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Right Wing Watch 👀 Sean Feucht and TPUSA Faith Launch 50-State ‘Kingdom to the Capitol’ Tour.

Peter Montgomery |

Church musician turned political activist Sean Feucht has teamed up with the religious arm of right-wing youth organizing group Turning Point USA for a two-year, 50-state road trip designed to bring Feucht’s mix of worship and hard-right politics to every state capitol. After a kickoff event attended by seven members of Congress in the U.S. Capitol rotunda March 9, the “Kingdom to the Capitol” tour headed south with a swing through Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jackson, Mississippi, and Montgomery, Alabama this past weekend. In Alabama, Chief Justice Tom Parker, a longtime ally of the disgraced former Chief Justice Roy Moore, participated and invited Feucht to pray in the Supreme Court chamber.

Rep. Lauren Boebert was among the members of Congress who joined a small crowd in the U.S. Capitol to sing along with Feucht as he strummed his guitar. Afterwards, Feucht tweeted, “The Capitol became an Altar…There is ONE KING over America…”

Feucht, a missionary musician associated with controversial Northern California megachurch Bethel, ran for Congress in 2020 in what he said was obedience to a call from God.

Continue Reading @ Right Wing Watch.

Kingdom To The Capitol

Lynx By Ten To The Power Of Five Hundred

 

A Morning Thought @ 1740

Tommy McKearney ☭ More than a century has passed since the end of the First World War.

1-March-2023

In that interval Ireland has known some bitter conflicts; but, tragic as these have been, they were confined to this country. With the exception of the Belfast Blitz during the Second World War and the North Strand bombing, we have been largely spared the horror of global warfare. As a result, there exists an aura of complacency in relation to neutrality.

Consequently, we are blinded to the possibility that global conflicts might spill over into this country. This has created a false sense of security, giving rise to a dangerous misconception that little old Ireland will always be spared the fall-out from events elsewhere.

Lest anyone believe that war in Ukraine cannot spread beyond the Donbass, they would do well to reconsider. Last month the secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, said he feared that “the world is not only sleepwalking into a wider war but doing so with eyes wide open.”

If that isn’t enough to raise alarm, what about the recent announcement from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists? That respected group set the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward to 90 seconds before midnight. This is the closest to a warning of global catastrophe it has ever been. And there is reason aplenty to justify these fears.

The principal cause for concern lies in the determination of western imperialism, led by the United States, to continue and prolong the conflict in eastern Europe. Their rationale for doing so is savage and brutal.

US-led imperialism is concerned that its global dominance is at risk as a result of China’s rapid economic growth.¹ China’s spectacular development has caused the global balance of power to shift. South America, South Africa and the Indian subcontinent are no longer locked in to Washington’s sphere of influence as they were in the past.

As China relies on its relationship with neighbouring Russia for raw materials and energy, the United States views a prolonged conflict as beneficial to its overall plan. By damaging Russia, the intention is to weaken and possibly isolate China.

In order to wage this proxy war against Russia, the US-driven coalition has provided Zelenskyi’s forces with vast quantities of money and munitions. According to USA Today, the United States alone has sent more than $100 billion in weaponry and finance to Kiev in less than a year—and more is on the way.² This enormous intervention is in addition to significant finance and vast quantities of munitions from other members of NATO. Of particular note is the recent supply of sophisticated German-made panzers, for use on the Eastern Front, no less.

No surprise, therefore, that this war is also being encouraged by large capitalist corporations. Western oil companies and energy suppliers have made extraordinary profits as a result of war-related sanctions on Russia.

Arms manufacturers are naturally drooling at the prospect of a prolonged conflict. A Financial Times headline of 23 February stated: “Defence industry shares soar on Western backing for Ukraine.” Illustrating the point, Saab Bofors Dynamics, an arms-manufacturing subsidiary of the Swedish car manufacturer, reported last month that it expected organic sales growth of 15 per cent in 2023, and that operating income would rise faster than revenue.3

Nor has the United States confined its meddling to arming and funding one protagonist in the hostilities. It has also engaged directly by way of sabotage. The highly respected American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has claimed that the US Navy was responsible for bombing the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany. Although the Pentagon denied Hersh’s report, it must be said that it also initially denied the accuracy of his reporting of the My Lai massacre and the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib.

It hardly needs pointing out that when all this is taken into account there is the ever-present risk of a worldwide conflagration. With so much at stake, and with two nuclear powers confronting each other under such fraught circumstances, there is a real danger that a misunderstanding, an accident or a misinterpreted signal could trigger the Doomsday situation.

Yet in spite of all this, and as the clouds of war gather, the Dublin government is determined to dispense with what is left of Irish neutrality. For long there has been the decidedly dangerous policy of allowing the US military to use Shannon Airport. More recently the Government approved the participation of up to thirty members of the Defence Forces in the newly established EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine. Moreover, according to the Irish Examiner, these trainers will be supplemented by a small number of staff positions based in the Military Planning and Conduct Capability staff in Brussels, and in the multinational Special Training Command at Strausberg in Germany.

The coalition government may spin this decision and its implications until the proverbial cows come home. However, only the wilfully blind can deny that such an action is a gross distortion of any conventional understanding of neutrality.

Let’s be absolutely clear about what ending our neutrality means in practice. In short, it entails aligning this country with a military alliance led by the United States and NATO, in other words participating, to some degree or other, in any and every conflict involving the western powers. Bear in mind that with the Doomsday clock closer than ever to midnight we are not talking about sending troops to spill blood in some far-distant land: in reality this decision presents us now with the real danger of a nuclear strike on Ireland.

If this assessment is valid (and let’s hear from those who can deny its accuracy) two actions are imperative. In the first instance it is essential that we challenge and end once and for all any lingering complacency about the threat arising from ending neutrality and aligning with NATO, or an EU-led military alliance. Consequently, it is of the greatest importance that we campaign vigorously and vociferously to restore and thereafter reinforce Irish neutrality.

One such event promoting peace and neutrality will take place in Dungannon on 11 March 2023. The Charlie Donnelly Winter School, organised under the auspices of the Friends of the International Brigades in Ireland, will deal directly with these matters..  In the words of the organiser, Gearóid Ó Machail, “the world is currently in an extremely precarious and dangerous place, with global tensions growing . . . Our Winter School in Dungannon will examine these themes and explore what options are open in the struggle to preserve our neutrality and promote peace.” Among a number of expert contributors will be the renowned Bernadette McAliskey, and Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance.

Notwithstanding the excellent speakers addressing such a crucial issue, this event is only one step along the road. Similar events must be organised around the country. A stop has to be put to the coalition’s headlong rush into a foreign military alliance, with all the attendant danger.

Failure to do so risks a holocaust the likes of which this country has not experienced since the Great Famine. So get out and get organising. Our very existence may depend upon it.

  1. Michael Gordon and Brett Forrest, “US defense strategy casts China as greatest danger to American security,” Wall Street Journal, 27 October 2022 .
  2. Tom Vanden Brook and Rachel Looker, “US has spent billions on Ukraine war aid: But is that money landing in corrupt pockets?” USA Today, 19 February 2023 
  3. “Saab’s operating profit rises, sees 15% sales growth in 2023,” Reuters, 10 February 2023.

Tommy McKearney is a left wing and trade union activist. 
Follow on Twitter @Tommymckearney 

Sleepwalking Into War

John Crawley ✍One of the greatest crimes in the current political climate is to be perceived as opposing the British pacification strategy known as the Irish Peace Process. 

Few republicans oppose peace, but we are entitled, indeed duty bound, to be critical of a process that cannot lead to the objectives republicans fought for so long and sacrificed so much to achieve.

We must challenge the false narrative that the republican struggle was simply about ending partition. There was no partition in 1916 when the Irish Republic was proclaimed in arms. Neither was there partition when the United Irishmen was formed in 1791. Unity for the Protestant founders of Irish republicanism meant national unity across the sectarian divide. That’s what it should continue to mean. Not geographical unity in exchange for enduring internal divisions that can only act to Britain’s benefit.

The 1916 Proclamation called for us to be … ‘oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.’ The signatories were not claiming those differences did not exist, nor were they saying they could be dismissed as irrelevant. They were saying that those differences should not be used to shape the political architecture of Ireland.

In contrast, those who support the Good Friday Agreement are determined that those differences will be permanently embedded in our national fabric. That unionists will remain forever in Ireland but not of it.

Those who believe that unionists can be enticed into a united Ireland by discarding or eroding Irish national anthems, flags, and emblems, by chasing English royalty around Ireland, or by attending British war memorials forget that Ulster unionists chose to opt out of joining the 26-County state when that state had substantially closer links with Britain than it does today. The Free State government in 1922 had retracted its allegiance to the Irish Republic, set up a subordinate parliament in the name of the King, took an oath to be faithful to that King, was a member of the British Commonwealth, and was actively murdering republicans. And yet, unionists wanted no part of it. Not then, not now, not ever.

There is no question that for many Ulster unionists, their communal identity is rooted in a paradigm of settler colonialism. Every 12th of July, they celebrate this imperial legacy and their pride at being descended from the English and Scottish planters sent to ethnically cleanse Ulster and tame and civilise the native Irish who remained. When pressed, their perception of themselves as a colonial garrison often outweighs any loyalty to London. An Irish national democracy rooted in non-sectarianism and civic equality holds no allure for this mindset. Recognising that is one thing; pandering to it by sabotaging Ireland’s republican heritage is another. Our struggle must focus on where the root cause of the problem lies – on the Union and not the unionists.

Britain’s claim to be in Ireland simply to protect the democratic wishes of Ulster unionists is a feeble alibi. England’s conquest of Ireland began centuries before the Ulster plantations. There was no Union, and there were no unionists when England’s sword first cut its genocidal swathe through Ireland.

The campaign to defeat Irish republicanism, its philosophy, ethos, and symbols is all pervasive and cuts across the many layers of loyal nationalism, North and South. By loyal nationalists, I mean those disposed to perceive Irish national ambitions through the prism of British strategic interests. Those who recognise the constitutional legitimacy of partition and endorse Britain’s regional assembly at Stormont.

In 1585 the Elizabethan planter Edmund Spencer wrote that (the Irishman) ‘…will in time quite learn to forget his Irish nation’.

Today we hear what Tony Blair called the ‘decommissioned mindset’, proving him true. They speak of a ‘Shared Island’ where we share in Britain’s analysis of the nature of the conflict, we share in the colonial legacy of sectarian apartheid, and we share in the colonial project of divide and rule. Robert Emmet did not request his epithet be withheld until his country had taken its place as two nations among the nations of the earth.

There is a saying that if you can’t do what counts, make what you can do count. The Provisional movement has cynically internalised Britain’s vision of a united Ireland that retains the sectarian dynamic and the resulting British/Irish cleavage in national loyalties into any new constitutional arrangements. Thus, the political malignancy through which Britain historically manipulated and controlled Ireland will remain intact.

Despite the willingness of loyal nationalism to buy into the British analysis of the nature of the conflict as a domestic dispute between tribal factions in which Britain had no selfish, strategic, or economic interest, it was England who injected the sectarian dynamic into Irish politics. The British are in no position to lecture the Irish on the constitutional model of a united Ireland based on liberty, equality, non-sectarianism, and social justice.

Although well-versed in the reactionary, racist, and sectarian mindset of settler colonialism, we must never forget that it was Irish Protestants inspired not by the plantations but by the enlightenment who were the founding fathers of Irish republicanism. That political DNA still exists in many Irish Protestants and can even be found among some ‘small u’ unionists.

A republican voice must once again be heard. A collective voice that echoes the republican ideals of the United Irishmen. A voice that remembers who we are and what we represent - the breaking of the connection with England and the establishment of an Irish national democracy within an All-Ireland republic.

Modern communications and social media can allow that voice to punch far above its weight, but a collective voice must have a collective consciousness. Irish republicanism has been in a race to the bottom for thirty years. It has shattered into many pieces, with each piece believing it holds the key. How does republicanism converge with the wishes and aspirations of the vast majority of the people? Or should it diverge from and alienate them by taking the most dogmatic positions without the least hint of how these positions could be achieved? This should form the basis of future articles and discussions.

⏩John Crawley is a former IRA volunteer and author of The Yank.

A Republican Voice Must Once Again Be Heard

River Page ✏ tradwifes aren't about patriarchy, white supremacy, sexual fetishism, or indoctrination — it's about women staying home, a luxury most can't afford. Considered a worthwhile read by Christopher Owens. 

In recent weeks there has been an explosion of articles covering the “tradwife” trend on TikTok, most of them focused on Estee Williams, a TikToker and former meteorology student. 

Williams embraces a forward-facing 50s housewife aesthetic, but behind it, a brand-building instinct only a woman who grew up on social media could possess. Her presentation is also more secular than some of her contemporaries. But the tradwife, as we know her online today, did not originate with Estee Williams, or on TikTok, or in the Book of Genesis either. God may have created Eve from Adam’s rib, but 4chan created the tradwife from Wojack in 2019 — a blond woman in a blue floral dress. The tradwife meme far preceded the recent surge in tradwife content on TikTok, which seems to have taken off around 2022.

The tradwife community is a definitionally conservative one and one that sometimes veers into the hard right.

Continue reading @ Pirate Wires.

The Tradwife Craze Is About Envy

Lynx By Ten To The Power Of Four Hundred And Ninety Nine

 

A Morning Thought @ 1739

Mick Hall ☭ In my experience following the herd is never a good idea.

I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will once again because some folk seem to be hard of hearing.

Like millions of people in the world I say no to Russia and no to NATO, no to Biden, no to Putin.  They are all war mongering scum.

Neutrality is the only sound position I can take. All else is fanning the flames of war, making a bad situation worse. As for democracy, despite all his pious words Zelenskyy and his masters have shut down all avenues of dissent. Putin has done much the same in Russia. For these people there is no middle ground: you either support the Empire and NATO or Putin. As to those who cling desperately to the remnants of the Soviet Union and support Russia, they are delusional. Putin’s oligarchy has nothing to do with socialism.

Of course, Ukrainian refugees should be supported that goes without saying. In all probability many will make new lives in their host nations and will never return home permanently. Who could blame them given the Ukraine is the second most corrupt country in Europe after Russia, and in the pocket of an imperialist neoliberal state and it’s European Allies?

In a documentary l watched recently about the Vietnam War, a former Vietcong soldier was asked by a journalist what’s it like to be on the winning side. He replied; “Whoever comes out on top? Nobody really wins a war.”

I feel the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Chechnya, and Georgia, all victims of Russian or US/NATO aggression would understand what he meant perfectly.

No to Moscow no to Washington.

⏩ Mick Hall is a veteran Left Wing activist and trade unionist.

Organised Rage ✑ Against Following The Herd

Christopher Owens 🔖 These days, we read an awful lot about ‘cultural elites.’


Blamed (with some justification) for attempts to suppress speech through to helping facilitate cancel culture and a kind of moral disarmament that would lead to the war in Ukraine, such types are often depicted as utterly out of touch with the average person on the street, but with a deep seated desire to be an avenger of the night, righting wrongs with approaches that are akin to buying a new car every time they run out of petrol.

Yet, once upon a time, such types were at the cutting edge of popular culture and had a genuine social conscience. One that focused on the socially deprived but with an egalitarian approach that would encompass everyone.

Such an approach gave us Sesame Street.

Originally intended to be for two- to five-year-olds living in inner cities to help them learn English and Maths before starting school, it has now evolved into a worldwide phenomenon, with 95% of American children having watched the show at least once. And, thanks to this book from David Kamp, we can now be reminded of the radical origins of the show. In the introduction, Kamp lays out the case for Sesame Street as an act of public service:

What’s notable from today’s standpoint is that there was no financial incentive…Jon Stone, one of Sesame Street’s original producers…later said…’None of us was going to get rich…But the challenge of the assignment and the creative freedom granted to us to meet that challenge was heady stuff, and we took our responsibility very seriously.’

Beginning with FCC chairman Newton Minow’s famous speech ‘Television and the Public Interest’, where he advised people to “Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off” as he could “…assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland”, Kamp looks at two people who agreed with Minow but saw vast, untapped potential in TV as an medium for education: Fred Rogers and Joan Ganz. Both well educated and coming from affluent backgrounds, they both shared a strong interest in the welfare and education of children. Although the two would never meet, they left an indelible mark on children’s TV with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street respectively.

Often depicted as an old-fashioned, out of touch type, the turbulence of America in the 60’s was reflected on Rogers’ show (be it racial equality or the RFK assassination), segwaying into Jesse Jackson appearing on Sesame Street delivering his famous ‘I Am Somebody’ speech. Children’s TV could be radical.

One of the most fascinating segments deals with Roosevelt Franklin, the show’s first break out star. Adored by kids and adults alike (even B.B King gave him the thumbs up), he was a controversial character within the production staff, some of whom felt that he was a stereotypical black kid in terms of his dialect and mannerisms. While this faction eventually won, with the character largely disappearing after 1975, there are some fascinating comments from cast members, such as this:

It was a sign of the times that there were a lot of black people who were trying to put race under the mat…They were so damn bougie that they were embarrassed by Roosevelt. They were busy thinking that the whiter you acted, the better off you would be. Those people were embarrassed by their own culture. It’s the same people who were embarrassed by rap when it first started.

A debate as old as time but, in the context of a kids show, one to give serious consideration to.

Addressing other shows such as Schoolhouse Rock and The Electric Company, Kamp has delivered a fascinating page turner that will not only make you marvel at what has come before, but also make you weep at how dumbed down popular culture is today.

David Kamp, 2022, Sunny Days: The Children’s Television Revolution that Shaped America. Simon and Schuster, ISBN-13: 978-1501137808.

🕮 Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist and author of A Vortex Of Securocrats.

Sunny Days: The Children’s Television Revolution That Shaped America

Lynx By Ten To The Power Of Four Hundred And Ninety Eight

 

A Morning Thought @ 1738

Bernadette Sands McKevitt - in a letter to BBC Spotlight raises questions about the paid informer David Rupert and his links to MI5. 

The letter was sent on her behalf from her solicitor's lawfirm, Phoenix Law. It was prompted by a Spotlight production featuring David Rupert whose evidence led to Michael McKevitt being imprisoned for a lengthy period. He died shortly after his release. 

The trial was regarded by human rights campaigners such as Fr Des Wilson as a travesty of justice driven by an overriding desire - The Framing Of Michael McKevitt. 

Bernadette Sands McKevitt in her letter raises the spectre of a politically motivated stitch up that relied almost exclusively on seriously tainted evidence procured by financial inducement. 




🖼Bernadette Sands McKevitt is a private citizen. 

Tell Me What To Do, Make It Worth My While

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