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Thursday, March 11, 2010

EU Joint Debate on European Neighbourhood Policy

There was evidently a major speech in the European Parliament yesterday (March 10th) regarding the European Neighbourhood Policy, a 7 year project close to mid-term. It officially began January 1, 2007. The transcript I read did not name the speaker. I am endeavoring to find out who was speaking. I suspect it was Catherine Ashton. I further suspect she did it with very sophisticated help -- perhaps even from Javier Solana. It named all the familiar projects that Herb Peters and I started following from the time the project was first proposed.

Excerpting from the speech:

EU: Joint Debate On Foreign And Security Policy

Source: European Commission
Published Wednesday, 10 March, 2010 - 13:53

European Parliament

Strasbourg, 10 March 2010

I am delighted to be with you to discuss the big questions on Europe's international agenda.

Let me begin by thanking Mr. Albertini and Mr. Danjean for their excellent reports. You have underlined the number, range and urgency of the challenges we face.

From strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo to working with the emerging powers to share responsibility for global governance. From promoting peace in the Middle East – and I join US Vice President Joe Biden in condemning the Israeli decision to build 1600 new houses in East Jerusalem –, to providing shelter to the surviving victims of Haiti’s earthquake. From dealing with proliferation problems such as Iran, to devising effective answers to "new" challenges such as energy, climate and cyber-security.

Europe is going through a phase of building something new. Where people have to adjust their mental maps and institutions have to find their new place.

Doing so is messy and complicated. But also exciting. For it is impossible to over-state just how important this moment is.

Right now we have a chance to build what many across Europe – and many in this House – have long wanted: a stronger, more credible European foreign policy.

Of course the European External Action Service will be key to deliver this. We have to build a system that is robust; that will enable us to deal better with the problems of today and new problems that will arise tomorrow.

For years, we have been trying to frame and implement comprehensive strategies. But the structures and systems we had, made this difficult. With the Lisbon Treaty and the EEAS we should be able to achieve this.


Two things jumped out at me. I'm not sure what Catherine Ashton's tenure will be. She has recently taken on a past key aide to Javier Solana as one of her main advisers. She and Javier Solana are both long time activists in European Socialist circles. However, it does appear from the tenor of her speech that Israel's prospects for renewal of the 2nd half of the 7 year treaty it entered into as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy are not particularly bright given the negative references to it in the above speech. Whether this is it or not, I don't know. The times are in God's hands.

Javier Solana may not PRESENTLY be there, but his policy creations clearly are.

Stay tuned!

CONSTANCE

49 comments:

  1. There is precedent for cutting Israel off. The European Neighbourhood Policy has recently announced that Belarus will not be getting aid for the 2nd half of the program because of "human rights violations."

    Constance

    ReplyDelete
  2. For the first half of the program, Israel was allotted %6 million (6 million Euros).

    Source:

    http://tinyurl.com/y9acdk2

    Constance

    ReplyDelete
  3. More info on moneys planned for those going into second phase:

    "EU NEWS > LATEST EC POLICIES
    European Neighbourhood Policy increases funding

    "The EU said it will give over €5.7bn in aid to 19 neighbours over the next three years to reinforce political cooperation and promote economic integration between the EU and its neighbours.
    "The aid will go to support political and economic reforms, regional and cross-border cooperation in the partner countries covered by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). It will also support projects in areas like climate change, transport, energy and environment. EU neighbours will receive more than €2bn in 2013, compared with €1.6bn in 2010."

    http://tinyurl.com/yds76ko

    CONSTANCE

    ReplyDelete
  4. Speech was Catherine Ashton's per this official EU source:

    http://ec.europa.eu/luxembourg/news/frontpage_news/30_2010_fr.htm

    Constance

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here is a summary of the proposed program when it was being put in place. This summary is by a "Ted Montgomery."
    http://www.tedmontgomery.com/bblovrvw/Endtimes/ENPa.html

    http://tinyurl.com/ylcaovx

    Constance

    ReplyDelete
  6. FAR AND AWAY, Israel has the tiniest amount of funds from the 6 billion Euros -- You may read the chart here

    http://tinyurl.com/yhn5tcc

    Constance

    ReplyDelete
  7. General information on the ENP from official EU sources here:

    http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous8:36 AM

    http://www.communityresearchpartners.org/16721.cfm

    check out the logo and the agenda of one of our local groups.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anon 8:36,

    Well, if it isn't Mr. limits to free speech on the internet Sunstein. Interesting to see him in the midst of a localized push for data integration, especially with his history in economics.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Constance,

    In reading your latest information here, a thought occured to me. Given Javier's recent role expansion over at Centre for Humanitarian Development, he is now in a better position to request a forced two state solution of the UN. Given that he also helped structure the ENP, could we see a combination of both Israel being cut off, while a final solution is imposed on the nation, all of which could stem from his recommendations?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anon 8:36,

    Given Sunstein's involvement, I though I might take a look and how at your local level this may have played into some of the work I have been doing.

    http://tinyurl.com/yc6zvxf

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anon

    One important piece in the article I posted I would like to point out, Accenture is a provider of microcredit loans.

    ReplyDelete
  13. more on Groundwork Group

    Our Mission
    To strengthen the impact of nonprofit organizations by enhancing their ability to achieve their missions through sustainable and affordable information management, education and technology solutions.
    Our Vision
    Affordable and sustainable information technology solutions which serve as a strategic enabler of nonprofit success.
    Core Values
    Integrity/Ethics. We will promote honesty and fairness and demonstrate the highest ethical standards throughout the course of every interaction.
    Wisdom/Leadership. We will operate in a thoughtful, respectful, planned manner to incorporate information management and technology solutions into the work of our Member organizations.
    Community Impact/Value Creation. We will deliver a positive impact on our community by providing extraordinary member services and innovative products at a competitive price.
    Collaboration/Teamwork. We will provide technology and educational resources focused on enabling the objectives of our Mmeber organizations.

    The Value of GroundWork group
    You provide the direct services. GroundWork group helps make the services better. We help you help more constituents. We help you leverage more contributions. We help communicate your positive impact. We help increase your effectiveness.
    Tailored Services. GroundWork group will customize our service package to meet the individual needs of each nonprofit Member.
    Driven By Nonprofits. GroundWork group designs service offerings based on requests by Members.
    Community Collaboration. GroundWork group engages the community with hundreds of volunteers serving on our Board of Directors, committees, Members' Boards of Directors and special projects.
    Award Winning. GroundWork group has been acknowledged as a technology leader in Central Ohio. Recipient of the 2007 TechColumbus Innovation Award for "Innovation in Non-Profit Service Delivery" and Finalist for TechColumbus Innovation Awards in 2006 & 2008.
    Unique. GroundWork group is the ONLY Nonprofit Technology Service Provider of its kind in Ohio.
    Proven. Over 150 Member organizations and growing; Over 80 IT and business professionals placed on nonprofit boards; Millions of constituent records managed; Thousands of dollars saved through our equipment and software procurement; Thousands of hours of online training provided to Member staff and volunteers; Thousands of hours of tech support provided to Members.

    Allowing Technology to be a Strategic Aspect of the Nonprofit Business
    GroundWork group differs from other solutions in four critical ways:
    The organization comes to the community committed to cultural change. It seeks to educate and instill values that facilitate the effective utilization of technology.
    It assumes a strategic approach. GroundWork group acts as a collective CIO for its member organizations.
    The GroundWork group model envisions sustainability. This entrepreneurial approach ensures the organization stays close to its members and provides necessary and meaningful services at competitive prices.
    GroundWork group leverages the experience and expertise of staff and partners in providing its services. In this sense, GroundWork group matches member needs with those most qualified to provide the services.

    http://www.groundworkgroup.com/AboutUs.jsp

    ReplyDelete
  14. anon

    Here is a Columbus based blogger, that will give you a better idea of the cross operations between some of these groups and the RFID agenda.

    http://tinyurl.com/yj5f7qa

    ReplyDelete
  15. JD,

    Wasn't the Alliance of Civilizations introduced in Ohio August 2009 at some business forum? Was it Cleveland?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Terri,

    I was honestly not aware of this, so I decided to check and yes you are correct.

    7th Annual Dialogue Dinner - 2009


    The theme of this year’s dinner was “The Alliance of Civilizations.” Congresswoman Jean Schmidt accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker. We also had the honor of having Mustafa Ozbayrak, an elected Turkish parliamentarian whose assembly own the idea of “Alliance of Civilizations” and work hard to promote peace in the world. Dr. Huseyin Coskun of the Ohio State University gave his perspective on the Alliance of Civilizations with a local flavor.

    The annual program’s scope was extended with a new addition: Dialogue Awards. SEF will give annual dialogue awards to the individuals and organizations whose hard work and leadership contributes to the diversity and multiculturalism of our society. The four categories that awards were presented tonight are Excellence in Dialogue 1) in Academic Environment, 2) in Media and Broadcasting 3) in Education, and 4) Among Religious Institutions. The recipients are:

    Professors Barbara Finan of Ohio Dominican University and Paul Numrich of Methodist Theological School in Ohio – Academic Environment
    WOSU – Media and Broadcasting
    Multicultural Center at OSU – Education
    St. Thomas More Newman Catholic Center – Religious Institutions

    In a different category, SEF also presented a dialogue award for a SEF volunteer for his hard work and contribution to the cause of Scioto Educational Foundation. While we strive to organize these events, our members play a major role. We honor a member each year for his or her contributions to the dialogue by actively getting involved in every dimension of our foundation's work. This year's award for Scioto Educational Foundation Volunteer Award was presented to Mr. Oguz Kurt.

    The dinner was sponsored by the following organizations and institutions in alphabetic order: Agape Global Church Ministries, Broad Street United Methodist Church, Capital University, Columbus Metropolitan Area Churches Council, Columbus Sufi Circle, Ebru TV, The Fountain Magazine, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, the Good News- Christian Ecumenical Magazine TV Program, The Martin De Porres Center, Multicultural Center at OSU, St. Thomas More Newman Center, Niagara Foundation, Ohio Dominican University, The Port Columbus Interfaith Services, Students for Dialog at OSU, Somali Women & Children's Alliance, Spiritual Sadhna Society, St Stephen's Episcopal Church, St. Andrew Parish, and University Interfaith Association at OSU.

    http://tinyurl.com/yedycrf

    It appears to me that many of these groups and goals are heavily represented in the Buckeye state. I would appreciate any first hand input from our friends there that have any knowledge on any of these groups, such as Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance or Scioto Educational Foundation.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Of course my home state of Michigan is far from devoid of AoC presence. Such as this AoC forum held in 2009.

    http://www.arabdetroit.com/events.php?id=563

    I wonder if they have scheduled one yet for this year? I would be interested in observing one of these at the local level first hand.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous5:24 PM

    Thanks for looking into the Buckeye New World Order folks. Practically nobody pays any attention to this stuff. Years ago Columbus had an annual New Age convention headed up by Carl Japikse. A graduate of Bexley High School. He lived near me at the time. Later he moved to Georgia. He is still in business and comes here periodically for his "seances". He publishes books via Ariel Press and his non-profit organization, LIGHT, affords him many opportunities. He had/has school teachers and college teachers in his "classes" and a local atty. and his wife are groupies. Quite an interesting situation.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anon 5:24,

    I am very interested to see how many of the things I have been looking at are being pushed and implemented at the local level. I actually owe you a bit of thanks for bringing this to my attention, as it has been eye opening.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Constance,

    I have sent you some information on Saito in a email.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous5:51 PM

    http://www.lightariel.com/

    Interesting site.

    ReplyDelete
  22. 'Hated Israel will be annihalated'

    The Palestinians and the nations of the Middle East will be rid of a “bad omen” once Israel is annihilated, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday, in a speech communicated by Press TV.

    Israel, a foreign presence and a “Western prodigy” in the region, had “reached the end of its road,” Ahmadinejad told supporters in southern Iran.

    This is an excerpt of an article in the Jerusalem Post. Iran has been making very threatening gestures towards Israel, including developing sophisticated weapons. I wonder how they managed to do all this all on they're own. Did they get any help?

    http://tinyurl.com/yzy92xk

    ReplyDelete
  23. Antisemitism is the canary in the
    coal mine.
    It's the first whiff of Fascism
    every time Fascism begins to rear it's
    ugly head anywhere in the world.
    It didn't begin or end with WWII.
    It goes back to Egypt and Babylon
    and beyond.
    Hitler was just one of a long list
    of fascists who began by demonizing
    the Jews.

    Now Europe and this idiotic Union
    is vilifying Israel and blaming the
    Jews for defending itself against
    those who want to snuff it out.
    Every country on earth is in place
    because someone defended it and
    died for it, but Israel is supposed
    just lay down and die. The rhetoric
    from that Iranian rodent is
    stupid to the point of nausea.
    If America weren't so completely
    dumbed down, he wouldn't even
    be given a podium to speak from,
    much less an audience.

    The canary is dead. The poison is
    rapidly rising up through the
    mineshaft.
    The EU is Fascist to the core, but
    no one seems to realize it yet.

    Come quickly Lord Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous9:56 PM

    Bad news. As you say Paul, "canary is dead".

    Mariel

    ReplyDelete
  25. Minority Report becoming a reality in Japan:

    http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/11/is-minority-report-becoming-reality/?hpt=C1

    Face recognition technology in the advertisement.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Here's a recent "prophecy" of Bob Jones whose "words" are followed by IHOP, MorningStar (Rick Joyner, Todd Bentley) and others. This one is "out there" as Jones' stuff always is; but, you can see the Manifest Sons of God / New Age teachings through it:

    http://tinyurl.com/y9borkn

    ReplyDelete
  27. Terri,

    Funny you posted this, I was looking at the developer of this technology per a request from Constance today. After getting a glimpse of what Hideo Saito has developed across the many aspects of this unfolding system, and the pieces I have been covering, I have to believe the timeline your link proposes may be modest to say the least. They have covered nearly all of the angles one could think of, all that is neccesary at this point is for a catalyst to thrust it onto the public.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous3:21 AM

    http://www.lewrockwell.com/spl2/elvis-passport.html

    RFID/passports/Elvis

    ReplyDelete
  29. Just discovered this blog recently and appreciate the info. This may be off subject - I was wondering if anyone out there keeps an eye on Sarkozy. He has had his hand in many things and if you dig a little beneath the headlines we can all see everyday - it is mindblowing what this guy is really responsible for. It was back in 2008 when he really caught my attention, and something in my gut has not let him out of my sight ever since. I am not claiming he is anyone specific - just think he is more than some crony taking orders.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous8:07 AM

    http://www.odod.state.oh.us/

    http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/12/police-retiree-hit-kids-with-his-keys.html?sid=101

    From yesterday's local news, and then a search for the govt. dept. mentioned in article...just an interesting juxtaposition.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous10:22 AM

    Last month we learned that the IRS was stockpiling tactical shotguns and other military type combat weapons.

    https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=8d3b076bd4de14bbda5aba699e80621d&tab=core&_cview=1&cck=1&au=&ck=

    This month it's the Department of Education buying combat weapons:

    https://www.fbo.gov/index?&s=opportunity&mode=form&id=cb68cf9f3fa2fe18a83d1c3dee0039b2&tab=core&tabmode=list

    In light of that suicide plane crash into an IRS building, we can understand why the tax man would want to be able to defend himself from all those irate teapartiers.... However, while they can be used for defensive purposes, models like the Rem model 870 ultra short barreled (14.5") shotgun have been touted as the VERY BEST OFFENSIVE weapon by the soldiers tasked with going house to house to root out insurgents in Iraq.

    It looks to me like our "civilian" Federal Agencies are just gearing up to be able to defend their offices in DC when the "you know what" hits the fan and the masses of people start marching on Washington. But then again, maybe not.

    In the Dept. of Education's case, our educators could be preparing to enforce the new National Education Technology plan, which involves TRACKING EACH AND EVERY STUDENT IN A NATIONAL DATABASE. (JD take note). Again, this would imply an offensive use of the weapons, rather than defensive.

    http://www.ed.gov/blog/2010/03/draft-national-educational-technology-plan/


    omots

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hey, did somebody mention Google knowing our secrets:

    http://tinyurl.com/yca5rws

    Here's an excerpt:

    "Google makes money by collecting mounds of data from and about users, and putting it to work by providing better products and ads that users are more likely to click on. So if all Google users prevented the company from logging their information, the search engine would be useless and the company wouldn't make money."

    ReplyDelete
  33. omots,

    Note taken, in fact I had a conversation with Dennis Cuddy a few weeks ago about these very agencies and how they fit into the agenda. Dorothy has also recently sent some interesting information my way about data collection within the educational system. Interesting that they are now stockpiling scatter guns. This is surely a bad omen. These weapons are horrible for defensive applications as one can not realisticly control the spread of the projectiles. In a defensive situation it can't be predicted who might be in your line of fire, where as in raids they are used front line while your companions are safely behind you.

    I know the IRS performs raids and tactical operations, but am now curious about the Department of Education and what precedent this may hold. Will they use this indoctrination department to perform raids when parents begin pulling their children from schools once the breadth of this system is in place? I mean, I know of truency officers, but this is ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete
  34. omots,

    Yep, I am officially sick to my stomach. The National Education Technology Plan you pointed out has RFID and other information capture technologies at the core of the database you referenced. The horrifying part is I am seeing that some of this plan has been in the works since 2000, and has slowly been built up at a creeping pace. This really gives me more pause as to the idea of truency raids, as I could not help but notice the link you posted also references tactical combat training and body armor.

    http://tinyurl.com/yzo55ff

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous3:39 PM

    It certainly has been going on a long time. I didn't begin to appreciate the extent of The Plan until nearly 20 years ago. At that time there were already people like Cuddy, Berit Kjos, Charlotte Iserbyt and Lynn Stuter had been researching and writing about it then and that was the same time that I first began learning about Theosophy, Alice Bailey, New Agers, etc. When I saw how everything fit together it took my breath away. I couldn't learn fast enough. I read constantly. All these years later they are still moving along, having their way. Nothing has stopped them.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous6:51 PM

    This is a warning to everyone. Through Facebook anyone can get all personal and public information on you that appears on the internet as Facebook links to Bing.com .

    Sometime back I attempted to privately warn others about News With Views. As a result deliberate lies about me were posted by supporters of News With Views on the internet without any ability to respond on my part. These responses were the top things that came up.

    When Facebook says you can limit who sees your profile, forget it. It means very little.

    Dorothy

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous8:48 PM

    Over at Atlas Shrugs
    http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/
    http://tinyurl.com/ags8t
    Obama's Private Youth Army: Recruiting 8-Year-Olds
    Americorps2
    " YSA Webinar: Engaging Elementary Age Children as Service Leaders

    Engaging Elementary Age Children as Service Leaders

    They are savvy negotiators, open-minded risk-takers, and resourceful innovators. They also are tireless workers, ask hard questions, and care deeply about fairness. Who are we talking about Eight year olds. Yes, eight year olds and elementary school-age children in general who are still our invisible partners in improving communities."

    About homosexuals in the army:
    http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=127663

    The New Age movement is a resurgence of Nazism. How clear does it have to become.

    Dorothy

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous10:29 PM

    I agree with you Dorothy News With Views and Facebook is a trap waiting for its next victim, don't trust either of them.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous12:13 AM

    Dorothy,
    Yes facebook, google and so on all collect information. Yet, we really have nothing to fear, for greater is He who is in us...
    no reason to live in fear of these things. God will leads us on the path.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Let the ramifications of the following statement sink in, regarding the fate of privacy in America:

    "As a social good, I think privacy is greatly overrated because privacy basically means concealment. People conceal things in order to fool other people about them. They want to appear healthier than they are, smarter, more honest and so forth."
    --Richard Posner, federal judge

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous4:31 AM

    I am interested in knowing about NWV. Considering how the writers featured at that site run the gamut in religious views. Well, maybe not the gamut but certainly a wide range. How do the NWV people gather information about people who visit their site or receive their daily offerings of articles?

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous8:52 PM

    Briefly glancing over the Education plan, they are fundamentally missing the boat in regards to ACTUAL education. First, if the goals are to teach kids to read or write, spending money on technology does very little to improve on the methods. My experience in homeschooling has already taught me that it is a slow process, one concept builds upon another, and you must address character issues as they come up. It has more to do with creating the proper atmosphere for learning, and having a teachable spirit. We've learned a lot and spent very little comparatively.

    The goals they seem to want to put forth say enough "in between the lines". 60% of the population with a 2 or 4 year degree? Is that really necessary? That says to me we don't need farmers, builders, or artisans... or we're going to bring all trades under the college system... or we plan to over educate and have people with such severe student debt loads that they crumble from the payments when they can't find work. This does nothing to address "employment" as all these people will now be competing for jobs that they are all over-qualified for. Sorry if that sounds pessimistic...

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous9:32 PM

    Anony you have that right. Take Brazil for example. A large percentage of the population has advanced degrees but cannot do a thing with it. No granted there are many that are so poor they cannot even follow through with education cause need to get ways to get money to survive. But Brazil has many highly educated and selling sandwichs on the beach.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Todays New York Times says:

    "The Federal Reserve played the
    biggest role in rescuing the economy
    from the financial crisis, a survey
    of economists indicates."

    WOW! Where to begin?
    So the economy has been rescued !
    That's great news, (that no one knows!)
    And to think that it was the most
    greedy, self-serving, cut-throat,
    of all the cartels on earth that
    rescued us. What a surprise!

    Thank goodness for the
    New York Times. Thank goodness for
    those economystics.
    And here I'd been under the
    impressiion that we were in
    big trouble.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Susanna11:24 PM

    Dear Paul,

    It is not only Europe we have to worry about in terms of fascist encroachments upon our freedom. Check out the following posted at Breitbart Big Gov.

    THE HEALTHCARE BILL WOULD BE OBAMA'S 'ENABLING ACT'

    http://biggovernment.com/mzak
    /2010/03/13/the-healthcare-bill
    -would-be-obamas-enabling
    -act/#more-88118

    or

    http://tinyurl.com/yd4n99o

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous10:55 AM

    Yes Paul, all is well. Just take another prozac and don't worry about it. Think happy thoughts, hum your favorite tune, watch the shopping channel. Go back to sleep.

    Don't know about you, but I can't wait to fill out my NCAA bracket. At least the tournament is still somewhat honest and pure. Shades of the Glass Bead game.

    In any case....

    Go Zags!

    omots

    ReplyDelete
  47. Susanna,
    Fascism is just Communism in a
    hurry, and Communism is just
    Socialism in a hurry, and Obamism
    is all the above in disguise.

    But thanks for the link.

    omots,
    Gonzaga ? Maybe...

    I read the Glass Bead Game so long ago
    that I can't remember it. Herman Hesse ?
    Now that you mention it, his books were
    probably my first indoctrination in
    the New Age; Buddhism being so
    coool and smart and trendy in
    the sixties, like it is now, with
    Hesse being the "apostle" of it in
    all his books. I remember Narsissus
    and Goldmund and how the young
    man in a seminary was portrayed as
    backward, self centered and just
    generally not as cool or smart as
    his wild and "free" counterpart.
    I thank the Lord for miraculously
    leading me out of that "Egypt"
    I agree with you about college
    basketball, though. It might be
    the last major sports event that
    isn't rigged or at least tainted
    by money, even though they're
    all hoping to become pro$.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous12:58 AM

    Paul,

    Hesse influenced me greatly in my youth, must be coming back to haunt me in my old age. I was just musing about how all this work, research, writing, observing, praying, sharing, is eerily similar to playing the Glass Bead game.

    Here we are posting comments on this blog, like mini Magister Ludi's, making "deep connections between seemingly unrelated topics". I’m still not sure if all this knowledge is holding something back or bringing something into fruition. Or does it simply have no effect, no value, whatsoever?

    Ecclesiastes 1:18 says, "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Now I cannot judge what others have done or are doing with the knowledge they have gained. But truly, my own heart is exceedingly sorrowful, not because I'm so learned and wise, but because I know how unprepared I am for the days ahead. I am fearful for my children. Maybe I need to RE-imagine a different reality. Maybe I need to become a pre-tribber and not worry about anything. Maybe I need to start taking prozac. I don't know.

    I do know that the whole point of Hesse's greatest novel was to bring us to Joseph Knecht's rather abrupt death. In theory, one can learn to swim without ever entering the water. But Knecht drowned because he was not fit to swim. A "master" of THE game, he couldn't even dog paddle across a small lake.

    Sorry for getting carried away. Please excuse the ramblings of an old fool.

    The Zags should win the first one. But the 'cuze will make round two very difficult.

    It is one heck of a game.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Just now turned on my office TV, CNN. Just now covering Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he is now the world's "most embattled politician."

    Constance

    ReplyDelete