Will Trump bring peace to the Middle East?

Jerusalem Post

. . . "The report says Trump's main advisors currently working on the plan are special advisors Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt. Deputy national security adviser Dina H. Powell, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and others from the State Department and National Security Council. "The team is said to consult with the consul general in Jerusalem Donald Bloom. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complimented Trump and his advisors last week for “taking a fresh approach” and “thinking out of the box.” "Trump had said in the past that he is Israel’s “biggest friend” and that he was aiming for the"ultimate deal." "However some skeptics point out that more than a few American presidents entered the Israeli-Palestinian fry with great hopes only to emerge out of it with less success then they had hoped for. "What changed? "Saudi Arabia and other moderate Arab states seem more interested than ever before in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict in order to invest the attention and energy needed to prevent Iran from increasing its dominance in the Middle East. "Egypt had also been an important ally of those who seek stability and possibly a peace agreement by recently brokering a reconciliation deal between the Hamas government in Gaza and Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah. "It remains to be seen if the Palestinian Authority will assume control of Gaza and if Hamas will give up its’ arms. "Skeptics point out that even a strong personal commitment from a residing US President is not always enough to turn around a century of conflict and personal mistrust between the various leaders involved in the conflict. “ 'Ultimately, both Netanyahu and Abbas just have this long, long history and they’ve played this game really well,” said Foundation for Defense of Democracies scholar Grant Rumley. “ 'They don’t trust each other and I don’t think they will ever get to the point where they will trust each other.' ”

Armistice/ Veterans Day in America; Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom. Rich Terrell update

Rich Terrell update

What We Owe the War Dead  . . . "If death in war is only to be lamented, and its cause decried, then far from paying honor to the "victims" (i.e., dead soldiers), as our self-righteous lamenters claim to be doing, we are actually only absolving ourselves of the truest and ultimate honor we owe the dead, which, to paraphrase the most popular war poem from the age before the folk music leftists got at the topic, is to take the torch from their failing hands and hold it high – that is, to honor the fallen by honoring their cause and their sacrifice with similar, though perhaps never equal, moral seriousness.

"This does not mean we must support an unsound or wasteful political decision about a particular war of which we disapprove, merely because soldiers have died in that war. ("A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it," as Oscar Wilde wrote.)  What it means is that men who died, even if unnecessarily, in the name of the general cause of defending the freedoms we enjoy – or rather the freedoms upon which our societies were founded, though we have largely forsaken them today – ought to serve as reminders of the true value of those freedoms, and also as inspiration to rededicate our own lives to preserving or revitalizing them." . . .

Remembrance Day and Lessons Forgotten 

  "On this Remembrance Day 99 years later, recall that some 750,000 British soldiers, marines, and sailors were killed in WWI; nearly 400,000 more in WWII.

"The most heralded British war poets, emerging in 1915, were not practitioners of armchair verse. They were officers, and men, at the front in the trenches. Over four years their tone changed from lofty patriotic apologetics, to stark portraits of everyday horrors, and instant death within arm’s reach.

. . . 

"Who is Winston Churchill to this generation? An historical trifle, another dead white guy reeking of privilege, and toxic masculinity?  Or instead will anyone remember Churchill as the last defender of the western canon, his singing Sunday service hymns with FDR in 1941 on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland? Who will remember?

"If the generation born in this decade can somehow recall the exploits of their great-grandfathers, and the reasons why those exploits mattered, they may be willing to emulate those historical offerings of a holy gift, for a noble purpose. If not, submission will lead to subjugation, and slaughter. And no one will remember."

Armistice Day: Nation falls silent to remember war dead  . . . "Among those remembering, 99-year-old Les Cherrington (pictured, right), of the Staffordshire Yeomanry Queen's Own Royal Regiment, who was the only survivor from his tank crew in the North African desert in 1943.  

"Mr Cherrington's Sherman tank was left a flaming wreck by a German field gun, but he managed to escape despite being badly burned and his left arm nearly severed by shrapnel." . . .

Asied Debly's Vintage Images Gallery

Chelsea Manning Has A Despicable Veterans Day Message

Weasel Zippers

New York church invites its congregation to bring their firearms to services after Texas mass shooting

UK Daily Mail

" 'Times are changing,' Russell told Spectrum News, noting that it is church leadership that has advocated for the ability to bear arms during services, not necessarily the congregation. 

 "' 'People say 'well, pastor, you’re talking about killing some,' and I say 'well, if I don’t protect my people, I’m being complicit,' Russell said, adding that, 'A shooting here, that’s not going to happen.'

"Outside the Lighthouse Mexico Church of God, a sign now reads, 'We say it again, we are not a gun free zone' and the church's website prominently displays a scrolling message reiterating the message and also stating 'we protect our people!' 

"Spectrum News reported that the Pentecostal church offers parishioners lessons in self-defense and identifying suspicious behavior ." . . . Read more

School District Orders Coaches to Stop Bowing Heads in Prayer

Todd Starnes

"Heaven help the coach who bows his head to pray in Coweta County, Georgia. 

The Coweta County School District issued an edict banning all coaches and other employees from participating in student-initiated or student-led prayer or other forms of worship while acting in their official capacity.

"They cannot join hands, bow their heads, take a knee or commit another act that otherwise manifests approval with the students' religious experience," school board attorney Nathan Lee wrote in a letter obtained by the Newnan Times-Herald. 

"The prayer ban stems from a complaint filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group of disgruntled atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers. 

"They obtained video of East Coweta County High School football coach John Small bowing his head during a team prayer. 

" 'It is illegal for public school athletic coaches to lead their teams in prayer," FFRF attorney Christopher Line wrote in a letter to the school district. "Coach Small's conduct is unconstitutional because he endorses and promotes his religion when acting in his official capacity as a school district employee."

"The Freedom from Religion Foundation has an ugly history of bullying small towns into eradicating any public displays of the Christian faith. And they have spies lurking everywhere." . . .

School Marching Band Stands Up to Tone Deaf Atheists     . . . "This year’s show features renditions of among others Amazing Grace, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

"In addition to the religious-flavored music, the marching band’s routine includes church pews – on the football field.

"While the show is quite popular with most of the folks in town, it’s not exactly a toe-tapper for an aggrieved atheist.

"The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group of perpetually offended atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers, fired off a letter to the school district – warning that the halftime show violates the law." . . .

New Video: Shaking And Barefoot Texas Shooting Hero Explains What Happened To Police

Weasel Zippers

I'd have my doubts about Judge Moore if not for seeing so much evil in the Democrat Party.

Roy Moore Continues to Deny Sexual Misconduct Allegations

“The allegations are completely false. I believe they’re politically motivated.”

"Embattled Alabama Republican Senate Candidate joined Sean Hannity’s radio show Friday to defend himself against allegations that he had improper relationships with girls as young as 14 when he was in his thirties.

"Four women now have come forward alleging Moore came on to them while they were still teenagers. On Hannity’s show, Moore admitted to knowing two of his accusers, saying he remembers being friends with one, but does not remember if they dated.

"Moore maintains the allegations were concocted to bring down his Senate campaign. Before the allegations broke, Moore led his Democratic opponent by 9 percentage points." . . .

Interview here:

Comments to this post:

To any sane person who’s worked in journalism, the idea that the Washington Post would conspire to fabricate a story like this is plainly ridiculous. But an unsettling number of Americans now seem to find it plausible.

Which strikes you as more plausible: that Roy Moore did what those women claim, or that all four, not knowing each other, all spontaneously made up similar stories when the Post knocked on their door? http://bit.ly/2hnrxOE

Local Republicans BACK embattled Senate candidate accused of preying on teen girls - as supporters share photo of his accuser working as an interpreter for Hillary Clinton  Pictured below:
"Moore accuser Deborah Wesson Gibson is seen working as a sign language interpreter at a Hillary Clinton campaign rally in Florida in 2016. She claims Moore kissed her on a date."

Study: Networks Loud on Roy Moore Allegations, Quiet on Bob Menendez Trial  

Alabama Accuser Deletes Anti-Moore Postings from Facebook, Rants About Removing Trump from Office   . . . "Other posts still active on her page repeatedly urge the immediate removal of President Donald Trump from office and show that Gibson “likes” far-left activist groups.  She also pushed a petition drive to remove Steve Bannon from the National Security Council last February when Bannon was serving as the White House chief strategist." . . .

Poll: Post-Moore Scandal, Alabama All Tied Up
. . . "Sixty-three percent of Republican voters say they stand by Moore, while 17.7 percent say they prefer to write in Moore’s primary opponent, Sen. Luther Strange. Fifteen percent of GOP voters say they prefer the Democratic candidate, Jones." . . .

Media Covered Up Sexual Assault To Score Points For The Left

"Via The Federalist:"

Federalist senior writer Mary Katharine Ham joined CNN’s “Inside Politics” on Friday to discuss why Americans often don’t consider the media trustworthy when it covers sexual assault allegations.

In the wake of sexual assault allegations against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, political strategist and Breitbart editor Steve Bannon has said the claims are political hit jobs.

“The reason that Bannon can say ‘this is all just a hit job’ is because the media has not been trustworthy on some of these issues in the past,” Ham said." . . .

Progressives are normalizing violence against conservatives – and it is working

Or maybe ask Jameson Hsieh, the rodeo clown who was banned for life from the Missouri State Fair for wearing an Obama mask.

Thomas Lifson  "The political equivalent of a mafia "contract" has been placed in Republican politicians, through efforts at all levels of the progressive political culture to "normalize" violence against President Trump and his enablers.  The horrific mass assassination attempt on the congressional delegation is never mentioned in the media, other than honors for Rep. Scalise (who almost died and needs a scooter) and the hero cops who prevented the intended mass slaughter.

"And now we learn Senator Rand Paul was attacked by a rabid Trump-hater, and that neighbors deny that landscaping was the root of the attack, which was the first story put out by the national media by the suspect's lawyer, no doubt aware that the penalties for a political attack on a senator are severe.

"At one end of the cultural spectrum, Antifa fascists and campus radicals preposterously argue that conservative speech is violence, while cultural grandees shoehorn a Trump assassination into Shakespeare in the Park at the other.  In between, Kathy Griffin retracts her apology for planting the image of a beheaded Trump in the minds of hordes of crazy people who have been told Trump is the same as Hitler.  The more violence is praised, and the more times the at-risk population is exposed to images of violence against Trump, the more people will be encouraged to act out.  We have largely closed our mental hospitals and have a lot of unstable people in a nation of 330 million." . . .

Is the GOP establishment behind the Roy Moore hit?

"If Moore is guilty as charged, then he should slink off and disappear.  But give the man his due, and don't pronounce him guilty based on a Washington Post story.  After all, how many of their previous stories turned out to be false?  Plenty."

Brian C. Joondeph  "Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore is the latest famous guy to be accused of sexual assault.  The Washington Post reported that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl, at a time when Moore was 32 years old.

"Is this a hit piece to derail his candidacy, or is he truly a bad guy?  The story will play out over the next few days, making the answer clearer.  What's suspicious is the timing.

"With choreography on par with Olympic synchronized swimming or figure skating, members of the GOP establishment are dancing in unison.  Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would be jealous.

"Hours after the Washington Post piece went viral, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell joined the dance, calling for Moore to withdraw from the Alabama Senate race "if these allegations are true."  No pause.  No circumspection.  No waiting until the facts are in before rushing to judgment.

"It's reminiscent of President Obama immediately concluding that the Cambridge police acted "stupidly" after the Henry Gates incident or jumping on the "hands up, don't shoot" bandwagon before the facts were known.

"McConnell's dance partner, Senator John McCain, was quick to the microphone, not even considering whether the allegations against Roy Moore were true,saying, "The allegations against Roy Moore are deeply disturbing and disqualifying.  He should immediately step aside and allow the people of Alabama to elect a candidate they can be proud of.' " . . .

Washington Post Says Fake Hate Is Rare, and Other Fairy Tales

Colin Flaherty  "The Washington Post promised us that fake hate crimes are “rare.”  The news hounds of D.C. know that because the Southern Poverty Law Center, America’s greatest purveyors of fake hate crimes, told them so.

"That is the biggest hoax of all.

"The occasion for their latest prevarication was this week when even the Post had to admit that three recent nationally publicized stories of white on black hate crimes were fake as a nine-bob note. At the Air Force Academy Prep school, a black student admitted he was responsible for the racist graffiti that drew so much virtue display from so many high places. Ditto for racist drawings in Lawrence, Kansas and racist graffiti at a Missouri church.

Despite the recent hoaxes of white racism, the Post its satraps at SPLC felt the need to reassure us that white racist hate crimes are real and widespread and of course all the fault of Donald Trump.

That’s the fantasy. The reality is that black victimization is the biggest hoax of our lifetimes, and fake hate is a part of that huge liberal con game. And it is easy to see with even a cursory look at a list of recent fake hate stories that gathered national attention.

"As I listened to that song, I kept thinking about the Texas church shooter, Dylan Roof, Las Vegas."

Althouse   "Wrote Annie C in the comments to the first post of the day, which was about Roy Moore but ended by taking an off ramp into the old Doors song "People Are Strange.' "

I had a similar response. Jim Morrison experienced intense love from his fans. He was perhaps the most sexually attractive man on earth as you see him in that old video. But the words were the words of the complete social outcast, utterly unsuccessful with women and taking his loserdom to a dark place.

There's the repeated line that resonates with today's sexual harassment stories: "Women seem wicked when you're unwanted...."

By the way, I've never been a Doors fan, but I've always liked that one song, "People Are Strange." . . .

Comments in this post about Morrison include:

"But he IS better looking than Louis CK." . . . who apparently emulated Morrison's stage actions. Another comment:

. . . "But she also remembered Morrison had told her he had been fat in high school and that lithe body was achieved by basically giving up food for alcohol and drugs. The booze diet worked until it didn't - Morrison was pretty bloated by the time he died. " . . .

At least Morrison didn't slaughter worshippers in a church, though perhaps many of his groupies killed themselves by living his lifestyle. TD

Patrick K. O’Donnell on Veterans Day: ‘So Many Fake Heroes in Society Today,’ Real Heroes ‘Sacrifice Their Lives for This Great Country’

Rich Terrell

John Hayward  . . . "'For instance, the entire Middle East was created from a flawed treaty from World War One,” he noted. “The rise of communism, international finance, America’s rise to the world stage, all begins in World War One, the modern military. It’s an incredibly important event.”

“Very few people know about it. It’s kind of a lost generation in many ways. That generation of doughboys that fought World War One is an incredible generation that’s largely been lost to time. To this generation, we don’t even know about them and what they fought for, why they fought for liberty and freedom, in one of the most brutal wars of the 20th Century where millions died,” O’Donnell said.

“The sacrifice that these individuals made for America is really staggering. This is a time when America was completely unprepared. The size of the standing army in 1917, 1916 was on par with, like, Belgium. That’s how small it was. It had to grow to nearly four million men overnight. That in itself is an incredible story of how we mobilized, and really the United States made the difference in World War One,” he said.

“One of the most deadly battles of World War One was at the Meuse-Argonne, which took place beginning on September 26th, and it spans all the way to November 11th. Some of the most deadly combat occurred after the armistice was effectively signed. On November 10th, men were still crossing the Meuse river,” he recalled." . . .

Amazing then and now photos of WW1 battlefields  

1916: a French soldier walks in the ruins of Verdun after German bombing. 11 March 2014: a car is parked near the former Episcopal Palace. Verdun was the site of one of the bloodiest, longest and most costly battles of the entire conflict. The attack on the city was conceived by the German chief of the general staff, Erich von Falkenhayn, who initiated a massive offensive to break French troops. After months of bombardment, the French managed to hold the line against the Germans. There were an estimated 700,000 casualties.