Mark Armstrong’s Weekly News Commentary – Friday, 14 September 2018

Greetings from Tyler,

            Under the circumstances, it probably should come as no surprise that a weather calamity should be treated as a partisan political issue.  Some of these network goof-balls standing out in the wind and rain have hyped hurricane Florence since it was three days out.  You probably haven’t forgotten the frightening forecast,  how it was going to escalate from a Category 2 all the way to a Cat. 5 before slamming the coast of the Carolinas with devastating effect. And it was mostly due to Trump’s audacity. 

            The Washington Post got the ball rolling early.  It’s editorial page said Trump was “complicit” with the storm and whatever damage it might do.  Trump… “continues to dismantle efforts to address those risks…there is no reasonable doubt that humans are priming the Earth’s systems to create disasters.” 

            Meteorologist Eric Holthous with Chris Hayes on MSNBC said,  “We have a president that is denying the impacts of, you know, this hurricane season last year and this year and actively making the problem worse by, you know, not addressing this root cause of worsening storms.”  Even the weather experts have to toe the company line, even though such nonsense is inconsistent with their profession.  (If only we had more windmills and solar panels…!)

            They chime in saying Trump was complicit– and may be responsible for 80,000 deaths per decade because he fails to implement climate change regulations.  Wow! That seems to vindicate the other somber accusation this week, that the Trump Presidency is more destructive than the 9-11 terrorist attacks (Joe Scarborough).  He’s rolled back Obama-era climate-change policies, and therefore bears responsibility for damage and any deaths that may occur in hurricane Florence. Having canceled U. S. participation in the Paris Climate Change Accords, Trump will be responsible for thousands of deaths per year, and that’s what passes for the reporting of information.

            Many of the anchors ditched their suits and ties to report Live from the coastline.  Imagine their disappointment when the storm weakened to a fraction of its foretold strength.  They’d spent hours arguing that “Trump didn’t care” about the death toll in Puerto Rico from hurricane Maria. That is, after it was multiplied times forty six by a statistical calculation at the think tank (of all places) George Washington University.  The death toll rose from 64 to nearly three thousand just in time for them to ambush the president with a question about it as Florence approached land.  Then they reported, he saw fit, for no reason, to congratulate his administration for the response in Puerto Rico. 

            The truth is we have yet to know the full impact from the torrential rain on already saturated ground in the affected areas. It is of concern to us, because it’s only a little over a week until people would begin to arrive for the Feast of Tabernacles at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  We are sure they are keeping an eye on conditions and will plan accordingly. 

            We’ve learned that all the social media giants are without a doubt using their power over information to push socialist dogma and thwart all voices of dissent.  The video of the Google meeting is now widely available where they held a pity party, saying their efforts were insufficient in the last election.  They didn’t hide their grief, to the contrary.  It’s absolutely pitiful that they are so obviously trying to control what people see and hear.  Not only that, but they’re collecting information on everyone who, by default, use their services; tracking them, selling the information again and again.  They act as the “ministry of Truth,” and largely fulfill the worst expectations of George Orwell’s novel 1984.

            As we prepare to observe the annual Feast of Tabernacles, the world at large is awfully messy.  Europe is beginning to react to the atmosphere created by the onslaught of “refugees.”  Angela Merkel of Germany is in a perpetual state of political crisis, Italy is seeing upheaval, and Sweden just saw a massive increase in anti-immigrant seats in its government.

            The pope’s troubles have yet to play out, and you have to wonder how, or whether the unspeakable priest scandal will ever end. Iran’s leadership is in crisis, with ever mounting dissent over a ruined economy.  The mullahs must be pulling at their beards.

            And it seems the whole world is in an uproar over the presidency of one Donald Trump!  None more so than our domestic media, who’ve made it their full time responsibility to eject him from office by any means available.  Their credibility is no longer a concern, they’re driven by a higher calling.  Even the skewed polls show an optimism across the country not seen since the days of Ronald Reagan. 

            As we pause from our ordinary lives to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, in remembrance of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness and looking forward to the time when God will set up His Kingdom on earth, remember that we are to be happy and rejoice.  We wish all a safe and wonderful time, and hope that all will be well even in Myrtle Beach in the aftermath of the storm. 

Mark Armstrong

P. S. Not that you need me to remind you, but Wednesday Sept. 19this the annual day of Atonement.  It is filled with meaning and is probably the most somber of all the High Days.  Soon to follow, beginning September 24, we’ll hope to see you at one of the several sites for the Feast of Tabernacles.  Please remember Myrtle Beach and the people planning to attend there.