A US-Israel Strike against Iran Coming Soon?
Israel 365 News wrote on November 12:
“It’s no secret that tensions between Washington and Teheran have been tense since Trump’s inauguration in 2016, recent developments indicate that a potential joint Israel/US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities could be closer than we realize.
“US President Donald Trump has fired his defense secretary, Mark Esper earlier this week. And while many speculate that the reason is because Esper was at odds with his boss over deploying US troops into cities during violent Black Lives Matter protests, there could have been another reason for the move that many seem to be overlooking… Esper also contradicted Trump on Iran and the assassination of top IRGC general Quassem Soliemani – walking back some of the Commander in Chief’s statements. But that’s not all.
“The New York Times reported that ‘Defense Department officials have privately expressed worries that the president might initiate operations, whether overt or secret, against Iran or other adversaries during his last days in office.’
“Trump then appointed Esper’s replacement, Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Officials claim that Miller was a driving force in some of Trump’s policies against Iran and its terror proxy, Hezbollah. He was also a catalyst for anti-terror efforts in both Syria and Iraq. And although those officials remain anonymous, former National Security Advisor H.R McMaster went on the record saying that ‘it’s a possibility’ Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear sites before Trump leaves office.’
“Finally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has planned an upcoming visit to Israel where he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ‘joint efforts to address Iran’s malign activities.’ According to Israel’s Walla military reporter Avi Bohbot: ‘Pompeo’s visit appears to be a last ditch effort to move against Iran’ adding that IDF sources report that the Israeli Military’s commander in Chief Aviv Kochavi is ‘extremely concerned’ about the prospect of a Biden administration. He is then scheduled to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed ‘to discuss security cooperation and regional issues.’ Pompeo is also set to visit Qatar where he will discuss ‘bilateral and regional issues, including the importance of Gulf unity.’
“And if there’s anything that the Gulf can unite around, it is their opposition to Iran as demonstrated in the annual Gulf Co-operation Council summit where GCC member states were in agreement that ‘the greatest threat to the region was Iran.’”
Whether this will really happen remains to be seen. According to the New York Times, Trump had raised the issue to his advisors who allegedly dissuaded him from attacking Iran. However, it has been reported that Israel and the USA have worked together to secretly kill in Iran the No. 2 terrorist of al Qaida, Aby Muhammad al-Masri. He was accused of being one of the masterminds of the deadly 1998 attacks on American embassies in Africa. At this point, no one — Iran, Al Qaeda, the U.S. or Israel — has publicly acknowledged the killing, but intelligence officials confirmed that he was killed, according to the New York Times which also stated: “The attack was carried out by Israeli operatives at the behest of the United States, according to four of the officials…”
Trump also announced that he will reduce US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Deutsche Welle commented on November 18: “Donald Trump’s plan to reduce US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 each by mid-January is a slap in the face of US allies and strengthens extremism.”
Trump—the Anomaly for Israel
The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 12:
“Israelis have forgotten what a non-Trump president looks like. Whether it was Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama, every president opposed settlement activity and actively pushed for a two-state solution.
“Some focused on it more, others less… The point is that opposition to settlements has always been US policy. The change came with Trump, the most unconventional of presidents, who took an alternative position on a complicated conflict. He was the anomaly, not the new normal.”
Assumption there is a Second Term
Politico wrote on November 13:
“White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Friday that the Trump administration is operating as if it will extend into a second term… ‘We are moving forward here at the White House under the assumption there will be a second Trump term,’ Navarro said on Fox Business, echoing a refrain from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the president’s most steadfast allies…
“The president has refused to concede to Biden and his administration has rejected any appearance of assisting with the transfer of power while Trump’s campaign pursues a portfolio of legal challenges in a last-ditch attempt to save the president’s reelection. ‘Until we do that, our assumption is a second Trump term,’ Navarro said. ‘Any speculation about what Joe Biden might do, I think, is moot at this point.’”
Trump Did NOT Concede
The Hill wrote on November 15:
“President Trump seemingly acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in a tweet early Sunday while continuing to [speak] about a rigged presidential election. ‘He won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more!’ Trump tweeted in response to a clip from Fox News’s Jesse Watters.
“‘All of the mechanical “glitches” that took place on Election Night were really THEM getting caught trying to steal votes. They succeeded plenty, however, without getting caught,’ the president said in a subsequent tweet. ‘Mail-in elections are a sick joke!’ Trump said in a tweet later Sunday morning, however, that his earlier post was not meant as a concession. ‘He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING!’ the president said. ‘We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!’”
Among many other publications within the mass media, the UK’s Independent also falsely reported on November 15 that Trump “admits for the first time that Biden won the election.” So did the Daily Mail: “Trump Admits Defeat.” The left-leaning anti-Trump Drudge Report also wrote falsely: “Trump finally admits: Biden ‘won.’”
Wishful thinking by the anti-Trump mass media.
“I Won the Election”
Newsmax wrote on November 16:
“President Donald Trump late Sunday night declared on Twitter, in a four-word, all caps tweet, that he ‘WON THE ELECTION.’ The message came after a day of speculation that he’d admitted Joe Biden had won the presidential election in a message posted earlier in the day…
“Sunday night Trump also posted messages attacking the ‘fake news media’ for saying Biden will ‘ascend to the Presidency’ by not allowing his campaign to show ‘how badly shattered and violated our great Constitution has been in the 2020 Election.’ He also claimed, in posts flagged by Twitter, that large numbers of poll watchers were thrown out of vote counting rooms, ‘millions of ballots’ were altered by Democrats, and that votes were allowed after the election was over. Also, he tweeted that the ‘Radical Left owned Dominion Voting Systems, turned down by Texas and many others because it was not good or secure’ had helped throw the election Biden’s way. ‘Those responsible for the safeguarding of our Constitution cannot allow the Fake results of the 2020 Mail-In Election to stand,’ said Trump. ‘The World is watching!’…
“Newsmax has not called the election for Biden, citing the numerous legal complaints mounted by the Trump campaign.”
“The Greatest Theft in American History”
Newsmax added on November 15:
“President Donald Trump appears to be nowhere close to conceding the presidential election to former Vice President Joe Biden… In a story published Saturday night, Trump told [New York] Post columnist Michael Goodwin that the election ‘was stolen.’ ‘It was a rigged election, 100 percent, and everyone knows it,’ Trump said in the Friday night interview. ‘It’s going to be that I got about 74 million votes, and I lost? It’s not possible.’…
“Goodwin writes that Trump seems convinced that Biden’s victory was corruptly engineered by Dominion Voting Systems, a technology used by most states, including Michigan and Georgia. Trump repeatedly cited Dominion, according to Goodwin. ‘It was turned down by the state of Texas because it is insecure,’ Trump told Gooodwin. Trump also repeated allegations that the company’s owners and investors have ties to Democrats. Goodwin reports that ‘it is true the firm made a contribution and worked with the Clinton Family Foundation during the Obama-Biden administration.’
“The Associated Press also reported that a former top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the company’s lobbyists. The firm also employs a lobbyist who worked for Republicans Dick Cheney and John Boehner.
“Trump, according to Goodwin, views the suspicious election results as ‘the concluding act of a confederacy against him that began with the Obama-Biden administration’s corrupting of the FBI and CIA to spy on him in 2016 and tip the election to Hillary Clinton. That effort gave birth to the Russia, Russia, Russia narrative that wasn’t fully revealed as false until the probe of Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally concluded in 2019.’… ‘Then this, the greatest theft in the history of America. And everybody knows it,’ Trump told Goodwin.”
More than half of Republicans believe that the election was “rigged” against Trump.
The Week wrote on November 18:
“President Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening that he has fired Christopher Krebs, the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who [had denied] voter fraud… In his tweet about Krebs, Trump claimed that it was ‘inaccurate’ for Krebs to say the election was secure, and ‘therefore, effective immediately,’ Krebs has been terminated.”
In fact, Krebs or those speaking on his behalf even said that the vote was “the most secure in US history.” As many reports show, this allegation is laughable and totally wrong. So, Krebs’s termination should not surprise anyone.
Trump’s Legal Strategy?
Newsmax wrote on November 14:
“The legal battle for President Donald Trump is no longer about him reaching 270 electoral college votes, but denying Joe Biden from reaching it, according to legal expert Alan Dershowitz on Newsmax TV… ‘What he’s trying to do is to deny Joe Biden 270 votes, by challenging in Pennsylvania, Georgia, in Nevada, in Michigan, in Arizona.’ Keeping Biden from 270 would put the election on the House delegations – a state-by-state majority held by Republicans 26-23-1 – as designated by the U.S. Constitution. ‘If he can keep the Biden count below 270, then the matter goes to the House of Representatives, where of course there is a Republican majority among the delegations of states, and you vote by state if it goes to the House,’ Dershowitz told host Carl Higbie…
“You need a perfect storm for it to work. You need to get enough states, enough state attorneys general, or state departments, or whoever, secretaries of state or governors that are Republican that legitimately refuse to certify the results because they’re under challenge on the day the electoral college meets by statute. ‘If on that day, Biden doesn’t have 270 votes – you don’t get to vote two or three times on that; as far as the Constitution’s concerned, it’s one vote – and if the one vote doesn’t give the leading candidate 270 electoral votes, then automatically it goes to the House of Representatives, where a whole new process takes over, and a process that clearly favors President Trump.’”
Dershowitz has been wrong before on numerous occasions. We will see…
Massive Planned Centralized Election Fraud?
Breitbart reported on November 19:
“Rudy Giuliani and other lawyers representing President Donald Trump’s campaign outlined their case Thursday that the Nov. 3 presidential election was so deeply flawed in several key states that the results should be overturned in the president’s favor.
“Giuliani said there was a pattern to the alleged irregularities in key states that suggested, he said, a ‘plan from a centralized place’ to commit voter fraud in cities controlled by Democrats. He said widespread adoption of vote-by-mail had allowed Democrats to take big-city corruption practices nationwide. ‘They picked the places where they could get away with it.’…
“Voting machines and software are allegedly owned by companies with ties to the Venezuelan regime and to left-wing donor George Soros. Sidney Powell argued that U.S. votes were being counted overseas, and that Dominion voting machines and Smartmatic software were controlled by foreign interests, manipulating algorithms to change the results. Powell noted specifically that Smartmatic’s owners included two Venezuelan nationals, whom she alleged had ties to the regime of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. The legal team alleged that there were statistical anomalies, such as huge batches of votes for Biden, that could not be explained except as manipulation — which, they alleged, happened in the wee hours of the morning as vote-counting had stalled.”
It will be interesting to see whether Giuliani and his legal team can prove those outrageous allegations in a court of law.
Judge Jeanine Pirro: Not Going Quietly into the Night
The Daily Mail wrote on November 16:
“Judge Jeanine Pirro launched an attack on Democrats and others who are telling President Donald Trump and his supporters to accept that he lost the election… at the top of her Fox News show on Saturday night… The host… insisted Trump has no obligation to concede until they are investigated fully.
“‘We’ll pursue all legal avenues where there are irregularities, anomalies, illegalities and corruptions, and until the certification and the electors vote, that is not a lot to ask,’ she said of herself and other Trump supporters. ‘So don’t you dare ask us to just accept it and move on, and don’t you dare tell me I’m being un-American by questioning what even a Supreme Court justice has put a hold on. ‘And don’t you dare ask us to go quietly into the night.’
“Pirro pointed out that it is not up to the media to declare the winner of the election… She also questioned the true motivations behind changes made to this year’s election procedures in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as Trump has done. ‘We are criticized because we are asking questions,’ she said. ‘Under the cover of Covid, rules were changed, providing opportunities for wrongdoers…
“Pirro listed off several allegations of voter fraud pushed by the Trump campaign in lawsuits across various states, such as GOP poll watchers being barred from counting centers, ballots being accepted late and corruption of machines that tally votes… Pirro insisted that they must be probed extensively.”
Fox News’ conduct and position has been more than dubious. Newsmax had reported that Fox News had suspended Pirro for a week and had cancelled her proposed show about election fraud.
It Has Begun–Violence Breaks out
Fox News reported on November 14:
“President Trump lashed out against ‘ANTIFA SCUM’ and the media Saturday night as violence continued in Washington, D.C., where pro-Trump supporters gathered for the ‘Million MAGA March.’ In a series of Twitter messages before midnight ET, the president also blasted counter-protesters as ‘Human Radical Left garbage’… Trump accused Antifa activists of returning under cover of darkness to cause mayhem…
“Trump also accused the ‘Silent Media’ of ignoring the Washington clashes, retweeting a message from Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, who alleged a ‘total media blackout’ as leftists launched ‘abhorrent’ assaults against Trump supporters… Earlier Saturday, the march was largely peaceful. But as the sun went down, snippets of scenes shared on Twitter showed chaos had overtaken areas of the nation’s capital…
“A National Park Service permit for the rally was issued for up to 10,000 people, although several thousand more appeared to show up.”
This is just a small foretaste of what is going to happen…
US Catholic Bishops under Attack over Biden/Harris Pro-Abortion Agenda
Breitbart wrote on November 14:
“National pro-life leaders from the American Life League (ALL) have denounced the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for congratulating abortion rights supporter Joe Biden, asserting the bishops are accepting of a so-called Catholic politician who is ‘spitting at the face of Christ.’ Judie Brown, the president of ALL, the nation’s oldest grassroots, Catholic pro-life organization, said in a statement this week: ‘The USCCB has affirmed what many of us have suspected for many years, and that is that most Catholic bishops have no problem with a Catholic politician spitting at the face of Christ by supporting the vile murder of the preborn. Joe Biden is such a man; he claims to be Catholic, yet he gives 100 percent support for abortion every day of the week and in every manner of brutality against the innocent. The Catholic bishops have erred, and as a Catholic, I am ashamed of them.’…
“Hugh Brown, ALL’s executive vice president said in the statement the election is still contested and ‘is not over.’ He added, nevertheless, Catholics should not be shocked that the bishops have congratulated Biden: ‘The reality of the USCCB issuing a statement of congratulations to Joe Biden should not be a surprise to anyone. The USCCB is a feckless spineless conglomerate of dead souls. They are not the descendants of the Apostles. They are what St. John Paul II referred to when he wrote of the Anti-Church. Every Catholic should shake the dust from his feet regarding the USCCB. Listen to them not. We must put our faith in Christ.’
“Jim Sedlak, ALL executive director and founder of its STOP Planned Parenthood… program, said in the statement the bishops’ message demonstrates the conference is a ‘political entity’: ‘In issuing its congratulations, the USCCB calls on Catholics to COMPROMISE with regards to the law and public policy. For Catholics, the law is the Law of God as expressed in the 10 Commandments. Which commandments should we compromise on? Perhaps God really didn’t mean ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ After all, Biden/Harris have spent all of 2020 telling us that, if elected, they would expand abortion in the United States. They also said they would restrict religious liberty. The clearest takeaway from the USCCB’s statement is the confirmation that they are now a political body issuing a politically correct statement.’
“Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, also tweeted his deep concerns about the USCCB statement of congratulations to Biden: ‘A dark cloud has descended on this nation when the USCCB and Planned Parenthood speak in unison in support of a Biden-Harris administration that supports the slaughter of innocents by abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.’”
The entire Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope and the Vatican, has always been a political organization, being identified as the fallen woman riding the beast in the Book of Revelation. The Catholic Church does not even purport to be loyal to the Ten Commandments… it has flagrantly abandoned the fourth commandment of keeping the sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) by replacing it with the worship of a pagan day—Sunday—which was kept by Gentiles to worship their pagan sun gods.
Racism against Whites in New York City
Daily Mail wrote on November 18:
“Journalist Megyn Kelly will pull her kids from their ‘far-left’ New York City school because they have ‘gone off the deep end’ following the death of George Floyd. Her sons Edward, 11, and Thatcher Bray, 7, attended the Collegiate School (inset) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where a letter was sent around to faculty that claimed ‘white school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops’. She said the letter asserted that white children are inherently racist, that ‘there is a killer cop sitting in every school where white children learn’ and that ‘white school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops.’ Kelly said the schools ‘have always been far-left’ but they’ve now ‘gone around the bend… I mean, they have gone off the deep end.’”
Travel Advisory for People Coming to California
KCRA reported on November 13:
“… the California Department of Public Health on Friday issued a travel advisory saying that people entering the state should self-quarantine for 14 days… ‘Persons arriving in California from other states or Californians returning from other states or countries could increase the risk of COVID-19 spread…’
“During the quarantine period, people should limit their interactions to their immediate household, according to the advisory, which applies to both visitors and Californians returning home… The advisory also encourages Californians to stay home or in their region and to avoid non-essential travel to other states or counties… [LA county even “advised” that residents don’t travel out of state for Thanksgiving and, if they do, that they quarantine for 14 days upon their return.]
“The governors of Oregon and Washington state on Friday also issued travel advisories that urge against non-essential, out-of-state travel and ask people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country…”
The Associated Press added on November 14:
“The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet… Oregon Gov. Kate Brown [Wikipedia: “the first openly bisexual governor in US history”] ordered a two-week ‘freeze’ starting Wednesday, under which all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home ‘to the greatest extent possible.’ While most Oregon stores will remain open, gyms, museums, pools, movie theaters and zoos will be forced to close, and restaurants and bars will be limited to takeout. Social gatherings will be restricted to six people. The Democratic governor warned that violators could face fines or arrest.”
MSN added on November 14:
“Violators could face up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,250, or both.”
At the same time, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on November 13 about California Governor Newsom’s hypocrisy, as follows:
“Gov. Gavin Newsom attended a birthday party for one of his political advisers last week that included people from several households, the type of gathering his administration has discouraged during the coronavirus pandemic. The dinner the night of Nov. 6 at the famed French Laundry in Yountville in Napa County brought together at least 12 people to celebrate the 50th birthday of Jason Kinney, a longtime friend and political adviser to Newsom who is also a partner at the lobbying firm Axiom Advisors. In addition to the governor, his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, was in attendance.
“State guidelines limit gatherings, defined as ‘social situations that bring together people from different households at the same time in a single space or place,’ to no more than three households. Representatives for Kinney and Newsom declined to specify how many households the diners represented, but did not dispute that it was more than three.”
Incredible! He seems to be following the lead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who has “defended holding a large dinner for incoming members as Democrat leaders across the country urge Americans to cancel their traditional Thanksgiving plans to combat the Chinese coronavirus” (Breitbart, dated November 13). Due to the enormous backlash from co-Democrats, the dinner was finally cancelled.
Fox News wrote on November 13:
“While President Trump and Republican lawmakers have long been criticized for appearing to not take the pandemic seriously by not practicing mask-wearing and social distancing at multiple large events, it’s been Democratic officials who have been slammed for urging others to be cautious but appear to scoff at their own advice. Earlier this year, Pelosi was caught maskless on a security camera at a hair salon in San Francisco, breaking state and city ordinances in the process. Pelosi remained defiant, however, insisting she was “set up” by the salon owner.”
Pelosi has been under attack from Democrats “of all persuasions,” being blamed for not having achieved a (bigger) victory in the House and the Senate, due to her compromising attitude toward the “Squad” and other radical socialists.
More Draconian Measures in the USA—amidst Newsom’s Hypocrisy
Breitbart wrote on November 19:
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a curfew Thursday that will run from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., starting Saturday, lasting for a month, in “purple tier” counties hardest hit by the coronavirus surge, covering 94% of the state’s population…. An ongoing surge in coronavirus cases has prompted several [Democratic-majority] U.S. governors to bring back draconian lockdown rules and tighten other restrictions, severely limiting where people can go, how they can worship, and whom they can see, all ahead of Thanksgiving and other holidays.”
Why is it always Democratic governors and mayors who are quick in restricting personal liberties and freedoms?
Also, as the LA Times reported on November 19:
“Anger over the perceived hypocrisy of California lawmakers continued to boil over Wednesday, as newly published pictures raised doubts about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claim that his French Laundry dinner was held outdoors… To add insult to injury, two top officials from the California Medical Assn. — a leading organization representing doctors in the state — were among those in attendance at the dinner…
“…All of which intensifies the anger over the decision made by more than half dozen a California lawmakers to attend an annual policy conference at a luxury Hawaiian resort this week… the names of more lawmakers attending a Maui junket surfaced. The opulence of both indiscretions — a nine-course dinner at a world-famous restaurant [with and several days at a Hawaiian resort where even the street-view rooms will set you back upward of $500 a night — certainly adds salt to the wound. Many Californians have been financially devastated by the pandemic, and the latest round of restrictions puts even more businesses and livelihoods in jeopardy.”
Fox News added on November 19:
“Among the Purple Tier counties are Napa, where the Democratic governor attended a friend’s birthday party earlier this month at the upscale French Laundry restaurant – even as coronavirus cases were spiking and as he preached daily to exercise increased caution. His administration didn’t acknowledge the birthday dinner until a week later when a reporter was tipped and asked about it… Last month, his office was widely ridiculed for tweeting: ‘Going out to eat with members of your household this weekend? Don’t forget to keep your mask on in between bites.’”
Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace added: “If you look up hypocrisy in the dictionary… there is a picture of Gavin Newsom.”
New Restrictions Coming, but… Lockdowns and Masks Don’t Work
Breitbart wrote on November 15:
“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) promised he would do ‘everything’ he could to ‘prevent’ a lockdown if former Vice President Joe Biden officially wins the presidency… Paul said the country cannot be under lockdown and be forced to wear masks like it has the majority of 2020 ‘forever.’ The physician-turned-senator said the idea of remaining inside and canceling Thanksgiving is ‘ridiculous’ and ‘not based in science.’
“‘Today, Biden’s talking more about a lockdown. This is absolutely why he’s going to be a terrible president if we get him,’ Paul warned. ‘He’s going to ruin the country. Lockdowns don’t work. And in fact, all of the evidence on mandatory masks show that they don’t work either. There’s about 10 different countries or venues, maybe 20, that instituted mandatory masks, and [in] every one of them — to a T — the infection rate, the COVID rate went up after the mask mandate…’”
Trump said last week that under his administration, there would be no lockdown. Dr. Fauci said on Sunday that even after someone is vaccinated, they should still continue to wear the mask and practice social distancing. Even though another company (US Firm Moderna) just announced their vaccine is 94.5% effective. And Pfizer declared, their vaccine is safe and 95% effective. Of course, we would not want to blindly accept such announcements. But what is Dr. Fauci up to?
In Germany, a draft for new regulations proposes:
“People being urged to abstain from private parties completely; Youngsters being encouraged to meet with only one particular friend in their free time; Families limiting private get-togethers to their own household and people from one other particular household; Meetings in public restricted to members of one household and a maximum of two people from another household; Masks that cover the mouth and nose are to become compulsory for teachers and pupils of all ages on school premises and during lessons” (see Deutsche Welle, November 16).
AFP/The Local reported on November 16:
“Germany may see four to five more months of coronavirus restrictions, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Sunday, dashing hopes of a quick end to a partial lockdown introduced two weeks ago… Several demonstrations against the restrictions were held on Saturday across Germany, including one in Frankfurt where water cannons were used against counter-demonstrators.”
This would be complete lunacy. Another example of lunacy: “Germany has applauded the country’s ‘heroes’ who stay at home, ‘lazy as raccoons.’ In the ad, the government encourages citizens to do what is expected: ‘Absolutely nothing.’” (Deutsche Welle, November 15).
Jens Spahn and Sebastian Kurz—the new Dictators
Bild Online reported on November 12 that the two most popular German politicians are Angela Merkel (74%) and Jens Spahn (65%). It also informed about the proposed new health law which would give Spahn unique powers so that he would become the “corona chancellor,” according to the mass tabloid. As sole ruler, he would be able to reign without consent by the different German state premiers or mayors.
Not surprisingly, Austria follows suit. As Der Spiegel reported on November 14, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced a total lockdown for Austria, generally prohibiting to leave one’s home, beginning on Tuesday, November 17, and lasting, for now, until December 6. He said: “Do not meet anyone for the next few weeks. Every social contact means, it’s one too many.” Only one important person outside one’s own household can be met with.
Dr. Fauci declared that it is time for Americans to “obey” and to set aside their “independent spirit.” The world’s “rulers” and “scientists” must all be talking to each other. More and more are speaking now of a “dark winter,” suggesting that new lockdowns will last much longer than just for one month.
More Powers to German Government to Abolish Liberty and Freedom
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 18 that the German Parliament approved a revision of the Infection Protection Law which was also signed by the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This law, which has been highly propagated by Jens Spahn, has been widely compared to the Enabling Act of 1933 and the signing of the law by German Reichspresident Paul von Hindenburg. That law paved the way for Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship. At the same time, Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Reichskanzler:
“… today’s Infection Protection Law does indeed transfer some legislative power from the parliament to the executive, the government… It will now create a legal basis for the government to restrict some fundamental rights enshrined in the German constitution in its attempt to fight the pandemic… In fact, a comparison to the Weimar Republic, Germany’s first democracy that lasted from 1919 to 1933, could be drawn… In 1923… Germany was facing a currency crisis, hyperinflation with severe economic and social repercussions. The Reichstag then passed an ‘Enabling Law,’ making it possible for the government to take financial, economic, and social measures it considered necessary… And ten years later, it became a precedent for the ‘Enabling Act’ the Nazis pushed through.
“… the movement against lockdown measures seems to be growing steadily. According to a survey by the Allensbach polling firm, the percentage of Germans critical of the government’s anti-coronavirus policies has risen from 15 to 28 % over the last three months.”
One must indeed be blind not to see the parallels between what is happening now in Germany and what occurred in Nazi Germany. According to Die Tagesschau, dated November 18, the new law temporarily supersedes the German Constitution and permits the government to “temporarily” restrict or abandon personal liberties and freedoms, including ordering the wearing of masks and practicing social distancing, travel restrictions, prohibitions to leave the home, contact limitations, closure of shops and businesses, prohibitions of assemblies and church services. These prohibitions and mandates can be unilaterally enacted by the government for four weeks, and can be extended if “reasons” are given to the parliament.
The Local wrote on November 18:
“In the parliament (Bundestag) 415 delegates voted on Wednesday in favour of the reform, which aims to give coronavirus measures a stronger legal footing. A full 236 voted against it, while eight abstained in the roll-call vote. During parallel protests, several thousand participants rallied against the change in the law as well as current coronavirus measures on Wednesday. There were clashes with police and more than 100 arrests…
“In the debate, federal Health Minister Jens Spahn defended the coronavirus restrictions and asked for further trust in government crisis management… The parliamentary director of the AfD faction, Bernd Baumann, said: ‘Today’s bill is an authorisation of the government, the likes of which has not been seen since historical times.’ Members of other parliamentary groups rejected the accusations. But the AfD was not the only parliamentary party that spoke against the reformed law, with members of the Free Democrats (FDP), Greens and Left Party also speaking out.”
The German government did not respond kindly to such comparisons. Breitbart wrote on November 18:
“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reacted sharply to the accusation from some protesters that the measures were akin to the 1933 ‘Enabling Act,’ which allowed the Nazis to enact laws without parliamentary approval. ‘Everyone, naturally, has the right to criticize the measures, our democracy thrives through the exchange of different opinions,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘But whoever relativizes or trivializes the Holocaust has learned nothing from our history.’”
It appears it is Maas who tries to relativize or trivialize troublesome developments in today’s Germany.
Religious Discrimination
The Associated Press wrote on November 13:
“Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sounded an alarm about restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying they shouldn’t become a ‘recurring feature after the pandemic has passed.’ ‘The pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty,’ Alito said… he said it is an ‘indisputable statement of fact’ that ‘we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020.’
“Alito was particularly critical of two cases earlier this year where the court sided with states that, citing the coronavirus pandemic, imposed restrictions on the size of religious gatherings. In both cases, the court divided 5-4 in allowing those restrictions to continue with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the court’s liberals. In May, the high court rejected an emergency appeal by a California church challenging attendance limits at worship services. The justices turned away a similar challenge by a Nevada church in July. Alito said in both cases the restrictions had ‘blatantly discriminated against houses of worship’ and he warned that ‘religious liberty is in danger of becoming a second-class right.’
“Both cases came to the court before the death in September of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The liberal justice’s replacement by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett could change how the court might come out on similar cases in the future. Currently before the court is a case involving the Catholic church and limits on in-person services in New York.”
The unconstitutional prohibitions of religious services continue in most of the Democratic-run US states. The hypocrisy in all of this is mind-boggling.
“CNN Host’s Comparison of ‘Kristallnacht’ to Trump Era Derided as ‘Despicable’”
The Algemeiner wrote on November 13:
“CNN anchorwoman Christiane Amanpour raised eyebrows on Thursday when she marked the 82nd anniversary of ‘Kristallnacht’ — the November 1938 pogroms targeting Jews in Germany and Austria — by appearing to liken the values of the Nazis to those of US President Donald Trump. ‘This week, 82 years ago, Kristallnacht happened,’ Amanpour said. ‘It was the Nazis’ warning shot across the bow of our human civilization that led to genocide against a whole identity.’ ‘And, in that tower of burning books, it led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history, and truth,’ she continued. ‘After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden/Harris team pledges a return to norms.’
“Amanpour’s remarks were met with widespread derision on social media. The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC) called her words ‘despicable.’ The StopAntisemitism.org watchdog group tweeted, ‘Hey @CNN @camanpour please stop using the horrors of the Holocaust to justify an agenda. Our suffering is not yours to play political ping pong with.’”
Many asked for her resignation or an immediate public apology for the “unacceptable comparison.” JTA reported on November 17: “CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said she ‘regrets any pain’ caused by her invoking the Kristallnacht pogroms in criticizing President Donald Trump, saying she ‘should not have’ juxtaposed the two issues.” Not quite an apology or a retraction.
Macron: Europe Needs Own Defense
Reuters reported on November 16:
“Europe still needs its own independent and sovereign defence strategy, even if it is dealing with a new U.S. government which may result in friendlier ties, French President Emmanuel Macron [said]… Macron rebuffed comments from German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to Politico on Nov. 2, in which the German minister said Europe would have to remain dependent on U.S. military protection for the near future.
“‘I am in complete disagreement with the opinion article published in Politico by the German defence minister,’ said Macron, adding he believed German Chancellor Angela Merkel shared his position on this issue. ‘The United States will only respect us as allies if we are serious about our own position, and if we have our own sovereignty regarding our defence,’ said Macron.”
The statements by German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer were indeed totally out of line with what is happening in Europe.
The World’s Largest Trade Pact
The Associated Press wrote on November 15:
“China and 14 other countries agreed Sunday to set up the world’s largest trading bloc, encompassing nearly a third of all economic activity… Apart from the 10 ASEAN members, it includes China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, but not the United States. Officials said the accord leaves the door open for India, which dropped out due to fierce domestic opposition to its market-opening requirements, to rejoin the bloc…
“ASEAN members include Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.”
Very soon, we can expect that Russia will join that fold as well, while countries such as Australia and New Zealand might be leaving the bloc.
Worldwide Hunger and Famine
The Associated Press wrote on November 14:
“20 countries ‘are likely to face potential spikes in high acute food insecurity’ in the next three to six months’… Of those, Yemen, South Sudan, northeastern Nigeria and Burkina Faso have some areas that ‘have reached a critical hunger situation following years of conflict or other shocks,’ the U.N. agencies said, and any further deterioration in coming months ‘could lead to a risk of famine.’
“Other countries requiring ‘urgent attention’ are Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somali, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, they said. [An official said:] ‘We’re very, very, very concerned’ that with deferred debt payments for low- and middle-income countries resuming in January, new lockdowns and the rippling economic impact, ‘2021’s going to be a very bad year…’”
These terrible lockdowns will greatly accelerate worldwide hunger and famine. It is interesting that the Editorial Board of the Washington Times published an article last week, saying that LOCKDOWNS DON’T WORK.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
