Getting quickly back on topic, here’s some more material from Michael Brendan Dougherty, a very fine, openly Catholic writer who bears watching for his frequent articles about foreign policy, politics, religion, popular culture and just about anything. Potentially a strong ally in the fight against militarism.
It’s Christmas Eve so I am going off topic a bit. You have probably heard the song before and even seen the video. But if you read Michael Brendan Dougherty’s heartfelt tribute to the Pogues’ classic you will never think about the song in the same way again. A very fitting message as we begin the “Year of Mercy.” Merry Christmas!
Gradually the truth about the enormity of the evil which the U.S. has unleashed upon the world is penetrating the consciousness of Americans. We need to have a national conversation about what has happened and perhaps the passage of time and the breathtaking collapse of American government illusions about the “success” of its Middle Eastern policies have given us an opportunity to reflect.
Here is an another example of the evidence which is mounting that our government leaders had numerous warnings about the dangers which they chose to ignore:
South Africa Told Bush, Blair That Iraq Had No WMDs
According to the author of a new book, in 2003 both South African President Mbeki and former President Nelson Mandela tried to warn Bush and Blair that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. The Guardian reports that
“He [Mbeki] warned that the wholesale removal of Saddam’s Ba’ath party could lead to a national resistance to the occupying coalition forces. But with huge military deployments already under way, Blair’s mind was clearly made up.”
And here’s the latest from Mike Flynn, former head of DIA. Flynn expresses regret in an interview over the invasion of Iraq. He describes U.S. policy and actions variously as a “mistake,” a “strategic failure,” a “huge error.” Flynn says that “History will not be and should not be kind with that decision.” A Catholic looking at the story without blinders on might well conclude that it was pure evil, not just a mistake, and that this evil U.S. policy led directly and inexorably to the rise of Islamic State.
Want to know where ISIS came from? Take some time and watch and read this report from the Guardian about what was happening in Iraq from 2004-2006.
“Petraeus and Steele would unleash this local force on the Sunni population as well as the insurgents and their supporters and anyone else who was unlucky enough to get in the way. It was classic counterinsurgency. It was also letting a lethal, sectarian genie out of the bottle. The consequences for Iraqi society would be catastrophic. At the height of the civil war two years later 3,000 bodies a month were turning up on the streets of Iraq — many of them innocent civilians of sectarian war.”
Is it possible for an entire nation to repent for its sins? We need to find out fast because that is the only possible chance for saving America. Being an optimist by nature, I think it can happen if Catholics lead the way. But the surest way to short circuit the process is to advocate a new American all out war and invasion to “degrade and destroy” ISIS. Do you think that might be what the “Father of Lies” has prescribed for the world at this time? The Army of the Head Choppers against the Army of the Baby Choppers. Be afraid, be very afraid! But pray all the time, be Catholic all the time, and never give in to despair.
From Jack Perry on the lewrockwell website. A dark and pessimistic view but something that we should all consider seriously.
“When will you look into the mirror, America? When will you see that our very government teaches this violence to our children? Children learn what they live. You raise children in a nation of constant warfare, those children will bring that violence home to your community one day. You want peace? Then you have to TEACH that. You have to LIVE that, you have to make that your walk. But you glorify violence and then you expect something otherwise to manifest?! How say you unto yourselves that you don’t know why this keeps happening?!”
So said Hillary Clinton (laughingly) when she heard of the brutal killing of Muammar Qaddafi.
Recently, two Catholic guys took on the “Queen of Chaos” who longs to be our next President.
Judge Andrew Napolitano asks how we can “entrust awesome power” to a “consistent public liar.”
Michael Brendan Dougherty explains why Republican critics can’t effectively attack Clinton (hint: they are complicit).
The Military slavers will come for your wives, girlfriends, daughters and granddaughters if and when they feel it is necessary. And since the U.S. is now in a state of permanent, low level war, which can escalate at any time into a major conflagration, it can happen sooner than you think. Here’s the link:
“Violations can be considered felonies.”
Hey guys, are we Catholics or are we cowards? When are we gonna get our act together and organize some resistance to the violent, pagan Evil Empire which threatens everything we hold sacred? It has been done before and can happen again.
Abu Omar al-Shishani
The U.S. paved the way for the rise of ISIS and the destruction of Christianity in the Middle East by its multiple interventions and especially the 2003 Iraq invasion. And now the evidence is building that the current situation was considered desirable by some. Here is a link to an excellent article from Brad Hoff at the Levant Report. (I find their work very informative and compelling).
But of course, the Middle East is not the only place that the U.S. intervenes. In 2006, American special forces were training Georgian troops who later got into a short but disastrous little war with Putin’s Russia ( a precursor to the more serious Ukrainian crisis ) and included among their trainees was the man who went on to become “Omar the Chechen.”
Another story by Brad Hoff details the rise of Abu Omar to be one of the top ISIS commanders.
In effect U.S. policy was ironically successful in killing two birds with one stone. Provoking the Russians on the one hand and training one of the most formidable terrorist leaders of ISIS on the other. Are the people who do this profoundly stupid or are they profoundly evil? Living in a city that has twice been involved in terrorist attacks which were clear incidents of “blowback,” I’d like to know the answer to that question.
Now President Putin and the Russians have apparently had enough and are beginning to push back. Regardess of what one thinks of Mr. Putin, what he said recently at the United Nations is a scathing and thoughtful critique of US policy.
Here is an excerpt from Putin’s speech:
“In fact, the Islamic State itself did not come out of nowhere. It was initially developed as a weapon against undesirable secular regimes. Having established control over parts of Syria and Iraq, Islamic State now aggressively expands into other regions. It seeks dominance in the Muslim world and beyond. Their plans go further.
The situation is extremely dangerous. In these circumstances, it is hypocritical and irresponsible to make declarations about the threat of terrorism and at the same time turn a blind eye to the channels used to finance and support terrorists, including revenues from drug trafficking, the illegal oil trade and the arms trade.
It is equally irresponsible to manipulate extremist groups and use them to achieve your political goals, hoping that later you’ll find a way to get rid of them or somehow eliminate them.
I’d like to tell those who engage in this: Gentlemen, the people you are dealing with are cruel but they are not dumb. They are as smart as you are. So, it’s a big question: who’s playing who here?” [my emphasis]
What should Catholics say or do about this catastrophic situation? Come home America, come home.
If you live in the Boston area, here is your chance to get involved with Catholics Against Militarism. Below is a copy of the email I sent out recently advertising our new Meetup group. I ask anyone who visits our website to think about friends or family they have in eastern Massachusetts who might be interested and inform these folks about our efforts. Thanks.
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Dear Friends,
Please check out our new meetup and join us if you want to help fight American militarism and its influence in the Catholic Church. We’ll try to meet face to face on a regular basis for discussions and brainstorming, and hopefully we’ll eventually be able to organize forums, debates, teach-ins, etc. to get out the anti-militarism message and build Catholic solidarity in the Boston area.
http://www.meetup.com/Boston-Catholics-Against-Militarism/
To give you an idea of what we are about here is a link to my latest blog post:
And here are a couple of recent articles that are very topical.
Do Heroes Go to Heaven? by my co-blogger Cammy who is one of the founders of CAM.
An Invitation to All Catholic Killers
Contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.
Quote of the week:
“America is the seat of power for the modern-day Roman Empire. What happens in the U.S. happens all over the world. It is our entertainment media, our language, our philosophy, our news, our culture, our cultural suicide that has been transplanted all over the globe.” — Michael Voris on The Vortex.
Doug Fuda
Roslindale, MA
Sure, why not? Not only does the military now allow “women in combat” but new moms can now have 18 weeks of paid maternity leave before they are shipped off to be blown to pieces by IEDs in Afghanistan or elsewhere.
“Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said establishing more liberal leave was intended to help recruit and retain more women in the two services, but was also a way of thanking them for their service.”
The Republicans are the Party of War, and they pretend to be against abortion.
The Democrats are the Party of Abortion, and they pretend to be against war.
On the Republicans, see my previous post of Ron Paul’s article and this blog item by Laurence Vance at lewrockwell.com.
from The GOP Has Blood on Its Hands:
“The Republicans had complete control of the White House and the Congress for over four years when Bush was the president. Why did the Republicans fund Planned Parenthood during this time? And why did conservatives not criticize them then for doing so? The GOP has blood on its hands.”
On the Democrats, see this great article by Glenn Greenwald.
from To Defend Iran Deal, Obama Boasts That He’s Bombed Seven Countries:
“Beyond accurately describing Iran Deal opponents, Obama also accurately described himself and his own record of militarism. To defend against charges that he Loves the Terrorists, he boasted:
‘As commander-in-chief, I have not shied away from using force when necessary. I have ordered tens of thousands of young Americans into combat. . . .
I’ve ordered military action in seven countries.'”
Catholics need to develop a new form of protest and resistance not based on trying to change the Federal government by voting.