Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on July 14, 2015
Greece is bankrupt and the world knows it. So does the Greek Orthodox Church (which is by no means bankrupt, and prays for ‘more Europe’). Is the secularity of Sunday trade a price worth paying for ‘more Europe’? Where is the economic morality in borrowing and borrowing to pay off concentric circles of never-ending debt? Man shall not live by bread alone. Nor can he live forever on someone else’s dough.
For the Greek Orthodox Church, Sunday is still special. It is the day when the Gospels are venerated among the people, and the Beatitudes are sung. It is communal: there are no abstractions. For the Orthodox, love is powerful and present. In their consciousness they carry the heritage of Xenophanes and Plato; mindful of their myth, yet fervent in their belief that the rites and practices of religion are necessary for the well-being of man and the smooth running of society. Secularity may present a kind of societal symmetry, but it can never transcend the world of sight or inspire awe. True religion involves moral and intellectual purification; ascent from lower to higher mysteries in order that the soul might apprehend and understand.
By all means, let the atheist Greek Prime Minister persuade his parliament that the Sunday is no longer sacred. They freely elected him, and, after all, the sabbath was made for man; not man for the sabbath. But let the Greek people know and understand that it was the EU – the secular Europe of the Enlightenment – cajoled by secular Germany in partnership with secular France, which contended that the conservative heritage of the Orthodox tradition was otiose, and that another cornerstone of Christendom must bow to the precepts of the euro-beast. They have no ears for the homilies John Chrysostom, and no eyes for the political vision of Basil the Great.
Alexis Tsipras and Angela Merkel may sing the same hymn of divine darkness in the choir of secular Europe, but the rich who neglect their suffering brothers and sisters will surely experience the pain of Dives in hell.
My note: within days, before our very own eyes, the system of the beast punishes Orthodox Christian Greece — like what it’s doing against Orthodox Russia — it babysits helps build up Islamic republic of Iran…baby let’s make a deal…beastly Ramadan deal…
Soft Power – the USA’s Cultural War against Russia, 1991 – 2010
The victory over the Soviet Union was particularly achieved with the help of these non-military methods. The strategy, which did not intend any coexistence with the Soviet Union, but aimed at “disassembling” the Soviet system, was elaborated by the Reagan administration in 1982.6 The plan included seven strategic initiatives, among them as point 4: Psychological warfare, aimed at producing fear, uncertainty, loss of orientation both among the nomenclature and the population.7 This war was not only waged against communism, but against Russia, as Brzezinski’s direct statements testified: “We destroyed the USSR, we will also destroy Russia.” “Russia is a dispensable state, anyway.” “The orthodoxy is the main enemy of America. Russia is a defeated country. It will be divided and put under guardianship.
In 1990, Joseph Nye, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an ally of Zbigniew Brzezinski introduced the term “soft power” or “smart power” for these methods; the term goes back to the same roots as “Social Engineering”.9
He published his book “Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics” in 2005, in which he suggested that America is to become attractive by its culture and its political ideals. The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, a neo-conservative think tank, whose board of directors hosts Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski, established a Commission on Smart Power in 2006, headed by Joseph Nye and Richard Armitage. In 2009, the commission published a memorandum “A Smarter, More Secure America”, which aimed at enhancing America’s influence in the world by “soft” methods.10
First successful application of the new strategy: the Perestroika
For the first time these new methods were used as a strategy in the “Perestroika”, when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power. The Perestroika had its positive aspects; it re-established the freedoms of opinion and of movement, but it was also a substantial instrument of influence of the West.11 Within the Central Committee, the CPSU and the nomenclature a group emerged, which shifted to the positions of the West and aimed at introducing the western neoliberal system
Western organizations for cultural influence in Russia
In the perestroika era the lodges and their run-up organizations were permitted again.13 On Kissinger’s request, Gorbachev permitted the establishment of the B’nai B’rith lodge in Moscow in May 1989. Since that time about 500 lodges have been founded in Russia by the Grand Lodges of England, France, America, etc. At the same time more open organizations, clubs, committees and foundations were established for politicians, businessmen and members of the professions that had no relation to the rituals, but shared the principles of the lodges. There are several thousand members of Masonic lodges in Russia who participate in the rituals, but in addition there are ten times as many members of the “maçonnerie blanche” (white masonry), who take no part in rites but accept the principles and are led by Masonic brethren.
Within the framework of his program, the foundation published text books in which Russian history was presented in the neoliberal, cosmopolitan sense.
In 1992, the Russian branch of the Rockefeller Foundation called Planned Parenthood Federation was founded in Moscow and in 52 further Russian cities. The foundation attempted to introduce the subject “Sex Education” in all Russian schools, a subject which was actually intended to destroy the family and reeducate the people towards the ideal of a new human being. This project was not successful, because officials of the Ministry of Education, teachers, parents and the Orthodox Church resisted; the project was rejected at a conference of the Russian Academy for Teacher Training in 1997
The western influence on the educational system and the media
An important long-term target of western lobbying has been the educational system and higher education. After the 1991 turnaround, centralism and Marxist ideology were eroded with the help of western advisors. The 1992 Education Act and the constitution of the Russian Federation of 1993 established a profound reorientation of the educational system following the western model of the neoliberal-democratic paradigm. It included the introduction of free market elements in the educational system and the construction of a civil society.
Granting western credits to the educational system was closely linked to its compliance with the donors’ requirements. In this way the educational system was transformed according to the neoliberal concept.
The resistance of the Russian state and the intelligentsia
One means of the cultural war was the campaign of the western media against Russia, which has been going on for ten years, now, especially since Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003 and the slogan of which is “Russia on the way back to the Soviet system!” A further example is the so-called persecution of progressive artists, which is said to consist of the removal of so-called blasphemic and pornographic works from public exhibitions. These were, however, mainly provocations by NGOs financed by the west. The Sakharov Center, whose aim is to implement the open society, organized an exhibition in 2003 called “Caution! Religion”, which also showed blaspheme and anti-Christian exhibits. Thereupon the Duma demanded to take action against the leadership of the center from the public prosecutor’s office. In 2005 the organizers were adjudged to a penalty.
Religious renewal
The decisive resistance against westernization today comes from the Orthodox Church, which is anti-modernist and traditionalist. The Orthodoxy advocates traditional values such as marriage, family and maternity and rejects homosexuality. The churches are full, predominantly with young and very young people. The majority of the young people confess to orthodoxy, i.e. to Christianity, and marries in Church, again. There are again 100 million faithful, 30 000 priests and 600 monasteries. The Clerical Academy in Sergyev Possad is filled; there are four applicants for one place. There is an orthodox radio station, a publishing house, a number of magazines, military clergymen in the army as well as a hospital and a prison ministry, and in the schools Religious Education has de facto been reintroduced for the first time since 1917. According to a survey, 70% of the Russians call themselves religious.
In 2007 the Russian-Orthodox Church and the Vatican decided to resume talks in order to eliminate their differences of so many years. Archbishop Ilarion, head of the Foreign Office of the patriarchy, former Russian-Orthodox bishop of Vienna, commented that “We are allies and face the same challenge: an aggressive secularism.”35
Orthodoxy is called the “religion of the majority” in Russia. On 4 November, the day of nationhood in Russia, I could observe an unusual procession on the Red Square. The Patriarch walked in the first row, the leaders of the Islam, the Jewish community and the Buddhists in the second. That was meant as a visible symbol: “The Patriarch is the head of the predominating religion. He unifies the faithful and promotes the co-operation of the religious communities. The Patriarch is the mental leader of the whole people, not only of the orthodox believers.
Conclusions
Nowadays, Russia finds itself in a crisis, which is first expressed in the financial and monetary system, but has also hit the cultural sector. Its deeper cause is that the pluralistic secular society does not provide the people with a real community, a world view and a sense in life.
Russia does not need the “materialistic and egoistic culture” of the present western society, but a universal national ideology, which includes all aspects of the people’s lives, develops the country and averts all danger that threatens the people’s existence.
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on April 3, 2013
…and 15% Think the Government Controls Minds with TV
“Do you believe that shape-shifting reptilian people control our world by taking on human form and gaining political power to manipulate our societies, or not?”
This was one of the 20 questions in a survey conducted by the American firm Public Policy Polling (PPP) and released yesterday
But back to the lizard people. It seems 4 per cent of respondents think reptile hybrids run the world. As the Atlantic Monthly points out, that translates to more than 12.5-million Americans.
Study the findings for long enough (because it’s a slow news day) and you can draw your own macro theories – or at least find some cold comfort. For instance, it’s unlikely that the people who believe in lizard leaders also believe that Obama is the anti-Christ.
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on January 22, 2011
I wonder why this news isn’t available anymore on “Sky News” ?
Anyways, this is how they continue speculating, blaming by obviously hiding something in Lebanon:
The investigation’s duration have been met with silence from Lebanese authorities.
They said everything would end within a maximum of six months, but up to now, the investigations were not finalized.
Because we haven’t got anything from the Lebanese authorities, talks [on crash causes] will go one of two ways: First, [it could be due to] systemic failure from Ethiopian Airlines in terms of training, safety and piloting
Second, pilot error maybe played a part but there were other issues in relation to the aircraft.
We cannot take it any further until the report is published and we see the findings of the investigation.
It is also entirely foreseeable that following the accident report, if it is found that [Ethiopian Airlines] and/or Boeing is responsible, that criminal proceedings will be commenced in Lebanon against Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing.
Ethiopian Airlines doesn’t want to be on a blacklist and the Lebanese government wants to prove that it regulates its airspace.
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on March 4, 2010
Amid an atmosphere of suspicion that has enveloped after the tragic and mysterious crash of the Flight 409 of Ethiopian Airlines, 25th January, everyone seems to have a pet conspiracy theory.
Here are some of the latest theories:
The plane was carrying 50 of the richest Lebanese Shiite businessmen and was blown up by some kind of salafist terror group.
The plane was brought down by the Mossad in order to take out a wealthy Hezbollah financier.
The plane was carrying some huge amount of gold, which is now being stolen by professional foreign prospectors on the ocean floor.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, but hopefully this bout of ridiculous conspiracy theorizing will come to an end soon.
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on March 2, 2010
It was unlikely that pilot error was the single cause of the incident, Canadian aviation expert Max Vermij told reporters Monday in a news conference with US legal firm Ribbeck Law.
“The loss of control in flight is nearly always initiated by a mechanical failure of the aircraft … pilot error is not the primary cause in those kind of crashes. This crash is a loss of control in flight,” said Vermij, who has over 30 years experience in investigating air disasters.
He added that the evidence so far obtained on the flight was “not in line with any type of pilot error that I have experienced.”
Posted by addisethiopia / አዲስ ኢትዮጵያ on January 27, 2010
There are still no answers as to what caused an Ethiopian Airlines jet to crash into the Mediterranean just off the coast of Lebanon early this morning, killing 90 people.
The Boeing 737 passenger jet took off in bad weather from the airport in Beirut heading for Addis Abeba in Ethiopia.
The jet went up in flames shortly after take-off and plunged into the sea with 90 people on board.
The plane crashed only four minutes after starting out on its journey at 2.30 am local time (1.30 am Central European Time).
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud noise and seeing a ball of fire in the sky. Then the Boeing 737 crashed into the middle of the sea.
A police spokesman ruled out a terror attack as the cause of the accident.
A spokesman for the airport said that the plane was clearly hit by lightning. “The weather really was very bad”, confirmed the transport minister Ghazi al-Aridi.
But German Aerospace Centre spokesman, Andreas Schuetz, said: “It is still much too early – it is nearly impossible to name the exact reason or to rule out something just a few hours after such an event”.
“Lightning alone can not cause a plane to crash” said Schuetz, “it can only be a part of various other circumstances”
“Coded microchips implanted in every person in the country would tie all of us into a master computer that could track anyone down at any moment, and plans for such a system are already under way whether you like it or not!”
ይቀጥልና…
“The tiny transmitters can be injected painlessly from a tiny gun in humans without them even knowing it through a nationwide vaccination program.”
በመጨረሻም፡
“All the government would have to do is make up something like the swine flu vaccine.”