Saturday, September 19, 2015

Religion and Geopolitics Review: Saturday, September 19

by David Pence and A. Joseph Lynch

REPUBLICAN FOREIGN POLICY: CAN YOU TELL THIS STORY WITHOUT SAUDIS OR PAKISTAN? 

Senator Rand Paul said he was the only candidate who was not for another war in the Mideast, but his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal left him very much in lockstep with the "Iran as the Great Satan" crowd. Marco Rubio was the most articulate in laying out the THREE WARS POLICY urging a bellicose approach to three regional powers: Russia (ruled by a gangster); China (don't appease them); and Iran ("a radical, Shi'a cleric is going to develop a nuclear weapon, and he will also have a long-range missile that can hit the United States"). For good measure he described North Korea as "ruled by a lunatic." Carly Fiorina promised on her first day to call Israel's Netanyahu and say we are friends; and Iran's Supreme Leader, to tell him to open all of his country's military nuclear facilities to the country that has been fighting them for 35 years (the USA)... or suffer consequences. Nothing like a unilateral declaration of war to toughen the lady's war-making credentials -- and on day one to boot!  Only Governor John Kasich suggested a radically different approach to the three major regional countries we are building alliances to oppose.

While discussing nuclear weapons in the Mideast, no one mentioned Israel. And, more strangely, no one brought up Pakistan -- refuge of the Taliban, refuge of Osama bin Laden, and proud owners of 80-100 nuclear warheads first dubbed the "Islamic Bomb."

Rand Paul mentioned Saudi Arabia as a country that makes him angry. The fact that they are the spiritual home of Salafist Sunnis has not yet made the topic list of journalists or candidates in the presidential debates. We need to remember that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9-11 were Salafist Sunnis from Saudi Arabia; and the rest were Salafist Sunnis from other countries. ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram are all Salafist Sunni. The distinction of Sunni and Shia is being obscured by calling all such distinctions sectarian. Donald Trump jump-started the immigration debate. Now who will do the same for a deeper discussion of our foreign policy?


ALL-MALE UNITS AND MIXED

The study from the US Marines isn't pretty for the gender-benders. Refutations soon to follow.


THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT 

Stephen Walt on the myth of the better deal.


RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION: DESTROYING SHIITES IN YEMEN -- THE 'NY TIMES' TAKES NOTE 

The aerial invasion of Yemen by Salafist Saudi Arabia to strike at Shiites is part of the religious war emanating from the Mideast.


ANGLICAN COMMUNION THROUGH CANTERBURY, NOT DOCTRINE? 

The Archbishop of Canterbury tries to untie a difficult knot with a new strategy. He may find what Lincoln found - that some disputes are incompatible with a common life. For now he proposes the sexual disputes that divide the North and South cannot be resolved doctrinally. He proposes a common office of communion: the A of C.


EUROPE AND REFUGEES 

A spiritual reflection on post-Christian European guilt, destructive sentimentalism, and making strangers into citizens by Alastair Roberts.

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