From Jesus To The Christ: The First Christians
PBS Frontline
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From Jesus To Christ: The First Christians (PBS Frontline)
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It's Complicated: Christian Culture, Islamic Culture
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My Review Of Martin Scorsese's "Silence" With Ample Historical And Theological Commentary
"Silence" is 2 hours 41 minutes long.
From the beginning it dislodges the viewer, innitially immersing "him" in 17th century Portugal before thrusting us -- with entrancing intensity -- into the immutable eternity of hardscrabble peasant life.
And finally, we are drenched in the sophisticated interplay between European and Japanese intelligentsia for whom the social (theological?) engineering of peasants (der volk?) is the over-riding concern.
Shusaku Endo's Novel, "Silence"
Wikipedia
After the movie, while waiting for the only serviceable urinal to "come free" I spoke for 10 minutes with a black man who had been as captivated as I, and who, like me, wondered how we would eventually "come out of this time machine," both of us also eager to research the movie's historical and theological underpinnings.
"Silence" is embedded in two massive matrices: the cyclical suffering of dirt-poor peasants and how their suffering engenders the hopefulness of simple folk who, generally speaking, are the best and most generous of us all... and the calculating mind games (always engaged with "good reason") which continually preoccupy the "authorities""in charge."
I am reminded of my recent John Steinbeck discovery, a quotation that took me back to my own late 60's immersion in peasant life about a decade before "progress" (and consquent substitution of "money" for "value") swept it away - at least in Latin America and probably in most other places.
Like most human truths, validation of Steinbeck's insight can only be experienced, not proven through intellectual calesthenics.
Otherwise, Steinbeck's postulate of the unequaled "helpfulness of the poor" remains an abstract belief, or - more likely - just another bit of trash heaped on the midden of one's life according to each person's need to keep their (largely accidental) "identities" alive and well. (In general, there is no fate worse than the definitive dissolution of one's identity. Or so it seems while still clinging to our identities...)
The night we sang Christmas songs at your place I think I mentioned that one of the lyrics in "O Holy Night" is among my bedrock reasons for holding Christianity (at its best) in high regard. "He appeared and the soul knew its worth."
My Dad believed that Christianity's singular gift to the world was "hope" and that antiquity prior to Jesus' birth was caught in the hopeless inescapability of life's cycles - the brutish work of grunting labor and - absent the miracles of modern medicine - the downward spiral of most afflictions. (Until 1750, half of all humanity died by age 8 and a typical human being suffered toothache for fully half his life. I was struck by Scorsese's odd-but-revealing emphasis on the rotten teeth of Japanese peasants.)
In part, Christianity brought hope by being a historical religion rather than a "merely" moral or mystical one.
The night we sang Christmas songs at your place I think I mentioned that one of the lyrics in "O Holy Night" is among my bedrock reasons for holding Christianity (at its best) in high regard. "He appeared and the soul knew its worth."
My Dad believed that Christianity's singular gift to the world was "hope" and that antiquity prior to Jesus' birth was caught in the hopeless inescapability of life's cycles - the brutish work of grunting labor and - absent the miracles of modern medicine - the downward spiral of most afflictions. (Until 1750, half of all humanity died by age 8 and a typical human being suffered toothache for fully half his life. I was struck by Scorsese's odd-but-revealing emphasis on the rotten teeth of Japanese peasants.)
In part, Christianity brought hope by being a historical religion rather than a "merely" moral or mystical one.
And essential to history is a time-line along which human lives and human culture can actually improve.
"Silence" emphasizes this "historic" sea change in the human psyche.
Once humans have a time-line, and once "the masses" realize the radically democratic idea that everyone is a child of God and that God does not "play favorites," there is simultaneous upsurge in HOPE writ large, accompanied by the specific hope that "I am a co-equal child of God" and although the prevalent dominance-submission hierarchy of my culture is unbearably oppressive, I no longer need to accept The Official Story that Top Dogs are predestined to be Top Dogs and, co-relatedly, that I am destined to be their stinking, lice-ridden, rotten-tooth pawn who knows his "proper" place in The Great Chain Of Pre-Ordained Being.
Now, at last, "we" have word of God-Love's appearance and "His" assurance that I too am a child of God and that the existing order of cruelty-and-oppression is entirely wrong, indeed it is a damnable affront to the everlasting Will of God.
And after "His" appearance by which the soul finally knew its worth, the good news continues:
Now, at last, "we" have word of God-Love's appearance and "His" assurance that I too am a child of God and that the existing order of cruelty-and-oppression is entirely wrong, indeed it is a damnable affront to the everlasting Will of God.
And after "His" appearance by which the soul finally knew its worth, the good news continues:
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new glorious morn
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
***
Paralleling the movie's psycho-sociology is the theological (or value) substrate that enfolds and molds every culture and every person's psycho-sociology.
From the Christian point of view (embodied by the movie's Jesuit protagonist) the simplest way to cut through the sprawling complexity of Catholic theology is to view Frontline's "From Jesus to Christ" where we see the historical, theological and fundamentally human antecedents to the much-later, fully-developed theology of "Christ-God."
From Jesus To Christ: The First Christians
PBS Frontline
The eventual ratification of Christ-as-God was a theological position quite different from the first centuries of Christian belief when, for a couple hundred years, Christianity remained a sect within Judaism just as Jesus himself remained a practicing Jew throughout his life. http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/01/from-jesus-to-christ-first-christians.html (It bears mention that 25 of the 27 books in The New Testament were written by people who were practicing Jews at least until the Crucifixion. I should also mention that St. Paul of Tarsus, a Jewish tent-maker by profession, began adulthood hunting down "Christians" as a zealous participant in "a movement" that sought to exterminate Christians by killing them.)
It is also illuminating to know about The Ebionites, a Jewish-Christian sect often referred to as "the first Christians." Like all orthodox Jews who were contemporaries of Yeshua the Nazarene carpenter, Ebionites believed it was blasphemy to conceive The Messiah as anything other than a human being. Furthermore, identifying The Messiah with Yahweh-God was a cornerstone betrayal of Judaism -- and a moral calamity for anyone who subscribed to such theological travesty.
The Ebionites
Encyclopedia Britannica
The Jewish-Roman World Of Jesus:
Nazarenes And Ebionites
But by the 17th century - more than a millennium after Jesus' transformation into God-Christ - we confront an inevitable consequence of Yeshua's deification, a consequence that quickly became fundamental to the world-view of those Christians -- both Portuguese and Japanese -- who inhabit "Silence."
No later than the 3rd century A.D., when Jesus became God-Christ, "substitutional atonement" also became the cornerstone of orthodox Christianity - whether the Christian in question was Catholic or "Protestant."
Don't be put off by the airy-fairy, multi-syllabic term "substitutional atonement" since the underlying reality must be understood in order to comprehend the blood-sweating quandaries that beset 17th century Jesuits who were obliged to assume the absolute validity of substitution theology if they hoped to maintain their identity as good, faithful Christians.
Although St. Paul "got the ball rolling" by preaching that Jesus' death-on-the-cross unleashed the saving grace that forevermore guaranteed a believer's salvation, it took time for "Salvation by The Cross" to become the central Christian belief, displacing the previous Christian belief that what mattered most was participation in Christianity as a way of Life.
Substitutional Atonement
Wikipedia
Indeed, early Christians did not even call themselves "Christians" but "followers of The Way." https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9
"The Idea Of Christ Is Much Older Than Christianity."
"The Soul Is By Nature Christian."
(Alan: This idea may seem offensive to non-Christians unless one can alter the saying so it reads, "The soul is by nature Love.")
In the early "Christian" view, before Jesus had morphed into God -- the One, True God whose death on the cross was "The Perfect Sacrifice" which alone could redeem believers -- fidelity to Jesus meant following his Way. And by embarking The Way, early Christianity was much more a service-oriented matrix for living in Love than a verbal profession of faith.
Pope Francis: What Happens When Jesus Is Identified As The Embodiment Of Love?
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/12/pope-francis-what-happens-when-jesus-is.html
"First Stone: It Is Not Enough To Do What Is Right..."
Sola Fide
To follow "The Way" was the work of a lifetime, requiring far more commitment (and kindness) than just "coming forward" at the end of a "Billy Graham Stadium Crusade" to proclaim the primacy of Jesus in one's life.
If Christianity is to be something more than a "magical spell" whose incantation -- "I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior" -- is all one needs for "salvation assurance," then the alternative to presto-change-o Christianity Lite ("just add water!") is to engage the lifelong work of loving service suffused by compassion, mercy and forgiveness.
Saint Augustine of Hippo goes even farther, making love the-one-and-only touchstone of any meaningful epistemology: "We know to the extent we love.
Augustine (who also said, "Lord, make me chaste... but not yet") goes on to say: "Love, and do what you will."
Jesuit Tom Weston (my one-time confessor) describes the too-frequent alternative fate that afflicts those who do not root themselves in "The Way" of love-compassion-service-mercy-forgiveness: "You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out God hates all the same people you do."
Pope Francis: The Horror Of Religious Fundamentalism And What's Wrong With Religion
There is also much that could be said to "redeem""atonement theology." But without getting "into the weeds" of how "the Cross models salvation" by illustrating Christian willingness to be crucified for goodness' sake, I will simply mention it in passing.
Similarly, and without straying into the minutiae of how God is immanent-throughout-Universe so that we humans (like the rest of Paul's "groaning creation") always participate in The Divinity-That-IS, I will merely mention divine immanence and focus my conclusion on the straightforward declarative sentence in John's Epistle where we read that "God is love."
Similarly, and without straying into the minutiae of how God is immanent-throughout-Universe so that we humans (like the rest of Paul's "groaning creation") always participate in The Divinity-That-IS, I will merely mention divine immanence and focus my conclusion on the straightforward declarative sentence in John's Epistle where we read that "God is love."
The Way of Love, which is to say The Way into The Divine Milieu of Heaven-on-Earth, was uniquely embodied in the person of Jesus (and as I could also "argue," even in Jesus as "Christ-God").
When those who come to believe in the sine qua non centrality of Love decide to join The Way, they assume The Burden of Light and by believing that Love dwells at The Sacred Heart of All Things, they are -- as Paul himself says -- "like gods" for they have merged with the Incarnation of Love, an ongoing process that is its own "heavenly" reward.
When those who come to believe in the sine qua non centrality of Love decide to join The Way, they assume The Burden of Light and by believing that Love dwells at The Sacred Heart of All Things, they are -- as Paul himself says -- "like gods" for they have merged with the Incarnation of Love, an ongoing process that is its own "heavenly" reward.
And when an individual's life is done, I think "what comes next" is best left in the lap of the Magnum Mysterium - one of Christianity's many names for God.
Against this backdrop of irresolvable Mystery, I consider it wise (at least for Christians - and quite likely for everyone else) to look fondly on the last line of The Apostles Creed: "I believe in life everlasting."
Finis
PS"Silence" makes frequent reference to Nagasaki, the second city where Uncle Sam - in direct contravention of Christianity's Just War Principles - chose to target a civilian population with an atomic bomb. Notably, Nagasaki has always been the epicenter of Japanese Christianity. To learn more about Christianity in Japan, a country which today is about 1% Christian, the following Wikipedia entry is informative. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Japan
Christian "Just War Principles" Established c. 500 A.D. Vs. America's "just war" Tradition
PPS Collateral References:
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ: "Research As Adoration"
Since God Doesn't Heal Amputees, Humankind Will. The Future Of Christian Theology
John Ford, John Wayne, Aquinas And Theosis (Christian Divinization)
John Ford, John Wayne, Aquinas And Theosis (Christian Divinization)
"Theological Implications Of Ebola: Praying For A Cure? Creating A Scientific Cure"
"Just Thinking About Science Triggers Moral Behavior"Scientific American
"The Danger Of Science Denial"TED Talk by Michael Specter
"The Danger Of Science Denial"
TED Talk by Michael Specter
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Trump Nixes Chairman Of Joint Chiefs To Put Alt-Right Steve Bannon On National Security Council
Trump National Security Council Shake-Up Elevates Stephen Bannon
President Donald Trump elevated the role of his chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, this weekend, as part of an ordered a overhaul of the National Security Council aimed at streamlining the deliberative process.
The president’s reform shrinks the roster of regular members of the National Security Council’s Principals Committee—a premier gathering in the U.S. government’s foreign policy decision-making process—by removing several officials, including the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as regular members. The pair will attend when "issues pertaining to their responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed," the president's memorandum stated. The committee, chaired by either the National Security Advisor or the Homeland Security Advisor, is often the final step where policy is shaped before being presented to the president for sign-off.
The promotion of Bannon to the principals’ level represents a historic break with the non-politicization of the NSC. Republican Sen. John McCain, called it a “radical departure” from tradition Sunday. The keeper of the president’s populist flame, Bannon will be treated the same as the president’s chief of staff, Reince Priebus, with a standing invitation to the full National Security Council meetings chaired by the President.
RELATED
In the early days of Obama administration, Cabinet officials strenuously objected when political aides attended NSC meetings on Afghanistan policy, prompting the then-president to reverse course. The elevation reflects both Bannon’s outsized role in the president’s inner-circle, which extends far beyond the political role of his predecessors, and the president’s buy-in to Bannon promotion of an “America First” foreign policy, which is a departure from mainstream Republican foreign policy.
A bipartisan collection of former NSC officials expressed worry that the new NSC structure provided a mechanism for excluding the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from meetings. An administration official said the new organization structure was not designed to exclude the two officials, but rather to provide them the option of skipping when they feel they aren’t needed.
But former national security officials said the move could lead to an inferior deliberative process. “I did object to political advisers attending NSC meetings,” former Defense Secretary Robert Gates told TIME Sunday, “but that concern pales in importance to my concern over restrictions on the attendance at NSC meetings of the Chairman and the DNI.”
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who held the job until January 20, was more blunt. “This is stone cold crazy. After a week of crazy,” she tweeted. “Who needs military advice or intell to make policy on ISIL, Syria, Afghanistan, DPRK?”
According to the memorandum, the National Security Advisor and the Homeland Security Advisor, who convene the principals’ meetings, determine the agenda and the attendance beyond the required core group. Michael Flynn, the National Security Advisor who has long faced skepticism among the foreign policy establishment and has a history of making incendiary statements about Muslims and others, could have the ability to bar both top officials from the top-level meetings, former officials warned. Others worried that the new structure would rely on Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, a former general who received a congressional waiver to take the posting, to represent the views of the uniformed military, which is no longer his role.
An administration official contested the notion that the reorganization as designed to keep the officials from the meetings, saying the decision was "more about respecting principals’ time."
The new structure, the official added, provided the officials flexibility and freedom from unnecessary meetings. "There are going to be a lot of issues where you don't need the DNI or CJCS since their equities aren't necessarily affected,” the official said, specifying some meetings of the Homeland Security Council as an example.
The administration official cast the reorganization as part of a broader effort to reform the National Security Council, which massively grew in size and import during the Obama administration. Rice, in her final months, began some of the reorganization, touting in her final days that she shrunk the council’s staff by 10 percent. The new structure is designed to prioritize policy outcomes, the official said, while eliminating unnecessary meetings and paperwork. The former NSC’s, "Interagency Policy Committees” are being replaced by smaller "Policy Coordination Committees.”
"The real overarching theme here is to push decision-making down to the appropriate level,” the official said, adding, "I think there's an intention to fix what's widely considered to be a broken interagency process."
A bipartisan paper published by fellows at the Center for American Progress and the Hoover Institution earlier this year features top officials complaints about bloat and time-consuming process within the NSC. The administration official said it reflected Flynn’s thinking about the former NSC and guided the reorganization.
The NSC staff will shrink further under the new structure, the official confirmed, but the extent off the staff reductions were not yet clear. The official maintained that while few staffing announcements have been made publicly, the NSC staff’s ranks of senior directors and career staff is almost completely filled.
The first meetings of the National Security Council, the principals committee, and the deputies committee have not been scheduled yet, pending the confirmation of the rest of the Cabinet, and the nomination and confirmation of sub-Cabinet posts.
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Trump Elevates Bannon, Sabotages Himself By Weakening National Security Council
Alan: All indications are that Steve Bannon is as sick and sleazy as he looks.
Stephen Kevin "Steve" Bannon
Wikipedia
Trump Elevates Bannon, Sabotages Himself
The new president really needs a strong National Security Council. It looks like he doesn't want one—not after putting his alt-right campaign CEO Steve Bannon on it.
Originally published at Foreign Policy.
In this, the 70th anniversary year of the establishment of the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), we have good news and bad news about this vital nerve center of the U.S. government out of the new administration. The good news is that — after a first week in office in which it was clear that there was little or no inclusive, government-wide decision-making process on any of the White House’s major moves — we now know that they have actually started to give thought to just such a process. The bad news is that the president continues to show little understanding of how such processes are supposed to work and bad judgment about who should be involved in them.
The past week has been an excellent case in point on the dangers of not having a process by which executive branch decisions are arrived at through consultation with senior officials within Cabinet agencies (not to mention with Congress or other sources of expertise). From the Executive Order on Friday of the president’s un-American, ill-considered, and badly executed suspension of U.S. refugee programs and ban on admission to foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim nations to the continuing damage being done to America’s global standing as a consequence of the commander-in-chief’s itchy Twitter finger, the dangers of shoot-from-the-lip government were once again revealed.
According to a CNN report, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly did not see the Executive Order regarding refugees and the Muslim ban-lite, until shortly before it was issued. (Despite a denial from the administration that the order amounted to a Muslim ban, close Trump pal and advisor Rudy Giuliani indicated that the origins of this weekend’s action were an expressed desire by the president to craft just such a program targeting Muslims.) The result is that neither Kelly nor the agency he runs was able to prepare to implement the ban.
Chaos reigned at American airports, where arrivals from these countries — including some who had supported the U.S. military in Iraq and others who had special visa clearances and had been carefully vetted — were turned away. Of course, beyond such purely practical matters, the absence of a broad policy development process where multiple voices are heard and active debate of pros and cons takes place (as was the intention behind the creation of the NSC with the National Security Act of 1947) increases the likelihood that one ends up with extreme, ill-considered, very likely illegal, and certainly mean-spirited policies — contrary to the American spirit and our traditions. This is exactly what happened with Trump’s orders this weekend. But in this administration, according to many sources — including some at the State and Defense Departments — no such process has taken place on virtually any issue of importance.
One might argue it is early days. But the reality is that the transition period could have been a time for consultation and preparation. It was not. The transition will almost certainly go down in history as the most badly executed and chaotic in modern American history, as has been reported and noted previously here at Foreign Policy. Even though senior officials are not yet in place in key agencies (due as much to delays in appointing deputies and next-level officials from the Trump team as to hold-ups in Congress) consultation could have taken place with “acting” officials from the agencies to at least ensure legal precautions were taken and that implementation was practicable. But no, there was none of that. And that’s to say nothing of the off-the-cuff elements of Trump’s foreign policy, as occurred when the president escalated a growing problem surrounding the impending visit of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto with an ill-considered, early-morning tweet that resulted in the cancellation of his visit — starting off on a very wrong foot a relationship with our important neighbor to the south.
Trump seems to believe that it is appropriate for him to make foreign policy on the fly. Sometimes he seems as though he does not understand that is what he is doing — that indeed, everything a president does is foreign policy. His continued attacks on the U.S. press send the message to despots everywhere that such affronts are now okay in the eyes of the world’s most powerful nation and its leading democracy. This has a chilling effect on the advance of the values that have long been central to U.S. foreign policy, and that specialists from both parties have long believed were strongly in the U.S. national interest.
The presidential memo about the NSC suggests at least that Trump’s team may undertake something of a more traditional, perhaps slightly more disciplined process — although there is little in the president’s history to suggest he will have the patience or open-mindedness to actually reap the benefits such processes, well-run, typically provide.
This is where the bad news comes in. In Trump’s memo about the NSC, he tipped his hand about how he views the process. He established that two vital members of his national security team — the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of national intelligence — would be “as needed” members of the Principals Committee of the NSC, joining discussions only when their expertise was requested. This is a departure from past practice, as the last two administrations made them permanent members. Given the sometimes fluid nature of NSC meetings, where discussions and topics can change in real time, not having them in the room will mean that their expertise and views will not be taken into consideration. Given that one of these individuals is the senior member of the U.S. military and the other is mandated to be the head of the U.S. intelligence community, it is difficult to imagine any national security discussions that would not benefit from their perspectives and involvement.
Worse — much worse, in my view — the president decided to give a permanent seat at the National Security Council table to his chief strategist and senior counselor, Stephen Bannon. Bannon, formerly the publisher of an extreme right-wing, often racist and sexist website called Breitbart, not only has very limited U.S. government experience, he has almost no relevant experience with any aspect of high-level national security decisionmaking (beyond a graduate degree and then a seven-year stint in the Navy, some three decades ago). Combine that with the egregious lack of character his exploits at Breitbart illustrate and his past radical statements — like the instance in which he characterized himself as a “Leninist” seeking to bring down the entire system of the U.S. government — and you have precisely the sort of person who has no business at all being at an NSC meeting. But even if you were to set aside such profound character flaws and gaps in experience, the idea that a purely political advisor should be at the table while the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of national intelligence are not shows a profound lack of understanding of what the NSC has been — or what it should be.
The National Security Council was created in the wake of World War II to ensure that the president not only had the best advice of his Cabinet, but that once a presidential decision was made on how to act, that the agencies of the U.S. government could implement it in an effective and efficient way. For the NSC to work properly, you need the right people at the table, a well-managed process where all feel they have a fair say, and a president that will respect that process. The Trump NSC will not have the right people at the table. National Security Advisor Flynn, who is supposed to manage that process, was at least until recently under FBI investigation for his too cozy relationship with the Russian government. Just as bad, he has a reputation for being a “my way or the highway” manager during his tenure running the Defense Intelligence Agency. Add to all this a president who has no experience in foreign policy, is alarmingly impulsive and seemingly allergic to advice, especially that which might run contrary to his own views, and is inclined to pursue policies that could be damaging to the United States (as we have seen from Mexico to the refugee fiasco, from China to Russia), and you have a recipe for disaster.
In other words, if there was ever a president that needed a high-functioning National Security Council it is this one. The early signs as to whether he will have one or whether he will listen to it even if he does are not encouraging.
David Rothkopf is the CEO and Editor of Foreign Policy, where this article originally appeared. He is also the author of several books, including Running the World: The Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power.
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Koch Brothers Slam Trump's Immigration Ban
The Koch Brothers Oppose President Trump's Immigration Ban
The powerful policy and politics network organized by the billionaire Koch brothers made official what many had expected: an opposition to President Trump’s ban on visitors from seven countries with Muslim majorities.
In a statement provided to reporters covering the Kochs’ twice-a-year retreat, top official Brian Hooks said Sunday that the groups under his umbrella would not support Trump’s move, which has drawn thousands of protesters against the ban on immigrants and refugees.
“We believe it is possible to keep Americans safe without excluding people who wish to come here to contribute and pursue a better life for their families. The travel ban is the wrong approach and will likely be counterproductive,” said Hooks, the co-chairman of the Koch network. "Our country has benefited tremendously from a history of welcoming people from all cultures and backgrounds. This is a hallmark of free and open societies.”
It was merely the latest sign that Trump will not have yes-men in the Koch camp, which runs some of the most sophisticated conservative organizations in the country. Trump and the Koch network already had a tense relationship, and it appears that the groups will continue to operate as an opposition party much the way they did under Presidents from both parties. (Charles and David Koch ramped up their political activity under Republican President George W. Bush because they saw spending speeding out of control.)
The Koch network operates groups such as the grassroots focused Americans for Prosperity, the data-centered i360 and Latino-eyeing Libre Initiative. Together, they spent roughly $250 million on last year’s elections—while sitting out the White House race. Over the next two years, they plan to spend as much as $400 million. Sunday’s statement offered a reminder that these hefty donors will not defer to the Republican Party.
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Director James Cameron On The Trump Administration: "These People Are Insane"
"James Cameron On The Trump Administration: "These People Are Insane"
"Years ago, we sort of spotted the iceberg ahead of us and we called out the order to turn, and we’ve been slowly, slowly, slowly trying to turn this big-ass ship to not hit the iceberg, and then Trump grabbed the tiller and just plunged it right back at the center of the iceberg.
So am I worried?
Of course.
I’m like anyone of good conscience and reasonable intelligence.
I think we’re the biggest freakin’ idiot civilization in history right now, and they’ll probably be talking about us 4,000 years from now scratching their heads—like they talk about Atlantis.
Who are those guys? What did they do to piss off the gods so much that they’re buried under a hundred feet of mud right now?"
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Questions Mount Over Squirrely White Supremacist Steve Bannon's Role In Trump's Administration
Questions Multiply Over Bannon's Role In Trump Administration Multiply
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"A Dangerously Isolated President," The New Yorker
Alan: I keep a few dozen quotations in deep memory.
One of them I found in a book by Episcopalian minister and Jungian psychologist John Sanford, "Evil: The Shadow Side Of Reality."
According to Sanford, "Isolation is the breeding ground of evil"... and Trump serves as a textbook example.
Within his D.C. bubble (or NYC tower) Trump relies disproportionately on Chief White House Strategist - and newly-elevated National Security Council member - Steve Bannon, a white supremacist anti-Semite who impressed me from the get-go as an evidently sick man.
Trump is also sick, but being a gifted, well-practiced sociopath from The Ted Bundy Charm School, he has an extraordinary knack for disguising his psycho-spiritual ruin.
Trump is also sick, but being a gifted, well-practiced sociopath from The Ted Bundy Charm School, he has an extraordinary knack for disguising his psycho-spiritual ruin.
I encourage you to bone up on Bannon. He has Trump's ear, Trump's confidence and Trump's esteem. It is widely believed that Bannon is authoring Trump's executive orders. Whether or not that is true, taken together they are "explosive" and "detonator." http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/01/questions-mount-over-squirrely-white.html
A Dangerously Isolated President
http://www.newyorker.com/news/benjamin-wallace-wells/a-dangerously-isolated-president?mbid=gnep&intcid=gnep&google_editors_picks=true
![Image result for Trump lives in a bubble]()
Questions Multiply Over Bannon's Role In Trump Administration Multiply
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Former Obama Adviser Calls Trump Decision On National Security Panel "Stone Cold Crazy"
Former Obama Adviser Calls Trump Decision On National Security Panel "Stone Cold Crazy"
National Security Adviser Susan Rice retweeted another Twitter user, P.E. Juan, who said: "Trump loves and trusts the military so much he just kicked them out of the National Security Council and put a Nazi in their place."
A Dangerously Isolated President
The New Yorker
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It's Less Offensive To Burn The Flag
Alan: Trump's never-to-be-built wall became an issue when the number of deportations was at an all-time high and the number of illegal immigrants residing in the United States had declined from 12,500,000 to 11,000.000.
Trump's First Political Ad Features "Mexicans" Sneaking Into Ceuta, Spain
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This Defilement Of The Flag Is Worse Than Burning It
Alan: Fascism's attractiveness resides is the "promise" that an autocratic leader will take every repressive measure necessary to eliminate danger, thus making the sheeple safe.
But are people really in danger?
Getting behind the wheel of a car is many thousands of times more dangerous than the threat of Homeland terrorism.
In fact, driving a car is the single most dangerous thing we do every day. By far!
Getting behind the wheel of a car is many thousands of times more dangerous than the threat of Homeland terrorism.
In fact, driving a car is the single most dangerous thing we do every day. By far!
The fundamental delusion of fascists is that danger can be eliminated by oppression and ever tightening security measures.
Danger cannot, under any circumstance, be eliminated by command and control.
To some significant extent, Life - by its nature - is risky business. If you believe in God, deity built risk into Creation.
In a sane society it is necessary to assess risk and then take reasonable measures that offer real promise of containing risk in a statistically meaningful way. https://www.amazon.com/Sane-Society-Erich-Fromm/dp/0805014020
Unlike reasonable measures that can be taken, fascists fight The Law of Diminishing Returns from the very get-go and will never be happy, not even when their Duce-Fuhrer-Hobnailed-Leader continues to tighten the screws without surcease.
Fascists are people who have been consumed by fear and nothing - this side of metanoia - will relieve their self-terrorization.
Unlike reasonable measures that can be taken, fascists fight The Law of Diminishing Returns from the very get-go and will never be happy, not even when their Duce-Fuhrer-Hobnailed-Leader continues to tighten the screws without surcease.
Fascists are people who have been consumed by fear and nothing - this side of metanoia - will relieve their self-terrorization.
Consider.
Here in the United States, more Americans are killed by toddlers than terrorists.
Here in the United States, nine (9) times as many Americans are killed by cops as are killed by terrorists.
Ask yourself this question.
Do you (or any of your friends, relatives, acquaintances) directly know someone who was killed (or injured) by a terrorist?
Now ask yourself this question.
Do you (or any of your friends, relatives, acquaintances) know someone who was killed (or injured) in an automobile accident.
Finally, consider this.
In western Europe, the number of people killed in car crashes per mile traveled is half the number fatalities in the United States.
By imitating Western Europe's traffic laws (and other traffic practices) we could cut the number of American road fatalities by 17,500 (and reduce the number of significant vehicular injuries by at least 150,000) per year.
You Drive Like An American!
Newsweek
Why U.S. Roads Are More Dangerous Than European Ones
The Telegraph
List Of Motor Vehicle Deaths In The United States,
By Year
List Of Countries By Traffic-Related Death Rate
Wikipedia
By imitating Western Europe's traffic laws (and other traffic practices) we could cut the number of American road fatalities by 17,500 (and reduce the number of significant vehicular injuries by at least 150,000) per year.
A question...
Will you - or anyone know - lift a finger to impede this preventable carnage?
See?
We terrorize ourselves in those domains where we are most viscerally triggered - "facts" be damned.
Faulty Risk Assessment And The Epidemic Spread Of Self-Terrorization
Toddlers Kill More Americans Than Terrorists. American Cops Kill Nine Times More Americans
Americans Are 9 Times More Likely To Be Killed By A Policeman Than A Terrorist
"More Americans Killed By Police Than By Terrorists Even Though Crime Is Down"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2014/03/more-americans-killed-by-police-than-by.htmlThere's Never Been A Safer Time For Cops Nor A More Dangerous Time For Criminals
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspo
Self-Terrorization, The National Pastime
"Saudi Support For Wahhabi Radicalism Is The Taproot Of Islamic Terror"
Self-Terrorization, The National Pastime
"Saudi Support For Wahhabi Radicalism Is The Taproot Of Islamic Terror"
The Weaponization Of Grief: Paris Terror And The Non-Contextualization Of News Coverage
Trump Will Go Full-Throttle Fascist Following The First Major Terror Attack.Putin Knows This
Trump Will Go Full-Throttle Fascist Following The First Major Terror Attack.
Putin Knows This
![Inline image 1]()
Trump's Most Egregious, In-Your-Face Fascist Declaration: "We're Going To Have To Do Things..."
Trump's Most Egregious, In-Your-Face Fascist Declaration: "We're Going To Have To Do Things..."
Juan Cole: Paris Terrorists Wanted To Embolden The French Right
Best Pax Posts: Self-Terrorization Is The National Pastime
Juan Cole: Paris Terrorists Wanted To Embolden The French Right
Best Pax Posts: Self-Terrorization Is The National Pastime
In America, Big-Time Terrorism Started With Angry, White Prototypal Tea Bag, Timothy Veigh
"Terror And The Other Religions"
How Do Christians Rank As Terrorists
Juan Cole
Properly Understood, The Iraq War Was An Ego-Driven Exercise In State-Sponsored Terrorism
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/11/we-are-not-at-war-with-islam-exchange.htmlTimothy McVeigh Joins Forces With 20th Century Championship White Christian Terrorists
Jenny McCarthy: Poster Girl For Self-Terrorization
http://paxonbothhouses.
Timothy McVeigh Joins Forces With 20th Century Championship White Christian Terrorists
Jenny McCarthy: Poster Girl For Self-Terrorization
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
"Do War's Really Defend America's Freedom?"
(Homage To Marine Commandant, Major General Smedley Butler)
Scare The Sheep And They Will Applaud Military-Industrial Profiteering
"Do War's Really Defend America's Freedom?"
(Homage To Marine Commandant, Major General Smedley Butler)
Scare The Sheep
And They Will Applaud Military-Industrial Profiteering
Republican Lawmaker From Nevada Sends Christmas Card Featuring Fully Armed Family
"Whom The Gods Would Destroy, They First Make Mad"
"Whom The Gods Would Destroy, They First Make Mad"
How The Urge To Punish Islamics For Being Islamic Promotes TerrorismNPR
I've Framed This Week's New Yorker Cover: It Epitomizes The Essence Of What We've Become
Intelligent Gun Control Or Uncontrolled Guns?
The Mistaken Concept That Reducing Cultures To Rubble Results In Peace
Punishment Rarely Reforms But Instead Tends To Reinforce Wrongdoing
Frog Hospital's Fred Owens Prompts Discussion Of Prohibition And Gun Control
Why No Terror Attacks On New Year's Eve?
Militia Seizes Federal Land: Why Is The White Media Not Calling This Terrorism?
"Readily Available Firearms Aid And Abet Terrorism"
Obama's Brilliant Press Conference On The Paris Terror Attacks And How We Should Respond
"Self-Terrorization Is The National Pastime"
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
Why No Terror Attacks On New Year's Eve?
Militia Seizes Federal Land: Why Is The White Media Not Calling This Terrorism?
"Readily Available Firearms Aid And Abet Terrorism"
Obama's Brilliant Press Conference On The Paris Terror Attacks And How We Should Respond
"Self-Terrorization Is The National Pastime"
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
http://paxonbothhouses.
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http://paxonbothhouses.
The Timeline Of European Terrorism: Who's Responsible For How Much Over Decades
I Am Not Given To Alarmism But I Cannot Conceive How To Control Drones As Tools Of Terror
I Am Not Given To Alarmism But I Cannot Conceive How To Control Drones As Tools Of Terror
Remember: If you're terrified, the terrorists won.
And you made their victory possible.
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An Open Letter From My Hometown Mayor And Town Board Stating Concern Over Trump "Et Al"
Hillsborough, North Carolina's Town Square
Located Two And A Half Blocks From My Home On West Margaret Lane
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough,_North_Carolina
Alan: Although I am unaware of any scientific study concerning America's "Most Enjoyable Towns And Cities," my casual examination of the "question" concludes that our most enjoyable urban environments are overwhelmingly liberal.
San Francisco, Berkeley, Sarasota, Ann Arbor, Santa Clara, San Rafael, White Plains, Charlottesville, Boston, Lexington, Louisville, Hunstville, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Tampa, Key West, Burbank, Gainsville, San Diego, Irvine, Sacramento, Palo Alto, Seattle, Santa Rosa, Tacoma, Flagstaff, Sedona, Ithaca, Boulder, Alexandria, Bethesda, College Park Santa Cruz, Redwood City, Cambridge, Amherst, Providence, Montawk, Portland, Madison, Rochester (MN), Burlington, Eugene, Bellevue (WA), Asheville, San Luis Obispo, Charleston, New Orleans, Richmond, Saint Petersburg, Naples, Venice, Venice Beach, Missoula, Boise, Redmond (WA), Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chapel Hill, Pittsburgh, Chattanooga, Sunnyvale, Redwood City, Scottsdale, Vancouver (WA), Takoma Park, Santa Fe, Austin, Nashville, Savannah
Here in North Carolina - where we have some of the most convivial towns in America - it is also true that many of the old cities and towns situated on the coastal plain (where large-scale, slavery-dependent plantations comprised the heart of antebellum society) are - to say the least - unwelcoming places and are particularly unwelcoming of people who "don't look like them."
An Open Letter to the Hillsborough CommunityJust over a week ago, America once again experienced the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another. We also experienced in our small town and worldwide an outpouring of people demonstrating in support of women, human rights and the environment and in opposition to the new administration. We have experienced a litany of executive orders, appointments, and announcements that portend unsettling changes in how government communicates and engages with the public. Through phone calls, emails, social media contacts and in person, we have heard from many of you expressing concerns about the national government’s commitment to fact-based policies and decision-making and, particularly, to protecting and serving persons of all backgrounds. We hear people wanting to know what these national developments will bode for us locally — how it might impact people of our community and the way we operate local town government. We believe it is important at this time to publicly assure people that we are steadfast in our dedication to the mission, goals, and ideals of the Hillsborough community. We are committed to being good stewards of public resources. We strive to make what we do in local government transparent, to make decisions based on facts and diverse perspectives, and to serve and include all parts of our community. We know we are not perfect, and we aim to admit, correct, and learn from our mistakes. We will promote respect and civility when faced with disagreement. Our aspiration is to serve as an example of what good local government — on behalf of the people — looks like in America. We must acknowledge that many issues of concern are far beyond the scope of town government and that our ability to influence the choices made at the highest levels of government is small. Nevertheless, we will take action in response to national events where we can. Let us highlight three items specifically. Environment— We are committed to environmental stewardship, to doing our part to ensure that our residents have access to clean water to drink, air to breathe, and open space to run and play in. We will protect our natural resources and send clean water to communities downstream from our own. We will do our part to mitigate the well-established risks and consequences of climate change. We will promote environmentally wise policies and practices in our operations and in town ordinances. We are committed to environmental justice, meaning that environmental risks and benefits, to our best ability, are not disproportionally borne or enjoyed by a particular group based on race or economic status. We will soon post a new town web page on environment and climate change, so that the Hillsborough community can more easily see and join in the effort. Policing— We are committed to community policing as a model for law enforcement, even if the Community Oriented Policing Services program (COPS) is eliminated by the new administration. Our police will continue to engage our residents in a way that serves for safety and justice for all, as guardians rather than warriors. We understand that both risk and power are inherent to any police force, and we will continue to enhance practices and policies that mutually protect the rights and safety of both residents and the people who serve in law enforcement. Because community policing relies on the people in a community trusting that police will look after their safety and well-being regardless of how they look, what they believe, or where they are from, we will continue outreach to build relationships with communities of color. We will continue to promote transparency and sharing of statistical information regarding the performance of our police department, and we will actively seek to mitigate inherent biases that might disproportionally impact particular social groups. Our police are here to serve and protect all who find themselves in Hillsborough. Inclusion— Finally, as leaders in this community, we will continue to use our voices to welcome everyone to our town, including those of diverse faiths, cultures, sexual preferences, gender identities, immigration statuses, and political persuasions; to speak up for those who are vulnerable or ignored or who have little means so they have access to both basic needs and justice; and to condemn actions of violence, intolerance, and fear – whether those acts be the firebombing of a building, the burning of rainbow flags, harassment or hate speech. We recognize that given current events, those who are Muslim, Latino, LGBTQ and African American or other people of color may feel particularly vulnerable, and we want you to hear from your leaders that you are welcome here. We recognize that our citizens include the entire range of political affiliations; and while we may be unlikely to reach consensus on everything, we are committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to be heard and to meaningfully participate in their local government. To all our residents of diverse cultures, faiths or religions, political persuasions, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and economic status, please know we are glad you are here and part of this community. Our vision for Hillsborough remains unchanged: a prosperous town, filled with vitality, fostering a strong sense of community, which celebrates its unique heritage and small-town character. In short, we commit to the best of our ability to work toward that vision in a way that exemplifies the longstanding American values of justice, liberty, and general welfare of the people — every day. Tom Stevens, mayor Kathleen Ferguson, mayor pro tem Mark Bell, commissioner Evelyn Lloyd, commissioner Brian Lowen, commissioner Jenn Weaver, commissioner |
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It Took Obama 936 Days To Reach Majority Disapproval Ratings. It Took Trump 8
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B. Maher: Liberals, We Lost Because We're Always Offended And Act Like Emasculated Husbands
Alan: In the passage above, Bill Maher describes the essential ruse that s-Trump-ets fail to acknowledge about the plutocrat they just made king.
Devious Donald is not a friend of "the forgotten white guy."
Hear this.
Donald cozies up to no one but himself - and the trophy wife he's currently buttering.
Bill Maher: Liberals, We Lost Because We're Offended All The Time And We Act Like Emasculated Husbands
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Article 2
Republicans Begin to Break With President Trump
Jan 29, 2017
For the first time in his presidency, Donald Trump is facing significant criticism from Republican officials and conservative groups who are rattled by his ban on immigrants and refugees from Muslim-majority nations, questioning his domestic policy agenda and worrying about what steps the New York billionaire might take next in the name of nationalism.
By Sunday evening, more than a dozen GOP members of Congress had spoken out against Trump’s executive order on immigration. Among them were an array of the party’s most influential figures. The top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, said the United States should not implement a religious test. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio said the plan to strengthen vetting of refugees was itself not vetted. And the political and policy groups led by Charles and David Koch offered their first public criticism of Trump, whose candidacy the billionaire brothers found so unpalatable they sat out the 2016 election.
The wave of criticism marks the end of a startlingly brief honeymoon period for a new President who has been in office for scarcely a week, and even set the White House on defense as it backtracked on the ban applying to green-card holders. And while much of the blowback was driven by Trump’s immigration orders, the controversial plans he has on the horizon suggest the rest of his term could be just as rocky.
RELATED
The emerging rifts come amid mass protests in cities around the U.S. against an executive order that would block millions of people from entering the United States. Legal permanent U.S. residents were detained at airports, refugees were trapped en route to the United States and judges from coast to coast stepped in to stop the unprecedented White House action. The chaos knocked the White House back on its heels and prompted Trump on Sunday night to release a defense of the policy.
“This is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House. “This is not about religion—this is about terror and keeping our country safe.”
The sentiment did little to calm skittish conservatives, who have already grown tired of the theatrics and hysterics. From removing the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Force from the National Security Council, to trolling news organizations on Twitter, the precedent-breaking new President was testing the patience of Republicans who had hoped he might change tactics and tone once he was in the Oval Office.
But there is no changing a 70-year-old billionaire. And by Sunday some of the party’s most influential figures had begun to break publicly with the Republican President. “We cannot be partisan. We can’t say, ‘OK, this is our party, right or wrong,’” Charles Koch said Sunday as he gave a pep talk to his deep-pocketed pals who plan to spend as much as $400 million heading toward the 2018 midterm elections. The network’s official position, taken Sunday with no caveats, was that Trump’s immigration ban was anathema.
During a later session at the Koch retreat near Palm Springs, Calif., the co-chairman of the policy and politics network told donors not to expect Trump to get a pass, especially if he goes after specific groups of people or adds red ink to government budgets.
“We have the courage to oppose bad policies that will only harm people’s lives, regardless of who proposes it,” Brian Hooks said. “Remember: A trillion-dollar government stimulus was a bad idea under Democrats. It’s a bad idea when a Republican proposes it.” Hooks, one of Charles Koch’s top aides, vowed that the Koch network would “hold all politicians accountable, regardless of political party.” Put another way: Stand with Trump at your own risk, lawmakers.
To be sure, the number of Republicans to publicly excoriate the new President is still relatively low. Silence reigned for most of the weekend as protests raged. And there were few signs that Trump was ready to bend in any meaningful way in the face of criticism. If anything, the criticism may only convince Trump to step up attacks on his opponents and the media. His first public comment on Sunday morning, after a day of striking protests, was a broadside at The New York Times.
Yet it is clear Trump will not have an unconditional coalition behind him. Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania called the move “ridiculous.” Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska said the order gives terrorists a win because they can claim the United States just equated all Muslims with jihadists. Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington said many immigrants are “having their lives needlessly disrupted.” Sen. Bob Corker, a finalist to be Trump’s Secretary of State, joined fellow Tennessean Sen. Lamar Alexander in calling for changes to this policy. All are Republicans and come from across the ideological spectrum.
At the same time, conservatives are building blockades on Trump-style fiscal policy. “I really don’t like it,” Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said of Trump’s border tax plan, which could add a 20% tax on good and materials imported from Mexico. (Companies are most likely to pass the cost along to American consumers.) Asked later about Trump’s moves to shut out immigrants from seven countries with Muslim majorities, Lee tried his best to dodge. “I wasn’t aware that I’d lose my First Amendment rights after walking out this door,” he said gamely as as he left reporters behind.
RELATED
Until now, the prospect of sweeping policy changes under unified Republican government had largely swept aside the tensions between Trump and members of his party. Trump rode a populist wave to victory, and many lawmakers are skittish about being the next target of a tweeted tirade. Some lawmakers are hoping Trump proves pliable on policy, or that he defers to Vice President Mike Pence or White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Still, there’s an unknowable risk of sitting on the sidelines and hoping things turn out just fine. It’s simply not what’s in the DNA of the outside groups who pushed the party to the right during the Obama administration.
Jason Pye, a spokesman for the conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks, said that there is plenty to like about Trump’s policy agenda, from his early push to gut Obamacare to his pledge to usher in sweeping regulatory reforms. But Pye said he was troubled by plans to shell out billions to build a border wall without corresponding spending cuts, invest up to $1 trillion in infrastructure and impose tariffs while doing little to tackle entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. It’s a far cry from the conservative mantra during the Obama years, when the GOP insisted on offsetting all new discretionary spending—including for emergency disaster relief and unemployment insurance for the needy—with reductions elsewhere. There was no mention of doing the same for Trump’s proposed border wall.
Republicans “spent the last eight years complaining about budget deficits,” Pye says. “It makes us look like hypocrites.” During the Bush administration, he added, “Congressional Republicans abandoned any sort of fiscal restraint they claimed to have. I’m worried that just because the man in the White House has an ‘R’ next to his name that we’re going to do it all over again.”
Other conservative groups echoed the sentiment. The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity wrote a letter to House Ways and Means chair Kevin Brady complaining that the GOP’s border-adjustment plan amounted to a “whopping tax hike.” Club for Growth spokesman Doug Sachtleben says the proposal is “really a bad idea.” The free-market group opposes some of Trump’s other trade ideas as well. “ We don’t think getting the country involved in the trade war is a good idea,” Sachtleben says. “The notion that you punch first with a tariff threat is just not good for the economy.”
But for now, disagreements on fiscal policy have taken a backseat to the backlash over the immigration ban. Even Trump’s allies struggled to excuse the hastily composed order. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, told reporters at the Koch summit that he appreciated Trump’s intentions to secure borders. But, he added, he had no idea what Trump was thinking when it came to residents who have green cards. “I don’t understand what they’re trying to do,” Chaffetz said.
The rupture in GOP unity, coming so soon after Trump took office on Jan. 20, portends bigger fights to come. Many of the big-ticket items on Trump’s domestic agenda are sure to ruffle feathers among budget hawks. Airports aren’t cheap to rebuild, and bridges, roads and tunnels aren’t free, either. The widespread protests against the immigration moves suggest Trump’s critics are energized, if not organized—and that not all Republicans will blindly have Trump’s back.
“This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country,” Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham said in a joint statement. “That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security.”
In typical fashion, Trump brushed them off as weak on immigration and “always looking to start World War III” in a tweet. He ordered the White House, too, to release a statement defending the President’s moves. Two of his top advisers convened a conference call late Sunday to further brief reporters and dispute coverage of the order as a ban on Muslims.
Yet there are signs that patience with the President is wearing thin. Breaking with Trump carries political risks. But some Republicans are beginning to believe that not doing so would be even riskier.
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Trump Named This Totally Unprepared White Supremacist, Anti-Semite, Wife Beater To The NSC
Stephen Kevin "Steve" Bannon
Wikipedia
Pax on both houses: Trump Nixes Chairman Of Joint Chiefs To Put Alt ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/01/trump-nixes-chairman-of-joint-chiefs-to.html
1 day ago - Chief White House Strategist Steve Bannon Admires The Dark Side ... The elevation reflects both Bannon's outsized role in the president's ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/01/trump-nixes-chairman-of-joint-chiefs-to.html
1 day ago - Chief White House Strategist Steve Bannon Admires The Dark Side ... The elevation reflects both Bannon's outsized role in the president's ...Pax on both houses: Trump Elevates Bannon, Sabotages Himself By ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/.../trump-elevates-bannon-sabotages-himself.ht...
1 day ago - Alan: All indications are that Steve Bannon is as sick and sleazy as he ... decisionPax on both houses: Alt Right Rejoices At Donald Trump's Steve ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2016/08/this-man-is-most-dangerous-political.html
Aug 18, 2016 - As Breitbart's chief, Steve Bannon did a lot to normalize the racist, anti-Semitic world of the alt right. Now they rejoice as he joins the campaign ...Pax on both houses: 7 Steve Bannon Quotes That Confirm He Loves ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2016/11/7-steve-bannon-quotes-that-confirm-he.html
Nov 16, 2016 - 7 Steve Bannon Quotes That Confirm He Loves To Dog-Whistle The Alt-Right. Image result for steve bannon quotes. 7 Steve Bannon Quotes ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2016/11/7-steve-bannon-quotes-that-confirm-he.html
Nov 16, 2016 - 7 Steve Bannon Quotes That Confirm He Loves To Dog-Whistle The Alt-Right. Image result for steve bannon quotes. 7 Steve Bannon Quotes ...Pax on both houses: "A Dangerously Isolated President," The New ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-dangerously-isolated-president-new.html
1 day ago - I encourage you to bone up on Bannon. He has Trump's ear, Trump's confidence and Trump's esteem. It is widely believed that Bannon is ...↧
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Alt-Right Mosque Killer Criticized Refugees and Supported President Trump Online
Alexandre Bissonnette Killed Six And Injured Nineteen, Two Of Them Critically
Quebec City Mosque Shooting Suspect Criticized Refugees and Supported President Trump Online
Jan 30, 2017
The suspect in the shooting at a Quebec City mosque was known as an internet troll who frequently voiced his support for President Donald Trump online.
Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, who is the suspect in the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec shooting that left 6 people dead and 19 others injured, was known among the city's activist circles for making Facebook comments in support of extreme right-wing and nationalistic views, the Globe and Mail reported on Monday.
Inspired by French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen, Bissonnette began clashing with others online by attacking refugees and writing of his support for Le Pen and Trump, according to the Globe.
Bissonnette on Monday was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder in the Sunday shooting, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an act of terror against Muslims.
François Deschamps, the leader of a local organization that works with refugees and immigrants said Bissonnette often trolled the group's Facebook page and also targeted feminist groups, according to La Presse.
"He was someone who made frequent extreme comments in social media denigrating refugees and feminism," he told the Globe and Mail. "It wasn't outright hate, rather part of this new nationalist conservative identity movement that is more intolerant than hateful."
Archives of Bissonnette's now-removed Facebook page show he "liked" Le Pen, Trump, the Israel Defense Forces and Richard Dawkins, among many interests.
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Syrian Immigrants Are Famously Successful Entrepreneurs: A Case Study From "Marketplace"
Alan: Immigrants are more entrepreneurial -- and, in my experience more industrious -- than native-born Americans.
11% of Syrian immigrants launch their own business in comparison to 4% of immigrants generally and 3% of native-born Americans.
In addition to my "birth tongue" I speak Spanish fluently and have long worked (and worshipped) with my local Hispanic community, many of whom establish thriving businesses on their own; others I have helped along the way.
Among my white friends, I have known far fewer native-born Americans who created their own businesses, with two notable exception: general contractors and tradespeople, whose businesses are disproportionately reliant on immigrant workers.
In my capacity as "Migrant Educator" for Orange County Schools in central North Carolina, I have been close to the states agricultural economy for 25 years. Without exception, old-school red-neck farmers tell the same story: were it not for latino laborers their farms would have gone belly up long ago.
If you read this preface and are inclined to "blow it off" as "fake news," please listen to the following 4 minute report from Kai Ryssdal's "Marketplace" radio program.
This Would-Be Dentist Embodies The Entrepreneurial Spirit Of Syrian Refugees
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Facebook "Facts" And Trump's Twitter Feed: A Thread On Friend Tarantino's Facebook Page
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