In the modern world, our pagan states are at war with their own peoples. Sometimes an enemy country harms us, but it seems that people all over the world can depend on their own country to be constantly at war with them. But what else can you expect from godless states? The answer is not a futile resistance but to re-Christianize one’s country. Until then, a godless state will only do evil. —R.J. Rushdoony<>
Did Rand Paul Lose the Internet Libertarians?
Robert Wenzel elaborates on Rand’s rather strange endorsement of Romney on the Hannity Show:
By far, I think the most damaging thing Rand Paul did last week was attempt to link the Mitt Romney views on the Fed as being the same as those of his father.
In second place, I don’t put Rand’s endorsement of Romney (I put that in third place). In second place, I put these words said by Rand during the same Sean Hannity Show where he endorsed Romney:
My dad has a legion of young followers who are on the internet, and they think they rule the internet. Maybe they do and maybe they don’t.
Perhaps he was just talking out loud about his calculations as to how damaging his endorsement of Romney will be to him among internet followers of his father. But there also seems to be a cockiness to his words. It’s as if he has made the calculation and dismissed the internet followers of his father. He sounds as though he has calculated his internet support is stronger (or will be) than that of principled libertarians on the internet. He’s almost taunting the internet libertarians who follow his father.Even Business Insider gets how dangerous a move this is:
Hindsight may show that these remarks underscored some serious political hubris. Rand Paul’s political clout depends, in part, on his ability to rally these grassroots internet activists, and get them to make noise and moneybombs.
Does Rand have an internet following that is larger than his father’s?At this point, I don’t think so. The only way he could grow such, as far as I can see, is through more sellouts, perhaps to the warmongering evangelicals. Is that Rand’s plan, to diss his father’s base and carefully choose what libertarian principles he will sell out?It’s one thing to build coalitions on top of a libertarian base, but Rand’s comment suggests that this is not his plan. It sure sounds like he is throwing the followers of his father overboard, in a grab for power via sellout.
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The Leftist Rich Hates the Rich
Have you ever noticed how almost all the leftist politicians who hate and want to punish the rich with draconian tax increases…are filthy rich themselves? Confusing, isn’t it?
Actually, once you know the truth it’s really quite easy to understand.
Take France’s new Socialist President Francois Hollande. He never stops talking about his dislike and disgust for the rich. He is almost more obsessed with hate for the rich than Obama is. Yet it turns out Hollande is…drumroll please…filthy rich himself.
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Is al-Qaeda a Threat to America?
Charles Pena writes decisively that it was not and is not. He concludes:
Not only is al-Qaeda not a threat to the United States in Afghanistan, but it’s not much of a threat to the United States period. Bin Laden’s desire to assassinate President Obama because “killing him automatically makes Biden take over the presidency. … Biden is totally unprepared for that post, which will led the U.S. into a crisis” seems more like wishful thinking with a hint of desperation.
Moreover, bin Laden was concerned about all the various al-Qaeda offshoots (under the umbrella of the al-Qaeda name, but not under bin Laden’s direct control) because they were killing Muslims in Muslim countries and not focusing on America. He worried that “it would lead us to winning several battles while losing the war at the end.” In other words, to the extent that al-Qaeda was (or is) a threat, it’s more of a local threat to Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq than a global threat to America. More than 10 years after 9/11, how ironic is that?
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Ron Paul Wins Louisiana Despite Aggression
McDurmon summarizes:
Examiner.com reports a statement released by the Paul campaign after its supporters overcame further attempts at cheating by the GOP establishment, then physical assaults, and won most of the delegates anyway:
“The Ron Paul campaign condemns the unfortunate activities that took place at the Louisiana Republican State Convention in Shreveport.
“However, we also wish to highlight and applaud the fact that the convention ended on a high note reflective of the cooperation all Republicans wish to see toward the mutual aim of defeating President Obama in the November general election.
“The unnecessary conflict, and positive conclusion as we understand it, transpired as follows.
“LAGOP officials ignored the vast majority of duly elected delegates and attempted to use illegally adopted rules to deny Ron Paul supporters an opportunity to attend the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Louisiana has 46 delegates. Five were pledged to Mitt Romney based on the March 23rd primary result and Rick Santorum received 10, meaning most delegates were contestable at the state convention.
“Delegates to the state convention were chosen at caucus meetings on April 28th. Ron Paul slates won four of six congressional district contests. Of the approximately 180 delegates attending the state convention, 113 voted to remove the LAGOP chairman when he failed to respond to requests for information and other motions from delegates. Nearly two-thirds of the delegates began physically moving their chairs, literally turning their back on the GOP chair appointed by the party hierarchy.
“In another instance, State Central Committeeman and Ron Paul supporter Henry Herford Jr. of Franklin Parrish was attacked by some security officials who didn’t realize that the body had voted out the previous chairman. Mr. Herford has a prosthetic hip and according to a doctor at the scene it appears as though the prosthetic was dislocated and may require replacement. The injury occurred as he was beginning to call to order the newly re-formed convention.
“In yet another instance, Ron Paul supporter Alex Helwig, Chairman of the Rules Committee who made the motion to remove the chair, was arrested by Shreveport police and released. During his brief detainment, some of his fingers were broken and when he returned to the event he was walking with aid of a cane.
“By 10:50 a.m. today, the newly formed convention completed its work. Newly-elected national delegates met with the Romney campaign’s Louisiana Chairman, Scott Sewell, who graciously said ‘that he supported the effort and would do everything he could to make sure the delegation was seated’ in Tampa.
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N.T. Wright and a Theology of Evil
WL: So the problem of evil that you talked about, the problem of evil in the world, in aligning one’s self with Jesus, you’re saying that perhaps the way that some of the systems are confronting evil in the world may not be really a kingdom methodology, for instance Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Middle East?
N.T. WRIGHT: It’s hard to speak simply about these things because they are very complex issues and as with personal problems so with international global problems it takes a while to get into the depth of such a problem and it’ll take at least as long to get out the other side. You know when you’re counseling somebody that’s often the first thing you say that “You’ve come to me now, but you’ve actually been digging yourself into this hole for two or three years and it may well take two or three years to get you out.”
There’s no one with an instant magic wand. Having said that yes the Western world has gone about the way it’s done Middle East politics by the classic methods that the Roman Empire employed. We have superior firepower. We have heavier artillery than you. Therefore we’re just going to impose our will on you and that will be that. And we have learned nothing either from history or from the gospel that that isn’t the way that real change happens in human beings or in societies. That merely breeds resentment and fresh waves of stories being told of martyrs, which then sustain the next generation of terrorists.
And we have created in the last ten years far more terrorists in the Middle East than there ever were before. And there were a lot of people who warned ten years ago that that would be what would happen if we did what we were planning to do. And we’ve done it and it has happened. And we just seem to have learned nothing. And you know, okay, the empires of the world do what they do, but if a nation says explicitly or implicitly that actually the way of Jesus is the way we should go, then there have to be radically different ways of going about stuff.<>
Unwed Mothers and Dan Quayle
Gary North’s new website seems promising.
Here he elaborates on how prophetic Quayle was in his infamous remarks:
The Post article praises marriage as a commitment. Cohabitation is not. Marriage has vows: shared responsibility. Second, marriage is good for children. They do better in school. They have lower rates of suicide. Third, marriage brings economic benefits. There are usually two breadwinners, or one well-paid one.
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Pat Buchanan on the rise of the war-party via Bill Kristol writes:
Now the neocons are worming their way into the Romney camp, dropping us hints on whether John Bolton or Joe Lieberman will be the next secretary of state.
Has Gov. Romney imbibed the Kristol Kool-Aid that caused the war and cost the party Congress in 2006 and the presidency in 2008?
Hard to believe, but we should find out before November.
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Buchanan’s “Suicide of a Superpower”
Buchanan’s not happy. And his latest book reveals it right from the start. Here is a stunning sample of this unfortunate reality:
The European and Christian core of our country is shrinking. Thebirthrate of our native born has been below replacement level for decades. By 2020, deaths among white Americans will exceed births, while mass immigration is altering forever the face of America.
Kuyper’s Covenantal Theology
To know how Kuyper would apply his thinking to all areas of life (politics, economy, etc.) one must be familiar with his theology. In particular, one must know that Kuyper had a very distinct Trinitarian theology. According to Ralph Smith, Kuyper’s “trinitarian covenant is the true prototype of every covenant.” Therefore, to understand Kuyper demands a prior knowledge of Trinitarian covenantal theology.
