Listen to this carefully and note who funded the documentary and the title seems suddenly less cryptic. The method is dialectical, and that becomes increasingly obvious through this interview, as you hear them point out what they think is hypocritical, and the people who had this made are the COMINTERN agencies we are all familiar with.
How did a self-described conservative evangelical like Mike Johnson wind up supporting the anti-Christian policies of the Biden administration? He’s not the only one, as Megan Basham explains.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Vlad Tepes Bloghttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngVlad Tepes Blog2024-04-20 05:19:492024-04-20 05:23:24VIDEO: Rob Reiner’s dialectic attack on Christianity on behalf of the hidden hand of the COMINTERN
A low-profile case decided Wednesday by the Supreme Court could have big implications for employers’ diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Muldrow v. City of St. Louis was a case about a female police officer who alleged that she was transferred from one department to another because of her sex. She argued that the transfer violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” discrimination with respect to employment “compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges.”
She lost in the lower court because she could not show that the transfer caused her “significant” harm. The lower court held that the transfer “did not result in a diminution to her title, salary, or benefits” and caused “only minor changes in [her] working conditions.”
A unanimous Supreme Court reversed, holding that any harm—whether significant or insignificant—satisfies Title VII.
Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan said that the policewoman “does not have to show … that the harm incurred was significant. Or serious, or substantial, or any similar adjective.”
The take-away is that the policewoman gets to sue, and so do a lot of other people. And not just over sex discrimination or transfers.
The opinion covers a lot more.
Title VII applies to all compensation, terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. If you have been fired, transferred, denied a bonus, or forced to attend (or excluded from) a training program, mentorship program, or retreat, on the basis of your race, sex, or religion, you can sue.
And now, you need not prove that you suffered any significant sort of harm.
As Justice Brett Kavanaugh explained in his concurring opinion, if there’s no floor on the amount of harm you must suffer, then the harm requirement is satisfied by any change in “money, time, satisfaction, schedule, convenience, commuting costs or time, prestige, status, career prospects, interest level, perks, professional relationships, networking opportunities, effects on family obligations, or the like.”
The ruling applies to sex-based transfers, like the policewoman’s, but it also applies to many corporate DEI programs.
It’s fashionable for corporate employers to create race- and sex-based employment conditions and privileges as part of their DEI initiatives.
Some cases are obvious and egregious. For example, Novant Health fired a white male executive in order to replace him with two women—one black, the other white. And Starbucks fired a former manager because she was white.
Other cases are subtle yet ubiquitous. LinkedIn’s “employee resource groups” and mentoring and training programs for “systemically marginalized” groups are representative examples. LinkedIn gives employees access to official programs organized on race and sex lines and creates special mentorships for members of certain groups.
These are all “privileges of employment” under Title VII.
LinkedIn also provides the leaders of these groups special pay on top of their salaries, which is “compensation” under Title VII.
Until Muldrow, cases challenging these programs faced the hurdle of having to prove “significant” harm. A judge might say, “Yes, you were discriminated against, but you didn’t really suffer.” To this, Kavanaugh and others would answer “discrimination is harm,” but that claim wouldn’t have gotten you anywhere.
A judge or jury sympathetic to DEI programs could easily say that a black person who was forced to work on certain projects to meet a client’s racial quota hadn’t suffered “significant” harm. Or that an Asian person denied the benefits of a mentorship program given to black employees hadn’t suffered “significant” harm. Or that a white person forced to undergo training telling her to “be less white” hadn’t suffered “significant” harm.
Today, that hurdle is gone. The harm requirement may now be satisfied by anything as simple as discomfort, status, or interest level. Functionally, discrimination alone is all that must now be proved.
That means that anti-DEI lawsuits just got a lot easier.
Several U.S. states and cities have embraced the president’s policy of a wide-open southern border, which has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood in. Not only are they treated better than U.S. citizens in many cases, receiving taxpayer funded housing, food, education, and health care, they have also contributed to an increase of violent crimes including harassment, rape, theft, and murder — not to mention the escalation in threats from people on the terror watchlist. But these harsh realities didn’t stop Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) from addressing them as “newcomers” in a recent announcement.
In order to justify spending $45.9 million on illegal immigrants, he used the “newcomers” to help excuse the complete irrationality of the circumstances. As Denver is overwhelmed by immigrants, the multi-million package is meant to “fully fund programs … for 2024 and avoid worst-case scenarios projected by the city,” Fox News reported. But notably, the $45.9 million comes “in addition to $44 million in spending already secured for the program through previous budget moves,” which means illegals in this city are now receiving just shy of $90 million.
In a literal sense, taxpayers are a major source of this money. But in a metaphorical sense, American citizens are also paying through programs and services they have not willingly sacrificed. Johnston’s package, for instance, resulted in an $8.4 million cut from the city’s police department, which hurts public safety. The immense spending on illegal immigrants, which went from $2 million to $15 million in Denver between August and December of last year alone, requires budget cuts. And what do budget cuts often result in? People losing their jobs.
Johnston’s office said “it will avoid layoffs or furloughs of employees,” but that doesn’t seem like a promise worth banking on — especially considering the skyrocketing demands of the illegal immigrants. Countless stories have emerged from the border, proving that once the migrants get an inch, they take a mile. And if previous headlines of immigrants murdering young college students, squatting in occupied homes, and overrunning public facilities doesn’t labor the point of their persistence, then perhaps current headlines will.
On Tuesday, “Hundreds of illegal immigrants swarmed New York City’s City Hall … to demand more aid from the city as well as work permits,” The Post Millennial wrote. They also objected to being moved out of luxury hotels, where they were staying for free, to local shelters. Now they want more money? According to Bloomberg, the Big Apple has already “spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on migrant costs,” and they “expect to spend a combined $9.1 billion housing migrants in fiscal years 2024 and 2025.” But evidently, that’s not enough.
America needs to take the reins. Imagine an illegal immigrant claiming to live in your home, but when you report it to the police, you are the one arrested. Well, we don’t have to imagine, since that’s what happened to a 47-year-old woman in Queens. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh explained the woman was “dragged away from her own home — in handcuffs — because someone claims to have a lease for her property.” Walsh said the squatter couldn’t “show the lease to anyone, including the police and the media. But because he claimed he had “been living there for around a month, they arrest the woman.”
These stories are prompting some lawmakers to act, as evidenced by a new bill proposed by Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) to “stop illegal aliens from squatting in U.S. homes.” The Safeguarding Homes from Illegal Entry, Living, and Dwelling Act (SHIELD Act) comes in response to Leonel Moreno, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who posted a video on social media “explaining how to take advantage of squatting laws in the U.S.” And according to The Daily Signal, Moreno’s videos led to an uptick in illegals squatting in New York and Pennsylvania homes.
As Meuser explained, the SHIELD Act would ensure that “if an illegal were to claim squatter rights and enter an individual’s home illegally without any rental paperwork or legitimate lease, they can be arrested and deported and prohibited from ever entering the United States again.”
The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project also warned how election integrity efforts have been compromised by the border crisis. On Monday, they highlighted a flyer found posted throughout Mexico “encouraging illegal immigrants to vote for President Joe Biden in the 2024 election.” The page read, “Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States. We need another four years of his term to stay open.” And even though federal law prohibits non-U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections, organizations are desperately trying to take advantage of the millions of new crossers.
As the Oversight Project emphasized on X, “Election integrity is under assault.” Now, they continued, “You do not need documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. You can vote if you simply swear you are eligible,” and the flyer in question “obviously seeks to prey on unsophisticated illegals and encourages them to illegally vote.” This is all pretty frustrating information. But as overwhelming as this issue has grown to be, it’s not where we give up.
Instead, when reading of all the horrible things happening, we have to understand that this is not a matter of getting frustrated and walking away, but of standing for truth and for what’s right. And every Christian can stand for what is right, even within this messy, hostile, divisive arena. Indeed, we are called to take our voices into the public square. Ephesians 5:11 states, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” And so, that is what we will do, even now. Especially now.
A black Chicago woman in a MAGA hat rips Mayor Brandon Johnson for prioritizing illegals over citizens as he asks for $70 million more to care for the “newcomers.” Meanwhile, a recall petition for Mayor Johnson is gathering serious momentum. pic.twitter.com/J7N3J9PX7b
The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Family Research Councilhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngFamily Research Council2024-04-19 14:34:442024-04-20 04:24:31Leftist Immigration Policies Waste Billions of Dollars and Undermine Election Integrity
A group of Google employees protested Tuesday in California and New York against the information technology corporation’s provision of cloud computing services to Israel, according to reports.
The protesters in Google’s Sunnyvale, California location entered the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian Tuesday morning and said they would leave only if Google would withdraw from Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon to provide cloud services and data centers to the Israeli government, the Washington Post reported.
A similar protest took place in a common space within Google’s New York office, Zelda Montes, one of the protesters, told the outlet. A banner reading “Google Worker Sit-In”, “Against Project Nimbus”, and “No Tech for Genocide” hung above the common space, the outlet revealed.
A protester wore a T-shirt sporting the slogans “Googler against Genocide” and “No Tech for Apartheid” according to Gizmodo.
The provision of public cloud services to the Israeli government is the first of five “central layers” of the “multi-year, large-scale flagship project” that started in 2019, according to Israel’s Government Procurement Administration. Google and Amazon shrugged off Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, the other tenderers who also bid for the contract, in Apr. 2021, Reuters reported.
A group of Google employees staged sit-ins at the company’s offices to protest the tech giant’s work with Israel’s government, escalating the conflict inside tech companies over the war in Gaza and whether U.S. companies should sell technology to Israel. https://t.co/xGxXOnXrGW
Protests from within Google and Amazon have erupted in various forms since then. More than 90 Google employees and more than 300 Amazon employees collectively signed an anonymous Oct. 2021 letter accusing the companies of “aggressively” pursuing military and law enforcement contracts that “are part of a disturbing pattern of militarization, lack of transparency and avoidance of oversight.” They called on both companies to “pull out of Project Nimbus and cut all ties with the Israeli military.”
Two months after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel, workers staged a “die-in” at Google’s downtown San Francisco offices to protest against Israel’s reported use of what appeared to be a separate artificial intelligence program—termed “the Gospel”—in its military response to Hamas, according to the San Francisco (SF) Chronicle.
Google fired an employee who heckled the corporation’s top executive in Israel during a conference in New York in March, leading Montes to contemplate the possibility of being fired, too, according to the Washington Post report. “I have been waiting for months for people to be in the same position as me and be ready to put their job on the line,” Montes told the outlet in part.
'Google is directly profiting from what's taking place in Gaza'
Zelda Montes, a software engineer and No Tech For Apartheid activist, says tech workers are mobilising to put an end to Google and Amazon’s project Nimbus which enables Israeli apartheid ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/VF3bC4PPSb
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00The Daily Callerhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngThe Daily Caller2024-04-19 13:42:532024-04-19 14:29:30‘No Tech For Apartheid’: Google Workers Protest Company’s Services To Israel
Virtually every week there is some news item about the war on America’s founding ideals.
In Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, the “shot heard round the world” rang out, which was the very beginning of the American War for Independence. But, syndicated columnist Don Feder notes, that town recently “removed three historical markers, which had been in place since 1930, that commemorated the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony 300 years earlier,” lest the signs offend woke sensitivities.
In the state of Michigan recently, we have seen Muslims in what has been called “Dearbornistan” chanting “Death to America.” What ingratitude.
We also see people in high places of America who, it would seem, want to see the nation die.
Conservative critics would argue that one way of killing off America is by forcing woke policies until they bankrupt us spiritually, socially, militarily, culturally, academically, and so on.
Woke policies often use the acronym DEI for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But isn’t Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson correct when he says that DEI should be more accurately called DIE? Because whatever things the woke policies touch ultimately die.
President Biden hired Anthony Blinken as Secretary of State. Blinken hired Zakiya Carr Johnson, who does not have a high view of the founding principles of America, to put it nicely.
In a now-deleted post, Carr Johnson wrote, “I understand that we cannot have equity without dismantling structural racism, patriarchy and heterosexism.”
She also pens, “These are chinks in the armor of traditional leadership that refuse to reconcile with a colonizing past, or recognize that time has run out for experimentation and tweaking of a failed historic model.”
Carr Johnson’s role in the State Department? Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
What is she saying? America has a “colonizing past” and is a “failed historic model.” Gary Bauer of Our American Values responds to that remark: “I’d like to know what her preferred ‘model’ is.”
To this day, people risk their lives to come to America. Perhaps the DEI revisionists should go to the border and tell migrants to turn around, since we’re just “a failed historic model.”
But are we? The founding fathers weren’t perfect. But they got a lot of things right.
America’s framers showed the world a better way to promote lasting good in the world. You begin with the foundational truth that our rights come from God, not the state. And then, building on that clear structure, because of man’s inherent sinful nature, you divide power so that no one man or small group can seize all the power for themselves. As James Madison, a key architect of the Constitution, summed up well: “All men having power ought to be distrusted.”
In my documentary on the Constitution (“We the People”) for Providence Forum, some of the guests from different backgrounds remarked how pleased they are to be Americans.
Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., told our viewers, “I’m very grateful, very blessed, and delighted to be an American, because there’s so much liberty still in this great land. Many problems, and I will not deny that we have those problems. But there is still opportunity in America. There is still hope in America. There is still prayer in America, and I continue to pray for America.
The late Billy Falling, a pastor and author, said, “As a Native American, the Constitution means to me that I have a protection, I have a wall, I have something that covers me, and that is the rule of law.”
Father Leon Hutton, a priest based in Ventura, California, noted, “As a Catholic, the Constitution has meant to us the opportunity to freely practice faith as we see it and to celebrate it and to share it with others and allow it to be part of the human discourse in the United States of America.”
Dennis Prager, the Jewish founder of PragerU, remarked, “Let me take the question of what America’s meant to the Jews and incorporated in that is the Constitution. This is the Judeo-Christian country. Christians rooted in [Judaism] founded the country; Jews knew this. Jews who came to America from Europe called it the ‘Golden Medina,’ the golden country, not money gold, but the prize place. Look, ‘God Bless America’ was written by a Jew. Jews were in love with this country and for good reason.”
There’s a famous aphorism that circulates around Washington, D.C.: “Personnel is policy.” The beliefs of the people working in powerful positions in various departments will eventually become the policy of those departments. It’s distressing to see enemies of America’s founding principles in so many high places. Too many of our public officials are woke. The rest of us need to be awakened before we lose the country.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Jerry Newcombe, D. Min.http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngJerry Newcombe, D. Min.2024-04-19 13:22:282024-04-19 13:23:53Is America A ‘Failed Historical Model’?
“This isn’t the Iranian people’s war, it’s Ali Khamenei’s war.” –Reza Pahlavi
Recent tensions between the Islamic Republic and Israel have once again thrust the Middle Eastern region into the spotlight. However, it is crucial to delve deeper into the intricate dynamics at play beyond geopolitical maneuvering and saber-rattling. One key distinction often overlooked is the differentiation between the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people. Iran means the land of Aryans.
The first step in supporting Iranians is to recognize and understand the distinction between the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic. It is essential to acknowledge that the Iranian people are distinct from the regime that governs them. This understanding can help prevent the conflation of the actions of the regime with the desires and aspirations of the Iranian populace.
“We do not worship Iran; we worship Allah,” he declared in a speech in 1980 in Qom. “For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world.”
The frustration felt by Iranians due to the world conflating them with the regime cannot be overstated. It is imperative to recognize that Iran has a rich historical and cultural identity that predates the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Once referred to as Persia, it was the land of the Aryans. A civilization renowned for its contributions to art, science, and literature. The Iranian people, contrary to the regime’s actions, yearn for peace and stability in their homeland.
It is clearly the Mullahs vs. the People. Discontent with the Islamic Republic runs deep within the Iranian populace. Activists and ordinary citizens alike have voiced their opposition to the regime, often at great personal risk. The simmering ethnic tensions between the regime and segments of the Iranian population further underscore the internal strife that plagues the country.
Let’s filter out the misinformation and know the Untold Story. Iranians face a daunting challenge in amplifying their voices amidst the cacophony of misinformation that surrounds them. “Crazy narratives” and “mass disinformation” about Iran often cloud the true aspirations and struggles of its people. The advent of social media, while a potential tool for activism, also presents its own set of challenges in a landscape dominated by state-controlled narratives.
This is a Call for Clarity. It is essential to advocate for the use of precise language when discussing Iran. By distinguishing between “Iran” and the “Islamic Republic,” observers can better understand the situation. This differentiation is crucial in acknowledging the Iranian people’s desire to be recognized as a peace-loving society distinct from the actions and policies of the Islamic regime.
We can begin the process by discoursing Iranian voices. The world can better support Iranians by providing platforms for their voices to be heard. This can be done through international media coverage, support for independent journalism within Iran, and facilitating opportunities for Iranian activists and advocates to share their perspectives on the global stage. By doing this, the Iranian voices and the world can better understand the sentiments and aspirations of Iranian citizens.
Only then can we move on to the “Diplomatic Engagement” stage because diplomatic efforts that prioritize the well-being and aspirations of the Iranian people are the only significant form of support. This involves fostering constructive dialogue with Iranian civil society, human rights organizations, and representatives of diverse Iranian communities and diasporas.
Diplomatic engagement should aim to empower Iranians and address their concerns, thereby demonstrating solidarity with the Iranian people.
Advocacy for human rights in Iran is crucial for supporting Iranians. The world can advocate for the protection of fundamental rights, freedom of expression, and the release of political prisoners in Iran. By standing up for the human rights of Iranians, the global community sends a powerful message of solidarity and support for those striving for a more just and free society within Iran.
The final stage of recognition of the Iranian people is cultural exchange and collaboration. Promoting cultural exchange and collaboration with Iranian artists, intellectuals, and civil society members can foster mutual understanding and solidarity. Encouraging educational and artistic exchanges and collaborations in science, technology, and academia can build bridges between the Iranian people and the international community.
Therefore, it is imperative to recognize the complexities underlying the relationship between the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic. A more nuanced understanding that separates the people from the regime is crucial and respectful of the desires and struggles of the Iranian populace.
The time for a change has arrived. The majority of the Iranian people refuse to be fooled and intimidated any longer. They refuse to obey orders from the beasts of Allah currently ruling Iran. Iranians have recognized the fundamental weaknesses of their oppressors. With a little help here and a little help there, they can be transformed overnight from seemingly subdued and helpless sheep into mighty lions.
It is time for the Iranians to strike, gather forces, organize, and especially demonstrate in the streets in increasing numbers, even in the face of massive, gruesome, bloody repression by the Islamic rulers, who still have a powerful armed apparatus at their disposal. It is time to unleash the wrath of the Iranian people on the Islamic zealots. It is time to become even more defiant and end the barbaric theocratic regime by massive participation in a freedom revolution to end this primitive Islamic nightmare.
Last night’s strike in Iran proves yet again that Israel can reach anyone, anywhere—even Isfahan the home of Irans nuclear program isn’t safe. Israel’s silence on the attack speaks volumes: when they choose a target, they strike quietly and with lethal precision.… pic.twitter.com/wGCTFQcTio
— Aaron Cohen Official (@aacohenofficial) April 19, 2024
When Iranian Jews like this brave young woman tell you radical Islamic Jew-hatred is out of control in the U.S., WAKE THE HELL UP!
We as Iranian Jews know this first hand as our families experienced & escaped this Jew hatred at hands of the mullah regime in Iran!👇 https://t.co/cKcQwzrAxS
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Amil Imanihttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngAmil Imani2024-04-19 08:03:072024-04-19 13:50:59Beyond the Headlines: Iranians vs. the Islamic Republic
Washington — The Senate quickly dispensed with the two impeachment charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, convening a short-lived trial Wednesday that brought an end to a months-long effort to punish the secretary for his handling of the southern border.
The Senate’s 51-member Democratic majority voted to dismiss both charges as unconstitutional over the objections of Republican members. The entire proceeding lasted just three hours.
Mayorkas became just the second Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached when the House charged him in February with “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and a “breach of public trust.” Democrats strongly opposed the impeachment effort, decrying it as a political stunt and saying the allegations constituted a policy disagreement that fell far short of the constitutional threshold for impeachment.
“We felt very strongly that we had to set a precedent that impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday evening. “If we allowed that to happen, it would set a disastrous precedent for Congress — could throw our system of checks and balances into cycles of chaos.”
Under the Constitution, the Senate is responsible for holding a trial to determine if impeached officials are guilty and should be removed from office. The House transmitted the articles on Tuesday, and senators were sworn in as jurors Wednesday afternoon. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat and the president pro tempore of the chamber, presided over the trial. Senators took turns signing an oath book, an indication of the gravity of the proceedings.
How do you deal with Iran when it intends to take out Israel with a nuclear bomb? There’s only one way this can be prevented: A preemptive strike on Iran by America.
Israel experienced a preemptive attack upon its nation, which was the worst massacre in its history by Iranian proxy Hamas, carried out with Iranian arms and funded by Iran. It opened Pandora’s box, forcing Israel to fight a war for its survival, knowing that without it, there would be many more attacks like October 7 or worse.
The new twenty-first-century wars are proxy wars, but they are also media wars.
ISRAEL CANNOT WIN A MEDIA WAR
It’s only a question of time before the United Nations global club of Zionist haters will turn international public opinion against Israel with the assistance of the media.
ISRAEL CANNOT WIN AN ECONOMIC WAR
It’s a tiny country the size of New Jersey, with its residents from the north and south displaced and its citizens at war. The economic damage to the country is massive. Iran has a much bigger proxy in Lebanon with more than double the terrorists than Hamas has and more than 10 times the missiles than Hamas has, and much more sophisticated.
Iran has been waging a war against the “Little Satan” Israel for decades. October 7 was Israel’s Pearl Harbor, in which Iran decided to move to a much greater extreme. Iran has been waging a war against the “Great Satan” America for decades also. On October 23, 1983, I preached the gospel to the Marines in Beirut, giving them the Christmas gift of a small Bible.
A young soldier, 18, from Worcester, Massachusetts, asked me if I could send a message to his mom. So, I had my camera crew tape it. He said, “Dear Mom, I know you’ve been praying for me. I won’t be coming home for Christmas. But I have a Christmas gift for you. I’ve just accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Merry Christmas, Mom.”
That Marine and 240 others were dead in the morning. I slept on the beach that night.
Since then, Iran has conducted ongoing attacks on numerous countries in a long-term effort to exert influence in the region. A 2021 State Department report observed that in that year alone, “Iran pursued or supported terrorist attacks against Israeli targets in 2021, including a thwarted January plot to attack an Israeli embassy in East Africa, a January bomb attack outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi for which the Indian government said the IRGC-QF was responsible, and a disrupted attempt to attack an Israeli businessman in Cyprus.”
According to a CBS News report, the United States presently has the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in the Red Sea south of Israel, including an array of weapons and 5,000 sailors. The US also has a nuclear power Ohio-class submarine in the area, the Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Mediterranean Sea, which includes three ballistic missile defense ships and four additional warships in the Mediterranean.
In addition, the Pentagon has deployed 1,200 additional troops to the Middle East since October 7. The forces are a deterrent for protecting 45,000 US service members and contractors throughout the Middle East. Iran has attacked US troops over 40 times since October 7. A reported 56 US military personnel have been injured. The US has responded with three sets of strikes so far in Syria. with airstrikes in Syria, with more likely to come.
Everyone is worrying about where this could lead. The reality is that there is no question where this will lead. It’s only a matter of time until Iran’s more powerful proxy is authorized to attack Israel fully. Hezbollah, since October 7, has fired over 1,000 rockets into Israel. Six IDF soldiers and three Israeli civilians have been killed so far.
This will put Israel’s back up against a wall. In every Israeli Air Force barracks, there is a picture they have to pass before leaving. The picture is a picture of Auschwitz and the railroad tracks with the words, “We, the Israeli Air Force pilots, fly in the skies over the camp of atrocities. But we’ve risen from the ashes of the millions of victims, and we carry their silent cry. We salute their courage and pledge to serve as the defenders of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”
The Brigadier General who hosted me that day, Tomer Bar, wrote in the picture, “The voice of the thunder was in the heaven. The earth trembled and shook” Psalm 28:19.
October 7 flushed the smoke of Auschwitz into the soul of the nation of Israel, creating trauma that Israel has never experienced and waking them up to a stark reality. A lot of Israelis were peaceniks. In the kibbutz, where I was invited by the foreign minister of Israel, Eli Cohen, as he hosted the Foreign Minister of Ireland and other dignitaries, many Israelis were burned alive, beheaded, and raped.
America’s facing a presidential election in 2024. It was once a famous saying, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Now, the reality is that the priority is Iran. “It’s Iran, stupid.” Israel is going to have to face an Iran terror state that will have an atomic bomb before the next presidential election in November 2024.
If Hitler had an atomic bomb, the world would be speaking German. Iran is a terrorist state driven by Mullahs with an obsession to usher in the Mahdi, the twelfth descendant of Muhammad, through an apocalypse, believing that the moment the apocalypse happens, and he is resurrected, the entire world will bow down and become an Islamic caliphate.
They boldly said their intentions of what they were doing to Israel. Iran’s supreme leader has called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that “will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed.” It’s not a question of if. It’s a question of when Israel will be forced to attack Iran, but that apocalyptic date has been pushed up because of October 7. Israel is faced with an existential dilemma. Iran has a partner now, Russia, and, for that matter, China also.
With Russia, Iran’s partnership was formalized over the drones that they sent to Russia to use in the war with Ukraine.
A head Israel general and intelligence leader told me off the record that Russia has agreed to assist Iran with its nuclear program. They have also agreed to provide a nuclear umbrella for Iran, with planes flying over Iranian airspace like they have in Syria. This would make it virtually impossible for Israel to go to war against Iran in light of its nuclear program.
What are Israel’s options? The only window they have is to deal with Iran before the umbrella is in the sky and before Iran has an atomic bomb. But how do you deal with Iran when it intends to take out Israel with a nuclear bomb?
Another Iranian proxy, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, have also joined in the war against Israel. The group fired a medium-range ballistic missile toward Israel last month, with the Israel Defense Forces intercepting it with its Arrow air defense system. It marked the first time a missile had been destroyed from space, adding to outstanding technological military achievements by the Israeli military.
During the Yom Kippur War, when Golda Meir was faced with the possibility of losing, Israel reportedly opened its nuclear silos for US satellites to observe. This caused an instant reaction from the United States in assisting Israel.
If the US continues to appease Iran with what they call a proportional response, Israel will be forced into an apocalyptic dilemma. How do you stop Iran from wiping Israel off the map with a nuclear bomb? It could be that Israel will be forced to do the unthinkable and authorize the Samson Option against Iran as a preemptive strike on Iran to save the State of Israel, in a decision similar to President Harry Truman’s move to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, and three days later on Nagasaki, to help end World War II.
US SHOULD STRIKE IRAN
There’s only one way this can be prevented, and that is if the US courageously has a preemptive strike on Iran itself, destroying all the oil refineries and ports for shipping. This could be done over a very short period. Iran would have minimal capability to confront the US. If they attempted to do so, the US has the power to bomb Iran into the Stone Age, and they know that.
In essence, the US could, in 72 hours, bankrupt Iran by destroying its ports and oil refineries. Iran has made $10 billion off the US under the Biden administration. An attack would stop these finances from promoting terror, and the people of Iran would have the power to overthrow the government.
Another option would be to attack Kharg Island. This would send a signal to Iran of what is to come if they do not back down. The Kharg Island oil terminal reportedly exports 80% of the country’s daily 2.2 million barrels.
The US needs to bankrupt Iran and its terror state to prevent an apocalyptic crisis that is on the horizon and to send a signal to any would-be terror.
Dr. Mike Evans is the founder of Friends of Zion. There are now over 30 million Friends of Zion around the world joining together to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Friends of Zion‘s various organizations work hand-in-hand to publish peace, to bring tidings of love and care to those in need — and to demonstrate true Christian love to the Jewish people.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00NEWSRAEL Telling the Israeli Storyhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngNEWSRAEL Telling the Israeli Story2024-04-19 06:49:262024-04-19 15:17:11‘America Needs To Bomb Iran’ — Dr. Mike Evans
What are the Israeli intentions behind last night’s attack?
According to a Washington Post report, the Israeli intention behind the attack on Iran was to signal that Israel has the ability to attack its nuclear facilities.
Additionally, according to a former Mossad senior official, the purpose of the attack was to signal to the Iranians that Israel is capable of not only hitting Iranian infrastructure (airports, oil fields, etc.), but also other infrastructures (electricity, water, traffic), and again—their nuclear facilities.
These reports haven’t been confirmed by Israeli officials.
A day after the Iranian attack and the streets of Iran are filled with graffiti of opponents of the regime with clear messages: "Israel, attack them!" "You will start and we will continue in the streets" and also "bomb the leader's office"… pic.twitter.com/l5APIJzygq
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00NEWSRAEL Telling the Israeli Storyhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngNEWSRAEL Telling the Israeli Story2024-04-19 06:20:082024-04-19 13:51:32REPORT: Israel’s Intentions Regarding the Attack on Iran
In July 2010, NASA chief Charles Bolden, an Obama appointee, told Al Jazeera that his boss had given him three priorities… none of them involving space exploration. The foremost priority for the agency once tasked with sending a man to the moon was “to reach out to the Muslim world… to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering.”
The Muslim list included two alternative candidates for NASA administrator. One of them, Dr. Charles Elachi of JPL was dismissed as “possibly Christian.” Indeed Elachi, who grew up admiring John Wayne and believes that American success is possible because it isn’t “held back by the long-standing, ingrained systems and beliefs found in the Middle East” would have been a rather poor fit.
The other name on the list however is Firouz Naderi, an Iranian board member of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans which advocated in support of the Iran nuke sellout.
While Trump threw out some of this stuff, under Biden NASA is fully woke and is boldly going where no one has gone before or ever wanted to go before.
Victor Glover, the black mission pilot, who had been working on Senator John McCain’s staff when he was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate, is preparing for his mission by listening to Gil Scott-Heron’s racist rant ‘Whitey on the Moon’ “twice a week on the way to work.”
NASA has a team that will update everything for the lunatic’s “current genders, names and pronouns” (which may or may not change on a biweekly basis) and then deploy a “workplace gender transition plan” that is only a little less complicated than the original moon landings.
“When I first came out, I did not come out as nonbinary at work. I wasn’t sure that people would accept that, so I came out as transmasculine and am only recently being completely authentic about it, like, ‘Actually, I’m nonbinary, and my pronouns are they/them,’” Mars “research scientist” Silas J. Ralston explains in a special NASA feature.
Now the four-person crew for the “virtual” mission to Mars has been unveiled and they carefully screened out white non-Muslim males.
A new team is set to enter HERA!
On May 10, four volunteers will step inside the 650-square-foot HERA habitat and begin a 45-day simulated journey to Mars, helping @NASA test how isolation affects crews on deep space journeys. Meet the crew: https://t.co/yKFboXjrYQ
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) April 16, 2024
NASA has selected a new crew of four volunteers to participate in a simulated mission to Mars within a habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Jason Lee, Stephanie Navarro, Shareef Al Romaithi, and Piyumi Wijesekara will step into the agency’s Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, on Friday, May 10. Once inside, the team will live and work like astronauts for 45 days.
Or woke cosmonauts anyway. During this time they’ll accuse each other of hate speech and microaggression.
But who actually needs to go to Mars when we can explore new dimensions of diversity right here?
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Jihad Watchhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngJihad Watch2024-04-19 05:53:592024-04-19 05:56:28Biden’s NASA: Fully Woke and Boldly Going Where No One Has Gone Before, or Ever Wanted to Go Before
Islam enjoys a large and influential ally among the non—Muslims: A new generation of ‘Useful Idiots,’ the sort of people Lenin identified living in liberal democracies who furthered the work of communism. This new generation of Useful Idiots also lives in liberal democracies, but serves the cause of Islamofascism—another virulent form of totalitarian ideology.
Useful Idiots are naïve, foolish, ignorant of facts, unrealistically idealistic, dreamers, willfully in denial or deceptive. They hail from the ranks of the chronically unhappy, the anarchists, the aspiring revolutionaries, the neurotics who are at war with life, the disaffected alienated from government, corporations, and just about any and all institutions of society. The Useful Idiot can be a billionaire, a movie star, an academe of renown, a politician, or from any other segment of the population.
Arguably, the most dangerous variant of the Useful Idiot is the ‘Politically Correct.’ He is the master practitioner of euphemism, hedging, doubletalk, and outright deception.
The Useful Idiot derives satisfaction from being anti—establishment. He finds perverse gratification in aiding the forces that aim to dismantle an existing order, whatever it may be: an order he neither approves of nor he feels he belongs to.
The Useful Idiot is conflicted and dishonest. He fails to look inside himself and discover the causes of his own problems and unhappiness while he readily enlists himself in causes that validate his distorted perception.
Understandably, it is easier to blame others and the outside world than to examine oneself with an eye to self—discovery and self—improvement. Furthermore, criticizing and complaining—liberal practices of the Useful Idiot—require little talent and energy. The Useful Idiot is a great armchair philosopher and ‘Monday Morning Quarterback.’
The Useful Idiot is not the same as a person who honestly has a different point of view. A society without honest and open differences of views is a dead society. Critical, different and fresh ideas are the life blood of a living society—the very anathema of autocracies where the official position is sacrosanct.
Even a ‘normal’ person spends a great deal more energy aiming to fix things out there than working to overcome his own flaws and shortcomings, or contribute positively to the larger society. People don’t like to take stock of what they are doing or not doing that is responsible for the conditions they disapprove.
But the Useful Idiot takes things much farther. The Useful Idiot, among other things, is a master practitioner of scapegoating. He assigns blame to others while absolving himself of responsibility, has a long handy list of candidates for blaming anything and everything, and by living a distorted life, he contributes to the ills of society.
The Useful Idiot may even engage in willful misinformation and deception when it suits him. Terms such as ‘Political Islam,’ or ‘Radical Islam,’ for instance, are contributions of the Useful Idiot. These terms do not even exist in the native parlance of Islam, simply because they are redundant. Islam, by its very nature and according to its charter—the Quran—is a radical political movement. It is the Useful Idiot who sanitizes Islam and misguides the populace by saying that the ‘real Islam’ constitutes the main body of the religion; and, that this main body is non—political and moderate.
Regrettably, a large segment of the population goes along with these nonsensical euphemisms depicting Islam because it prefers to believe them. It is less threatening to believe that only a hijacked small segment of Islam is radical or politically driven and that the main body of Islam is indeed moderate and non—political.
But Islam is political to the core. In Islam the mosque and state are one and the same—the mosque is the state. This arrangement goes back to the days of Muhammad himself. Islam is also radical in the extreme. Even the ‘moderate’ Islam is radical in its beliefs as well as its deeds. Muslims believe that all non—Muslims, bar none, are hellfire bound and well—deserve being maltreated compared to believers.
No radical barbaric act of depravity is unthinkable for Muslims in dealing with others. They have destroyed precious statues of Buddha, leveled sacred monuments of other religions, and bulldozed the cemeteries of non—Muslims—a few examples of their utter extreme contempt toward others.
Muslims are radical even in their intrafaith dealings. Various sects and sub—sects pronounce other sects and sub—sects as heretics worthy of death; women are treated as chattel, deprived of many rights; hands are chopped for stealing even a loaf of bread; sexual violation is punished by stoning, and much much more. These are standard day—to—day ways of the mainstream ‘moderate’ Muslims living under the stone—age laws of Sharia.
The ‘moderate’ mainstream of Islam has been outright genocidal from inception. Their own historians record that Ali, the first imam of the Shiite and the son—in—law of Muhammad, with the help of another man, beheaded 700 Jewish men in the presence of the Prophet himself. The Prophet of Allah and his disciples took the murdered men’s women and children in slavery. Muslims have been, and continue to be, the most vicious and shameless practitioners of slavery. The slave trade, even today, is a thriving business in some Islamic lands where wealthy, perverted sheikhs purchase children of the poor from traffickers for their sadistic gratification.
Muslims are taught deception and lying in the Quran itself—something that Muhammad practiced during his life whenever he found it expedient. Successive Islamic rulers and leaders have done the same. Khomeini, the founder of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, for instance, rallied the people under the banner of democracy. All along his support for democracy was not a commitment of an honest man, but a ruse. As soon as he gathered the reins of power, Khomeini went after the Useful Idiots of his time with vengeance. These best children of Iran, having been thoroughly deceived and used by the crafty phony populist—religionist, had to flee the country to avoid the fate of tens of thousands who were imprisoned or executed by the double—crossing imam.
Almost three decades after the tragic Islamic Revolution of 1979, the suffocating rule of Islam casts its death—bearing pal over Iranians. A proud people with enviable heritage is being systematically purged of its sense of identity and forced to think and behave like the barbaric and intolerant Muslims. Iranians who had always treated women with equality, for instance, have seen them reduced by the stone—age clergy to sub—human status of Islamic teaching. Any attempt by the women of Iran to counter the misogynist rule of Muhammad’s mullahs is mercilessly suppressed. Women are beaten, imprisoned, raped and killed just as men are slaughtered without due process or mercy.
The lesson is clear. Beware of the Useful Idiots who live in liberal democracies. Knowingly or unknowingly, they serve as the greatest volunteer and effective soldiers of Islam. They pave the way for the advancement of Islam and they will assuredly be among the very first victims of Islam as soon as it assumes power.
I’ve always found human nature to be a fascinating subject. For example, why people do (or don’t do) things is interesting to me. Along the way, I’ve noticed a slew of apparent contradictions. Today’s topic is one of those: How can something that is one of our best assets, also be among our worst liabilities? I’ll give two personal examples, and then one from a friend…
1 — Not sure why, but I’ve always believed that having a good sense of humor was important. I don’t think that this was a conscious decision, but rather something that I intuitively felt. So over the years, I’ve subconsciously incorporated humor into my conversations — with friends or strangers (e.g., a waitress at a restaurant).
The good thing is that almost all of the time it goes over very well. That’s likely why I continue to do it — most people react favorably. I also have noticed that I rarely think about a situation before saying something humorous, it just comes out.
But therein lies the downside. On a few occasions, I’ve said something that I intended to be funny, but it came out as anything but. Then, like I’m a third party, I hear what I said and think: oops! These are really embarrassing to me. I’ve wondered: is it better to apologize (which brings more focus to it), or to move on (and hope that the other party didn’t notice my gaffe)? I’ve done both, but still not sure which is better…
2 — Something else I consider as a major asset is that I’m very imaginative. I’m able to come up with clever ideas of things to do, or with creative solutions to challenging problems. I attribute part of this to Critical Thinking, and part with another skill I’ve worked on: changing perspective as it can produce interesting results.
I continue to be imaginative, as the results are typically unique (different from what others are proposing), plus usually quite rewarding.
But therein lies the rub: “usually.” On occasion, I find that my imagination can go into overdrive, and maybe I lose perspective as to where reality ends and fantasy begins. For example, let’s say I imagine a better relationship with a friend than they are capable of. That will lead to disappointment on my part — which (in some cases) can be a major liability.
Sure, it’s easy to say about such matters: disable your imagination and you 2024.be disappointed. Yes, but I’m also cutting off possibilities that could be amazing. Further, due to my imagination, I’ve been able to achieve many things that most people would say were not going to happen — e.g., retiring at age 34.
3 — My final example is from a friend. Due to a variety of reasons when they were young, they developed a strong desire to be independent. Clearly, independence is generally a very good thing — which is why we teach our children that independence should be something they should strive for.
But I did say “generally.” Independence can become an obsession for people who feel the need to be in control of everything. But there are two problems with that. First, no one can be in control of everything, so that is an impossible aspiration that will only lead to continued disappointments.
Secondly, working together (i.e., giving up some independence) with an ally can be one of the most rewarding and productive experiences in Life. So those who are fixated on independence will not only accomplish less, but will also be unhappier. Are either of those desirable outcomes?
So that’s my brief 2¢ for today: how an asset can be a liability. One wise answer is “moderation in most things.” Even better, I believe in the power of Perspective. Keeping things in perspective (utilizing critical thinking) is exceptionally powerful.
Media Balance Newsletter: a free, twice-a-month newsletter that covers what the mainstream media does not do, on issues from COVID to climate, elections to education, renewables to religion, etc. Here are the Newsletter’s 2023 Archives. Please send me an email to get your free copy. When emailing me, please make sure to include your full name and the state where you live. (Of course, you can cancel the Media Balance Newsletter at any time – but why would you?
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00John Droz, Jr.http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngJohn Droz, Jr.2024-04-18 13:21:532024-04-18 13:22:34Our Strongest Strength can be our Greatest Weakness — Plus a suggested solution!
On April 14, 2024, following Iran’s large-scale missile- and drone-attack on Israel, the Global Imams Council (GIC) issued an English-language statement that strongly condemned this attack, which “brought with it a new phase of tension, uncertainty and confrontation in the Middle East,” endangered the religious sites in the Holy Land and could spark an escalation threatening the the security of Millions of Muslims across the region. Rejecting Iran’s claim that it was acting in self-defense and highlighting the Iranian regime’s “history of sponsoring terrorism, sheltering terrorist organizations,” the statement also urged the world democracies to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
The statement was signed by 295 Imams who are members of the GIC, representing 38 countries, in addition to endorsements from the GIC Governing Board, GIC Senior Imams Committee, GIC Advisory Committee and the Members of the GIC General Council.
The GIC is the world’s first and largest international non-governmental body of Muslim religious leaders from all Islamic denominations and schools, and advocates for peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue and for tackling extremist ideologies and militant Islam.[1]
The following is the text of the statement:
PUBLIC STATEMENT CONDEMING IRAN’S TERRORIST ATTACK
By the authority vested in the Global Imams Council by the Islamic Seminaries of the Holy Islamic Cities of Najaf and Karbala, we condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack conducted by the un-Islamic regime occupying the Iranian Republic on the 13th of April 2024.
The wave of drones and missiles that the regime launched has not only brought with it a new phase of tension, uncertainty and confrontation in the Middle East, but also targeted the Holy Land and place religious sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in serious danger.
The Global Imams Council rejects the regime’s self-defense pretest, and we highlight its history of sponsoring terrorism, sheltering terrorist organizations, and exploiting Mosques, Holy Shrines and diplomatic venues to shelter terrorists. For the last four decades, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been the main source of Islamist terrorism in the world, with its leader Ali Khamenei financing organizations not limited to Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis:; as well as harboring Al-Qaeda members on Iranian territory.
This escalation and threat of open warfare threatens the safety and stability of millions of Muslims, compelling us, as religious leaders, to denounce the regime in Iran and demand accountability for its acts of terror in the name of Islam.
Furthermore, The Global Imams Council urges all democracies yet to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization to do so promptly in response to this egregious attack.
The Global Imams Council is dedicated to making peace a lived reality. We work both locally and globally to support peacebuilders, as well as collaborate with leading faith-leaders to establish dialogue and promote an innovative approach to peacebuilding. Our Council believes that the establishment of peace amongst all human beings is an essential objective.
Our peacebuilding efforts include, and are not limited to:
Developing and or mediating relations with different religious groups.
Defending religious freedom.
Promoting coexistence between all religious groups.
Interfaith
The Global Imams Council has established an Interfaith Network which comprises of leading faith-leaders from different religions, and who have been provided with constitutional powers to surpass all Council Committees. Members of our Interfaith Network provide direct advice to our Governing Board about matters that concern Islam and their respective religion or region. Our Council invites all prominent voices to join us on this peacebuilding journey.
Countering Terrorism and Extremist Ideologies
The Global Imams Council rejects violence and all violent ideologies. Our President and Director previously served as motivational speakers to the Iraqi Government’s Department of Defense during the war against ISIS. Our council is focused on tackling extremist ideologies and countering Islamic Extremism, terrorism, political and militant Islam (Islamism). We cooperate with security agencies and engage communities and faith-leaders of both Islam and other religions to reaffirm a commitment to developing cooperative programs that prevent violence.
Women’s and Children’s Rights
The Global Imams Council champions women’s rights and strongly believes that women have a right to an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.
We are the first Imams Council in history to appoint women to an administerial board, and establish an ‘Office for Women’ that works with women’s rights organizations around the world. We believe in equality and reject all forms of discrimination against all minorities, including women and children.
Our Council is actively fighting (and lobbying) for women’s rights within the Islamic Seminaries, as well as meeting with different Muftis and Grand Ayatollahs to bring an end to Female Genital Mutilation, Child Marriages, Honor Killings and other matters which harm girls and women alike.
Minority Rights
The Global Imams Council believes that fighting for Human Rights is meaningless if we do not include Minority Rights. Our Council’s Counter-Extremism Project focuses on global attacks against Religious Minorities and our Imams work and cooperate with government departments as well as the police in every continent and major city.
We utilize new technologies, including social media, to dynamically raise awareness regarding Christian Persecution and Anti-Semitism.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Middle East Media Research Institutehttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngMiddle East Media Research Institute2024-04-18 12:40:452024-04-19 05:41:14Global Imams Council Issues Statement Condemning Iran’s Attack On Israel
One of the left’s biggest political targets recently found himself “de-banked” with no warning and little avenue for recourse, the Daily Caller has learned.
John Eastman, once an attorney for former President Donald Trump, was de-banked twice in the span of several months by two prominent financial institutions, Bank of America and USAA, he told the Daily Caller. His accounts were closed as he faced substantial backlash for his work advising Trump around the time of the 2020 election.
Eastman said he had switched most of his banking from Bank of America to USAA, a company that provides financial services exclusively to military veterans as well as their families, due to the former’s “wokeness.” Both corporations are federally insured, and Bank of America was bailed out with billions of dollars in taxpayer funds during the global financial crisis.
Bank of America alerted Eastman in September of 2023 that it would be closing his accounts, a letter obtained by the Daily Caller shows. Shortly thereafter, USAA notified Eastman in November that his two bank accounts with the company would be closed, a separate letter shows.
“And then two months later, we get a similar letter from USAA saying that they’ve decided that they’re going to close your account and they did like three weeks later,” Eastman told the Daily Caller. “And so that was where all of our automatic payments were coming out of, all our automatic deposits. So it was a real pain to shift everything. We had to get a new bank account opened and shift everything over.”
Eastman was notified of his USAA accounts being closed on Nov. 20, 2023. A few weeks prior, a California judge made a preliminary decision saying that Eastman was culpable of ethics violations in a state bar disciplinary case, CNN reported.
USAA claimed in its letter that it was “exercising its right to no longer do banking business” with Eastman per its “Depository Agreement.”
“We may close your account for any reason without advance notice. We may require you to give us a minimum of seven (7) calendar days advance written notice when you intend to close your account by withdrawing your funds,” a section of the agreement reads.
USAA did not respond to the Daily Caller’s multiple requests for comment.
When Eastman inquired about the closures, the banks said it was their policy to not provide any more information on the matter, he told the Daily Caller. An audio recording of Eastman’s call to Bank of America, provided to the Daily Caller, reflects as much.
LISTEN:
“De-banking” is a phenomenon in which financial institutions refuse financial service to the targets of political activism, who often end up being conservatives.
“What these banks are doing is they’re saying you’re either high risk, or we don’t want to do business with you, or whatever it is. There’s no methodology behind this. There’s no kind of reason that matches traditional indicators or traditional metrics that a bank would use to calculate your liquidity, your credit score, whatever it is. They’re using these non-financial factors, and then making these decisions and just like closing people’s accounts,” Eric Bledsoe, an expert on de-banking for the Foundation for Government Accountability, told the Daily Caller.
In typical de-banking situations, it is normal for the banks to withhold their reason for suddenly closing their clients’ accounts, Bledsoe added.
Eastman told the Daily Caller he was using the accounts he had set up with Bank of America and USAA for personal finances. He and his wife qualified for USAA bank accounts because his father-in-law served in the Navy in WWII and in the Marines in the Korean War, the attorney told the Daily Caller.
“We had Bank of America accounts for about 40 years. But just because of their wokeness we kind of quit a couple of years ago, using them much. They’ve got physical locations and therefore easy ATM, so we kept our accounts there, but we didn’t use much. And about four or five years ago, we opened USAA bank accounts and we were using those as our primaries,” Eastman said.
The Daily Caller reached out to the Bank of America for comment, giving the corporation multiple days to respond. Bank of America initially told the Caller it would answer, though about an hour before the deadline provided, the company decided not to comment.
“Just as a general policy, we don’t comment on client matters. So I don’t have a comment at this point on the situation,” Bill Haldin, from Bank of America media relations, told the Daily Caller after asking if the focus of the story was solely on Eastman.
Bledsoe spoke to the political nature of de-banking and how it can make Americans’ lives harder.
“I’m gravely concerned. It really is the kind of next step in [Environmental, Social and Governance]. So ESG across the board, it really is about like, re-directing capital away from the politically disfavored and to the politically favored at the moment, without going through the political process at all,” Bledsoe said.
Neither bank specified to Eastman whether the closing of his accounts was for political reasons, though he has his suspicions.
“I’m 99.9% confident,” he said. “What I don’t know is whether they didn’t want to do business with me, or whether they didn’t want to continue to be hassled by federal regulators for doing business with me. I don’t know which of those two it is, either one of them is rather despicable.”
Eastman’s confidence could, in part, be attributed to the litany of challenges he has faced following the 2020 presidential election.
Since Eastman argued that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to help deliver Trump the 2020 presidential election, the attorney has seen his life be uprooted by his opponents. Just days after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Eastman resigned as a law professor from Fowler School of Law at Chapman University after the school faced pressure to oust him, Forbes reported. In a statement of his own, Eastman said he had “mixed feelings” about resigning, though the school said the pair had reached an agreement on the matter.
Then, at the end of that month, the University of Colorado’s Benson Center for Western Civilization banned Eastman from speaking at the institution despite being a visiting scholar, according to Forbes.
“The University of Colorado Boulder relieved John Eastman of duties related to outreach and speaking as a representative of the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization,” the institution said in a press release.
Nearly a year later, in June 2022, FBI agents seized Eastman’s phone as he was leaving a restaurant, the Associated Press reported. Eastman and his wife have also experienced death threats, graffiti threats in their neighborhood and have had spikes planted in their driveway, his friend Josh Hammer wrote in a column.
A number of red state attorneys general — including from Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and Montana — voiced their opposition to the de-banking trend after the Daily Caller laid out Eastman’s situation. Many of the state AGs pointed to politics as a potential reason Eastman’s accounts were closed.
“No American should lose their bank account because banks want to play politics. Time and time again, we are seeing banks target and cut off those they disagree with and refuse to explain why. That is unacceptable,” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird told the Daily Caller.
“De-banking contradicts the very character of our nation, as elites wrongfully use their power to punish their political opponents. Here’s the bottom line: If financial institutions are punishing consumers who don’t fall in line with their political beliefs, that could constitute a violation of both state and federal law,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey told the Daily Caller.
Now, Eastman is being prosecuted by Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis as part of her case against Trump. On March 27, a California judge ruled that Eastman should be disbarred due to his legal advice in the wake of the 2020 election. The case will now move to the state Supreme Court for a final decision.
“I just think this is a terrible trend. I think it’s harmful. I think it prohibits people from bringing their values and the public square into the marketplace. And they have every constitutional right under the Free Exercise clause to bring their values into the marketplace. And I think this is also I think this is something we’re just gonna have to fight against,” Sam Brownback, an attorney and former U.S. Senator whose Christian non-profit was de-banked, told the Daily Caller.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00The Daily Callerhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngThe Daily Caller2024-04-18 11:56:042024-04-20 07:05:56‘Rather Despicable’: John Eastman Speaks Out After Bank Of America, USAA Shut Down His Accounts
In the lead to the story “Ceasefire Protest Turns Violent,” KGO ABC7 anchor Dan Ashley tells his audience that victims say that what happened to them is part of an alarming trend. But the victims don’t actually say that. Reporter Lena Howland says that, and gratuitously brings up a report from the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Before taking an in depth look at CAIR’s report, let us gain a perspective on what violence looks like.
It is also important to understand that CAIR is playing word games. The “pro-Palestine” events are really pro-Hamas and anti-Israel. The “pro-Palestinians” are not interested in peace. They would never dream of pressuring Hamas to surrender, or of calling for the release of the hostages in order to stop the co-called “genocide.” They are analogous to calling for a ceasefire with Nazi Germany during World War II.
From the “Hate Crimes” section of the CAIR report:
California:A man allegedly tried to murder members of the Muslim community at a park in Rancho Cordova in August. The man reportedly tried to run over Muslim community members of South Asian heritage while yelling racial slurs and allegedly threatening to “shoot and bomb” them. The suspect was reportedly arrested on two felonies and a hate crime charge.
This man may be mentally ill. Just hours earlier, he had an “disturbance” at a liquor store, is a registered sex offender, and with the help of his family, surrendered to police twelve hours after driving through the park. This is an isolated incident that happened in August, and is in no way caused by Israeli violence.
California: An Arab Muslim student at Stanford University was reportedly targeted in a hit-and run on campus in November. The driver had reportedly made eye contact with the student and accelerated and hit him, after which the driver reportedly yelled “f*** you and your people.” The student, who was hospitalized following the incident, reports having seen the driver at a pro-Palestinian rally in the month before the incident. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office reportedly opened a hate crime investigation into the incident.
Hamas violence and support for Hamas here at home might be the cause of this incident.
District of Columbia: A Muslim and Palestinian woman was reportedly threatened by a man while riding the D.C. Metro in October. The woman had been riding the Metro on her way to a demonstration for Palestinian rights when a man reportedly asked her, “How’d you like to lose your life?” On video, the man is then heard asking the woman, “How’d you like to have your head beheaded?” According to the victim and witnesses, the man also reportedly possessed a firearm, which he slightly removed from his pocket. He allegedly made other aggressive remarks toward the woman and her acquaintances before leaving the train. Law enforcement reportedly refused to investigate the incident.
The man was challenging the woman about her support for Hamas, and the police are not considering it a hate incident.
District of Columbia: A Palestinian staff member at American University reportedly received a hateful death threat slipped under his office door in October. The note said, in part, “You might get lucky with a missile and meet your Allah sooner! Death to all Palestinians!” A complaint to CAIR offices reports that the staff member has not received adequate security and protection from American University administrators following the incident. The American University Police Department and federal law enforcement are reportedly investigating the threat.
Somehow, after CAIR tells us that they have evidence of a deluge of hate in this country, we are left expecting more. Remember that with over 8,000 complaints to choose from, this is what CAIR shares with us.
Illinois: In October, six-year-old Palestinian-American boy Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed and murdered by his family’s landlord in Chicago. According to his mother, who was also attacked, the landlord yelled “you Muslims must die!” before attempting to choke and stab her. After she attempted to call for law enforcement, she found that the landlord had stabbed her six-year-old son to death. The landlord has been indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder, attempted murder, battery, and hate crime charges.
Wadea Al-Fayoume was murdered on October 13, nearly 2 weeks before Israel responded to the attack by Hamas. This is a tragic story, but the fact remains that Wadea was killed in response to Hamas violence.
Illinois: A man reportedly threatened to shoot two Muslim men after allegedly shouting anti-Muslim statements in October. The man reportedly approached one of the victims, who had arrived in his vehicle to an apartment complex to meet with a friend, and began shouting obscenities that targeted his Muslim faith and telling him he didn’t belong in the country. The man then allegedly punched the first victim’s car window before going into the lobby of the apartment building, where he encountered the second victim and threatened to beat him. A short time later, one of the victims was sitting on the bench outside the building when the man reportedly lifted one side of the bench such that the victim fell off. The man reportedly told the two victims that he called four of his friends to come and shoot them. A hate crime charge was reportedly brought against the man in October.
This is an isolated incident, not connected to anything beyond the attacker.
New Jersey: A Princeton University staffer allegedly assaulted protestors for Palestinian human rights in October. The staff member was reportedly seen yelling at protestors, making obscene gestures, and filming them. She is also seen grabbing another protestor’s phone and running off with it, apparently pulling the protestor’s hair in the process.
Again, another incident not connected to anything except opposition to support for Hamas.
New York: In 2016, an Uber driver was reportedly attacked by his passengers, two intoxicated men. One passenger punched the driver in the jaw and both hurled expletives and racial slurs at him. As a result of the attack, the client suffered a fractured elbow and a dislocated neck, among other injuries. In May 2023, after years of litigation, and with the assistance of co-counsel at Cravath, Swaine and Moore, LLP, CAIR-NY secured a six-figure settlement for the client.
2016? CAIR should have plenty of material to choose from in 2023. This entry should be dismissed out of hand.
North Carolina: A Muslim member of the North Carolina Democratic Party was reportedly subjected to Islamophobic remarks by other party members. Following his public support of Palestinian human rights in 2022, other party members reportedly spread Islamophobic remarks about him, reportedly including the claim that he may be an “Iranian spy.” In early 2023, the man made a complaint to party leadership, which he claims was not addressed in a timely manner. In late 2023, CAIR sent a letter on his behalf, requesting that party leadership investigate and address his complaint.
Another irrelevant entry from CAIR that is not part of its 8,000 complaints in 2023; it is from 2022.
Ohio: A man reportedly targeted Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students at Cleveland State University for their pro-Palestine human rights activism in early 2023. The man had previously been accused of reportedly cyberharassing Palestinian students or students with pro-Palestinian views the previous year, after which a CSU student reportedly filed a protection order against him, which was granted. However, in January, the man reportedly returned to campus and stole the banner belonging to the CSU student organization Students for Palestinian Human Rights. He was also arrested by CSU police in January for reportedly violating the protection order. In February, he was reportedly banned from the campus, and in July, he reportedly entered a plea to reduce his charges and was sentenced to probation, a community orientation program, and anger management classes
Another isolated incident that is connected only to general opposition to support for Hamas in America.
Ohio: In October, a man driving a truck reportedly physically and verbally assaulted participants in a pro-Palestine march in Columbus. While members of student organizations and community supporters conducted a peaceful march in downtown Columbus, the man reportedly began shouting obscenities about Palestinians and then swerved out of his lane to hit a demonstrator on a bike. A suspect was reportedly taken into custody.
Many people might conclude that this assault was a reaction to public support for Hamas in this country. But CAIR is again trying to blame Israel for this.
Pennsylvania: In October, a man reportedly brandished a firearm against Muslims at a pro-Palestine protest at the footsteps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol. The rally had been organized by the Central Pennsylvania Committee of Masajid, a network of mosques and Islamic organizations. The man reportedly approached the crowd in his vehicle, started yelling racial slurs, and then pointed a gun at the protestors. The suspect has reportedly been taken into custody and faces a felony count of ethnic intimidation and misdemeanor charges of making terroristic threats and simple assault by physical menace.
But the police did not charge him with a hate crime.
CAIR’s report is an embarrassment for the organization. More than half of its evidence of hate crimes in 2023 are either irrelevant, or are not considered to be hate crimes by the police. None of these incidents seem to be inspired by “Israeli violence,” but rather by Hamas violence. And this is the cream of the crop out of more than 8,000 incidents?
Let’s look further into CAIR’s report.
Despite CAIR’s claims of an overwhelming number of complaints, they include incidents from previous years such as 2019 (pg. 17), 2021 (pg. 22), and 2020 (pg. 30).
There were a concerning number of attacks on mosques last year, but all of them were committed by mentally ill people (pg. 18).
CAIR brings up the King Khalid Mosque in North Carolina, which has been closed since the pandemic. It is the property of Shaw University, and does not belong to CAIR, which wants the mosque reopened. This is not a hate incident. (pg.18)
An eighth-grade student from Corona Del Mar Middle and High School was allegedly suspended for saying “Free Palestine” in November (pg. 19).
This is not a hate incident.
Oklahoma: In September, Oklahoma State Superintendent announced an ongoing partnership with Prager University (PragerU). PragerU is known for being a right-wing educational website that has produced videos spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric and conspiracy theories. In one such video, the host reportedly claims that “Islam is not a religion of peace.” (pg. 21)
They are referring to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an ex-Muslim whom CAIR has repeatedly tried to censor. This is not evidence of an epidemic of hate.
Maryland: In November, a Muslim teacher was placed on administrative leave reportedly due to her email signature tagline, which expressed support for Palestinians. (pg. 23)
Her email signature was “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This is inappropriate for work, and she was suspended from her job at the school. That is not hate.
Michigan: In April, a female Muslim student was reportedly rejected from an internship interview after declining to shake hands with the CEO of PGF Technology Group Inc. due to her religious beliefs. The student had reportedly refused to shake hands with the CEO because of her sincerely held religious beliefs. (pg. 23)
Again, this is not “hate,” but it is definitely ridiculous.
Minnesota: In October, two Muslim students at Edina High School reported that they were suspended for three days following their participation in a walkout for Palestinian human rights. The students reportedly participated in chanting common pro-Palestinian phrases. (pg.23)
This is inappropriate conduct at school, and again is not hate.
Florida: In October, the Chancellor of the State University System of Florida issued an order deactivating Students for Justice in Palestine chapters across the state. (pg. 23)
SJP is a thuggish pro-Hamas group, and banning them from campus is not “hate.”
California: A newly-arrived Afghan-Muslim teenager was shot twice and hospitalized after a police shooting in January. (pg. 29)
This is about an Afghan family having a knife fight outside their residence in Tracy, California. When the police arrived, one of the family advanced on the police holding a knife. CAIR contributed nothing to this except to say the police needed “cultural sensitivity training.” The police need the training, not the Afghans.
And so on.
All of CAIR’s reports are like this. CAIR’s “Hate” reports do not stand up to scrutiny.
