There’s a lot going on here in the fruited plain, folks. The news regarding the pending (but hopefully thwarted) globalist takeover of the Orthodox Church here in America as well as all over the rest of the world appears to have been thwarted. At least for the time being.
That being said, we can’t rest. Here in the good ole’ US of A, the globalists have taken it on the chin ever since the election of a certain Manhattan socialite/entrepreneur named you-know-who. Ever since, the revelations about the absolute crapulence that we have been subjected to lo these last few decades continue to erupt, almost on a daily basis. Love him or hate him, there is absolutely no doubt that had Mdme Felonia Milhouse von Pantsuit won the election, the continued downward trajectory towards Third-worldism would have proceeded unabated.
Still, you gotta give it to the globalists. They have not only exposed the fallacy of Civics 101 which the Stupid Party adheres to, you know, nominate a Republicuck like McCain or Romney and have him lose graciously to the first black/woman/gay/trans/cyborg Democrat so we can open our borders and let every thief, murderer, and rapist into our country and let them vote, but they have fought back ferociously to undermine the nationalist agenda.
That’s why they’re now going after the Electoral College.
We lost a great bulwark of liberty back in 1913 when the Progressives passed the Seventeenth Amendment (as well as the National Income Tax and the Federal Reserve) but as long as we had the Electoral College, the States could still exercise a great deal of sovereignty over the Federal government.
In order to understand what I’m talking about, I ask that you take the time to watch the following vlog in which I endeavor to explain why voting is necessary for good governance (i.e. it spreads the decision-making process over a greater subset of the population in addition to holding magistrates accountable by making transparency more likely). And, since voting is vital to ensuring said accountability, political philosophers since the time of Moses and Aristotle have placed certain strictures on the voting process. Our Founding Fathers added yet more, so sacrosanct did they view republican governance.
Anyway, I hope you get something out of it. As always, your comments, criticisms, brickbats, and ostracism (also a republican tool*) are welcome.
And yes, it would have been nice if the Greek Orthodox laity had had the chance to choose their own archbishop who was “elected” in the most opaque manner possible. (Had to throw that one in.)
*Ostracism comes from the Greek word ostrakon which was a ballot (usually a black stone) used to “blackball” a citizen. This meant exiling a man who the majority thought was too big for his britches.
George, a great bulwark of freedom rests in the 10th Amendment. The wording is so simple that it cannot be twisted easily.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
That means that the United States Government (the Feds) only have the power the states and the people give them. There is no inherent Federal power. Only what the states and the people grant them.
Because the words cannot be easily twisted, he has been largely ignored by most people. I highly recommend The Tenth Amendment Center for those who wish to learn more: http://www.thetenthamendmentcenter.com
The 10th Amendment died on April 15, 1861. It had a good run.
Yup.
Remember that in 2012 Obama won with 51 percent of the popular vote BUT won with more than 61 percent of the electoral votes. Usually, the electoral college amplifies the popular vote. HOWEVER, twice in 20 years, the Dems have felt they were robbed, e.g., Bush v Gore and the 2016 election. Even with no changes to the electoral college, demographics favor Dems into the future. For various scenarios into the future, check out this article:
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/reports/2018/04/14/449461/americas-electoral-future-2/
Yes, the EC almost always “amplifies” the popular vote. The reason it didn’t in 2000 and most definitely in 2016 is because of the illegal alien vote (which is concentrated in New York and California).
That, or because the Democrat populace is concentrated in a few megacities, while Republicans are spread everywhere else. That is why they are dumping refugees and illegals in small towns across the country. The takeover of Minnesota was just a proof-of-concept.
The fact is, Anglo and Western European stock simply won’t support Democrat policies in large numbers. They win by conquest, and the Republicans had better unite around a concrete concept of identity fast, or face losing.
I don’t disagree with you in the main. However, non-European stock peoples can (and do) accept Western civilisational & cultural norms when the European majority does as well. Often, it’s just a matter of timing. We should not forget that Progressivism incentivizes profligacy, indolence and race-baiting identity-politics on the part of minorities. There was no such activity on behalf of immigrants or now-Third-world nations when Europeans were confident.
Look at the Eastern Asian countries: the people there live in Western-style cities, not yurts or hovels. Same as in those African countries that were colonized by the Europeans (and yeah, I know all about the Belgians under King Leopold II: horrible).
Anyway, what we are watching is the reassertion of our own European/Christian identities throughout our own homelands. (At least we’re trying to, I think Greece is lost. I hope I’m wrong.) The globalists however are doing their darndest to incite us to fight against each other wherever they can. Ukraine is one such flash-point.
George re Greece. και αυτό θα περάσει, As St Silouan said ‘keep your mind in Hell and despair NOT.
” it would have been nice if the Greek Orthodox laity had had the chance to choose their own archbishop”
Perhaps one could imitate the ancient pre-Schism constitution of Roman see – rector priests plus delegates of laity to choose already ordained bishop, (including ones of other jurisdictions like Church of Greece or Cyprus). Or a monk/widower to be ordained/approved by canonical bishops.
We may well be in for a time of suffering in this country, and prayer and fasting may be our only recourse. “This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting.”
Just this morning I read in the beautiful little book “Light in the Darkness” something that also can help us in our situation here. It is by a layman who lived through the communist revolution in Russia, including time in prisons and labor camps, yet managed to keep his faith and his peace:
“The first years after the revolution, 1917-1919, were a time of amazing spiritual uplift, a kind of lightheartedness. We stood at the threshold of a new period in church history. We were terrified, watching the great black clouds gathering, and at the same time we were breathing an air of unknown spiritual freedom.
“Something in the life of the Church was returning to its pristine purity and simplicity, something was coming up from underneath centuries of secularization, hypocrisy and externalism. It was the time when Rublev’s icon of the Holy Trinity had its heavily bejewled silver covering of later centuries taken off. Human hearts were rediscovering the joy of the forgotten ‘first love.’ The Church was rediscovering its sacrificial character. It was a frightening and joyous time for us who were young then.”
I hope that kind of suffering doesn’t come here. But if it does, it is because God is permitting it for His own good reasons.
THEO. I am so over the moon that u have read that book. I have mentioned here often. It was next to my late mother when she died, deeply annotated by her. It as you know covers all we discuss. I treasure that copy not just for personal reasons but for what book contains.
As you know I am greek but living now after working in psychology and mental health a acute work in Uk.
Bulgaria was communist country and was the one most stalinist.
People of faith suffered greatly, 0very 700 clergy were murderd 19445_55. Many many more suffered and lay people as my bulgarian teacher.did. Many clergy could not face the ordeal and took of their rason and walked away.
Of course in vast Russia 1918_90 the suffering was vastly more with some 50000 churches destroyed and many thousands of clergy killed and millions of lay people, along with old communists it must be said. Stalin was nothing if not equal opportunities!
On the feast of Konstantine and Helen, not one of my favourite ones i must say for equal to the Apostles MURDERER!! But anyway, with family visiting from Greece we went to church in the chapel of name in St Boris church, that being renovated after clossed by communists 1948 as too close to across road university faculty and allowed to deteriorate badly.
It was a beautiful liturgy with our young humble priest, fr david. An elderly priest with fine voice chanted, a man radiating love, and a lady and a layman.
The layman has spent 7 yrs in USA, mostly on west coast and knows the greek community well , San Diego etc well, where he worshipped .
He was full of praise for ‘ wealthy and active greek communities ‘ that knew how to raise money and build churches and facities and do ‘projects.’ He contrasted with poor OCA full of every one, Greeks, Russians, Bulgarians,Serbs and Americans, which he with his Balkan mentality could not hack.
Interesting point as a bulgarian he found the greek church culturally near to him. It’s easy to think of the Balkan Slavs as somehow Russian, but they are not. Much Russian influence after liberation from turks, especially in choral music, style of Liturgy, came to them, but it was always on top of their byzantine tradition and chanting now returning to in big way.
He was explaining to me also the problems that come with translation as has been done, the Church slavonic into bulgarian. Mostly the Gospels and Priests ‘ part but some hymns also. He said the change needs to be lived with and internalised otherwise will be unatural. Choir and chanters tend you use slavonic while priest bulgarian.
So you see many issues you share.!!
We looked round the museum of bulgarian modern history newly opened and seeing the fight for liberation from turks, so near to us Greeks, indeed many Greeks were part of bulgarian fight as racially consciousness not as we have understood from time of French rationalism and Napoleon. But also the struggle ro literate themselves from Greek cultural and economic domination as the Phanar ran the Balkans for the turks. Above all the 1860 45 struggle for bulgarian national church. To see from their point of view.
Greek reality is very different to the official la la land line. Civil war and left right politics and Muslim influence culturally etc etc.
Re the greek church in America. Well if u have read my entries you know my views.
But re Phanar etc, my anger grows daily.
THEY NEED CALLING OUT. They are corrupt, spiritually decadent and dead group of fantacists SUCKING YR GREEK AMERICAN LIFE BLOOD.
USA has been independent since it’s 1777 revolution against the brits. It only had really not more than 150 years of life leading up to it.
The greek church in USA has over 100 yrs now. What rubbish to think it can’t run it’s own affairs aswerable to no one outside USA except as ever Orthodox church is to the Orthodox community.
I would say now with much regret that those decent clergy etc who Council humble Silence and carry on are no better than enablers of abuse. This is how abuse always thrives, dictatorship rules, by the Silent majority looking other way.
Unless money is stopped flooding in new York, UNLESS THAT DISGRACE KARLOUTSAS, is called out and shown up d’or the betrayed of Christ he is, you deserve All you get.
Getting back to my bulgarian chanter. He was amazed at greek american ability to raise cash etc but is is not where they have gone astray in that they have lost themselves and forgotten what the Church is for?? Perhaps here in Bulgaria in the smoker blackened humble churches, heated by Wood stoves, with no gold and silver, is that why when worship here I come close to God?
I have good friend, major now in army, iraq vereran, New Yorker, based now with family in Boston. Greek american wife.
He comments on the St Nicholas Project in ground Zero saying it’s an ugly expensive carbuncle ( glows in night it will like a Christmas cheap paper weight!) and why did they not just rebuild the simple church which could have served as a memorial church to all the dead and be know as St Nicholas and etc. WITH A section inside dedicated to 9/11 so all who wanted to enter and light a candle or stand and reflect could and know it is Orthodox church.
THEO God bless
Living now in Bulgaria meant to say!!
I lived in NY and worked on Wall Street long before and after 9-11. The original St. Nicholas church was a humble place where anyone could, and many often did, come in and sit for a time in the silence and peace of the place amid the bustle and noise outside. It had grace. The new one is a Cathedral to Hubris, there is neither grace nor God’s blessing there. It’s a dead, cold place that cries out, “Look what we have made!” like a modern Tower of Babel. It is symbolic of everything that’s wrong with the GOA.
My good friend, major in USA army and New Yorker says it’s an ugly carbuncle and why did they not just build a simple Orthodox church to replacement the one destroyed.
Imagine the upkeep of that monstrosity.
On the Saturday that just passed, we in Australia voted up the conservative party here (in convincing fashion, too), after 3 years of polling indicated that they’d lose and lose well. If I was more perceptive, I’d have perhaps seen that one coming; but nevertheless, it was a huge joy.
A lot of the talk of course now revolves around why the progressives lost. Some souls believe it’s because people are beginning to question not only the left’s increasingly socialistic economics, but also its ‘cultural’ influence – what, with the gays and womans, and such things.
I’m not too sure about that myself. I’m open to it, but I fear it’s just too much wishful thinking. What I’m more sure about is the disgust people evidently developed towards the socialist economics. Never before have we seen the devil be so brazen, and the majority+ of people said “get stuffed”. Whether or not they’d use the word socialism in relation to it all, I’ll leave for someone else to say, but the point is that that they knew a bad thing when they saw it. How beautiful.
Among the many things that have emerged from all this is the delicious contradiction within the progressive/Labor party. Their core supporters are of course the workers, and yet they’re now so deep into environmentalism that it effectively cut off its nose to spite its face – and everyone, including the cats, now knows it. How they get out of that one, not just over the next 3 years years, but well into the future, will be very interesting to watch, indeed.
Vikelas (Seven essays on Christian Greece , Paisley, 1890, free download from archive.org, link below) shows Byzantium was the most tolerant and democratic regime of its day.
The myth of Byzantine and Tzarist autocracy owes to (German) Catherine corresponding with Diderot. Ironically, the myth of Russian imperialism owes to two Germans, Catherine and Nesselrode. It was Golitzyn who attempted to get Anna of Courland to restore the
conciliarity by which the Assemblie sof the Land chose the Romanovs.
The Electoral College is what gave the Republican Lincoln the White House. The Democrats are returning to their roots with this campaign against the Electoral College. Lincoln received less than 40% of the popular vote in 1860. Are the Dems saying that it was an injustice for him to be elected?
Yes, they are. Actually, the left is totally discombobulated thanks to Trump. On the one hand they shout “transparency!” when it comes to the Mueller Report, on the other hand, when Trump orders the CIA and FBI to release all documents, they should “Treason!” They don’t know which way is up.
Another cogent essay as to why the Electoral College is needed:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/24/kirk-the-electoral-college-stands-between-the-constitution-and-the-mob/