Former President Donald Trump's United States of America

[afransen]

I came across this video essay about how Trump basically gave China free rein to expand their global and regional influence, and what China is trying to achieve in geopolitical terms. Forgive its cartoonish video accompaniment, the essay itself I thought was pretty good and it lends a bit of humour.

 

[Northern Light]

It would appear that the Americans have just been hacked on a rather grand scale; apparently by the Russians.

CISA Issues Emergency Directive to Mitigate the Compromise of Solarwinds Orion Network Management Products | CISA

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) tonight issued Emergency Directive 21-01, in response to a known compromise of SolarWinds Orion products that are currently being exploited by malicious actors. This Emergency Directive calls on all federal civilian agencies to review...

www.cisa.gov

NYT story on same, below:

Russian Hackers Broke Into Federal Agencies, U.S. Officials Suspect (Published 2020)

In one of the most sophisticated and perhaps largest hacks in more than five years, email systems were breached at the Treasury and Commerce Departments. Other breaches are under investigation.

www.nytimes.com

 

[AlbertC]

American evangelicals and the resistance to COVID vaccines

American evangelicals and the resistance to COVID vaccines | DW | 16.12.2020

Evangelical leaders in the US have helped sow distrust in public health professionals — and COVID-19 vaccines. But some church leaders within the ranks are confronting the resistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.

m.dw.com

 

[Johnny Au]

American evangelicals and the resistance to COVID vaccines

American evangelicals and the resistance to COVID vaccines | DW | 16.12.2020

Evangelical leaders in the US have helped sow distrust in public health professionals — and COVID-19 vaccines. But some church leaders within the ranks are confronting the resistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.

m.dw.com

American evangelicals: Laying on of hands is much more effective than vaccines. Jesus said so. Science is backed by the left-wing cabal. Jesus said so.

Science: Vaccines are much more effective than laying on of hands. Laying on of hands is a placebo at best and we have tested that thoroughly. There's plenty of hard evidence from numerous independent studies to back the efficacy of vaccines over laying on of hands. We are completely non-partisan, unlike American evangelicals who keep pushing politics.

I go with the side with the strongest evidence, which is science.

 

[W. K. Lis]

American evangelicals: Laying on of hands is much more effective than vaccines. Jesus said so. Science is backed by the left-wing cabal. Jesus said so.

Science: Vaccines are much more effective than laying on of hands. Laying on of hands is a placebo at best and we have tested that thoroughly. There's plenty of hard evidence from numerous independent studies to back the efficacy of vaccines over laying on of hands. We are completely non-partisan, unlike American evangelicals who keep pushing politics.

I go with the side with the strongest evidence, which is science.

The Drowning Man

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.​

​

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, "Jump in, I can save you."​

​

The stranded fellow shouted back, "No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me."​

​

So the rowboat went on.​

​

Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, "Jump in, I can save you."​

​

To this the stranded man said, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."​

​

So the motorboat went on.​

​

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, "Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety."​

​

To this the stranded man again replied, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."​

​

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.​

​

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, "I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!"​

​

To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"​

From link.

 

[Pow Wow]

American evangelicals: Laying on of hands is much more effective than vaccines. Jesus said so. Science is backed by the left-wing cabal. Jesus said so.

Paint with a broad brush, much? Literally no Christian says that, as there is no scriptural support for such a mentality. Moreover, Christianity and science aren’t at odds with each other. Most evangelicals, and Christians in general, champion science. Let’s remember that the empirical method was born out of a religious tradition and was fathered by a Christian (Bacon). Additionally, most of the trailblazers of science were also Christians: Newton, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Maxwell, Faraday, Darwin, Mendel, etc.

 

[Northern Light]

Paint with a broad brush, much? Literally no Christian says that, as there is no scriptural support for such a mentality. Moreover, Christianity and science aren’t at odds with each other. Most evangelicals, and Christians in general, champion science. Let’s remember that the empirical method was born out of a religious tradition and was fathered by a Christian (Bacon). Additionally, most of the trailblazers of science were also Christians: Newton, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Maxwell, Faraday, Darwin, Mendel, etc.

We are not going to have this forum degenerate into theological debate.

You are responding to exasperation based on a real article, about a sub-set of the Christian community, in the U.S.

Not all Christians, not everywhere.

Some Christians, somewhere.

The exasperation is understandable, a linked article is available establishing the basis for the exasperation.

You are counter-attacking in a way that is unreasonable, as it is against a non-existent attack.

You also did not show any evidence of having read the article in question.

PS, Bacon was born more than a century before any variation of Evangelical Christianity existed.

 

[Pow Wow]

We are not going to have this forum degenerate into theological debate.

You are responding to exasperation based on a real article, about a sub-set of the Christian community, in the U.S.

Not all Christians, not everywhere.

Some Christians, somewhere.

The exasperation is understandable, a linked article is available establishing the basis for the exasperation.

You are counter-attacking in a way that is unreasonable, as it is against a non-existent attack.

You also did not show any evidence of having read the article in question.

PS, Bacon was born more than a century before any variation of Evangelical Christianity existed.

I’m not trying to have a theological debate.

What I was attacking, specifically, was Johnny’s straw man argument: “Jesus said so;” which isn’t substantiated with any words attributed to him in the gospels, nor do evangelicals even use such language. His post is replete with generalitzations about American evangelicals, which was written in a way that betrays an all encompassing attitude toward them, as if they view such matters in the same myopic way.

Yes, I didn’t read the article in question, at first, but I wasn’t responding to it. I was addressing a common, fallacious attitude that Johnny and many others share with respect to American evangelicalism, and Christianity, at large. Given the fact that Johnny posted said article — which assumes that he read it before posting — he ought to have a more balanced view of those that he derides.

Lastly, I never said, nor did I imply, that Bacon was an evangelical, specifically. I said he, and the other pioneers of science, were largely Christians.

P.S. The article features a photo of Paula White, who teaches a false gospel. That’s not even an accurate representation of an evangelical leader.

 

[afransen]

^A lot of evangelicals don't seem very versed in what the bible actually says, but rather highly interpreted passages fed to them by their pastor. I'm certain you can find evangelical leaders who hold that view. And their congregations listen to them because they interpret Jesus for them.

 

[Pow Wow]

^A lot of evangelicals don't seem very versed in what the bible actually says, but rather highly interpreted passages fed to them by their pastor.

I agree with that. Many Christians and non-believers aren’t well-versed in scripture. This can be problematic for both sides. This demonstrates the importance of having good exegesis.

 

[adma]

I agree with that. Many Christians and non-believers aren’t well-versed in scripture. This can be problematic for both sides. This demonstrates the importance of having good exegesis.

I think you have to remember that the "Jesus said so" argument you're responding to was meant sarcastically. It's in reference to what *these people* interpret as the words of Jesus, Otherwise you might as well consign someone like, say, Jimmy Carter to the Jayzuz nuttosphere.

And re that earlier afransen statement:

^A lot of evangelicals don't seem very versed in what the bible actually says, but rather highly interpreted passages fed to them by their pastor. I'm certain you can find evangelical leaders who hold that view. And their congregations listen to them because they interpret Jesus for them.

*Exactly*. To them, the Bible is an emblem, more than something to be actually read on one's own initiative. Because, face it--the Bible can be difficult to read, and we're not talking about people who are blessed with the necessary literacy skills to properly read and interpret something like the Bible. Scripture can be complex; they seek simple. Thus attending service to them is a little like kindergarten storytime, or like "snowplow parenting" where Mom makes things easy for Junior.

For them, actual Biblical scholarship might seem like an intellectual "plot" to covertly undermine Jayzuz.

 

[lenaitch]

US Space, a new branch of the military.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/18/space-force-members-guardians/

Debate has already started whether the mascot should be a raccoon or a tree.

 

[Admiral Beez]

What’s with the US, the inventor of the internet (with credit to the Brits) and with a huge cyber security apparatus (including the NSA to spy on its own citizens), being both open to foreign attack and seemingly unwillingly to punish its attackers in kind.

Bolton Says if Russia Can Hack US Systems, Other Govts Can Too

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said reports of unauthorized computer breaches at several U.S. federal government agencies – including the Pentagon – show that if Russia is confirmed to be culprit than other foreign governments are aware they also can hack...

www.newsmax.com

Shouldn’t the US have a de facto MAD notice to the Russians, Chinese, Israelis, whomever? I’m not taking about threats in the media, I’m referring to options like disabling Russia and China’s swift codes, or hitting their systems twice as hard as they hit the US. And forget about Beijing’s or Putin’s denials, nothing happens there without the leadership’s knowledge. I hope for the western world’s sake that Biden takes a stand, a public stand like GW Bush on 9/11.

“The search is underway for those who were behind these evil acts. I have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.“

And earlier at Ground Zero.

“I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people -- and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”

That’s what Trump or Biden need to be saying. Those who attack the US in any measure will hear from us soon. If there’s a cyber war a foot, shouldn’t the world’s sole remaining superpower have the means and willpower to crush all comers?

 

[Northern Light]

What’s with the US, the inventor of the internet (with credit to the Brits) and with a huge cyber security apparatus (including the NSA to spy on its own citizens), being both open to foreign attack and seemingly unwillingly to punish its attackers in kind.

Bolton Says if Russia Can Hack US Systems, Other Govts Can Too

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said reports of unauthorized computer breaches at several U.S. federal government agencies – including the Pentagon – show that if Russia is confirmed to be culprit than other foreign governments are aware they also can hack...

www.newsmax.com

Shouldn’t the US have a de facto MAD notice to the Russians, Chinese, Israelis, whomever? I’m not taking about threats in the media, I’m referring to options like disabling Russia and China’s swift codes, or hitting their systems twice as hard as they hit the US. And forget about Beijing’s or Putin’s denials, nothing happens there without the leadership’s knowledge. I hope for the western world’s sake that Biden takes a stand, a public stand like GW Bush on 9/11.

“The search is underway for those who were behind these evil acts. I have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.“

And earlier at Ground Zero.

“I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people -- and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”

That’s what Trump or Biden need to be saying. Those who attack the US in any measure will hear from us soon. If there’s a cyber war a foot, shouldn’t the world’s sole remaining superpower have the means and willpower to crush all comers?

Really? Bush never did get Bin Laden; what he did manage was to initiate wars that killed more than 1,000,000 civilians in Aghanistan and Iraq; in the case of the former, oddly coincidentally permitting a U.S. pipeline across the north of
said country.

BBC NEWS | Business | Afghan pipeline given go-ahead

The Afghan Pipeline You Don't Know About

…and speaking of oil, just when we were barely getting used to Big Oil and Iraq hitting the front pages of American newspapers in tandem, here comes Afghanistan! Who now remembers that delegation of Taliban officials, shepherded by Unocal ("We're an oil and gas company. We go where the oil and...

www.thenation.com

 

[W. K. Lis]

...
Shouldn’t the US have a de facto MAD notice to the Russians, Chinese, Israelis, whomever? I’m not taking about threats in the media, I’m referring to options like disabling Russia and China’s swift codes, or hitting their systems twice as hard as they hit the US. And forget about Beijing’s or Putin’s denials, nothing happens there without the leadership’s knowledge. I hope for the western world’s sake that Biden takes a stand, a public stand like GW Bush on 9/11.
...

From link.