Religion, Nations, and Geopolitical Review: SATURDAY, AUGUST 31

by A. Joseph Lynch

THE WEEKLY BRIEF
PROGROGATION APPROVED - BREXIT MOVES FORWARD

We hope to help ease the hyperventilating that has taken place in regards to the Queen's approval of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's formal request to "prorogue" Parliament. Prorogation is no coup or attack on the democratic process. It is certainly not akin to a fascist takeover of power. Indeed, prorogation seemed to be the best way in which the people's vote to leave the European Union could be protected.

Prorogation, or discontinuing a session of Parliament (not dissolving Parliament), is a common practice that actually takes place around this time of year. It is often used in the month or two leading up the the Queen's annual speech to Parliament - a speech that, due to Brexit proceedings, hasn't taken place since 2017. With the speech long overdue, there's nothing out of the ordinary about proroguing Parliament through late October when the Queen has agreed to give her speech.

What is out of the ordinary, however, is a "hard" Brexit - a no deal Brexit - set to take place on October 31. With Parliament prorogued until the deadline approaches, it seems as though a no deal Brexit is likely. Peter Zeihan argues a no deal Brexit has always been a foregone conclusion. Dr. Steve Turley explains that Brexit is but a microcosm of what is sure to take place across Europe. Traditionalist, nationalist, and populist movements are on the rise. After Brexit fades out of the news cycle, Europe's many problems sidelined by the news will return to the forefront. Brexit is just the beginning.

I. POPE FRANCIS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

PELL'S CONVICTION UPHELD: We at AoA have never thought his conviction smelled right. Pell was in charge of cleaning up Vatican finances and was soon after charged with sex abuse back home in Australia. An appeals court ruled his conviction stands, but we still suspect his innocence. 

AMERICA GETS IT WRONG: A response to James Martin's complaints about the "lack" of women's participation in liturgical ministry in America magazine. 

SHEEN MIRACLE APPROVED: This might be old news to some readers, but we want to be sure it gets full coverage at AoA. Last month a miracle attributed to Archbishop Fulton Sheen was confirmed. With is remains now returned to Peoria, Illinois, he will now receive beatification in the months ahead.

II. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND AMERICA

TRUMP LEAKER OUT: Madeleine Westerhout, personal secretary to the president and gatekeeper to the Oval Office, is out after the White House discovered she was leaking information to the press. Some reports indicate she had cried tears of sadness when Trump was elected - not exactly the person one would want in your inner circle. A Daily Wire article surmised only days ago that Trump's leaked idea of nuking hurricanes was planted to catch a leaker. Whether or not this was intended, a leaker has indeed been caught.

WALSH VS. TRUMP: On August 25, former GOP Illinois congressmen Joe Walsh announced he would provide Trump with a primary challenge. His campaign got off to a rocky start as the very next day he had to apologize for racist remarks: "I wouldn’t call myself a racist, but I would say... I’ve said racist things... There’s no doubt about it ― and apology is not enough." Does anyone think this man will still be in the race six months from now?

SENATE GOP TO SCOTUS DEFENSE: After Democrats threatened openly to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices “in order to reduce the influence of politics” in decisions, the Senate GOP under McConnell pledged it would keep SCOTUS to nine justices, saying: "We share Justice Ginsburg’s view that ‘nine seems to be a good number,’ And it will remain that way as long as we are here.” Meanwhile, Justice Ginsburg has now been treated for pancreatic cancer. This comes after having colon cancer in 1999, early stage pancreatic cancer in 2009, lung cancer in 2018, and three broken ribs the same year. Is her time on the Court coming to a close?

U.S. MILITARY BASES: A good survey of U.S. bases, geostrategy, and global geography.

III. THE NATIONS

RESTORE THE G8?: President Trump again has asked for Russia to be restored to the G7 - which would then return to the name G8. France's Macron, however, thought that the G7 should be limited to "a community of liberal democracies." Trump rightly thinks the nation with the largest nuclear arsenal should be at the table rather than forced into the arms of the Chinese (an alliance we managed to break when Nixon went to China). We should ask ourselves why Canada is allowed into the G7 while major powers like Russia, China, and India are left out. A map of the G7 - which includes Japan - looks strangely similar to the geopolitical structure of the early 20th century.

FIRES IN BRAZIL - FAKE NEWS: It turns out that much of what is being said about forest fires in Brazil is fake news meant to hurt the rule of nationalist Jair Bolsonaro. The fires are not at record highs, and many if not most were started by farmers preparing their fields for the southern hemisphere's spring planting. Even the NY Times had to admit problems with the liberal narrative on Brazil's fires.

SALVINI AND LEGA OUSTED: Bad news in Italy for Matteo Salvini and his Lega ('The Leage') party. Their coalition government has collapsed and liberals have returned to power. Dr. Steve Turley explains why long term trends, however, favor Salvini - who has yet to lose at the polls among Italians.

IV. CULTURE OF LIFE, CULTURE OF PROTECTION

DANGEROUS SHIFT IN MILLENNIALS: Our readers now we at AoA speak frequently about the three loyalties of man: religion, nation, and marriage. Each gives us a unique communal identity (we might call the defense of these identities "consecrated identity politics"). These identities are cultivated in those who attend church and pray to God, live in a stable family, and learn history and geography. As more young people fail to attend church, live between parents, and are taught STEM over history, we are not surprised to hear that these thee fundamental loyalties are in decline among Millennials. This is not a good sign, but some values can are better appreciated with age. 

JOEL SCHUMACHER GETS CANDID: Filmaker, Joel Schumacher, got candid about his homosexual sexual exploits and the desire of sex over family life among gay men, explaining: "If you went into a gay bar and there were 200 men in there, and you said, ‘Okay, who wants to have a little house with a white picket fence, and a dog, and a child, raise your hands,’ or ‘Who wants to get laid tonight?’ The concept of a lovely suburban life or raising children was not a high concept.”

NO GAY GENE: Another study further confirmed that there is no "gay gene" that can predict one's sexuality.

SATANISM AND CHILD RAPE: Cincinnati police arrested two Satanist males for child rape and pornography. Officials reported "found pentagrams and satanic elements in the room where the pornography was filmed." One officer said: "I've been doing this for 31 years and have I ever come into contact with a case like this? No."

SPACE HEIST: Lesbian astronaut Anne McClain is under investigation for identity theft... in space. One may also remember astronaut Lisa Novak, who in 2007 drove cross-country in diapers over a love triangle. Who is conducting NASA's psychological evaluations?