Latest News & Analysis April 16-30 2004

APRIL 30

POWELL CONTINUES FEDS' ABJECT SUBMISSION TO LUBAVITCHERS

On Wednesday Secretary of State Colin Powell took part as the US's representative at a 55 nation 'anti-Semitism' conference in Berlin. What went totally ignored by the controlled news media was his visit to Berlin's new Lubavitch Center, a Hassidic group dedicated to furthering the teachings of the late rabbi, Menachem Schneerson (right), who has held an occult sway over the federal government for nearly 20 years.

America's New Government Church
"Unbeknownst to most Americans, the US Congress has been gradually changing the fundamentals of American law. The movement for change started as early as 1975, when Congress passed a resolution honoring the birthday of a prominent rabbi, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, ("the Rebbe") of the Chabad Lubavitch sect (sometimes this sect is called "ultra-Orthodox"). The movement ratcheted forward in 1991, when Congress coupled Rabbi Schneerson's happy birthday message with a declaration that the United States of America was founded on the seven Noahide Laws.

The Noahide Laws promise deadly consequences for Christians.¼"

More on Schneerson (Education) Day USA
"Upon seizing the reins of government, the new Noachide leaders will move quickly to implement a full agenda of reform. ... Full support will be given to Israeli forces to reinvade PLO-controlled areas, with military assistance offered where necessary. Jewish courts will be granted full legal sovereignty over Jewish citizens within each country, who will no longer be subject to the authority of gentile courts. The pre-existing Noachide judges and courts will replace the existing court system of each country, and the legal code will be drastically rewritten to conform to halacha.... .... And law and order will be fully restored through the establishment of internal security measures, again in accordance with Torah law. — Committee for Israeli Victory

related LINKS

The Yalta Betrayal
E-Book
"The great Roosevelt, who, more capably than either Churchill's Foreign Office or his own Communist-
infiltrated State Department, "handled" gallant Kremlin Joe, now had little time left for such trifles as losing
the few million East Europeans who, because of their breeding and background, would be the best guarantors
of a civilizations of men rather than of robots.¼"

The Yalta Conference: February 4-11, 1945
"Agreements reached included: 1) the demand for Germany’s unconditional surrender 2) the establishment of a 'provisional government of national unity' in Poland 3) a promise that the USSR would enter war against Japan 4) matters of the United Nations and other matters including those pertaining to Islands in Asia and the repatriation of Soviet citizens."

"Forced repatriation to the Soviet Union: the secret betrayal"
"When Churchill and Eden traveled to Moscow in October 1944 to meet with Stalin, the Foreign Secretary offered the unconditional return of all Russian POWs. To Vyacheslav Molotov's suggestion that Soviet citizens should be returned regardless of their personal wishes, Eden replied that he had no objection. At Yalta in February of 1945, however, the Americans balked.¼"

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Bush 'visit' to 9-11 panel won't be recorded
"There will be note-takers in the room but no official record made when President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney appear before the 9-11 commission tomorrow, the White House said yesterday." (RN 24/7: Won't be recorded--or reported! More rule by stealth government.)

The Crucifixion of the Palestinian People Part 2: Generation of Warriors
"We find a generation of unique warriors in Gaza because, as a young woman named Shirine, from Gaza City told me, 'they are robbing us of our dreams.' I call them the 'Human Bombs.' I spent one only week alone observing children in Gaza." (Part 1)

Terri Schiavo's parents want visitation rights restored
"The parents of a severely brain damaged woman at the heart of a right-to-die case say her husband has blocked them from visiting her for nearly a month. They are asking a judge to intervene." Terri's website

Iran censors approve 'Passion'
"In Kuwait, senior Shiites have called for the movie's screening because, as one cleric said, it 'reveals crimes committed by Jews against Christ.'"

Pro-aborts, communion
and the American bishops

(For more on this subject, see articles of April 23rd)

Cardinal not 'comfortable' denying Kerry communion
"Good news for John Kerry and the rest of the "Deadly Dozen" U.S. senators: A U.S. bishop in charge of enforcing church doctrine isn't up to the task. 'I have not gotten to the stage where I'm comfortable in denying the Eucharist,' Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, D.C., fretted today."

Washington's cardinal equivocates on communion for pro-abortion politicians
"McCarrick also refused to name Kerry specifically, with whom he has recently met privately. 'To the best of my knowledge, no one is talking about anyone in particular. And certainly in the United States we're not talking about anyone in particular.'" (RN 24/7: What a joke! What a sick, pathetic excuse for a Cardinal! Appointed to the post by John Paul II! Boy, he sure knows how to pick them!)

Sanctions mulled for politicians
"Catholic politicians who advocate policies contrary to church teaching on abortion and other issues may risk sanctions that fall short of denial of Holy Communion, the head of a U.S. bishops task force examining the problem said Tuesday."

(RN 24/7: More empty--but revealing--words. McCarrick says he hasn't "gotten to the stage where I'm comfortable in denying the Eucharist." Please note what he doesn't say. Nowhere does he state what any priest or bishop worthy of the name would say, namely that he would be horrified at the thought of permitting someone to receive who is a public sinner and who necessarily would be receiving sacrilegiously. No, that doesn't bother him. And why isn't he comfortable in denying such a person communion, for if he believes what the Roman Catholic Church has always taught about the Blessed Sacrament, that it truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine, then he would also believe that he has a solemn duty as a cleric to guard the dignity of the Sacrament from those who dare receive it unworthily. Of course, all of this presupposes that the communions John Kerry and others of his ilk receive are of the Blessed Sacrament and not merely bread, a point that is not conceded in some traditionally-minded circles. Equally laughable was McCarrick's remark that he might impose some lesser sanction, such as: "no honorary degrees from Catholic universities, no honors from dioceses, or no invitations to speak from Catholic institutions." Now, none of these penalties even remotely satisfy what Catholic moral teaching calls for concerning the mortal sin of enabling baby killers, but even if they did there's no reason to believe that they'd be enforced, save in a diocese here or there. One only needs to recall how John Paul II said that Swiss Modernist priest and author Hans Küng, a radical "expert" at Vatican II who is a major figure in the trashing of the Church and who denies virtually every Catholic teaching, could not be considered "a Catholic theologian"--a typically toothless pronouncement from Rome that hasn't prevented Küng from publishing his heretical books or appearing as a featured speaker at schools like Notre Dame and Xavier Universities. And then there's the Boston Archdiocese that has publicly stated that it doesn't intend to limit Kerry's communions, despite what the Vatican suggested. And yet there are still people out there who think all of this is Catholic? File them under "G" for gullible!

APRIL 27

Vote Fraud? Specter ekes out win against conservative challenger
"Moderate Republican Sen. Arlen Specter [photo to the left] beat back a tough primary threat Tuesday, barely defeating a conservative congressman who lacked support from party leaders but gained momentum by casting the four-term incumbent as too liberal." (RN 24/7: Here's another instance where the supposedly pro-life President Bush showed his true colors, when he joined with the National Abortion Rights Action League in supporting Specter. Take a look at the comparison of candidates from contender Pat Toomey's [photo to the right] website for make-no-mistake-about-it proof of the falsity of the Bush image: Social and Cultural .)

Lack of resolution in Iraq finds conservatives divided
Neo-conservative William Kristol: "If we have to make common cause with the more hawkish liberals and fight the conservatives, that is fine with me, too"

The unfolding FTAA battle - How they voted
"Understanding the dynamics involved in previous congressional votes on NAFTA and other so-called trade pacts is key to stopping the dangerous erosion of our sovereignty. Accompanying this article is a list of the votes of senators and congressmen on these crucial issues.

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Israeli Myths
"The myth that Israel is a democracy: It is not a democracy in the western sense. It is an ethnic democracy. Twenty per cent of Israel’s citizens are Israeli Palestinians. They are entitled to vote, and they are required to pay taxes, but they do not have equal rights.

A Muslim who acted in Mel Gibson's "Passion": How the film moved Abel Jafri
"What impressed me most was the physical and moral suffering of this innocent man. Like a hurricane, blind and senseless violence knocked him down. Today, people continue to let themselves be carried away by hasty judgments, without reflection, without a conscience, manipulated by pressure groups that defend their personal interests." Rabbi Daniel Lapin: Just wait till the Muslims see it "With perhaps one in five Americans already having seen it, The Passion continues to rack up attendance records. Would you like to hear an amazing statistic? In spite of dire warnings by some Jewish groups, no American Jews wending their way homewards from the synagogue have been set upon by crucifix-wielding Christians intent on wreaking revenge for the death of Jesus."

Britain's National ID Cards
(For more on this subject, see articles of April 25th)

"Every man and woman in the land will be a number on a colossal database"

£2,500 fine threat for ID resisters
VIDEO TEXT
"People who refuse to register for the government's planned ID card scheme could face a 'civil financial penalty' of up to £2,500, it has emerged."

Scottish rights groups angry as new ID cards unveiled
"Volunteers from Glasgow will be among the first to test plans for compulsory identity cards. But the news, revealed today, has already sparked anger among Scottish civil rights groups."

APRIL 26

Death Decisions

Several myths about the death penalty have been reported but continue to be debunked upon closer examination. The Liebman study at Columbia University, 'Broken System: Error Rates in Capital Cases, 1973-1995,' released its results in 2000 claiming serious flaws in the system, including a high 'error' rate. It was later revealed that the misleading 'error' included any issue requiring further review by a lower court, even when the court upheld the sentence.

"In 1965 Robert Lee Massie killed Mildred Weiss in San Gabriel, California while robbing her and her husband. He received the death penalty. However, in 1972 all the death sentences in California were commuted to life, so in 1978 Massie was paroled. On January 3, 1979 Robert Massie shot and killed San Francisco liquor store owner Boris Naumoff and wounded a store clerk during yet another robbery.

"On February 6, 2001 San Francisco District Attorney Terrence Hallinan addressed a San Francisco court refusing to file a motion to set the execution date for Robert Lee Massie. Hallinan told the court, 'The death penalty does not constitute any more deterrent than life without parole.'" Robert Lee Massie

Man gets life term in killing
"More than a year after a Tigard (OR) man's violent death, the healing has begun. Cameron Gassner, 21, died Jan. 13, 2003, after sustaining dozens of stab wounds and cuts in his Meadow Creek apartment.

"Terrence Lynn Tardy Jr., 22, surrendered to police eight days later in connection with the slaying and was supposed to go to trial last week on a charge of murder. Instead, on Friday Tardy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 25 years before he is eligible for parole.¼

"'Your behavior is satanic and you are toxic to society,' Gassner's mother, Linda Marie of Portland, told Tardy through her tears at Friday's sentencing."

Capital Punishment Statistics From the U.S. Department of Justice

Death Penalty Links A comprehensive listing of links concerning capital punishment. If you can't find it there, it's probably not on the Internet.

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Bush Administration sponsors conference with pro-abortion groups
"Some conservatives on and off the Hill are angry that the Department of Health and Human Services has teamed up with critics of the Bush administration to hold a conference on global health and reproductive rights that will likely promote policies contrary to the president’s." (RN 24/7: Great! If President Bush is as pro-life as some would have us believe, surely he must be outraged at this. Our litmus test is: If heads roll at HHS, then we're prepared to reassess our view of him, but not a moment sooner!)

Saddam's WMDs have been found
"New evidence out of Iraq suggests the U.S. effort to track down Saddam Hussein's missing weapons of mass destruction is having better success than is being reported." (RN 24/7: It remains to be seen exactly what has been found. Remember last year's discovery of a "bio-warfare lab" that was hyped to the sky and then quietly forgotten when that identification proved dubious. But the while question of whether he had them or not is really beside the point. These weapons were supposed to make him a great threat to the United States, but he didn't even use them to defend his country when invaded by American forces, when all was lost.)

How Washington gouges us at the pump
"Gasoline itself has become less expensive because the industry has become more efficient. The pump price is higher because government has also become more efficient at picking consumers’ pockets."

VOTE FRAUD!
news & views

Expert doubts reliability of electronic voting "Computer security expert Rebecca Mercuri says Americans want to know their votes count and that they have an indisputable way to recount those votes. 'What we got, really, was the exact opposite of what I believe we wanted to go in the direction of,' said Mercuri, who has researched electronic voting for 14 years and is a computer security expert with Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government."

'Touch' voting a worry "Growing concerns over the accuracy of the state's new high-tech -- and high-priced -- election systems could leave voters longing for the days of punch-card ballots and hanging chads."

The vexations of voting machines
"Electronic voting is 'a rickety system with poor federal and state oversight,' says Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. 'It has produced an endless stream of bad news.'"

APRIL 25

UK: National ID cards to be tested
"Trials of identity cards are to be launched next week, the BBC has learnt. The pilot will involve 10,000 volunteers and be run from the Passport Office in London and three other centers around Britain. The government hopes the pilot scheme will pave the way for compulsory identity cards for everyone within the next decade."

Should we carry national ID cards?
"January 14, 2002 — All 19 suspected terrorists who hijacked American jets and subsequently crashed them in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania had obtained Social Security numbers, James Huse, the inspector general of the Social Security Administration told Congress last week." (RN 24/7: Putting aside for the sake of argument the question of whether there even were any hijackers, suppose there were and as is reported here, they had Social Security numbers. Huse and proponents of national ID cards, who want essentially to turn SS#s into identification numbers for the proposed cards, claim that this can help fight terrorism. But let's get into the mind of one of the hijackers for a moment. If the aim is to create mayhem against the hated enemy, America, from within her borders and to do this it is absolutely essential to avoid detection, which of the following do you do: Obtain a genuine SS card bearing your real name or have a fake card made that gives you a fictitious name? Obviously, the latter, of course. And this is why this main argument for mandatory national ID cards falls flat on its face. It's false for the same reason the argument that registering guns will reduce crime is false: Those people bent on doing criminal activities are not going to do anything to give themselves away to law enforcement authorities. while those same authorities don't need to know about the details of law-biding citizens' lives. For a current case in point, see Massive alien ID fraud ring in Oregon.)

Privacy International--National ID Cards "PI has released a new FAQ on the National ID card and a guide to responding to the consultation document along with historical overviews of the ID card controversy." Epic- ID cards archive "National ID cards have long been advocated as a means to enhance national security, unmask potential terrorists, and guard against illegal immigrants. They are in use in many countries around the world including most European countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand."

National ID Cards: New Technologies, Same Bad Idea "Larry Ellison, chairman and CEO of Oracle, made headlines recently when he advocated the creation of a national ID card system as a way to address airport security in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. 'We need a national ID card with our photograph and thumbprint digitized and embedded in the ID card,' Ellison said. And to get things rolling, Ellison has even offered to 'provide the software for this absolutely free,' he said."

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Kerry jumps on Sharon bandwagon
"In an interview with NBC television, Kerry declared that he supports the separation plan, as well as President Bush's letter to the Sharon government." (RN 24/7: Part of the mentality of 2004 presidential candidates involves groveling before the Sharon and company. So what else is new?)

China's military buildup raises concerns in US
"From the Pentagon to Capital Hill, China's military buildup is causing renewed concerns in the United States as the Asian giant arms itself to deter any separation moves by Taiwan or American involvement in a cross-strait conflict." (RN 24/7: Oh, so now they're concerned. Such a buildup would never have been possible, had it not been for the considerable aid the Communist Chinese received from her American enemy. See, for example, William Norman Grigg's article, "Building the Red Dragon" for documentation.)

"Terri's Law" could be overturned by court decision "A Florida appeals court decision could pave the way to declaring Terri's Law unconstitutional. On Friday, the Second District Court of Appeals affirmed Douglas Baird's decision to keep the lawsuit filed by Terri's estranged husband Michael in his court." Terri's website

APRIL 24

Finally, there is a much-needed questioning of the touch-screen machines, but this must be followed up with an impartial study of the dangers of all computer voting, because many of the risks inherent in touch-screen are to be found in the other voting machines, as well!

E-voting under fire
"A growing number of federal and state legislators are expressing doubts about the integrity of the ATM-like electronic voting machines that at least 50 million Americans will use to cast their ballots in November. Computer scientists have long criticized the so-called touch-screen machines as not being much more reliable than home computers, which can crash, malfunction and fall prey to hackers and viruses."

Arizona state senators vote unanimously to ban paperless touch-screens
"State senators voted Thursday to block the state from using touch screen voting machines unless they also produce a printed record. Sen. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Tucson, said there is a need to ensure that votes cast by Arizonans are accurately recorded. And that means being able to do a recount."

Diebold May Face Criminal Charge in California
"After harshly chastising Diebold Election Systems for what it considered deceptive business practices, a California voting systems panel voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the secretary of state decertify an electronic touch-screen voting machine manufactured by the company, making it likely that four California counties that recently purchased the machines will have to find other voting solutions for the November presidential election." RELATED STORY: Diebold knew of legal risks "Attorneys for Diebold Election Systems Inc. warned in late November that its use of uncertified vote-counting software in Alameda County violated California election law and broke its $12.7 million contract with Alameda County."

Maryland sued over touch-screen voting
"The Maryland State Board of Elections has been sued because its touch-screen voting machines cannot produce an immediate paper record. The Campaign for Verifiable Voting filed suit Thursday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court asking that the state ban the use of the 16,000 touch-screen Diebold voting machines it plans to use in November election."

Ohio legislators push for touch-screen paper receipts
"Ohio lawmakers say they don't want concerns about the security of electronic voting to prevent 27 Ohio counties from replacing punch card voting machines in time for the November election. A joint House-Senate committee on ballot security for touch-screen voting systems has recommended that the new machines print paper receipts that allows voters to check their selections."

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Rocket attack kills five US soldiers
"Volleys of rockets struck the capital's crowded Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Sadr City on Saturday, hitting a busy market, smashing into a home and killing at least seven Iraqis. Outside Baghdad, insurgents rocketed a U.S. military base, killing five soldiers."

Patrick Buchanan: Bush outsources Mideast policy
"'Speaking of the Palestinians, they were dealt a lethal blow," exulted a jubilant Ariel Sharon, 'It will bring their dreams to an end.' Sharon was bragging about his trip to Washington where he bullied Bush into selling out the Palestinians as thoroughly as Neville Chamberlain sold out the Czechs at Munich.

Extremism in the defense of liberty
"'I don’t know what effect these men will have upon the enemy,' said the Duke of Wellington of his troops, 'but, by God, they terrify me.' I feel much the same way about some of those who purport to be on our side in the so-called Global War on Terror (GWoT)."

Station fined $4000 for Castro prank
"A radio station that crank-called Cuban President Fidel Castro and broadcast the recording should be fined $4,000, the Federal Communications Commission said." Related column "The Federal Communications Commission has no sense of humor, even when it comes to a crank call to Fidel Castro." (RN 24/7: Two thumbs up for the clever pranking, even if it was just a publicity stunt to get the struggling station some listeners. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find an audio clip. [If anyone is aware of a link, please let us know so we can share it on the website. Here's the station's home page, in a typically butchered Google translation. And for those who'd like to give the feds a piece of your mind for this absurd fine, here's the FCC's home page.)

APRIL 23

Vatican official: Pro-abortion politicians banned from communion--sort of
VIDEO TEXT "A top Vatican cardinal said Friday that priests must deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, but stopped short of saying whether it was right for John Kerry to receive Communion."

Cardinal Arinze's presentation on communion Instruction
Text of his remarks with link to the document

Kerry Affirms Support for abortion 'rights'
"Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry delivered an unabashed defense of abortion rights on Friday just hours after a top Vatican cardinal said that priests must deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights."

Priests: Communion not denied for New England pro-abortion politicians
"Members of Congress from southern New England are largely Catholic and predominantly favor of abortion rights, but bishops in the region said Friday they would not deny Communion to the politicians, despite the latest pronouncement from the Vatican."

Are Leftwing politicians beyond blackmailing US bishops?
"American Catholics watch in stunned disbelief as pro-abortion politicians thumb their noses at the Catechism and Canon Law. But Catholic (and non-Catholic) writers are beginning to speculate that the lack of action on behalf of the Bishops may have less to do with spinelessness, and more to do with extortion and hard ball politics.

Real News 24/7 analysis:
The news that a Vatican official has pronounced on the subject of the policy concerning communion and pro-abortion politicians really isn't news at all, its just more typical post-Vatican II "Catholic" confusion. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, any Catholic helping to facilitate an abortion would have had more to worry about than missing out on Holy Communion--he would have been excommunicated. But after that misbegotten council, everything became murky. Instead of being counseled to follow Church teaching on moral issues, Catholics are often being told to follow the open-ended " your conscience." And this is how many married couples routinely frustrate the primary aim of matrimony through birth control, how weak individuals are persuaded that it's "okay" to indulge twisted same-sex Sodomite desires, how women justify having their unborn children killed by abortion "doctors" and how "Catholic" politicians like Kerry and Kennedy are permitted to continue acting as facilitators for the abortion industry.

Although the un-official pronouncement at the Vatican press conference call technically would require the submission of these politicians, it is, as so much else in this Catholic-in-name-only religion, only smoke and mirrors. (And the best in that church just can't see it: For example, Judie Brown, who has done much good work as the head of the American Life League , has written a column entitled Why Don't Catholic Politicians Practice What the Catholic Church Preaches? The pretty obvious answer, for those who have eyes, besides the fact that they're not Catholic, despite claims to the contrary, is that they don't practice it because no one with authority is making them! And the latest sound and fury from Rome ultimately is no different.) In the real (read pre-Vatican II) Catholic Church the punishment for such public sinners would have been swift and severe and unequivocal: an excommunication that would have prevented them from frequenting the Sacraments anywhere, anytime, until such time as they repent and do public penance.

But Vatican II changed all that: In 1973, when Supreme Court Justice William Brennan supported the majority pro-abortion opinion in Roe v. Wade and was not excommunicated, it was clear that the Catholic Faith was being betrayed by the very men sworn to protect it. Now, over thirty years later, this betrayal has become the norm and the Vatican response is so weak-kneed that it even suggests that there might be times when it's permitted to give what passes for communion to the pro-abort politico (The reasoning is wrong, however, because the true Catholic teaching is that a known public sinner must always be refused Communion, even when a priest is "surprised," because the scandal of giving it to someone who is openly sinning--and thus clearly receiving it sacrilegiously and committing another grave sin--is immense! To argue otherwise is to show an ignorance or contempt for Catholic moral teaching.)

No matter, because there are even other built-in loopholes that will be exploited, because "Reformed" Rome has been sending out mixed signals, condemning "abuses," often most forcefully, but in the end never doing anything substantive to put an end to them. (To invert the famous "Teddy" Roosevelt remark: It talks harshly and carries a toothpick.) And none of this is lost on the Democratic "kill kult." Kerry, for example, lectures the Vatican about "separation of Church and State," how abortion is a woman's "right" and how he will continue to "follow his conscience" when carrying out his duties as an elected official. Kennedy also says he won't back down either, while noting that this wasn't from John Paul II, but only one of his underlings. Of course, it's easy for them to be bold when the bishops of New England say they will continue to "minister" to pro-abortion leaders without any concern over what the Vatican says.

And why not? This "every bishop calls his own shots" mentality has also been the norm since the Council under the heading "collegiality." So what, if some of them (a very small minority, as it turns out) say they'll go along with the Vatican request (and bear in mind, that's all it is, anymore--a request--except, of course, when it comes to someone like Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (right) doing something to challenge the false reforms, then they get hammered with a "command" not to defend Catholic Tradition). Many (most?) others won't go along with the latest ruling and no one, least of all Rome, has any interest in stopping them. This has gone on for decades and isn't about to change now.

Indeed, it is an accepted principle by the Conciliar Rome, which makes the whining by certain conservative voices in that church about how terrible it is that these bishops are "in schism from the Pope" more than a little silly. (Or take the tack of the author of the "blackmail" link above, as though the fear of being blackmailed is the motivating factor of the bishops' failure to denounce the politicians' stand on the issues, while ignoring the fact that many of them share the same beliefs.)

Until the authority vacuum is filled by Christ-centered leaders, then nonsensical (but deadly serious) fiascos like the one that's just unfolded are going to continue with no end in sight. It's time that those who call themselves Catholic--and really mean it--wake up to what the enemies of the Church have wrought. There must be a general housecleaning of those men who hold positions within the institutional structures of the Catholic Church, but who are really CINOs (Catholic-In-Name-Only). And this does not involve just a few men in robes and miters--their number is legion--and it is something that must start at the top!

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Ex-NFL star killed in combat in Afghanistan
"Pat Tillman walked away from millions in the NFL to fight for his country in Afghanistan. He paid with his life. The former Arizona Cardinals safety was killed Thursday night in a firefight while on combat patrol. A specialist with the elite Army Rangers, he was 27. "(RN 24/7: While we have been opposed to the sending of American troops to fight in the Middle East on what we believe to be specious grounds, we respect those soldiers who are risking their lives in what they feel is the defense of their country. We note Pat Tillman here, not because his sacrifice is any greater than those others who have lost their lives, but because he did "the unthinkable": He turned his back on fame, millions of dollars and a very bright future to stand up for his country in a time of crisis. The day after the 9-11 attacks, he said in an interview: "My family has … gone and fought in wars and I really haven't done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that, and so I have a great deal of respect for those that have and what the flag stands for." He enlisted without fanfare shortly after that. An American hero.)

9-11 could have been prevented
"From Richard Clarke to Condoleezza Rice, the security establishment agrees on one thing: there was no sure way to stop the attacks of September 11, 2001. Maybe, maybe not. But if that is correct, it doesn’t get the Bush administration and its predecessors off the hook. The very inability to prevent terrorism is a powerful argument against the interventionist polices they followed for decades."

Taiwan rejects US warning over defense
"Taiwan rejected US warnings over its controversial plans for a new constitution on Thursday, setting the stage for further rocky relations with its sole protector against China."

Eugenics - a 'science' of evil
An exhibit on Nazi medical practices raises frightening issues for today¼and tomorrow.

APRIL 22

Real News 24/7 takes an in-depth look at the environmentalist 'faith' behind the holiday, a twisted mindset that places nature before people.

Let's make Earth Day a religious holiday
On April 22, millions will dutifully engage in the now-familiar rituals and incantations of America’s fastest-growing religion.

In public places, they will gather to listen to sermons...about the sins of human selfishness, about redemption through self-abasement, about the duty to exercise stewardship of the earth.

In schools, they will indoctrinate their children in the gospel according to John...John Muir, that is.

In their homes, they will engage in symbolic acts of self-denial...by digging through germ-laden garbage for recyclables, by denying themselves the pleasures of eating meat, and by setting their thermostats below the sinful level of human comfort.

The cause for this mass religious outpouring is, of course, Earth Day. In just a few decades, it has become an unofficial holy day, displacing in the hearts of our countrymen (and in the memories of those who publish calendars) such reactionary occasions as Jefferson’s birthday.

(RN 24/7: The author's unrelenting attack on the fallacies of the environmentalist movement, "Environmentalism or individualism?" can be found on the same site by clicking the 'My Manifesto' link.)

Earth Day on the campaign trail
VIDEO TEXT
"President Bush, trying to shore up his environmental record against attacks by Democratic rival John Kerry, on Thursday called for restoring or protecting as many as 3 million acres of wetlands over the next five years."

Saving The Earth (excerpts from Brave New Schools)
"I pledge allegiance to the Earth and all its sacred parts, Its water, land and living things and all its human hearts."--the Earth Pledge. A look at how America's children are being indoctrinated into the humanistic Earth Day religion.

Arsons believed to be work of ELF
"The words 'Earth Liberation Front' -- called a top domestic terrorism threat by the FBI -- were signed on a note found amid an array of unexploded firebombs this week at a home-construction site in Snohomish County."
Hints of eco-terror

Stone Phillips is Wrong About Air Pollution
"Stone Phillips’s Dateline report on coal emissions was misleading. Such is sometimes the price of press freedom. But that’s why we should always take our news with more than just a grain of salt."

Diaperless baby movement: No more Huggies for tree huggers?
"'There is a way to have a baby and NOT use diapers,' says one website advocating diaperless babies. Parents are urged to get in tune with their infant's body signals and hold babies over toilets, buckets and shrubbery or any other convenient receptacle when nature calls."

related LINKS
(a brief cross section of Earth Day proponents and their critics)

PrO

International Earth Day- The Official Site

Earth Day - US Government Portal
Just a reminder (if any is needed) of the federal government's leading role in all of this.

Earth Day 2004 - EnviroLink Resource Guide

EPA - Earth Day 2004

Earth Day Canada

GAIA
Its acronym taken from the name of the earth goddess of ancient Greece, here's a group dedicated to the elimination of incinerators and no-burn alternatives.

Green Cross International
The 'environmentalist' Communist front group founded by Mikhail Gorbachev, former dictator of the Soviet Union, who has been described as "the quintessential 'watermelon Marxist' – green on the outside, red on the inside."

Greenpeace International
Long-established environmental advocacy group Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice." GreenpeaceUSA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Radical "animal rights" group whose criminal antics have done much to alert Americans as to the true nature of the movement.

Sierra Club
The granddaddy of the environmentalist groups and still one of the most powerful.

Other Earth Day links
Including 'spiritual' websites, such as Global Meditations.

con

aBetterEarth.org
" The site promotes "alternative environmental approaches, including locally based 'eco-innovation,' outcome-based regulations, quasi-market pricing strategies, corporate and individual stewardship, property rights enforcement as a means of protecting the environment from polluters, and the cultivation of environmental aesthetics."

American Land Rights Association
ALRA and its members are dedicated to the wise-use of our resources, access to our Federal lands and the protection of our private property rights.

AnimalRights.Net
Debunking the animal rights movement. Many links, too.

AnimalScam.com
Ditto. Be sure to check out the new anti-PETA TV commericals.

Eco-Imperialism - Green Power. Black Death. - Paul Driessen
Examining the consequences of a carrying out the the agenda of enviromentalism--a philosophy that declares that pristine nature has intrinsic value in itself, and that regards Man and his activities as intrusive threats to the so-called ecological balance?

KillManatees.com - Fighting Tree Huggers
A really fun site for everyone except PETA-types, where web pages include "recipes," "facts" and "photos," and most of them have those oh-so-cute drawings by little children, such as adorn the tree hugger sites, only with a very different message. Not to be missed is the email received from a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employee, who called the site "interesting in a warped sort of way" but warned, "you may be getting hits from children who are searching for information for school projects. I am sure their parents are not pleased with what you are promoting.¼" But how can she be so sure? Maybe they like barbequed manatee!

NewEnvironmentalism.org
Not 'con' so much as wary of the claims of environmental extremists and favoring private initiative and innovations.

People Eating Tasty Animals
The other PETA!

The New American - The Earth Charter
Links exposing this globalist Charter, of which former Communist dictator Mikhail Gorbachev said "My hope is that this charter will be a kind of Ten Commandments, a 'Sermon on the Mount,' that provides a guide for human behavior toward the environment in the next century and beyond."

More links on environmentalism
Numerous resources about this dangerous movement

OTHER NEWS & ANALYSIS

Bush: World should thank Sharon for 'withdrawal' plans
"U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday rejected international condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and said world leaders owed him a 'thank you' for his plans for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank."

Republican 'moderates' advance liberalism
"Slowly, reluctantly, grassroots conservatives are waking up to the fact that their agenda is being systematically undermined and thwarted. Worse yet, this is consistently happening at the hands of Republicans. The GOP controls the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House. The overwhelming majority of Supreme Court Justices are Republican appointees. And Republicans hold the majority of state governorships. Yet the moral bankruptcy of the counterculture relentlessly advances." (RN 24/7: This has been going on for decades and they're just now starting to figure this out?! One need only go to the government's Earth Day portal linked above, where the visitor is greeted with a photo of President Bush prominently displayed, to see this in action.)

Locked on course to wider war
"The American public has been deceived and locked on a course toward conscription and a wider war. On April 20 Republican Senator Chuck Hagel acknowledged the deceit when he urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support the restoration of compulsory military service."

Internet photos of fallen GIs ignore Pentagon ban

Israeli theater wants to screen 'The Passion of The Christ'
"The Tel Aviv Cinemateque said on Thursday it believes everyone has the right to make his own choice about the film, regardless of religion."

APRIL 21

Judge refuses to throw out Oklahoma City bombing case
"A judge refused to dismiss the murder case Wednesday against Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols (left) and restricted defense attorneys' ability to argue there was a wider conspiracy than the government has acknowledged."

The Nichols Trial: Summary of the evidence
A review of evidence from the 1997 trial.

McVeigh’s friend ready to go public on OKC conspiracy
"Impending testimony in the Oklahoma state trial of accused and federally convicted Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols could blow the lid off the long-simmering FBI and Justice Department cover-up of the actual facts about the tragic federal building bombing."

Okla. City kin still seek Coconspirators
"For Jannie Coverdale, the search for suspects in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed her two grandsons and 166 other people did not end with the arrests of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols."

Did OKC bombers join TWA 800 plot?
(RN 24/7: The contention of this World News Daily article, that there's a al-Qaida connection to the Oklahoma City bombing is popular in some circles, including some of the links below, but how plausible is it. After all, the idea of American-hating Muslim extremists teaming up with "super patriots," who purportedly bombed the Murrah Building in retaliation for the deaths of American citizens, would, at least on the surface, seem to be a bit of a stretch. Was there a conspiracy? No doubt. A cover-up? Clearly. Were certain people in the government aware that an attack was going to occur? They were. But after that, what really is known is surprisingly little, but it is known that Elohim City, the White Supremacist enclave where McVeigh had ties, was being run by FBI informants.)