the “international community” will respond, and what Israel might do.

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 1:

“The latest attack by Iran on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman has crossed a deadly line in the war-between-wars waged by Israel, and could force the Jewish State to rethink its maritime strikes against Tehran. The escalation between the two countries has been ongoing for years…

“When he served as defense minister under Benjamin Netanyahu, Bennett argued that Israel should aim for the head of the octopus, Tehran, and not its tentacles – Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.”

The Times of Israel wrote on August 2:

“Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday warned that Israel must act immediately against Tehran… There are ‘hundreds of Iranian UAVs in Iran, Yemen, Iraq and other countries,’ Gantz warned… ‘We will act to remove any such threat,’ [Gantz said].”

Iran Threatens “Response”

The Algemeiner wrote on August 2:

“Iran will respond promptly to any threat against its security, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday, after the United States, Israel and Britain blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman… However, an unnamed Iranian official told the country’s Nournews news agency earlier that Tehran considered ‘the threats of Western officials and the Zionist regime (Israel) to be more of a propaganda gesture’…

“Israel has voiced concerns about efforts by Tehran and US President Joe Biden’s administration to revive the nuclear pact, under which Iran curbed its sensitive nuclear work in exchange for lifting sanctions.”

Incidents like these could very well end up in an outright war in the Middle East. And the Bible indicates that Israel will suffer defeat in a war… and that PRIOR to the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

US Supports Hezbollah

Israel 365 wrote on August 5:

“Right after Lebanon’s ruling party Hezbollah attacked Israel with missiles on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said that Washington will pledge close to $100 million in additional ‘humanitarian aid’ to Lebanon…  It should be noted that Lebanon is currently controlled by the Hezbollah terror organization…

“The Biden administration did not specify how the new funding would be spent but Biden did say that it was in addition to $560 million in humanitarian aid earmarked for Lebanon over the past two years.”

Fear-Mongering in the UK

The Mail on Sunday published on July 31 the following insightful article by Kirstie Allsopp, describing vividly the fear-mongering in the UK:

“Our vaccination rate is among the best in the world. More than 90 percent of adults have antibodies. Infections are falling and even ‘Professor Lockdown’, Neil Ferguson, says the end is in sight. Why, then, is Britain so gripped by continuing fear? Why do we continue with doom-laden public announcements, with the ‘pingdemic’ and with extreme and economically damaging restrictions?

“We can see it all around us – the colleagues who refuse to return to the office; the older people still terrified to leave the bottom of their drive; the clubs, choirs and sewing circles that have collapsed because no one dares take the risk of meeting human beings. Most troubling of all is the growing – and disastrous – acceptance that fresh restrictions might be needed for the autumn and winter ahead… almost a fifth of people favour a permanent 10pm curfew!

“This is partly because the Government has done its best to spread fear, terrifying the life out of ordinary Britons. Early in the pandemic it was recognised that the UK was the most Covid-scared nation in Europe. We were not compelled to keep children inside for weeks like the Spanish, but it turns out many of us did, just the same. We weren’t ordered to wear masks in the street like the French were, but many of us did.

“Brits have gone far beyond the mandated restrictions and have done so with vigour. Is it because our Government did such a good job of scaring us that we are still genuinely afraid? Perhaps. But I worry that there is a deeper reason – that the firm hand of the nanny state is one that too many of us enjoy. And that, today, many millions of us have come to believe in a ‘new normal’.

“A dangerous division is emerging – between those of us who want our freedoms back as soon as possible and those who believe in a new, more regulated life with spells of home imprisonment whenever our medical scientists become concerned. Which is often.

“Facemasks are the most obvious sign of this. Wearing them is no longer compulsory, aside from in specialist locations… Even the repeated assertions that masks work are open to challenge, to put it no more strongly. (The Government spent many months insisting that they don’t, remember.) Yet millions of us continue to wear masks, even in situations where they cannot possibly be effective – in the park, on the beach…

“I am most troubled that the comfortable liberal voices… seem genuinely thankful we are governed not by a functioning parliament but a star-chamber of medical scientists…

“Fear of Covid has made some people very rich indeed and they aren’t going to let go of that in a hurry. The threat to our way of life is serious – and has been coming for some time…

“If we all go round in masks for fear of being thought uncaring, we will end up in a world where people forget how to do the most caring thing in the world – and that is smile…”

This analysis applies to many countries around the world. “Democratic” governments become more and more authoritarian and dictatorial and create ridiculous restrictions to destroy liberty and freedom, and sadly, many gullible and ignorant people love it.

Fear-Mongering and Autocratic Measures in Australia

The following article by Breitbart, dated August 1, describes the awful situation in Australia:

“Footage of police helicopters flying over beaches and parks in Australia to enforce draconian coronavirus lockdown measures is circulating on social media.”

Also note this article by Reuters, dated August 2:

Australia’s Queensland state on Monday extended a COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane, while soldiers began patrolling Sydney to enforce stay-at-home rules… Meanwhile the lockdown of Brisbane and several surrounding areas comes as Sydney, the biggest city in the country, begins its sixth week under stay-at-home orders.”

The Sun added on August 2:

“Australia is enforcing one of the most severe lockdowns in the world and recently called in the military to help enforce its ‘Zero Covid’ strategy… Borders remain shut…

“On Saturday, up to 1,300 police swarmed Sydney and set up roadblocks in a massive show of force… Tens of thousands of maskless protestors took to the streets in Melbourne and Sydney last weekend to oppose the government’s latest round [of] lockdown restrictions…

“More than half the country’s 25 million people have been ordered to stay at home…”

Australia—a prison camp?

Living in Darkness

The Ron Paul Liberty Report wrote on July 29:

“When the ideas of Liberty dominate – humanity flourishes. When the ideas of tyranny and authoritarianism dominate – humanity suffers.

“Back and forth the pendulum seems to swing. From light to dark; and then dark to light. We live in dark times.

“Many people now look back on 2020 with regret, shame and anger. Rolling over to fear did not work out at all. Allowing government to take unprecedented unconstitutional control over society produced nothing but disaster, as it always has (and always will).

“The masks turned out to be useless, as was the anti-social distancing. The lockdowns produced record drug overdoses, skyrocketing suicides amongst the young (i.e., those least at risk) as well as mental and physical problems that will probably reverberate for many years to come.

“With a virus that has a survival rate of 99.7% (and 99.9% in children) the entire world was turned upside-down; not by the virus itself, but by the government policies enacted in the name of it.

“Even though so many people all over the world now see the light, the authoritarians continue forward without pause. Over the past weekend, there were massive protests all over the world… There is tremendous resistance to the insane follow-up ideas that are being proposed — mandated vaccines and vaccine passports… Civilization itself is being challenged in ways that it’s never been challenged before…”

Protests All Over Europe

The Associated Press reported on August 1:

“More than 200,000 people turned out Saturday in France to protest vaccination requirements for the third straight weekend, at times clashing with police. Some 80,000 others protested in cities across Italy last weekend.”

Deutsche Welle reported on August 1:

“Anti-lockdown protesters scuffled with Berlin police on Sunday, as thousands of people defied a court ban on demonstrations… Judges had prohibited several of its planned gatherings this weekend, including one for Sunday that organizers expected would attract over 20,000 people. The court said it could not allow the rallies to go ahead over fears participants would flout rules on mask wearing and social distancing…”

Nice excuse for suppression of unpopular opinions. Focus reported that the UN may investigate whether the actions of the police against the demonstrators in Berlin were illegal. 

People Will Resist

The Washington Post wrote on August 1:

“In recent weeks, calls for vaccine mandates have increasingly been heard…  there’s a top-down push to get reluctant citizens vaccinated… But if this rhetoric and these efforts lead to a de facto national vaccine mandate, it will backfire: Americans from all walks of life resist being told what to put into their bodies, and many will resent any politician or institution that makes them get vaccinated, creating a crisis of legitimacy for any government, university or business that forces constituents, students or employees to get vaccinated…

“… many of the vaccine-hesitant are well-educated, work in the health-care industry and have questions about how effective the vaccines are at stopping transmission, whether they’re safe to take during pregnancy or if they impact fertility… Not only won’t mandates resolve many citizens’ concerns on these issues, they could lead many to feel that their concerns are being overlooked. And the more that government flexes its political muscles to urge or enforce vaccine compliance, the greater incentive there is for populist politicians to push back, reinforcing the idea that the fight over vaccines is a fight about individual liberty…

“The debate is also about how much faith individual Americans have in the information they’re given… Making people get vaccinated… will likely increase mistrust…”

Italian Eatery Fined

Insider wrote on July 30:

“An Italian eatery in California is requiring patrons to show proof of being unvaccinated and discourages masks… the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR)… issued the establishment five citations on June 17, with fines totaling $165,520 due to be paid this July.

“The violations in the DIR’s report range from ‘serious’ to ‘willful-serious’ and demonstrate a failure to provide sufficient COVID-19 protection to both employees and diners, according to the report. The DIR’s inspection found that the restaurant failed to ‘provide face coverings and ensure they were worn by employees’ indoors, according to its report…

“Elsewhere in the country, some restaurants are beginning to require patrons to show proof of vaccination…”

The DIR’s persecution of the Italian eatery—a logical extension of Biden’s fear-mongering tactics—is unconscionable. At the same time, Biden’s fear-mongering prevails also in other parts of the USA.

The Fully Vaccinated NOT Protected?

msn wrote on July 31:

“About three-fourths of people infected in a Massachusetts Covid-19 outbreak were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus with four of them ending up in the hospital… The new data… also found that fully vaccinated people who get infected carry as much of the virus in their nose as unvaccinated people, and could spread it to other individuals…

“While the delta variant continues to hit unvaccinated people the hardest, some vaccinated people could be carrying higher levels of the virus than previously understood and are potentially transmitting it to others… A CDC document that was reviewed by CNBC warned that the delta variant sweeping across the country is as contagious as chickenpox, has a longer transmission window than the original Covid strain and may make older people sicker, even if they’ve been fully vaccinated…

“Delta, now in at least 132 countries and already the dominant form of the disease in the United States, is more transmissible than the common cold, the 1918 Spanish flu, smallpox, Ebola, MERS and SARS, according to the document. Only measles appears to spread faster than the variant.”

If 74% of the people in this outbreak were fully vaccinated, it begs the question of whether the vaccine actually prevents the spread as the politicians and policymakers say. And so, the fear-mongering continues. Also note the next section.

Vaccines Make Covid More Dangerous?

Life Site News reported on July 30:

“Top vaccine scientist Dr. Robert Malone warned that vaccines could be making COVID-19 more dangerous and said the vaccination push may need to be halted altogether…  Dr. Melone has been the chief inventor of mRNA technology and mRNA and DNA innovations while working with the Salk Institute in the 1980s. Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines rely on mRNA technology. Malone is also a licensed physician who received his medical training at Northwestern University, Harvard University medical school, and UC Davis…

“… ‘they think the vaccines are perfectly safe. And not only they’re not perfectly safe… [but] we got the worst case type of adverse event that scares… all vaccinologists, which is antibody dependent enhancement.’

Hundreds of thousands of complications after coronavirus vaccination have been reported by federal authorities…”

On July 30, Life Site News reported:

“Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed there are no more ‘excuses’ to not get the COVID-19 shots and attributed new cases of the virus to those who have not been jabbed… Recent statistics from the U.K. government show that most cases,  more than 50 percent, of the Delta variant of COVID-19 are in those who have had two doses of the virus jab.”

It is amazing how willfully uninformed governmental politicians claim to be. Trudeau’s claim is demonstrably false. And so, draconian measures to impose vaccinations are being employed, as the next article shows as well.

Going from Door to Door

Life Site News reported on July 30:

“Before the White House announced the government would be ‘literally knocking on doors’ to push coronavirus vaccines, health workers, military personnel, and volunteers in some states were already doing just that

“This sort of scenario — a government representative pushing an experimental vaccine at citizens’ doorsteps as a menacing soldier stands by — is exactly what many Americans were worried about when then-President Donald Trump said in the fall of 2020 that the ‘military … is going to distribute the vaccine.’ …

“Many Americans may now find themselves wondering what to do if a stranger with a clipboard — or military personnel — shows up at their door [asking] invasive questions and encouraging reception of an experimental shot… While government agents can approach, speak to and even question citizens without violating the Fourth Amendment, Americans have a right not to answer questions or even speak with a government agent….

“While in theory one can refuse to speak with police or other government officials during a ‘knock and talk’ encounter, as the courts have asserted as a justification for dismissing complaints about this police investigative tactic, the reality is far different. Indeed, it is unreasonable to suggest that individuals caught unaware by these tactics will not feel pressured in the heat of the moment to comply with a request to speak with government agents who display official credentials and are often heavily armed, let alone allow them to search one’s property. Even when such consent is denied, police have been known to simply handcuff the homeowner and conduct a search over his objections.

“‘Interestingly, liberals in California, including Governor Newsom, advised illegal immigrants to refuse to open the door in cases where federal law enforcement came to arrest illegal immigrants,’ noted LifeSiteNews Vice President Gualberto Garcia Jones, a legal expert on human rights. ‘While this is not great legal advice for those guilty of a federal crime, it is very good advice for those who wish to protect their privacy from an overreaching government official.’

“‘The White House has tried to downplay the vaccine door-to-door gestapo by stating that it would not be carried out by police or federal officials but by local community partners. In that case there is no possible situation where a resident would be obliged to answer the door and much less disclose private health information such as COVID experimental gene therapy injection status,’ he emphasized.”

These door-to-door tactics are clearly problematic and unworthy of a free society. It is important not to buckle and become a dumb sheep when someone knocks at our doors.

The Lies of the US Government

Dr. Ron Paul wrote the following on August 2 in the weekly column of the Ron Paul Institute:

“… it’s not shocking to discover that a US Administration lies and deceives the electorate… Watching these early months of the Biden Administration it’s hard not to think that lying, deceiving, and manipulation is rising to a whole new level.

“Take ‘ending the endless war’ in Afghanistan…  Just this week, Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US is increasing – not ending – its airstrikes on Afghanistan… Then last week Biden announced an ‘end of the US combat mission’ in Iraq by the end of the year… While the ‘mission’ was over, the US troops would remain in-country in an ‘advisory role.’…

“Also, just over a week ago President Biden told us that if we got the vaccine we would not get Covid. Then a few days later his own CDC released data from a Massachusetts study showing that 78 percent of the people who caught Covid were fully vaccinated. Is it any wonder Americans have lost all faith in ‘the science’ as it pours forth from the politicized ‘scientists’ in charge of US public health institutions?

“The US mainstream media has morphed into a de-facto arm of the Biden Administration, however, covering up for all of these lies and word-games and holding precisely no one in government accountable. So much for a free media acting as a check on government power…

Governments lie. We understand that. It is the nature of politics and power. In the absence of independent institutions to hold government accountable, however, such lies become indistinguishable from facts, and soon ‘freedom’ itself becomes slavery, as Orwell wrote. Let’s hope more of America wakes up soon.”

The sad truth is, there is little hope that America will wake up, as the next article shows.

Blaming the Unvaccinated

The Hill wrote on August 3:

“An overwhelming majority of vaccinated Americans in a new poll blames those who are unvaccinated for a recent spike in coronavirus cases nationwide…

“The poll found that two-thirds of all respondents say they trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ‘provide them with accurate information about coronavirus and COVID-19…’”

Likening Coronavirus Restrictions to the Nazi Period

JTA wrote on August 2:

“The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican party is the latest Republican figure to liken coronavirus restrictions to the Nazi period. John Bennett on Friday posted on the party’s Facebook page a photo of a yellow star labeled ‘Unvaccinated.’ He [listed] purported restrictions on the unvaccinated, including not being able to fly or ‘enter a pub, restaurant club or theater,’ as well as limited access to work, services and healthcare…

“The Nazis ‘gave [Jews] a star to put on, and they couldn’t go to the grocery store, they couldn’t go out in public, they couldn’t do anything without having that star on their shirt,’ The Washington Post quoted Bennett as saying. ‘Take away the star and add a vaccine passport.’”

Bennett was strongly condemned for his statements by Oklahoma’s top Republicans and the Oklahoma City Jewish federation.

More Dictatorship in the USA

The Associated Press wrote on August 5:

“The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said Wednesday… The Biden administration has kept in place travel restrictions that have severely curtailed international trips to the U.S… Under the rules, non-U.S. residents who have been to China, the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India in the prior 14 days are prohibited from entering the U.S. All travelers to the U.S., regardless of vaccination status, are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of air travel to the country.”

Reuters added:

“The White House has held discussions with airlines and others about how it would implement a policy of requiring vaccines for foreign visitors.”

From one dictatorial measure to the next…

Fox News wrote on August 4:

 “Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected Friday to announce a mandatory vaccine policy for all active-duty forces in the U.S. military... The directive that all 1.3 million service members will be required to get shots in their arms comes just days after President Biden urged all federal employees to get vaccinated… The Department of Justice was also asked by the president to look into the legality of mandating for the military a vaccine that has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. DOJ officials said a vaccine mandate would require a presidential waiver.”

 A large percentage of active-duty forces are strongly opposed to getting vaccinated. It will remain to be seen what their reaction will be to Biden’s planned mandatory vaccine policy.

Dr. Fauci to be Investigated Criminally?

Fox News wrote on August 5:

“Sen. Rand Paul slammed Dr. Anthony Fauci for ‘very dangerous’ advice on the coronavirus… ‘Dr. Fauci needs to be away from government, away from advice, because almost all of his advice had been wrongheaded. But some of it’s actually very dangerous,’ Paul, who is also a doctor, [said]. The remarks came amid a discussion on an op-ed from the Atlantic titled, ‘Unvaccinated People Need to Bear the Burden,’ which advocated for allowing only vaccinated individuals to fly on domestic flights. ‘Obscene,’ Paul said in response to the op-ed… He went on to say that there’s no correlation between a mask mandate and incidents of the virus…

“The interview comes after Paul and Fauci have had repeated fiery exchanges during Senate hearings… Paul has also sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking for a criminal investigation of Fauci, ‘because he has lied to Congress,’ months after he slammed the doctor as  a ‘left-wing advocate…’”

 It is not to be expected that Fauci will be criminally investigated or charged, as he is one of the strongest supporters of Biden’s draconian restrictions and measures.

Resist!

In an article which was published on August 4 by the Ron Paul Institute, Senator Rand Paul wrote the following:

Resist. They can’t arrest us all. They can’t keep all your kids home from school. They can’t keep every government building closed – although I’ve got a long list of ones they should. We don’t have to accept the mandates, lockdowns, and harmful policies of the petty tyrants and feckless bureaucrats. We can simply say no, not again. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi — you will not arrest or stop me or anyone on my staff from doing our jobs… We will make our own health choices. We will not show you a passport, we will not wear a mask, we will not be forced into random screening and testing so you can continue your drunk with power rein over the Capitol.

President Biden — we will not accept your agencies’ mandates or your reported moves toward a lockdown. No one should follow the CDC’s anti-science mask mandates. And if you want to shutdown federal agencies again — some of which aren’t even back to work fully — I will stop every bill coming through the Senate with an amendment to cut their funding if they don’t come to work…

Local bureaucrats and union bosses — we will not allow you to do more harm to our children again this year. Children are not at any more risk from COVID than they are for the seasonal flu… There is no reason for mask mandates, part time schools, or any lockdown measures….

“I’m not a career politician. I’ve practiced medicine for 33 years. I graduated from Duke Medical School, worked in emergency rooms, studied immunology and virology, and ultimately chose to become a surgeon. I have been telling everyone for a year now that Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health officials were NOT following science, and I’ve been proven right time and time again…  We are at a moment of truth and a crossroads. Will we allow these people to use fear and propaganda to do further harm to our society, economy, and children? Or will we stand together and say, absolutely not. Not this time. I choose freedom.”

However, most Americans, because of fear or willful ignorance or misguided blind support, will not “resist,” and those who do might very well be arrested and prosecuted. This is how dictatorships work. 

Facebook Illegally Removed Posts

Breitbart wrote on July 30:

“A court in Germany has ruled that Facebook illegally removed the posts and account of an unnamed author, because it did not inform the user of why the posts had been taken down… In its three-page summary, the Karlsruhe-based court stated that Facebook’s terms of service regarding the deletion of posts and blocking accounts for violating its community standards were ‘null and void.’

“This, it added, is because Facebook does not undertake to inform the user about the removal of an offensive post at least retrospectively, to advise that it is blocking an account, to give a reason for doing so, or to offer the right of appeal… According to the report, the post that Facebook removed said ‘migrants can murder and rape here and nobody cares! It’s about time the Office for the Protection of the Constitution sorted this out.’”

Facebook’s removal of posts not in line with Facebook’s left-wing agenda has been outrageous for a long time.  

Google Challenges New German Law

Reuters wrote on July 27:

“Google said on Tuesday that it was taking legal action over an expanded version of Germany’s hate-speech law that recently took effect, saying its provisions violated the right to privacy of its users.

“The Alphabet unit, which runs [the] video-sharing site YouTube, filed suit at the administrative court in Cologne to challenge a provision that allows user data to be passed to law enforcement before it is clear any crime has been committed.”

Germany’s laws and measures are becoming more and more dictatorial in so many different areas.

The Dangerous Nonsense of the LGBT Agenda

Life Site News wrote on August 2:

“Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed into law a package of extreme pro-LGBT laws this week that legalize knowingly spreading HIV…  HIV continues to be a debilitating, life-threatening illness, with nearly 40,000 diagnoses in the U.S. in 2018 and 1,361 in Illinois…

“The enactment of the HB 1063 makes Illinois the second state, following Texas, to repeal all criminal penalties for spreading HIV. It also comes after the federal government last year substantially reduced restrictions on blood donation for active homosexuals, who still make up the vast majority of HIV cases…

“Other bills approved by Pritzker on Tuesday include House Bill 3709, which reclassifies ‘infertility’ as ‘a person’s inability to reproduce either as a single individual or with a partner without medical intervention’… HB 3709 mandates that insurance companies cover infertility services, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), for homosexuals and single people. IVF, strongly denounced by the Catholic Church, often involves the destruction of human embryos, millions of which may be abandoned or discarded at fertility clinics across the country.

“Gov. Pritzker also signed two bills… that change marriage certificate rules, adding ‘gender-neutral’ options and allowing pronoun changes. Other states, like Wisconsin, have imposed similar measures this year. As the governor’s office noted in a press release last Tuesday, Illinois has already taken several radical pro-LGBT steps, like requiring ‘LGBTQ+ history’ in public school lessons and mandating Medicaid coverage for transgender surgeries, during Pritzker’s tenure.”

Where is this country heading!!!!

Privacy a Fiction

The Washington Post wrote on August 1:

“The top administrator of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops resigned last month after a newsletter used data from his cellphone to confirm his use of the dating app Grindr and track his movements to gay bars. Questions about hypocrisy aside, this invasion of an individual’s intimate life should be alarming when it happens to anyone — yet it could easily happen to everyone.

“The problem of information privacy can seem abstract to the everyday American. Sometimes, the harms of unregulated data collection look negligible: Who cares if an advertiser is able to target a particular type of shoe to a particular type of person? The more insidious possibilities, meanwhile, can appear hypothetical: Would someone really purchase anonymous location data, go to the trouble of re-identifying its subject and then exploit what they find to publicly harass? Now we know that the answer is yes. The consequences of Congress’s failure to pass federal legislation governing how companies collect, process and sell the reams of data available in the Internet age are starker than ever.

“In the case of the priest, it appears Grindr collected sensitive information and passed it along to third parties, who might in turn have passed it to other parties, until eventually it landed in the hands of a data broker: one of many companies that vacuum up personal data and spit it back out to customers… Something similar happens to most smartphone users most days as they tap on virtual jewels of candies for high scores, or as they check the weather. Information including their location is gathered and sold, usually for the end purpose of advertising: to greet people who recently went to nightclubs with deals on party dresses, for instance, or to lure them into a nearby store. The possibilities for abuse of this already intrusive ability are manifold…

“The data-brokerage business is so lucrative because it’s so easy. There are scarcely any limitations on who can sell information, who can buy it and who can sell it all over again.”

More Nonsense

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 31 about the removal of some spectacular sculptures:

“The giant white elephants at tourist magnet Hollywood & Highland are being quietly removed as new owners update the famous shopping center where the annual Academy Awards are held and shed references to the movie industry’s past — features that revive memories of racism and sexual exploitation.

“Crews on Thursday night began dismantling two giant white fiberglass elephants, which are part of the complex’s tribute to the Babylon set of D.W. Griffith’s 1916 movie ‘Intolerance.’ All of the faux Mesopotamian elements will be taken out or altered in favor of a design developers hope will be more timeless as part of a $100-million makeover of the mall… that is set for completion next summer…

“Workers are dismembering the enormous elephant sculptures at night…”

Regardless of the reasoning or “justification,” American culture and history are systematically being destroyed.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Chaos in Germany Over Coronavirus Restrictions

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s top aide warned on Sunday that unvaccinated people will have fewer freedoms than those who have decided to get the coronavirus jab. Helge Braun, the outgoing leader’s chief of staff, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that they may find themselves being denied entry to bars, cinemas or sporting events…

“But the Christian Democrat candidate running to replace Merkel in this September’s election used an interview with broadcaster ZDF to distance himself from the plans. Armin Laschet, the premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said on Sunday that ‘in a free country, there are civil liberties not only for certain groups.’ ‘I don’t believe in compulsory vaccination, and I don’t believe in indirectly putting pressure on people to get vaccinated,’ he said.

“The deputy leader of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, Wolfgang Kubicki, hit out at the comments by Braun. He told newspapers from the Funke Media Group that his plans amount to ‘the introduction of compulsory vaccination through the back door.’ ‘Moreover, such a categorization of fundamental rights into a first and second class is clearly unconstitutional,’ he said.”

The Associated Press added on July 25:

“German politicians across the political spectrum on Sunday criticized a warning by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff that restrictions for unvaccinated people may be necessary… Rolf Mützenich, head of the center-left Social Democrats’ parliamentary group, said politicians should be focusing more on getting willing citizens vaccinated than penalizing the unvaccinated. ‘We’re not going to sustainably change the vaccination behavior of individuals with threats,’ he told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.”

One wonders what is going on in Merkel’s administration and in Germany as a whole… and where is the “respect” for the Constitution? Now, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Soeder (who would love to become chancellor, even though he has been “supporting” Laschet) openly disagreed with Laschet and shared his “vision” for Germany, stating that those who are vaccinated should receive “exclusive rights” which should not be given to the unvaccinated. He also supported Jens Spahn’s new proposed test requirements for all travelers, regardless in what way and from what country they arrive in Germany.

The writing of national suppression of liberty and freedom is clearly on the wall.

Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer Twists the Constitution

dpa wrote on July 27:

“The rising Corona infection figures have reignited the long-standing debate about more restrictions for the unvaccinated. ‘This is not discrimination against the unvaccinated,’ said Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer in an interview with broadcaster RTL/ntv.

“He said he respects it if someone decides against vaccination for personal reasons. ‘But the person who has not been vaccinated must also realise that we have to protect society as a whole and therefore can only allow those who have been vaccinated to attend major community events.’”

So this IS discrimination, pure and simple!

Demonstrations in France and Elsewhere against Coronavirus Passport

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“Around 300 anti-vaccine passport protesters stormed the town hall of Chambéry, denouncing French measures to implement a vaccine passport…

 Last weekend, over 100,000 people took to the streets to protest France’s vaccine passport policy, which will see people required to present a health pass to access certain businesses such as restaurants or engage in various forms of travel. Business owners that do not check for the health pass could also be punished under the new policy, with fines for up to Euros 45,000 (£38,487/$53,100) and a year in prison.”

More and more people show their discontent with anti-vaccine passports, which will promote diverse governments, such as France, to respond with and enforce harsh and many times unconstitutional measures.

The Associated Press added on July 24:

Some 160,000 people… protested Saturday across the country [of France] against a bill requiring everyone to have a special virus pass to enter restaurants and mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all health care workers.

“Similar protests were held in neighboring Italy.”

Breitbart reported on July 26:

“Despite widespread protests, the French parliament has approved a law requiring… that anyone over the age of 12-years will be forced to present a health pass displaying a negative coronavirus test, vaccinations, or recent Covid recovery in order to do simple things like travel by train or aeroplane in France.

“The pass will also be required for restaurants, museums, swimming pools… In fact, any venue or place that can hold more than 50 people will be required to check guest’s health status…”

Spain Prepares for Emergency Laws

El Pais wrote on July 6:

“All adults will be required to provide ‘personal services’ to the state if a crisis is ever declared in Spain, according to the reform of the National Security Law being prepared by the government. The draft legislation… indicates that all citizens, without exception, must follow the orders and instructions of the relevant authorities if a state of crisis… is declared.

“The reform also states that authorities can temporarily requisition all types of assets, take over or temporarily occupy those that are needed and suspend all activity…”

These are dangerous steps towards an outright dictatorship, reminiscent of the times under Franco.

Britain’s New Pingdemic

Reuters wrote on July 22:

“British newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets, declaring a ‘pingdemic.’… hundreds of thousands of people have been advised — or ‘pinged’ — by the National Health Service’s contact-tracing app to isolate for 10 days.

“The drastic reduction in staffing that has resulted has sown chaos through sectors as diverse as food supplies, haulage, supermarkets, hospitality, manufacturing and media. To avoid disruption, many people have deleted the app from their phones…

“Official data showed the app had told nearly 620,000 people to isolate in England and Wales in the week up to July 14… Government ministers… have allowed some workers in critical roles to carry on working, even when ‘pinged.’”

Whatever man tries to do fails miserably.

Eric Clapton Won’t Play for Discriminated Audiences

The Independent wrote on July 22:

“Eric Clapton has said that he will not play at venues where a COVID-19 vaccine is required for entry.

“Earlier this week, Boris Johnson unveiled plans for nightclubs and large music venues to demand proof of double vaccination to enter from the end of September…. The [world-famous] musician [said] he refuses to perform for ‘discriminated audiences.’”

Good for him.

Just Blame and Accuse the Unvaccinated

La Croix reported on July 13:

“The second-most senior Orthodox bishop in the Moscow Patriarchate has urged all people of Russia to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying their refusal to do so is akin to committing a sin… The sin consists in thinking only of oneself instead of thinking of others…’

“‘The Orthodox Church does not see pandemics as punishment from God,” Professor Panev [a priest] pointed out. He said it is just the opposite. ‘God did not leave human beings defenseless: medicine is a gift from God; we must use it,’ he noted.”

Strange biblical ideas by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Bennett Accuses Israelis and Is Strongly Attacked

Israel Today wrote on July 25:

 Over 80 percent of Israelis over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But for one reason or another, some one million Israelis eligible for the vaccine have not taken it. Some are ‘anti-vaxxers,’ folks opposed to all vaccination, but far more are merely suspicious of the various coronavirus vaccines.

“Last Thursday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett upset those one million Israelis by accusing them of putting the rest of the nation in danger. ‘One million Israelis are refusing to get vaccinated,’ Bennett said in a primetime television address. ‘They are endangering the entire population, they are endangering the other 8 million citizens in the country.’… Bennett urged vaccinated Israelis to ‘convince’ their unvaccinated countrymen: ‘If you know a vaccine refuser, convince them, explain to them that they are risking the health of others.’…

“Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton said that she was not entirely pleased with Bennett’s speech and felt it would turn Israelis against one another… Shasha-Biton noted that Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar was also uncomfortable with the prime minister’s address, and reminded fellow cabinet ministers that ‘even those who are not vaccinated are still citizens of Israel.’ Many others also attacked Bennett for what they saw as a public shaming of anyone who has chosen not to take the Pfizer vaccine…

“Many of those being infected are already fully vaccinated, showing that the Pfizer vaccine does not prevent infection by the Delta variant. At the same time, the number of infected individuals requiring hospitalization has not risen significantly…”

Apart from the fact that this development shows the disunity within the Israeli coalition government, it also mirrors the attitude in many countries against the unvaccinated who are being labeled and treated as scapegoats, like the Jews were in Nazi Germany.

Fauci Recommends Masks and Booster Shots

The Associated Press wrote on July 25:

“The United States is in an ‘unnecessary predicament’ of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday. ‘We’re going in the wrong direction,’ said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as ‘very frustrated.’

“He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is ‘under active consideration’ by the government’s leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said.”

This is a total turn-around and completely contradicts what Fauci recommended earlier.

Breitbart added on July 27:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set on Tuesday to recommend masks for vaccinated people indoors under certain circumstances… Already some areas of America are bringing back coronavirus protocols, such as Palm Beach, Florida, which has mandated masks and social distancing measures even though 100 percent of residents ages 16 and older are vaccinated.”

It seems like, they do not know what they do.

More Lies and False Promises

Reuters reported on July 26:

“The United States will not lift any existing travel restrictions ‘at this point’… The decision… means the long-running travel restrictions that have barred much of the world’s population from the United States since 2020 will not be lifted in the short term… The announcement almost certainly dooms any bid by U.S. airlines and the U.S. tourism industry to salvage summer travel by Europeans and others covered by the restrictions. Airlines have heavily lobbied the White House for months to lift the restrictions.

“The United States currently bars most non-U.S. citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil…

“Last week, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21 — even as Canada said it would begin allowing in fully vaccinated American tourists starting Aug. 9.

“Asked on July 15 at a joint appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about when the United States would lift European travel restrictions, Biden said he would ‘be able to answer that question to you within the next several days — what is likely to happen.’…”

With Biden’s fanatic obsession with restrictions, lockdowns, masks and travel bans, nothing less was to be expected. But he is paying a price. Note the next article.

Biden’s Approval Numbers Way Down

ABC News wrote on July 25:

“As President Joe Biden completed 100 days in office, the country was optimistic about the coming year, but now, just after hitting the six-month mark,  Americans’ optimism about the direction of the country has plummeted nearly 20 points…

“A majority — 55% — of the public say they are pessimistic about the direction of the country, a marked change from the roughly one-third (36%) that said the same in [a] poll published May 2. In the early May survey, Americans were more optimistic than pessimistic by a 28-percentage point margin…

“The decline in optimism has occurred across the board among Democrats, Republicans and independents… The optimism-pessimism flip comes as Americans give Biden his lowest approval rating for his handling of the pandemic… It likely reflects the growing concern that lockdowns could be reinstated…

“Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans approve of the president’s handling of immigration…”

The situation will only get worse…

Biden’s Plot to Snub the UK (and Other Allies)

Express wrote on July 29:

“Americans on both sides of the pond welcomed the UK’s announcement on Wednesday that anyone vaccinated in the US will not need to self-isolate after arriving from an amber list country. But hopes of the US President returning the favour have been dashed… The US is unlikely to allow vaccinated Britons into the country without the need to quarantine them anytime soon… Following the government’s announcement, demand for flights from the US to the UK surged…

“From 4am on Monday, fully vaccinated travellers from the US, the EU and a handful of other European countries will no longer need to self-isolate for 10 days when entering Britain.

“Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen… urged ministers to ‘go further’ by moving the US to its green travel list, which would also exempt unvaccinated passengers from quarantine…

“It is not possible for most European travellers, including those from the UK, to enter the US due to coronavirus fears. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also advises Americans against travel to the UK.”

It is amazing how the Biden Administration and its scientific “supporters” are trying to do everything to destroy the US economy and to alienate its (former) friends. And sadly, many, if not most Americans (including theme parks, Las Vegas, etc.) are far too willing to support and embrace Biden’s new rules. But not all. 

As the Ron Paul Institute reported on July 28:

“After months of assuring vaccinated Americans that they no longer need to wear masks, the CDC has suddenly reversed itself and taken the country back to early 2020: everyone must wear a mask! This time, however, there are signs of rebellion particularly among Republican governors. As the CDC has no legal authority to tell Americans what to do, many in positions of authority – for example Texas and Florida governors – have said they will ignore Fauci and his cohorts.”

On the other hand, The Sun reported that it is now claimed that the UK is pretty much over the pandemic due to herd immunity.

More Coronavirus Restrictions… Here We Go Again

Daily Mail wrote on July 29:

“Italy tightened their rules this week, announcing that unvaccinated tourists without the country’s ‘Green Pass’ – an app-based vaccine passport – will be banned from public spaces. The new rules, which start from August 6, is just the first step of the Green Pass rollout, and it could soon become mandatory for plane and train travel too.

“All countries are enforcing their own restrictions of varying degrees of stringency, with some restricting entry to vaccinated tourists only, and others only insisting on a lateral flow or PCR test. It is vital to check the latest requirements before travel or risk being turned away.”

This is TRULY a world held captive by Satan.

Why Don’t Scientific “Experts” Finally Stop Talking?

The Sun wrote on July 27:

“NOTHING has worsened the panic, misery and loss of public confidence more over the past 18 months than freelancing scientists and other politically motivated ‘experts’ baselessly predicting catastrophe… They have loved their 15 lucrative minutes of fame and snapped up every invitation to pontificate before a TV camera… every word is treated as gospel.

“… All involved should be ashamed… It does far more harm than good for self-interested boffins to spout off when their guess is no better than anyone else’s.”

They won’t stop talking, ever, because they love the attention.

Fauci Under Attack by Left-Liberal New York Times

Fox News wrote on July 29:

“New York Times columnist Bret Stephens took aim at Dr. Anthony Fauci Tuesday amid the Biden administration’s efforts to combat so-called coronavirus ‘misinformation.’ In a piece headlined, ‘Covid Misinformation Comes From the Top, Too,’ Stephens… [pointed] to the recent fiery clash Fauci had with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., over whether the U.S. government funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that may have led to the coronavirus outbreak… He pointed to the explosive report from Vanity Fair last month that revealed State Department officials were told not to explore the Wuhan lab’s gain-of-function research because ‘it would bring unwelcome attention to U.S. government funding of it.’…

“The Times columnist then called out Fauci over his comments about herd immunity, insisting he ‘lied’ about what he saw as the threshold figure… He also listed the CDC’s faulty overestimation over the outdoor spread of COVID and its study that claimed Black and Hispanic children were ‘at greater risk of being hospitalized,’ which became a contributing factor to schools being closed despite consistent evidence that schools were never a superspreader for children.

“‘The impact of this misinformation on everyday life has been immense…’”

The damage caused by the alleged lies of Fauci and others has been done, and cannot be cured. 

Biden Accused Again of Lying

The New York Post wrote on July 29:

Career politician President Biden is being mocked for claiming he used to drive an 18-wheeler truck… The 48-year political veteran made the claim while visiting a Mack Truck facility in Pennsylvania on Wednesday… But challenged by Fox News to produce evidence, a White House spokesperson could only point to a December 1973 article from the Wilmington Evening Journal that showed Biden rode in an 18-wheeler, not that he drove one…

 “When Fox News again pressed the White House that riding in a truck is not the same as being behind the wheel, a spokesperson pointed to a United Federation of Teachers post that said Biden drove a school bus in the past as a summer job, the outlet said. But most school buses have at most six wheels — a third of the president’s claim, Fox noted.

“Asked again about the clear difference, the White House did not respond, Fox said. Biden was mocked online for the claim, with some joking that he may have been referring to his favorite toys as a kid…

“Biden has been accused of other flubs over his past, including that he ‘got started out of a HBCU, Delaware State’ — which the historically black college denied.”

Biden’s ongoing alleged lies are quite disturbing, including his more than questionable denials of possessing knowledge of his son’s business deals. It is sad that we almost must assume that politicians are lying to us because otherwise, they would not be politicians. The left-wing media reported consistently when Trump was apparently caught with another of his many alleged lies… but the silence when it comes to Biden’s alleged lies is deafening. 

Weapons All Over the World

Euronews wrote on July 23:

“The US, the UK, Spain and Canada openly supply weapons to the Saudi-led coalition [of Arab nations]… Italy is the fourth biggest weapons exporter in the EU… Belgium, Germany, France and Spain are the other European countries that have allowed exports to Saudi Arabia…

“In the last five years, France’s main clients outside of Europe were Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but it also sold arms to the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Israel, Ethiopia and Afghanistan among many others. Germany has exported to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, but also to countries like South Sudan and Somalia. Spain and Italy’s exports have also headed to the same volatile destinations…

“What is the ultimate purpose of Europe’s defence industry? Is it to protect people? Is it for profit or to gain political and economic influence? What about human rights?”

These are good questions. Of course, it is all in line with biblical prophecy telling us that Europe will become the most powerful military entity.

Putin Warns Britain

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 25:

“[Putin] on Sunday warned that its navy is ready to carry out an ‘unpreventable strike’ on enemy targets if it was in the country’s ‘national interests.’ Putin was speaking in Saint Petersburg during a parade of warships… ‘We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, carry out an unpreventable strike against it.’

“His remarks follow an incident in the Black Sea in June when Russia said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of Crimea waters… The British government… said any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian ‘gunnery exercise,’ and that no bombs had been dropped… Putin said last month Russia could have sunk the British warship HMS Defender, that it accused of illegally entering its territorial waters, without starting World War Three and said the United States played a role in the ‘provocation.’”

Britain is finding itself more and more as the object of aggression from many countries around the globe, but it does not seem to acknowledge it.  

Putin Emboldened by Biden to Attack Israel?

Israel 365 wrote on July 25:

“For the first time, last week Russia announced it helped Syria operate against an Israeli airstrike in Syria. According to some reports, the change in policy comes in the wake of a meeting between Putin and Biden in which the US president expressed displeasure at Israeli strikes against Iranian targets…

“[A report claims that] Russia is now supplying Syrian forces with more advanced anti-missile systems. Russia maintains a significant military presence in Syria to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad who has been fighting a civil war for ten years.

“An anonymously sourced report by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat cited a ‘well-informed’ Russian official as saying that the Kremlin has ‘run out of patience’ with Israeli air raids in Syria. The source credited the shift in policy to an understanding between Russia and the US arrived at in the recent meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin. ‘Washington does not welcome the continuous Israeli raids,’ the Russian source claimed, saying that Moscow now felt free to respond aggressively to Israeli airstrikes…”

Ultimately, the whole world will turn against Israel.

Biden Warns of U.S. War over Cyberattacks

Radio Free Europe wrote on July 28:

 “President Joe Biden warned that a major cyberattack on the United States could lead to an actual ‘shooting war,’ in comments that mentioned Russia and China as threats to U.S. national security. ‘I think it’s more than likely we’re going to end up, if we end up in a war — a real shooting war with a major power — it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyberbreach of great consequence. And it’s increasing exponentially, the capabilities,’ Biden said in a speech to the U.S. intelligence community on July 27.

“Biden noted a growing number of cyberattacks against government agencies and private industry that U.S. officials have linked to Russia and China. Cybersecurity has moved to the top of the Biden administration’s agenda after a string of attacks during his first six months in office, including ransomware attacks.

“At a Geneva summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, Biden said the two leaders discussed keeping 16 types of critical infrastructure off-limits to cyberattacks, including the energy and water sectors. Biden entered office having to deal with the fallout of the SolarWinds hack that affected U.S. government agencies and businesses, a sophisticated attack blamed on Russian government hackers.

“Suspected Russia-based criminal groups have also been linked to high-profile ransomware attacks targeting Colonial Pipeline and meat-processing giant JBS. Another hit technology firm Kaseya that impacted hundreds of businesses globally.

“The Kremlin scoffed at Biden’s assessment that Russia ‘has nuclear weapons and oil wells and nothing else,’ saying the speech appeared to be tailored toward the U.S. intelligence community. ‘(The United States) can hardly be called a partner. It is more like an opponent or a “vis-à-vis”,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on July 28… The United States and its Western allies earlier this month blamed China for a global hacking campaign that included a massive attack on Microsoft software and accused Beijing of complicity with hackers in ransomware and other cyberattacks.”

Biden’s weak performance during his meeting with Putin did not help solve the situation.

Russia and China—Joint Military Exercises

Reuters wrote on July 29:

“Russia and China will conduct joint military exercises involving 10,000 troops in mid-August, the Interfax news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Thursday.

“Moscow has sought to boost relations with China since 2014, when its political ties with the West sank to post Cold-War lows over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.”

Tumult in the Catholic Church

Breitbart wrote on July 24:

“U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke has expressed his ‘profound sorrow’ over Pope Francis’s recent letter drastically restricting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass… ‘Those who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass… ‘are deeply disheartened by the severity of the discipline’ imposed by Pope Francis in his letter and ‘offended by the language it employs to describe them, their attitudes and their conduct,’ Cardinal Burke states in an essay published online July 22.

“‘It is apparent from the severity of the document,’ states Burke, a canon lawyer and the former head of the Vatican’s supreme court, that Pope Francis issued it ‘to address what he perceives to be a grave evil threatening the unity of the Church,’ a perception Burke clearly does not share.

“The pope’s letter places restrictions on the Latin Mass that ‘signal its ultimate elimination,’ the cardinal adds… The pope’s message to the ‘devout faithful who have a deep appreciation and attachment’ to the Traditional Latin Mass is that ‘they suffer from an aberration which can be tolerated for a time but must ultimately be eradicated,’ Burke declares….”

Newsmax wrote on July 25:

“Barely a week after Pope Francis issued his controversial order limiting the celebration of the Roman Catholic Church’s traditional Latin Mass, the leader of roughly 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide found himself under strong fire from some of the top officials of his Church… So far, four Cardinals — the officials second in authority only to the Pope — have voice[d] their strong disagreement with Francis’s July 19 order…

“German Cardinal Gerhard Muller hit this hard, charging that Francis’s goal is ‘extinction in the long run’ of the Mass celebrated by Catholics from the time of the Council of Trent (1545-63) until 1970… ‘Without the slightest empathy,’ wrote Muller, formerly Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict, ‘one ignores the religious feelings of the [often young] participants in the Masses… Instead of appreciating the smell of the sheep, the shepherd here hits them hard with his crook.’…”

Predictably, Pope Francis’ liberal agenda, as it became obvious from the very start of his papacy, was bound to create a clash with conservative Traditionalist within the Catholic church. Will there be an open schism, as has happened several times in the past, when two and at one time even three competing popes claimed the office simultaneously?

Huge Asteroid to Fly by the Earth

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 25:

“An asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza is set to fly by the Earth on Sunday, July 25, in what could be described as a relatively ‘close’ approach…

“Due to flying so close to the Earth (about 2.8 million miles, or 4.5 million kilometers), the asteroid is considered potentially hazardous. However, this is not a significant risk, with the distance actually being almost 20 times the distance between Earth and the moon. However, there is still the potential for danger, as gravitational tugs have the potential for changing an object’s path.

“The danger of an asteroid impact remains among the worst possible natural disasters that could happen to the planet, as mankind does not have much in the way of combating them…”

The Bible indicates that this danger is very real.

Daily Mail added on July 26:

“An ‘unusually large meteor’ briefly lit up southern Norway on Sunday, creating a spectacular sound and light display as it rumbled across the sky. The meteor flew over Oslo at around 01:00, with the phenomena seen as far north as Trondheim.

“Experts believe that a piece of the meteor may have hit Earth, possibly not far from the capital. Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries. However, experts say finding any remnants is no mean feat, and could take ‘some 10 years.’… Analysis of the meteor suggests it could have weighed at least 22lb (10kg)….

“A meteor that exploded over the central Russia near the city of Chelyabinsk in 2013 rained fireballs over a vast area and caused a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured 1,200 people.”

California’s Worsening Drought

The Sacramento Bee wrote on July 23:

“Forced to reckon with a worsening drought, California’s water regulators are preparing to forbid thousands of farmers from tapping into the state’s major rivers and streams. It’s an extraordinary step — and one that regulators didn’t take during the last drought, which was considered one of the worst on record…

“Most farmers who rely on the State Water Project or the federal Central Valley Project are already struggling with dramatically reduced allocations. The proposed order released Friday covers those thousands of farmers with direct legal rights to pull water out of the rivers…”

It was also reported that “more than 85 large wildfires were burning around the country” (The Associated Press, dated July 25).

What we are witnessing around the world are numerous and manifold natural catastrophes. It is as if God is allowing these disasters to wake us up.

Largest Earthquake in More than 50 Years

New York Daily News wrote on July 29:

“The Alaska peninsula was rocked late Wednesday night by the strongest earthquake to hit the United States since 1965. The powerful 8.2-magnitude quake struck just more than 50 miles south of Perryville, Alaska… So far, there have been at least two aftershocks, one with a magnitude of 6.2 while the other measured about 5.6…

“… the 1965 Magnitude 8.7 was five times as energetic, and the 1964 Magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake was 30 times more energetic than tonight’s Magnitude 8.2… The Great Alaska Earthquake is the largest ever to hit the United States…”

When will the really big earthquakes hit the USA in populated areas?

Disgraceful Change of Famous Name of Baseball Team

Newsmax wrote on July 23:

“Former President Donald Trump on Friday criticized Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team for changing its name from the Indians to the Guardians starting next season… In a statement sent via email, Trump said: ‘Can anybody believe that the Cleveland Indians, a storied and cherished baseball franchise since taking the name in 1915, are changing their name to the Guardians? Such a disgrace.’’

“He then claimed that Native Americans… will be the ones most upset about the team changing its name and logo… ‘Wouldn’t it be an honor to have a team named the Cleveland Indians, and wouldn’t it be disrespectful to rip that name and logo off of those jerseys?… The people of Cleveland cannot be thrilled and I, a FORMER baseball fan, cannot believe things such as this are happening… A small group of people, with absolutely crazy ideas and policies, is forcing these changes to destroy our culture and heritage. At some point, the people will not take it anymore!’”

Still, it seems this kind of nonsense will only continue in a world totally cut off from God.

Left-Wing Wikipedia Unreliable

Breitbart wrote on July 23:

“In an interview Thursday for Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger stated he was embarrassed about helping found the site given its increasing left-wing bias. Noting it helps shape the understanding many Americans have of the world, Carlson asked Sanger what could be done to fix the problems on Wikipedia, but Sanger doubted it was possible to fix the site from the inside..

“Sanger also apologized to those individuals whose reputations have been harmed by Wikipedia because of his role in founding it, though Carlson also noted Google’s role in promoting the site…  Over the past year, Sanger has repeatedly criticized Wikipedia for left-wing bias, stating its neutrality was ‘dead’… He noted how differently articles about Donald Trump and Barack Obama covered scandals in their presidential administrations, as well as how scandals involving Joe Biden have been covered. Sanger also criticized coverage of religious and scientific topics as pushing a liberal or establishment view. Recently, he stated that the site could no longer be trusted to give anything other than a left-wing or establishment view, mentioning the site’s ongoing purge of conservative media

“Sanger explained that… Wikipedia allows anonymous contributions by anyone…”

We can attest to that. Terrible libelous articles have been published on Wikipedia about our organizations, filled with lies and misrepresentations from “anonymous” writers.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Biden Administration Is “Helping” Facebook—This Is Fascism!

On July 17, the Ron Paul Institute republished the following article by Caitlin Johnstone:

“… the Biden administration has admitted that it is giving Facebook a list of accounts to censor for spreading ‘disinformation’ about the Covid-19 response. ‘We’ve increased disinformation research and tracking,’ Press Secretary Jen Psaki told the press on Thursday. ‘Within the Surgeon General’s Office, we’re flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation. We’re working with doctors and medical professionals to connect medical experts with people, who are popular with their audiences with accurate information and boost trusted content. So, we’re helping get trusted content out there.’

“Psaki told the White House press corps that the administration has a list of accounts who produce most of the anti-vaccine information on Facebook, which civil libertarians are decrying as an obviously authoritarian government overreach. ‘The Biden administration is telling Facebook which posts it regards as “problematic” so that Facebook can remove them,’ Glenn Greenwald said on Twitter in response to the news. ‘This is the union of corporate and state power — one of the classic hallmarks of fascism — that the people who spent five years babbling about fascism support… There is no circumstance — none — in which it’s acceptable for the White House or any other agency of the government to be providing lists to Facebook of “problematic” content it wants removed, yet that’s exactly what Psaki says they’re doing… This is authoritarianism.’

“… All of these online platforms use censorship… to hide undesirable political speech from the mainstream public in direct collaboration with government and government-tied institutions.

“Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world… enlists the government… funded management firm The Atlantic Council to help it determine what content to censor and what to boost… Google, which owns YouTube, has been financially intertwined with US intelligence agencies since its very inception when it received research grants from the CIA and NSA…

“In a corporatist system of government, where there is no separation between corporate power and state power, corporate censorship is state censorship. The actual government as it actually exists is censoring the speech not just of its own people, but people around the world…”

With this development and these admissions by the Biden Administration, the argument that Facebook and other Big Tech giants are just private companies and not subject to the Constitution has been blown out of the window.

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“The remarks [of press secretary Jen Psaki] riled critics already concerned about collaboration between the Biden administration and Big Tech…  Psaki’s remarks Friday drew bipartisan derision, with critics calling Big Tech outlets ‘state actors’ and ripping the Biden administration for playing judge and jury on truth. One writer said it was a precursor to censoring other so-called ‘misinformation’ on social issues…”

That is the fear. A government engaged in such kind of conduct would certainly be willing and capable of enforcing additional restrictions on our liberties and freedoms.

Kamala Harris Invokes the Bible—This Is so Ignorant

Israel 365 News wrote on July 14:

“In a recent video from the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about vaccinations. Invoking the Bible, Harris claimed that: ‘the act of getting vaccinated, the act of administering the vaccinations, well these acts are the very essence of what the Bible and so many faiths tell us about the importance of our role and our power. When we say love thy neighbor and I truly believe in the power of that’…

“Does this raise questions about the separation of Church and State? What about faiths that oppose vaccines? These questions and more are being asked by some Americans.”

In addition, where does it say in the Bible that you must be vaccinated and that you don’t love your neighbor (as yourself) if you don’t?

Fox News’ Clear Passes and Masks—This Is SO Hypocritical!

CNN wrote on July 20:

“Fox News personalities have spent months both trafficking in anti-vaccine rhetoric and assailing the concept of showing proof of vaccination status. But Fox Corporation… has quietly implemented the concept of a vaccine passport as workers slowly return back to the company’s offices… The system allows for employees to self-report to Fox the dates their shots were administered and which vaccines were used.

“The company has encouraged employees to report their status, telling them that ‘providing this information to FOX will assist the company with space planning and contact tracing. Employees who report their status are allowed to bypass the otherwise required daily health screening

“The concept… is known internally as ‘FOX Clear Pass.’ While the ‘Fox Clear Pass’ is voluntary for employees, and other companies have similar tools, it is still remarkable, given how vocal Fox’s top talent has been in criticizing the concept of vaccine passports. Fox News has spent months portraying the notion that people might be asked to show vaccination status as dangerous to personal freedom and anti-American

“It’s not the first time that Fox has been so brazenly hypocritical about coronavirus precautions. While its television hosts railed against face masks, the company issued guidance recommending employees wear them. It also said it would require people attending tapings of host Greg Gutfeld’s show to wear masks.

“It’s unclear whether Fox will require vaccinations when employees fully return to the office… When CNN began to reopen its facilities in June, vaccinations were required in order to come in…”

One must wonder what is going on with Fox News. On Tuesday, Fox News defended Dr. Fauci against Rand Paul, even though it seems pretty obvious that Paul was right with his allegation that Fauci might have lied to Congress. In addition, Fox News and Newsmax ran segments this week advising people to get vaccinated, as allegedly, only the unvaccinated are getting sick now. However, this claim is blatantly false, not to speak of dangerous side effects from the vaccines which have been manifested.

Biden Not Helping Cuba—This Is Hypocrisy

AFP wrote on July 17:

“Thousands of Cubans protesting against their government managed to catch the attention of US President Joe Biden, but they have been left deflated by his response… Prior to his election, Biden had told online opposition news outlet Cibercuba that he would eliminate Trump’s restrictions on remittances and travel, which he said had harmed Cubans and separated families. But six months into his tenure, Cubans are still waiting for concrete action to back up the promises….

“Biden… did not announce new measures. He did, however, trade barbs with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. ‘Cuba is, unfortunately, a failed state and repressing their citizens,’ Biden said on Thursday. The next day, Diaz-Canel fired back: ‘The United States has failed in its efforts to destroy Cuba, despite spending billions of dollars to do so…’ Russia, China and left-wing governments in Latin America have expressed support for the Cuban regime.

“Not only ordinary Cubans have expressed disappointment at Biden’s lack of action… Ben Rhodes, the former US national security advisor under president Obama, urged Biden to act. ‘Cubans have been bravely expressing their frustrations and exercising their universal rights in ways that are truly inspiring. We should be thinking above all about what we can do to help them,’ Rhodes tweeted on Tuesday.

“New York-based anti-embargo lobbying group Cuban Americans For Engagement (CAFE) hit out at the Biden administration for being ‘hypocritical when it claims to support the Cuban people while complacently applauding the demonstrations.’”

Restoring the Internet—This Is Difficult

Yahoo!News wrote on July 16:

“President Joe Biden’s suggestion that Washington bring full internet access to Cuba following government restrictions could break new ground on digital rights but face major technical and geopolitical hurdles

“Cuba has been limiting both fixed and mobile internet access with cuts to some apps like Facebook and Instagram, and has used other methods to filter online content with Chinese-made technology…

“Democracy activists in authoritarian regimes have used a variety of techniques to get around internet limitations including virtual private networks… but none have been used on a large scale. Satellite, drone and balloon internet services remain at an early stage and often are delivered through official carriers…

“Havana would likely consider any effort to bring an unfiltered internet a violation of its sovereignty…”

These problems also exist when other dictatorial countries shut down the Internet for their citizens, as they are prone to do.

Troubles in South Africa—This Is a Race War

Hal Turner Radio Show wrote on July 14:

“All food in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa has been either looted or intentionally destroyed. The Zulu tribe is now publicly saying they intend to ‘starve-out’ the white and Indian (sub-continent) people in that province… It looks like a race war is upon South Africa…

“These troubles in South Africa are being carried out by some of the very same type of people we saw here in America, doing much the same, last summer. At the time, they dressed-up their race-hatred with slogans like ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ANTIFA; but the base hatred is still the same…

“So BARBARIC are these people [in Johannesburg], they step over the dead bodies so they can continue looting…”

Israel’s Tense Calm—This Is Only Temporary

Israel Today wrote on July 20:

“This past Sunday was… the fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem that once stood at the site where now two Muslim structures are located, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. These two Muslim shrines were built in the 7th century for the purpose of expressing Islam’s superiority over Christianity and Judaism…

“In 2021, the reality is no different and Muslims on the Temple Mount behave as if they have more rights to that sacred compound than other religious groups, and especially than Jews whom they routinely accuse of ‘defiling’ the holiest site in Judaism. The 1,600 Jews who visited the Temple Mount’s courtyards on Sunday were again referred to by several Muslim states and the Palestinian Authority as ‘settlers’ who allegedly ‘stormed’ the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In reality, however, Jewish visitors have no interest whatsoever in Al-Aqsa and do not even try to enter it…

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett this week contributed to the confusion and tensions with Muslim groups and countries. He first announced that Jews had the right to ‘pray’ in their sacred place… Bennett later retracted his words, saying… that Jews had the right to ‘visit’ the Temple Mount… The flip-flop by Bennett most likely had to do with the flood of condemnations that came from the Muslim world, including that of Ra’am, the Islamist political party that is now part of the new Israeli government, as well as from alternate-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid

“‘The Al-Aqsa Mosque and dunams around it are the exclusive property of the Muslims and no one else is entitled to it,’ Ra’am said in a press release. It marked the first time that the Islamist coalition partner went directly against its own government. Ra’am also used the words ‘storming’ and was annoyed that a group of Jews had sung the Israeli national anthem… during their visit to the Temple Mount. Ra’am further warned that the events on the Temple Mount could heat up the situation in Jerusalem and the entire region and even lead to a ‘catastrophic religious war.’

“The media in Israel later reported that Lapid was the one who had spoken to Bennett and forced him to amend the content of his original statement. It showed that Lapid, who is the leader of the coalition’s largest faction… is in reality much more than ‘alternate prime minister’ and foreign minister. He’s the one pulling the strings until he replaces Bennett as prime minister in less than two years…

“There were fears that Palestinian terrorist movements in Gaza would violate the shaky ceasefire with Israel… A tense calm now reigns on the Temple Mount following Sunday’s clashes…  The tensions over the Jewish visits and prayers at the Temple Mount probably couldn’t have been avoided, but Bennett’s flip-flop should have been. It was the first time the new Israeli PM was really tested since he assumed office in June and, according to some observers, he failed to pass the test.”

This was predictable. How long can this obscure “coalition” be successful?

Reversing Pope Benedict—This Is Disappointing!

Fox News wrote on July 16:

“Pope Francis cracked down Friday on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI’s signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics who immediately decried it as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy. Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass that Benedict relaxed in 2007, and went further to limit its use. The pontiff said he was taking action because Benedict’s reform had become a source of division in the church and been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church and its liturgy.

“Critics said they had never before witnessed a pope so thoroughly reversing his predecessor. That the reversal concerned something so fundamental as the liturgy, while Benedict is still alive and living in the Vatican as a retired pope, only amplified the extraordinary nature of Francis’ move, which will surely result in more right-wing hostility directed at him…

“Under the new law, bishops must also determine if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II, which allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin. These groups cannot use regular churches; instead, bishops must find alternate locations for them without creating new parishes. In addition, Francis said bishops are no longer allowed to authorize the formation of any new pro-Latin Mass groups in their dioceses…

“The pope’s rollback immediately created an uproar among traditionalists already opposed to Francis’ more progressive bent and nostalgic for Benedict’s doctrinaire papacy.

“This is an extremely disappointing document which entirely undoes the legal provisions,’ of Benedict’s 2007 document, said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales. While Latin celebrations can continue, ‘the presumption is consistently against them: bishops are being invited to close them down,’ Shaw said, adding that the requirement for Latin Masses to be held outside a parish was ‘unworkable.’ ‘This is an extraordinary rejection of the hard work for the church and the loyalty to the hierarchy which has characterized the movement for the Traditional Mass for many years, which I fear will foster a sense of alienation among those attached to the church’s ancient liturgy,’ he said.

“Benedict had issued his document in 2007 to reach out to a breakaway, schismatic group that celebrates the Latin Mass, the Society of St. Pius X, and which had split from Rome over the modernizing reforms of Vatican II….

“Some of these traditionalists and Catholics already were among Francis’ fiercest critics, with some accusing him of heresy for having opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion… For years… Francis has made known his distaste of the old liturgy…”

Is a split within the Catholic Church between traditionalists and liberals inevitable?

New Emoji Designs and Change of Bird, Bug and Fish Names—This Is Insane

Daily Mail wrote on July 16:

“A pregnant man and a gender neutral person wearing a crown are among the emoji set to be approved this September and coming to smartphones next year….

“The pregnant man and pregnant person recognise that ‘pregnancy is possible for some transgender men and non-binary people’, Emojipedia says. The gender neutral person wearing a crown… comes in a range of different skin tones, as do 15 new handshake combinations.”

Daily Mail added on July 15:

“Woke warriors are behind a drive to rename hundreds of bird species because their names are deemed to have links to slavery and colonialism… It comes after bug experts are getting rid of the name ‘gypsy moth’ because some Roma people consider it to be an ethnic slur….

“The Oriental rat flea, Asian needle ant and the West Indian cane weevil are also now being scrutinized…”

NBC Chicago wrote on July 17:

“Minnesota state Sen. Foung Hawj was never a fan of the ‘Asian carp’ label commonly applied to four imported fish species that are wreaking havoc in the U.S. heartland, infesting numerous rivers and bearing down on the Great Lakes. But the last straw came when an Asian business delegation arriving at the Minneapolis airport encountered a sign reading ‘Kill Asian Carp.’ It was a well-intentioned plea to prevent the spread of the invasive fish. But the message was off-putting to the visitors.

“Hawj and fellow Sen. John Hoffman in 2014 won approval of a measure requiring that Minnesota agencies refer to the fish as ‘invasive carp,’ despite backlash from the late radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, who ridiculed it as political correctness….

“Now some other government agencies are taking the same step in the wake of anti-Asian hate crimes that surged during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service quietly changed its designation to ‘invasive carp’ in April. ‘We wanted to move away from any terms that cast Asian culture and people in a negative light,’ said Charlie Wooley, director of its Great Lakes regional office.

“… The four species described collectively as Asian carp — bighead, silver, grass and black carp — were brought from China a half-century ago to rid Southern sewage and aquaculture ponds of algae, weeds and parasites. They escaped into the wild and have migrated up the Mississippi and other major rivers. The Great Lakes and their $7 billion sport fishery are vulnerable.”

This insanity has been going on for years, but is becoming more and more aggressive and hostile these days all over the Western world.

Converting Children to Become Gay—This Is Sick!

The American Spectator wrote on July 9:

“The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a music video July 1 titled ‘A Message From the Gay Community’ that details their mission of ‘converting’ children. A soloist introduces the virtual music performance by dedicating the song to progress made in Pride Month… He continues, ‘We’ll convert your children, it happens bit by bit, quietly and subtlety and you will barely notice it…’

“The soloist then begins a duet, with another singer joining in: ‘Just like you’re worried, they’ll change their group of friends…’ The verses slowly build into a boisterous chorus of ‘we’re coming for your children’ and ‘the gay agenda is coming home.’ The video concludes by flashing LBGTQ flags over the screen…

“Both conservatives and people of faith responded with criticism and worry, arguing that the choir is saying the leftist agenda out loud… The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus released a statement on July 8 defending the song… The group said the ‘tongue-in-cheek humor is lost on many,’ adding, ‘After decades of children being indoctrinated and taught intolerance… from using the Bible as a weapon to reparative therapy, it’s our turn.’”

The ”tongue-in-cheek humor” is indeed lost. The reference to the Bible is even more alarming.

EU Court Tries to Push Russia—This Is Futile

Life Site News wrote on July 16:

“Russia rebuked a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) this week that pushed the country to recognize same-sex ‘marriage.’  The ECHR’s order, handed down on Tuesday, held that Russia’s refusal to register homosexuals as ‘married’ violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which includes a ‘right to family life,’ and Article 14, which prohibits discrimination. The Strasbourg-based court has interpreted the articles… to apply to same-sex unions, despite previous rulings to the contrary and no language about homosexuality in the text of the European Convention…

“Russia slammed the ECHR ruling, reaffirming on Tuesday that marriage in the country remains strictly between men and women. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that same-sex ‘marriages’ are ‘not allowed’ under Russia’s constitution…

“The ECHR… does not have enforcement powers, and the Russian government enacted a law in 2015 allowing the country to overturn ECHR verdicts. Russia, which joined the Council of Europe in the 1990s, has not implemented nearly 90% of leading judgements from the court in the past ten years…

“Last Tuesday, the ECHR issued another ruling against Russia for letting a woman prohibit her gender-confused former husband from visiting their children. A Russian court had declared that being around the father, who had undergone surgery to impersonate the opposite sex, would have a ‘negative impact on the mental health’ of the children.

“The ECHR’s attempts to impose LGBT ideology on Russia resemble ongoing efforts by the European Union to force Hungary to rescind a new children protection law that bans pro-LGBT materials in schools… ‘Brussels bureaucrats have no business at all, no matter what they do, we will not let LGBTQ activists among our children,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán responded.”

The EU must know that its push against Russia will not result in any change of conduct. It seems that the EU’s obsession with the LGBT agenda can be compared with the behavior of an angry bull in a China shop.

EU’s Military to the Rescue—This Is Dangerous

The Defense Post wrote on July 12:

“The European Union… formally established a military mission for Mozambique to help train its armed forces battling jihadists in the north of the country. A deadly insurgency by militants linked to the Islamic State group has ravaged the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province since late 2017, claiming some 3,000 lives and displacing 800,000 people. Former colonial master Portugal is already providing training for Mozambican troops. Lisbon’s military instructors on the ground are expected to make up some half of the new EU mission, which will be headed by a Portuguese commander.

“‘The aim of the mission is to train and support the Mozambican armed forces in protecting the civilian population and restoring safety and security in the Cabo Delgado province,’ an EU statement said, without giving details on the overall size of the deployment. ‘The mandate of the mission will initially last two years…’

“A senior European diplomat told AFP in June that other countries including France, Italy, and Spain are also expected to provide personnel for the mission. The approval of the EU training mission comes as regional powers are also looking to bolster their support for Mozambique’s fight to crush the insurgency. Last month, … 16 southern African countries… as Mozambique’s government said it was open to foreign boots on the ground to battle the jihadists…

“The EU has several other training missions in Africa, including in Mali, Central African Republic, and Somalia. The operation in Mali — aimed at boosting the fight against jihadists — has continued to operate despite concerns after the latest… strike of military coups hit the country in May.”

Europe will get more and more involved in military actions outside its territory.

EU Getting Ready for a Large-Scale Military Operation in Libya?—This Is Remarkable

Express wrote on July 19:

“A leaked document revealed that Brussels is finalising plans for ‘large-scale’ operations in the North African state in the coming months. It will pit the EU against Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which have all become involved in Libya’s brutal civil war. The internal report, obtained by the EU Observer website, highlighted the need for an EU military mission in the region to curb human and arms trafficking…

“EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the plans soon but the Commission’s foreign affairs arm has yet to announce the formal tabling of the proposals… France is expected to be one of the main supporters of a military mission to Libya. Its foreign minister Jean Yves Le Drian echoed the sentiment of the EU report in a speech at the UN’s Security Council in New York on Thursday…”

The military ambitions of the EU are becoming SO obvious.

Putin: Ukraine Created by Soviets and Bolsheviks, at Expense of History—This Is Noteworthy

RT wrote on July 12:

“Russia’s president has claimed that much of Ukraine is historically and ethnically Russian, and Kiev’s turn to the West since the 2014 Kiev Maidan amounts to a rejection of its deep ties with Moscow and its political reality.

“In an article published on the Kremlin’s website on Monday, President Vladimir Putin described how almost all of the Eastern European nation had fallen under the Russian Empire, and how Ukrainians and Russians can trace their culture and history back through shared roots. ‘Thus,’ he argued, ‘modern Ukraine is entirely the brainchild of the Soviet era. We know and remember that, to a large extent, it was created at the expense of historical Russia.’ According to him, ‘the Bolsheviks treated the Russian people as an inexhaustible material for social experiments. They dreamed of a world revolution, which, in their opinion, would abolish nation-states altogether.’ As such, Putin argued, Russia’s ‘borders were arbitrarily cut, and generous territorial “gifts” were handed out.’

“The status of the disputed Crimean peninsula, for example, has been a key point of contention between Moscow and Kiev. Ethnically dominated by Russians, it was historically administered from Moscow until 1954, when it was signed over by then-Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev, in what amounted to a technicality given the lack of internal borders in the USSR. However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Crimea was governed from Kiev until it was reabsorbed by Russia in 2014.

“According to Putin, the shared interests of both the Russian and Ukrainian people were ignored by those behind the 2014 Maidan and those supporting the uprising from abroad. Western countries directly intervened in the internal affairs of Ukraine and supported the coup,’ he said. ‘It was dominated by radical nationalist groups. Their slogans, ideology [and] open aggressive Russophobia in many ways began to determine the state policy in Ukraine.’

“The president went on to criticize a new bill being considered by politicians in Ukraine, which would deny ethnic Russians, who trace their presence in the region back centuries, the right to be considered ‘indigenous people’ in the country. ‘The most disgusting thing is that Russians in Ukraine are forced not only to renounce their roots, from generations of ancestors, but also to believe that Russia is their enemy,’ he said. ‘It is no exaggeration to say that the policy of forced assimilation and the formation of an ethnically pure Ukrainian state, aggressively disposed to Russia, in its effects is comparable with the use of weapons of mass destruction against us,’ Putin wrote.”

According to the Bible, Russia and Ukraine will be united against Europe. It is clear that Putin’s thinking goes in that direction. How this “unification” will take place remains to be seen.

Austria Bans Muslim Brotherhood—This Is a Slippery Slope

Breitbart wrote on July 16:

“Austria has become the first country in the European Union to ban the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood as part of a new anti-terrorism law.

“The law bans the Egyptian-founded Muslim Brotherhood by adding it to a list of organisations linked to ‘religiously motivated crime’. It sets a punishment of a month in prison and a €4,000 (£3,407/$4,717) fine for those who propagate the group’s literature or disseminate its slogans… the Muslim Brotherhood has a long history in Austria. It first opened an office in the city of Graz in the mid-1960s, which was used as the group’s financial hub before moving to Switzerland…

“The new designation for the Muslim Brotherhood comes after the Austrian government has also banned the symbols of the ultranationalist Turkish Grey Wolves, the far-left Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Islamic State, and other extremist groups.

“The move to ban the Muslim Brotherhood comes after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, in the aftermath of the Vienna terrorist attack, promised to create a new criminal offence related to ‘political Islam’, saying it would allow the government to ‘take action against those who are not terrorists themselves, but who create the breeding ground for it.’

Could this be a precursor for the persecution of other “religiously motivated” groups, even though they do not commit violence or crimes? The Bible predicts a martyrium of true Christians in continental Europe.

Microchips in Our Brains and Cyborg Implants—This Is Scary

Life Site wrote on July 19:

“Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), called for microchips to be implanted ‘in our brains.’ Schwab… detailed his microchip prediction in a 2016 interview with Swiss broadcasting group RTS, saying that brain chips would be widely introduced ‘certainly in the next ten years.’…

“Schwab’s predictions may appear easily dismissible as the ramblings of a Marxist social engineer from a Nazi-linked family. However, five years out, his microchip fantasy seems to have been just about spot-on.

“Facebook, for example, has been building brain-reading technology since at least 2017… Facebook unveiled plans to develop a ‘brain mouse,’ purportedly to allow users to type with their minds. The social media giant’s brain-computer projects have made steady progress since then… Facebook researchers can reportedly convert brain data to text with an error rate as low as 3 percent…”

Forbes had already written on June 5:

“DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, has long been exploring technology for ‘super soldiers’ with extraordinary capabilities… Their latest effort, known as ADAPTER involves cyborg implants to toughen soldiers against two of the commonest health issues in modern warfare: limited access to safe food and water, and sleep disruption. Each implant will be a miniature factory full of bacteria producing therapeutic substances on demand…

“A key benefit of ADAPTER is that soldiers will not need to carry multiple types of medication around with them, remembering to take them on a specific timetable. The implant will do all that automatically…

“While ADAPTER will target [two] specific problems… the longer term implications are much greater… ADAPTER promises to make U.S. troops healthier and more capable in the field. Putting bioelectronic bacterial factories into soldiers’ guts might seem like a radical idea, but the American military has always pushed the boundaries. In 1777, George Washington ordered mandatory inoculation against smallpox for the Continental Army. In that sense, the futuristic ADAPTER is just part of a long tradition.”

This technology does not give us more hope for a better future. One is reminded of God’s conduct at the tower of Babel when He decided to intervene because, otherwise, man’s thirst for scientific advances might have reached the point of destroying the earth and mankind much earlier.

Devastating Flooding in Europe—This Is Unique and Sad

CBS wrote on July 16:

“The death toll from devastating flooding in western Europe climbed to over [150 on Saturday], as buildings continued to crumble under the force of raging torrents unleashed by storms that parked over the region for days… the scale of the disaster is unlike anything the area has seen in living memory.

“Entire neighborhoods lay in ruins after days of heavy rains — the worst deluge recorded in the region in more than 200 years. The downpour sparked flash flooding across huge swathes of western Germany and several neighboring nations.

“Water spilled over the banks of rivers and turned roadways into torrents so powerful that they crushed much of what stood in their way.

“… thousands of residents in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate states had been forced to evacuate their homes, while 165,000 were left without electricity.

“… The amount of rain that fell over 48 hours was double what normally would have fallen for the entire month of July.

“… Neighboring countries Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have also been badly affected…”

The Associated Press added on July 16:

“The governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, who hopes to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel as the nation’s leader after Germany’s election on Sept. 26, said the disaster had caused immense economic damage to the country’s most populous state.

As it was predictable, the rain falls were blamed on global warming and climate change, even though it is difficult to see any real cause-and-effect connection. In other news, it was reported that Siberia suffers from unprecedented burning; and that China was hit by deadly floods and the worst rains in 60 years, affecting tens of millions.

Newsmax gave the following update in an article, dated July 21:

“A relief official said on Wednesday rescue crews were unlikely to find any more survivors in the rubble of villages devastated by floods in western Germany… At least 170 people died in last week’s flooding, Germany’s worst natural disaster in more than half a century, and thousands went missing… Any victims that are found now are likely to be dead…

“For immediate relief, the federal government will initially provide up to 200 million euros ($235.5 million) in emergency aid, and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday more funds can be made available if needed. That will come on top of at least 250 million euros to be provided from the affected states to repair buildings and damaged local infrastructure and to help people in crisis situations… The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, but… rebuilding after previous floods cost about 6 billion euros…

“The floods have dominated the political agenda less than three months before a national election in September and raised uncomfortable questions about why Europe’s richest economy was caught flat-footed. Two-thirds of Germans believe that federal and regional policymakers should have done more to protect communities from floods… Chancellor Angela Merkel… said authorities would look at what had not worked after being widely accused of not being prepared despite severe weather warnings from meteorologists…”

Rejecting Lies and Accepting Truth—This Is Simple

The Ron Paul Institute republished on July 14 an article by Chris Rossini:

“I was struck by a quote that I’ve certainly read before, but it’s just so relevant when reading it again today: ‘We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, but they are still lying.’ – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn…

“Many choose to achieve their goals by harming others, and either taking or destroying their property… It’s no surprise then that lies are a very popular means that are used to achieve ends. Truth and lies are interchangeable for these individuals…

“No man is all-knowing… we will frequently be presented with ideas that are untrue. Those ideas come from the mouths of other ignorant individuals. That doesn’t mean that the false ideas that come from others always come with malicious intent… when it comes to people in power, you always have to assume first that what’s being said is intended to dupe you. It’s a shame that it has to be that way…

“Whether or not the lies that we’re presented with on a daily basis are malicious or simply out of ignorance, we each have a monumental choice that must constantly be made. Do we choose to believe it? Or not? Each of us is responsible for choosing which ideas to accept and believe, and which to reject… We’re each responsible for telling the truth or telling lies. We’re each responsible of choosing what to believe and what to reject….”

Very true. Spreading and believing lies is an individual choice… but it will have dire consequences for those who believe and practice the lie.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

This Week in the News

Haiti in Turmoil

The Associated Press wrote on July 10:

“Haiti’s interim government has asked the U.S. and U.N. to deploy troops to protect key infrastructure as it tries to stabilize the country and prepare for elections in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination… The stunning request for U.S. military support recalled the tumult following Haiti’s last presidential assassination, in 1915, when an angry mob dragged President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam out of the French Embassy and beat him to death. In response, President Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines into Haiti, justifying the American military occupation — which lasted nearly two decades — as a way to avert anarchy.

“The request was received but there has been no decision… the Biden administration has so far given no indication it will provide military assistance… Haiti also sent a letter to the United Nations requesting assistance… The letter asked for troops and security at key installations…

“Meanwhile, more details emerged [of the killing]. Among those arrested are two Haitian Americans… Police have also detained or killed more than a dozen former members of Colombia’s military… It’s not known who masterminded the attack…

“Analysts say whoever plotted the brazen attack likely had ties to a criminal underworld that has flourished in recent years as corruption and drug trafficking have become entrenched. The growing power of gangs displaced more than 14,700 people in Haiti last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory…”

It will be interesting to see how the USA and the UN will react, if at all, to avoid a complete disaster in Haiti and the outbreak of more violence.

Mass Demonstrations in Cuba

Fox News wrote on July 12:

“Anti-government protests broke out Sunday in Cuba demanding freedom and calling on the disbandment of the country’s communist dictatorship, all while some of the U.S.’s most outspoken, self-professed Democratic socialists appear to be in lockstep by not acknowledging the historic events unfolding on the island about 90 miles from Florida.

“Fox News has emailed Reps. Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Sen. Bernie Sanders and has yet to receive a response from any of them. As of early Monday, none have even mentioned the protest on social media.

“Thousands of Cubans marched on Havana’s Malecon promenade and elsewhere to protest food shortages, high prices and the coronavirus outbreak in one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in the country ever

“The Biden administration was criticized on social media for appearing to have difficulty finding its footing on how to respond to the protests. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla, took the State Department to task over a tweet that blamed the protest on concerns over COVID-19 and not the worsening economic situation or the fact that protesters chanted, ‘We Want Liberty.’ ‘People in Cuba are protesting 62 years of socialism, lies, tyranny & misery not expressing concern about rising COVID-19 cases/deaths. Why is it so hard for @Potus & the people in his administration to say that?’ Rubio tweeted…

“Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant… [tweeted that the Communist government in Cuba] ‘has brutalized & denied freedom to generations of Cubans, and forced my family & so many others to flee… The American people stand squarely with the men & women of Cuba and their noble fight for liberty.’”

The Cuban government has announced that it will stage “counter demonstrations,” raising the fear of a brutal crackdown.

USA Being Blamed for Cuban Uprising

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“Cuban police were deployed to major cities such as Havana on Monday following the protests a day earlier… Authorities have blocked social media sites in an attempt to censor information about the demonstrations. Mobile internet outages — the only way Cubans can go online — are also common…

“Diaz-Canel and other top Cuban officials have accused the US of orchestrating the unrest… Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, a top official in the Communist Party of Cuba, said the demonstrations were funded by the US government to foment ‘instability and chaos’ in the country. He compared the protests to the US-backed demonstrations in 2019 against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally… Mexico and Russia… both warned that the situation in Cuba could be used as a justification for foreign interference in the country’s affairs….”

Biden Under Pressure

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“They are two tiny Caribbean states whose intractable problems have vexed U.S. presidents for decades. Now, Haiti and Cuba are suddenly posing a growing challenge for President Joe Biden that could have political ramifications for him in the battleground state of Florida… The administration has come under fire from both sides of the political spectrum for its responses to each of the crises, both unfolding less than two hours’ flying time from Miami. The troubled U.S. history in both countries has hardened positions, making virtually any policy decision politically unpalatable for a president seeking to toe a middle line….

“On Cuba, the political right in the U.S. has accused Biden — who said as a presidential candidate that he would revert to Obama-era policies that loosened decades of embargo restrictions on Havana — of not being supportive enough of Cuban dissidents. Democrats, meanwhile, are unhappy that Biden has yet to reverse Trump’s hard-line approach to the island’s communist government as his administration carries out its review of Cuban policy…”

Withdrawing from Afghanistan

Politico wrote on July 14:

“Former President George W. Bush on Wednesday offered fresh criticism of the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, as the U.S.-backed government in Kabul appears increasingly imperiled and Taliban fighters continue to make rapid gains across the country.

“Asked whether the drawdown was a mistake, Bush told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in an interview: ‘I think it is, yeah. Because I think the consequences are going to be unbelievably bad and sad.’

“Bush, whose administration launched the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, specifically cited the plight of Afghan women and girls whom he said could ‘suffer unspeakable harm’ at the hands of the Taliban.

“Bush expressed similar concern for the fate of thousands of Afghan translators and interpreters — as well as their families — who aided U.S. and NATO forces throughout the two-decade war effort. ‘It seems like they’re just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people,’ Bush said. ‘And it breaks my heart.’

“The remarks from the former president come as even senior Biden administration officials have acknowledged what Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby described as a ‘deteriorating security situation’ in Afghanistan, where the Taliban claims to have overtaken 85 percent of the country’s territory.

“The Islamic fundamentalist group has taken over nearly 10 percent of Afghanistan in the last week alone, and it now controls 195 of the country’s 407 districts — while contesting another 129. Despite the escalation in the conflict, the U.S. marked one of the final phases of its drawdown on Monday with the departure of Gen. Scott Miller, the top general in Afghanistan who was among the last of the American forces on the ground…

Biden denied that a Taliban takeover was inevitable, saying: ‘The likelihood that there’s going to be a Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.’”

The Guardian added on July 14:

“Taliban fighters said on Wednesday that they had taken control of one of Afghanistan’s main border crossings with Pakistan, perhaps their most strategic gain so far in a rapid advance across the country as US forces pull out.”

That a Taliban takeover is happening should not be in doubt.

Turmoil and Violence in South Africa

The Sun wrote on July 14:

“MILITIAS armed with rifles in South Africa are guarding against looters after the worst violence since the end of apartheid left 75 dead. The vigilantes have stepped into the vacuum left by a police force hopelessly overstretched by the spiralling chaos that has seen deadly stampedes and a hospital torched.

“… scared South Africans have been forming ‘defence squads’ to guard homes and businesses… Shopping malls and warehouses have been ransacked or set ablaze in several cities…”

Ukraine’s Futile Hope in German Help

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12:

“Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for Germany to do more to help Ukraine protect itself against Russia. But with Merkel’s retirement imminent, grand commitments are looking increasingly unlikely… relations between Ukraine and Germany have soured more recently.

“A main focus [is] protecting Ukraine against potential financial losses from Nord Stream 2. The pipeline will transport natural gas directly from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European countries, meaning they will lose out on transit fees… German government spokesman Steffen Seibert reiterated that Ukraine must remain a transit country for gas from Russia. Seibert did not provide concrete details…

“Zelenskyy [called] for Germany to supply arms to Ukraine, a request that Berlin has so far refused. Zelenskyy made a bid for weapons in May, weeks after around 100,000 Russian troops amassed on its border and in the annexed Crimea region.”

Ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will unite against the EU and Germany.

No More “Ladies and Gentlemen” at Lufthansa

The Local wrote on July 13:

“Europe’s largest airline group Lufthansa said Tuesday it was retiring ‘ladies and gentlemen’ as an on-board greeting in favour of gender-neutral alternatives. A spokesman for the German company told AFP the move was intended to make all passengers on board feel welcome, including those who do not identify as male or female. ‘Crews are being instructed to choose a greeting that includes all passengers,’ he said, adding that ‘dear guests’ or a simple ‘good morning/good evening’ would be used instead.

“The new policy, which will be phased in gradually, applies to German flag carrier Lufthansa as well as the group’s Swiss, Austrian, Brussels and Eurowings airlines… In recent days major cities including Berlin, Munich and Hamburg said that their transport networks would stop using the word ‘Schwarzfahren’ (black riding) to describe travel without a ticket in response to complaints the word had a racist taint.”

Will this nonsense ever stop?

Right-Wing Leaders Unite against EU

The Gatestone Institute wrote on July 12:

“The leaders of 16 political parties from across Europe have announced an unprecedented alliance to defend the sovereignty of European nation states, protect the nuclear family and preserve traditional Judeo-Christian values. The July 2 ‘Joint Declaration on the future of the European Union’ represents the first significant endeavor by euroskeptic parties to jointly oppose efforts by European federalists to transform the European Union into a godless multicultural superstate.

“Signatories include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. The document, penned by former Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who leads the powerful Law and Justice (PiS) party, has also been signed by conservative parties in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain.

“The document states that the European Union requires ‘profound reform’ because, ‘instead of protecting Europe,’ it has itself become ‘a source of problems, anxiety and uncertainty.’ The signatories say that the EU has become a tool of ‘radical forces’ that are determined to carry out a civilizational transformation of Europe. Their objective, they say, is to create a European superstate void of European traditions, social institutions or moral principles.

“The signatories say that conservative establishment parties in Europe have abandoned traditional Judeo-Christian values ​​and have aligned themselves with leftist positions for political gain. They are especially critical of mass migration policies that have allowed millions of migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East to settle in Europe even though many newcomers reject European values.”

Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Divided EU–East and West.”

EU’s Contemptible Resolution on Abortion and Most Extreme LGBT Agenda

International Family News wrote on July 10:

“In addition to being the ‘month of pride’…, June was also remembered for the new record-low to which human rights have fallen in the developed countries of the European Union. Namely, the European Parliament adopted the resolution on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU (2020/2215 (INI)), prepared by Croatian socialist Predrag Fred Matić. The resolution calls on all EU member states to completely eliminate all legal barriers and restrictions to abortion and to allow elective abortion (abortion on demand, without any specific medical or other reason) in order to bring their laws ‘into line with international human rights standards’. And not only that, the resolution expresses ‘regret’ that in some Member States medical providers have the right to refuse to perform an abortion on grounds of a ‘so-called conscientious objection’…

“… women will now be able to prevent new lives from coming into the world even more easily by…  receiving an abortion pill by mail and having a DIY abortion at home… without medical supervision and without an ultrasound before or after the procedure…

“The resolution also… promotes the most extreme elements of the LGBT agenda. Instead of providing children at school with true information about sexuality, hormonal contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. and affirming the importance of health, marriage and childbirth, ‘comprehensive sex education’ programs tell children to just ‘use protection’ and ‘get tested regularly’, giving them the illusion of safety and a ‘pass’ to engage in sexual activities, and when contraception fails – which happens ever so often – they can ‘simply’ have an abortion, as a backup plan

“The resolution calls on the WHO to change the definition of infertility to include same-sex couples and transgender persons…”

Shocking and abominable.

The Dictatorships of France and Other European Countries

Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“France is to make coronavirus vaccination passes compulsory for bars, cafés and restaurants, President Emmanuel Macron announced tonight… He also said there would be ‘compulsory vaccinations’ for those working with ‘fragile people,’ such as the elderly and the disabled… Mr Macron told care workers: ‘You will have until September 15 to get vaccinated. From September 15, checks will be made and sanctions applied’.

“As well as being asked for vaccination passes on long distance planes, coaches and restaurants, anyone going out to eat or drink will need one from August 1. ‘From the beginning of August, the health pass will apply to cafés, restaurants, hospitals, retirement homes, and long-distance transport: planes, trains and coaches for long journeys,’ said Mr Macron. This measure will apply to thousands of British tourists who are hoping to holiday in France this summer. Mr Macron said: ‘From this week, border controls will be further reinforced for nationals from countries at risk, with forced isolation for unvaccinated travellers.’ Mr Macron added: ‘From July 21, use of the health pass will be extended to places of leisure and culture…

Italy has introduced similar regulations, with the Covid vaccine being compulsory for health care workers and pharmacists, while those who opt out risk suspension or a salary cut. Meanwhile in Denmark, restaurants and public events require a digital pass showing that you have been fully vaccinated or have a recent negative test. Some German states require the same for restaurants, though suggestions of making vaccines obligatory have prompted widespread unease…

“France’s secretary of state for European affairs Clément Beaune advised people to ‘avoid Spain and Portugal as destinations’ because the French government is considering restrictions on travel to their neighbours.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 13:

“The German chancellor [Angela Merkel] stressed there would be no obligation to vaccinate in Germany, saying that mandating shots could endanger public trust…

Greece… on Monday announced mandatory immunization for healthcare workers who have until September 1 to get the jab; and nursing staff, who will be required to begin receiving vaccinations immediately… On Tuesday, Belgian hospitals published an open letter calling for mandatory vaccinations at the nation’s hospitals and healthcare facilities.”

The ongoing dictatorship in Europe (and elsewhere, see articles below) should wake up everybody, but sadly, most are sound asleep.  

Fully Vaccinated Tourists BARRED from Entering EU!

The Associated Press wrote on July 13:

“After Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor and his wife received two doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in Nigeria, they assumed they would be free to travel this summer to a European destination of their choice. They were wrong. The couple — and millions of other people vaccinated through a U.N.-backed effort — could find themselves barred from entering many European and other countries because those nations don’t recognize the Indian-made version of the vaccine for travel.

“Although AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Europe has been authorized by the continent’s drug regulatory agency, the same shot manufactured in India hasn’t been given the green light. EU regulators said AstraZeneca hasn’t completed the necessary paperwork on the Indian factory, including details on its production practices and quality control standards. But some experts describe the EU move as discriminatory and unscientific, pointing out that the World Health Organization has inspected and approved the factory. Health officials say the situation will not only complicate travel and frustrate fragile economies but also undermine vaccine confidence by appearing to label some shots substandard…

“Earlier this month, the European Union introduced its digital COVID-19 certificate, which allows EU residents to move freely in the 27-nation bloc as long as they have been vaccinated with one of the four shots authorized by the European Medicines Agency, have a fresh negative test, or have proof they recently recovered from the virus… the U.S. and Britain remain largely closed to outside visitors…

“The refusal of some national authorities to recognize vaccines manufactured outside the EU is also frustrating some Europeans immunized elsewhere, including the U.S….”

Could despicable profit-making motives have anything to do with these “discriminatory and unscientific” decisions by European countries?

Terrible Statistics of Adverse Effects and Deaths

Children’s Health Defense wrote on July 13:

“Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included 9,049 reports of deaths, across all age groups, following COVID vaccines — an increase of more than 2,000 compared with the previous week…

“Data released today show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and July 2, 2021, a total of 438,441 total adverse events were reported… There were 41,015 serious injuries reported during the same time period — up 6,950 compared with last week.”

Still, it is being postulated by governments, politicians, doctors and the pharma industry that all these vaccinations are totally safe.

Biden’s “Gestapo-Style Tactics”

Life Site wrote on July 7:

“White House officials announced yesterday that the federal government will be ‘knocking on doors’ in order to push more people to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. ‘We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door – literally knocking on doors – to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus,’ said President Joe Biden.

“The president attempted to shame those who have declined to take a vaccine which is not fully tested and which has increasingly been shown to produce disastrous health side effects for some, including death. Because ‘millions of Americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected,’ Biden claimed that ‘their communities are at risk. Their friends are at risk. The people they care about are at risk.’

“Biden also targeted unvaccinated young people ‘who may have thought that they didn’t have to be vaccinated, didn’t have to worry about it, didn’t have to do anything about it up to now.’…

“Announcement of the door-to-door plan immediately sparked an enormous backlash on social media, with many critics comparing the new White House initiative to Gestapo-style tactics. ‘That’s Nazi Germany,’ declared Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow… ‘This is communism,’ he added. ‘Sending Joe Biden’s Gestapo door-to-door to check up on non-vaccinated Americans is really a recipe for disaster,’ tweeted Lavern Spicer, a Republican candidate for Congress in Florida…

“Others taking to Twitter focused on how the White House initiative was misguided and would perhaps violate the confidentiality of patient records. ‘Vaccine education and conversation should be between a doctor and patient, not by a grassroot government door knocker,’ said, Nicole Saphier, MD, a New York physician and author. “Others made known their outright rejection of the Biden’s door-to-door plan. ‘Not on my watch!’ proclaimed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. ‘I won’t buy a magazine subscription door to door,’ tweeted retired Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff. ‘What makes you think I’d take a free poison into my body?’”

Breitbart added on July 11:

“[Former Planned Parenthood president and] CNN medical contributor Dr. Leana Wen said Friday that life needs to be ‘hard’ for Americans who have not received a coronavirus vaccine with ‘twice weekly testings.’”

Incredibly and quite disturbingly, some Republican “Rhinos” (Republican dissidents) even support Biden’s approach.

Fauci’s and Biden’s Dangerous Propaganda

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 13:

“ In a CNN interview over the weekend, Fauci told the host that he’s very much in favor of vaccine mandates and that any vaccine hesitancy is ‘horrifying’ considering how safe and effective the shots are.

“The White House has warned that those questioning the shots are ‘dangerous’ and ‘extremist,’ motivated by (conservative) politics.”

Such irresponsible statements are just abhorrent.

New Zealand follows Biden’s Lead

Life Site News wrote on July 9:

“New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister suggested that his government would need to ‘go out and find’ any Kiwis who were still unvaccinated next year…

“[His] comments… have raised eyebrows among those skeptical of the hastily produced experimental shots and the politicization of vaccination by government officials.”

It reveals the same spirit.

Child Abuse?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 12:

“Wanted: a pediatrician who actually believes in science and not child abuse.

“My children are months overdue for their checkups because they are distraught about having to wear masks. The baby, who doesn’t yet have to cover her breathing orifices, was traumatized at her recent visit by seeing everyone dressed like a mummy. How can it be that the doctors responsible most for the health of children can’t read simple data and studies showing clearly that children are more at risk from the trauma of the response to COVID than from the virus?

“Scientists from University College London and the Universities of York, Bristol, and Liverpool studied the data from all pediatric COVID-19 infections in the U.K. and found that just 25 children under 18 likely died from the virus in a country with over 12 million children. Only six of those children had no known serious underlying conditions, although the authors caution that they could not confirm that all of them were indeed healthy. The rest of the fatalities were among those with the sorts of conditions that cause people to die every year from other endemic respiratory viruses for which we never disrupt society or force masking and experimental injections…

“According to this data, healthy children under 18 have a 1 in 2 million chance of dying of COVID in the U.K. over the course of a year. According to the CDC, in the US, every person has a 1 in 500,000 chance of being struck by lightning in a given year. In other words, there is more math and science behind destroying the lives of children and forcing them to wear a protective suit or stay inside for a year because of lightning than because of COVID.

“The forced masking and vaccination of children is likely the biggest scandal of all time. For pediatrician offices to continue focusing their regulations on COVID when every other ailment is a bigger threat to children is global malpractice that will leave an indelible stain on a profession that now follows voodoo rituals over science. There is simply no way a pediatrician can possibly think it’s humane to pressure children to get the experimental injections, even if the risk factors are as low as they believe.

“Even if we are to trust Pfizer’s own trial data and allow the foxes of profit from guarding the academic henhouse, there is a 1 in 333 risk for a serious adverse event (SAE) from the vaccine… So, let’s assume that somehow the vaccine is 100% effective in stopping the one in 2 million pediatric deaths. On the way to that 2 million pediatric vaccination number, over 6,000 children would suffer serious adverse effects, including life-altering disabilities and deaths. But that is from Pfizer’s untrustworthy data. A detailed analysis from Israel’s Hadassah Medical Center found that the rate of just one serious side effect – myocarditis – was as high as 1 in every 3,000-6,000 among young men.”

Voodoo rituals over science is an interesting comparison…

China “Recovered” before Vaccines

Money Morning wrote on July 12:

“… we need to remember that China went into this pandemic first and thus came out of it first too (notably before vaccines were developed, which is something we seem to be forgetting as we discuss our own release from lockdown).”

FBI Under Attack

Breitbart wrote on July 12

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a tweet on Sunday telling Americans to report their own family members and peers for ‘suspicious behaviors.’ The tweet included a link to a government booklet that was first written in 2015 on ‘indicators’ that someone may be contemplating violent action.

“Conservatives slammed the FBI for encouraging Americans to report their family members. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted: ‘In both Cuba & China, they also ask children to spy on their parents….’

“Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) tweeted: ‘These people protected Hillary, abused NSA surveillance databases against Americans, used known, unreliable DNC-funded propaganda to spy on Trump, perpetuated the Russia hoax, & lied to the FISC repeatedly. And now they tell you that you should spy on your family.’

“Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell tweeted: ‘This is outrageous. The FBI has a growing credibility problem and this type of sinister snitching is clearly unhelpful. Why hasn’t the FBI made more progress finding the BLM rioters from last summer? Why hasn’t the FBI leadership apologized for the Russian hoax they pushed?

“Mike Doran, Middle East expert and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, tweeted: ‘If any person takes this seriously, I feel sorry for them. The FBI encourages us to snitch on family members. Meanwhile FBI leaders cover up for the transgressions of their colleagues, to say nothing of their families.’”

Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Soviet Union, former Communist East Germany and so many other dictatorships were and are known for these kind of tactics.

Spying on Tucker Carlson?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 8:

“After the shocking revelation that the US National Security Agency had intercepted Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s emails and then leaked them to media in an effort to smear him, the question all Americans should be asking is: how did we get to this banana republic state? Will there be any accounting for this lawlessness?”

Chances are, there won’t be…

President Joe Biden Direct Beneficiary of Hunter’s Financial Deals?

Breitbart wrote on July 12:

“Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), said on Monday that his organization had confirmed that President Joe Biden ‘was a direct beneficiary’ of Hunter Biden’s financial deals with foreign interests

“GAI is in the process of investigating its copy of files found on Hunter Biden’s laptop… GAI’s forthcoming reports on the laptop’s contents will expose disastrous dimensions of the Biden family…”

Will anything really come out of it?

Trump Speaks at CPAC

The New York Post wrote on July 11:

“Former President Donald Trump delivered a blistering rebuke of President Biden, Big Tech, critical race theory, the media and other targets during a fiery keynote speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday… He wasted no time jumping on the key themes of his post-presidency — immigration, the media and the election he deems fraudulent… Trump lambasted the ‘fake news’ media and tech companies, saying they conspired to stifle him while ignoring stories critical of Biden…

“Trump has remained a potent force in the GOP since exiting the White House and has repeatedly railed against the 2020 election results as fraudulent… Trump has also stressed the importance of the 2022 midterm elections, touting favorable candidates and vowing to oust GOP candidates he deems disloyal. He has also not ruled out another run for the White House in 2024….”

In fact, he has said repeatedly that he has made up his mind as to what he will do in 2024, but that he cannot reveal it as yet due to certain rules and regulations pertaining to political candidacies.

Donald Trump to Run and Win?

Newsmax wrote on July 10:

“Former President Donald Trump will not just run again for the White House in 2024, but he will win, political analyst and Newsmax host Dick Morris predicted Saturday…

“Trump will ‘absolutely’ win, Morris added… saying he will take both elections, starting with ‘the Republican primary, which he can’t possibly lose.’ ‘No matter what happens, he could win that from jail if he has to,’ Morris joked. ‘The other is the general election, which a Republican is guaranteed to win because of the terrible performance of [President Joe] Biden. So in a real sense, the future is laid out for Donald Trump. He is going to be the 47th president of the United States.’”

Let us wait and watch…

New Deadly Epidemic for Birds

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 7:

“…a new epidemic seems to have hit multiple bird species in North America. Across the United States, people have been finding dead birds. The birds appear to have been hit by a wave of mysterious illnesses since April… the illness has spread at least 965 kilometers (600 miles) from the capital, across the Midwest regions of the United States and into the state of Indiana… Animal centers have been examining the birds for a possible cause of death or illness, but tests have been inconclusive so far…

‘We are losing our population of birds at an alarming rate,’ says [Jim Monsma, director and founder of the animal rescue center City Wildlife in Washington, D.C.], including Fledglings, European Starlings, Bluejays and others. ‘About a third of the species in America are decreasing rapidly. It’s spreading to other species,’ he says. ‘And we certainly cannot rule out the possibility that it might spread to humans.’’

The Bible predicts that in these end times, many birds will die.

True Christianity?

International Family News wrote on July 10:

“75% of Christians in America believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Yet… more than 25% (and sometimes even a majority) of Catholics, Mainline Protestants, and Evangelicals support gay marriage, abortion, transgenderism, and other positions that are antithetical to what the Bible and traditional Christianity clearly teach…

“… every time a ‘Christian’ comes out in support of gay marriage or the gay lifestyle, he or she is also supporting… beliefs that directly [undermine] Christianity… Christians who take heretical stances on gay marriage, abortion, transgenderism, and other issues are causing great damage. They are sowing chaos and division within Christianity as the clear teachings of the Bible are being called into question. Indeed, denominations have been ripped apart by these heretical teachings. More ominously, though, such Christians are… supporting conduct condemned by the Bible. First, they are hurting the unrepentant sinner… Second, they are harming those sinners who truly wish to repent and live a moral life…

“Rather than affirming sinful conduct, we should be encouraging these people to do all they can to heroically live up to the tough—but loving—demands of the Christian Faith, demands that lead to true joy and true life both now and in eternity.

“Why do people who claim to be ‘Christian’ hold views that are against what the Bible and traditional Christianity profess?… First, ignorance… Second, intellectual laziness… Third, peer pressure… Fourth, the desire to avoid looking into one’s own soul… Finally, simple arrogance. Some of these people just think they know better than the Bible and almost two thousand years of Christian teaching…”

This wrong attitude and endorsement of unchristian values and doctrines is, sadly, not limited to the issues mentioned in the article. We dare to say that most teachings of traditional Christianity are in opposition to the Bible.

The Search for the Red Heifer

Israel 365 News wrote on July 11:

“The Temple Institute launched its Red Heifer program about a decade ago but even in Temple times, an animal that fulfilled the Biblical requirements was exceedingly rare. The Temple Institute has a breeding program in Israel and is investigating the possibility of utilizing genetic science to produce an entirely red calf…

“The heifer, born from a natural birth, must be entirely red, with no more than two non-red hairs on its body. It must also never have been used for any labor or have been impregnated… To be suitable for the ceremony,  the heifer must be two years and one day old. Sometimes, a calf that is perfectly red when it is young develops black or white hairs as it grows older, or it may develop a blemish. Sometimes, the colored hairs fall out or disappear…

“According to Jewish tradition, there will only be ten red heifers in human history with the tenth heifer ushering in the Messianic era…”

Jews believe that the red heifer is a necessary requirement for building the Third Temple. The Bible does not support this idea. In Old Testament times, a red heifer procedure for purification is described, but the animal did not have to have the stringent requirements, as Jews have invented.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

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