Christian persecution and hope

I spend 75% of my time, working in Erbil, in Kurdistan.  When I am there I worship at Mar Elia Catholic Church in the Christian area, called Ainkawa.   The story related here
http://tinyurl.com/qb257rn tells part of the story of what is happening.

Just before these refugees departed Erbil, I attended mass, given by Father Douglas.  He spoke movingly of his mixed emotions.  150 people would be moving from living in sea-containers and sharing basic sanitary facilities to better accommodation, in Slovakia.  He was pleased that the lives of these people would be dramatically improved and that Christian charity was being extended by the people of Slovakia.  However, he was also concerned at the continual eradication of Christians from Iraq, where they have worshipped for almost 2,000 years.  

Father Douglas was too polite to say it but the Muslim countries are fast becoming mono-theist lands.  Non-muslims are being eliminated - oftentimes, literally - from these countries.  Fortunately, Kurdistan's leaders are enlightened enough to appreciate the benefits that come from having non-muslims within the country.  This makes it ever more critical that Western governments provide military materiel to the Peshmerga, who are the only force on the ground, that daily confront the evil death-cult, Daesh. 

In the West there are many so called liberals who hog the media limelight and talk of the need to 'open our doors' to refugees.  Trouble is that what they get, is male Muslims.  Check out all of the TV footage and newspaper photographs, that you can.  Women and children are very sparse.  These invading hordes are overwhelmingly male an, judging by some media reports, exclusively Muslim.  Indeed, there have been repeated stories of Christian refugees being kept off of boats and transports, sometimes very forcibly so.        

Readers of previous blogs will know of my opposition to Europe taking-in refugees.  Broadly, my stance hasn't changed but I found myself, a couple of weeks ago, sitting in a church in Erbil with a priest giving me a different slant on the subject.  These 150 people are truly refugees  and not economic migrants and I certainly couldn't begrudge them the improvement that they will find in Slovakia, though I do wonder what is to become of the cradle of Christianity, when the last Christians are forced out, especially, when so much of the Christian European heartlands are being swamped by invaders, with an alien religion.

There are 2,000 Christian refugees who are still encamped in the grounds of Mar Elia church, in Erbil.  If you  were looking for a charity or cause  to support, this Christmas, I am sure Father Douglas would appreciate the help.  And so would those poor, suffering folk.  Please remember them all in your prayers, and also, the good people of Slovakia.

Banning Trump

I hesitate to put a number to it, since it is increasing so rapidly, but more than 400,000 people, in the UK, have petitioned the UK government to ban GOP hopeful Donald Trump, from visiting the UK.

The cause is said to be his statements that America should ban all Muslims from entering the country. It seems that many people find Trump's views as undemocratic, and unworthy of the American ideals of free speech etc.

So the solution is, to show the value that the British put on free speech by banning Donald Trump's right to free speech.  Funny old world!

I don't particularly like Donald Trump and find his brand of politics is just 'Mr Angry with a loud voice' but he has undoubtedly struck a chord with many Americans.  So far, with Trump, all we have really heard are sound bites, particularly around immigration and latterly concerning Daesh and Muslims.

You might think his views are obnoxious but he has the right to say them.

If British people want to petition the UK Government, why not do so in opposition to the UK Government allowing Islamic terrorists, who have fought for Daesh, in Syria and Iraq, back into the UK?  Why not petition the UK Government to ban the hate preacher Anjem Choudary?  Why not shut-down Finsbury Park mosque and some of the other radical mosques?  Why not ban the wearing of the burka?  These are subjects worthy of a petition.  Donald Trump's right to free speech, isn't.

My major concern with Trump is with his egotism and over-confidence in his own self-belief.  Trump is running as a candidate for the Republican nomination.  It is well known that he is very wealthy but I have a fear that he is anti-democratic.  The Donald, as he styles himself, doesn't do humble and doesn't think he has to listen to the people who he professes to want to serve.  If the Republican voters, in the various primary elections decide to reject Trump and plump for another candidate, it is my strong expectation that Trump will cry foul and then decide to run as an independent.  This would then make, the Democrat front-runner, the highly ethically-dodgy Hillary Clinton, a shoo-in for the Presidency.

The questions that I believe should be asked of Donald Trump are these:

If, following the Primary Elections, you do not have sufficient delegates to secure the Republican nomination, will you accept the result of the National Convention and publicly and privately endorse the chosen candidate?

Will you now state, that there are no circumstances, none (as in zero, nada, nil) under which you would run as an independent third party candidate and thus split the Republican vote.

If you get the chance, ask Mr Trump these questions, and keep asking them.

Part of Mr Trump's appeal is his supposed straight talking and his not being part of the Washington insider gang.  He is not one of 'them'.  Reading around the subject of Donald Trump, we do find though that he has, himself, flip-flopped on policy and political allegiance, in the past.  One would hope, that if he did answer on the record, the above questions, he would do so honestly and would then honour his responses.  That he wouldn't, like we usually find with Washington politicians, say one thing and do something different and then justify it with mealy-mouthed excuses.  Is Mr Trump up to the challenge?

As said earlier, there is far too little policy meat on the carcass to allow one to back Trump.  I am not an American voter, so couldn't vote for him nor would I if I had the chance.  Making America Great again, is a catchy slogan but how?  That is the question.  How will Trump tackle the ever ballooning deficit and debt that has been run-up by the Obama administration and the Congress?  The American National Debt has doubled, under Obama, to $17 trillion!  I was going to write that out with 17 followed by a series of 000s but I am not entirely sure I know how many or if they would all fit on one line!

America's biggest problems are on the domestic scene.

America's economy is, in my view, stuttering.  The jobless figures are flattered by people leaving the jobs market, altogether - people taking early retirement, because they see no prospect of getting a job, young women taking the career break now, to have children because they see no prospect of a job, etc., etc..  It is going to take much more than building a wall across the southern frontier to get America's economy moving.  It has been bloated by fake money - Quantitative Easing, to you and I - for far too long.  Interest rates are far too low, though if now raised, would likely lead to other pain for ordinary Americans.  These ordinary Americans have taken their cue from the US government (successive ones of both hues) and keep on kicking the debt can, down the road.  If Americans want to understand why they are losing jobs overseas  and power and prestige on the World's stage it is because the once mighty US Dollar has become and continues to become devalued and weak.  That weakness is currently hidden within an overall weak global picture, but it is there!

The Obama administration has been obsessed with changing America.  Pushing ever more changes to the definition of marriage, to the education of future generations and a whole other raft of politically liberal, minority issues, which pull apart the weave in the tapestry that made America what it is.

Making America great again - on the international front - wouldn't be too difficult.  It would require just about a 180 degree shift in policy but that shouldn't be above an incoming President.  It would require recognition that international terrorism is the greatest threat to America (and the World).  It would require that radical Islam is identified as the founding father of international terrorism.  No radical Islam would largely mean an end to international terrorism.  It would require that the new administration recognise it has sorely tested the patience and allegiance of its allies.  In the Middle East, America should be backing Israel, should be actively against Iran and Saudi Arabia, should rein in and make clear its opposition to the potentially genocidal Erdogan of Turkey.

Militarily, America should be prepared to intervene, and that has to mean 'boots on the ground'.  Failed states like Libya and Syria need a global policeman to come in and 'bang a few heads together'  and to restore a semblance of order.  Maybe such countries aren't ready or right for democracy, maybe a strong man, who is not anti-West is what is needed, rather than a focus on women's issues and climate change, when it comes to nation building.

We're just not hearing, from Donald Trump, what he would do!

So long as Texas Senator, Ted Cruz, has the funding to stay the course, he will be up against Donald Trump.  Cruz also isn't an 'establishment' candidate but he is consistent and consistently right on the issues that face America.  I suppose it is too much to ask that the also rans - Rubio, Bush, etc., depart the stage before Iowa and New Hampshire but they should do so, as soon as possible.  Republicans need to be united behind a candidate.  That candidate should be Ted Cruz!

 



     

Frack, baby frack

I have posted here before about Fracking and pointed people to the demolition of the lies and stunts,  performed by Josh Fox in his Gasland movie, in the documentary Fracknation.  Some might say that it is unfair to use facts to demolish fantasy but as a grown-up....

Anyway, today, the UK shows the ignorance of the 'debate' on fracking.

By all reliable accounts, Britain is sitting on top of an energy source which is cleaner than most and could provide a much needed economic boost to areas which are not enjoying the growth seen in other parts of the country.

So here's a challenge to Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.  If you really are in favour of fracking and in tapping into this subterranean bounty that nature has provided, then do something about it.

That something has to be to recognise the national interest is best served by developing these resources.  That means that planning approvals, for such developments, cannot be allowed to sit with local authorities but must sit with central government.  Local politicians are ever fearful of NIMBYs and such narrow-minded pressure groups.  Take the responsibility away from them.

That doesn't mean giving it to the Department of Environment and Climate Change.  In my view DECC should no longer exist.  This is a department that, when led by former Labour leader, Ed Miliband, pushed through legislation that directly causes 'fuel poverty' in the UK and leads every year, to the deaths of thousands of people, who simply can't afford the 'Green Taxes' imposed by energy companies.

Responsibility for planning applications, by energy exploration companies, should rest with the Treasury.  They are responsible for securing Britain's economic future, after all.

Wrapping up on fracking, the Treasury should also have responsibility for protecting those companies that are providing for Britain's economic future.  These drilling operations, once approved, cannot be disrupted by Green protestors who, in spite of all the real evidence pointing to the positive economic benefits of fracking and the overwhelmingly safe environment in which drilling and development operations are conducted, simply refuse to accept fracking.  These Greens are people that would have us back, literally, in the Dark Ages !

Developing our natural resources for the benefit of the British people, must proceed.

As previously disclosed, I work in the energy industry.