REMEMBER RODNEY KING? - RIOTS IN THE STREETS

I haven't seen a lot of this footage in a long time. I remember watching it as it happened and how unbelievable it all seemed. What if we see these sorts of riots in a more widespread way? This was just one part of one city. What happens when the fuel and food become harder and harder to get or afford? Will we see these sorts of riots?

I hope not but seeing this should give us pause.

TRIAL AND TRIUMPH

I've lifted this post in its entirety from Ioannes' blog Commentarius de Prognosticis. I've gone to the extreme of stealing an entire post because the words of Jim Mcrea that he quotes are really, really close to the words being heard by many of the mystics today. Is this the truth and will everything fall out as he says? I don't know - it's prophecy after all and prone to confusion. That being said, the scenario below is being heard by many around the world and has been for hundreds of years.

Comment by Jim McCrea on These Times

Folks,

The following is Jim McCrea's comment on my post, Update.

Actually, the situation has been predicted in Catholic prophecy, by Church approved seers consisting of Venerables, Blesseds, and Saints through most of the history of the Church.

We are closing in on what is known as the Minor Tribulation.

The whole world will fall apart and God will purify the world through natural disasters and man-made events.

Terrible things will happen in the future - Italy and France will fall into civil war at the same time, as the forces of Godlessness try to exterminate all Christians. After that there will be a terrible invasion of Europe by the Muslims who will commit innumerable atrocities. We can see now how both the fiscal and social policies of Obama are leading to a conflagration in the Western world (including Canada, and Central and South America).

Then there will arise a great military leader who will completely defeat Islam, and that will be the end of that religion (it was a colossal monument to falsity). He will defeat the final enemy of the secular forces at the battle of Birch Tree country, then ascend the throne of France, dragging the flag of the French Revolution through the mud which was an impious experiment. He will be the Great Monarch who will rule the world for many years, bringing peace, justice, and prosperity, and most of the world will become Catholic as even Protestantism will disappear. That is the Era of Peace predicted at Fatima.

But as man cannot stand material prosperity for long without abandoning God, fervor will cool and there will be a great falling away, called the Great Apostasy in the Bible (2 Thessalonians 2).

Then from that loss of Faith, the final and most terrible evil will arise in the person of Antichrist who will exceed all other tyrants in history in malice. That will be the Major Tribulation. He will rule for 3 1/2 years as Enoch and Elijah will return to combat him. Enoch and Elijah will be killed by Antichrist and then rise 3 1/2 days later and ascend into heaven.

Antichrist trying to go after them, will rise by the power of the devil and as he is doing so will be killed by the Archangel Michael (according to St. Thomas Aquinas).

Shortly after that will be the End of the World and the General Judgment.

God is strengthening all faithful Christians now for the up-coming events. A time will come shortly where we will not have government institution or steady job to support us, but only radical trust in the providence of God.

Catholic prophesy is explained in the tome Trial, Tribulation, and Triumph by Desmond A. Birch published by Queenship Publishing who has researched this for many years to write his book.

HIDDEN INFLATION

H/T Surviving in Argentina

A month or so ago I bought a bag of charcoal at Lowe's and paid about $8.50 for it. Sticker shock!! A couple weeks ago we went to Alps, a local discount grocery where we do most of our shopping. I saw a bag of charcoal, same brand and same size bag for about $5.75. Woo-Hoo!!

I'm sitting outside by the pit, cooking syrup and I look over at the new sack. The one I got at Lowe's was 20 pounds which has always been the standard size. The new sack, even though it appeared to be the same size container, held only 16.8 pounds.

My wife and I have been watching this happen over the last year or so. I was happy to find this video because it graphically illustrates something that I don't think most people have been paying attention to.

The most recent measurements of consumer spending showed a 2.8% rise to the highest level in three years. All the financial talking heads went wild saying this was just further evidence of economic recovery. Really?

My guess is that it's just further evidence of inflationary increase in the cost of living. We're not buying more stuff. We are probably buying less, which would account for the drop in durable goods and housing. The rise in consumer spending is the result of spending more of the money we have less of to buy fewer goods because the price of everything has gone through the roof. And it's just beginning.

Everything we see,read or hear about the economy is an illusion, just like the toilet paper rolls in the video above and the charcoal sitting by the pit. At least the toilet paper has a useful purpose.

IRISH EXPECTED TO THROW OUT GOVERNMENT

And look, not a single person has to die in the process!

As we watch the world collapse into anarchy and chaos, driven by Muslims and Communism, isn't it nice to see a shift in power done the old fashioned way - at the polls?

This is what we're going to lose if the forces of evil from Libya to Madison get their way.

And what will we get in it's place? DEMOCRACY!

"Irish voters go to the polls today, with anger over the collapse of the economy and the cost of rescuing banks expected to result in the biggest shift of political power in the country’s history."
Business Week

PRICE OF FUEL TO RISE IN ENGLAND - WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?

"The cost of unleaded has broken the barrier in 267 forecourts already and the number is set to increase sharply over the next few days.

Brian Madderson, chairman of RMI Petrol, the filling stations’ trade body, said motorists will be paying 10 pence a litre more by the end of April because of the looming increase in fuel duty and higher oil prices on the world market.

By the middle of next week £6 a gallon – or £1.32 a litre – will be the norm across Britain, Mr Madderson added."
Telegraph

Realizing that fuel is always more expensive in Europe for a number of reasons, this is a harbinger of things to come here in America. Right now the exchange rate for the pound is 1.61 to 1 verses the dollar (that's a terrible thing in itself). This means at 6 pounds per gallon we're talking $9.66 a gallon in dollars. On a report I found on the net from the U.S. Energy Information Administration it seems the cost of a gallon of gas in England on February 2 of this year was $7.87. That means that English officials are forecasting a 23% increase.

The same chart says that U.S. averages were $3.37. A 23% rise in cost puts us at $4.14 a gallon. This is in line with most of the forecasts I've seen for price increases here in America based on the effects of the Libyan revolt.

Pray that this doesn't spread any further in the Middle East. These prices are getting dangerously close to the prices that caused our economy to collapse in '08. And it won't take quite as much to shove us over the edge this time.

MUSLIMS IN ITALY STIRRING HATRED AGAINST POPE

Nothing here to see...just move along.

"Italian police on Friday arrested six Moroccan men suspected of inciting hatred against Pope Benedict XVI for converting a Muslim journalist in Italy to Catholicism.
Stefano Fonsi, head of Brescia police's anti-terrorism squad in northern Italy, said the suspects allegedly banded together and met privately with the goal of stirring up religious hatred against non-Muslims, including the pope.

Investigators say they found literature exhorting Muslim immigrants against integrating into Italian society and saying the pope should be punished for having baptized the journalist during an Easter vigil ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica.

The investigation grew out of security checks ahead of a pastoral visit by Benedict to Brescia in 2009, but authorities insisted that their probe revealed no plot against the pontiff or other terrorism aims."
Breitbart

Here's the thing: If the Communists are mixed up with the Muslims in driving these protests, as they seem to be, with the unions starting and fueling them and the Muslim radicals filling the void they leave, then it's perfectly rational to expect that when these riots wash ashore in Italy one of the primary targets will be the Vatican.

The Church has been at war with Marxism since the beginning. It was, along with Reagan, Thatcher, and Lech Walesa the driving force in the collapse of Communist Eastern Europe. Marxism has been condemned as an intrinsically evil system since its earliest days.

The Marxists want the Church destroyed and the Pope dead. Period. And it goes without saying that the Muslims will have no problem with this, either. He is, after all, the infidel in chief.

So watch as the events unfold in Italy. I'm very afraid that what happens in Rome will have ramifications the world over.

Pray and prepare.

WEST VS. EAST

There is so much to talk about here regarding the elevation of the individual as a direct result of the Protestant heresy. This distortion of the truth is at the root of nearly every problem we have in this country today. The left puts the individual above the common good when it cries out for redistribution of wealth and the right does the same when it says that property rights are absolute and no one has a claim to theirs.

The truth is in the middle and it has a name; social justice. I know that this has become something to be derided because it's been distorted by the selfish INDIVIDUALS on both sides of the political spectrum to benefit their own PERSONAL needs. Never mind the good of the family.

The family is both the basic unit of human survival and the basic form of government. How would any family function if everyone in it was just looking out for number one? They wouldn't and they don't! Why do you think divorce rates are so catastrophically high?

And when did divorce rates in America start to climb? Right after contraception was made a right in America and legalized. When children became an option, a choice to be made by the individual, when man put himself in God's place, becoming like God, the sacramental agreement between man and wife that is marriage lost its meaning. If God was no longer necessary in the decision about creating children, which is after all the central reason for marriage and the sexual act, then why should He have anything to say about the marriage itself? The individual could make the choice now; he had become God!

Pope Paul VI predicted all this in 1968 with the publication of Humanae Vitae. If you haven't read it in awhile or have never read it take a few minutes and look it over.

We are not gods and we cannot take from the true God the power that is meant for Him alone. It always has and always will end in disaster.

Pray for the people of the Philippines that they retain their ban on contraception and that Planned Parenthood loses this battle. Future lives and humanity itself rests on decisions like this.

LIBYAN OIL PRODUCTION FORECAST TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY

"Oil production in Libya is expected to shut down completely and could be lost for a prolonged period of time, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Thursday.

"We expect Libyan production to be shut down completely and we might lose sweet crudes from Libya for a prolonged period of time," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Sabine Schels told Reuters.

Schels said that the world faced the prospect of real supply shock in which the loss of 1.6 million barrels per day of sweet oil could potentially trigger a steep rise in prices and force a sharp reduction in demand to balance the system."
Reuters

Brace yourselves! This means $4.25-$4.50 a gallon for gas, and probably in a relatively short time period. Your family budget is about to take a massive hit as the cost of not only your gasoline but everything else you buy jumps. And this doesn't even count the other price jumps in commodities like corn and cotton that have taken place over the last few months.

Saudi Arabia is saying that they'll make it up. That remains to be seen. Assuming that the Royal Family isn't taken out in a revolution, there has long been talk that Saudi has greatly exaggerated their reserves for a number of reasons and that they really don't have the excess capacity they've so long bragged about. Also, their oil isn't of the same quality as the Libyan oil. It's harder to refine into gasoline.

From what I listened to on Fox Business the other day it appears that Libya's oil goes to Europe where it's refined into gas. Some of that is shipped to America. Some of our oil is refined into diesel, because it's a lower quality oil, and shipped to Europe. Apparently, this European gas supplies the East Coast so look for the price run up to hit there first.

Here in the St. Louis area we're fortunate to be right across the river from the refineries at Wood River, Illinois. We've got oil pipelines running underground all over the place. I don't know exactly what the finished product is but they must be making at least some gasoline because our prices are generally a bit lower than most other places, probably due to transportation costs.

But what's a few pennies when we're talking $4 or more a gallon.

If Saudi goes down analysts are predicting oil at $220 a barrel, roughly $10 a gallon for gas. Uprisings are already scheduled (all by themselves with no one in the background manipulating anything. Weird, huh?) in just a couple weeks. Bahrain, is close to collapse which will mean that we lose our docking for the Fifth Fleet and it opens a door to Eastern Saudi Arabia. Most of the discontent in Saudi is on the Eastern side, where most of the oil fields are.

Can you feel a war in the air as we send troops to defend the Royal family and our interests in the region, not to mention our oil supply.

No matter how bad this gets or whether Saudi collapses we're looking at a recession that will slip into depression here in America and probably around the globe. Right now may be the best times any of us see in a long, long time.

Pray, pray, pray. And prepare.

THRILLA' IN MANILLA

ROCKETS FIRED ON THE GAZA BORDER - THE REVOLUTION SPREADS

"Grad rockets were fired at the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva on Wednesday, several hours after the Israel Defense Forces fired at a group of militants on the Gaza border, wounding 11.

Palestinian sources reported that the Israel Air Force retaliated late Wednesday with an airstrike in eastern Gaza City, wounding three Islamic Jihad militants. The IDF confirmed the airstrike."
Haaretz

This article doesn't name which group is responsible for this but I'd have to assume Hamas. This would be the same Hamas that is linked back to from the Facebook page promoting protests in Saudi Arabia on March 20. This isn't a coincidence. I suspect that we'll start seeing more of this sort of thing, and not just from the Gaza. Israel is slowly being surrounded and cut off by militant Islam. Iran is sending warships their way as we speak. There won't be a direct attack. There doesn't have to be. They'll just poke and prod and sooner or later Israel will respond.

My guess, and that's all this is, is that the groups behind the uprisings are trying to get Israel to attack somebody, somewhere, it doesn't matter who or why. What they're trying to do is use Israel as a rallying point, the glue that can bind together all the rage in all the different Islamic countries and coalesce it into one mighty army. Because this isn't just a political game. It's a military game and the military goal is the re-establishment of the Ottoman Empire and the conquest of Europe. For that the Mullahs need a real army, of millions.

Like I said this is just a guess but I have a feeling that history is repeating itself because it always does, especially in that part of the world. In 1699 the Ottomans were forced to turn Hungary and Transylvania over to Austria, effectively ending their hopes in Europe. My guess is that somebody is still pissed about this and wants to set it right. And then they want to finish the job and conquer Europe. The Muslims have set up Muslim communities all throughout Europe, even becoming powerful enough to begin the institution of Sharia law. And that's what'll give 'em the edge this time; they will attack from without and within and Europe will fall. Guess who's next?

Have you wondered why there are so many car bombings on the Mexican border? And so many beheadings? Have you noticed how towns like Ciudad Juarez have begun to look like Arab towns, all blown to pieces and falling down? Hezbollah is on our border, working with the cartels. They've effectively recreated the Middle East right at the doorstep of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. They're just 'biding their time, building stores of supplies and getting ready. They've been using drug tunnels to cross the border at will, smuggling in the materials they'll need to wage war.

My guess is that soon we'll start to see the first of the terror attacks in conjunction with street protests carried out by the unions like they're doing in Madison. Just like they're pushing and prodding Israel they'll do it to us, too. This is about global conquest and the creation of a Caliphate. Instability and fear are the primary tools and they'll use them well.

Pray and prepare. The show is about to begin.

SEEMS LIKE THINGS ARE GETTING EXPENSIVE? HAVING TROUBLE FINDING WORK? HERE'S WHY

The following chart and commentary came from an old grade school friend of mine. Looking at these numbers it's amazing just how bad things have gotten in the last few years. "But the President inherited this from the Bush administration!" True, some of it he did. But, he's taken what was a really bad situation and just made it worse - way worse.

So that paycheck you have coming in, if you're lucky, just doesn't go as far as it used too, eh Bucky? You'll find the reason for this below. Having trouble finding work? Look below.

And get ready because if things don't get straightened out quickly in the Middle East we're going to sink into a hole we may never get out of.

Click on the chart to make it bigger.

Hope & Change???

Two years ago, Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States . Are you better off today than you were two years ago? Numbers don't lie, and here are the data on the impact he has had on the lives of Americans:

Just take this last item: In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history. Over 27 times as fast!

Metaphorically, speaking, if you are driving in the right lane doing 65 MPH and a car rockets past you in the left lane 27 times faster . . . it would be doing 1,755 MPH! This is a disaster!

Sources:
(1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. of Labor; (7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC; (13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury

WHO WILL DIE FIRST?

Interesting video and something that if you've not thought about it before it would be worth your while to start. This presupposes a complete collapse and that may or may not ever happen. But what's real possible is a significant partial collapse brought on by fuel disruptions, hyperinflation, food shortages or a collapse of the dollar. None of these may happen but I've got to say, especially with the political unrest in the Middle East and the debt of the worlds countries driving massive currency printing, thus devaluation, something's got to give. And whatever it is will change a good deal of the way we live our lives. Oil shortages or disruptions alone will cause damned near everything else to fail and they're beginning to look like more of a sure bet everyday.

SAUDI REVOLTS AND SOCIETAL COLLAPSE

I went to the Facebook page of the group that is promoting a revolution in Saudi Arabia on March 20th. I clicked on their info page, which of course is in Arabic. I clicked on the first Arabic link under the "likes and interests" column and was immediately taken to the Facebook page of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Who would'a thunk it? This is the same guy that spoke at the big rally in Egypt last week and the same guy that prayed to have the strength to allow him to kill Jews from his wheelchair, said Hitler hadn't gone far enough and wants the Muslim countries to arm themselves with nuclear weapons so that they can attack the infidels and the Jews.

Just like all the other revolts underway in the Middle east, if these spread to Saudi Arabia in the end it will be the Islamic militants that end up with the power. These revolts create a vacuum and it will be filled. The fact is that the thing that will fill it is Islam. Government in the Middle East is theocratic by nature, it always has been and it always will. That's what the people, more or less, want.

So get ready for $200 a barrel oil or even more. Realistically, the world economy will collapse long before that point so this is all kind of academic. Beyond a certain price point the price no longer matters because nobody can pay it.

Buckle up. And pray.

CANADIAN TROOPS MAY BE USED IN TIMES OF CIVIL UNREST IN AMERICA

"Canada and the U.S. have signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other’s borders during an emergency, but some are questioning why the Harper government has kept silent on the deal.

Neither the Canadian government nor the Canadian Forces announced the new agreement, which was signed Feb. 14 in Texas.

The U.S. military’s Northern Command, however, publicized the agreement with a statement outlining how its top officer, Gen. Gene Renuart, and Canadian Lt.-Gen. Marc Dumais, head of Canada Command, signed the plan, which allows the military from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a civil emergency."
Canada.com

Right off the bat I gotta say that I've got nothing against Canadians and I think that it's in the interest of both Canada and America to form a stronger bond as the rest of the world comes apart. With common roots and similar lifestyles we are in many ways extremely well matched. This isn't to imply that we should join into one country but I think it would be wise to look at how we can work together to better North American security and independence from the crazies in the Middle East.

The problem with this story is timing. As the world comes off the track the governments of our two countries sign a pact for mutual military assistance in times of emergencies. Prudent? Perhaps. But why keep it all hush-hush? Let the people know why its being done.

The things that are coming our way are going to be bad. But, the thing that is going to make it worse is the secrecy. Our government has kept the people in the dark. More than that, they've purposely distorted the truth to paint a rosy picture instead of using the time to get every one ready for what's coming. When the collapse finally happens most people will say they never saw it coming and they won't be ready for it and then we will see riots in the streets.

If the government had done its job and got the people ready for this then maybe it wouldn't have to worry about getting troops from Canada to quell unrest.

Of course, if the government had been honest about what's happening their buddies in the banking world would have seen the spigot turned off and their profits fall. And we can't have that. And since the bankers seem to control our government I guess it makes sense that the government would function with the best interests of the bankers in mind.

THE REST OF THE STORY ABOUT KILLINGS ABOARD THE QUEST AND THE MOTIVES BEHIND THEM

"All four hostages, which included a Fuller Theological Seminary graduate, aboard a yacht were shot dead early Tuesday after they were held captive by Somali pirates.

The U.S. Central Command said negotiations for the release of the hostages were ongoing when there was gunfire at approximately 1 a.m. ET Tuesday.

U.S. Forces responded to the gunfire aboard the pirated vessel, named the Quest, by boarding the yacht but discovered that all the hostages had been shot.

"Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement."
Christian Post

OK, so that's pretty much the story we've all been hearing on the news. But what about this part:

"Scott and Jean Adams were retired and had been sailing around the world for the past six years on their yacht. The couple was on a worldwide trip to distribute Bibles.

On the couple's website, Jean Adams wrote, “Another aspect of our travels is friendship evangelism – that is, finding homes for thousands of Bibles, which have been donated through grants and gifts, as we travel from place to place.”"

A friend on Facebook named James Mace posted about this so I decided to look it up. Why is the media ignoring the evangelism and Bible distribution? Is it because to do so would provide a motive for the killings? A motive which would not be...politically correct, that wouldn't fit the story of the religion of peace that gets crammed down our throats day in and day out?

These pirates don't normally kill Westerners, they take them hostage and demand a ransom. Killing these people causes all kinds of problems for the pirate leaders because they're running a business that depends on a certain set of rules, no matter how perverse those rules seem to us. They don't kill hostages, we don't kill pirates, ransoms get paid and we do it all over again. Stuff like this ups the ante because if they are going to start killing hostages then the gloves will come off.

So it makes no sense to kill the hostages unless there was some powerful ulterior motive. My guess is that the motive can be found in their Islamic faith and jihad. The distribution of Bibles in Islamic countries, even supposedly civilized ones like Saudi Arabia will get you the death sentence. Why would it be any different on the open seas? Islam knows no borders.

So I'll be interested to see if we hear anything at all in the mainstream press about the Bibles and Islam. My guess is it'll all be kept nice and quiet...wouldn't want to offend anybody or upset a carefully constructed storyline.

MORE NEWS ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF CHRISTIANS IN SOMALIA:

After reading the stories below I'd definitely believe that there's more to the killings on board the Quest than simple piracy. I feel confident in saying that there's a religious motivation behind them.

"The Somali militant group Al-Shabab has been arming and training pirates in exchange for a share of their spoils, says a newly released Canadian intelligence document.

Al-Shabab has formed a “relationship of convenience” with one of the two main pirate networks operating off the Horn of Africa, the “Top Secret” intelligence assessment says.

The report describes an “Islamist extremism-piracy nexus” that involves Al-Shabab providing “weapons, combat training and local protection” to the Mudug pirates of southern Somalia.

In return, “elements of Al-Shabab continue to receive portions of the spoils from successful hijackings either in cash or seized weapons and materiel,” it says."
National Post

"Bringing Muslims to Jesus is bringing a new wave of persecution in Somalia.

Members of an Islamic Somali extremist group have confiscated farm lands owned by Somali Christians and Muslims who attended Bible studies in the cities of Afgoye and Baidawa. Al-Shabaab is the name of the group behind the persecution, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

It’s not a one-time incident, either. The Islamists have confiscated eight farms since January 19. A Somali church leader confirmed to ICC that five of the farms were owned by Somali Christian converts from Islam and three were owned by Muslims who attended Bible study groups to learn about Christianity. Most of the landowners fled their homes and remain in hiding. There are also unconfirmed reports of additional Christian farm seizures in Dinsor and Burhakaba districts.

Al-Shabaab handed over the confiscated lands to businessmen who regularly donate to the group. The Islamic group has vowed to cleanse Somalia of any Christian influence. Since January 2009, Al-Shabaab has killed 23 Christians, most of whom were church leaders. Al-Shabaab has also desecrated three Christian cemeteries in Mogadishu and destroyed a Christian library in the Luuq district."
Charisma Magazine

"Canadian newspapers report that more than 100 Arab-Canadian Christians have been put on a list published by website close to Al Qaeda, apparently charged with encouraging conversions from Islam. The website Shumukh-al-Islam, often seen as an Al Qaeda propaganda tool, has created a list with photos, addresses and phone numbers of Coptic Christians, most with dual Egyptian and Canadian nationality, who spoke openly against Islam.

Three web pages, in classical Arabic, entitled "Complete information on Copts" are meant to "identify and call by name all the Copts in the world who hope to defame Islam" and refers to them as "dogs in diaspora”.

In the website forum a member, who goes by the name "Son of a sharp sword," writes: "We will return to Islam and all the mujahideen will cut off their heads." One of the people included on the list told reporters: "This is a direct threat to our lives. They are trying to inform one another in the hope that someone can carry out this threat. It could be here, or in Egypt. " Some of the people only found out they were on the list when the Canadian security services contacted them. The existence of such sites is often criticized even by the defenders of freedom of expression, but some security experts say that in reality they are a great resource for those fighting terrorism.

This episode, and what we report now, testify to the very concrete reality Benedict XVI’s warning contained in his speech to the Roman Curia on December 20 on the growing scale of Christianaphobia in the world, and are linked to Al Qaeda threats launched against Christians in Iraq as "legitimate targets". Here is the example of an episode that occurred in Somalia. On December 16 militants of Al-Shabaab, the militant Islamic group, destroyed a Christian library in the district of Luuq. After vandalizing the premises, the militants took all of the shop’s material, books, Bibles, audio and video material, to the town centre and set flames to it after midday prayer."
Spero Forum

"International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on December 16, members of Al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant group, destroyed a Christian library in the Luuq district of Somalia.

The militants destroyed the library and brought Bibles, Christian books, and audio/video materials to the city center and burned them after the Muslim noon prayer. The guardian of the library fled the area hours after the library was found by the Islamists. His whereabouts are unknown.

Al-Shabaab’s district commissioner in Luuq, Sheik Farhaan Abdi Elmoghe, described the discovery of the library as “a blow to the misguided Somali Christians.”

The library was located in a derelict farm on the Juba River. It is not uncommon for the persecuted Somali Christians to literally bury their Bibles and other Christian materials because of intense persecution from Islamists.

Speaking from Mogadishu to ICC, a leader of an underground church said, “The library served as an underground Somali Bible college, [and it’s] one of the biggest and the most comprehensive Somali Christian libraries in southern Somalia.” He further added that the destruction of the library would not stop the Somali Christians from studying the scriptures.

Al-Shabaab has openly declared that it wants to wipe out Christianity from Somalia. This year alone, the Islamists have killed at least half a dozen Somali Christians. Despite the attacks by Islamists, the number of Somali Muslims converting to Christianity has grown in the past 15 years.

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Jonathan Racho, said, “Christians in Somalia are paying the ultimate price for their faith in Jesus Christ. It’s high time for the churches throughout the world to stand with the underground churches of Somalia. Unfortunately, the world has ignored the atrocities that Al-Shabaab has been committing against innocents in Somalia.”


You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441."
Midnight Reveler

WALMART SALES DROP FOR SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE QUARTER

"Wal-Mart Stores Inc posted its seventh consecutive quarterly drop in sales at existing U.S. stores and said it will take some time to turn around sales in that unit.

The world's largest retailer has struggled with pricing as it has lost customers to dollar stores while it also is still recovering from a poorly executed decision, since reversed, to pare down the number of items it offered."
Yahoo

You know, the people that make statements like those above, claiming a drop in sales is due to the number of items offered really needs to get out amongst the people once in awhile. These financial guys know all about charts and graphs, profits and losses but nothing about the real economy.

I'm going to let them in on a secret. The reason that sales have dropped has nothing to do with the items offered. They could offer ten of everything in the world and their sales wouldn't change. The problem is income, not Walmart's but their customer's.

I'm making an assumption here but I'll bet I'm not far off; the average Walmart customer is still a member of the working class. It's the blue collars guys and gals and the lower rungs of white collar workers. This is precisely the demographic that has been hit hardest by the recession/depression we are in the midst of.

And because we're either not working or working for a whole lot less than we used to we're not spending and nothing that Walmart or any other retailer does is going to change that. I take that back. Maybe if Walmart and all the other retailers started only buying merchandise from companies that made it here in America they would start the ball rolling, rebuilding our manufacturing base and creating good, solid jobs.

But that won't happen because it would cut into the bottom line. And these high paid financial geniuses are too short sighted to understand that if they don't start supporting the American worker by helping to create jobs the bottom line is going to collapse completely.

So here's my question for all these geniuses; what's better, less profit or no profit. Those are the only two realistic choices available to you now.

REP. ALLEN WEST TEARS UP CAIR

My brother posted this on Facebook. Just listen to how the truth resonates with the people. Wouldn't it be nice if every politician would speak it?

HOW HIGH WILL GAS GO BEFORE THE ECONOMY CRASHES?

"Gasoline prices have jumped another nickel, to 55 cents a gallon more than a year ago, according to a study published Sunday.

The average price for a gallon of regular is $3.18, the Lundberg Survey found. That's up 5 cents from two weeks ago, publisher Trilby Lundberg said.

"That is a significant bite for motorists considering the continued deep unemployment," Lundberg said.

And it comes amid a "very wide and deep glut of gasoline supply," she added...

...Gas prices may rise another nickel or dime in the coming weeks, Lundberg said. "It would of course be far more if Middle East problems augmented and caused oil prices to skyrocket," she said."
CNN

In 2008 oil hit $147 a barrel and sparked an economic meltdown. Now, with a radically different economic reality, with unemployment and under employment at nearly record highs, with home values still falling, with the dollar being purposely devalued by the Fed and with revolution in the air oil won't have to get anywhere near its historic high. So when does the ax fall? $110? $120? $130? I don't know. What I do know is that this country cannot withstand higher oil prices. We're teetering on the edge and this will push us over.

Pray and prepare.

GETTIN' YOUR MIND RIGHT

"I received an email from a reader regarding Mexico’s freeze damage over the last few weeks. In summary, large-scale producers of foods, such as Sysco, have sent out emails to major vendors explaining that there might be shortages of row crop foods due to freezing temperatures that hit Mexico. It goes on to say that Florida is normally the ‘Plan B’ as they grow many of the same varieties, but they’ve been hit hard by freezes in December and suffered slight to moderate damage to their forecasted citrus harvest.

It also details that expected shortages could be counted on 30-60 days from now and that Mexican farmers are still unsure of their next step with nearly total loss in many crops – do they try and quickly replant, hoping for a late March-April yield? Or disc the fields and wait? Other information coming in states that many of these crops have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in price. For example, a carton of tomatoes went from $6.95 all the way up to $22.95 in one week. And that’s just one example!

This WILL affect your food cost and supply. If you’re not going to your local farmer’s market, now is the time to make friends and learn about it! This is also the time to start understanding how to grow your own foods and operate a personal garden. I offer numerous articles here at TruthisTreason.net for gardening help, from squarefoot gardening, to growing inside of a small apartment. The choice is yours..."

To read the rest along with the sourcing for the threat the writer describes go to Truth is Reason

Look, I hate to keep harping on the same thing but if you aren't getting ready to go hungry now's the time to start. A year or so ago reports were already surfacing of distortions and outright lies about the amount of food we had in storage and the projections for coming crop yields. This was done to depress commodity prices in an effort to keep money flowing into Treasuries to help ward off collapse. Consequently, decisions are made based on these lies regarding what crops to plant and how much. Knowing that we were truly running short on food, for a variety of reasons, would also affect the ethanol push and get into the pockets of farmers and ethanol producers, not to mention the politicians pushing all this green energy crap. So instead of planting corn for food consumption valuable acreage is wasted creating an incredibly inefficient yet wildly profitable energy crop. And other crops are planted on ground that could have been better used for something else. And on and on.

Add to this the increase in demand from developing nations, crop failures around the globe and now the deep freeze here and in Mexico and we have the potential for mass starvation around the globe. And starvation leads to unrest, which leads to riots, which leads to power vacuums, which opens doors to those that would fill those vacuums. Getting the picture yet?

So here's the thing you need to know; act now or starve later. And if not starve, face real financial difficulties. Even if food is available, supply and demand along with the rising cost of fuel and the devaluing dollar mean that it's going to cost you to fill your belly. A big part of the world will be choosing between eating and keeping the lights on.

So start to think of ways to decouple from these two major costs in life, food and fuel. Obviously you have to have both but how you get them and what form they take are up to you. You can grow your own food or create relationships with those that do. Money may not be worth much but you might have skills that are. Barter is a beautiful thing. Energy is a bit trickier because we have to have gas to get to work. But we can use it way more wisely. Electricity is something that we've all become accustomed to and something that, personally, I kind of like. However, it's easy to lower your dependence on it. Turn off the lights, heat with wood, get used to a colder house in the winter and a warmer house in the summer. We've had a heating cost of $1 a day this year in our house and it's been brutal winter. We've heated approximately 3600 square feet for this price. And we've been comfortable.

We can food now and we're learning to cure meats and dehydrate the food we grow. The smokehouse is under construction and the chickens are laying eggs. And the deer steaks we cooked this weekend were wonderful!

Is all this enough when the world comes apart? Nope! But it's a start and I'd rather have started the process and given it a lot of thought so that I've got my mind right (Strother Martin was great in "Cool Hand Luke", wasn't he?) when the SHTF. Because in the end the biggest part of dealing with the coming collapse is mental and spiritual. If you've prepared yourself mentally it'll make it a whole lot easier not to panic when everyone else does. And that'll be the edge that lets you protect yourself, your family and your community.

GADDAFI ON THE RUN

Watch the price of oil start to rocket up as Libya collapses. Then watch the cost of everything else follow it.

Buckle up.

"Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is believed to have fled the capital Tripoli after anti-government demonstrators breached the state television building and set government property alight.

Protesters appear to have gained a foothold in Tripoli as banks and government buildings were looted while demonstrators have claimed they have taken control of the second city Benghazi.

It is thought up to 400 people may have died in the unrest with dozens more reported killed in Tripoli overnight as protests reached the capital for the first time and army units were said to have defected to the opposition."
Daily Mail

THERE'S KEEPIN' BEES AND THEN THERE'S THIS...

The next time you're held up in traffic or waiting in line at the grocery store just thank God for how easy our life is here in the Western world in general and America in particular. As the forces of evil set fires around the globe because they think that it's better to live a life closer to the lives these people in the jungle live than the lives we live in the modern modern world remember what we're about to lose. In the near future honey may be nearly as difficult for us to get as it is for these people. We may not be climbing trees but we won't be going to the store to buy it, either. And it won't just be honey that becomes a luxury.


H/T Spike is Best

CRYIN' IN MY BEER

A bit of a side note here. I bought a case of beer on Friday as is my normal practice. I drink Milwaukee's Best, not because it's my favorite but because I can afford it and I enjoy a few beers on the weekend with my friends.

The price of the cheap beer jumped 10% over the last week, going from $10 a case to $11. Soon I won't be able to afford beer, either. Maybe if I start to listen to our government and their constant claims that inflation is running at about 1-2% I won't have to pay as much. But I doubt it. Fantasy seldom reflects reality and it certainly won't change it.

BUCKLE UP - THE RIDE HAS BEGUN

Go to the Drudge Report and just look at the headlines today. If you haven't really seriously thought about what you are going to do to protect yourself and your family you need to start. The train is coming off the track.

End times? Who knows. Regardless, we're entering into an age of extreme instability and that's never a good thing, unless of course your goal is to create a vacuum so it can be filled and that's not a good thing for any body but the powers doing the filling. SO GET READY!! The average, normal citizen of the world is about to be thrust into a strange new life that will wipe away all the usual supports. We're going to be on our own now, only family and friends left to help us through. And God; He'll never leave us if we ask Him to stay.

If you refuse to see it and you don't act to defend yourself don't come running to those of us that have. While we may want to help the chances are that we won't be able to do much. No matter what we've done to get ready for the things that are happening right now it won't be enough. We'll be starting all over again, too.

The shit has begun to enter the fan.

THE CONSPIRACY

SO I GOTTA PAY A LITTLE MORE FOR GAS - WHO CARES?

'U.S. oil prices look reassuringly calm till you look below the surface.

At first blush, a replay of the 2008 gas price spike seems far fetched. The biggest driver of U.S. gasoline prices is the cost of crude oil, and near-month oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange have sat out the scorching commodities rally. They lately fetched $85, some 40% below the crisis peak.

But that's where the good news ends for motorists -- and for a U.S. economy that is sputtering even with gas at $3.15 a gallon.

Much of the oil being made into gasoline now actually costs $105 a barrel. For this we can blame a few of the usual suspects – try Middle East unrest and strong overseas economic growth – and one new one, a weak link in the U.S. petroleum supply chain.

Those factors make the Nymex price "irrelevant for the price of U.S. gasoline," says Olivier Jacob, who runs the Petromatrix trading advice firm in Zug, Switzerland.

Even the government agrees. Last week it projected a 1-in-3 chance the gas price will break $3.50 this summer and a 1-in-10 chance it will hit $4. And if anything those estimates may understate how fragile the balance is."
CNN

So it's going to cost more to drive our cars this year. And the cost of food is going through the roof, even before the additional cost of transportation due to increased fuel cost is added in. And the cost of clothing is set to skyrocket. Yet, to listen to the government and all the smiling investor class shills on Fox Business everything's rosy. The market's up and inflation's under control. Really?

If the price of oil climbs, as it seems it must, what affect will it have on the economy? Consider the items on the list below. Everyone of these has oil as a component. And every one of them was made in a factory that relied on oil or petroleum products to make these items, even in ways we don't normally think about, like the insulation wrapping the wires that carry the power to the work stations. And each one was transported using petroleum as the energy source to move them along. Then look at the list and think how many of these finished products become part of other products; plastic for containers and shipping product, fertilizer to grow food and on and on, each adding another layer of inflation to the final product because the price of each was affected by the price of oil.

Think of how each of these things touch your life and realize that this is only a partial list.

Do you really think that pushing all these questionable green technologies, such as electric cars, will really solve the problem, especially when real green solutions are decades away? Is there any substitute for oil if we want to continue to live the way we do?

If we can't afford oil doesn't that mean our way of life will change, and for the worse?

Do you still believe that everything will be alright, that there is nothing to worry about as long as the market keeps going up?

What are you doing to prepare?

• plastic ties
• row cover
• irrigation piping
• polyethylene
• polypropylene
• bags and packaging
• pesticides and herbicides
• food preservatives
• fertilizers
• ballet tights
• nylon cord
• everything polyester: blouses, pants, pajamas etc.
• everything permanent press: shirts, dresses etc.
• beads
• bracelets
• pantyhose
• nylon zippers
• plastic hangers
• purses
• thongs and flip flops
• earrings
• ribbons
• fake fur
• windbreakers
• sandals
• garment bags
• shoe laces
• rain coats
• iron-on patches
• sneakers
• sweaters
• sofa pillow material• tote bags
• umbrellas
• ball point pens
• diskettes
• thermometer
• Ink
• computers
• business card holders
• copiers
• waste baskets
• calculators
• printer cartridges
• microfilm
• name tags
• binders
• erasers
• rulers
• scotch tape
• magic markers
• telephones
• backpacks
• fishing lures
• air mattresses
• cameras
• beach balls
• fishing poles
• hang gliders
• vinyl cases
• footballs
• glue containers
• puzzles
• darts
• Frisbees
• golf ball and golf bags
• shotgun shells
• ear plugs
• knitting needles• waterproof clothing
• stadium cushions
• earphones
• yarn
• kites
• tennis racquets
• fabric dye
• decoys
• lifejackets
• nylon strings
• face protectors
• volley balls
• model cars
• plastic water guns
• fishing bobbers
• soccer balls
• oil paints
• parachutes
• fishing cylume
• light sticks
• earphones
• playing cards
• photographs
• monofilament fishing lines
• diving boards
• poker chips
• goggles
• rollerskate and skateboard wheels
• whistles
• guitar strings
• picks
• rafts
• ice chests
• tents
• sleeping bags
• pole vaulting poles
• motorcycle helmets
• skis, water skis
• rubber cement
• plastic flowerpots
• hot tub covers
• sails
• snorkels• monkey bars
• photo albums
• wet suits
• flippers
• tennis balls
• boats
• insulated boots
• acrylic toys
• baby oil
• laundry baskets
• waterproof pants
• baby aspirin
• bath soap
• mittens
• pacifiers
• baby blankets
• bibs
• rattles
• doubleknit shirts
• baby bottles
• disposable diapers
• baby shoes
• teething rings
• nipples and binkies
• dolls
• stuffed animals
• baby lotion
• allergy medication
• cotton-tipped swabs
• inhalers
• liquid Pepto-Bismol
• aspirin
• first aid cream
• lancets
• pill cases
• band aids
• first aid kits• latex gloves
• prescription bottles
• burn lotion
• glycerin
• mosquito spray
• rubbing alcohol
• chap stick
• heart valve replacement
• nasal decongestant
• surgical tape
• syringes
• Vaseline
• antiseptics
• hearing aids
• anesthetics
• artificial limbs
• eyeglasses and sunglasses
• antihistamines
• cortisone
• vaporizers
• denture adhesives
• laxatives
• Bactine
• oxygen masks
• stethoscopes
• prescription glasses
• cough syrup
• hearing aids
• vinegar bottles
• egg cartons
• meat trays
• trash bags
• breadboxes
• freezer containers
• melamine dishware
• tumblers
• cake decorations
• jars
• microwave dishes
• utensils• candles
• freezer bags
• milk jugs
• vacuum bottles
• coasters
• gelatin molds
• nylon spatulas
• wax paper
• coffee pots
• ice cream scoops
• oven bags
• mops
• drinking cups
• ice trays
• plastic containers
• fabric softener
• detergent bottles
• plastic table service
• drain stoppers
• dish drainers
• lunch boxes
• pudding molds
• sponges
• dish scrubbers
• brushes
• baggies
• drinking straws
• Styrofoam
• paper cup dispensers
• measuring cups
• Teflon coated pans
• table cloths
• refrigerator shelves
• cologne
• hair brushes
• lipstick
• permanent wave curlers
• perfume
• hair color
• mascara• petroleum jelly
• comb
• foam rubber curlers
• shampoo
• contact lenses and cases
• hair spray
• hand lotion
• shaving foam
• hair dryers
• shoe inserts
• dentures
• body lotion
• face masks
• skin cleanser
• deodorants
• moisturizing cream
• soap holders
• disposable razors
• leather conditioner
• mouthwash
• sunglasses
• facial toner
• lens cleanser
• nail polish
• sunscreen
• tooth brushes
• toothpaste tubes
• vitamins
• synthetic wigs
• bubble bath
• soap capsules
• carpet padding
• Naugahyde
• Venetian blinds
• TV cabinets
• extension cords
• picture frames
• flocked wallpaper
• shower doors
• Formica• refrigerator lining
• vinyl wallpaper
• curtains
• kitchen carpet
• shag carpet
• welcome mats
• fan blades
• lamps
• shower curtain
• patio furniture
• swings
• linoleum
• upholstery
• rugs
• caulking material
• light switch plates
• plungers
• faucet washers
• clotheslines
• measuring tape
• polyurethane stain
• water pipes
• electric saws
• paintbrushes
• propane bottles
• wood floor cleaner/wax
• vinyl electrical tape
• plastic pipe
• shingles (asphalt)
• light panels
• garden hoses
• plastic wood spackling paste
• awnings
• glazing compound
• Plexiglas
• spray paint
• enamel
• epoxy paint
• artificial turf
• folding doors• floor wax
• glue
• house paint
• paint rollers
• toilet seats
• water pipes
• putty
• solvents
• roofing material
• plywood adhesive
• sockets
• propane
• antifreeze
• flat tire fix
• street paving (asphalt)
• car battery cases
• coolant
• motor oil
• tires
• loud speakers
• bearing grease
• sports car bodies
• traffic cones
• car enamel
• brake fluid
• dashboards
• windshield wipers
• visors
• car sound insulation
• oil filters
• car seats
• convertible tops
• fan belts
• gasoline
• ash trays
• dog food dishes
• toolboxes• CDs and DVDs
• balloons
• dog leashes
• tape recorders
• synthetic rubber
• bubble gum
• dog toys
• flashlights
• nylon ropes
• bungee straps
• flight bags
• disposable lighters
• cassette player
• flea collars
• flutes
• lighter fluid
• cigarette cases
• electric blankets
• tool racks
• name tags
• cigarette filters
• ammonia
• newspaper tubes
• calibrated containers
• insect repellent
• phonograph records (vinyl)
• crayons
• ice buckets
• dyes
• pillows
• credit cards
• flashlights
• fly swatters
• plastic cup holders
• dice
• movie and camera film
• k-resin
• rain bonnets
• luggage
• video cassettes
• charcoal lighter
• rayon
• safety glasses, gloves, hats• shoe polish
• signs
• cassette tapes
• toys
• watch bands
• waterproof boots
• shopping bags
• bedspreads
• checkbooks
• covers
• tobacco pouches
• clothes hangers
• flea collars
• flavors
• masking tape
• safety flares
• flags
• butane
PBS

ATLAS SHRUGGED ON THE BIG SCREEN - THE BIG LIE COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

It looks as though Ayn Rand's magnum opus "Atlas Shrugged" has finally made it to the big screen. I wonder, though I think I already know the answer, will the Catholic Church say a word about the false premise upon which it is based? And will the Church use the release of this movie as a moment to teach and inform the average person in the pew that listens to all the conservative commentators on radio and TV that constantly extol the virtues of this evil system of belief, a system that denies the existence of God and puts reason in His place? A system that places happiness at the pinnacle of morality and lifts material success to the highest good. A system that worships the individual while denying the need for family and society.

Below are the words of Ms. Rand, words that I've posted before, words that if read by any Christian should be sufficient for him to deny any and all things Objectivist.

So here's your chance Vatican. Stand up and speak out in clear and comprehensible language about the evils of Objectivism and unrestrained, laissez-faire capitalism. And while you're at it, speak out about the evils of Marxism, too, in all its various guises. Explain what the Church teaches regarding proper economic systems and activities. Explain the role of the individual and how he is part of a larger familial system of blood and community. Explain that truly, no man is an island.

Explain, in clear, simple language, the truth. Do that and you'll change everything.

You have the power; use it!

"My philosophy, Objectivism, holds that:

Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.

Reason (the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man’s senses) is man’s only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.

Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.

The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. It is a system where no man may obtain any values from others by resorting to physical force, and no man may initiate the use of physical force against others. The government acts only as a policeman that protects man’s rights; it uses physical force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use, such as criminals or foreign invaders. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church."
Ayn Rand .org

"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."
Ayn Rand Lexicon

ORGANIZED CHAOS

"Global food prices have hit "dangerous levels" that could contribute to political instability, push millions of people into poverty and raise the cost of groceries, according to a new report from the World Bank.

The bank released a report Tuesday that said global food prices have jumped 29 percent in the past year, and are just 3 percent below the all-time peak hit in 2008. Bank President Robert Zoellick said the rising prices have hit people hardest in the developing world because they spend as much as half their income on food.

"Food prices are the key and major challenge facing many developing countries today," Zoellick said. The World Bank estimates higher prices for corn, wheat and oil have pushed 44 million people into extreme poverty since last June.

The report comes a day before Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 leading economies meet in Paris. Zoellick said he's worried some countries might react to food inflation by banning exports or implementing price controls, which would just aggravate the problem.

The World Bank's food price index rose by 15 percent between October and January alone. The increase has been driven by volatile global trading in wheat, corn and soybeans. Global corn futures more than doubled since this summer, from $3.50 to $7 a bushel, in part because of higher demand from developing countries and a growing biofuels industry."
AP News

Have you done anything to protect yourself yet? Bought seeds, prepared gardens, stored up on some food, bought a few chickens...anything? Report after report, warning after warning are in most every news vehicle I see. The food we need to live is getting expensive quickly and the supply is short. And the developing world is developing quickly, creating more mouths to feed. And, because of a combination of factors, some political, some technical, most of these developing countries have never developed an agricultural system much more efficient than the family farm. They've never learned to feed vast numbers of workers living in urban areas without anyplace to grow their own food. We eased into the situation here in America and innovated and mechanized our agricultural practices to support our industrialization. Places like China are trying to compress hundreds of years of societal evolution into a decade.

They can't do it.

But they don't care. The desire for profit will outweigh the protection of human rights and just plain decency. In most Third World countries people are just a means to an end, cogs in a machine designed to create massive wealth for those in power at the expense of the people. People are disposable. Use 'em 'til they can't be used anymore and throw 'em out, there's always more right behind 'em.

And that's always worked in these countries, especially China, the most closed country on the planet. China has always kept the world at bay and the people ignorant of the advances of the rest of the planet. Well, the internet and rising wealth have changed all that. And the politicians haven't adjusted for it.

The coming shortage (hell, it's not coming, it's here) of food and the rising cost of what is available will be the trigger and the internet will be the gun. Watch for riots like the one in Cairo to begin springing up all over the world, including here in America. Chaos works for the Marxists and the Islamists and they'll use it to their advantage. Instead of working to find rational solutions we'll see both groups using the food problems as the reason to foment unrest and the internet will be the tool used to organize the riots. Organized chaos, now there's an oxymoron for you. But that's also the hallmark of a riot that's been designed and orchestrated, not one that springs organically from the moment.

We're going to see the rise of violent flash mobs being used in a coordinated way by the forces of evil. This will cause greater and greater restriction on the internet and speech in general, all around the world, even in America, which will cause even more rioting and unrest. This thing is going to feed on itself, building to a crescendo of confusion, disorder and violence which will lead the people to cry out for a savior, any savior that can restore peace and return the world to a state of calm. And I'd be willing to bet that there's more than one savior in the wings just waiting for the moment.

Hello New World Order.

So what are you doing to prepare, to ready yourself for the coming collapse?

PLAYING WITH FIRE

The words of Archbishop Sako below are important for us to understand:

"The secular western world is incapable of fully understanding the threat of a “reawakening of Islam” in the Middle East, according to an Iraqi bishop beset by radical movements in his own archdiocese.

In an interview with the Italian bishops' SIR news agency, Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, Iraq, called the Middle East a “scary volcano” because of the possible consequences of widespread unrest.

“There are Islamic forces and movements that wish to change the Middle East, creating Islamic States, caliphates, in which Shariah (law) rules,” he warned.

Radical groups present in Iraq such as al-Qaida and Ansar al Islam are calling on citizens in other Middle Eastern nations to inject an Islamic influence into otherwise general protests in places like Tunisia and Egypt.

For Archbishop Sako these calls have “the clear intention of fueling ... a total religious change” in the area...

...In practice, the goal of these fundamentalists is “to create a void to be able to fill it with religious themes, convinced ... that Islam is the solution to everything.”...

...Because unrest could be manipulated by fundamentalist opportunists, Archbishop Sako called the Middle East “a scary volcano.”...

...According to the archbishop, Europe and North America are blind to the possibility of such an “Islamization” of the Middle East.

“The western mentality does not allow it to fully comprehend this risk,” he said.

He explained that politics and religion are interwoven in the Middle East, whereas there is “a tremendous void” between them in western nations.

This results in two extremisms, he said. The Middle Eastern mentality is dominated by Islam, while a secularism that denies its Christian roots and relegates Christian values to the private sphere reigns in the West.

Although “material violence” does not appear in the West, the general privatization of Christianity is “against democracy,” he said. “In the East, however, it is the opposite: religion pervades all.”"
Catholic News Agency

I believe that what he says is true and we just don't get it. Islam is everything in the Middle East. It's completely interwoven in government, society and the military. It informs every decision, even those made for purely personal profit.

Because of this Islam will fill any void opened for any reason. It's the nature of the region and the people to always turn to Islam before anything else. That's why I believe that the instability created by all of the riots in the region will work to the advantage of the Islamists and it's for this reason that I believe the riots are being organized and fueled by radical Islamist groups such as, but not limited to, the Muslim Brotherhood.

But these groups are not alone. The demonstrations in Cairo have gone, in a heartbeat, from focusing on political freedom to issues of wages and working conditions. Is it any wonder that the American left and the AFL-CIO have been tied to the effort to cause these riots in Cairo?

Organized labor and our happy bands of leftists are playing with fire. They think that this marriage of convenience between them and radical Islam will work out in their favor. They're wrong, DEAD WRONG. They haven't factored in the nature of the people or the historic nature of the region. They haven't factored in the power that Islam holds in the Middle East. Once the unions and Code Pink are no longer needed the Islamists will turn on them and we'll be treated to pictures of union leaders and other lefties losing their heads in the streets, "Allahu Akbar!" ringing in the air.

ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND DESPERATION

Watch this video all the way to the end, after the credits.



I guess that I don't understand why what seems to be a fairly normal person would commit armed robbery, regardless of the circumstances, short of survival. If he's worried about his kids there are plenty of ways to make sure they're fed and sheltered that don't involve robbery. Something else is driving this desperation.

I haven't had much work for going on three years now. A little dribbles in from time to time and for that I'm grateful. Thankfully my wife has a really good job. Her salary doesn't cover everything but it gets close enough that we can work our way around it.

Maybe it's because I grew up in the construction business, an industry that isn't exactly known for job security. We always knew that there would be good times and lean times and we adjusted accordingly. Consequently, I suppose, I've never been overly worried about money. It seems like if you have a little faith things generally work out.

Now this doesn't mean that we don't have to make hard choices and that the wolf isn't at the door on a fairly regular basis. Hell, I think he's pitched a tent. But I just don't worry about it. And, I've learned to be creative regarding jobs. A bunch of part time jobs can more than equal a good full time job. The trick is doing a real good analysis of whether the work actually will make you some money. It's all too easy to take something because you're desperate only to find out you lose money every hour you work. Being erratically employed and doing it profitably requires a bit of business sense. And a good deal of entrepreneurial attitude. And faith.

Maybe it's a lack of all those things that drives what seems to be a normal guy to armed robbery. Maybe it's always, ever since he got out of school, having been an employee and never learning to truly support himself. Maybe it's having no real skill besides creating spreadsheets or moving paperwork. Without a trade, and the ability to turn raw materials into a useful and salable product it's really hard to make a buck in the erratic job world.

And lastly, maybe it's a lack of faith, or a faith in the wrong thing. If a person buys into the promise, hell, the religion of American corporate capitalism and job security, and believes it with all his heart, he's going to be sorely disappointed. We're in a new world now, a world where true capitalism requires real skills to earn a living. Well, maybe we're not quite there but that's where we're going. The service based economy is breathing its last.

And, if a person has put his faith in this dying system then his faith will die with it. If your god is materialism it will fail you.

But if your God is the God of Abraham, the one true God that transcends the material world He created, you end up with a different view of any given point in time. Life is about more than money and comfort, even more than a full belly. While all those things are good they're not essential. The things that really count are faith and family, and if you can hold on to those you can hold on to everything.

If I lose everything I own yet manage to retain my faith and my family it'll be alright. Life will suck but we'll get through. But if I resort to crime to prop up my false understanding of life, that my happiness and worth are judged according to the stuff I have then I'll just spiral down into destruction. Good can never come from evil and theft is evil, especially at the point of a gun.

In the end, no matter how polite the guy in that video was as he held a gun on the clerk behind the counter, in that simple action of pointing that weapon the robber forfeited his right to life. And what good would he be to his kids bleeding out on the floor?

WILL HALAL SEND ME TO HELL?

"The Church of England has told its schools to ensure they are serving non-halal food after concerns that a number are only providing meat slaughtered according to Islamic law.

The official guidance was issued after Church members complained that the use of halal meat was effectively ‘spreading sharia law’ across Britain."
Daily Mail

This seems to be quite an issue in England, the eating of halal meat. I suppose it's the high number of Muslims living there and the seeming inability of the Europeans to stand up to the political correctness and multiculturalists that are at the root of the problem.

I expect we'll be seeing the same thing here sooner or later.

But it's a problem none the less. This is less, at least in my opinion, about dietary restrictions in the Muslim world and more about subtle imposition of Sharia law. There's no reason for the schools to provide halah meat to students. Those of us with specific religious dietary needs can get along fine without public assistance. I'm Catholic and I abstain from meat on Friday. It's still a teaching of the Church that I do so, even though most have forgotten this. How many schools still have fish on Fridays? And if they don't, does it really affect Catholic kids? Eat some veggies, a cheese sandwich or nothing. It won't kill'em.

I grew up in a neighborhood with lots of Jews, some of whom kept Kosher. The schools made absolutely no accommodations for them yet somehow they managed to get along.

For those that don't know what halal means in regards to meat and slaughter here's a post from a blog about the debate within Islam. Halal meat must be slaughtered under certain conditions and the name of Allah must be invoked.

Scholars agree regarding the legitimacy (Mashru’yah) of invoking the Name of Allah (SWT) over the Dhabeehah, but they differ on whether it is obligatory (Waajib) or recommended (Mustahabb). In other words, is it considered a requirement, in order for the Dhabeehah to be Halal or not? Three MAJOR opinions of scholars have been mentioned by Ibn Kathir in his Tafseer (V2 / P169) in explaining Surah Al-An’am 6 Ayat 121. The Ayat says:

"Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience to Allah). And certainly, the devils do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them [by making Al-Maytata (a dead animal) legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikun (polytheists): [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to you to eat that which Allah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so you worshipped them, and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism]." (Al-An’am 6:121)

The following is a brief summary of these opinions:

First: That the invocation is a condition for lawfulness. This opinion is held by the majority of scholars, including Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad, Thawree, Ibn Abbas and many other. They say that in the above Ayat:

1. The order not to eat implies an absolute prohibition because nothing in the Ayat of elsewhere negates it or says otherwise.

2. The absence of the invocation is considered to be Fisq (impiety) or disobedience. That classification is given only to actions that are considered to be Haram.

3. The prohibition is a general one and should not be construed to only mean dead animals of animals killed by Mushriks, as some scholars have claimed. The reasoning behind this is that nothing in the Ayat indicates such a restriction or specification, and the fact that prohibition of dead animals and animals killed by Mushriks has been clearly and specifically mentioned elsewhere in the Quran more than once.

These scholars also used the following Hadith to support their opinion: Aadee ibn Hatem (RA) said:

"I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I send my (hunting) dog and mention the Name of Allah.’ The Prophet (SAW) told me: ‘If you send your dog mentioning the Name of Allah and he killed, you eat; but if he eats from it, do not eat. He has caught it for himself.’ I said: ‘I send my dog, and then I find another dog with him, and I do not know which one caught for me.’ The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Do not eat, because you only invoked the Name on your dog, and not on the other.’" (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, among other similar Hadith)

If the invocation is dropped deliberately, the Dhabeehah is considered to be "dead," and it is Haram to eat. But if one forgot to mention it, then his slaughter is lawful and the Dhabeehah is Halal.

Second: That invocation is not a requirement, and that if one has not made it (on purpose or just forgot to do so), the slaughter would be lawful, and the Dhabeehah Halal. This is basically the Shafi’ee School’s opinion, but is also one of the opinions reported on behalf of Malik and Ahmad.

Third: That it is a condition for the lawfulness of the Dhabeehah, and that if the Muslim does not invoke the Name of Allah (SWT), his Dhabeehah is not Halal. This opinion does not differentiate between those who forget to make the invocation form those who deliberately omit it: the Dhabeehah in either case is not Halal. This opinion was adopted by Abdullah ibn Umar, Dawood Ad-dhahiri and Ibn Sereen.

Forgetfulness, however, is a valid excuse for not applying or associating consequences of actions to the doer. Rulings and conditions cannot be applied to the person who did or did not do something because of forgetting. The same concept also applies to cases in which the person is under duress, or has done something wrong by mistake.

In conclusion, the correct ruling regarding the requirement of invoking the Name of Allah (SWT) over slaughtered animals is that the invocation is obligatory (Waajib) for the slaughter to be Halal, and that if one deliberately omits it, his Dhabeehah is Haram to eat. ALL THIS RELATES TO CASES IN WHICH THE PERSON PERFORMING THE SLAUGHTERING IS A MUSLIM.
The Muslim Woman

Does the invocation of Allah's name mean that halal meat is meat sacrificed to idols? If it is then as a Christian should I refrain from eating it? Or is Allah the same God as the God we worship? The Muslims would say yes. Personally, I think that there is some relationship to the one true God but that Allah and He are not the same. So in my mind Allah is an idol because he is a false god.

What does the New Testament say about meat sacrificed to idols?

That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well.
Acts 15:29

But as touching the Gentiles that believe, we have written, decreeing that they should only refrain themselves from that which has been offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangles, and from fornication.
Acts 21:25

But as for the meats that are sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. For although there be that are called gods, either in heaven or on earth (for there be gods many, and lords many); Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. But there is not knowledge in every one. For some until this present, with conscience of the idol: eat as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But meat doth not commend us to God. For neither, if we eat, shall we have the more; nor, if we eat not, shall we have the less. But take heed lest perhaps this your liberty become a stumblingblock to the weak. For if a man see him that hath knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not his conscience, being weak, be emboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to idols ? And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ hath died ?
1 Corinthians 8:4-11

But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils.
1 Corinthians 10:20

It seems that the Bible would recommend against eating meat sacrificed to idols, not because the meat itself will harm us but mainly because it will be seen as causing scandal among the weak, perhaps causing them to lose the little faith they may have.

I suppose, stated differently, if the faith of the Christian means so little to the Christian that he'll seem to accept and join in with those of other faith practices with no sense of wrongdoing or betrayal then to the casual observer Christianity must have very little power over him, thus very little power at all.

While eating halal meat may present very little spiritual danger to the devout Christian it can very easily cause scandal for those outside the faith and for this reason it should be avoided.

The Catholic Church doesn't seem to have an official position so it looks as though I'm free to make up my own mind on the matter. To be on the safe side, no halal for me.

As I stated at the beginning of this, I don't believe that the problem is whether the meat is halal or not. The real problem is the imposition of Sharia and I believe that is the real, underlying goal of those that are pushing the halal meats on the rest of us.

PEOPLE ARE STARVING BECAUSE I TURNED ON MY LIGHTS AND MADE THE WATER GO AWAY

I'm bopping around the net this morning and I stumble across an article related to food shortages and overproduction of crops in certain parts of the world at New Scientist. The first part of the article, without doing any further checking for facts, makes sense. It is totally conceivable that certain areas can have food production artificially inflated by abusing resources. It wouldn't be the first time.

And aquifers do go dry.

And if we exceed the natural limits of production for crops indigenous to an area or introduce crops not native to the area to falsely bolster production we can see failure, death and societal disruption. Think Ireland and the potato famine.

What is a food bubble?

That's when food production is inflated through the unsustainable use of water and land. It's the water bubble we need to worry about now. The World Bank says that 15 per cent of Indians (175 million people) are fed by grain produced through overpumping - when water is pumped out of aquifers faster than they can be replenished. In China, the figure could be 130 million.

Has this bubble already burst anywhere?

Saudi Arabia made itself self-sufficient in wheat by using water from a fossil aquifer, which doesn't refill. It has harvested close to 3 million tonnes a year, but in 2008 the Saudi authorities said the aquifer was largely depleted. Next year could be the last harvest. This is extreme, but about half the world's people live in countries with falling water tables. India and China will lose grain production capacity through aquifer depletion. We don't know when or how abruptly the bubble will burst.

All that being said, how does the author get from a reasonable argument to this:

"The question I get asked most is "What can I do?" People expect me to say change your light bulbs, recycle newspaper, but I say we must restructure the world economy, especially in energy. It's about becoming politically active. If there's a coal-fired power station near you, organise to close it down."

Do I detect an agenda here?

Somehow, someway, the author of this article thinks that reducing countries, such as America, to the poverty levels of the Third World, will make everything all right. He starts his argument by basing it on the wholly conceivable idea that people will go hungry because aquifers are being drawn down beyond their ability to refill quickly enough and somehow ties that simple theory into global warming and then into coal fired power plants.

He makes a leap in logic that defies rational thought. But then I guess I should be used to this from the Progressives.

This is the problem. The author has stated a theory which I would tend to see as reasonable and provable. We can find common ground here. Since we've done essentially the same thing many times before there's no reason to think that we can't make the same mistake again. But is the answer to the problem crippling others in areas of the world completely removed from the problem at hand? There's no common ground to be found here at all. And do we really need to "restructure the world economy" to keep people from starving?

Only if you real goal has nothing to do with the "food bubble".

By polarizing this issue, as they do so many others, the environmentalists make it damned near impossible to arrive at a solution. My guess is that the lives of those that will be affected by this failure in agriculture are secondary to the larger goal of control of the worlds resources and thus control of the worlds wealth that underlies all of the Progressive environmental agendas. Honestly, they'd probably not mind seeing a few million people starve since humanity is a blot on an otherwise pristine globe. And they'd be able to use the bloated, rotting bodies as part of their propaganda.

While this dangerous Marxism might go over well at the U.N., to the rest of us it's a pile of crap. The problem is, the rich and politically connected have figured out a way to make even more money from all this by trading carbon on the Chicago Climate Exchange and more power through environmental controls so I don't expect this to end soon.

So the author's right, it is "about becoming politically active". Only not in the way he wants. We need to keep our eyes open to the threat this sort of scam presents to our way of life and keep the pressure on our politicians to avoid any association with it. The problem is, all we can offer is votes and honor. The enemy can promise money and power.

We've got a hell of a fight ahead of us.

As an afterthought, I'm going outside now to start a fire (carbon based energy - global warming) to boil down the sap from my maple trees (removing water from trees - drawing down aquifers) to make syrup for my pancakes. How many must die so that I can enjoy my breakfast? OH, THE HUMANITY!!

LT. COL. ALLEN WEST - U.S. CONGRESSMAN FROM FLORIDA - GETS IT

"While serving in Taji, Iraq, on August 20, 2003, West was in charge of the interrogation of Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi, a civilian Iraqi police officer suspected of having information about attacks on American troops in the area. Interrogators had been informed the detainee knew about a planned ambush. When the detainee refused to talk, LTC West was asked to assist. Hamoodi continued to withhold information, and West was accused of firing his pistol past the prisoner's head, frightening him into talking. According to West's sworn statement, the detainee told West:

"[The attack] was to occur Friday morning in Saba al Boor vicinity of the police station by positioned snipers supposedly being brought in from Fallujah. [The detainee] was to ID my vehicle and myself for these rooftop firers. We took this information and the following day established flask CPs and used AH-64s overhead. There was no attack and no further attacks have emanated from the town since the apprehension of [the detainee] and his named associates."

At least one suspect was arrested as a result of the information obtained through the detainee's information. The suspect's home was searched, but no plans for attacks or weapons were found. West testified he did not know if "any corroboration" of a plot was ever found. He added: "At the time I had to base my decision on the intelligence I received. It's possible that I was wrong about Mr. Hamoodi."

West, who had completed almost 22 years of active service, was charged with violating articles 128 (assault) and 134 (general article) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was processed through an Article 32 hearing in November 2003, where he admitted he was wrong to fire the pistol and was fined $5,000. LTC West accepted the judgment and retired with full benefits in the summer of 2004."
Wikipedia

MISSOURI, THE POLICE BOARD AND WAR

"St. Louis city leaders blasted Gov. Jay Nixon on Thursday after he said local control of the Police Department could lead to political meddling in law enforcement.

Nixon made the comments to reporters at a luncheon at the Governor's Mansion. Until then, the governor hadn't taken a public position on a bill that would take control from a board he controls and give it to the city.

But at the luncheon, Nixon repeated criticism of the proposal that has been made by members of the St. Louis Police Officers Association. He said he is "concerned" that "you would see day-to-day management of law enforcement, direct decisions made in precincts, made in arrests, made in cases ... with political overtones."

"I'm not saying I couldn't see a way to do it," he added. "But I haven't been convinced about what you get."

Those comments were met with disdain in the offices of Mayor Francis Slay and Lewis Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen. Nixon, Slay and Reed are all Democrats.

"If the governor is going to be consistent with his fears, residents of Columbia, Springfield, Moberly and St. Joseph can expect state control of their police departments," said Jeff Rainford, Slay's chief of staff. "The governor needs to explain why what he is doing is good for the people of St. Louis, and not just his own politics and power."

Reed went a step further and said the real political meddling is taking place under the current system, in which the governor appoints the Board of Police Commissioners.

"I'd like the governor to come down and account for all the corruption that's happened over three years," Reed said, referencing scandals involving a local towing company and its relationship with the police, the purchase of gold-plated badges and instances of officer misconduct."
STL Today

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? The citizens of the City of St. Louis have very little say over how their police department functions. The state of Missouri calls the shots. Wonder why? Here's an excerpt from an article written by Ray Hartmann for St. Louis Magazine that goes into some of the history that never dies here in my state. Some might say we're a bit backwards. DAMN RIGHT WE ARE! Proud of it, too.

An interesting note about the author of the article below. Ray Hartmann is a local institution. He founded The Riverfront Times, a local Progressive newspaper, and I think could fairly be called the voice of the Progressive movement in St. Louis. He may even be the king of the Progressives. But he's also a really good guy.

I find it just a bit ironic that in his article he makes the case, and I agree with him, for local control of the police department. The irony is that in nearly every other case he is strongly in support of strong central government.

The other irony I'd like to point out is that there is this myth of "states rights" that is so firmly attached to the Southern cause. In reality, the Confederacy tended to act in ways much like my state did with the issue of the police board. It consolidated power at the top of government at the expense of the people.

Anyway, welcome to Missouri, the place where history never quite fades away and we hold our grudges forever.

"If you don’t believe that the issue of local control of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners is a contentious one, take another look at what some of our local representatives have had to say in Jefferson City.

Rep. George Moore of St. Louis argued that it was “a monstrous act of tyranny and despotism” to have the governor of Missouri control the police board.

Dr. Randolph Doehn, a representative from St. Louis, said it “was nothing else but an odious and pernicious crusade against the rights and the welfare of the city of St. Louis.”

Gen. Sterling Price of Cole called state control of the police board “the most iniquitous and damning [measure] ever imposed on a free people.”

Rep. John Stevenson of St. Louis called it “an attempt to inflict an outrage of the most gross character” and “to persecute people for their political opinions.”

And Rep. V. Randolph of St. Charles told the House that state control of the police board was “an effort to disenfranchise and oppress the people of St. Louis because they were not sound on the Negro question.”

Say what?...

...This Civil War–era legislation was all about the Civil War.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize that St. Louis was generally a pro-Union city in the midst of a state that was Southern in its sympathies,” says Robert Archibald, president of the Missouri History Museum. “The St. Louis police department constituted the largest quasi-military organization in the state, and [the police bill] was a Civil War measure passed by people who wanted to control it as part of the Civil War.”

Archibald notes that Missouri Gov. Claiborne Jackson and the legislature were clearly supporters of the Confederacy and that they needed at the very least to neutralize the potential military power of the St. Louis police force. The Metropolitan Police Bill was all about state control of police and armaments, he says.

Jackson was elected governor in 1860, the same year Abraham Lincoln became president (without carrying Missouri, despite having carried St. Louis). The new governor had not publicly supported Secession during his campaign, but his inaugural address left little doubt as to where he stood...

...This is how the Daily Democrat described the words of Rep. Stevenson, who had offered a number of amendments to the bill—almost all rejected—including one that would have let St. Louis voters choose the Police Board:

“It was one of the most infamous pieces of legislation ever attempted to be inflicted. Our revolutionary fathers threw off the yoke of Great Britain on the very grounds now pursued by this legislature toward St. Louis, which attempts to deprive the people of their right to representation—to appoint foreign officers to preside over them—to take away from them their rights to franchise, to pension hirelings as officers upon them, and to impose taxes to support them without that consent. This Legislature [will] yet see whether the spirit of American freemen has yet died out in the breasts of the citizens of St. Louis.”

Perhaps Mayor Francis Slay should adopt these remarks as he fights for local control of the police—likely with the same result—these 149 years later in Jefferson City. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little more “Take Your Boot Off My Head or I’ll Blast You With My Musket” in the genteel St. Louis message to outstate legislators.

Even some less-progressive representatives of 1861 took offense at the bodacious power-grab by Jackson and fellow Confederate sympathizers. For example, the man who had cited St. Louis not being “sound on the Negro question,” Rep. Randolph of St. Charles, hastened to point out that “he for one would never be a Republican, could not be one, but he viewed this bill as infringing on and usurping the rights of the people, as an act of persecution for opinion’s sake.”...

...Possessing a cooler head, Archibald takes no public position today on the question of local control of the police board, and he cautions that neither side “should appeal to historical precedent as a way of justifying their opinion” on the subject.

“This was absolutely about the Civil War, and nothing more,” he says. “No state was as divided as Missouri in the war, and no state had bloodier conflicts. It was very personal here.”...

...Today, the issues are different, but not always less racial. And over and over again, St. Louis is scorned by outstate citizens and their representatives for lacking “real” American, down-home, country, rural, and otherwise backwoods values.

Archibald did offer one profound observation that deserves special consideration today.

“There continues to be a split between St. Louis and the rest of the state, and in historical terms, I suspect it has its roots in the Civil War,” Archibald says. “I think the lack of a close relationship stems more from the war than from the typical urban-rural split that you see in other states.”

The Civil War past is distant in Missouri, but not dead."