by A. Joseph Lynch
I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
EU IDEOLOGICAL COLONIZATION: The European Union can't help but impose the sexual revolution on the Christian nations of eastern Europe. It's top court has ruled that Bulgaria must accept immigrating homosexual "parents" and their "children" into the nation. The European "rights" body has told Hungary that it's ban on homosexual propaganda in schools is yet another "rights" violation. Poland has lost billions of EU cash because it dares argue that its national judiciary should be independent of EU courts. All this is what Pope Francis calls "ideological colonization." The atheistic nations of western Europe are colonizing once more, but this time they are colonizing eastern Europe - not with troops or settlers but with their radical ideology. Viktor Orban of Hungary understands this. When will Poland, Bulgaria, and the nations of the Bucharest Nine alliance wake up and see that they have a clear enemy to resist - and that enemy is not Vladimir Putin.
NO CLARITY ON HOMOSEXUALITY: As one Catholic diocese in Michigan has announced it cannot dispense sacraments to unrepentant homosexuals, the Vatican apologized for temporarily removing a link to a pro-gay advance website from its own website. Where's the clarity in Church practice concerning homosexuality?
POPE FRANCIS TURNS 85: Pope Francis has reached the age of 85 - the same age as Benedict XVI was when he retired. Though Francis appears to running strong, how much longer can he hold up as Pope?
II. AMERICAN POLITICS
BIDEN'S ENERGY WAR: The cost of energy is skyrocketing in America, yet few remember Biden's own admission during the 2020 campaign that he planned to destroy the US energy sector. And that's exactly what he's doing. In less than one year he's driven up energy prices by shutting down the Keystone Oil pipeline as he considers closing another, he's pushed for high costs on oil and gas companies, and banned fracking on public lands. We're not suprirsed to hear that US shale producers are venting frustrations at Biden's destructive energy
LOSING HISPANIC VOTERS: Panic can only be sinking in among Democrats as they lose support from Hispanics nationwide. It appears that ethnic demography may not work in their favor after all. More from Dr. Steve Turley.
ECONOMIC WOES: The US economy is in shambles. In an effort to boost a recovering economy last winter, Biden pushed more money into the system and drove up inflation. We're now seeing inflation hit points unseen in four decades. How will the Democrats fix it? Print and spend more money than ever before.
III. THE NATIONS
PUTIN'S DIPLOMACY: Putin is a serious leader intent who understands that the United States and its allies would see his nation reduced to third world status at best or, at worst, partitioned and destroyed. In some ways Putin is a microcosm of Russia's reemergence, having himself gone from moonlighting as a taxi driver to now the nation's powerful leader. And as a man who is used to playing weak hands, he's masterfully playing his much stronger hands. In recent weeks, he personally went to India to strike major deals with with Hindu nation, held a summit with Xi Jinping, made further diplomatic moves in the Mideast, and is now making demands on the US and its allies concerning NATO. The US and its allies, however, still act as though it was the 1990s when they had all the power. The skillful actions of Russian and Chinese leaders have undermined the status quo for good and its time America and its allies wake up to the new reality on the ground.
GERMAN POLITICS: As we mention last week, Germany has a new leader - the liberal Olaf Scholz. Scholz has in his first days in office overseen a delay in the approval of the Nordstream 2 pipeline (sending energy prices through the roof) while pledging support for Ukraine as a Russian gas transit state, encouraged more immigration to Germany, and is allowing German students to be bullied and shamed over their vaccination status. The only work being done in the German legislature, was a rearrangement of seating so that center-left party didn't have to sit next to a conservative party. We expect little from the new German regime.
BRITISH POLITICS: Boris Johnson might soon be out of a job following a shocking conservative loss in an off-year election. This comes amid reports of Johnson's staff joking about a Christmas party they held as the rest of the nation was in lock-down. The prime minister is also reportedly suffering from drinking problems - which reminds us of another national leader named Boris. Aside from Brexit, Johnson has done little to forward a conservative agenda in Great Britain. He's locked down the nation amid the pandemic, thus upending its fragile economy following Brexit. He's failed to protect its borders from immigrants crossing the channel while sending support to "protect" Ukraine's borders. He's angered the Russians and Chinese - while annoying Washington - by sending military vessels into Russian and Chinese waters. He's even overseen a UK contribution to the war on Christmas. We're not surprised to hear that he may soon be facing a vote of no confidence in the UK parliament. Time may be running out for Mr. Johnson.
THE RISE OF CHINESE NATIONALISM: An excellent short video on traditional Confucian nationalism emerging in China from Dr. Steve Turley.
IV. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION
NASA SHIFTS FROM SPACE: Anyone who remembers the space race, studied the history of NASA, or watched movies like Apollo 13 can't help but have an enduring respect for NASA. Yet gone are the days when the men of NASA took man to the moon. What has NASA become? What is it up to now? According to one new outlet, NASA will spend more time focusing on climate change than space. How the might have fallen.
VIGILANTES NEEDED: The drug war in Mexico continues to rage - and a new force is rising to resist the cartels: armed vigilantes. One town in Mexico received 500 such men, armed and ready to protect it from the cartels. Far from "vigilante justice," this act of protective fraternity is an image of republicanism at its finest. When armed men of their nation rise up as a patriarchal fraternity to protect it, only good can come.
NO JUSTICE FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE? "Catch and release" no longer refers to illegal immigrants apprehended and let go. The phrase can now be said about lefist DA's running most of America's cities. The alleged Waukesha killer, Darrell Brooks, was released on $1000 bail after it was said he attempted to commit vehicular homicide, only to plow through a crowd of innocents during a Christmas parade. We've now heard about a New York man who committed armed robbery, but was released by the DA and promptly found a new victim shortly thereafter. And let us not forget the Antifa member who used a weapon to attack the office of a conservative state legislator, who not only was released by the DA but given his weapon back. All this comes as liberal judges throw the book at pathetic, groveling January 6 rioters. It seems as though the more contrition the rioters show, the longer their sentences are. It's high time these DA's are held accountable and the hypocrisy in our justice system ends.
BIG TECH PUNISHES TRUTH-TELLERS: According to Twitter, those who say that the vaccine does not prevent transmission of the coronavirus will be punished. We somehow doubt, however, that Twitter will be punishing the CDC, the NIH, or Dr. Fauci, all of whom say exactly what Twitter is now banning.
CHRIS WALLACE LEAVES FOXNEWS: Good riddance to the Trump-hating Chris Wallace, who leaves FoxNews and heads to... CNN. Wallace follows Jonah Goldberg and Chris Hayes as yet the most recent neocon, Never Trumper to leave the network. The best news is that the departure of neocons from FoxNews points to the emerging dominance of Tucker Carlson, the best voice on cable news today.