Out of the Pot and Into the…

Posted on by charliej373
Principalites-and-Powers
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the…spiritual forces of evil – Ephesians 6:12

By Charlie Johnston

Elite sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in jail over the weekend, reportedly of suicide. That it was possible for him to commit suicide at all strains credulity, given the prominence of his case and the supposed close watch he was supposed to be under. Since the unsealing last week of previous court proceedings implicating a multitude of prominent Democrat officials and contradicting former Pres. Bill Clinton’s claims that he was never on “Pedophile Island,” many people credibly suspect foul play. The establishment media, which just spent three years pushing a false “Russian Collusion” storyline and now accuses everyone who is not hard left (including conservative black folks) of being a racist, calls this a conspiracy theory. Well, I reckon if anyone should know conspiracy theories, it would be the establishment media and prominent Democrat legislators.

Of course, the media always points out that Donald Trump had known and been at events with Epstein. What they almost never mention is that, in 2003, after finding that Epstein had been hitting on underage employees at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago property, the future president banned Epstein from all his properties. Hardly the behavior of someone who had been compromised or could be blackmailed. If you google the subject (or in my case, bing it), the first things to pop up are always the thin connections to Trump – with no mention of his ban on Epstein. Buried are the mountain of solid connections to Democratic officials and global leftist elites who flew in Epstein’s “Lolita Express” jet or cavorted on his “Pedophile Island.” Already the search engines are at work altering reality. Ah well, the media has a narrative to feed, no matter how meager the fodder.

Epstein plundered what was left of a lot of young girls’ innocence, both personally molesting them and trafficking them to other members of the elite to be molested. I say “what was left” of their innocence because it is a dicey proposition how much innocence anyone over 12 has in this sex-saturated, love-starved culture. Oh, I don’t blame the kids. They don’t know any better. It is we who have either built this toxic culture or allowed it to prevail.

Epstein was universally condemned for his predations, which is strange, because the left does not oppose plundering children’s innocence: they are the foremost advocates in favor of it. Whether it is 11-year-old “drag queens,” taking children to sexually explicit gay pride parades, or subjecting pre-schoolers to “drag queen” story hours, the left is all for it. If that is not an assault on children’s innocence, nothing is. So I’m not sure whether the left’s pro forma denunciations of Epstein are: A) anti-male bigotry – assault boys’ innocence with impunity but leave the girls alone, B) a pragmatic sop to what they think are the rubes’ remaining sensibilities about sexual exploitation or C) prelude to the left advocating to drop prohibitions against exploiting girl-children as well as boy-children. What I know is they are not, in principle, opposed to plundering the innocence of the young. They have no objective standards, only arbitrary and capricious standards – which is ever prelude to no standards at all. If the left finally gets its way on sexual standards, it will be all predation, all the time. None would ever be loved for their own selves. All would be co-conspirators in mutual exploitation – and everyone would treat everyone else as a thing instead of a person.

The suicide or murder of Epstein (either actively or by neglect) will not be the end of this. Atty. Gen William Barr has launched a two-tiered investigation, both by the FBI and an independent Justice Dept. task force. (It has become clear in the last decade that the FBI cannot be trusted with an investigation that could seriously damage Democrats). Epstein’s death means there is no one left to oppose search warrants on “pedophile island.” If this was a conspiracy, the conspirators may well have only added wrongful death to the raft of charges in their future. That is, if Barr is serious about getting to the bottom of all of this. I am cautiously optimistic that he is.

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I may be the only Christian conservative who is disappointed that the movie, “The Hunt,” will not be released as planned to theaters next month. The movie featured rich liberal elites who had set up an enclave where they could hunt and kill “deplorables” – Christians, conservatives and Trump supporters. Most conservatives, including the president, were completely outraged. As for me, when my opponent’s hubris persuades him to gleefully drop the mask of compassion and show the fullness of his barbaric malice, I prefer to step out of the way and let him have at it.

There are only two possible endings for this movie; either the ‘deplorables’ heroically rally and fight back to beat their oppressors or the elites savagely murder them all. Either way works for me. The former would unintentionally portray people Hollywood and the left hate in a heroic light while the letter would portray the dark, murderous bloodlust at the heart of the left’s brand of “tolerance.”

I have been thinking for some time that the left’s descent into a peculiarly bloody form of decadence is more than madness – it is demonically fueled. The left has become a form of death cult. They demand the right to kill pre-born and just-born infants on demand. They demand assisted suicide and even forced euthanasia. I spoke above of their demand to plunder the innocence of, at least, boy children. Actor Mario Lopez was shouted down and bullied into apologizing for saying in an interview that three-year-olds should not be allowed to “choose” sex-change surgery. A hallmark of the satan’s tactics are to try to negate what God has created and to make humanity repugnant – both to God and to each other.

Many, but not all, who have adopted the principles of this cult are lost. Some have just completely lost their way, infected by a group madness of the times – kind of like “the terror” in revolutionary France. It is for each of us to live the Gospel, to proclaim the kingdom. At the heart of any just, prosperous and joyful regime is faith, family and freedom. It must be based on truth. No one has the right to casually murder children. There are two genders – male and female – and God decides which each of us are. Sexual lust and depravity are not love. Only when we understand, live and promulgate these things can we reclaim a culture that works – a culture firmly anchored in God.

There have been more murderous generations than our own. The Mayans, Rwanda and French revolutionaries come to mind. I do not include such regimes as those run by Stalin, Hitler, or Mao, because murderous as they were, these were imposed from the top down rather than infecting the entire culture. I can’t think of any that have been so casual in their murderous depravity while simultaneously self-righteous, absurdly claiming their depredations were for human rights. Our struggle truly is not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities.

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With all the sound and fury accompanying the rise in public shootings, the very best piece I have seen on the subject is this one by Daniel Greenfield at Front Page Magazine. I am not familiar with this publication or this writer, but I was deeply impressed with an article that actually gets to the roots of the problem rather than just chopping away at the branches for political advantage.

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Things are heating up between China and Hong Kong. Though there has not yet been an invasion from mainland China, things are getting more tense with each day. Citizens of Hong Kong are not relenting in their refusal to give up their liberty – and China is progressively tightening the noose (like ‘progressives’ always do when anyone defies them).

One might wonder why China has not just stomped in murderously, as it did in Tiananmen Square a generation ago. Some think that China is leery of the consequences on the mainland of invading and losing. I have considered that possibility, but find it ultimately inadequate. In a contest of raw military power, Hong Kong would not stand a chance against the Chinese Army. Yet Hong Kong DOES have something China desperately needs – money.

The Chinese economy is tottering on disaster. Hong Kong is the economic engine that keeps the wobbly Chinese economy from imploding disastrously. China cannot invade without destroying that economic engine and, thus, its own hopes of righting its economy. So, if China invades, its own economy tanks and its dreams of world hegemony are set back at least a generation – or lost entirely to the foreseeable future. It is lucky, indeed, for Hong Kong that U.S. economic sanctions because of unscrupulous Chinese trade practices and intellectual property theft have been enacted now. China can pretend to a trade war for a while, in hopes that customary American timidity will prevail in time to keep it from tanking. But the loss of Hong Kong’s productivity would expose the hollowness at the core of Chinese economic “power” more quickly and dramatically than Ronald Reagan’s military build-up did to the Soviet Union.

Ignore the ignorant media. Do not lift trade sanctions on China at this critical moment. To do so would make it much easier for them to invade Hong Kong. In fact, I think the ante ought to be upped. I think Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ought to start circulating chatter about the possibility of offering diplomatic recognition to Taiwan as an independent nation. That would be a mortal blow to China’s immediate hopes for military pre-eminence in Southeast Asia and all along its Pacific rim. I don’t say do it right now; just use it as a stick to make clear what awaits China if it does invade Hong Kong – both economic and diplomatic ruin.

China did not miscalculate badly in its 30-year stealth effort to become the world’s major superpower. Had the delusional foreign policy fecklessness of the Obama years continued into a Hillary Clinton administration, China probably would have prevailed in its machinations, at least in the short term. But almost no one foresaw the Trump presidency coming – and Trump is neither a feckless chump nor worried about seeming sophisticated to the American eunuchs of foreign policy. He is set on defending American interests and the American people.

If you really wanted to bust up this China shop, begin negotiations to significantly build a strategic alliance between America and Russia. Russia is militarily the weakest of the three powers – but so was China when Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger forged an alliance with her that checked Soviet dreams of grandeur. We could make the world a much safer place, but the left cares for none of that.

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I close with this marvelous piece that insightfully dissects the state of the world and the Church today. It was written by Sr. Charista Maria of the Missionaries of Our Mother of the Eucharist. This small, missionary order in Mississippi is dear to me. I have visited it on a couple occasions – and correspond occasionally with Sr. Mary Wax there.

208 thoughts on “Out of the Pot and Into the…”

  1. You’ve named these topics in the realm of where they squarely belong, Charlie: we’re battling with the powers, principalities and rulers of darkness of this world. For anyone who may have missed it, Fr. Rick Heilman and his team are gearing up for the next phase of this spiritual warfare in the “Final Confrontation” as Pope St. John Paul II called it. The kick off to the October 13th “Rosary Coast to Coast” begins on Thursday, the Solemnity of the Assumption, with the start of a 54 Day Rosary Novena… a potent next right step. (Check it out here.)

    Been out of the pot and will remain in the Ark, by the Grace of God, forever… safe in the womb of our Mother’s Heart as She protects our place of safety in the womb of Mother Church… even as we continue to take any risk needed in walking our next right steps.

    Redux time as we consider a mystery: the Battle belongs to the Lord, yet, each one DOES have an active part to play.

    Liked by 12 people

    1. Can’t wait for the 54 Day Novena to begin! I “feel” it’s about time…. I’m feeling in the zone (the “Holy” zone) again…. let’s do this!

      Mick, you asked a while back about the Rosary Coast to Coast on October 13, and I hope to do it again in Westphalia, I’ll let you know if I an swing it!!! God bless!

      Liked by 3 people

    3. Dear Charlie and all his readers. Please pray for Canada on August 17th,Saturday. The first Satanic Black Mass will be held in Ottawa our nations CAPITAL!!! Please sign the petition on http://www.lifesitenews.com
      Thank you so much as we are all in this battle together. God bless and may the Queen of Heaven intercede.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Yes, Beckita! Something like a pillar of fire, a lightning bolt, inclement weather or the sort that would prevent the sacrilege from occurring would be astonishing.

          When you are dealing with nothing being impossible, there are literally endless possibilities. 😉 I was the benefactor of such supernatural events that shut down Downtown Chicago Courts, cancelling two separate scheduled trials which spared me injustice.

          Dear Lord I praise and thank you in advance for your blessings and graces. ❤

          Liked by 1 person

      2. I love the good folks of Canada. In 1967, my grade school band went to Montreal where we played at Expo 67. We spent a few days in London, Ontario where the folks took us on several tours and had a wonderful picnic lunch for us in exchange for a concert. In 1975 I spent some time in Canada, visiting the wonderful Churches in Montreal, dazzled by the Bay of Fundy, and circumnavigating Nova Scotia where I saw my first black squirrels. I love your country and pray for her, praying that when I return to visit, she will be the great faithful country of my memory again.

        Liked by 3 people

            1. I don’t remember that. It was the mono rail that really intrigued me. Ok. I stayed at the hotel you worked at in Mundeline, we came into the church at the same time. What next? 😎

              Liked by 1 person

      4. Yes, we need as many Canadians as can, to do the 54 day novena for the nation starting on August 15th. (Unfortunately Charlie alot of our former beautiful Montreal churches are now condos.)

        Liked by 3 people

      6. Linda, I have prayed that these dark rituals/ceremonies and their rites be stopped in the Americas and around the world. Lord hear our pleas.

        ❤

        Like

  2. Your picture of the sinking ship with the life boat bracing for the enormous wave. Those in the boat are saying… this is going to suck!

    Liked by 4 people

  4. Who would have recognized this country we have now, 40 or 50 years ago! I seldom, if ever, agree with Oprah, but last week she had a statement that many agree with – that the shootings (we could say all other depravity also) are the symptom of a lack of a “core moral center”. She even said that churches used to provide this. Are people waking up when celebrities can help pinpoint the problem?! I know she supposedly has strange beliefs, but she’s coming awfully close to talking about God with that statement!

    Keep ’em coming, Charlie, love to have your take on all of the mess!

    Liked by 14 people

  5. Whenever I hear of a mass shooting, I am reminded of this quote from St Teresa of Calcutta:
    “What is taking place in America,” she said, “is a war against the child. And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another.”February1997 -National Prayer Breakfast in Washington attended by the President and the First Lady.

    How many have heard or read of the mass shooting in Chicago this past weekend? Six people were wounded. All total, Chicago had 4 people shot dead and 40 wounded this past weekend. Where are the hysterical politicians and celebrities decrying this gun violence?
    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-11/yet-another-mass-shooting-leaves-6-wounded

    As Charlie said at the beginning of this article, “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”

    The rosary is our weapon against the evil flooding the world.

    Liked by 17 people

      1. Great comment. The dirty secret is that gang members, while willing and even eager to shoot, are incompetent at it. They prefer to look cool rather than be accurate. If we ever got serious about ending inner city crime, a few SWAT teams in each could pacify every inner city in the country in a matter of weeks. But the left likes having the issue and does not want to hold anyone accountable for anything (at least if they are a criminal – if they are a Republican, military, law enforcement, or clergy, they are held accountable for things they weren’t even remotely involved in.)

        Liked by 15 people

        1. The other dirty little secret is that leftists don’t really care when black people kill other black people.

          And they call US the racists.

          By the way, according to the left’s “logic,” I am simultaneously a white supremacist and a race traitor; and my kids are simultaneously the beneficiaries of and victims of white privilege. Man, do we live in a bizarro world these days.

          Liked by 17 people

          1. A perfect example of a bitter irony Mick.
            But since we wrestle not against flesh and blood the real cause and effect is the enemy can do NOTHING good so even his fellows (sops) end up destroyed as the enemy can only steal, kill and destroy. This becomes thier lot in life- emotionally, physically and spiritually. So they see life through evil colored glasses so it’s all evil all the time- even the good- because good does not exist in them to see.
            “Light casts out the darkness, the two cannot exist in the same place”. But it’s also the reverse.
            “This is the verdict, that light has come into the world, but they loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19)

            Liked by 8 people

          3. Mick, seriously that logic doesn’t even make sense, right!? Like the link Charlie shared by the Sisters at ourmotheroftheeucharist.org describes (thanks for sharing Charlie – amazing piece!), the deception today that so easily convinces people that the nonsensical thoughts in their minds and the words that come out of their mouths…. it is prime example of possessed insanity! The red pill must be on sale these days… buy one, get ten free!

            Liked by 4 people

          5. Here’s a bit of David Webb on Fox talking about a black “analyst” who accused him of white privilege.

            Whoooops! So much for talking points.

            Being black has its own challenges, but being a conservative black in America generates a whole new set of problems. I think of people who chose not to swim with the current, like Herman Cain, Justice Clarence Thomas (attacked by Joe “Plugs” Biden), Alan Keyes, Tim Scott, and my new favorite superhero, the feisty Candace Owens.

            The Left wants to destroy conservative blacks because they VISIBLY undermine their own racist agenda. But courageous people like the ones I mentioned above think for themselves and have chosen the right side of history.

            You tell ‘em, Clarence! Your words are still true today.

            Liked by 7 people

            2. I am a huge Clarence Thomas fan. His autobiography was incredible. I was blessed to meet him about 20 years ago when I was on a trip to DC. I told him that my dad (also a big fan of his) had been away from the Sacraments since forever, and I asked him if he’d pray for my dad. He agreed. Then I asked him if he’d send my dad a note saying that he was praying for my dad’s return to the Sacraments. He agreed to that, too. My dad hasn’t returned to the Church yet; but he double-matted and framed both the letter and the envelope, which frame hangs on the wall in his game room.

              Liked by 10 people

    3. I have been carrying that quote in my purse and in the last week when anyone started talking about gun control, I have whipped it out to show them WE MUST protect the babies first and end abortion. St. Teresa’s quote is spot on to what is happening now.

      Liked by 11 people

  6. Daniel Greenfield’s piece was right on.

    Did you see the picture of the protesters in Hong Kong waving large American flags? That should send the Chinese govt into convulsions.

    Liked by 14 people

      1. Dearest Becks

        Link? This is very important.

        Related:

        “Crazy Eyed Annie” at Barnhardt.biz has an amazing and inspiring pic https://www.barnhardt.biz/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img_0900.jpg

        Anne’s a bit of a “black-piller” on the state of things, but she is a good egg and a fighter.

        Off topic.

        Monday is “I go to Church” day at the beautiful Basilica where I am at peace and confess and worship (on my own time,not during Mass) our beloved Lord.

        Funniest thing. When I confess (to God, not a priest) my sins, I address, directly, the people I have sinned against by name and ask God to bless them.

        That beautiful woman, who is in Heaven, who I sinned against , my neighbor who I love dearly, ….

        As i bowed in prayer, I had a “postage stamp sized” vision…

        Brighter than white. Holy, like a new-born.

        Under the soaring expanse and the grandeur of this: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.romanticasheville.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fu13%2Fst-lawrence-basilica.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.romanticasheville.com%2Fbasilica.htm&docid=WxIyOlFWIKoZ1M&tbnid=vWVLQ7EWLNlq6M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj_n9GSvv7jAhWmiOAKHUYoC7AQMwhUKAgwCA..i&w=600&h=350&bih=969&biw=1920&q=saint%20lawrence%20basilica&ved=0ahUKEwj_n9GSvv7jAhWmiOAKHUYoC7AQMwhUKAgwCA&iact=mrc&uact=8

        My beloved friend showed as a shining “postage stamp sized vision” of Heaven.

        The gates of Hell will NEVER withstand her.

        Isn’t it funny? All these tidal waves, and massive …things…don’t stand a chance against the smallest of the Faithful!

        Completely unexpected! Wonderful!

        Grace and Peace to you.

        and, per Crew Dog.

        God Save All Here!

        Liked by 11 people

        1. Gorgeous cathedral, Timothy! May your spirit continue to soar to Heaven when you pray in that sacred space and fire you to bring heaven to earth as you do in this space.

          Liked by 10 people

          1. fu ny, i was thinking how to describe what I saw and veilofveronica has a pic that is almost exact.

            I did not see the concentric rings surrounding the postage stamp sized light. Mind you the “”darkness” surrounding the light was in no way “dark”. It was a servant of the light. a helper and very calming .

            very peaceful

            grace and peace

            Liked by 6 people

  7. Saw the post image at lunch. Didn’t get to the copy until now. My thought then was that this might have been the first time you understated the crazy with the image selection (as menacing as the wave looks). Now I’m reading B’s comment about “out of the pot and in the Ark,” and I’m hoping we’ve all pushed off shore and are well underway. The further out, the better chance of that tsunami rolling right underneath our ship, before picking up speed and growing to monstrous proportions as it slams inland.

    Liked by 10 people

  8. Thank you for this great piece, Charlie. There is so much going on and you present it so well that it helps keep one grounded. I just watched Mark Levin’s show on child trafficking this morning. I’ve known it was a problem for many years, but could not look at it back then and no one would believe it. It is widespread. This is the video of his interview with Jaco Booyens who has dealt with this firsthand in his family and has been fighting it, but most network news programs won’t interview him (no surprise there). We are definitely in a terrible spiritual battle. Lord, help us.

    Liked by 8 people

  9. Yep…

    The search engines & social media (like Facebook) are filtering conservative opinions. I’ve seen Facebook delete posts and other times filter other posts, so the only place the post will show up is the user’s viewing page only. It would seem that the left wants to control all information before the next election.

    Liked by 7 people

  10. I would think that MI6 has vacuumed, dusted and sterilized Epstein’s island long before he was quite surprised to find himself committing self harm. The new James Bond won’t be the sort we have been used to over the decades.

    Liked by 9 people

    1. William Wallace, you are probably right about Epstein’s island already having been protected by the bad guys. There is an article in the VI Consortium online, dated July 22, stating that there were fishermen and charter operators who saw “men clad in black” on the island. Not sure if they were FBI, but I found that interesting.

      Liked by 5 people

  11. If Red China strangles the Golden Goose, then it would not surprise me if they went out for the more traditional forging of empire to regain that lost wealth. They feel that they are so close to that tip of the balance between a weak American military and a strong modern Chinese military. Reminds me of Germany in the late 1930s. Wait and get more new weapon systems out into the field, or strike now and hope for quick victory. Dangerous times.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. That is why I would spread rumors about, but not actually bestow diplomatic recognition to Taiwan. If we actually did it, it could spark a desperation move on China’s part. Always leave an opponent with something to lose in order to give yourself bargaining leverage and an incentive for that opponent to restrain itself. If the threat of diplomatic recognition hangs over China, it is faced with both drastic economic and military decline. Merely hint at it and it gives China incentive to focus on its economy and a peaceful resolution in Hong Kong. (all it has to do in Hong Kong is actually live up to the “one nation, two systems” it promised when Great Britain abdicated its claim to Hong Kong). Then it works to restore trade relations with the U.S. and it can begin a long stealth march to put itself in position to push for hegemony again in a generation or two. Restoring the damage the trade standoff has caused will take longer than most people think – for many companies have permanently left China. That is not just because of its intransigence, but because these companies have already found new suppliers that are in more stable countries. These companies are NOT coming back regardless if China decides to play nice for a time. Meantime, the longer this goes on – the more companies abandon China permanently. Right now the Chinese economy is like a bleeding patient who is losing two pints of blood for every pint that can be transfused. If they don’t stop it soon, they will be in ashes. As strong a ground army as they have, they still lack maritime skills and the power to project them. A sudden move right now on the part of China is likely to empower Russia and embolden traditional enemies in Southeast Asia like Vietnam – and Australia shocked observers by electing a solid government, so it is no guarantee that Australia would not take advantage of China’s troubles to inoculate itself against future vulnerability.

      China has acted stealthily over the last three decades to build up – but not stealthily enough. It has encircled itself with tenuous “allies” that would love the chance to pile on if China got itself into a mess.

      Liked by 12 people

      1. Meanwhile our farmers, already reeling from the devastating elements, have lost their biggest customer due to the trade wars. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing, since the stockpiles of their unsold goods could come in handy.

        At least both sides of the aisle can heartily agree on one thing: more debt from runaway spending.

        I considered your take on how you might navigate the situation with China. Could work fine, but short term much of it seems like little more than moving the Chinese contingency from Shelter Deck C, to Saloon Deck D… on this global ship Titanic. Hey, isn’t that the Titanic nearly beached and wrecked at the bottom of that wave?

        I spend little time wondering how shrewd Trump really is. No doubt he’s shrewd and knows how to work some of the systems. On and old commute to and fro AZ and CA, used to pass the defunct (bankrupt) Trump 21 casino on the way out of Palm Springs. Obviously he’s no worse for the wear.

        Best part was climbing that steep mountain up and outta there to reach the rest stop at Chiriaco Summit. Yeah, they had some of the world’s best pie, but I really liked having a nice chat with the matriarch of that family business. She kept a shrine there for Our Lady of Guadalupe… and the woman had a deep faith.

        We’ll get up this steep mountain, but I really hope it won’t be said of us that His own didn’t understand Him.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Understand, MP. I know most people’s eyes glaze over when I start talking geo-political strategy…but this is NOT just shuffling the deck. Actions have consequences – and we are obliged to consider actions which will likely have the best consequences. I am very persuasive – and in the political realm I certainly used that to best advantage. But I did not trust in it…and told political clients who were depending on their persuasive powers to seal an agreement that that was a chump’s game. The only way to reliably secure a favorable agreement is to manage interests. Make the consequences of acting against you painful while making the consequences of acting peacefully and justly rewarding. The scenario I laid out manages those interests well. It may have flaws, but the principles are sound and built upon the only reliable framework for managing competing national interests.

          A few years back David Daleiden asked me why I so intently worked for the pro-life cause on so many levels (most of which few people see) when I was utterly convinced that in the end, Our Lady’s Heart will triumph and we WILL have an extended era of peace, prosperity and brotherhood. I replied that when the Lord shows His Mighty Hand, I want Him to find me hard at work tilling my little garden as He has commanded us to do rather than sitting back waiting for Him to take care of it for me. David laughed and we agreed that it was good for us all to forge on.

          We may be destined for great turmoil…to pass through war before we enter the era of peace. I believe that to be the case. Even so, each of us are obligated to do our very best in our field of expertise, cutting no corners. I have little clue what he is talking about when Steve BC starts getting serious about tech issues. But thank God, I have absolute confidence that he has thoroughly vetted the things he tells me and I am getting sound counsel. We have a smaller audience here than we used to – but in it we have some very sophisticated and influential people. There are a significant number of policy makers who watch this site. I am going to give them the best work I can. And so the little ripples here spread to those who make decisions now and to those who will make decisions later in both harder and in more peaceful times, even as we build each other up in simple hope and faith. Not everything I write is for every segment of my audience, but I take seriously my call to do sound work whatever audience or segment thereof I am appealing to.

          Amusingly, I initially read your second to last paragraph as saying you climbed the steep mountain to reach the rest stop at the “Chicago Summit.” Wait a minute, I thought, I never saw any steep mountains or summits in Chicago. So I re-read it – and then I got it.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. You hit right on it in the opening of your second sentence, CJ. “Actions have consequences…,” and underlying that whole comment of mine was the thought that in every word and action of all of us, we often have to deal with unintended consequences. Which you’re well aware, of course. I deal with mine as they come, sometimes and surprisingly not are all unpleasant. I know you do as well.

            I mighta commented once that there’s two occupational fields I’d never touch with a ten foot pole: politics and newscasting. Nothing against anyone pursuing either, but I know how I’m wired and called. And if it makes you feel any better, my eyes don’t glaze over on these topics. In fact I give them the respect and due attention by reading (often rereading) and pondering deeply. Heck, I don’t even glaze over at Steve BC’s talk of quantum whatchamajigger, because when it comes time to jump to light speed and the ship simply sputters, he’s our man.

            No steep summit in Chicago, for sure, unless you want to count that white-knuckle affair called the Skyway on the way to and from Indiana. Almost had to hike up Chiriaco Summit in the summer heat once when the fuel pump was going bad, but somehow made it to the diner.

            Just chalk it up to some of that dynamic tension you appreciate, though the fact that I periodically engage in this manner no doubt scandalizes some.

            Fact is there’s no successful scaling of any summit without dynamic tension.

            Thanks for the reply.

            Liked by 2 people

            1. I HATE the Skyway into Indiana. Took it twice and swore there would not be a third time. On the other hand, though it is expensive (about .10 per mile) I love the Florida Turnpike when I am in a hurry. I think it’s the best-maintained most rational tollway in the country.

              I was friends once with a fellow named Alex Seith. He had once been the Dem nominee for U.S. Senate in Illinois and later owned the Illinois News Network. We would pal around and one day, At lunch, he told me ruefully that he had lived three of the most disreputable jobs: lawyer, politician, and journalist. I laughed and told him I had him beat…that I had been politician, journalist and car dealer. Oh, how he howled. Said we ought to start a consulting firm like the Marx Brothers did: Dewey, Cheathem and Howe.

              Liked by 2 people

              1. Well, that might explain why we periodically haggle over certain points. Way back in college I worked for a spell in car sales to pay tuition and bills. A coupla’ useful things you pick up there: how to let rejection roll off your back, and how to be fearless. What’s your big takeaway from politics?

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                1. Wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove helps. But boy, if you can’t take being falsely slimed in newspapers and such without going ballistic, you’ll need a new line of work, quick.

                  Actually, most folks, even among my opponents liked me. The Illinois Press Corps routinely called me their “favorite right-wing nut.” If an approach was to be made about getting an unexpected agreement forged, the opposition often opened it up by coming to me.

                  Know that you only have a very few permanent friends – or enemies. Be hard as nails and fight like a tiger, but don’t hold grudges. A good friend of mine who held a prominent party position in the state once told me I made it easy for opponents to unite after a primary, because everyone knew that no matter how hard they had fought me, as long as they were fundamentally fair, I would be glad to have another accomplished warrior on my side rather than trying to get them for not having shared my judgment. Be just, be true, fight hard, hold no grudges.

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                  1. When you live a set of principles like that, darn near any profession becomes a noble one. Too often we hear stuff like, “politicians are scumbags,” or “marketers are liars.” Obviously folks react like that because of experiences with the unprincipled ones.

                    For the marketer I’d simply say, “tell a good story.” Catholics, Christians… anyone of good will can maybe incorporate some of both.

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                    1. I was in sales/sales manager most of my working career, even though I had an accounting degree. I believed in what I sold, was on straight commission, and always made good money. I told my sales staff to never take it personally if someone told you no. It’s really a numbers game– the more people you reach put to, the more sales you’ll make. But I could never sell something I didn’t believe in. I bombed in a ladies dress shop! I just couldn’t push clothes on people when they weren’t flattering…the clothes, that is!

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                    2. “Believe in what you’re selling” is a good one to add to the mix, Kim. Not too long ago they did the largest study ever on sales people (over 400,000 subjects) only to discover that 70% were basically lousy at sales. I find that a bit sad and wonder what they would have been be great at. Here’s praying that all find the right vocation. Then again, maybe they were just selling the wrong thing.

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              2. Charlie, MP, Hate the Skyway? How could you? It’s one of the great boondoggles of Chicago. On the eastern end, rising to ugly nosebleed height, passing the long-closed Falstaff brewery. . . If you weren’t driving, you could look down at the steeples of the many churches built by working class Eastern European immigrants. Ahh, reminds me of my youth. God bless.

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          2. No eye glazing here, Charlie. I am certainly ignorant of many things but eager to learn and fascinated by your knowledge and insights. Amazing. And I like aiming prayer into specific places of concern.

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              1. Ha, Phil! I was a cataract surgery prodigy. Had both eyes done 10 years ago at age 58. Fr. Wang, on the other had, is having both eyes taken care of now, two months before his 91st b’day.

                Liked by 1 person

          3. Ha Charlie, if my memory serves me correctly I believe it was Don Wade of Don Wade and Roma, hosting the WLS morning show, that said we (Illinois) have Mount Prospect! 😉

            Like

      2. I remember being depressed when the British returned Hong Kong to the Chinese in 1997.

        On the right, you can see British military members folding the Union Jack.

        Charlie, I’m a bit relieved that you feel that China doesn’t have the strength or reach to be a comparable naval threat, and that politically this would be an inopportune time for them to make a move, say against Taiwan.

        If things continue to slide backward or downward for the Red Chinese, though, might they begin to act like a cornered animal? Although they have many options, few of them look like they can pull China out of their “coming collapse.” (Gordon Chang) War might actually be a solution for them — it could unite the country in a common cause and fire up the engines of production.

        Have we seen before the use of war as a means turn around a flagging economy?

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        1. That is the danger, Patrick. Everything must be carefully calibrated to make peace a better option than a desperate lunge to war. A big question relates to China’s manufacturing capacity. Certainly it has plenty – and the permanent departure of some American firms as customers opens up some of that capacity. But equally important is what kind of capacity it has. When America entered WWII, it used its auto-manufacturing plants as the cornerstone of manufacturing for its arsenal, which allowed it to properly arm at astonishing speed. Certainly China has plenty of capacity for high-tech and electronics manufacturing, but I honestly don’t know how prepared it is for the heavy-duty type stuff that would be required for war materiel. Additionally, it manages the geography of its work population in a manner to prevent them from coordinating with each other and to prevent any ideas of liberalization from spreading to the larger society. I don’t really know whether that would be a strategic advantage or disadvantage for them, though I lean towards disadvantage. The larger population is still agrarian and poorly educated. They might be the sort of paper tiger the Soviets were just before the revolution where the regime threw massive numbers of bodies to the front to try to mask those divisions’ weaknesses and lack of proper materiel.

          Certainly, there would be much that would be unexpected should such a scenario begin in earnest. That is why it is so critical to calibrate diplomacy to make it as attractive as possible NOT to begin such aggression. (But that also does NOT mean appeasing them. Giving in on trade demands would facilitate a potential invasion of Hong Kong – and so more likely to provoke aggressive action than prevent it. It is a tricky business and must be approached seriously. I respect the top leadership team Trump has at State and Defense on this. I do not respect the Congress at all. It rarely asks the right questions, much less offers plausible answers that could actually work. And I don’t underestimate the capacity of the lower levels at State and Defense to sabotage initiatives out of feckless hubris.)

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          1. I sell to some Asians from Taiwan and China for my turtles.
            One of the big complaints is thier infrastructure is very primitive between the bigger metropolitan areas. China is a HUGE country and has a massive amount of people so a lot is lost in the wash there.
            One buyer of mine told me it takes about 12 days of crowded bus rides, train rides and short plane trips for him to finally leave that country! This is one of the biggest problems with thier ability to manage anything there and as Charlie suggests, with big equipment transport.

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          2. Korea and Taiwan have very large silicon manufacturing base (fabs) and China is growing. Sophisticated military electronics is a huge risk in my opinion. I can also see what Taiwan is very strategic for China with its high tech base. Cose to 80 percent of our test systems are shipped to Asia.

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        2. Yes, I thought that too PD, especially as Xi has been purging his military for some years now and installing a younger generation of military leaders. Also the demographics of China are such that men greatly outnumber women (which historically has been harbinger to war).

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      3. That’s what Trump wants is for companies to permanently leave China and hopefully repatriate back in the U.S. If this is the end game for us, then it does not bode well for China in the long run. The question is will pride and/or desperation get in the way to start a major conflagration?

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  13. It would seem Pope Francis is favouring the globalist left, and declaring non-globalist views to be comparable to Nazis…

    I hate to say it, but Francis doesn’t behave & talk in a manner fitting of a true Pope…

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    1. I see this too, Al. It’s a reason for plenty of prayer and fasting. Thanks be to God for His Plan because there is no higher authority over any Pope but God Himself. Watching, keeping Vigil on this front…

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  15. Washington DC related, but on a more wonderful, positive and amazing note. More and more Israeli and diaspora Jews are coming into a salvific knowledge of our marvelous Messiah, Yeshua, the King of Kings. Here’s a brief story of how a Washington political player John Desser was shocked at what he discovered at a DC insider breakfast. Video runs for 7 minutes;

    May God bless and protect all the dedicated Christians involved in this site.

    Dave

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  16. Charlie! I agree 100% with you about the movie “The Hunt”. I kept thinking that the movie producer must be very conservative to portray liberals in such an evil light. OR, he is a super crazy liberal. Beyond amazing that this was made! Big time propaganda— what point was being attempted to be made?

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  17. Thank you Charlie, especially for the link to Sister Mary’s article. It was excellent. I shared it in FB. Hope people read it. God bless you sir.

    Liked by 8 people

  18. Although I’m not inclined to attribute misbehavior or immoral behavior, in general, to demonic forces, I’m otherwise at a loss to explain the single constellation of separately appearing sins:

    Carefree abortion
    Carefree promiscuous sex for its own sake
    Infanticide
    Gender birth denial in favor of self-election
    Sexual abuse of children as really OK
    Claiming Trump was a Russian agent
    Claiming Trump is a White Supremist racist
    Claiming unlawful immigrant rights trump the rights of citizens and the law
    Offering free everything to entice votes
    Claiming that humans are controlling the climate as undisputed scientific fact
    Restoring voting rights to felons
    Permitting non-citizens to get public welfare, free tuition, drivers licenses, and vote
    Committing to open borders despite sex trafficking, drug trafficking, communicable diseases, and wage destruction
    Hostility to God
    Hostility to Christianity (and to Judaism and Israel)

    How could all of these very different sins be joined together in one political party, unless there were some directing evil force at work?

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    1. I do not subscribe to “the devil made me do it” type claims, Jack. We choose to sin of our own volition. But when we do, we open up a wound, however small in our soul. That wound gives an opening to the demons to come in and infect it, inflaming it and making us feverish if we don’t keep up with our spiritual penicillin. Thus, the little sins that we have taught and come to think are no big deal become an invitation to demonic infection – and after maybe six decades of defining deviancy down, we have a whole culture with a raging demonic fever.

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      1. Charlie, Agree fully about personal responsibility, and one mistake inviting another down the primrose path. It is also interesting that all of these separate, individual sins get entwined together by the current Dem Party and its Presidential candidates as threads in the same fabrick.

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      1. Wow! Minute mark 22:00 onward describes a turning point which China could have become a Constitutional Government like the Philippines.

        Looking back Skousen from 1976 and us in 2019… all I can say is: it is too bad some of those mentioned are dead so we can’t hang ’em now as Traitors.

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      2. Howdy, Sean. Skousen’s The Naked Capitalist discusses Dr. Carroll Quigley’s triumphant expose of the “Deep State” founders and elite, Tragedy and Hope. I didn’t know he wrote about the Naked Socialist, too. Thanks for the link to his 1976 lecture.

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  19. Strange & inexplicable seems to be the New Normal and our Pope seems to be preaching from “The Democrat Party Play Book” ;-(

    https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vortex-the-popes-new-world-order

    https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/pope-compares-salvinis-rhetoric-to-hitlers

    https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/miraculous-icon-in-windsor

    Prayer Need!
    https://www.breitbart.com/health/2019/08/12/pennsylvania-mother-loses-four-children-in-daycare-fire/

    https://www.theblaze.com/news/family-of-couple-who-died-protecting-their-infant-in-el-paso-now-getting-death-threats-over-trump-photo

    An Armed Citizen is an anathema to Radical Socialists be they Marxist or Fascist. Outlawing guns has always been one of their first mandates. They know Socialism is and has always been a , often horrific, failure where instituted. If these Democrats and RHINOs really were interested in Public Safety, they would aggressively clean-up their Urban Cesspools, stop demonizing Cops and Producer Class Citizens ….. but that ain’t gonna happen as they are only interested in Power/$$$ NOW and foresight only goes as far as the next election cycle.
    Even Trump is discussing the “Bright Idea” of a Red Flag Alert where the Cops come and confiscate first and then let the Courts (full of Liberals) decide What’s What later. Sounds manifestly Unconstitutional to me.. 4th Amendment …. anyone!!? After the past 10 years or so of watching the Democrat Party become the mouthpiece & supporter of every RADICAL Fringe Group and Rainbow Freak Show ……. would it not seem very likely that a Gay Atheist Democrat neighbor might report an “unstable” neighbor because he is a Pro-Life/Family Christian …. or Trump Deplorable …. or retired Military …. or was born White or an NRA member…. Ya think that won’t happen here!!!???

    Allen West: Real ‘Red Flag’ in America Is Red Flag of Progressive Socialism
    https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/allen-west/allen-west-real-red-flag-america-red-flag-progressive-socialism

    Charlie Daniels: Master Plan on Radical Side Is to Incrementally Outlaw All Privately-Owned Firearms
    https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/charlie-daniels/charlie-daniels-master-plan-radical-side-incrementally-outlaw-all

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

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    1. Your opening thought brings to mind a piece I read yesterday, Crew Dog: Pope Francis’s Strange Bedfellows. It begins…
      One would assume a radical pope like Francis would at least keep a few token conservatives in his entourage. On the contrary: many of his appointees are well to the Left of his own public image. Much can be gleaned about the Holy Father’s mind by studying the men he entrusts with power and authority.

      Take the appointment of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia to head the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family. The regime-change took place two years ago; now, as expected, Paglia is conducting a Stalin-style purge of the Academy. All the members of the Institute who subscribe to John Paul’s view of marriage and morality are being handed pink slips—a color which suggests the new direction that Paglia has in mind for the Institute.

      Of course, this is the man now famous for having commissioned an enormous homoerotic fresco to “grace” an interior wall of his cathedral. In the picture, a semi-nude (his lower half is mercifully shielded by a sheet) Archbishop Paglia is seen clutching a nude man who returns his embrace…

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    2. The globalist/new world order is Masonic, the anti-God left (liberals, socialists, & communists) are supporters of Masonic ideologies & schemes. What does this make Francis who seems to prefer the Masonic over Christ?

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      1. Don’t loose sleep over the tough question.

        Maybe we should think outside the box;
        Prayers should be offered for the defeat & elimination of all Masonic sects (one article I read said St. Michael will play a important role in executing this task).
        The other thing is to pray for a holy pope to lead the Church in these dark times (leave these prayers open for another who will be chosen by God, as we know it will definitely never be Francis.)

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        1. Thinking about who will be voting for the next Pope, I expressed concern to my spiritual advisor. He told me he heard that there is a group of wealthy Catholics who are paying to investigate them, so as to hopefully eliminate those who are not worthy. Of course he always reminds me– don’t worry, God has this. Interesting to watch how Our Lord is working it all out. No doubt we needed Pope Francis to (unwittingly?) facilitate the exposure of the corruption that we might be cleansed.

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          1. We should just pray for the next Pope to be a holy man, and also for defeat & purge of all Freemasonry and it’s secret sects. God have mercy us, St. Micheal come defeat & rid us of this terrible source of evil.

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        2. Al, I agree with you in many respects; but I disagree that we should “leave these prayers [for a holy pope] open for another.” I say that we should all be praying and sacrificing for the intention that God touch the heart of Pope Francis in order that he become the holy pope that we need in these times. There’s always room for conversion. After all, St. Paul used to be Saul, Dr. Bernard Nathanson used to be an abortionist, Fr. Donald Calloway MIC was a gangbanger stoner and international criminal as a teenager… and each of us at some point (or at many points) of our lives have gone through some sort of conversion. So please, don’t give up on Pope Francis. I’m as ticked off as you are about his shenanigans, but let’s pray and sacrifice for him even as we scratch our heads (or bang them on the wall) about what he does and says. 🙂

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          1. Mick, this is well stated and cuts deeply with me. I like the idea of praying and making sacrafice for Pope Francis. I am sure everything taking place is not going unnoticed by God. Saint Cathrine of Siena was a very good example of how God moved her to influence the pope to move back from Avian to Rome. Let us pray that our dear Lord intervenes in some form or manner for his conversion (and our own as well). With a genuine conversion experience, Pope Francis could wind up being more powerful for the church than if a new pope was selected. Our prayers do count and let us not forget that. James says “the prayers of a righteous man availed much”.

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            1. Amen, Doug. Right there with ya’. St. Maximilian Kolbe, you who gave your life for a man, the head of a family, help us to better give from our lives of prayer, fasting and sacrifice for the head of our family the Church.

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            2. My rule of thumb on being reactionary to this Pope is this: if I happen to pass him on the street and he throws a book at my head, I hope I have the good sense to wonder first at how much he must want me to read that book, followed of course by getting a good reason from him at some point for why he thought it necessary to chuck the book at my head. Fact is I won’t ever pass him on the street, but I do encounter a wee slice of his intended and unintended consequences following what he says and does.

              Some stuff I’ve been pondering from the recent chat between CJ and I: consequences, the power of persuasion, intended audiences, the personal work at hand… and I also add unity.

              Heartily agree with CJ that I too would like to be found hard at work when the Mighty Hand of God moves here. As an afterthought, it would also be nice if I wasn’t reprimanded for doing work that He did not assign to me. For me personally, that doesn’t include worrying publicly about the Pope, but I do pray for him.

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              1. Bumble as we may, perhaps not always phrasing concerns as best as they can be said, still, people should feel free to talk about the hard things here. Ultimately, what is in our hearts matters as we discuss the tougher elements of this Storm, including Pope Francis. Many are frustrated with the reality that he surrounds himself with people far to the Left of the public image he presents. I do appreciate what Mick and Doug have said concerning the need to press on in prayer as the topic has come up again. I would add to those prayers for the Pope, all those who are struggling to get through these days of such a mess in the Church, people like William Kilpatrick over at Crisis Magazine. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

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                1. My comment wasn’t intended to be argumentative or dismissive towards either Mick or Doug. As it says clearly, it’s just my take.

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                  1. Gosh, MP. I didn’t say, nor mean to convey, you were addressing Mick or Doug. You surely were clear about expressing your take. I simply jumped in with my own acknowledgement of how hard these things are to discuss and how grateful I am that prayers are going up.

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                    1. So the unintended consequence is the opportunity to give you that update on Bro. G since you asked earlier and I forgot to reply. He’s doing great, maybe mentally sharper than before, certainly spiritually sharper, but his body is still on the mend. Doesn’t remember a thing about the tree, but fortunately has now fully remembered all the words to the Offices and sweared to me that his singing voice is better than it used to be. So I said to him, “let me hear it,” and he obliged. Yep, I can attest to the fact. All things considered, it was miraculous.

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                    4. Ah… so glad to hear it, MP! We were all so worried about your brother, and so worried FOR you and your ma and the rest of your family. I’m glad it has all worked out so nicely. 🙂

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              2. Funny, I did randomly pass Pope Benedict on the street once. I did happen to be strolling around outside the Vatican though. He did not throw a book at me. So I consider that a good day.

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                  1. Probably not because I did not use any bad puns 😎

                    Funny thing on this. I was working in Milan at the time and had a dream a couple days before that I was at the Vatican and the pope and his entourage passed by me and made a left turn. I was in Italy for the weekend and last minute decided to go to Rome. I randomly picked a hotel room from the internet and took the Euro train from Milan to Rome. I was really randomly walking around on the street when the pope and his entourage came out in his motorcade and made a left turn in front of me. The window was down and Pope Benedict was waving. What do I make of it all? Well, aside from not getting a book thrown at me, I believe I received a special blessing. Pope Benedict has had a profound influence on me. I think I was receiving a gift from God. Nothing more but a sweet kiss from God.

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                2. I actually had a Priest throw a Trigonometry book at me once. Ended up pulling out of the nosedive with a C+ by the end of his class. Proud moment.

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                  1. Ah, so throwing a book at someone can be included amidst the theological virtue of charity. I suppose it depends on the intent. But hey, it worked for you.

                    In a particularly bizarre incident when my son and I went down to a Bears game, some motor-mouth street preacher was carrying on as we lined up waiting for them to open the turnstyles. Suddenly he was hit by something someone had thrown. When he picked it up, it was a James Brown doll (or action figure). Hilariously, the street preacher just exclaimed, “Hey, that’s James Brown, He’s the king of soul.” Then he went off on a riff about James Brown. My son and I thought maybe we were in a Monty Python sketch.

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                    1. Ha! I’ll leave it to the Theologians to debate if book throwing deserves that distinction. I do remember he was a Dominican, so maybe that explains some of the motivation, but he couldn’t have possibly thought a fella like me was going to set the world on fire with Trig.

                      Hm. I’m hoping for a special room in Heaven –– a room of mysteries –– wherein we can finally sit down and view all the bizarre incidents from life in a new light. No doubt you’ll get to the bottom of the Bears, street preacher, James Brown action figure thing.

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                    2. I don’t know if I want to get to the bottom of it. It might rob it of its bizarre charm. Chaz and I still laugh over it at times…and if we see a clip of James Brown on TV, it’s Katie, bar the door.

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                    3. Oh, I would love that MP. I will bring my pop corn and watch when Lamzie threw a shoe at me when we were dating in college. Good thing she missed and hit the wall. I earned that one at the time.

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                    1. My wife is a thing throwing fanatic (she played softball in school. Softball and red hair, they don’t mix#!)
                      One time she threw a pot of spaghetti on me.
                      Anther time she poured a container of grape juice on my head and ran into the bedroom. Still dripping juice, I quickly poured a pot of boiling water on the stove into the sink and scooped it full of ice water out of a cooler and replaced it back on the stove top.
                      When she returned I calmly walked over to the stove and grabbing the pot threw it on her! Afterwards she said she thought I had gone stark raving mad when I first grabbed that supposedly boiling pot of water.
                      Calmed her throwing tirades down for a little while though. But red-heads never stay calm for long!

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                    4. …somewhere in a dusty, obscure. nearly forgotten nook of the Halls of Bizarre Mysteries & Oddities (Level B11, Aisle 427, Section C, Shelf 442. (Mick, if you’re fond of Charlie, DO NOT pull that string!)

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                    8. Phillip, that’s pretty funny! Although I will say that my husband is a redhead, and he’s one of the calmest people I’ve ever met. Sometimes I have to pick a fight just to make sure he’s still has a pulse. 🙂

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                    11. MP: Hahahahaha! That picture is hysterical!

                      I couldn’t help but read the titles of some of the books in that stack. I loved Trigonometry. I loved Differential Equations. I hated Matrix Algebra. I loved the Thunderbird that my dad had when I was a kid (1968 gold four-door, and the back doors were “French doors.” My dad still regrets ever selling that car.).

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          2. Leaving the prayers open leaves room for God to do things his way (not ours), it’s up to God & Francis’ (free will) to choose which path he’ll walk…

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            1. Yea Mick, I’m pretty sober myself…opposits attract you know!
              My wife LOVES to fight (then make up😍). When Jesus told us not to be luke warm she took it seriously!
              Red hair, blue eyes, fiery disposition, seven kids and 26 grandchildren later…yep, I’m good with it! God gave me incredible energy to keep up with it all.
              God blessed this mess!

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              1. Yep, opposites attract… my husband may be 100% Irish, but I’m the one who got the temper.

                Something tells me that your wife and I would get along fabulously, and that you and my husband would be great friends. 🙂

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                1. Oh yea, if I put you two Wildcats together life, as your husband and I know it, would be over!
                  Once you two started comparing your pink hello kitty hand guns it’s take to the hills time for us!

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                  1. Ha, Phillip! I’m laughing about everything you said. First, my husband is in fact a Wildcat (he graduated from Northwestern). He didn’t get a Wildcat; but I’m a Wolverine,so…. let’s just say that it can get pretty ugly when our alma maters play (especially since he has convinced all our traitorous children to be Northwestern fans).

                    I had forgotten that your wife has a pink handgun! Does hers actually have Hello Kitty on it? If so, where did she get that done? I’ve told my husband that for our 25th anniversary next year, all I want is a pink Hello Kitty gun. He doesn’t even have to get me a new pistol; he can just take one of my Glocks and get it dipped pink. I’m at a loss, though, for how to get the Hello Kitty image on the grips. Suggestions?

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                    1. Well, like you, she only wants one.
                      As far as getting one, that is one thing I’ve not mastered yet!
                      For me a pink hello kitty handgun is an oxymoron for its intended purpose as a weapon not a fashion statement!

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                    2. Hey… if I ever have to use a weapon against an unjust aggressor, I might as well look fashionable (or at least risable) doing it. Besides, the color and the Kitty might distract said aggressor long enough to give me a tactical advantage. It could happen. 🙂

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              1. Hmm… there IS that….

                Still, I think the element of surprise (or laughter, or scorn, or underestimation of the pink-beweaponed opponent) might work in my favor. Imagine the headlines: “Who Gets Last Laugh? Snickering Home-Invader Gets a Gutful from Mama Bear and Hello Kitty.” Or how about, “Don’t Mess with Texas (OK… Michigan) or a Sista Packing a Pink Glock.” The possibilities are endless. 🙂

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                1. Well Mick, there is a large lizard called a pink tounged skink that flashes it’s large bright pink tongue and emits a loud hiss to ward off attackers. So if God created this color to be used in this manner with obvious success (since these lizards are still around this qualifies this defense mechanism as a successful evolutionary benefit), I guess a flash of a pink in the hands of a wildcat “Sista” shouting “Momma gonna mess you up!” should also have a similar evocative effective?!

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                  3. Hahahahaha! This is the funniest thing I’ve read all day, Phillip!

                    Incidentally, I googled that skink thingy and pulled up some images. They are really cute! (I have always liked lizards.)

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                    1. I wonder if red hair is an evolutionary caution sign of the fire within? Of course, only those of us who have throw caution to the wind and now tread where no man (or woman) has gone before can claim that prize can they Sista Flame Retardant!?
                      I need a “high five”🖐 from all those who have had the adventure!
                      (Oww!, I think I broke one of my burn blisters…)🔥

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                    3. Hahaha! Phillip, I gladly concede that you have won this battle of wit, as I can’t possibly come back with a comeback that comes close to the awesomeness of yours. Kudos! (And I DO hope to meet your wife and you one day. Let me know if for some crazy reason you’re ever in Michigan.) 🙂

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      2. Al, this is right on. The Masonic view is all ideologies and religions are equal. This is how the demonic influence works to make Christianity irrelevant. It is a central ploy of those on the left. It is akin to folks saying there are good and bad folks on the right and left. This is a symptom of Masonsim. It is not necessarily actual Masonic lodges doing this behind the scenes, but It is a pervasive belief that has penetrated our whole culture. It is an easy setup for the Antichrist or an antichrist.

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  20. 1. With respect to Epstein I am doubtful that the full story will ever come to light. Was reading some commentary referencing a former inmate who spent time in those cells. Practically impossible to commit suicide in those cells. Mentioned there are no materials to hang oneself with and nowhere to hang. Specifically, the sheets. It is said he hung himself with his bedsheets off the top bunk. The sheets it seems are made of a paper material not strong enough to support a human body. Epstein was 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds according to google. Hanging himself off the top bunk for a man that size with paper sheets does not compute.

    2. “the left’s descent into a peculiarly bloody form of decadence is more than madness – it is demonically fueled. The left has become a form of death cult.’ Concur. More than madness.

    “Many, but not all, who have adopted the principles of this cult are lost. ” Sadly, concur. This is a frightening reality because we all know who these deluded, trapped and clueless if not downright willful poor souls are. Including our family members. Knuckleheads. We pray for them and trust in God’s mercy.

    “I can’t think of any that have been so casual in their murderous depravity while simultaneously self-righteous, absurdly claiming their depredations were for human rights. Our struggle truly is not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities.” Concur. Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do. Perhaps their only hope. Those who knowingly do are oppressed or possessed one or the other and are in terrible danger. Several American politicians come to mind. Minions. Minions of Death. A terrible role to fill.

    3. China. “The Chinese economy is tottering on disaster.” Concur. The Yuan Devaluation ploy is another telltale sign of panic in the Chinese leadership. Some view China as an economic juggernaut. But China does not hold all the cards. China has been manipulating the Yuan for decades to weaken it relative to other currencies particularly the dollar. This manipulation artificially built and fueled China’s export driven economy. They got away with it because of the greed of foreign corporations lusting to exploit the Chinese market which is huge. And the desire of American Walmart customers to save a few pennies on underwear and Christmas toys and such.

    But that policy comes with a price for Chinese consumers and workers. The things they buy overseas are grossly expensive. Like American steaks and chicken dinners. The Chinese are hungry for foreign products. Driving the Yuan down by mere fiat of an authoritarian, closed society not only is capable of fueling exports at gunpoint it also is capable of fueling serious social discontent and upheaval. It’s like a tax on the Chinese people. An unpopular tax. That’s what the Chinese Government is facing as a consequence of deep dependence on an artificially suppressed Yuan immune from market forces.

    The Chinese business model has had a devastating impact on American society. Trump is attempting to at least halt if not reverse the effects with this tariff. Level the playing field and taking the authoritarian advantage of fiat imposed weak currency away from the Chinese leadership. Events suggest he is succeeding bigly. Interestingly, he is now pressing the Fed to lower interest rates to force the value of the dollar down. To play the currency devaluation game with China. Why? My guess … it is a bluff toward a coup de grace to the Chinese business model and as an “incentive” for the Chinese to negotiate a fair, balanced trade agreement.

    China’s Peoples Bank equivalent of the Fed has been the dumping ground of $1 Trillion of revenue flow through Chinese export businesses. Chinese businessmen exchange the dollars they get from Walmart customers into Yuan to pay their bills and go to the grocery store inside China. What does the PBOC do with all this monopoly dollar bill paper? They invest it in U.S. Treasury bonds. They are now threatening to dump all those bonds on the market driving down the price and raising interest rates in the process. Not gonna happen. In the process the Chinese would beggar themselves. Old saying in finance: “If you owe the bank $10,000 the bank owns you. If you owe the bank $10,000,000 you own the bank.” Trump knows this game very well as he has played it several times with his casino operations. America (Trump) owes the Chinese bank $1 Trillion. Who owns who?

    The question is what course will a trapped and cornered failing Chinese communist leadership undertake to preserve itself? Negotiation with Trump to ease the pressure inside China or foreign adventures to distract and unify the people against “enemies” … i.e., military confrontation? Time qwill tell.

    4. The Storm. Love the picture at the top of the thread. Two contending spiritual armies. The Army of Light vs the Army of Darkness. With the little foundering ship of humanity in the trough struggling to stay afloat in the midst of the titanic spiritual struggle raging all around.

    Those guys in the lifeboat? Knuckleheads. Rowing toward a huge wave of darkness and are going to be swallowed up for sure. Might call it a “mad” decision. A fatal “choice”.

    I have been thinking about Peace a lot lately. And the relationship of Faith to Peace. Looking at the picture I see Peace and Faith as something like outriggers to the foundering ship of humanity. A means of balancing and steadying the ship as it sails through rough seas. Can’t have one outrigger without the other. Just doesn’t work. No Faith without Peace. No Peace without Faith.

    Build the foundation of Faith. Better education. Better catechesis. More attention to the children. More attention to adult education. See John Henry Newman. Eliminate the obstacles to Peace. Less TV. Less news consumption. Less social media. Less Hollywood. Less exposure to the vectors of discord and chaos and madness which is demonically fueled and executed by oppressed/possessed minions of Hell in our culture and mainstream.

    Be mindful and alert to the willful and knowing ones sewing the madness deliberately and particularly to our hapless, clueless relatives and friends acting as minions of Hell without even knowing. Forgive them Father for they know not what they do. They jumped into the wrong lifeboat.

    Be deliberate in a plan for building personal Peace. Habits of mind, heart and action. Train yourself to Peace. Be alert to those temptations to Un-Peace in mind and heart and resist the urge to jump into that boat. Every day in small ways.

    Deepen Faith by study. Deepen Peace by prayer and worship. Put out the outriggers and sail with confidence and calmness. Try real hard not to be a Knucklehead.

    That is all.

    Liked by 5 people

  21. Another interesting post by Charlie and all the commenters. I wish I had time to read all the links! My 2 cents worth – I wonder how many of Epstein’s underage girls were taken to PP for abortions. I would bet my last farthing that not a single abortion clinic every questioned who got these girls pregnant in the first place. I’d love it if some courageous investigative journalist pursued this angle.

    China, as you have mentioned before Charlie, is the true bad actor on the world stage. Could their troubles be the beginning of the end for them or is it the beginning of something else? I ponder what would befall their lapdog in North Korea while the Chinese government wrestles with real problems in the south pacific and their economy.

    I agree with your take on “The Hunt” I received a lot of emails asking me to sign petitions to have it pulled. I didn’t because I thought it would backfire on the lefties. The trailers are really bad – aside from the story line it just doesn’t look like an interesting or well done movie. Pulling the movie probably saves all involved the shame associated with a stinker of a movie. However, I would not be surprised if it showed up in the theaters in a year or on Netflix. Remember all the flap about the really bad movie on assassinating North Korea’s president a few years ago? Eventually it was released and no one watched.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Ding! Ding! Ding! You get the prize for one of the most important questions that is not currently being asked about Epstein. How MANY abortions did PP quietly facilitate and, in the process, facilitate the exploitation of young girls. Great question!

      Liked by 6 people

  22. Ooo! on the PP question above….

    Charlie! Related to our comments about the age of the universe, I found this interesting bit that the universe is expanding at a rate FASTER than some theories predicted.

    https://www.axios.com/space-hubble-constant-universe-expansion-physics-02402c9e-9354-4351-8d15-668b4efd9f78.html

    From the article: “Scientists can’t agree on the answer to a foundational question in physics — how fast the universe is expanding — and to some, the debate signifies that their understanding of the universe may be about to shift.” 💫

    “The big picture: Cosmologists have been debating the expansion rate of the universe — known as the Hubble Constant — for decades, but today’s controversy centers on two camps that disagree on just how fast our 13.8 billion-year-old universe is moving.”

    I’m definitely not a physicist, but I’ll take a wild guess that a universe that is expanding apart at a greater rate would inversely have to be younger than calculated ….. say, one-third younger?

    Is there a physicist in the house? 🤓

    Liked by 5 people

  23. China is always up to something in their trying to overtake the U.S.A. and gain more in footlhold in Asia. they gave needed money to Sri Lanka to be given a maritime place for their military. They will do everything they can to cause us harm even to the point of using an unknown agent to medically harm those who are living there as U.S. government workers.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. China has bankrolled a ton of projects in Asia and Africa – in exchange for such things or, more often, couched as “loans” that all involved know don’t need to be paid back so long as the subject countries toe the Chinese line. It gives them great leverage. It has infuriated me because the reality is that WE have funded much of these initiatives through idly ignoring all the trade and intellectual property violations the Chinese commit. I AM a free-trader, but have always advocated mirroring. Our markets will be as open to you as yours are to us. There is no question that free markets are a tremendous force multiplier for creating wealth and prosperity. But I maintain that without mirroring, it is not free trade at all. If you are an honest man who sits down at a poker game that you know is fixed – and don’t complain about it as you are being crookedly fleeced, you are a chump. Honest is not the primary descriptor for you, rube is. That is what we have been doing for decades now. You have NO idea how I privately cheered when Trump started putting that game to an end – and how angry I was that some who think themselves sophisticated conservatives complained that Trump was violating the principles of free trade. Seriously?! Insisting we not be fleeced while simultaneously telling the countries of the world that our markets will be as open to them as theirs are to us?

      If China’s economy steadies out, most all of those countries that have obtained such financial favors from it will stick with it. But if it takes a dive, a lot of them will bail. Like all totalitarians, China has played condescending bully boy with most of them in the process of granting largesse – and more than a few would be glad to find an excuse to get off the hook.

      It’s funny…that is largely how leftists work in every situation. They will “give” you things, in exchange for your dignity – and then treat you like the children of a lesser god – and then are shocked when the people who have gotten their largesse in such a humiliating way “disloyally” rise up against them – and even seem gleeful about the rising.

      Liked by 7 people

  24. A great article and comments from all. I’ve been reading but not commenting lately as family priorities are consuming my time. Seems we all agree that we’re in a spiritual war. I think I heard a commentator on Fox News reference spiritual warfare the other day. I would imagine the demons will screach if spiritual warfare becomes a greater news item. Any thoughts?

    Liked by 7 people

  25. Just read Sr. Charista Maria’s piece last evening. So refreshing and hopeful to see a Catholic sister, set apart from the world, tell it like it is. I will be reading more on their site and supporting them whenever I can. Charlie, thank you the link. God bless all.

    Liked by 4 people

            1. Kim-thankfully after 36 years of marriage we have leveled each other out. I now love clean empty horizontal surfaces whether a counter top or the top of the fridge. And he doesn’t throw away important papers!

              Liked by 3 people

      1. You’re close, Patrick! You clever guy, You! 😉 In Berlin in 1977, praying in preparation for the ’89 take down of that ugly wall and all it represented. Was on the Croatian side of the Adriatic Sea in autumn of ’77. Visited Split and Dubrovnik, never dreaming that I’d return 14 years later to take a bus into the interior, making pilgrimage to that little village of Medjugorje, with a scratched out version of the Magnificat that I had composed the year before (lots of petitions scratched onto that paper as well) only to be invited to step up and sing an after-communion meditation. Amen. Amen. Echoing your plea: Lady of All Nations, Mother of all Peoples, pray for us!

        Liked by 9 people

        1. You’ve traveled all over this beautiful planet to do God’s work. The fact that Our Lord guided you to Medjugorje so long ago actually helps validate the apparition to me. (Charlie’s mention of the “barnacles” also helped). Beckita, you are connected in so many ways to Our Lady, including Betania and Akita. What gifts! I like to keep my eyes on those who follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit and have such love for Mary. Guess that’s why I’m a SOH squirrel.

          Liked by 5 people

          1. Thanks for your kind words, Patrick. You have a sweet, affirming spirit which you often manifest here. How blessed are your patients to be under your care! Speaking of squirrels, I just ran across this pointed and counsel:

            Liked by 5 people

        1. HTTP, we have weekly Skype prayer time and conversations with our family and friends in China. There are all sorts of pilgrimages to shrines and prayer initiatives launched in the Chinese nation, including Rosaries offered for specific intentions. One of my favorite nationwide efforts began in a Christian chapel in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in the northeast, in 2015. (China, too, is a vast nation with an area of 3.705 million square miles while the area in the US is 3.797 million square miles.) An inspired Christian woman began a 24/7 effort of offering prayer in a chapel for the conversion of the whole nation. Huge success it has been with chapels all over the country now involved in this effort. The Chinese Christians yearn for their entire population to know Jesus. The Catholics in Shandong who walk two by two through cities and countryside proclaiming the Gospel are zealous with Holy Spirit fire. Goose-bumpingly inspirational are they. Yes, the persecution is atrocious and, still, God is doing great things through, with and in His people there so that conversions continue.

          Liked by 6 people

  30. Kim, I wasn’t actually shocked; I was being sarcastic, which is a tendency of mine. Anyhow, as soon as I heard he had “committed suicide,” I figured that he had actually been murdered.

    Liked by 2 people

  31. Dear Charlie and all his faithful readers. Thank you so much for your prayers and kind words about Canada. It brought me great joy especially on this Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven that there are good and faithful people praying during this time of Tribulations. I pray and love America too as we are brothers and sisters in Christ. BTW, I was at Expo ‘67 when I was 13yrs old!!! God Bless America

    Liked by 5 people

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Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.