The Rise And Fall Of The Great Powers - 35 Years Later

“Those who assume that mankind would not be so foolish as to become involved in another ruinously expensive Great Power war perhaps need reminding that that belief was also widely held for much of the nineteenth century.”

Authored by Francis Sempa: Thirty-five years ago, Yale historian Paul Kennedy’s The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers was released to widespread acclaim.

It was (and is) riveting history, explaining the interaction of economics, geopolitics, and social momentum in international relations since the 16th century. One of the main themes of Kennedy’s history was the concept of imperial overstretch – that the relative decline of great powers often resulted from an imbalance between a nation’s resources and commitments. And Kennedy opined that the United States needed to worry about its own imperial overstretch.

Swiss Government Rejects Third-Gender Option On Official Records

"The binary gender model is still strongly anchored in Swiss society."

By Tyler Durden: Years from now, historians will look back at the Swiss government's decision to reject the introduction of a third gender option on official records as some sanity has returned to Europe. But the prevailing trend across the bloc is neighboring countries have added ways for residents to identify as nonbinary. 

AP News reported the governing Federal Council said, "the binary gender model is still strongly anchored in Swiss society." The council rejected two proposals from parliament on Wednesday to introduce a third-gender option or no-gender option for official records. 

"The social preconditions for the introduction of a third gender or for a general waiver of the gender entry in the civil registry currently are not there," the council continued.

Why You Need To Start Paying Attention To The 'Twitter Files'

'FBI is not the only government agency censoring and surveilling Americans. Twitter was a veritable “pig pile” when it comes to spying on We the People. The DOD, CIA, and even local police had their fingers in the pie. And Twitter was only one of the pies.'

Authored by Kevin Downey Jr.: This is an article to show your haughty, “know-it-all” family and friends who thinks our government is somehow squeaky clean...

1.THREAD: The Twitter Files
TWITTER AND "OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES"

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 24, 2022

US Uni Bans List Of “Harmful” Words + US Troops Off To Ukraine w/ Patriots + Ukraine War Profiteers Don’t Give Shit!

Jimmy Dore: The latest entry in the contest for most easily mocked attempt at wokeness comes from Stanford University, which has issued a list of “harmful” words and expressions meant to address “harmful language in IT” at the university and to provide alternative terms or phrases that are, presumably, not harmful. Many of the words included on the list, such as “addict,” “brave” and “American,” seem quite lacking in potential harm, however, and have stirred a backlash online.

Putin: Russia Has Everything, All Possibilities To Increase Its Potential!

RN: We will not engage in the militarization of Russia, We will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at an expanded meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Defense. The main topic was Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

Christmas In Palestine: Then And Now

The Christmas story contains timeless elements that have shaped our culture in significant ways. As we tell it, year in and year out, the story conveys to those who listen powerful themes evoking deep feelings.

By James J. Zogby: It is, at its core, the tale of a helpless child born as an outcast whose role became transformative in human history.

Unrecognised at first, the importance of this birth was initially only understood by the lowly of the earth — “the shepherds of the field”. Later “kings from the East” came to pay homage bringing gifts. Their appearance raised the ire of local rulers forcing the baby’s parents to flee in order to save the life of their newborn child.

I want to take a moment to reflect on this story, seeing contemporary realities through its prism.

'I think of Mary, 2000 years ago, and am grateful that, despite all she endured, there were no checkpoints blocking her way to Bethlehem.'

Jesus Would've Been Branded A Domestic Extremist Today

Given the nature of government then and now, it is painfully evident that whether Jesus had been born in our modern age or his own, he still would have died at the hands of a Jewish Israel trained US police state, if not by the Romans via the machinations of the Jewish pharisees.

“When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.” - Howard Thurman, theologian and civil rights activist

 Authored by John & Nisha Whitehead: The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one.

The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted. There being no room for the couple at any of the inns, they stayed in a stable (a barn), where Mary gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus. Warned that the government planned to kill the baby, Jesus’ family fled with him to Egypt until it was safe to return to their native land.

Yet what if Jesus had been born 2,000 years later?

The Orwellian Climate Scam: My Christmas Gift To Greta

Dear Greta, you might wonder why your friends and advisers would lie to you...

Authored by Ray Jason: Greta,

You don’t know me, but we share something in common that is very special. That something is enormous and powerful and beautiful and elemental. That something is Mother Ocean.

I too have spent long periods of time at sea. My longest ocean passage was 30 days, sailing my little 30 foot boat from Hawaii to San Francisco. In my case, I was also doing this alone.

So you have experienced something of extraordinary magnificence. You have glided – or on difficult days – pounded – across the Wide Waters. Very few people have ever done this. To be hundreds of miles from the nearest humans, in the gigantic vastness of the Sea, can teach a person just how tiny we are compared to the mighty eco-systems of our watery planet. And looking up at the immense dome of stars, with the clarity of deep-ocean darkness, reinforces that lesson in humility even more.