[For weeks now, the "Occupy Wall St." commotion has led off most TV news reports. I had to laugh when one of the spokespersons said they were *tax payers*; it looks as though many at least are college students who should instead be protesting at their respective universities protesting their exhorbitant/excessive tuition costs. Then, those who go on to say they are Marxists and socialists who want this country changed accorrdingly scare me. As Eric Erickson of Human Events has said,*Most of those on Wall Street want retribution and punishment of the rich. They've cast out greed, but are filled up with envy and jealousy.*]
Costs of the Occupiers - by Michelle Malkin 10/14/2011 http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=46857
The trash generated by the "Occupy Wall Street" protests keeps piling up. So do the bills. Liberal media outlets claim the anarchic, anti-capitalist movement is more popular than the tea party. But wait until Americans across the country get a full picture of the costs of the aimless occupiers.
In New York City, government officials estimate the month-long siege of Zuccotti Park has now imposed $3.2 million in overtime police costs on the public. On Thursday, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office pressured left-wing activists to vacate the park for cleaning, Occupy Wall Street urged sympathizers to flood the city's customer services lines: "Call 311 and tell Bloomberg not to evict us!"
In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter told the press that demonstrators outside city hall have incurred $164,000 in overtime public employee costs and $237,000 in regular time. "At the current rate, if Occupy Philly continues to the end of the month, the city would spend another nearly $690,000 on police overtime alone," the local NBC affiliate reported. "Besides the extra police presence being dedicated to the Occupy Philly protests, other city departments have also incurred costs."
In Seattle, police have so far billed $30,000 in overtime, and the parks department racked up nearly $4,000 in additional costs related to the protests there. Occupiers have blocked traffic, assaulted an officer and pitched illegal tents. Merchants in the area have been hurt as the riff-raff deter customers. One business owner in Westlake Park, where hundreds of protesters remain camped out, told Seattle TV station KIRO: "There's definitely fewer people you can identify as people out, just walking through the area."
Seattle's pushover mayor, Democrat Mike McGinn, now faces even greater demands from the insatiable mob -- which wants a "guaranteed parking space near City Hall Plaza that allows for around-the-clock parking," "24-hour access to the first floor of City Hall for restroom access, and a written statement from the mayor approving the protesters' long-term occupancy of City Hall Plaza."
In Boston, City Council President Stephen Murphy anticipates a $2 million hit to taxpayers if the protests refuse to disband by the end of October. The local Fox affiliate notes the tab represents 8 percent of the yearly budget for police overtime. "While we're all sympathetic with our protesters down there," Murphy said, "Wall Street isn't picking up the tab on this thing. It's the Boston taxpayers."
When fiscally conservative tea party activists held protests over the past two years, they filed for all the required permits and paid for their own power. Occupy Boston, by contrast, neither sought nor obtained any proper permits at any level, according to the Boston Globe. Instead, city and park officials have been cowed into providing them gratis electricity and camp space lest there be "conflict."
Many of these occupiers are primarily occupied as paid rent-a-mobsters for unions, left-wing think tanks and the radical Working Families Party. While one collective hand soaks the taxpayers, the other hand is busy soliciting free stuff. Occupy Los Angeles activists took to Skype on their laptops to solicit donations of iPhones and iPads.
Occupy Wall Street members on Twitter organized an ongoing "#needsoftheoccupiers" drive for everything from batteries and tarps to "gently used" coats and sweaters, wool socks, sleeping bags and energy bars. Occupy Austin organizers publicized their wish list, including a free barbecue grill, portable toilets, extension cords, a Bobcat forestry cutter for clearing brush and network cameras for a livestream.
THESE ARE NOT PRINCIPLED ADVOCATES OF FISICAL RESPONSIBILITY. THESE ARE PROFESSIONAL FREELOADERS.
Unlike tea party activists who focused like a laser beam on politicians in both parties responsible for redistributing wealth to Big Business cronies by force, the Occupy Wall Street movement is everywhere and nowhere. The entitled Kamp Alinsky Kids are poaching WiFi and trespassing on private property under the guise of "social justice" but in plain service of themselves.
Their T-shirts and speeches glorify Marxist radicals Che Guevara, Emiliano Zapata and Chairman Mao. They lionize convicted death row cop killer Troy Davis and WikiLeaks collaborator Bradley Manning. They condemn "Nazi Bankers," Jews, Fox News, the American Legislative Exchange Council, Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker, the Koch family and the New York Police Department ("Pigs!"). They promote the illegal alien DREAM Act and 9/11 Trutherism.
They spout bumper-sticker profanities and inanities: "F**k banks." "Unf**k the world." "Fuuuuu*k." "Free education." "Smash nationalism." "People not profits."
They flash peace signs while celebrity supporter Roseanne Barr calls for beheading financial industry workers and fellow marchers call explicitly for "violent revolution" or for Obama to "Send SEAL Team 6" to Wall Street.
Then they huff and puff (preferably in a creepy uniform chant they call the "human microphone") that we just haven't taken the time to understand what they're all about -- as they hawk $20 "Eat the Rich" polo shirts and license their protest photos to Getty Images.
Viva la revolucion! Up with people! Stop the greed! (Cha-ching. Cha-ching.)
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Malkin is author of Unhinged (Regnery) and "Culture of Corruption: Obama and his Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks & Cronies" (Regnery 2009).
________________________________________________________
The Occupiers: Comments by Eric Erickson of Human Events(HumanEventsDaily.email.humanevents.com October 14, 2011
There seems to be little ground to share with the rag tag group of communists, hippies, and hipsters occupying Zuccotti Park in New York City. But, I am told by people who've been out surveying the crowds in other parts of the country—occupying Chicago to Atlanta—that there are some poor souls shivering and smelly that conservatives should not turn their backs on.
In fact, a number of conservative thinkers are concerned that maybe, just maybe, we might be engaged in reaction instead of apologetics and are losing people to the left that we need not lose.
I think most of the ground we could share with the occupy movement is superficial ground. Most of those on Wall Street want retribution and punishment of the rich. They've cast out greed, but are filled up with envy and jealousy.
Elsewhere, there may be some common ground. Some of the protestors are just tired that they can't find a job and no one seems to want to help them. The issue, then, is not punishing the rich, but helping these people. And many conservatives agree that the deck has been stacked in favor of big corporations too. We're all opposed to TARP and bailouts and special tax loopholes that only benefit one company.
We're all opposed to companies that have found it more useful to spend money on lobbyists to get a competitive advantage through law than to innovate and compete with upstart entrepreneurs. The solution then, it seems, is not more regulation and not to punish the successful. The solution is to actually level the playing field.
Simplify the tax code. Deregulate. Make it easy for entrepreneurs to get started. Reduce the nanny-state, not expand it. The time is right for a conservative, populist anti-Wall Street movement. Most Americans do think the deck is stacked against them. But unlike the hipsters, hippies, and communists, most Americans do not want to punish the successful. They just want a level playing field.
[bold and italics emphais mine]
Sunday, October 16, 2011
#144 (11/1) - Muslim Brotherhood Gaining Foothold in U.S. Gov't?
[Note: I'm in the midst of reading a book by the author of this article entitled,"The Terrorist Next Door." It is based on his many years of research of radical Islamic elements abroad and in the U.S. It is truly eye-opening and scary stuff. The article below is taken from his at CBN.com that he keeps updated with news updates such the following. Its a great reminder of how America is very much threatened here at home, more than our government officials would like to tell us.]
By Erick Stakelbeck > http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror/Default.aspx
CBN News Terrorism Analyst / Wednesday, October 12, 2011
WASHINGTON -- They were the first modern terrorists and the forerunner of al Qaeda. But these days, the Muslim Brotherhood is becoming mainstream not only in Egypt, but in Washington, D.C.
While the final chapter of the so-called Arab Spring has yet to be written, it appears that radical Islamic forces could emerge as the big winners. None more so than the Muslim Brotherhood. In Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria and Jordan, the Brotherhood has used unrest to increase its influence.
The group is also making inroads closer to home, according to one expert."Their goal is primarily deception, manipulation and intelligence gathering," former FBI Special Agent John Guandolo said. Guandolo said Brotherhood operatives have infiltrated the halls of power in Washington, D.C. "What we're seeing not just inside the White House, but inside the government entities, the national security entities,the State Department -- is a strong push by the Muslim Brotherhood to get their people not just into operational positions, but policy positions -- deeper, long term, bureaucratic positions," he told CBN News.
Chief among their operatives is the Islamic Society of North America or ISNA, according to Guandolo.In 2007, ISNA was named as an un-indicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing trial in American history. Likewise, the FBI has uncovered internal Muslim Brotherhood documents naming ISNA as "one of our organizations and the organizations of our friends." Nevertheless, when President Obama wanted a Muslim to pray at his inauguration, his administration turned to ISNA's then-president Ingrid Mattson. And at a recent White House Iftar dinner, current ISNA head Mohammed Majid sat just a few feet from the president."Moahmmed Majid was sitting at the front table right in front of Barack Obama. But when the official list of White House attendees was published, his name was curiously missing," said terrorism expert Patrick Poole, a columnist with Pajamasmedia.com.
Another American-Muslim group linked to both the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas is the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR.The FBI refuses to meet with CAIR over its ties to terrorism. But top White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett recently praised the group for taking part in an MTV "anti-bullying" campaign. "The U.S. government knows that these are Muslim Brotherhood operatives because federal government prosecutors have gone into federal court and said that they're Muslim Brotherhood operatives," Poole explained.
One such operative is Kifah Mustpaha. In 2010, he was given a tour of both FBI headquarters and the National Counterterrorism Center, despite longstanding ties to the terror group Hamas. Hamas identifies itself as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. "We know that the Muslim Brotherhood, from their own documents, has said that they want to infiltrate all levels of government and civil society here in America to destroy from within," Poole said.
The Obama administration seems to see the Brotherhood as an ideal partner for its Muslim outreach policies. Earlier this year, National Intelligence Director James Clapper drew criticism when he called the group "largely secular." "The term 'Muslim Brotherhood' is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence," he said.
Obama administration officials say they are now engaged in dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. That policy apparently extends to the Brotherhood in America as well.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
By Erick Stakelbeck > http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror/Default.aspx
CBN News Terrorism Analyst / Wednesday, October 12, 2011
WASHINGTON -- They were the first modern terrorists and the forerunner of al Qaeda. But these days, the Muslim Brotherhood is becoming mainstream not only in Egypt, but in Washington, D.C.
While the final chapter of the so-called Arab Spring has yet to be written, it appears that radical Islamic forces could emerge as the big winners. None more so than the Muslim Brotherhood. In Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria and Jordan, the Brotherhood has used unrest to increase its influence.
The group is also making inroads closer to home, according to one expert."Their goal is primarily deception, manipulation and intelligence gathering," former FBI Special Agent John Guandolo said. Guandolo said Brotherhood operatives have infiltrated the halls of power in Washington, D.C. "What we're seeing not just inside the White House, but inside the government entities, the national security entities,the State Department -- is a strong push by the Muslim Brotherhood to get their people not just into operational positions, but policy positions -- deeper, long term, bureaucratic positions," he told CBN News.
Chief among their operatives is the Islamic Society of North America or ISNA, according to Guandolo.In 2007, ISNA was named as an un-indicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing trial in American history. Likewise, the FBI has uncovered internal Muslim Brotherhood documents naming ISNA as "one of our organizations and the organizations of our friends." Nevertheless, when President Obama wanted a Muslim to pray at his inauguration, his administration turned to ISNA's then-president Ingrid Mattson. And at a recent White House Iftar dinner, current ISNA head Mohammed Majid sat just a few feet from the president."Moahmmed Majid was sitting at the front table right in front of Barack Obama. But when the official list of White House attendees was published, his name was curiously missing," said terrorism expert Patrick Poole, a columnist with Pajamasmedia.com.
Another American-Muslim group linked to both the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas is the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR.The FBI refuses to meet with CAIR over its ties to terrorism. But top White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett recently praised the group for taking part in an MTV "anti-bullying" campaign. "The U.S. government knows that these are Muslim Brotherhood operatives because federal government prosecutors have gone into federal court and said that they're Muslim Brotherhood operatives," Poole explained.
One such operative is Kifah Mustpaha. In 2010, he was given a tour of both FBI headquarters and the National Counterterrorism Center, despite longstanding ties to the terror group Hamas. Hamas identifies itself as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. "We know that the Muslim Brotherhood, from their own documents, has said that they want to infiltrate all levels of government and civil society here in America to destroy from within," Poole said.
The Obama administration seems to see the Brotherhood as an ideal partner for its Muslim outreach policies. Earlier this year, National Intelligence Director James Clapper drew criticism when he called the group "largely secular." "The term 'Muslim Brotherhood' is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence," he said.
Obama administration officials say they are now engaged in dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. That policy apparently extends to the Brotherhood in America as well.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
Friday, October 14, 2011
# 136 (10/17) - 'Arab Spring' News You've Probably NOT Heard About
[The following 2 stories - about Christians in Egypt and about Israel - probably didn't make the national newscast you viewed last night. Of course, in their precious few minutes of broadcast time they probably DID tell you about how the such and such celebrity just got married - again, divorced - again, went into rehab - again, etc. Well, now for some REAL news ...] [
Madness: Obama Administration Calls on 'All Sides' to Show Restraint in Egypt - CBN News, October 13, 2011 http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror/Default.aspx
[The following is an update on the prayer request alert posted 10/9]
CBN News viewers know all about the church burning and riots--driven by Muslims who attacked peaceful Coptic Christian protestors--that resulted in the deaths of some two dozen Egyptian Christians in Cairo last weekend.
Well, according to the Obama administration, those besieged Christians must show "restraint" as they are being massacred and maimed by Islamists and the Egyptian military: two factions, ironically enough, that the Obamis empowered when they threw Hosni Mubarak under the bus and pledged support for the so-called Arab Spring earlier this year.
Really, you can't make this stuff up. Here's more, from Keith Koffler's White House Dossier:*President Obama has responded to the Egyptian military’s massacre of Coptic Christian protestors in Cairo Sunday with a pointedly even-handed statement that calls equally on Christians and the military to show restraint.* “The President is deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt that has led to a tragic loss of life among demonstrators and security forces,” Obama said in a statement released this week. ”Now is a time for restraint on all sides so that Egyptians can move forward together to forge a strong and united Egypt.”
Incredibly, Obama is not only equating the deaths of peaceful protestors and their killers, but he is suggesting that Egypt’s increasingly persecuted Christian minority should show as much “restraint” as their tormentors and refrain from vigorously objecting to the growing abuse.
More than two dozen people, most of them Copts, were killed as security forces attacked demonstrators protesting the burning of a church. The Egyptian military has denied the killings, but news reports, eyewitness accounts, and videos posted to the Internet contradict the claims, with footage showing armed personnel carriers ramming through crowds of protestors and a soldier firing at them. The dead, according to forensic reports, were either crushed by being run over or were shot. Three soldiers are also said to have died, but this appears to have occurred as protestors were fighting for their lives. There can be no mistaking that this was a slaughter of civilians.
The church burning was only the latest in an escalating series of attacks by Islamists against Christians and their churches.
Koffler notes that the Obama statement also calls for the rights of Coptic Christians to be respected. Hooray. This is similar to June 2009, when, at the outset, the Obama administration also essentially called on all sides to show restraint in Iran as the regime's thugs were mowing down unarmed protestors in the streets of Tehran.
With continuous feckless responses like this by the U.S. government to Islamist aggression, is it any wonder that the Iranian regime was bold enough to plot a terror attack on American soil? /em>
__________________________________________________________Great News: Missing Libyan Missiles Turn Up on Gaza Border -
Oct. 14, 2011 http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror/Default.aspx
Just another example of the positive vibes given off by the peaceful, tranquil, post-revolutionary (or maybe not so much) Libya that the Obama administration has created. I'm sure Israel is thrilled.
From ABC News: Some of the thousands of surface-to-air missiles that have gone missing since the collapse of the Gadhafi regime in Libya have now turned up just miles from the Israeli border. U.S. officials say there were 20,000 Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles in Libya before the uprising, and thousands have disappeared in the looting of Moammar Gadhafi's arm caches. According to the Washington Post, many of those Russian-made anti-aircraft weapons are being sold in Egyptian black markets, and so many are available the price has dropped from $10,000 to $4,000.
Egyptian officials told the paper they have intercepted looted Libyan weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, missiles and artillery, on the road from Libya into Egypt, in black markets on the Sinai Peninsua, and in the smuggling tunnels between the Sinai and Gaza.The heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, most of them shoulder-fired, have a range of two miles and would pose a threat to Israeli helicopter and planes on either side of the Israel-Gaza border. Now whatever would they be doing there? Could it be that some enterprising jihadi entity, Iran perhaps, took advantage of the chaos in Libya to acquire weapons for its proxy, Hamas, in Gaza? Heckuva job, Barry.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
Madness: Obama Administration Calls on 'All Sides' to Show Restraint in Egypt - CBN News, October 13, 2011 http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror/Default.aspx
[The following is an update on the prayer request alert posted 10/9]
CBN News viewers know all about the church burning and riots--driven by Muslims who attacked peaceful Coptic Christian protestors--that resulted in the deaths of some two dozen Egyptian Christians in Cairo last weekend.
Well, according to the Obama administration, those besieged Christians must show "restraint" as they are being massacred and maimed by Islamists and the Egyptian military: two factions, ironically enough, that the Obamis empowered when they threw Hosni Mubarak under the bus and pledged support for the so-called Arab Spring earlier this year.
Really, you can't make this stuff up. Here's more, from Keith Koffler's White House Dossier:*President Obama has responded to the Egyptian military’s massacre of Coptic Christian protestors in Cairo Sunday with a pointedly even-handed statement that calls equally on Christians and the military to show restraint.* “The President is deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt that has led to a tragic loss of life among demonstrators and security forces,” Obama said in a statement released this week. ”Now is a time for restraint on all sides so that Egyptians can move forward together to forge a strong and united Egypt.”
Incredibly, Obama is not only equating the deaths of peaceful protestors and their killers, but he is suggesting that Egypt’s increasingly persecuted Christian minority should show as much “restraint” as their tormentors and refrain from vigorously objecting to the growing abuse.
More than two dozen people, most of them Copts, were killed as security forces attacked demonstrators protesting the burning of a church. The Egyptian military has denied the killings, but news reports, eyewitness accounts, and videos posted to the Internet contradict the claims, with footage showing armed personnel carriers ramming through crowds of protestors and a soldier firing at them. The dead, according to forensic reports, were either crushed by being run over or were shot. Three soldiers are also said to have died, but this appears to have occurred as protestors were fighting for their lives. There can be no mistaking that this was a slaughter of civilians.
The church burning was only the latest in an escalating series of attacks by Islamists against Christians and their churches.
Koffler notes that the Obama statement also calls for the rights of Coptic Christians to be respected. Hooray. This is similar to June 2009, when, at the outset, the Obama administration also essentially called on all sides to show restraint in Iran as the regime's thugs were mowing down unarmed protestors in the streets of Tehran.
With continuous feckless responses like this by the U.S. government to Islamist aggression, is it any wonder that the Iranian regime was bold enough to plot a terror attack on American soil? /em>
__________________________________________________________Great News: Missing Libyan Missiles Turn Up on Gaza Border -
Oct. 14, 2011 http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror/Default.aspx
Just another example of the positive vibes given off by the peaceful, tranquil, post-revolutionary (or maybe not so much) Libya that the Obama administration has created. I'm sure Israel is thrilled.
From ABC News: Some of the thousands of surface-to-air missiles that have gone missing since the collapse of the Gadhafi regime in Libya have now turned up just miles from the Israeli border. U.S. officials say there were 20,000 Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles in Libya before the uprising, and thousands have disappeared in the looting of Moammar Gadhafi's arm caches. According to the Washington Post, many of those Russian-made anti-aircraft weapons are being sold in Egyptian black markets, and so many are available the price has dropped from $10,000 to $4,000.
Egyptian officials told the paper they have intercepted looted Libyan weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, missiles and artillery, on the road from Libya into Egypt, in black markets on the Sinai Peninsua, and in the smuggling tunnels between the Sinai and Gaza.The heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, most of them shoulder-fired, have a range of two miles and would pose a threat to Israeli helicopter and planes on either side of the Israel-Gaza border. Now whatever would they be doing there? Could it be that some enterprising jihadi entity, Iran perhaps, took advantage of the chaos in Libya to acquire weapons for its proxy, Hamas, in Gaza? Heckuva job, Barry.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
# 135- Sunday Special - When the Bible Is NOT the BEST Authority
[As always, I encourage you to watch today's broadcast of "Truth That Transforms" (formerly "The Coral Ridge Hour" TODAY - in Orlando, 5 pm, ch. 55.1)]
Sunday Funny (c/o MIkeysFunnies.com) ~ Honk if you love Jesus! Text while driving if you want to meet Him.
Making the Case/Don't Say "The Bible Says So" - Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com / April 27, 2011
I want to say from the outset that I believe in biblical inerrancy, the sufficiency of scripture, and the doctrine the Reformers called Sola Scriptura. I need to tell you that up front, because you might otherwise get very upset at what I'm about to say.
While we have to be immersed in scripture and understand it fully, we also have to know when and how to use it in public discourse. Let me explain. G. K. Chesterton, the famous British writer, was once invited to a meeting of the leading intellectuals in England. They were asked if they were shipwrecked on an island, what would be the one book they would want to have with them. Everyone expected Chesterton, a prominent Christian, to say "the Bible." When it came his turn to speak, however, Chesterton said that if he were shipwrecked on a desert island, he'd like to have "Thomas's Guide to Practical Shipbuilding."
The point is that oftentimes we need to understand things that are not covered in the Bible. And we need to understand things that help us apply biblical teaching to all of life. This is why I teach biblical worldview.
A man once told Oswald Chambers that he read only the Bible. Here's what Chambers replied: "My strong advice to you is to soak, soak, soak in philosophy and psychology, until you know more of these subjects than ever you need consciously to think. It is ignorance of these subjects on the part of ministers and workers that has brought our evangelical theology to such a sorry plight...The man who reads only the Bible does not, as a rule, know it or human life." And when it comes to making a biblical case on any hot topic -- taxes, the deficit, homosexuality, whatever -- we need to understand the issue and how to make that case in a way that is accessible to believers and non-believers alike.
Brit Hume, Robby George and I have just released a DVD teaching series on ethics called Doing the Right Thing. It's one of the most important projects I've undertaken in my ministry. You can get it at ColsonCenter.org. Every principle we teach on ethics is biblically based. But rarely did we cite the Bible as authority. This is because this ethics course, we believe, will be taught in secular colleges and business schools -- as well as in churches and small groups. So, it's got to be accessible to everybody.
The sad fact is that today, starting a conversation with "the Bible says" will often cause the listener to stop listening. So what you do is make arguments based on what the Reformers called common grace, or what historically has been called natural law. This is what Paul did when he gave his famous sermon at Mars Hill, his first foray into the Greek culture. He quoted Greek poets; he referred to Greek artifacts. He thoroughly engaged their culture. And then he used their beliefs to lead directly into the gospel.
This is why we must study biblical worldview, to compare how the Bible works out in life versus how other systems of thought do. I assure you: You will see that the biblical way is the only way to make sense of the world, to live rationally in the world, and eventually, your friends will see this as well
[bold and italics emphasis MINE]
Sunday Funny (c/o MIkeysFunnies.com) ~ Honk if you love Jesus! Text while driving if you want to meet Him.
Making the Case/Don't Say "The Bible Says So" - Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com / April 27, 2011
I want to say from the outset that I believe in biblical inerrancy, the sufficiency of scripture, and the doctrine the Reformers called Sola Scriptura. I need to tell you that up front, because you might otherwise get very upset at what I'm about to say.
While we have to be immersed in scripture and understand it fully, we also have to know when and how to use it in public discourse. Let me explain. G. K. Chesterton, the famous British writer, was once invited to a meeting of the leading intellectuals in England. They were asked if they were shipwrecked on an island, what would be the one book they would want to have with them. Everyone expected Chesterton, a prominent Christian, to say "the Bible." When it came his turn to speak, however, Chesterton said that if he were shipwrecked on a desert island, he'd like to have "Thomas's Guide to Practical Shipbuilding."
The point is that oftentimes we need to understand things that are not covered in the Bible. And we need to understand things that help us apply biblical teaching to all of life. This is why I teach biblical worldview.
A man once told Oswald Chambers that he read only the Bible. Here's what Chambers replied: "My strong advice to you is to soak, soak, soak in philosophy and psychology, until you know more of these subjects than ever you need consciously to think. It is ignorance of these subjects on the part of ministers and workers that has brought our evangelical theology to such a sorry plight...The man who reads only the Bible does not, as a rule, know it or human life." And when it comes to making a biblical case on any hot topic -- taxes, the deficit, homosexuality, whatever -- we need to understand the issue and how to make that case in a way that is accessible to believers and non-believers alike.
Brit Hume, Robby George and I have just released a DVD teaching series on ethics called Doing the Right Thing. It's one of the most important projects I've undertaken in my ministry. You can get it at ColsonCenter.org. Every principle we teach on ethics is biblically based. But rarely did we cite the Bible as authority. This is because this ethics course, we believe, will be taught in secular colleges and business schools -- as well as in churches and small groups. So, it's got to be accessible to everybody.
The sad fact is that today, starting a conversation with "the Bible says" will often cause the listener to stop listening. So what you do is make arguments based on what the Reformers called common grace, or what historically has been called natural law. This is what Paul did when he gave his famous sermon at Mars Hill, his first foray into the Greek culture. He quoted Greek poets; he referred to Greek artifacts. He thoroughly engaged their culture. And then he used their beliefs to lead directly into the gospel.
This is why we must study biblical worldview, to compare how the Bible works out in life versus how other systems of thought do. I assure you: You will see that the biblical way is the only way to make sense of the world, to live rationally in the world, and eventually, your friends will see this as well
[bold and italics emphasis MINE]
#138 (10/21) - Behind The Pink Ribbon - The Untold Story of Money Raised By "The Race for the Cure"
Don't forget: (1) This week's broadcast of "Truth That Trasnforms" (Sunday, 5 pm, ch. 55.1 in Orlando; (2) The editorial cartoons at Worldmag.com; and (3) The upcoming Sunday Special.
[If you've watched sports events this month, such as the NFL games, you will note many wearing pink to show support for breast cancer reserach. But did you know that there are ties between the largest breast cancer nonprofit and Planned Parenthood! Before you run that race or give those precious donation dollars, be sure to read the following expose.]
Susan G. Komen's Relationship with Planned Parenthood - http://www.redstate.com/breeanneh/2011/10/13/behind-the-pink-ribbon/ Thursday, October 13th - posted by Breeanne Howe
Every year thousands of women train and prepare to Race for the Cure organized by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer nonprofit. During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, almost every product on the shelves, from batteries to blenders, turns pink and contributes a portion of their sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. One needs not see the name to know who is behind the pink ribbon. Most people, however, do not know what is beyond the ribbon and the name for which it stands.
$731,303. That is the amount donated to Planned Parenthood by Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2009 alone. The relationship between Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen has been documented and objected to for so long that Komen actually has an explanation letter on their website.
“Komen provides funding for local community health programs through our network of more than 120 affiliates across the United States. Each Affiliate is responsible for assessing the breast health service needs—including education, screening, treatment and support—for the residents within its region as well as identifying and providing funding to organizations that can meet those needs. Annually, Komen Affiliates fund programs that provide breast health education and breast screenings for hundreds of thousands of low-income, uninsured, or medically under-served women via nearly 2,000 local organizations, including 19 Planned Parenthood programs."
"The decision to fund any breast health and screening program is based on a thorough assessment of a community’s breast health needs and resources. In some areas of the U.S., our affiliates have determined a Planned Parenthood clinic to be the best or only local place where women can receive breast health care."
"In all cases, Komen funding is used exclusively to provide breast cancer programs, including clinical breast exams conducted by trained medical personnel. When symptoms indicate a need for further screening, patients are provided with a referral to obtain a mammogram. Depending on local resources, that mammogram may be paid for using a Komen grant. It’s important to note that Komen will only make grants to non-profit organizations. As many mammography providers are for-profit entities, we are only to fund mammography services through grants made to local non-profit service providers."
"Twice each year, Komen affiliates conduct a thorough review of their community health grant programs to ensure that funds are being used only for breast health services. Under no circumstances are Komen funds used to fund abortions or other non-breast services, and any service provider shown to violate those rules would be immediately terminated from the Komen grant program."
"During the past five years, Komen Affiliate grants to Planned Parenthood have funded 139,000 clinical breast exams and nearly 5,000 mammograms, enabling the detection of 177 breast cancers. Our mission is to help save lives by increasing screening rates among all populations of women across the U.S. and around the world. As long as there is a need for health care for vulnerable populations, Komen will fund the facilities that can best meet those needs.”
While some have doubted the accuracy of Komen’s statement regarding the lack of facilities available in rural areas for breast cancer services, Texas, unfortunately, serves as a prime example. The rural counties surrounding Dallas are littered with Planned Parenthoods, many of which only have Planned Parenthood to serve their needs. Planned Parenthood of El Paso even managed to receive federal stimulus funds, despite the President requesting Planned Parenthood be removed from the stimulus bill. Instead of contributing money to build clinics in the many underserved areas of rural Texas, which would be more in line with their supposed life-affirming goals, Susan G. Komen curiously chooses to give money to the Planned Parenthood facilities instead. As Komen surely understands, money is fungible, and their contributions to Planned Parenthood allows money that would have been used for breast cancer services to, instead, be used for their more popular and nefarious practices.
One needn’t look further than Live Action’s recent phone calls to 30 different Planned Parenthoods who all admitted they don’t offer mammograms to wonder where Susan G. Komen’s money is going. In fact, as far back as 2003, according to Planned Parenthood’s 2003-2004 Annual Report, abortions increased by 14,000 in 2002-2003, while breast exams decreased by more than 141,000. Yet,in 2003 Planned Parenthood of Dallas, of which Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, has served on the advisory board, built a new $5 million dollar facility. In Houston, Planned Parenthood recently opened the largest abortion facility in the world, second only to China, which is 78,000 square feet and has an entire floor dedicated to late-term abortions of up to 25 week old babies. Thankfully, the state of Texas has fought back against those seemingly bent on making Texas the abortion capital. Four Texas Planned Parenthood centers had plans to close after the state took away taxpayer funding.
As if supporting Planned Parenthood wasn’t bad enough because they are the antithesis of life, abortion has long been thought to increase the risk of breast cancer. The first cancer study that included a possible link between abortion and breast cancer was in 1957. While many studies since then have sighted abortion as a key risk factor for developing breast cancer, Susan G. Komen firmly denies even the possibility of a link between the two. In 2002, the Bush administration created a furor when it altered the National Cancer Institute’s official statement concerning abortion and breast cancer on their website to read:
The possible relationship between abortion and breast cancer has been examined in over thirty published studies since 1957. Some studies have reported statistically significant evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer in women who have had abortions, while others have merely suggested an increased risk. Other studies have found no increase in risk among women who have had an interrupted pregnancy.
A New York Times editorial called the statement an “egregious distortion,” and 28 members of Congress complained to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In response, the National Cancer Institute held a 3 day workshop and concluded not only that there was no link between abortion and breast cancer, but that the issue was resolved. However, in January 2010 the chief organizer of the workshop, Dr. Louise Brinton, reversed her opinion to say abortion does raise a woman’s risk of breast cancer. An April 2009 study found that abortion increases breast cancer risk by 40%, and oral contraceptives can multiply the risk by 4.2 times. Still the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have ignored the findings.
The stated goal of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is to find a cure for cancer. In October of 2005, researchers at the University of Minnesota successfully used human embryonic stem cells to kill cancer cells; a study that surely didn’t go unnoticed by Susan G. Komen. Could it be that Susan G. Komen continues to financially support Planned Parenthood because they may hold the key to a possible cure for cancer? When they aren’t harvesting baby body parts for money, Planned Parenthood has offered women the option of donating tissue from their aborted babies to medical research. In their words, “Most agree that such decisions reflect generosity, courage, and the hope that some humanitarian good may come out of an unintended pregnancy.” Humanitarian good from unnecessarily killing an unborn baby? The truth is that adult stem cells have been treating all kinds of cancers, among many other diseases and conditions, for years. So why use embryonic stem cells instead of adult stem cells? According to the National Institute of Health, Human embryonic stem cells are thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells. In other words, they want to explore the possibilities because it could lead to something; ethics be damned. Yet, the NIH website also states that adult stem cells have recently been found to be more flexible than previously thought. It would appear that continuing to explore all the uses of adult stem cells might be a little more difficult and embryonic stem cells could be an easier route.
Whatever their reasons for financially supporting Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen is thankfully not the only option for those dedicated to life for women with cancer and babies. The National Breast Cancer Foundation also provides funding for free mammograms and cancer research and has no affiliation with Planned Parenthood. The Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy recently made national news for using HIV to completely eradicate cancer. The Breast Cancer Society focuses on providing help for women currently battling breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure would like to do everything in their power to end breast cancer forever, an idea with which no one would disagree. However, a strong message should be sent that our greatest ideals don’t have to be realized through compromise.
Life is precious, be it the beautiful, familiar faces of the women we love, or the new faces of the babies we’ve yet to meet.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
[If you've watched sports events this month, such as the NFL games, you will note many wearing pink to show support for breast cancer reserach. But did you know that there are ties between the largest breast cancer nonprofit and Planned Parenthood! Before you run that race or give those precious donation dollars, be sure to read the following expose.]
Susan G. Komen's Relationship with Planned Parenthood - http://www.redstate.com/breeanneh/2011/10/13/behind-the-pink-ribbon/ Thursday, October 13th - posted by Breeanne Howe
Every year thousands of women train and prepare to Race for the Cure organized by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer nonprofit. During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, almost every product on the shelves, from batteries to blenders, turns pink and contributes a portion of their sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. One needs not see the name to know who is behind the pink ribbon. Most people, however, do not know what is beyond the ribbon and the name for which it stands.
$731,303. That is the amount donated to Planned Parenthood by Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 2009 alone. The relationship between Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen has been documented and objected to for so long that Komen actually has an explanation letter on their website.
“Komen provides funding for local community health programs through our network of more than 120 affiliates across the United States. Each Affiliate is responsible for assessing the breast health service needs—including education, screening, treatment and support—for the residents within its region as well as identifying and providing funding to organizations that can meet those needs. Annually, Komen Affiliates fund programs that provide breast health education and breast screenings for hundreds of thousands of low-income, uninsured, or medically under-served women via nearly 2,000 local organizations, including 19 Planned Parenthood programs."
"The decision to fund any breast health and screening program is based on a thorough assessment of a community’s breast health needs and resources. In some areas of the U.S., our affiliates have determined a Planned Parenthood clinic to be the best or only local place where women can receive breast health care."
"In all cases, Komen funding is used exclusively to provide breast cancer programs, including clinical breast exams conducted by trained medical personnel. When symptoms indicate a need for further screening, patients are provided with a referral to obtain a mammogram. Depending on local resources, that mammogram may be paid for using a Komen grant. It’s important to note that Komen will only make grants to non-profit organizations. As many mammography providers are for-profit entities, we are only to fund mammography services through grants made to local non-profit service providers."
"Twice each year, Komen affiliates conduct a thorough review of their community health grant programs to ensure that funds are being used only for breast health services. Under no circumstances are Komen funds used to fund abortions or other non-breast services, and any service provider shown to violate those rules would be immediately terminated from the Komen grant program."
"During the past five years, Komen Affiliate grants to Planned Parenthood have funded 139,000 clinical breast exams and nearly 5,000 mammograms, enabling the detection of 177 breast cancers. Our mission is to help save lives by increasing screening rates among all populations of women across the U.S. and around the world. As long as there is a need for health care for vulnerable populations, Komen will fund the facilities that can best meet those needs.”
While some have doubted the accuracy of Komen’s statement regarding the lack of facilities available in rural areas for breast cancer services, Texas, unfortunately, serves as a prime example. The rural counties surrounding Dallas are littered with Planned Parenthoods, many of which only have Planned Parenthood to serve their needs. Planned Parenthood of El Paso even managed to receive federal stimulus funds, despite the President requesting Planned Parenthood be removed from the stimulus bill. Instead of contributing money to build clinics in the many underserved areas of rural Texas, which would be more in line with their supposed life-affirming goals, Susan G. Komen curiously chooses to give money to the Planned Parenthood facilities instead. As Komen surely understands, money is fungible, and their contributions to Planned Parenthood allows money that would have been used for breast cancer services to, instead, be used for their more popular and nefarious practices.
One needn’t look further than Live Action’s recent phone calls to 30 different Planned Parenthoods who all admitted they don’t offer mammograms to wonder where Susan G. Komen’s money is going. In fact, as far back as 2003, according to Planned Parenthood’s 2003-2004 Annual Report, abortions increased by 14,000 in 2002-2003, while breast exams decreased by more than 141,000. Yet,in 2003 Planned Parenthood of Dallas, of which Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, has served on the advisory board, built a new $5 million dollar facility. In Houston, Planned Parenthood recently opened the largest abortion facility in the world, second only to China, which is 78,000 square feet and has an entire floor dedicated to late-term abortions of up to 25 week old babies. Thankfully, the state of Texas has fought back against those seemingly bent on making Texas the abortion capital. Four Texas Planned Parenthood centers had plans to close after the state took away taxpayer funding.
As if supporting Planned Parenthood wasn’t bad enough because they are the antithesis of life, abortion has long been thought to increase the risk of breast cancer. The first cancer study that included a possible link between abortion and breast cancer was in 1957. While many studies since then have sighted abortion as a key risk factor for developing breast cancer, Susan G. Komen firmly denies even the possibility of a link between the two. In 2002, the Bush administration created a furor when it altered the National Cancer Institute’s official statement concerning abortion and breast cancer on their website to read:
The possible relationship between abortion and breast cancer has been examined in over thirty published studies since 1957. Some studies have reported statistically significant evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer in women who have had abortions, while others have merely suggested an increased risk. Other studies have found no increase in risk among women who have had an interrupted pregnancy.
A New York Times editorial called the statement an “egregious distortion,” and 28 members of Congress complained to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In response, the National Cancer Institute held a 3 day workshop and concluded not only that there was no link between abortion and breast cancer, but that the issue was resolved. However, in January 2010 the chief organizer of the workshop, Dr. Louise Brinton, reversed her opinion to say abortion does raise a woman’s risk of breast cancer. An April 2009 study found that abortion increases breast cancer risk by 40%, and oral contraceptives can multiply the risk by 4.2 times. Still the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have ignored the findings.
The stated goal of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is to find a cure for cancer. In October of 2005, researchers at the University of Minnesota successfully used human embryonic stem cells to kill cancer cells; a study that surely didn’t go unnoticed by Susan G. Komen. Could it be that Susan G. Komen continues to financially support Planned Parenthood because they may hold the key to a possible cure for cancer? When they aren’t harvesting baby body parts for money, Planned Parenthood has offered women the option of donating tissue from their aborted babies to medical research. In their words, “Most agree that such decisions reflect generosity, courage, and the hope that some humanitarian good may come out of an unintended pregnancy.” Humanitarian good from unnecessarily killing an unborn baby? The truth is that adult stem cells have been treating all kinds of cancers, among many other diseases and conditions, for years. So why use embryonic stem cells instead of adult stem cells? According to the National Institute of Health, Human embryonic stem cells are thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells. In other words, they want to explore the possibilities because it could lead to something; ethics be damned. Yet, the NIH website also states that adult stem cells have recently been found to be more flexible than previously thought. It would appear that continuing to explore all the uses of adult stem cells might be a little more difficult and embryonic stem cells could be an easier route.
Whatever their reasons for financially supporting Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen is thankfully not the only option for those dedicated to life for women with cancer and babies. The National Breast Cancer Foundation also provides funding for free mammograms and cancer research and has no affiliation with Planned Parenthood. The Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy recently made national news for using HIV to completely eradicate cancer. The Breast Cancer Society focuses on providing help for women currently battling breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure would like to do everything in their power to end breast cancer forever, an idea with which no one would disagree. However, a strong message should be sent that our greatest ideals don’t have to be realized through compromise.
Life is precious, be it the beautiful, familiar faces of the women we love, or the new faces of the babies we’ve yet to meet.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
#134 - ''Obama’s [Continued] Failure to Confront the Iranian Threat''
Don't forget: (1) This week's broadcast of "Truth That Trasnforms" (Sunday, 5 pm, ch. 55.1 in Orlando; (2) The editorial cartoons at Worldmag.com; and (3) The upcoming Sunday Special.
Posted By Mike Brownfield On 10/12/2011- THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION
Yesterday, America learned that Iran conspired to launch a terrorist attack in Washington, D.C., with a planned assassination of the Saudi ambassador and bomb attacks on the Saudi and Israeli embassies. U.S. authorities disrupted the plot and have brought charges against the men who planned to carry out the attack, but the audacity of Iran’s actions highlights a disturbing truth: The Obama Administration has done far too little to deter state-sponsored terrorism, and it has utterly failed to confront the Iranian threat.
Not one month ago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City and delivered a speech [1] rife with hatred of the United States, September 11 conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism, and Holocaust denials. His diatribe at the U.N. has become an annual ritual, but as we learned yesterday, this year’s performance occurred all while Ahmadinejad’s government was seeking to attack the United States–a fact that President Barack Obama was made aware [2] of in June of this year.
It is being reported [3] that following the charges against Iran, the Obama Administration is seeking to use the development as leverage to “unite the world” against Iran, with Vice President Biden saying, “That’s the surest way to be able to get results.” Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked that the plot “crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for.” Iran, however, crossed the line long ago, be it the country’s rogue pursuit of nuclear weapons, its calls for the eradication of Israel, its support of terrorism, its meddling in Iraq, or its interference with the movement toward democracy in the Middle East. Even without yesterday’s charges, the Obama Administration has had plenty of reason to take the lead on confronting the Iranian threat, but it has utterly failed to do so.
On June 28, 2011, the White House released its “new” National Strategy for Counterterrorism. The 19-page document makes exactly one reference to Iran. The subject of state-sponsored terrorism is virtually ignored. In August, The Heritage Foundation Counterterrorism Task Force criticized the Administration [4] for failing to address the threat:
"The President’s strategy pays insufficient attention to state-sponsored terrorism, which will increasingly be a major force to be reckoned with. Iran is one of the most prominent and aggressive state sponsors of terror and its proteges–both Hamas and Hezbollah–represent potentially grave threats. In addition, transnational criminal cartels in Mexico are increasingly taking on the character of terrorist networks."
Now we see that those criticisms are well-founded, and the threat of Iran launching a terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland very nearly became a deadly reality. The Heritage task force wrote that it’s a threat that can’t be ignored: "The iron triangle of state-sponsored terrorism–Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah–is potentially as significant a threat to U.S. interests as a reconstituted al-Qaeda. Iran remains the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Breaking the triangle apart can only be accomplished by bringing freedom to the people under the tyranny of the leadership in Tehran–change that has to come from within the country."
The Obama Administration, to date, has pursued the Obama Doctrine–a foreign policy that calls for the United States to engage with its enemies instead of confronting the threat of state-sponsored terrorism head on. It’s an attitude and a posture that has been pervasive in President Obama’s rhetoric–abjuring American exceptionalism, passing on the opportunity to speak loudly to promote the spread of democracy in the Middle East, failing to condemn Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ruthless regime, offering weak support to Israel and failing to condemn those who threaten the country’s very existence, and presenting a face of international accommodation and ambivalence. Obama’s strategy invites aggression and leaves the American people less secure as a result.
The Administration must finally change direction. Heritage’s James Carafano writes that it should take strong measures to respond to Iran’s actions, including conducting a proportional military response against suitable, feasible, and acceptable targets (in many ways the situation is similar to military operations conducted against al Qaeda in Pakistan). It should impose and enforce the strongest sanctions, target public diplomacy to expose the regime’s human rights abuses, reduce Iran’s meddling in Iraq, and rescind and rewrite its counterterrorism strategy.
The time for flowery speeches and benevolent engagement with America’s avowed enemies is over. President Obama must wake up to the fact that Iran and countries like it pose a very real threat to America, its friends, and its allies, and it must take proactive action to protect itself from those who seek to do it harm. [bold and italics emphasis MINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2011/10/12/morning-bell-obamas-failure-to-confront-the-iranian-threat/
URLs in this post:
[1] delivered a speech: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/22/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-united-nations-speech
[2] was made aware: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/11/us-usa-security-iran-whitehouse-idUSTRE79A5RU20111011
[3] being reported: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/12/national/main20119095.shtml
[4] criticized the Administration: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/08/a-counterterrorism-strategy-for-the-next-wave
opyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
Posted By Mike Brownfield On 10/12/2011- THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION
Yesterday, America learned that Iran conspired to launch a terrorist attack in Washington, D.C., with a planned assassination of the Saudi ambassador and bomb attacks on the Saudi and Israeli embassies. U.S. authorities disrupted the plot and have brought charges against the men who planned to carry out the attack, but the audacity of Iran’s actions highlights a disturbing truth: The Obama Administration has done far too little to deter state-sponsored terrorism, and it has utterly failed to confront the Iranian threat.
Not one month ago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City and delivered a speech [1] rife with hatred of the United States, September 11 conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism, and Holocaust denials. His diatribe at the U.N. has become an annual ritual, but as we learned yesterday, this year’s performance occurred all while Ahmadinejad’s government was seeking to attack the United States–a fact that President Barack Obama was made aware [2] of in June of this year.
It is being reported [3] that following the charges against Iran, the Obama Administration is seeking to use the development as leverage to “unite the world” against Iran, with Vice President Biden saying, “That’s the surest way to be able to get results.” Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remarked that the plot “crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for.” Iran, however, crossed the line long ago, be it the country’s rogue pursuit of nuclear weapons, its calls for the eradication of Israel, its support of terrorism, its meddling in Iraq, or its interference with the movement toward democracy in the Middle East. Even without yesterday’s charges, the Obama Administration has had plenty of reason to take the lead on confronting the Iranian threat, but it has utterly failed to do so.
On June 28, 2011, the White House released its “new” National Strategy for Counterterrorism. The 19-page document makes exactly one reference to Iran. The subject of state-sponsored terrorism is virtually ignored. In August, The Heritage Foundation Counterterrorism Task Force criticized the Administration [4] for failing to address the threat:
"The President’s strategy pays insufficient attention to state-sponsored terrorism, which will increasingly be a major force to be reckoned with. Iran is one of the most prominent and aggressive state sponsors of terror and its proteges–both Hamas and Hezbollah–represent potentially grave threats. In addition, transnational criminal cartels in Mexico are increasingly taking on the character of terrorist networks."
Now we see that those criticisms are well-founded, and the threat of Iran launching a terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland very nearly became a deadly reality. The Heritage task force wrote that it’s a threat that can’t be ignored: "The iron triangle of state-sponsored terrorism–Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah–is potentially as significant a threat to U.S. interests as a reconstituted al-Qaeda. Iran remains the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Breaking the triangle apart can only be accomplished by bringing freedom to the people under the tyranny of the leadership in Tehran–change that has to come from within the country."
The Obama Administration, to date, has pursued the Obama Doctrine–a foreign policy that calls for the United States to engage with its enemies instead of confronting the threat of state-sponsored terrorism head on. It’s an attitude and a posture that has been pervasive in President Obama’s rhetoric–abjuring American exceptionalism, passing on the opportunity to speak loudly to promote the spread of democracy in the Middle East, failing to condemn Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ruthless regime, offering weak support to Israel and failing to condemn those who threaten the country’s very existence, and presenting a face of international accommodation and ambivalence. Obama’s strategy invites aggression and leaves the American people less secure as a result.
The Administration must finally change direction. Heritage’s James Carafano writes that it should take strong measures to respond to Iran’s actions, including conducting a proportional military response against suitable, feasible, and acceptable targets (in many ways the situation is similar to military operations conducted against al Qaeda in Pakistan). It should impose and enforce the strongest sanctions, target public diplomacy to expose the regime’s human rights abuses, reduce Iran’s meddling in Iraq, and rescind and rewrite its counterterrorism strategy.
The time for flowery speeches and benevolent engagement with America’s avowed enemies is over. President Obama must wake up to the fact that Iran and countries like it pose a very real threat to America, its friends, and its allies, and it must take proactive action to protect itself from those who seek to do it harm. [bold and italics emphasis MINE]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2011/10/12/morning-bell-obamas-failure-to-confront-the-iranian-threat/
URLs in this post:
[1] delivered a speech: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/22/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-united-nations-speech
[2] was made aware: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/11/us-usa-security-iran-whitehouse-idUSTRE79A5RU20111011
[3] being reported: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/12/national/main20119095.shtml
[4] criticized the Administration: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/08/a-counterterrorism-strategy-for-the-next-wave
opyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
# 133 - Special Prayer/Action Alerts - Pastor in Iran (Latest Update); Coptic Christians in Egypt
[See also today's commentary by Chuck Colson at> http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/18007]
Iran Pastor's Case Referred to Supreme Leader > http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/October/Iran-Pastors-Case-Referred-to-Supreme-Leader/ October 10, 2011
The attorney representing Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor facing a death sentence for refusing to recant his faith, says his client's case is being referred to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Khamenei is the final authority in Iran. According to Agency France Presse, the move suggests the verdict could be delayed....
Meanwhile, a new bipartisan effort is underway in Congress to secure the pastor's freedom.In a letter signed by at least 39 Congressmen, lawmakers called Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to "use all the powers at your disposal" for "swift engagement with the international community to advocate for his release."
The American Center for Law and Justice [ACLJ] is calling on people to join Congress in urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to put pressure on Iran to release Pastor Youcef: ■Sign the petition to Secretary Clinton > http://aclj.org/iran/pressure-iran-save-christian-pastor
Contact your congressmen to sign on to the Pitts/Shuler letter > http://congress.aclj.org/5290/call-on-secretary-state-clinton-to-save-christian-pastor-in-iran/
*The American Center for Law and Justice has also sent a letter to the United Nations calling for pressure on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release Pastor Youcef. Read the letter. http://c0391070.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/pdf/letter-un-ohchr-regarding-youcef-nadarkhani-death-sentence-apostasy-iran.pdf
*CBN News has started an effort on Twitter to spread the word about Pastor Youcef's case.
■Follow the story at @CBNNews, then retweet the post, "Who is Youcef Nadarkhani? A pastor, husband & father who may be killed in Iran for his faith. RT for religious freedom, http//bit.ly/cbnnews."Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling for urgent action:
■Voice your concerns now to the Iranian Embassy here. You can also call the Iranian liaison office in the U.S. State Department. The number is 202-647-6575
____________________________________________________
Deadly Attack on Coptic Church Sparks Cairo RiotsBy John Waage, CBN News Sr. EditorMonday, October 10, 2011RSS
The so-called "Arab Spring" took a deadly turn in Cairo over the weekend, as an attack on a Coptic Christian church sparked riots, killing 24 people and wounding at least 200 others.The rioting was worst violence since civilian protests brought about the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in March.
Police arrested dozens of people in Cairo's Tahrir Square when clashes between Coptic Christians, Muslims, and security forces escalated out of control. Christians had gathered to demonstrate after Muslims partially demolished a church last week. Some of the leaders of both the Christian and Muslim activists said the clashes were not as much related to religion as they were to the army's handling of the situation.
Rioters set cars on fire and burned army vehicles. The army's response was described as brutal by friends of several of the victims, who posted their conditions and video on the Internet. Attacks against Christian churches have increased since Mubarak's ouster. Christians represent just 10 percent of the country's 80 million people. The army has controlled the Egyptian government for the past 40 years.
Egyptian leaders held an emergency cabinet meeting to decide how to respond to charges of brutality among their forces. {Also}The latest violence has sparked new concerns about the upcoming parliament elections, scheduled for late November.
[Subjects in BOLD need prayer; ITALICIZED are points of action you can take]
Iran Pastor's Case Referred to Supreme Leader > http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/October/Iran-Pastors-Case-Referred-to-Supreme-Leader/ October 10, 2011
The attorney representing Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor facing a death sentence for refusing to recant his faith, says his client's case is being referred to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Khamenei is the final authority in Iran. According to Agency France Presse, the move suggests the verdict could be delayed....
Meanwhile, a new bipartisan effort is underway in Congress to secure the pastor's freedom.In a letter signed by at least 39 Congressmen, lawmakers called Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to "use all the powers at your disposal" for "swift engagement with the international community to advocate for his release."
The American Center for Law and Justice [ACLJ] is calling on people to join Congress in urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to put pressure on Iran to release Pastor Youcef: ■Sign the petition to Secretary Clinton > http://aclj.org/iran/pressure-iran-save-christian-pastor
Contact your congressmen to sign on to the Pitts/Shuler letter > http://congress.aclj.org/5290/call-on-secretary-state-clinton-to-save-christian-pastor-in-iran/
*The American Center for Law and Justice has also sent a letter to the United Nations calling for pressure on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release Pastor Youcef. Read the letter. http://c0391070.cdn2.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/pdf/letter-un-ohchr-regarding-youcef-nadarkhani-death-sentence-apostasy-iran.pdf
*CBN News has started an effort on Twitter to spread the word about Pastor Youcef's case.
■Follow the story at @CBNNews, then retweet the post, "Who is Youcef Nadarkhani? A pastor, husband & father who may be killed in Iran for his faith. RT for religious freedom, http//bit.ly/cbnnews."Christian Solidarity Worldwide is calling for urgent action:
■Voice your concerns now to the Iranian Embassy here. You can also call the Iranian liaison office in the U.S. State Department. The number is 202-647-6575
____________________________________________________
Deadly Attack on Coptic Church Sparks Cairo RiotsBy John Waage, CBN News Sr. EditorMonday, October 10, 2011RSS
The so-called "Arab Spring" took a deadly turn in Cairo over the weekend, as an attack on a Coptic Christian church sparked riots, killing 24 people and wounding at least 200 others.The rioting was worst violence since civilian protests brought about the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in March.
Police arrested dozens of people in Cairo's Tahrir Square when clashes between Coptic Christians, Muslims, and security forces escalated out of control. Christians had gathered to demonstrate after Muslims partially demolished a church last week. Some of the leaders of both the Christian and Muslim activists said the clashes were not as much related to religion as they were to the army's handling of the situation.
Rioters set cars on fire and burned army vehicles. The army's response was described as brutal by friends of several of the victims, who posted their conditions and video on the Internet. Attacks against Christian churches have increased since Mubarak's ouster. Christians represent just 10 percent of the country's 80 million people. The army has controlled the Egyptian government for the past 40 years.
Egyptian leaders held an emergency cabinet meeting to decide how to respond to charges of brutality among their forces. {Also}The latest violence has sparked new concerns about the upcoming parliament elections, scheduled for late November.
[Subjects in BOLD need prayer; ITALICIZED are points of action you can take]
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