What’s interesting out there today?
As always, Open Thread.
Under intense pressure from Britain and France, the European Union’s arms embargo against the Syrian rebels has been lifted. From TheBBC
Canada however, has broken ranks because of the jihadist connections. Any country that sends in weapons will arm extremists. There’s no way around it.
“Our strong concern has been, and continues to be, the number of radical jihadists that have entered parts of the opposition and, in our view, that’s not getting better. It is, in fact, getting worse,” Baird said.” From TheSunNewsNetwork
I wish they’d sit McCain down and explain this to him. He just doesn’t get it. I’ve said numerous times that we shouldn’t arm these people. Once again we have reports, that if true, demonstrate why. This is who and what you will be arming.
Members of the Free Syrian Army reportedly attacked the Christian-dominated al-Duvair village in Reef on the outskirts of Homs on Monday, where they massacred its citizens, including women and children, before the Syrian Army interfered. From Examiner.com
Here’s the original story as well.
Armed rebels attacked a village in Syria’s Western province of Homs and slaughtered all its Christian residents on Monday.From TheFarsNewsAgency
And to make matters worse, Russia is planning to send missiles to the Assad regime. And Israel has stated they will bomb the shipments if they try. Nice.
How about we just stay out of it?
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Who’s up for an ObamaCare update? Or as I like to call it, the slow motion train wreck. Anyway,
LET THE PROPAGANDA BEGIN! Again.
“The goals, Pelosi writes in a “dear colleague” letter that begins the document, are “to educate our constituents about the new law, help to implement it, and strengthen the hands of those who have worked for this historic reform.”
The document is also optimistic about the cost of these plans: “A significant majority of people in the new Marketplaces will pay the same or less than they do for their coverage right now,” it says, citing tax credits available for health-care premiums.” From BuzzFeed
Uh-huh. That sounds familiar. Kinda like “If you like your plan you can keep it.” If you can still afford it once the rates climb. And climb they have. That will continue as well. And once again, Democrats are optimistic about costs, even after the advertised cost has already doubled. 🙄
And like all good propaganda, it must be coordinated.
“Reforming our health care system is an historic opportunity to make health care more affordable and bring the kind of change we were all elected to achieve for the American people,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and committee co-chairmen Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Robert E. Andrews of New Jersey wrote in a May 22 introductory letter accompanying each toolkit, one of which was obtained by CQ Roll Call.
“Nothing could be more important,” the letter continues, “which is why we now want to educate our constituents about the new law, help to implement it, and strengthen the hands of those who have worked for this historic reform.”
In other words, the toolkits — the culmination of months of collaboration and coordination — are meant to help get Democrats “on message” about the law that’s consistently derided by the GOP as a government overreach that will kill jobs. It’s certainly not the first time Democrats have tried to retool their sales job on the health care law, as polls consistently show Democrats have yet to win over the public.” From RollCall
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Here’s an IRS scandal update. Looks like that “low-level employees” lie has officially past it’s expiration date.
“Additional scrutiny of conservative organizations’ activities by the IRS did not solely originate in the agency’s Cincinnati office, with requests for information coming from other offices and often bearing the signatures of higher-ups at the agency, according to attorneys representing some of the targeted groups. At least one letter requesting information about one of the groups bears the signature of Lois Lerner, the suspended director of the IRS Exempt Organizations department in Washington.” From NBCNews
The investigation seems to be expanding to all IRS data on the matter, and thereby, anyone involved.
“The Internal Revenue Service is in the process of locking down all computer data across the agency, a sign that investigations into the scandal-plagued agency may be taking a broader sweep than initially anticipated.
Agency employees last Thursday received an e-mail alerting them, “This is a late breaking top priority and things could change in the future,” according to an IRS employee who asked not to be named.
Employees were directed not to “wipe, re-image or otherwise destroy any hard drives” on any machine currently in use or in stock.” From NationalReview
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This last one is just sad. With people in charge who come up with ideas like this, is it any wonder they abort 41% of pregnancies in NYC?
“The New York City Health Department’s NYC teen website now includes an app that teens can download to their smart phones to get information on “sexual health,” including where they can get birth control and abortions.
The app, under the heading “Important Links and Info,” has three main links – Where to Go; sexual health services, What to Get; condoms and birth control; and What to Expect; at the clinic. From CNSNews
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Wandering Views 
It is time for American Christians to take a real hard look at American foreign policy and Russian foreign policy. For the last 10 years American foreign policy has had a devastating effect on Christians in the Middle East, not to mention other residents of the Middle East and global stability. Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign policy is influenced by religious leaders and has sought to promote stability in the Middle East. I am not saying US leaders have been malevolent, just stupid.
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How do you think you would feel about Obamacare and you either had no insurance and could not afford it? There is another side to this coin.
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Simple reform was needed to help those without insurance. Instead we got this monster called Obamacare with its pile of pages of new regulations and ways to bring down the level of healthcare available. The pages of it are like teeth biting into the people of our nation. I expect to see life expectancy rates drop if it is fully implemented. How bout we count all the aborted lives in that life expectancy rate?
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Which Russian foreign policy? The one that props up bloody dictatorships like Assad’s and sends them arms despite the protest of democracies like Israel, or the malevolent one that brutalized the Muslim minorities in the Caucasus, producing a breeding ground for militants and suicide bombers? This after all, is the country whose invasion started the terrible thirty year conflict in Afghanistan which culminated in the Taliban. If Russia’s religious leaders influence their foreign policy, then not only are they unwise, but they are also violating Scripture, which commands Christians to go into all the world, not to conquer, but to preach the Gospel. I am not naïve enough to think that there is an easy, peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria (and I think my government is wise not support either side) but Russia’s policies reek of corruption and death.
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We should stay out of Syria and get out of Iraq and Afghanistan as quickly as every C-130 and other transports available can get us out. Let the Shias and Sunnis fight until the last man is standing, then we can make peace with him. If McCain wants to stop the civil war in Syria, let him negotiate with Assad, not arm unknown rebels who may turn around and attack us, while establishing another Islamic dictatorship like Iran has. When will we learn from our mistakes we made interfering in Latin America, Africa , SE Asia and the Middle East? Apparently not soon enough.
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Re: Obamacare- Some of the non-insured are that way by choice (like my family), not economics. Most young people do not need insurance other than something for catastrophic disease, if that. Car accidents are covered by auto insurance, and workman’s comp covers job related ailments. We are so over insured already, aren’t we? I can’t verify this, but I read somewhere that medical costs skyrocketed after the 1960s when Medicare/Medicaid began. I think insurance companies have pulled the wool over our eyes by making us think we need coverage. And medical institutions may have taken advantage of all the money they could get by charging more.
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Anon,
To be truthful, I’d feely pretty crappy that so many others were being forced to suffer and pay higher rates just to give me something I didn’t earn and won’t be paying for. I’d also be upset that they were taking needed funds from the existing Medicare/Medicaid funds and hurting seniors and the disabled to do so. But that’s just me.
Common sense was needed to reform the cost and availability of medical insurance. But there is very little of that in ObamaCare. And notice that they also left tort reform out of it in order to appease the lawyers who donate to their campaigns. This was never about what it was advertised to be. It still isn’t, and it never will be. This is about the govt forcing people to buy something they may not want or need in order to control a huge section of the economy. Hospitals and doctors will be punished as well. Not to mention the coming shortage of docs and specialists. And Medicare patients are already being told by many docs that they won’t take new patients because they can’t make a living on what the govt pays. This didn’t address that, instead it took more money out.
And we get 16,000 new IRS agents to go after those who won’t play along. Given recent developments at the IRS, I don’t think I need to tell you why that’s a bad idea.
Repeal it now!
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What Peter writes above, that medical costs wouldn’t be as insanely high as they are now if insurance hadn’t made it possible, is something I’ve thought myself.
My husband is self-employed, & as such, we do not have health insurance. Years ago, when our girls were growing up, we also went through a six or seven year period without it. We paid the routine bills, often able to set up payment schedules.
Lee has looked online at health insurance plans, & none of them seem affordable. We have no idea what Obamacare could do for us or how to go about finding out, & we’re not sure we would want to take advantage of it if we could.
I will admit, however, if it’s a case of being over-burdened by health insurance costs, then we might just see what Obamacare can do to help us. (And yes, I know this is inconsistent with our disdain for it.)
It’s too bad we can’t find a plan for only hospital stays or very expensive treatments.
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Roscuro, The people of the Middle East (particularly Christians) were far safer under their old dictators than they are now. Russia has a bigger internal militant Muslim problem than we do. I would not second-guess any actions the Russians have taken. They appear to have been more vigilant keeping tabs on the Boston bomber than our government. To be fair, over the last 10 years, it has been the Middle East policies of the US that have produced corruption and death. Sadly, most of the world understands this.
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Ricky – The uprisings in the Middle East were initially supported by many of those Christians. I have not forgotten that Copts marched with their Muslim neighbours in Tahrir square. Mindy Belz’s lead story on Syria this past month in World begins with a Christian family who has always opposed Assad. The people of those countries had democratic ideals. That the militants took over is a sign that they were more prepared than the moderates, not a sign that the people did not want change, or that their desire for change was due a desire to have Islamic states. I’m not second guessing any of Russia’s policies, recent history states the facts – the Taliban was bred in the seething refugee camps of Pakistan as Afghans took shelter from the endless struggle between the Soviets and the Mujahedeen. I recommend Ahmed Rashid’s book, Taliban. The brutality shown in places like Kosovo in the 90’s by Russia is always used as the reason for the militant attacks of such groups as the Black Widows in recent years. Yes, the policies of the US have also caused destruction and death, but Russia cannot be said to be any better.
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The second Anonymous was I. And it should be Chechnya, not Kosovo.
I have read complaints of Obama unduly influencing journalism, but at least he doesn’t murder his critics: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2006/10/07/russian-journalist-killed.html I like the Russian people, but I don’t see how a government run by a former KGB agent who won’t let go of power is a good example in anything.
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I see that Hezbollah has declared in favour of Assad. Iran and Hezbollah – now those are desirable allies for Russia: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/lebanese-soldiers-killed-on-syrian-border-sectarian-conflict-intensifies/2013/05/28/bb57fe86-c7a2-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_story.html
In this whole conflict, where no side is right, I am reminded of Habakkuk’s exchange with God:
God: “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not their’s… They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.” (1:6, 9)
Habakkuk: “Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One?…
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” (1:12. 13)
God: “And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry…
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his!… Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.” (2:2, 3, 6, 8)
Habakkuk: “O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy…
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” (3:2, 17-19)
Evil men may appear to have the upper hand in the Middle East, but the purposes of God are deeper and unseen. The Church will not die by the hand of Islamic extremists. We must pray for strength for our brothers and those of us who are able may even go to help and even to suffer with them. We have no need of the support of secular, temporary governments in such work.
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Love that last graph, roscuro (although I’d note that God often uses secondary and very ordinary means — governments, perhaps? — to accomplish his ultimate purposes along the way).
But the church will prevail, no matter how things look to us in our limited view of what is God’s grand (and often mysterious) design unfolding.
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Which is all to say the king is in God’s hand.
The Habakukk passage is one often cited by our pastor.
He is sovereign, God’s purpose cannot be thwarted, despite appearances.
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Hezbollah has won elections in Lebanon and Hamas has won elections in the West Bank. Who is the biggest proponent of democracy in the Middle East? The US. Untold thousands have been killed in Iraq and Christians who have lived there for 2,000 years have been forced to flee. Why? The US invaded and failed to prevent an outbreak on anarchy. “Democracy” in Iraq then destabilized Egypt, Libya and Syria. Thanks again, US. Is there any reason to believe the new governments will be better than the old? No.
Russia’s government is far from perfect. Yet, the church probably has more influence on the Russian government than our own.
On domestic policy, I have been impressed with the way Russia jailed protesters who interrupted worship with an obscene demonstration. Militant homosexuals who interrupted worship at St Patricks in NY got no punishment. I have also been impressed with the way Russia has tried to protect its youth from the plague of homosexuality by banning “Gay Pride” parades.
Since Reagan left office, many of the “good” countries have become horrible and some of the “bad” countries have started doing good things.
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God is in control and He uses good countries and bad to achieve His purposes. My initial point was that we should not assume the current US government has any moral superiority. In addition, we need to recognize that the combination of the strength of the US military and the stupidity of US policy has made the US a menace.
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