Map on Monday: SYRIA

The Physical Ecology, Communal Loyalties, and Geopolitics of Syria

by David Pence and A. Joseph Lynch

Physical Ecology: Natural Resources and Physical Geography

Syria is a nation about the size of Wisconsin but with four times the population (23 million vs. 5.5 million).  About a fourth of its land is fit for agricultural use. Syria is situated on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, wedged in between many contending powers of the Middle East. Syria is bisected into north and south by mountain ranges which run from its border with Lebanon to the Euphrates river in the east. In its far south, another mountain range anchors Syria's border with Jordan. The Golan Heights may be found along its border with Israel - but this area has come under Israeli control since the Six-Day War and annexed in all but name in 1981 (the western end of Golan Heights actually includes almost the entire eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee).

Syria's climate can be described in three zones. The western (coastal) and northern regions consist of cultivated land where fruits, olives, and tobacco are grown. Bordering this area to the south and east are steppe-lands where one may find nomads and sheep herders. As one travels further south and east, the steppe gives way to desert. The one exception to this is the Euphrates River which runs from the northwest through the southeastern corner of Syria into Iraq's Anbar province. Along the Euphrates are cultivated lands where sheep are raised and wheat is grown.

Among Syria's natural resources are petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, and hydropower. Sales of oil comprised 20% of Syria's GDP prior to the civil war with the vast majority of it sold to the European Union. With the spread of ISIS, there have been times that the Islamic State has produced and sold more Syrian oil than the Syrian government. Syria's top two oil refineries are today operating at less than 10% capacity. Syria's phosphate mines (located outside of Palmyra in the heart of Syria) were captured by the Islamic State in May 2015; and in June the Islamic State destroyed the gas pipelines to Damascus which were to heat its homes in the months ahead. The Islamic State is working hard to deny Syria access to its own natural resources.

Communal Loyalties: Ethnicity, Language, and Religion

The Arabic language is used across Syria, with several major dialects. The nation is a smorgasbord of ethnic groups (see map below). Approximately 60% of Syria is comprised of Sunni Arab Muslims. The rest of Syria's population is made up of various minorities like the Sunni Kurds (9%) in the north,  Shiite Alawites (12%) on the Mediterranean coast, Levantines - Arabic speaking Christians (9%) further inland from the coast, Druze (3%) in the south, and small Shia-Islamic groups (like the Ismaillis and Imamis) at a combined 3% of the population.

Colonial rule often employed ethnic and religious minorities opposed to the Sunni majority. The map reveals the disparate nature of this alliance. The Kurds are off in the extreme north and northeast while the Druze are located in the extreme south. Alawaites and Christians are located much closer to the Mediterranean coast, isolated from both Druze and Kurds.

Syrians also remember historical groupings of "Greater Syria." A term originating with Ottomans, it not only referred to present-day Syria, but it also included Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, the Sinai Peninsula, and the city of Antioch (the pre-Islamic capital of Syria now under Turkish rule). Syrian nationalist, Antun Saadeh, sought the creation of a pan-Syrian state to include the areas above along with Iraq. He grounded his vision in the region's physical geography by fixing the limits of Greater Syria with the following natural boundaries: the Taurus and Zagros Mountains in the north, deserts and the Persian Gulf in the east and south, the Gulf of Aquaba and Suez Canal in the southwest, and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in the far west. While the modern Syrian state has never expanded to this extent, the Hashemites of Jordan had been promised rule over a Greater Syria for  helping the British defeat the Ottomans during WWI. The Hashemites once controlled Iraq, the western edge of Saudi Arabia, and parts of what is today Israel.

Syrian Ethnic Groups (click to enlarge)

Geopolitics: Political Geography and Foreign Policy

Syria's internal communal loyalties define its geopolitics. If we were to divide Syria into four main groups - Arab Sunnis (60%), Shiites and other Muslim minorities (19% ), Christians (10%), and Kurds (9%) - we have a good idea which nations will be lining up to support these four ethnic and religious peoples. Here, religion is the key to understanding the current struggle.

President Assad is part of the Alawite Shiite tradition which has dominated the Syrian officer ranks for a half century.  His father was Hafez-al-Assad and the leader of the nationalist-socialist movement in the secular Baath party. He assumed rule in the “Corrective Movement “ of 1970.  The father ruled until 2000 and was succeeded by his son.  The predominance of Alawite Shia in the military was fostered during French rule which favored minority groups over the Sunni majority in positions of military authority. Check out this excellent short history of the Baath party, Arab nationalism, ethnic differences and the Sunni-Alawite rivalry in 20th century Syrian history.

President Assad has protected the minority Christians, Druze and Kurds. He also has a considerable number of Sunnis in his government. Shiite Iran and Orthodox Russia will support his state. The Lebanese Shiites (Hezbollah) and Maronite Christians will not want to see the Syrian government  fall. The Sunni majority in the East may reconfigure themselves with the Sunnis in the Western regions of Iraq. Among the rebels, the Salafist Sunnis are establishing control over the opposition forces. This is ISIS and Al Qaeda (al Nusra in Syria). They will be supported by Saudi Arabia (salafist Sunni) and the Gulf States. The Syrian civil war seems similar to the Spanish Civil War where the local conflict provided a battleground attracting foreign recruits eager to depose the “fascist Franco.” Those international recruits were predominately Communist while the Syrian foreign fighters are principally Salafist Sunnis. Both of these killing movements masked their claims as battles for popular democracy.

The alliance between Iran and Syria is multifaceted. A reliable American who's reporting and analyzing Syria is Oklahoma professor Joshua Landis.

The Turks along Syria's northern border are Sunni Muslims - but their Turkic ethnicity makes them stand apart from the broader Arab Muslim Middle East. Turkey sees Syria in a few different ways: 1) Syria is a place to show Turkish might and win a renewed place of leadership in the Muslim world (recall Turkey was at the heart of the last Islamic caliphate - the Ottoman Empire); 2) intervention in Syria is meant to keep the Kurds from controlling Syria's northern border since Turkey has long worked to control the Kurdish minority within Turkey proper; 3) Turkey, like the Saudis, would like to see President Assad toppled and replaced with a Sunni. The Kurds of Syria -- like those of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey -- seek autonomy, and then a nation.

A partition of Syria based on geographical religious and ethnic loyalties was proposed in 2011 by Fabrice Balanche, a French researcher, who mapped Syria's religious and ethnic communities long before the Arab Spring.

Update 11-20-2016:The election of Donald Trump and his advocacy of a Russian Syrian alliance will dramatically improve American strategy in the Mideast. We have advocated this change for several years.

Update (10/10/16): Syrian War Video: The short and excellent video below from Vox offers a concise overview of the Syrian War, the various factions, and a timeline narrative. It is well worth five minutes of your time to watch.



For more information on Syria, visit its page on the CIA World Factbook.

For more information on the region, see the following previous Map on Monday posts:

• Map on Monday: JORDAN
• Map on Monday: TURKEY
• Map on Monday: IRAN
• Map on Monday: EGYPT
• Map on Monday: SAUDI ARABIA
• Map on Monday: THE GULF STATES

This post originally appeared on Anthropology of Accord on September 14, 2015

Religion and Geopolitics Review for April 14, 2018

By Dr. David Pence and A. Joseph Lynch

WEEKLY BRIEF

THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM
In response to the use of chemical agents in Eastern Ghouta on April 7, 2018, President Trump ordered a one time attack on select Syrian targets in conjunction with Britain and France.
 "Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, said the April 13 nighttime airstrikes "took out the heart" of Assad's chemical weapons arsenal. He said 105 U.S. and allied missiles were fired, of which 66 were Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from aboard three U.S. Navy ships and one Navy submarine. U.S., British and French attack aircraft, including two U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers, launched stealthy, long-range missiles from outside Syrian airspace."
  On April 12, Russians announced that rebels in the village of Douma were given safe passage and the Eastern Ghouta region would come under the full control of the Assad government. Russian troops were instrumental in the safe passage and separation of forces. This is a huge step toward the reassertion of governmental authority in Syria.
The US attacks were done in a manner that minimized civilian and Russian damage.  This attack will give President Trump breathing room from US neoconservatives, Israel, Saudi and British forces who want US troops to commit to regime change in Syria.  The rebel forces in the southwestern part of Syria seen in the map below are serving as a buffer between Israel and Syria. Israel will not want to see those areas of Syria return to Syria. The Golan Heights are essential but an added buffer is even better.  Israel's goals with Syria are much more bellicose and destabilizing than ours. Nor can we minimize the aversion that the British security establishment has against any new alliance between the US and Russia. When the Brits say "The WEST"  they meant the White English Speaking Twosome and whoever else will go along.
 The President has actually given himself some room to meet with the Russians. There was a punitive gesture while there was also US Russia cooperation (none dare call it collusion) which limited the interaction. We are closer to ending the Syrian Civil War than a week ago. The overwhelming fact in a news world that doesn't care for facts is that the only legitimate government of Syria is now in control of a region that has been in a state of rebellion since 2011.  Nationalists believe that America and Israel should be safe and secure within defensible borders. Nationalists should also be clear that Syria, Lebanon, and Iran are sovereign nations as well. They must be allowed to establish authority within their own borders and be secure from foreign attacks.          

 

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE - THE POPE ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS: In this beautiful and poetic exhortation, Pope Francis reminds us there is a real devil but first he grounds the universal call to holiness in our shared life with the saints and martyrs who have gone before us. He acknowledges the hidden stream of holiness all around us and reminds us of mother and grandmother who while not perfect kept us on the path. Read this beautiful message. It seems the best manifestation of how Pope Francis wants to proclaim the Good News of Christ's resurrection and his continued presence on earth in the Eucharist and our fellow humans in need. He reminds us there is no " God without Christ; no Christ without the Church ; and no Church without the people."  The Catholic conservative talking class lent a tepid reception. They are to the Pope what CNN is to the President.

THE POPE'S EXTRAORDINARY APOLOGY ON CHILE ABUSE CHARGES AND HIS SHAMEFUL SUPPORT OF BISHOP BARROS
Raymond de Souza at National Catholic Register.

"CONFERENCE ON CONFUSION" CHANNELS  "THE VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL": Final statement from those speaking with their authority as the baptized and confirmed.

AT CHRISTMAS THE WHOLE WORLD JOINS US, BUT FOR EASTER THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH BEARS THE WITNESS: Michael Pakaluk on the apostolic character of the Easter season - a penetrating insight from the Catholic University professor. Chesterton said Christianity is an empirical religion based on a fact reported by credible witnesses. Materialism is an ideology that asserts as a dogma there are no supernatural beings and no-one can rise from the dead. The facts of the matter as reported are to be dismissed in deference to the dogma which must believed. .. Ideology rules out the empiric event. Which approach holds better to the principles of knowing we associate with the sciences? When light was observed to act as BOTH a particle and a wave, it was the old dogma not the observed fact that was discarded.

THE FEMINIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY: The problem not the solution says Rod Dreher at American Conservative.

II. ISLAM AND THE MIDDLE EAST

INTERVIEW WITH MbS BY JEFFREY GOLDBERG: An interviewer who has heard of the Wahhabis - though the Crown Prince hadn't. Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic magazine is the best foreign policy interviewer in journalism. He is a standard Democratic party liberal but he is also a serious journalist.

HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MADE A DEAL WITH MUHAMMED BIN SALMAN: Excellent reporting - a believable and frightening story.

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND UAE: A very tiny base supports the young leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Israelis see them as all they have got. The US has many more options.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, SYRIA, AND THE GENERALS: Since his campaign President Trump has had a different take on Syria then the Republican and military establishment. They want a long term presence for US with goal of overthrowing President Assad. As nationalists we must learn that national sovereignty applies to more nations than our own. The legitimate state authority in Syria is the Assad government. Shall we ally with Saudi Arabia and Israel and overthrow Assad or give him back his country as ISIS is finally being removed? Pat Buchanan presents the crucial policy dispute.
Syria was bombed today (see above).

III. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

DAY OF DELUSION AT PENTAGON: A roundtable of female officers.

CARDINAL BURKE AND A PREDATOR BISHOP: IS EARLY RETIREMENT A SENTENCE? Homosexual clerics are safe with that prissy fellow they called "gay Ray" in his seminary years. The "scourge of Pope Francis", the "courageous defender of orthodoxy," Cardinal Ray Burke is unfortunately very much of the ilk of deposed Archbishop John Nienstedt of St Paul and well-fed capitalism guru Fr Robert Sirico of Acton Institute. Why Archbishop Apron of Guam was treated so politely by the Burke-led court has much more to do with the character of Cardinal Raymond Burke than the crimes of Anthony Apron (which are revolting). This story is just beginning. Cardinal Burke will be featured at the "Confusion in the Church" conference in Rome. He is all in on condemning the Pope on the "Hell interview". We had a somewhat different take.

T.H. WHITE AUTHOR OF THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING: “The Destiny of Man is to unite, not to divide. If you keep on dividing you end up as a collection of monkeys throwing nuts at each other out of separate trees.”

YADIER MOLINA STANDS UP FOR HIS MOMMA AND TEACHES AMERICA A LESSON ON LANGUAGE: St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina was surprised when Arizona manager Torey Lovullo came out to protest a strikeout and in arguing with the umpire looked at Molina and referred to him as a mother...r. Molina went after the Diamondback manager and in doing so had contact with the umpire. Sportswriters in this "no hit, no spank, no touch" era interviewed Molina on the possibility of his being fined for the "physical contact" with the umpire. Mr. Molina was much more focused and still angry about the "fighting words" which led to his anger. The umpire got between him and the object of his charge. Molina took the expression as a profound insult against his mother. Indeed his English is impeccable because the phrase is meant as an accusation of incest. It is a fighting insult. In the 1960's as the black civil rights movement became the black racial pride movement, the widespread use of that deeply transgressive and misogynist phrase became a badge of blackness. What a deep degradation of our language that the f-word became the ultimate utility player as an all purpose part of speech. That horrific phrase of "mf" once shocked. The abomination became commonplace. Words lost their meaning and the truth was slain again. God bless you, Mr. Molina. (The umpire said he understood he had placed himself between the men and he saw no reason to punish Molina. Lovullo apologized to Molina after the game.) A new series - Baseball as a Road to God.

BELGUIM AND EUTHANASIA: Belgium and Euthanasia - a very ugly tale of an ex-priest playing Dr Death. An excerpt:

In Belgium, euthanasia is embraced as an emblem of enlightenment and progress, a sign that the country has extricated itself from its Catholic, patriarchal roots. Distelmans, who was brought up as a Catholic and then rejected the Church, told me that his work is inspired by an aversion to all forms of paternalism. “Who am I to convince patients that they have to suffer longer than they want?” he said.

IV. ROUND THE WORLD - R&G ROUND UP

JORDAN PETERSON: A classical liberal is a better description than a modern conservative.

JACOB REES-MOGG OF THE UK: That peculiar blend of Catholic traditionalist and libertarian capitalist. An Acton Institute profile.

HUBERT HUMPHREY - A MORAL AND JOYOUS LIBERAL: A good reminder of the anti-Communist pro-civil rights "happy warrior" by James Traub.

THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND: Here is a good remembrance of that 1969 book about the destruction of souls in American universities.  It was an era in which the canonical works of western civilization were being abandoned and the demands of violence threatening radicals were being embraced. The other truth in this story is that the 1950's intellectual life of the atheist European influenced professors (like the author) was not strong enough to quell rebellious teens. The Great Books professors shorn of religious authority and national loyalties were easy pickings for black male students who came from tough neighborhoods and their white male counterparts who were looking for action. The author of the book, Allan Bloom (1930-1992) was a homosexual and non-believing Jewish University professor. He was a student of Leo Strauss and a friend of Saul Bellow (Bellow's book Ravelstein was based on Bloom.) Bloom described his intellectual life as "beginning with Freud and ending with Plato". He was admitted to academic life at age 15. Allan Bloom passed as a "conservative thinker" in those days of rage. He never used that label for himself.  His fame as a "conservative" reveals the poverty of intellectual life divorced from religious, military, and masculine sensibilities.

JOHN BRENNAN AND THE KILLER DRONES: There was once a time that the liberal media saw CIA head or "Deputy President" John Brennan as a highly dishonest purveyor of the drone warfare. This "kill from the air" program minimized US casualties but made a lot of enemies in Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It was first initiated as the feminist way of war under Madeline Albright and Bill Clinton bombing the Orthodox Christians of Serbia.  When anyone writes about the "war on males" of the feminist left they might recall the peculiar foreign policy version of the Obama/Brtennan strategy. All males 18 and over killed in drone strikes were counted as combatants.

VIKTOR ORBAN OF HUNGARY: ...is probably today's most important European national leader. In preparation for the Hungarian elections in April 2018, this Washington Post profile was meant to be a severe criticism. However, it is factual enough to show why Christians and nationalists would reelect him. (He and his nationalist party was reelected in a landslide).

CHRISTIAN CATEGORIES, GERMAN WORDS AND HEGEL'S GENIUS: From Hegel's Wikipedia page:
Of special importance is his concept of spirit (Geist: sometimes also translated as "mind") as the historical manifestation of the logical concept. 
{This is closely allied with the Christian notion of the Logos acting out Divine Providence.}

His notion of  "sublation" (Aufhebung: integration without elimination or reduction) of seemingly contradictory or opposing factors; examples include the apparent opposition between nature and freedom and between immanence and transcendence. 
{This is a very Catholic and sacramental sensibility. It applies to the most fundamental reality-- the three in one Trinity. Pope Francis employs this synthetic approach to many problems he associates with "Mary, the Untier of knots." }

Hegel has been seen in the 20th century as the originator of the thesis, antithesis, synthesis triad. That is a misreading of a phrase originating with Johann Gottlieb Fichte. "
That notion is actually  quite different than  Aufehebung.

Religion and Geopolitics Review: Saturday, April 21

By Dr. David Pence and A. Joseph Lynch

WEEKLY BRIEF

CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO

US-LED BOMBING IN SYRIA

Rather than give our own commentary this week, we ask all to listen to the words of the patriarchs and our brother Christians in Syria. While the Russian collusion witch hunt continues to investigate "Russian meddling" in the U.S., the fathers of Syria's Christians demand that the U.S. military stop American meddling in Syria. Read the statement below:

A Statement Issued by the Patriarchates of Antioch and all the East for the Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, and Greek-Melkite Catholic (Damascus, 14 April 2018)

God is with us; Understand all ye nations and submit yourselves!

We, the Patriarchs: John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and Joseph Absi, Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, condemn and denounce the brutal aggression that took place this morning against our precious country Syria by the USA, France and the UK, under the allegations that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons. We raise our voices to affirm the following:

1. This brutal aggression is a clear violation of the international laws and the UN Charter, because it is an unjustified assault on a sovereign country, member of the UN.
2. It causes us great pain that this assault comes from powerful countries to which Syria did not cause any harm in any way.
3. The allegations of the USA and other countries that the Syrian army is using chemical weapons and that Syria is a country that owns and uses this kind of weapon, is a claim that is unjustified and unsupported by sufficient and clear evidence.
4. The timing of this unjustified aggression against Syria, when the independent International Commission for Inquiry was about to start its work in Syria, undermines of the work of this commission.
5. This brutal aggression destroys the chances for a peaceful political solution and leads to escalation and more complications.
6. This unjust aggression encourages the terrorist organizations and gives them momentum to continue in their terrorism.
7. We call upon the Security Council of the United Nations to play its natural role in bringing peace rather than contribute to escalation of wars.
8. We call upon all churches in the countries that participated in the aggression, to fulfill their Christian duties, according to the teachings of the Gospel, and condemn this aggression and to call their governments to commit to the protection of international peace.
9. We salute the courage, heroism and sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army which courageously protects Syria and provide security for its people. We pray for the souls of the martyrs and the recovery of the wounded. We are confident that the army will not bow before the external or internal terrorist aggressions; they will continue to fight courageously against terrorism until every inch of the Syrian land is cleansed from terrorism. We, likewise, commend the brave stand of countries which are friendly to the Syria and its people.

We offer our prayers for the safety, victory, and deliverance of Syria from all kinds of wars and terrorism. We also pray for peace in Syria and throughout the world, and call for strengthening the efforts of the national reconciliation for the sake of protecting the country and preserving the dignity of all Syrians.

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

GAUDATE ET EXSULTATE: Let us Rejoice and be Glad - Six takeaways from Pope's Exhortation on the feast of St Joseph, 2018. That was his five year anniversary as Pope.

1) The communion of saints reimagined: "The saints now in God’s presence preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance... in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence. We might call them “the middle class of holiness”.

2) Salvation in community: "In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people."

3) Continuously Centered on God, Rooted in Baptism and the Holy Spirt, Be holy where you are! "Let the grace of your baptism bear fruit in a path of holiness. Let everything be open to God; turn to him in every situation. Do not be dismayed, for the power of the Holy Spirit enables you to do this, and holiness, in the end, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain'"

4) The Devil is Real. Deliver us from the Evil One: "We will not admit the existence of the devil if we insist on regarding life by empirical standards alone, without a supernatural understanding. It is precisely the conviction that this malign power is present in our midst that enables us to understand how evil can at times have so much destructive force. in leaving us the Our Father, Jesus wanted us to conclude by asking the Father to “deliver us from evil”. That final word does not refer to evil in the abstract; a more exact translation would be “the evil one”. It indicates a personal being who assails us. Jesus taught us to ask daily for deliverance from him, lest his power prevail over us." "...Hence, we should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of speech or an idea."

5) To be Holy is to be with God - Pray Always and Everywhere: "Finally, though it may seem obvious, we should remember that holiness consists in a habitual openness to the transcendent, expressed in prayer and adoration. The saints are distinguished by a spirit of prayer and a need for communion with God."

6) Scripture and the Eucharist: "Meeting Jesus in the Scriptures leads us to the Eucharist, where the written word attains its greatest efficacy, for there the living Word is truly present. In the Eucharist, the one true God receives the greatest worship the world can give him, for it is Christ himself who is offered. When we receive him in Holy Communion, we renew our covenant with him and allow him to carry out ever more fully his work of transforming our lives."


                                    II. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

DAWSON ON EUROPE: “It is difficult to exaggerate the horror and confusion of the Dark Age that followed the collapse of the Carolingian experiment,” Dawson summarizes. “The one principle of the new society was the law of force and the need for protection. Personal freedom was no longer a privilege, for the man without a lord was a man without a protector.” That is still true - break down protection and life is lost. A culture of life is a culture of protection. A real civilization of life does not begin by asserting "the right to life." We begin with gratitude to the Source of all life and then swear to to protect our section of the garden.

THE POPE WAS LIED TO. HE APOLOGIZES FOR HIS FAILURE "IN PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT" IN CHILE. HE NEEDS MUCH TOUGHER AND MORE TRUTHFUL ADVISORS: There are many grievous instances of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI being misled about scandal often very close to them. What has happened here with Pope Francis and the Chilean Bishop Juan Barros Madrid is extraordinary. What is different here is the clarity of the personal apology by the Pope. He did not apologize for the Church but for his own failure. His quick dispatch of a serious investigator (Archbishop Scicluna) corrected him after judging the local situation. May the Pope and bishops around the world find an Elliott Ness (or Charles Scicluna) and seriously go after the bad guys. They are legion. Raymond De Souza explains at National Catholic Register about one papal advisor who failed the Pope:

"Much closer to home, the Holy Father will have to consider the position of Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz on the “council of cardinals,” the group of his closest advisers. Cardinal Errázuriz was chosen for the council in 2013, when he was already retired and almost 80 years old. Now 84, he spends several days with Pope Francis every few months when the council meets. It is impossible that he did not advise Pope Francis on Barros. Even more, he was the archbishop when the Father Karadima scandal first came to light and has already admitted that he dismissed the victims. All that was known in 2013 when Pope Francis chose him for the council. Now it will be very hard to explain his continuing presence. Even more, it raises the question of how well the council is serving the Pope if Cardinal Errázuriz failed him in such a grave matter."

WHILE RAYMOND BURKE MAKES THE ROUNDS CRITICIZING POPE FRANCIS, THE ARCHBISHOP OF GUAM HE WAS ASSIGNED TO JUDGE GETS A PRETTY GOOD DEAL: From the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, April 16: The tribunal, which is composed of five judges appointed by the Prefect of the Congregation, “has issued its sentence of first instance, finding the accused guilty of certain of the accusations and imposing upon the accused the penalties of privation of office and prohibition of residence in the Archdiocese of Guam.” He retains his clerical office and monetary support.  It is not clear for which crimes he has been found guilty. Apuron has been credibly accused of multiple charges of sodomy against teen age males. His "penalty" of early retirement was already imposed before the "Court" came.  Leaving Guam may protect him from the local police who will probably be harsher than Cardinal Burke and his fellow judges. Cardinal Ray Burke is no hanging judge in clerical sodomy cases. Apparently Aprun will suffer no restrictions in his priestly role offering the Holy Mass. This seems a horrific desecration much worse than the dubious Dubia  by which Cardinal Burke postures as a protector of the sacred.

SENATOR CORY BOOKER GRILLS MIKE POMPEO ABOUT THE PERVERSION OF GAY MARRIAGE: The imperialism of gender ideology and imposition of abortion and sodomy as human rights was a major tenet of international relations in the Obama administration. The American bishops have not caught up with the Pope yet in highlighting the injustice and confusion of these policies. Cory Booker a Senator from Maryland and presidential hopeful was aggressive in his demands that any new Secretary of State enforce the new imperialism. Opposition to this arrogance remains all too muted.

III. NATIONS AND POLITICS R&G ROUND UP

TRUMP AS SAMSON: The Syrian dilemma and the globalist war party surrounding the President.

TRUMP AND WAR IN SYRIA: Buchanan reminds us why the Shiites are fighting in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. Don't they get their nations, too? He thinks Trump is being captured by the War Party.

IRVING BABBITT AND THE ATHEISM OF INTELLECTUALS: Brad Birzer takes University intellectuals way too seriously and the reality of God not enough. A major problem in the American conservative movement is how many atheists were considered leading lights. The real "court of reputation" was university faculty culture. American universities and "intellectuals" turned against God way before the sixties. Irving Babbitt's "respectable atheism" was a luxury most men and cultures cannot afford.

VICTOR ORBAN - EUROPE'S MOST IMPORTANT LEADER WINS BIG IN HUNGARY: His "state of the nation" 2016 and Christmas address 2017. His electoral victory in April 2018.

AMERICA AND THE DESTINY OF ISRAEL. ZIONISTS BEFORE ZIONISM: From an excellent First Things article on Theology and American Foreign Policy: In 1891, William E. Blackstone presented to President Benjamin Harrison a petition titled “Palestine for the Jews.” A Chicago businessman and the author of Jesus Is Coming, one of the bestselling books of the nineteenth century, Blackstone believed that Scripture predicted the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The role of the United States was to follow in the footsteps of Cyrus, king of Persia, and help the Jews reclaim their birthright. “What shall be done for the Russian Jews?” the petition asks. “Why not give Palestine back to them again? According to God’s distribution of nations, it is their home, an inalienable possession, from which they were expelled by force.”

ISRAEL, RUSSIA, AND TURKEY AT ODDS OVER SYRIA: The Israel foreign policy of demonizing Iran as Syria and Lebanon establish more effective military control over their countries is not sustainable. Here is a very good pro-Israel writer explaining the growing dilemma. Those of us who favor a strong territorially defensible Israel must acknowledge the same claims to national sovereignty of Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran. A truly nationalist foreign policy hasn't sunk in yet.

Map on Monday: KURDISTAN

The Physical Ecology, Communal Loyalties, and Geopolitics of Kurdistan

By. A. Joseph Lynch

There is an important distinction to be made between a nation and a state. Where “state” refers to the authoritative governing body over a specific people, land area with specific borders, and natural resources, a nation is the a deep union of people often characterized by a shared culture, religion, language, and ethnicity. In most cases, a nation has a state, or governing apparatus. But sometimes many nations are bound within one state, as is often the case with empires. The lands that once were governed by the empire of Austria-Hungary, for example, are today many distinct nation states. Other nations, however, have been kept from forming their own states due to stronger neighboring nation states who use their political and military strength to make sure a nation never gains an independent state. Such is the case with the Kurds.

I. The Physical Ecology of Kurdistan

Worldwide the Kurds number over 30 million living largely in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey (see map above). Kurdish hopes for a potential independent nation state are centered in what is known as Iraqi Kurdistan. This northern region of Iraq, already treated as an semi-autonomous region, is home to just over five million Kurds. The physical geography of Kurdistan is in many ways as different from the rest of Iraq as its Kurdish inhabitants. Kurdistan is situated along the Zagros Mountains (which also form much of the Iran-Iraq border), which, combined with the slightly higher latitude, makes it a much wetter and greener region than the areas to its south. Kurdistan’s mountain terrain is also home to many mineral resources: coal, copper, gold, iron, limestone, marble, and zinc. Kurdistan also has the world's largest deposit of rock sulfur. Like the rest of the region, however, Kurdistan has access to large deposits of energy reserves. In addition to the four billion barrels of proven oil reserves, it is estimated that Kurdistan has another 45 billion barrels of unproven oil reserves.

II. The Communal Loyalties of Kurdistan

The Kurds are a distinct ethnic group in the Middle East. They have a long heritage and history in the region, claiming as their own the great military commander: Saladin. Saladin defeated the medieval Crusader states and eventually ruled over lands stretching from upper Mesopotamia (modern day Kurdistan), through Syria, to Egypt, and along the Red Sea coast to Yemen. Like Saladin, the Kurds follow the largest branch of Islam called Sunni Islam. Despite belonging to the largest branch of Islam, the Kurds are a minority ethnic group distinct from the larger and stronger Arabs to the south. This has placed the Kurds outside of the pan Arabic movements that bind many of the Sunni Arab states. The Kurds also speak a form of Iranian, making them linguistically closer to their neighbors to the east. But here deeper religious divisions come to the fore: where the Kurds are Sunni, the Iranians are Shia. Looking to the north, the Kurds are both ethnically and linguistically different from the Turks, who see their minority Kurdish population as a threat. There are multiple military and governing structures that bind Kurds across the region. The Iraqi Kurds are governed semi-autonomously from Irbil under the KRG (Kurdish Regional Government), protected by the Peshmerga (a Kurdish military force numbering nearly a quarter million soldiers). They are led by the KDP’s (Kurdistan Democratic Party) Massoud Barzani. In Syria a Kurdish political party known as the PYD (Democratic Unity Party) is aligned with military forces called the People’s Protection Units (or YPG) to fight against ISIS. Complicating this is a banned Kurdish political party from Turkey known as the Kurdish Workers’ Party (or PKK) which has been at war with the Turkish government for four decades. They are left wing and one of the few fighting forces with a substantial female component(15-30%). The PKK, aligned with the PYD in Syria, and based in areas near Iraqi Kurdistan, have created a complicated geopolitical situation between Turks and Kurds.

III. The Geopolitics of Kurdistan

The physical ecology and communal loyalties as outlined above play a crucial role in Kurdistan’s geopolitics. International attention first came to the Kurds during Saddam Hussein’s chemical attacks on Kurdish lands.  The important role the Kurdish Peshmerga played in toppling the Saddam regime and years later in expelling ISIS are strong arguments for Kurdish independence. The Kurds have increased in strength, fought off a relentless attack from ISIS, captured much of the Syria-Turkish border, and are now working to conquer the ISIS capital at Raqqa, Syria (ed: accomplished 2017). The Trump Administration is now prepared to arm the Kurds directly rather than through Baghdad. Kurdish gains have impressed many on the international stage, however, they have struck fear into their neighbors who do not wish to see an independent Kurdistan. A Kurdish state exerts international pressure on countries like Iran, Turkey, and Syria to allow Kurdish borders to expand from northern Iraq into their territories where large numbers of Kurds live. Despite this threat, Iranian-Kurdish relations are good. Both share a common linguistic heritage, minority status in the Muslim world, and a common enemy in ISIS. As noted in the communal loyalties section above, Kurdish-Turkish relations are at a low. Turkish involvement in Syria, for example, has focused almost exclusively on fighting the Kurds and making sure the Kurds do not capture the Syrian-Turkish border region. In April 2017, Turkish warplanes also struck Kurdish targets in Syria and Iraq. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the Kurds, but the eyes of the world will be on them in the months ahead should they successfully conquer the ISIS capital.

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

by A. Joseph Lynch

THE WEEKLY BRIEF
MIDEAST TENSIONS RISING

The week proved troubling in the Middle East as tensions flared between Saudi Arabia and Iran and between Syria and Turkey.

The Turks have now crossed the northeastern border of Syria into regions held by our Kurdish allies. The move is obviously anti-Kurdish rather than pro-Syrian. The Turks have long feared Turkish Kurd rebels operating from this area and now seek to bring it under Turkish control. President Trump called the US troop withdrawal from the region a part of ending America's foreign wars. America First in this case means we cannot risk American troops and US dollars defending Kurds from Turks. While Pat Buchanan sees Trump's decision as a good call, Stratfor rightly points out that other local allies may not risk cooperating with Washington in the future if they fear the US will later abandon them.

We at AoA recognize good arguments on both sides of the debate. We must not forget, however, that we elected a nationalist president, not an isolationist president. A nationalist favors his nation first - but he also favors the sovereignty of other nations. Withdrawing American troops is the right move, but in the name of nationalism we must fight tooth and nail against nations like Turkey violating Syria's border. Some have argued that Turkey's push into Syria will force the Kurds into the arms of Syria's ruler, Assad. If this is the outcome, if Syria begins to reintegrate its citizens under its rightful ruler, then we can applaud the week's events. For the moment, much prayer for Syria is still needed.

We also invite our readers to learn more about Kurdistan and Syria in our Map on Monday articles.

This week also witnessed a missal attack on an Iranian oil tanker. Unlike the attacks on oil tankers linked to Saudi Arabia, little news coverage has been given to this attack. The attack took place in the Red Sea, not far off Saudi Arabia's western coast. Where are the calls to investigate the Saudis? Isn't it obvious who is responsible? As the Saudi-Iranian cold war gets hotter, expect more attacks such as these.

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

WHERE'S THE MONEY? Church Militant investigates bad loans and lost money at the Vatican.

SYNOD FLASH BACK: Readers may notice that AoA has given little attention thus far to the Amazonian Synod now taking place in Rome. Several years ago mass conservative Catholic hysteria took place over the Synod on the Family. Church Militant, which has done some incredible journalism on Church scandals, is fiercely anti-Francis and dedicated much attention to attacking the last synod. Here is a sample of their work from the concluding week of the family synod. The hysteria then was unjustified and we suspect the same now. For the moment, we hold our judgment for the synod's conclusion and final document.

NYC BISHOP SACKED: Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of New York's Auxiliary Bishop John Jenik, who has been accused of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s. How many other bishops are yet to be removed and how much did Cardinal Dolan know?

DEFENSELESS CHURCHES: The archbishop of La Plata in Argentina is asking Catholics not to protect their churches in the face of violent, rabidly anti-Catholic, pro-abortion feminist activists. But if reports of police inaction are true, who else should defend the Church?

II. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND AMERICA

TRUMP FIGHTS BACK: In a scathing eight-page letter, the Trump Administration blasted the impeachment proceedings as lacking "any legitimate constitutional foundation, any pretense of fairness, or even the most elementary due process protections." The White House will not - and ought not - cooperate in the newest foreign policy hoax perpetrated by angry intelligence officials and Democrats fearing the loss of the House in 2020.

NEVER TRUMPERS NO MORE: The new Ukraine hoax and attempted coup attempt from the House is bringing many Never Trumpers to the president's side. If the current moves from the Left are bringing back hard anti-Trump conservatives, imagine what it could be doing to independents in the center.

PHASE 1 CHINA DEAL: The president proposed a trade deal plan that involved multiple phases, each making arrangements on different areas of disagreement with harder areas saved for later phases. The phase one deal hammered out differences on intellectual property, financial services, and big agricultural purchases.

SHEPHERD SMITH DEPARTS: Fierce "Never Trumper" Shepherd Smith announced the end of his "speaking truth to power" tenure at FoxNews.

BIDEN OUTSPENT? Josh Holmes, former chief of staff to Mitch McConnell believes Biden could be outspent by 6 to 1 in a race against Trump. In addition to his gaffes, and recent Ukrainian scandals, Biden is also known as an antiquated fundraiser who cares little for the work of raising campaign contributions.

MUELLER PERJURY? Despite his under oath Congressional testimony to contrary, it appears Robert Mueller had interviewed for the open FBI Director job with Trump only days before being named Special Council to investigate the president.

WARREN - FIRED OR QUIT? Elizabeth Warren has frequently stated that she lost a teaching job because of a pregnancy. It turns out her contract was extended but she turned down the job. More from Dr. Steve Turley.

BETO THREATENS CHURCHES: Beto O'Rourke, hoping to pick up votes by moving further to the Left, is now calling on the government to rescind tax exempt status from churches and religious institutions that do not support gay marriage. Don't be surprised to see video of this in 2020 GOP commercials.

TRUMP'S UN SPEECH: We had hope to give more coverage to the speech, but for now we invite our readers to watch.

III. THE NATIONS

PHILIPPINE-RUSSIAN COOPERATION: Is the Philippines moving in Russia's direction?

ISRAELI-GULF STATE PACT? Israel is working to capitalize on tensions with Iran, attempting to forge a non-aggression pact with the region's gulf states. Will it work?

UZBEKISTAN IN 2-MINUTES: Uzbekistan's Geographic Challenge from Stratfor.

IV. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

FINGER GUN-POINTING FELONY: A 13 year old girl in a Kansas City, Kansas suburb has been charged with a felony for pointing her hand in the shape of a gun at other students. So much for banning AR-15's - soon we'll have to ban fingers, too.

STD'S IN CALIFORNIA: STD's are dramatically rising in California, with STD's being passed to babies up by staggering numbers. It is being called a healthcare failure in the state.

HUNDREDS SEEK TO DE-TRANSITION: Hundred of people who transition to another gender are re-thinking the change. They have some harrowing stories and have largely been abandoned as "traitors" to the trans cause. In other trans news, some girls have begun skipping school over new gender neutral bathrooms where boys and girls now mix.

GIRL BOY SCOUTS: In a unanimous vote, girls will now be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts beginning in the cub program. Each den will determine if it will go co-ed or form a second den for girls. We agree with the the Girl Scouts that this is a great mistake.

Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: Saturday March 23

 by A. Joseph Lynch and Dr. David Pence

I. POPE FRANCIS & THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

FOURTEEN STATEMENTS BY POPE FRANCIS - NOT SO POLITICALLY CORRECT: Paul Kengor at Crisis magazine has not been gentle in his criticism of Pope Francis. He ends this article saying it would be better if Pope Benedict had served 5 more years. But Kengor is an honest historian and so he reminds everyone, liberal Francis-lover and conservative Francis-despiser of fourteen real positions of Pope Francis which should make us reflect. Is it possible there are some Catholic personalities that the Western intellectuals on the sexual left and free market/democracy right don't really understand? No wonder the favorite Marian image of Pope Francis is Mary-untier of knots. {At AOA, we have always defended the Pope and truly learned from him as a Father. Our articles are compiled as "Defending Pope Francis by Listening to Him.}

ARCHBISHOP SCICLUNA OF MALTA: Disturbing normalization of homosexuality in his Chancery.

ARGENTINA BISHOP ZANCHETTA - THE HOMOSEXUAL PORN ON HIS PHONE WASN'T WITH "MINORS" JUST "YOUNG MEN": Of course, when Cardinal William Levada of San Francisco was CDF head, he changed the definition of minors to younger than 14 when dealing with computer images. This is certainly one of the most damning relations in the episcopacy and papacy of Pope Francis. He will soon have to rectify the matter.

ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ DE FACTO HEAD OF US BISHOPS - BORN IN MEXICO RAISED IN THE USA: DeNardo stroke elevates Vice Chair.

THE WONDER OF THINGS UNSEEN: Truths in the Cosmos.

COMMUNION RAILS, COMPLEMENTARY ROLES, SACRED SPACE: So true.

II. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND AMERICA

IRAQ, ISRAEL, BUCHANAN, AND THE ANTI-SEMITE CHARGE: In 2003 Pat Buchanan was shunned as an anti-Semite. In this prophetic piece, WHOSE WAR he distinguished between the policies of Israel's Likud Party and the American nation. His trenchant argument against the war with Iraq was marginalized by the smear. Israel by 2001 was more allied with Saudi Arabia than any other Mideast country. From the beginning they had no serious interest in the US understanding the Salafist Sunni roots of 9/11. America needs a policy toward Israel like Eisenhower employed when allies Britain France and Israel attacked Egypt and Ike sided with the Arab nationalist. Recognizing Jerusalem as a capital and the Golan Heights as a legitimate war-won boundary does not mean the US should be drawn into war with Iran. Iran is a legitimate nation-Persian and Shiite and a bulwark against the real leader of worldwide terrorism-the Saudis. President Obama was right when he tried to reset the table in the Muslim Mideast. He acted like Richard Nixon did to change the balance of the Cold war. His own countrymen betrayed him. President Trump was right to recognize Jerusalem the capital of Israel and the Golan Heights as a legitimate war won territorial boundary. What is not legitimate is for Israel to deny Syria the ability to choose their allies(Iran). The key to the Mideast has very little to do with Israel's relation to the imagined nation of Palestine. It has much more to do with establishing a respectful mutual recognition among three sovereign nations: Iran, Israel, and Syria. The courageous moves by President  Trump in recognizing a defensible and coherent territorial Israel must extend to the other nations of the region. Iran, Syria, Turkey and Iraq are established nation states. Within their borders they must be sovereign. The Americans who favor such national integrity for Israel should stop promoting a permanently divided Syria and regime change in Iran.

AN ASIAN DEMOCRAT LIGHTS UP JOE ROGAN: The candidacy of Mr Yang.

ROBERT GRAHAM, THE SAUDIS, AND  9/11: Democratic ex-Senator and ex-Governor of Florida was co chair of the Congressional 911 investigation. A group of investigative journalists and families of 911 are pursuing  members of the Saudi Royal family as co conspirators in the attack.

THE NEW ARISTOCRACY: Education and the 9.9%.

III. THE NATIONS

THE LARGEST CATHOLIC AND LARGEST PROTESTANT COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD ARE LED BY NATIONALISTS WHO MET IN THE WHITE HOUSE MAR 19, 2019

PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSANARO, BRAZIL (through translator): In conclusion, may I say that Brazil and the United States stand side-by-side in their efforts to ensure liberties and respect the traditional family lifestyles and respect to God, our creator, against the gender ideology and the politically correct attitudes and against fake news. The United States changed in 2017, and Brazil has started to change now.

We want to have a great America, yes, and a great Brazil. May I voice my admiration and recognition to President Donald Trump on this beautiful day where we seal the promising alliance between the two most promising and largest democracies in the Western hemisphere, may God bless Brazil and the United States of America.

SENATE AND HOUSE VOTE TO END US SUPPORT FOR SAUDI ARABIA IN YEMEN: California representative is key mover.   AOA Background on Yemen.

NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER JACINDA AHERN IN SOLIDARITY WITH SLAIN MUSLIMS IN HER COUNTRY - BEAUTIFUL MOVE!

She was very good in compassion--much less serious as a social protector.  Our analysis of the shooter and his manifesto.

ERDOGAN TO NEW ZEALAND: Restore the death penalty.

SYRIA IN THREE PARTS: Turkish Sunni 10%, Assad Syria 60%, US and Kurds east of Euphrates 30%. ISIS destroyed but Syria is not yet restored.

ITALY JOINS THE CHINA INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE: First the Pope and now the nation.  Italy is Europe's link to Africa--who thinks that way?

VENEZUELA - THE WESTERN LEFT MUST ESCAPE THEIR PARADIGM: Maduro does not deserve support in the name of "the people" against the big bad US corporations. South American leftists know this. Why doesn't Senator Sanders and Rep Cortez. Here is a nine minute video on Venezuela.

TRUMP SUPPORT AMONG CATHOLICS: Slightly down among whites, but has doubled in approval among non-whites.

MALAYSIA'S PRIME MINISTER WARNING ON CHINA: 93 year old Mahathir Mohamad is playing the old role of Lee Kuan Yew as an Asian political wiseman explaining the lessons of history and the way of the nations. Malaysia knows the imperialism of the West and the East. Malaysia has 31 million people. 60% Muslim (Shafi'i Sunni); 20% Buddhist; 10% Christian; 5% Hindu.

IV. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

INTERVIEW WITH MARY GRESS: Author of the Anti Mary Exposed.    A longer excellent you tube interview with Patrick Coffin.

LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION AND FOREIGN SEX TRAFFICKING: The Netherlands drives local women out and sets up a foreign market in women. Once again unbridled freedom in the West means slavery for somebody in the South.

SOME NUMBERS TO KNOW FROM BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Demographics.

FOR ALL THOSE ECOFACISTS OUT THERE,  LETS TRY SOME REALITY THERAPY: Who emits CO2 by country and per capita?

Religion and Geopolitics Review: Saturday, November 19

by Dr. David Pence and A. Joseph Lynch

PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS EDITION

ANALYZING THE VOTE: PEW Research by race and gender. Trump’s margin among whites without a college degree is the largest among any candidate in exit polls since 1980. Two-thirds (67%) of non-college whites backed Trump, compared with just 28% who supported Clinton, resulting in a 39-point advantage for Trump among this group. In 2012 and 2008, non-college whites also preferred the Republican over the Democratic candidate but by less one-sided margins (61%-36% and 58%-40%, respectively). Because Trump did not do as well with college educated white women  as Romney, his margin of the overall white vote was similar to Romney. However by turning working class whites in the Rust Belt he took new states. His loss of college white women in the Democrat’s big states ran up victory margins for Clinton but won her no new electoral votes. AOA Maps of what happened by A. Joseph Lynch. 16 lessons from 16 election by Larry Sabato.

THE NEXT PRESIDENT - WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN:         Paleocons and the Election.
 Mr Trump’s God Whisperer - interesting profile of a lady Pentecostal who crosses color lines for Christ.  Donald Trump's post-secular win - the return of Christian America. This short, very perceptive, article by Stephen Turley at Imaginative Conservative seems right-on to us. It starts with this racist sexist homophobic xenophobic quote from Mr Trump: “Imagine what our country could accomplish if we started working together as one people, under one God, saluting one American flag.” Cain Pence in Washington Examiner on Election and Shakespeare.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Robert Reich on their leaving the working class. From Debbie Wasserman to Keith Ellison - is this the DNC chairman who will win back the working class? Powerline’s Scott Johnson knows Ellison well, as he remembers the Democrats who opposed him in his initial rise as a Minneapolis congressman. They knew Ellison, and told reporter Johnson the Ellison story as Democrat insiders. They have gone silent as the left seeks to take the Democratic Party from the Clinton syndicate, but Mr. Johnson remembers.

The YWCA, like most WASP institutions, is neither young nor Christian anymore but is reliably feminist. Here is some of their trenchant analysis of the presidential election in which "the glass ceiling remained as the floor fell in." This is part of a series on institutional freakouts at the Trump election from the excellent political blog Powerline. Stay at the site to explore how the corporate world is responding to their fellow citizens' exercise of their franchise. Freakout at the YWCA.

FDR was am upper-class guy who was "a traitor to his class" as he put the working class to work and to war as fellow Americans. The Clintons were lower middle-class who became upwardly mobile themselves, at the expense of manual laborers. They too were traitors to their class, but as grifters not nationalists.

The 'Feminist Implant' is America's Blue Angel Syndrome - a deadly infatuation leading to humiliation, emasculation,  and sinning against God the Father.

An Englishman on the left gives the best tirade yet to fellow leftists on why the left can no longer make arguments. Johnny Pie on Why Trump beat Clinton (LANGUAGE ALERT).

SAYING GOODBYE TO HILLARY: Tim Kaine picked Langston Hughes to hold fast. This celebration of a hardline Communist poet is significant because the atheist project of overthrowing the rule of the Father is now being carried by feminism. All sorts of middle-class women  are telling us they can't wait to overthrow the patriarchy, and insert a female in our military command. They may agree that Hillary was the wrong woman, but a woman president is still a great idea. This national psychosis that we should break up all male hierarchical groups in the name of justice for women  has not yet been cured.  Defeating Hillary Clinton was a huge miraculous step in extracting the feminist implant and reasserting sacral and sexual order. But our work is just beginning. 

THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE TRANSFORMATIVE NATURE OF THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY: UNDERSTAND FLYNN AND BANNON:
General Flynn - a profile. Another profile during campaign.
Steve Bannon according to Cosmo magazine. They are harsh critics but still informative.
Here is a better article about Bannon who is the big idea and historical/cultural thinker who so resonates with Trump. He sees a working man’s party that cuts across color lines. "I am an economic nationalist, not a white nationalist." He thinks of himself as a Kennedy Democrat who saw the Clintons and other social movements steal the Democratic Party from the working man. A transcript from a speech he gave by telephone to a conference on poverty at the Vatican in 2014. A Vanity Fair profile during the campaign.

THE SEA CHANGE IN RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA IS REAL.
 Trump during WSJ interview Nov 11, 2016:

"I've had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria. My attitude was you're fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. “Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria. Now we're backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are.”

The most important foreign policy difference between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was the different anti-terror strategy that Trump showed in the Republican primaries. Mrs Clinton was much more allied with the Republican neocon hawks that he so soundly defeated. This was under-reported during the campaign and in the early transition, but it will become a great foreign policy debate. Certain Republican hawks will be the major opponents of the president (look for Senators McCain and Graham as early critics). Some Democratic senators will emerge as his advocates. Our first analysis.
Our short explanation of Trump change in American policy in Syria and with Russia. President-elect Trump’s national security pick (General Flynn) and his top strategic advisor (Stephen Bannon) are fully on board with his initiative to normalize relations with Russia.

ISRAEL AND U.S. IN TRUMP ERA: A good summary of Israel’s Priorities. Could Trump adopt the one-state solution? A nationalist who allies with Israel will first protect the territorial integrity of the Jewish state. Our prediction is that the two-state paradigm (an independent Palestine cut out of Israel’s West Bank of Judea and Samaria) will be abandoned as a failed historical fantasy. The most dramatic evidence of this will be the restoration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  

A FEW NON-ELECTION THOUGHTS ON THE CHURCH AND EDUCATION:
Thinking about the Mystical Body of Christ with Evangelicals -- hard to do. A Totalizing Discourse: Classical Education and Christian Culture -- Turley at Imaginative Conservative.

The Genius of St Albert the Great, teacher of St Thomas Aquinas, patron of scientists. His feast day celebrated Nov 15.
 From a 2010 talk by Pope Benedict XVI:

"His encyclopedic interests led him not only to concern himself with philosophy and theology, like other contemporaries of his, but also with every other discipline then known, from physics to chemistry, from astronomy to minerology, from botany to zoology. For this reason POPE PIUS XII Pope named him Patron of enthusiasts of the natural sciences and also called him "Doctor universalis" precisely because of the vastness of his interests and knowledge.

... His method consisted simply in the observation, description and classification of the phenomena he had studied, ...A man of faith and prayer, as was St Albert the Great, can serenely foster the study of the natural sciences and progress in knowledge of the micro- and macrocosm, discovering the laws proper to the subject, since all this contributes to fostering thirst for and love of God. The Bible speaks to us of creation as of the first language through which God who is supreme intelligence, who is the Logos reveals to us something of himself. This is one of the great merits of St Albert: with scientific rigour he studied Aristotle's works, convinced that all that is truly rational is compatible with the faith revealed in the Sacred Scriptures. In other words, St Albert the Great thus contributed to the formation of an autonomous philosophy, distinct from theology and united with it only by the unity of the truth. So it was that in the 13th century a clear distinction came into being between these two branches of knowledge, philosophy and theology, which, in conversing with each other, cooperate harmoniously in the discovery of the authentic vocation of man, thirsting for truth and happiness: and it is above all theology, that St Albert defined as "emotional knowledge", which points out to human beings their vocation to eternal joy, a joy that flows from full adherence to the truth."

Map on Monday: SYRIA

This post originally appeared on Anthropology of Accord on September 14, 2015. Click here to read our Map on Monday: SYRIA post.

An update on how the election of Donald Trump may effect an alliance with Russia and Syria’s Assad. This would bring a dramatic change of strategy which we have advocated for several years.


The most significant voice one should hear on Syria is from the University of Oklahoma. Again, we find far from the DC think tanks (though he has spoken to them) real academic experts who know their disciplines, but have not risen as high as they might among the Eastern elite. Joshua Landis (b. 1957) grew up in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. He is fluent in French and Arabic. He heads Oklahoma’s Center for Middle East Studies, and runs the always astute Syria Comment.

This excellent interview from that blog includes alternatives for the Trump administration. Professor Landis concludes that President Assad and the Russians view the situation much more accurately than US policymakers. The democracy revolution of Senator McCain and Secretary Clinton was western hubris. By arming the revolution which failed, we added to the death toll without advancing freedom. Democracy was never a goal of the participants, and the idea of a unified Syrian national identity apart from the Assad coalition is a fantasy.

The shift in policy toward a concert of the civilized nations received a huge boost in late 2016 as a rift between Saudi Arabia and Egypt developed on Syrian policy. The Egyptians have come to see the destabilization of Syria’s Assad is a prescription for disaster.  A major emphasis in the realignment of forces should be supporting Egypt as a responsible Sunni Arab nation state ready to help extricate the demonic Salafist influence from Islam.

Map on Monday: PERSIA AND SHIA ISLAM

LINGUISTIC AND COMMUNAL LOYALTIES OF THE MIDEAST AND CENTRAL ASIA: A THREE PART SERIES ON THE ARABS, PERSIANS, AND TURKS

PART II: PERSIA, SHIA ISLAM AND THE PRESENT CONFLICT

by A. Joseph Lynch

The map, above, roughly depicts the areas of Shiite Muslim predominance in the Mideast and Central Asia. By tying this to a map of Persian languages (see map below), we come to appreciate Iran's place in the Islamic world. Recent events have proven that what concerns Saudi Arabia (and many US foreign policy experts) more than ISIS or Al Qaeda is Shia Islam. Despite the fact that Shiites make up only 10-15% of Islam, ten Sunni Arab states (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Morocco, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and the former Yemeni government in exile) with US support have begun battling Shiites in Yemen, while Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula takes hold of the eastern half of the nation. Meanwhile, Iraq and Syria continue to be overrun by the Islamic State; and General Petraeus has declared: "I would argue that the foremost threat to Iraq's long-term stability and the broader regional equilibrium is not the Islamic State; rather, it is Shiite militias." 

The Saudi-led attack on the Shiites of Yemen is better understood, given the map above. Saudi Arabia fears a Shiite-controlled region inYemen. No one seriously thinks the Houthi could control all of Yemen which appears now to be permanently fractured like Syria and Iraq. The idea that the Houthi as Houthi or as an agent of Iran are a threat to Saudi Arabia's sovereignty is a smokescreen. The House of Saud sees them correctly as one of many enemies: Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria to the north; Iran across the Persian Gulf to its east and Bahrain on its own side of the Persian Gulf.  Saudi Arabia, with its low population and heavy Shia majority in its own oil-rich eastern Gulf coast, is certainly insecure.  Shiite Iran (and other Shiite governments in Iraq and Syria) are well aware of Sunni designs to topple their governments. They also know Israel and America favor regime change in Syria and Iran. That Saudi Arabia was able to gather a quick league of nations to assault the poorest Shiites in the region. The bombings and blockades smell of religious violence more than a restoration of political authority for the discredited ex-President Hadi. The Saudi-escalated involvement against the Shia government of Syria -- and the lack of Sunni Arab vigor in combating the Islamic State and Al Qaeda (both Sunni terror groups) -- are further signs that the Arab Spring has now morphed into the Salafist-Shia religious war.

While Sunni Arab states run generally westward from the Arabian peninsula throughout north Africa, Shia Iran and its Persian language is oriented eastward from the borders of Iraq, across Iran, and into Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Each of these nations -- along with the Kurds -- speak a Persian-derived tongue. It is estimated that 150-200 million people speak one of 86 Iranian languages (e.g., Persian, Kurdish, and Pashto). Although Pakistan's dominant Sunni Islam puts it into the Arab Sunni camp in its relations to Iran, around 20% of Pakistan is Shiite, thus making it the second largest Shiite nation in the world after Iran with upwards of 30 million Shiites. (The Shiites of India have about the same number). Afghanistan is around 10%-15% Shiite, and Iran helped them and the US in toppling the Sunni-extremist Taliban government in 2001-2002.

Shia Iran is a gateway to central Asia and to its eastern Islamic neighbors. Given that Iran alone has access to the energy resources around both the Caspian and Persian Gulf -- as well as the fact that it could become an export hub for resources in landlocked Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan -- Iran should be cultivated as an ally in the region.

In the seventh century, the Christian Byzantines and Zoroastrian Sasanian Persian dynasty fought a long series of wars that left both exhausted and vulnerable. The two depleted cultures fell to Arab Islamic conquest. As we recall the Arab-Sunni-Wahhabi faction that struck us on 9/11 (which Iran condemned), let us not repeat that seventh-century foreign policy mistake in our own era.

In our third and final part we turn  to the Turkic people of the steppe lands stretching across Anatolia to western China. Use the following link to read part one of this series.

This article first appeared on Anthropology of Accord on May 4, 2015.