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| HOME | STRANGE DAYSChronicles of the End of the Age |
STRANGE DAYS
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May 3 / 99
An acute visitor to our site has sent the following note.
April 27 / 99
As more incredible details are surfacing from the precise diary kept by the young assassins on the events prior to the Columbine School massacre, we are left with a shocking realization of the REAL state of the Union. I do not want to add more comment to this sad event, except to make a couple of observations: 1) What do Americans expect from their youngsters, after having by law removed God from the classrooms? "You got to serve somebody ..." says a Bob Dylan song. And the choice is very clear: God or the devil. Really? I would like to listen to a plausible explanation on the behaviour of these two, apparently-normal kids-turned assassins. I said plausible. Psychiatrists and psychologists will be having a field day (and lot's of work) in trying to explain the horror that has transpired at the Columbine institute. But I believe firmly that none of them will be able to come up with a true answer and suggest a solution. The answer is simple, but to them, unbelievable. They will analyze every little detail, they will find symbolism in the black trench coats, they will find past events which have "scarred and traumatized" these youngsters and turn them into monsters, but they will not accept the fact that these two kids have been led by demons to commit those acts of unmotivated murder and mayhem. No, no, this explanation it's too unscientifically simple to justify all the years of study they have undergone. Surely they must give a complex, ununderstandable, deluded, deceived and deceiving response. Any explanation will be good, except the real one. The fact is, we are living in a highly disturbed society. From the very start, children are being indoctrinated into violence, viciousness, abnormal behavior by the cartoons and videogames they watch for hours each day. As they grow, they will find an entertainment industry which will readily offer them unbelievable levels of obscenity and violence, all in the name of free speech and free choice. Not to speak of the "arts" and culture. There are a lot on very unstable persons in the world today, with no ideals nor morals. The garbage they have continuously been fed from birth, has transformed them, and while they grow up, the same garbage compounds the problem. America (and the Western world) have become an open sewer whose smell has reached unto heaven. How far can the judgement be? 2) I find it the height of hypocrisy, that President Clinton, in commenting the massacre has said something to the effect of that "young people must be taught to resolve their anger with dialog and not with force." Somebody should tell Mr. Clinton that the selfsame lesson should apply as well to adults. How can he expect to be believed when he is the leader of the ongoing war in Kossovo? Do as I say, and not as I do. Or he must be suffering from Alzheimer. I have chosen two links for you to examine. One is a TIME magazine report on the tragedy: The other is a different point of view, from alienated teens:
April 19 / 99
Certainly, no news about wars is good news, and neither are the latest on Kossovo. While we assist to a host of initiatives, from different countries, the Vatican (always ready to get credit to its status, when there is nothing to risk) organizations and from simple citizens, it seems self-evident that these efforts are futile right from their very start. The Americans have (arrogantly) demonstrated that whatever they decide is good, must be good for the rest of the world. Here in Europe, America's popularity has been on the wane for a number of years, and this war over Kossovo, is digging deeper into Europe's disenchantment with the once admired (envied) nation. Europeans are tired of playing second fiddle to the USA, especially in their own territory and they are saying so, in a more or less direct way. There is much talk about restructuring NATO, so as to deprive America of her leading role. Talk shows guests openly criticize America's bully-behaviour and several protests have taken place in front of American Embassies. There is a falling out going on, and many are noticing. Another curious result of this strange war has been the strange coincidences and curious bedfellows it has been making. President Clinton, an alleged dove, (of National Guard memories) has been the most war-prone President of recent memory, certainly outstripping former President Reagan, who was allegedly a hawk. And, I've never thought to see this, but it's the european communist parties which are defending (Christian Ortodox) Serbia from the NATO intervention and are the most outspoken opposers of this war. Better late than never. One can believe this or that reason about why the Kossovo war is a "just" war, or not believe at all, but to those with their antennas up-and-tuned, it is evident that breakthrough principles of international policy are being introduced and put to test in this conflict. Here are some links for those who want to explore deeply. How Clinton created Serb war (Charles Smith) Clinton willing to risk global war in desperate attempt to redefine legacy Bloody blundering: Clinton's cluelessness is selling out Kosovo Survey: Two-thirds of Russians fear NATO attack Be prepared for war, China's Jiang urges PLA
April 4 / 99
Looking at Kosovo from another angle. I received the following quotes which I think present different facets of this strange conflict. We are just quoting, but there is something there... KOSOVO: POINTS TO PONDER · Boston University academic Eugene Narrett (FREEMANLIST, Mar 23): "[The Clinton administration is] playing a bellicose game that turns history on its ear, shreds the principle of sovereignty that is the basis of all social order and [aligns] itself with Islamic terrorists. "Many of the rebels of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army are Albanians living on both sides of the now porous border. Some are Muslims from other countries including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan and Iran. "Their purposes are not peaceful. While smuggling arms across the border in late 1998, they killed 165 Serbian policemen, wounding 395. Would this be tolerated in Texas ...?" · US commentator Charles Krauthammer (INSIDE WASHINGTON, Mar 20): "You have to ask yourself, aren't there atrocities happening today much worse in Sierra Leone, in Congo, in Rwanda, in Sudan for the last 15 years? A week ago, there was a battle between Ethiopia and Eritrea which nobody has ever heard of where five times as many people were killed in one day as died in Kosovo. "The only difference I can see between Serbia and Africa is that these are white people who are being killed in Europe. I do not understand how you can make a case purely on the grounds of preventing atrocity when all these others are happening in the world, and be consistent in any way." · Bill Lind, director of the Free Congress Foundation's Center for Cultura l Conservatism (CNS, Mar 19): "I wonder how many American Christians have thought about the fact that their defense dollars now go to attacking other Christians on behalf of Islam?" · Israeli journalist Steve Rodan (WORLD TRIBUNE.COM, Mar 24): "[According to European security and diplomatic sources] Kosovo has become the latest and most significant arena for radical Islamic states and groups that seek to widen their influence in Europe. "Nobody argues that Islamic elements fomented the conflicts in the Balkans. But they say Iran, Saudi Arabia and some of their terrorist beneficiaries have exploited the fighting to establish a sphere of influence that spans from Greece to the Austrian border." · The London-based Islamist group Al Muhajiroun (PRESS RELEASE, Mar 25): "We declare that we will not rest until Kosova is returned to the Muslims and they achieve their independence as a Muslim nation. We declare that we will not stop the Jihad against the Serbian or Israeli occupiers no matter what the UN say or do." · Anjem Choudary, secretary-general of the Society of Muslim Lawyers (quoted in Al Muhajiroun's PRESS RELEASE, Mar 25): "Muslims everywhere are obliged to fight against the Serbs who are fighting against Muslims in the Balkans physically, financially and verbally until all Muslim land is liberated." · Israeli counter-terrorism expert Ely Karmon (CNS, Mar 26): "Kosovo is important to Islamic terror groups, because they see it as a battlefield between Muslims and Christians." · The Middle East Christian Committee (PRESS RELEASE, Mar 24): "We certainly criticize the authoritarian regime in Belgrade, and hope to see the conflict in Kosovo solved by diplomatic means ? However, we do not understand our decision makers who seem to be only in favor of Muslim rights and always opposed to Christian's rights in that region." · Coptic American Union (PRESS RELEASE, Mar 25): "We are sick and tired of watching our foreign policy being dictated by the Islamist lobby in Washington DC ? Our community [in Egypt] is being ethnic cleansed by a government which is receiving U.S. foreign aid." · The World Maronite Union, Beirut (PRESS RELEASE, Mar 24): "We Maronite Catholic[s] feel that the Islamist-inspired attack against Orthodox Serbia is an aggression against all Middle East Christianity." · South Sudan Movement spokesman Dominic Mohammed (PRESS RELEASE, Mar 24): "? we never saw the U.S. fighter bombers in the skies over Khartoum or southern Sudan. Are white Muslims [in Kosovo] more valuable than Black Christians?" · State Department spokesman James Rubin (DEPT OF STATE briefing, Mar 24): "The critics have been unable to answer the question of why we would be better off to allow the slaughter to spread, the humanitarian catastrophe to grow, instability to spread throughout Europe in places that are of concern to the United States. "In their opposition to the use of air power, they have offered no alternative other than appeasement of [Yugoslav] President Milosevic's policies, which is something unacceptable to this administration."
March 22 / 99
I have a couple of items to bring to your attention. Both, have to do with Israel, more or less directly. The first item is a news report which I received just before last Christmas, if proved correct, would have far reaching implications for Israel. I am posting the original article which is quite self explanatory.
A LOST AND FOUND TRIBE: 1.5 MILLION JEWS ON INDIA-BURMA BORDER - By Kaye Corbett Copyright 1998, WorldNetDaily TORONTO The other item is about a recent trend among evangelicals concerning the study of uses and customs of ancient Biblical Israel. This trend, which has been growing by leaps and bounds is known as the Hebraic Heritage, or Hebrew Roots movement. While I believe that knowing more about these things is commendable, as we are all to ignorant about Old Testament symbology, I am starting to see aberrations and deviations to a subject which was instead purposed to bring light upon some not so readily accessible points. I want to make clear that I am not condemning such movements per se, -I personally subscribe to one such newsgroup-. What I intend to do, is instead to ring the alarm bell to those who have ears to ear. I am not the only one who is noticing the bad trend this movement has been taking. I have received some letters of alarmed Christians who are concerned about the way this thing is evolving. Next week, I will post an article, on the X files, which will shed some needed light on this trend. Please do not complain to me before you read it and meditate prayerfully upon it. One of the most important traits of a Christian should be balance. Balance is instead a mythological word, especially to Christians. Few seem able to achieve this fundamental quality. Of course, a lack of balance does not make a Christian lose his salvation: it just complicates his life unnecessarily while distracting him from what it is truly important, so that he will not be an effective tool in the Hands of His Lord. The enemy uses well this lack of balance in the lives of Christians. It is one thing to be enthusiastic about something, and quite another to let this something guide our lives. Only the Lord Jesus Christ should guide the lives of His people, and to achieve this all-important stage, a Christian needs much seeking prayer in his little closet. Since we seem all too obsessed with "activities", and "service", prayer and close relationship with God gets second place, IF it gets it at all. We get all busy at His service and we forget HIM. What a tragedy! But I think this generation is not much different from the ones that have preceeded it, we simply know our situation better, thanks to the information explosion of our days.
March 15 / 99
This week I have some mixed news about computers and the Internet in general. While we can appreciate the comunication possibilities offered to us by these media, we should not be so blind as to ignore the hidden agenda which is behind it. Like it or not, some day soon everybody will be neatly indexed, catalogued, and properly monitored. This is already happening in some countries, while in others it's taking shape. What a marvelous world it will be, when there will be no more money laundering and financial crimes; when nobody will be able to rob or defraud you; when criminal organizations will "technically" cease to exists, since they will not be able to get cash illegally, since there will be no more cash to go around; when there will be no more "black markets" and "black labour" and so on. A wonderful digital world, indeed, where everything must be exactly accounted for and balanced. We should learn to recognize those who are preparing this "paradigm shift" as the new and future "benefactors" of the human race. First prize must go, without any doubt to Microsoft Corporation, in the person of its chairman and owner Bill Gates III, who is constantly at work, inventing new ways to bring humanity to the total safety of digital control. His. Not to speak of all the "not-digital" money he is making in the process. Billy, (we are allowed to be so familiar with someone whose software we use every day and know better than our own family members) was caught AGAIN with his sticky fingers in the cookie jar. It has just been reported that his Windows are able to peer into yours, naturally without your knowledge and consent. Read on.
SAN FRANCISCO-The Microsoft Corporation moved to defuse a potentially explosive privacy issue today, saying it would modify a feature of its Windows 98 operating system that has been quietly used to create a vast data base of personal information about computer users. What can I say! Billy gets the prize for getting away with it. On another front, I have heard some very troubleing reports about hacker's attacks to the Pentagon and to some spy English satellite. Of course, all involved are staying numb, but some bits of news are filtering through. Look at this ABCNEWS report:
March 8 / 99
Last week I had a major computer crash, courtesy of Bill Gates's Explorer and Windows OS. So there were no updates made to the site. I had a chance to discover the enormous ignorance which exists among computer "experts". My original vendor, told me that there was nothing to do about it, but re-install Windows, thereby loosing all my files. One alternative was to go in DoS and save manually the files, if at all possible, a lenghty and laborious job at best. Now you must know that I am a careful computer user. I do not indulge in strange practices or host unknown disks in my system. Nevertheless, given the instability of Windows, all good intentions come to a crashing end, sooner or later. It took me two years, but I experienced the "hole-in-the-stomach" caused by the unknown end of my files. I know, I should have back-ups. But, under the illusion created by the eerie normalcy of my system, I never got around to it. So, fits me right for trusting Billy. So, thanks God, we are back on track, but quite a bit behind. So please bear with us. Meanwhile, please enjoy this humourous mail sent to us just this week: From: Michael Oyler
Remember When ... A computer was something on TV, from a science fiction show of note. A window was something you hated to clean... And ram was the cousin of a goat.... Meg was the name of my girlfriend, and gig was a job for the nights. Now they all mean different things and that really mega bytes. An application was for employment. A program was a TV show. A cursor used profanity. A keyboard was a piano. Memory was something that you lost with age. A CD was a bank account. And if you had a 3 1/2" floppy you hoped nobody found out. Compress was something you did to the garbage not something you did to a file. And if you unzipped anything in public you'd be in jail for a while. Log on was adding wood to the fire. Hard drive was a long trip on the road. A mousepad was where a mouse lived and a backup happened to your commode. Cut you did with a pocket knife paste you did with glue. A web was a spider's home. And a virus was the flu. I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper and the memory in my head I hear nobody's been killed in a computer crash
Feb 22 / 99
This week I will submit to your attention a letter I just received and which ties-in well with our recent articles on America's future.
GIs abroad: The Empty Quarter No comments are needed except that this mail has arrived to me through a Muslim news-release, and their added remarks were neither joyous nor gratifying (to America). Feb 8 / 99
What if, GOD couldn't take the time to bless us today because we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday? What if, GOD decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow Him today? What if, we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when GOD sent the rain? What if, GOD didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day? What if, GOD took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today? What if, GOD took away His message because we failed to listen to the messenger? What if, GOD didn't send His only begotten Son because He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price for sin. What if, the door of the church was closed because we did not open the door of our heart? What if, GOD stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care for others? What if, GOD would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him yesterday? What if, GOD answered our prayers the way we answer His call to service? What if, GOD met our needs the way we give Him our lives??? What if, We failed to send this message on??? Sent in by Rhonda Steiner
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