April 24, 2018
Dear Members and Coworkers,
Rarely have you seen a formal State visit with more dignity than that displayed this morning on the South lawn of the White House, in a return of the honor Macron bestowed during President Trump’s visit to France on Bastille Day. President Macron and his wife are in Washington with a number of items on their agenda, most of which conflict with postures on which President Trump campaigned. Nevertheless, the two men and their wives apparently share a bond of friendship and it is unlikely Macron will return home empty handed.
Amid an honor guard representing every branch of the American military, a twentyone gun salute, accompanied strains of the French National Anthem, followed by a rousing rendition of our own Star Spangled Banner. Both men paid homage to the longest alliance the U. S. has maintained with any nation, going back to the Revolutionary War. A brief press conference followed where both presidents were asked about items crucial to the purpose of Macron’s visit. At issue are the Paris Climate Accords, the Iran Nuclear Deal and the tenure of U. S. troops in Syria.
You are no doubt aware that President Trump mercifully pulled the plug on the Climate arrangement with which the former president entangled the United States. It was more an instrument of wealth redistribution to the third world than anything to do with climate. Not that nations could alter the climate through mandates or social dictates regardless. They tried to foist upon us everything from “carbon credits” to monetary transfers to warring tribes in unknown corners of the uncivilized world, and Obama soberly scolded Americans that it was “the right thing to do.” But President Trump apparently doesn’t believe in throttling the American economy to console the consciences of those who preach that our prosperity has impoverished the third world. It’s hard to predict what will be accomplished, but there’s every indication that the presidents share a mutual kinship and respect.
When asked about the Iran Deal while seated beside the French President in gold chairs at the press conference, President Trump reiterated his disgust with the arrangement. “What kind of deal is it when you have Iran doing missile tests all over the place… and we gave them a hundred billion in cash!” paraphrasing. “If they restart their nuclear program, Iran is going to have problems like they’ve never had before.” And then he repeated that last line. If Macron intends to convince the President, on behalf of the European Union, to fulfill commitments contained within “the Worst Deal Ever” (to reprise a cover of 21stCentury WATCH) he knows it won’t be an easy sell.
You probably missed it. It seems the mainstream media made sure most did. But last week Israel celebrated its 70thanniversary of statehood. Muslim interests have tried endlessly to eradicate the phenomenon through wars, with terrorism and with mindless accusations of every imaginable evil and they’re not through yet. Well, some of them are. Egypt recognized the expensive futility of the endless state of war and, under Anwar Sadat, made peace. Jordan also came to grips under the reign of King Hussein after having been defeated and humiliated twice, realizing peaceful coexistence was the only viable option. Even the wealthiest Gulf kingdoms gave up the public fight, while still allowing radical Islamic religious outfits to preach and facilitate terrorist activities. Terrorist attacks have been visited upon Europe and the United States primarily because of acceptance and support of the Jewish state. But Israel’s list of outright enemies consists of Iran, Syria and a laundry list of terrorist outfits hiding behind the religious rants of radical Islamists.
When President Trump announced that the American Embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem the mainstream media erupted with a series of dark predictions as to the angry reactions across the Arab world potentially leading to war. For seventy long years hate-filled Imams and sheiks preached of driving the Jews into the Mediterranean Sea as they ran from the fires and explosions of Muslim wrath. Instead, fireworks displays went off in the skies above Jerusalem this week celebrating 70 years and counting. The new American embassy in Jerusalem is expected to open next month.
But Iran, or rather Iranian religious and political leaders are still living the dream, such as it is. A spokesman for their Revolutionary Guard blustered this week that their “finger is on the trigger” of missile systems aimed at Israel and it’s military assets. “Our missiles are ready to be launched at any moment…The only way for you to escape will be to the sea!” There it is, that seventyyear old dream of driving the Jews into the sea.
We don’t know how successful Iran has been at placing military assets in Syria, but presume Israel does. The missile air-strikes against Syria’s chemical production and storage facilities apparently went of without a hitch. Apparently, no one was even hurt, while structures and storage depots were eliminated. Russia stayed completely out of the way, leaving many a brilliant analyst with crow on his face, even though there are outstanding questions about the validity of chemical attack still circulating.
Other than the obvious tensions between Russia, China and the United States, Iran, with its nuclear ambitions, remains the world’s number one concern. Until a few weeks ago, that dubious honor belonged to North Korea. You haven’t forgotten his threats, or the responses from the Trump administration leading scores of elite media experts to warn that World War III would be ignited by a presidential tweet storm. In case the news organizations forgot to apologize for their criticisms of the unhinged, clinically insane egomaniac who was about to blow up the world inadvertently, that never happened. And when it didn’t, they pretended not to notice.
Now we know that Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA and nominee for Secretary of State has been in high-level negotiations with North Korea, maybe Kim Jong-un himself. It seems too fantastic to believe, particularly after all the scare-mongering on cable news. Maybe North Korea is leading diplomats down a primrose path and it’s another trick like those played on numerous previous administrations. If so, we’ll know soon enough and the dire predictions will resume. In the meantime, the Japanese are sleeping a lot better without missile tests overhead. Several reports indicate that real progress has been made and that President Trump may indeed meet with Kim Jong-un on neutral territory some time in the near future.
Lastly, the Russia-collusion story has fallen completely apart, though CNNhas yet to notice. The Comey bombshells weren’t even firecrackers. His “memos” dispute his book and much of what he’s said in promotional interviews. Not only do the long-awaited notes exonerate Trump, both on the collusion and obstruction claims, the wheels are coming off the Russia myth. There is emerging proof the theme that’s dominated all news for a year and a half is a total farce. Though we’d never heard of several of the seditious pranksters at the time, they’re rapidly becoming household names bound for infamy. The very survival of the United States as a Constitutional Republic still hangs in the balance, despite a cascade of largely ignored good news. It seems the large corporations, mainstream media, social media and educational institutions are determined that we all bow down to the dictates of political correctness. And the socialist pontiff at Rome is making every effort to weave communism into the fabric of Catholic dogma. He’s lauded Chinese communism as the best example of Catholic “Social Doctrine.” The problem for American Catholics, represented as they are throughout government and media, is that the whole concept of an overbearing authority that either bans or mandates every aspect of human activity flies in the face of the Liberty God gave us. It is the Liberty proclaimed throughout the New Testament for which our forefathers bled and died. Fat chance we turn our back on it to fall in line with the slowmotion brigade and its homosexual priesthood! At least not in the age of Trump, or while we yet live.
Sincerely,
Mark Armstrong
- The GTA CD offer this month is a sermon titled, “Spiritual Growth”. As with all our materials, available free of charge. But please get your request in as soon as possible.
