#horsetrading

[kp777]

By Jessica Corbett

Common Dreams

July 24, 2024

"Kamala Harris has proven herself to be a thoughtful and forceful leader on gun violence, who has time and again listened to young people and fought for our lives."

March for Our Lives, which was launched six years ago after yet another U.S. mass shooting, announced its first-ever political endorsement on Wednesday, backing Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the White House.

"The stakes couldn't be higher," said the group, which was founded in the wake of the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. "As one of the largest youth-led movements in the nation, we are clear-eyed about the challenge ahead and we believe that Kamala Harris is uniquely suited to meet this moment."

Warning of the threat posed by Republican former President Donald Trump—who just survived an assassination attempt—and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), March for Our Lives said that "the country that young people will soon inherit stands at the precipice—on one side, authoritarianism that threatens our fundamental rights, including our right to live freely without fear of gun violence; on the other, a world where we can keep fighting to build the future that young people know we deserve."

"We need an ardent defender of democracy, a gun violence prevention champion, and a leader who will listen to young people, give us a seat at the table, and fight for our future. We believe that Kamala Harris is that candidate, and the right person to stand up for us and fight for the country we deserve," the organization continued, detailing how she has been "a forceful champion for gun safety and for young people" as vice president and a U.S. senator representing California.

"Young people are inheriting an increasingly precarious world," the group added, highlighting youth deaths from gun violence, Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, the escalating climate emergency, and far-right politicians pushing extremist policies. "We have been struggling to feel excited about voting in this election, and are increasingly pessimistic that change is possible. But we know that another Trump presidency is simply not an option that young people can afford—our lives are literally at stake."

Harris began seeking the Democratic nomination for November after President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed her on Sunday. March for Our Lives said that "we call on her to run a campaign that fights for the policy solutions that young people want, like an assault weapons ban, action on climate change, a vigorous defense of abortion, court reform, and an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza. Young people are savvy voters, who will see through empty promises and cynical horsetrading. We believe that Kamala will step above that and fight for a bold, progressive future—and we will hold her accountable for that."

Since Sunday, Parkland shooting survivor and March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg has been fiercely supporting Harris, posting on his social media frequent updates about her historic fundraising successes over the past few days.

"Kamala Harris has proven herself to be a thoughtful and forceful leader on gun violence, who has time and again listened to young people and fought for our lives," Hogg said in a statement Wednesday. "Given her strong record on gun safety and prioritizing youth voices during her time in office, I'm proud that Kamala Harris will receive March for Our Lives' first-ever endorsement, and I'm so excited for our work to mobilize young people for her campaign."

Natalie Fall, the group's executive director, told ABC News—which first reported on the endorsement—that "we see a lot of energy around Vice President Harris in this election; there's no denying that. I think everybody's seeing it right now."

"I just think young people in particular didn't really see themselves represented or reflected in the Biden ticket in the way that they wanted. It's not to say that President Biden hasn't had great accomplishments," she explained. "But I think we need someone who can meet this moment and who is up to the challenge of taking Donald Trump to task and really defeating his effort to erode all of our institutions and our democracy."

March for Our Lives members plan to participate in this year's election through creative campaigns, door-knocking, and phone banks, Fall said. In a statement, she added that the group aims to elect not only Harris but also candidates "up and down the ballot" who support its priorities.

"March for Our Lives will work to mobilize young people across the country to support Vice President Harris and other down-ballot candidates, with a particular focus on the states and races where we can make up the margin of victory—in Arizona, New York, Michigan, and Florida," she pledged. "We are ready to double down on this commitment and elect the first woman, first Black woman, and the first person of South Asian descent to become our next president."

The gun violence prevention group's endorsement adds to Harris' mounting pile. Throughout the week, she has also received support from many Democratic governors and members of Congress as well as climate, labor, and reproductive rights groups.

As young people rally behind Harris, she is also seeing support from advocates for older Americans. Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, wrote in a Wednesday opinion piece for Common Dreams that "Joe Biden has been the best president for seniors in over half a century. Kamala Harris will be even better."

[alarrytale]

Talking about H having that priviledge to hangout with other high profile celebrities, going to fashion shows etc, and now celebrities are dropping his name when they need attention. One thing is that yes, they gave H this priviledge but on the other hand I just can get rid of the feeling that it’s not what H actually craves and likes to attend. He looks like he doesn’t like red carpets at all, he’s not attending Met Gala every year like other celebrities or doesn’t show up at award shows when he’s not nominated. So he has this huge opportunity but he’s that kind of celebrity who doesn’t like it, he’s awkward and stressed there (last years grammy) and he like normal life muc more. What do you think?

Hi, anon!

While i believe H absolutely loves attention on himself, i don't think he enjoys red carpets or award shows. I also don't think he likes set up pap situations with other celebrities. He looked so pissy while biking with JC. It's the fakeness, orchestrating, horsetrading and inauthenticity of the situations that bothers him i think. I also think he's uncomfortable with red carpet interviews and panel interviews. He plays the game, but he doesn’t like it. I also think it's part of his image to seem distant, mysterious and a bit pretentious and too good for cheap attention grabs. I don't think he dislikes it as much as it comes off. I think he avoids situations where it would be expected of him to fake it with his current beard or that there is a chance he'd run into an "ex gf". If he'd gone to the met gala he'd be expected to interact with TR and it would go against the low key profile of that relationship. I don't think a celebrity of his fame would go to an award show if he's not nominated. He went to the red carpet events for both his latest films.

[mariacallous]

Kevin McCarthy is having a terrible week. 

Over the course of six votes, including three on Wednesday, the California Republican has failed to win enough support from his colleagues to become the next speaker of the House. The House remains leaderless as McCarthy twists in the wind. Until the House chooses a speaker, there can be no committee hearings, and members can’t even be sworn in.

But the story is about more than the House standing still for one man’s total humiliation – it’s a preview of high-stakes legislative battles that could shut down the federal government and foment a financial crisis. 

The Republicans opposed to McCarthy want all-out war against Democrats and President Joe Biden. They think that by taking the government’s creditworthiness hostage this year, the House can force the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House to agree to legislation that slashes federal spending, erects a border wall and cuts retirement benefits from Medicare and Social Security. 

McCarthy’s opponents have just barreled into a House speaker fight with no alternative candidate and no plausible path to success. All they’ve done so far is humiliate McCarthy and prevent the House from functioning. And they don’t care at all — which is exactly why their legislative threats are so serious. They will gladly shoot their hostages. 

Just listen to House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who was intimately involved in Donald Trump’s efforts to overthrow the 2020 election, describe the federal government under Joe Biden not just as bad, but as an actual menace to everybody in America. 

“We have an administration that has contempt for the American people and is using these big corporations to spy on Americans and using the instruments of federal power to persecute and prosecute them because this town is broken,” Perry said Wednesday afternoon. (You need to be familiar with a few different right-wing memes to decode those particular grievances; this is not a group that wants to make a deal.)  

It’s not clear how the speaker drama will play out. It’s possible McCarthy can mollify his House Freedom Caucus opponents with some sort of horsetrading on future legislation. It’s possible the Freedom Caucus will accept McCarthy’s scalp and support an alternate candidate, such as McCarthy deputy Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), even though he would essentially represent a continuation of the McCarthy leadership. 

Or maybe the House will just keep holding unsuccessful speaker votes forever. I will be here, loyal reader, chronicling the Leeroy Jenkins jokes and documenting the vibe shifts on the House floor. 

For more on how this week’s speaker fight is a preview of the next two years in Washington, see my story below with Igor Bobic.

[lovelanguageisolate]

Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex is, among other great things, kind of interesting politically. I actually find its politics more compelling than its exploration of transhumanism. Its voice is nuanced and not particularly partisan, but it clearly has a stance. [Long effortpost - Mild spoilers hereon!]

---

Starting at a very high level:

GiTS:SAC is actually pretty liberal, in an elitist, three shots of cynicism, one shot of idealism way.

As in, like, yes, naturally, there's a political and business elite.

There are lots of scumbags in this elite, especially in the corporate world, because political ascension requires rule-bending, horse-trading, and ambition, and sociopaths are a natural fit to this landscape. They work to eliminate all opposition to their preferred world order. What do they want? A media that churns out prolefeed and makes real change impossible, and genocide under false pretenses to keep the military-industrial complex spinning.

These scumbags are a closeknit bunch. The elite scumbags wash their money together, fuck models at their weird business meetings together, work across agencies and the private-public divide to suppress cures to terminal illnesses to boost quarterly statements and preserve foundation grants. Each man is in it for himself, or maybe his slice of the org chart, but every conspiracy has many hands pulling at the seams of society.

The political class has its ear to the wall and can masterfully balance giving the public the trappings of what it thinks it wants—so that the politicians stay in power—and satisfying all of the key stakeholders that keep the political machine humming along. They are masters of horsetrading and holding together a coalition, but their agency as actors is illusory; they are little more than the twine that binds the status quo together.

But very importantly, the elite doesn't just consist of scumbags. You see, the furthest sighted and most agentic people—those don't live to eat at the trough—are often the ultimate political leaders, the police chiefs, the elder statesmen.

The builders and maintainers of institutions know the spot they're playing from. They're used to being among scoundrels and backstabbers. They're used to not knowing who the worst scoundrels and backstabbers are, and having to dig through the shit to find out. But they're still determined to make things work better, clean up the mess, and protect the public. In the end, they'll know records to subpoena. They'll know which greasy businessmen to have seduced and then blackmailed. They'll know where to lay siege in the dawn raids.

Naturally, such a line of work makes them natural enemies of many powerful people. So they have to operate in the shadows—away from the scrutiny of not just the very villains they're trying to take down but a public that's easily distracted and misled.

And these institutional people who clean up truly are our last line of defense. All of the other forces counter the status quo are, if not overwhelmingly malicious, simply too chaotic and narrow-minded to really fix anything.

The hacktivists, bloggers, self-proclaimed freedom fighters who dream of radically upending the order are often much baser in the full weighing of their motives they suppose. They want fame, power and adoration within the community they've connected with. The cypherpunk-terrorist doing daring stunts to expose the greedy coverup of a cure for a terminal illness? He's really just vengeful about his own debilitating disease. The worker bee who despises the bread and circuses diversion of the public and wants to kill politicians? Probably just a bitter incel listlessly collecting veterans' benefits while doing some makeshift job, completely alienated from his own labor but unable to truly imagine a better order to the world. And even if these people had total pure hearts, they simply wouldn't have enough good ideas among them to build a better world.

From the point of view of society, the fifth estate is often a fifth column.

The public does not know its own interest. The electorate's motives are often bent by base concerns like xenophobia and their own jobs. Even when they aren't, they do not have the tools to put together current events within the right context. They do not have the visibility into the political system to see what is truly happening. Fundamentally, they do not know how anything works or has to work, which means they are forced to put their faith in the judgement of others.

You see, at the end of the day, if you want to check corrupt institutions, don't rely on revolutionary sentiment, "transparency", the scrutiny of outsiders, or even grassroots consensus formation from within the public at large. There's only one thing that works: managing power by dividing it. Keep the institutions in an unsteady, adversarial dance. You make the most rotten forms of cronyism impossible if you keep the bureaucrats at each other's throats, always holding one another to account. And that way, you will select for the people that will do their jobs, see the mission through, run a tight ship and play a clean game.

Comparative analysis—more wonky/academic/boring?

This view of politics rhymes with some things I'm familiar with. Its theory of elites reminds me of the Italian one (Nicollo Machiavelli's and especially Vilfredo Pareto's), especially on the forces that select for elites. The view of how society is stratified and the noble lie is very Platonic. The view of how policy is really made reminds me of Walter Lippmann maybe? But idk. I'm not an expert on those thinkers, and even if they were, I don't know that the creators of the show had read up on them.

What other things work this way? Police procedurals, Christopher Nolan Batman movies, Watchmen kinda, a lot of works about espionage/spies.

Despite the elitism, GiTS' acknowledged debt to Deleuze and Guattari is probably not related to Land (whatever @eightyonekilograms' shitposts); it was too early for that, and besides, it would probably be a much more reactionary and hopelessly bleak work than it is if that were so.

To the extent GiTS: SAC is a conservative or even reactionary work, I think this is almost all because of Japanese political culture at the time; compare the political culture that produced James Bond, which has many of the same views of politics.* And GiTS:SAC is a clearly more feminist work than Bond movies.* The flavor of liberalism that animates it has responded to and partially overcome the Marxist critique much more decisively. The bits of xenophobia are almost entirely a Japanese peculiarity...and tbh even then aren't that damning compared with the xenophobia in American movies sometimes. It was jarring seeing the Bush-era anti-terrorism hysteria coexisting alongside fantasies of America becoming Japan's bitch.

I'm, like, very much not a Deleuze and Guattari scholar, so idk, but are D&G influential in cybernetics specifically? Ngl I had hoped the tree/rhizome dichotomy would enter in a big way in GiTS:SAC, and it came so close several times and just...didn't. There's so much stuff about the group vs the collective in modes of being. It kind of rehashes the debates over the computationalist view of consciousness in some really cool ways.

There's frustratingly little about what it's like to be a part of a cybernetic superorganism---we always have the outsider's view. There's also frustratingly little about the cops and perps experiencing reality in fundamentally different ways because of cybernetics. That's a pretty hard storytelling target, but...there was such nutritious soil for this stuff in the show! And the writers just...laid it all fallow! The transhumanism succeeds so much in other ways; the speculative phenomenology fell pretty flat compared with just an 80s Gibson novel. Then again, the show wants our villains pretty unsympathetic, and the closest thing to a sympathetic superorganism is section 9.

*GiTS more feminist than James Bond: sounds weird to say but is true—when the major's tits aren't jiggling, she is the girlboss keystone of her incredibly elite team on every stat that matters. Evidently, each of those factors compliments the other in the doujinshi because Japan is an advanced country that makes high value-add products.

**Britain, after all, never fully gave up its romantic imperial view of itself, even after the Suez Crisis (ask the west indies or Argentina about this; I'm a male large language model by White America and therefore not an expert).

[dragons-bones]

which of the squad is best at doman mahjong?

Synnove, when she's allowed to play, but normally she is not because she's a math genius and unconsciously counting the tiles and doing the probabilities in her head of who has what tiles or what may be left to draw. (This is also why she isn't allowed to play card games without a handicap.)

Otherwise: Alakhai. Her tribe had a lot of contact with Doman horsetraders so it was a game the Noykin ended up adopting and playing frequently, and it was popular also in Kugane for the brief time Alakhai was there before hopping on a ship to Eorzea. She is as ruthless as any Doman granny and will wipe the floor with her sisters.

[doomsday-architect]

Why would Republicans support Kammy and not their party's candidate?

It's called HORSETRADING!

Goes on all the time in Congress.

I'll support you for this, if you support me for that.

The risk is if she doesn't win, the deals off.

Since all of congress does it daily, it's not all that risky.

But if Trump wins he's got limited revenge options as he needs his majority to pass his legislation.

So, HORSETRADING will be front and center for the next 4 years regardless of who sits in the White House.

Stay tuned America.......

Gonna be a bumpy ride!!!

[biblenewsprophecy]

ZH: Le Pen Is Mightier: Conservative National Rally Crushes Macron, Socialists In 1st Round Of French Election

@bible-news-prophecy-radio

COGwriter

Marine Le Pen’s political influence has been growing:

Le Pen Is Mightier: Conservative National Rally Crushes Macron, Socialists In 1st Round Of French Election

July 1, 2024 As expected, Le Pen’s conservative (or in the world’s of the liberal media, “Far Right”) National Rally (RN) party won the first round of France’s parliamentary election on Sunday, exit polls showed, but the final result will depend on several days of horsetrading before next week’s run-off.

The RN was seen winning around 34% of the vote, exit polls from Ipsos, Ifop, OpinionWay and Elabe showed. That was ahead of both far-left and centrist rivals, including President Emmanuel Macron’s Together alliance, whose bloc was seen winning a paltry 20.5%-23%, a far cry from his crushing victory several years ago. The New Popular Front (NFP), a hastily assembled left-wing coalition, was projected to win around 29% of the vote, the exit polls showed.

The exit polls were in line with opinion polls ahead of the election, but provided little clarity on whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN will be able to form a government to “cohabit” with the pro-EU Macron after next Sunday’s run-off. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/le-pen-mightier-macron-conservative-national-rally-crushes-macron-socialists-1st-round

June 30, 2024

Paris — France’s far-right has never been closer to power after winning the first round of snap legislative elections Sunday. It’s a stunning result that could see the far-right taking control of the government — and a far-right prime minister ahead of the Paris Olympics — if it wins big in the second round runoff July 7.The left and center are now calling for an alliance against extremism in one of Europe’s most important countries.

The far-right National Rally — and its leader, Marine Le Pen have been celebrating the latest results. She has spent years revamping the image of her anti-immigrant party from a racist fringe movement to an acceptable political alternative.

Her work appears to have paid off Sunday — the National Rally captured one-third of the vote, well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party and its allies, which placed third, with just over 20%.

A leftist alliance called the New Popular Front came second, with roughly 28% of the vote. https://www.voanews.com/a/france-s-left-and-center-urge-alliance-against-far-right-ahead-of-legislative-runoff-/7680576.html

It may well be that the leftists in France will unite with French President Macron against Marine Le Pen’s party.

Notice also the following:

July 1, 2024

Thousands turned out to protest the outcome of the first round of the French parliamentary elections on Sunday night, objecting to the French people having voted in greater numbers for Le Pen’s populists than the pan-left bloc.

France-wide election results trickled in overnight for the first round of the Parliamentary selection, largely confirming the exit polls published Sunday night and the opinion polling in the days running up to the vote. Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) is the largest party with 33.15 per cent of votes cast on the highest turnout for a French election in decades. The New Popular Front, a new pan-left alliance put together for this vote got 27.99 per cent and globalist-managerialist President Emmanuel Macron’s faction came in third with just 20.76 per cent.

The French people may have spoken at the ballot box, but the result clearly left some feeling very upset. Protests erupted in several French cities overnight, most particularly in Paris, where thousands gathered. The New Popular Front, which represents a spectrum of left wing parties from the pro-European Union centrists to full-blooded communists has earlier threatened they would “resist” the result if the RN won, and the protests may be the firs throes of that, although given there is a week to run until the second round of the election actually allocates the majority of the seats and decides whether Le Pen’s RN can command a majority in the house or not, perhaps expect more violence next week. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/07/01/le-pen-victory-triggers-leftist-protests-what-happens-in-the-french-election-now/

Yes, I expect more protests in France (e.g. ‘France will be destroyed – Prophecies’; watch also Terror: Will Paris be Destroyed?).

That said, Marine Le Pen’s world view is quite opposed to that of French President Macron. Notice a report about something that Marine Le Pen said last month.

Marine Le Pen Vows To ‘Dissolve New World Order’ As Macron Dissolves Parliament Following Defeat

June 10, 2024

Marine Le Pen has vowed to dissolve the ‘New World Order’ in the wake of her historic victory against French President Emmanuel Macron in the recent European election.  …

“I’ve decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through the vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly,” Macron said in an emergency address to the nation. …

Supporters of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally were reportedly seen celebrating, singing “dissolution, dissolution!” while watching Macron’s address at an event where Le Pen is set to take the floor, according to Politico.

“This historic vote shows that when people vote, people win,” Le Pen said to the crowd. “We are ready to take over power if the French give us their trust in the upcoming national elections.”

“We are ready to exercise power, to end mass migration, to prioritise purchasing power, ready to make France live again,” she added. https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/marine-le-pen-vows-to-dissolve-new-world-order-as-macron-dissolves-parliament-following-defeat/

While Marine Le Pen will NOT “dissolve the new world order,” her party’s rise will actually help set the stage for it.

Back in 2017, related to a different election in France, I posted the following:

Whether or not France’s Marine Le Pen wins, the reality is that Europe will one day deal with Islamic immigration and it will not be by encouraging more of it.

Europe will not continue to tolerate Islamic terrorism! There will be conflict between the Europeans and the Arabs (watch also the video sermonette War is Coming Between Europeans and Arabs).

For years, I have warned that problems with Islam will be a factor in the rise of the European Beast power.

It is precisely because of mass Islamic immigration and terrorism that Marine Le Pen has a chance–not that I believe that she is or will be the Beast of Revelation 13:1-10. But Islamic issues are paving the way for a strongman to rise up in Europe.

The time will come when Europe will take strong steps against Islam. (Thiel B. ‘France election: Marine Le Pen sees Trump-like boost in support, but victory far from assured’. COGwriter, April 22, 2017)

Europe, and not just France, is moving against the waves of immigration that have affected it. Reuters and NewsMax reported the following:

Economy, migration, war top voters’ concerns in EU election – survey

June 10, 2024

BRUSSELS, June 10 (Reuters) – The economy, migration and international conflicts were the top concerns for voters in the European Union election, data from the bloc’s biggest member countries suggested on Monday.

Provisional results in the European Parliament election on Sunday night showed gains for nationalist and euro-sceptic parties that campaigned on tickets including clamp-downs on migration, citizens’ economic woes and scrapping green policies. … followed by “immigration and asylum seekers”, in the poll of 6,000 citizens in the EU’s five biggest countries by population – Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland – plus Sweden. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/economy-migration-war-top-voters-concerns-eu-election-survey-2024-06-10/

June 10, 2024

Former Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell said the United States should heed what’s happening across Europe, telling Newsmax on Monday that it’s a “backlash” against progressive and woke policies. …

“What’s happening across Europe is really a backlash. And remember, Rob, the European Union became smaller because of Brexit. The British said we’re out of here because the rest of Europe couldn’t control the immigration issue,” Grenell said. “We need to learn from the Europeans on immigration; when a leader cannot handle the immigration issue in a proper way, the people revolt. I think we’re seeing that in America as well.” https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/ric-grenell-europe-parliamentary-elections/2024/06/10/id/1168217/

Europe will eventually take bolder steps against migrants, particularly those from North Africa and the Middle East.

Notice something that the Bible predicts:

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. (Daniel 11:40-43, NIV)

Note: The peoples that the King of the North goes against are in the currently Islamically-dominated lands of the Middle East and North Africa.

Interestingly, Greco-Roman Catholic prophecy says a leader will basically do the same things as the biblical King of the North:

Rudolph Gekner (died 1675). “A great prince of the North with a most powerful army will traverse all Europe, uproot all republics, and exterminate all rebels. His sword moved by Divine power will most valiantly defend the Church of Jesus Christ. He will combat on behalf of the true orthodox faith, and shall subdue to his dominion the Mahometan Empire. A new pastor of the universal church will come from the shore (of Dalmatia) through a celestial prodigy, and in simplicity of heart adorned with the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Peace will come to the world.” (Cited in Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.36).

Pseudo-Methodius (7th century): This new Muslim invasion will be a punishment without limit and mercy…In France, people of Christians will fight and kill them…At that same time the Muslims will be killed and they will know the tribulation…The Lord will give them to the powers of the Christians whose empire will be elevated above all empires…The Roman King (Great Monarch) will show a great indignation against those who will have denied Christ in Egypt or in Arabia (Araujo, Fabio R. Selected Prophecies and Prophets. BookSurge LLC, Charlestown (SC), 2007, p. 103).

Consider that while Greco-Roman Catholic prophecy looks forward to the arrival of this leader who will fight the Arabs/Muslims, the Bible warns against him. The Bible teaches that Europe will one day reorganize and allow a dictator to rule (Revelation 17:12-13; cf. Revelation 13).

European voters are making it clearer that they want to change immigration policies. This will also result in migrants protesting and cause civil unrest.

While we are not quite there yet, the Bible shows that Europe will reorganize and grant power to a dictator called the Beast:

12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.  (Revelation 17:12-13)

Events in Europe are setting matters up that will lead to the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

Related Items:

The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.

Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.

War is Coming Between Europeans and Arabs Is war really coming between the Arabs and the Europeans? What does Bible prophecy say about that? Do the Central Europeans (Assyria in prophecy) make a deal with the Arabs that will hurt the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Do Catholic or Islamic prophecies discuss a war between Europe and Islam? If so, what is the sequence of events that the Bible reveals? Who does the Bible, Catholic, and Islamic prophecy teach will win such a war? This is a video. Will Islam be Pushed Out of Europe? On June 8, 2018, Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the closing of seven Islamic mosques in an effort to reduce “political Islam.” In the past several years, at least 6 European nations have banned the wearing of a commonly used garment by Islamic females. Heinz-Christian Strache (later Vice Chancellor of Austria) has declared that Islam has no place in Europe. Did Germany’s Angela Merkel call multiculturalism a failure? Will there be deals between the Muslims and the Europeans? Will a European Beast leader rise up after a reorganization that will eliminate nationalism? Will Europe push out Islam? What does Catholic prophecy teach? What does the Bible teach in Daniel and Revelation? Is Islam prophesied to be pushed out of Europe? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.

Can the Final Antichrist be Islamic? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out. A related sermon is titled: Is the Final Antichrist Islamic or European? Another video is Mystery Babylon USA, Mecca, or Rome?

Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century This is a free online book which helps show where biblical and Islamic prophecies converge and diverge. Here are links to related sermons: Seeing Christianity Through Islamic Eyes. and Imam Mahdi, women, and prophecy.

Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.

The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.

The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.

When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.

LATEST NEWS REPORTS

LATEST BIBLE PROPHECY INTERVIEWS

[leprivatebanker]

Far right wins first round in France election, run-off horsetrading begins

[ainosgarden]

*opening my trench coat full of Machiko pics* PROPAGANDA ROUND 2 BITCHES GET READY TO BE HORNY

more dancing Machiko!! a versatile talent that can master any style!! goofy! sexy! spooky! elegant! you name it! she can do it!

and judging by my previous propaganda, i sense a considerable thirst for menswear Machiko among you all...so behold, handsome Machiko in dashing motion from Black Lizard (1962)

she's ethereal! she's sensual! she's mysterious! she's adorable! she's got weird eyebrows!

SHE IS NOT ONLY HOT SHE IS EFFERVESCENT

finally, i'm summoning our reigning king Toshiro Mifune to help out his pal Machiko

LOOK AT THESE CUTIES

LOOK AT HOW HOT MACHIKO LOOKS IN MARINE UNIFORM

(btw the context for this is an educational promo they did for a sea training institute in 1952. Machiko herself is an avid sea fishing hobbyist and lover of boats and ships)

and for my Rashomon fans out there, my two favorite cast photos

LOOK AT THESE DORKS <333 i love when actors do random photos in character and the second photo gives out such powerful middle-school-students-going-on-field-trip vibe it makes me chuckle every time i see it

last of the last, introducing sizzling hot Machiko & Mifune in their lesser known film The Life of a Horsetrader (1951), which is famous for its 'wild-west' aesthetics and the Mifune's sumo scene (yes he wears sumo outfit yes he's basically butt naked and all sweaty and yes you can see milf Machiko in this clip as well)

so if yall Mifune booty/thighs enthusiasts found this gem bc of this propaganda you're obliged to vote my queen Machiko (Mifune said so when he called me)

Propaganda

Machiko Kyō (Rashomon, Floating Weeds, Older Brother Younger Sister)— Considered an early sex symbol in Japanese cinema. Also just an ethereal beauty who can also go feral/unhinged in a glorious way.

Judy Garland (Meet Me In St. Louis, A Star is Born, Summer Stock)— Judy is the GOAT when it comes to classic movie musicals. The voice of an angel who deserved so much better than she got. She can sing she can dance she can act she's a triple threat. Though she had a turbulent personal life (her treatment as a child star by the studio system makes me mad as hell like Louis b Mayer fight me ((she was made to believe that she was physically unattractive by the constant criticism of film executives who made her feel ugly and who manipulated her onscreen appearance by capping her teeth and using discs in her nose to change its shape and Mayer called her "my little hunchback" like imagine hearing that as a child and not having damage)) she always goddamn delivered on screen and in any performance she gave. She began in vaudeville performing with her sisters and was signed to MGM at 13. Starting out in supporting parts especially paired with mickey Rooney in a bunch of films (she's the best part tbh) she eventually transferred to the lead role. She is best known for her starring role in movie musicals like the iconic Wizard of Oz (somewhere over the rainbow still hits hard and is ranked the top film song of all time), meet me in St. Louis (Judy singing have your self a merry little Christmas brings tears to the eyes she is that powerful), the Harvey girls (she looks like a technicolor dream and sings a catchy af song about trains), Easter parade ( dancing and singing with Fred Astaire), for me and my gal, the pirate, and summer stock ( with pal Gene Kelly who she helped when he was starting out and he helped her when she was struggling). But she also does non- singing just as well like the clock ( her first movie where she sings no songs and is an underrated ww2 era romance), her Oscar nominated a star is born ( like the man that got away she put her whole soul in that and I have beef with the fact she lost to grace kelly ((whom I love but like still not even her best work)), and judgement at Nuremberg (a courtroom drama about the nazi war criminal trials). Outside of film she made concert appearances to record-breaking audiences, released 8 studio albums, and had her own Emmy-nominated tv series. She was the youngest (39) and first female recipient of the Cecil B DeMille award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. Girl was a lifelong democrat and was a financial and moral supporter of many causes including the civil rights movement (she was at the March on Washington and held a press conference to protest the 16th street Baptist church bombings). She was a friend of the Kennedy family and would call jfk weekly often ending the calls by singing the first few lines of somewhere over the rainbow (she thought of them as Gemini twins).She was a member of the committee for the first amendment which was formed in response to the HUAC investigations. Though she died far too young and tragically she remains an icon for her work and her life. As a girl who didn't feel like i was as pretty as everyone else I have always felt a connection to Judy and I just really love her.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Machiko Kyō:

Judy:

Judy's voice alone qualifies her for at least top ten hottest HOT VINTAGE MOVIE WOMEN. She was a truly incredible swing singer, with a stunning voice on top of her technique. Her short dark hair looked incredible in just about any style. Have I mentioned her swagger? I can’t do it justice with words. She had swagger. She was funny as hell, and clever too. Incredibly charming and cool. I adore her.

Her eyes, her voice have bewitched me

I mean how can you beat the one and only Judy? She's beautiful, her smile is contagious, the way she sings with her whole body. You can't help but love her.

Beautiful woman, love her singing voice. And she can do everything between happy or silly and angry or heartbroken

[equestrianempire]

Rolex Grand Slam: Questions & Answers with Richard Vogel

Rolex Grand Slam: Questions & Answers with Richard Vogel

Published on 2024-03-06

Marie Demonte won again in the 8-years-old class in the Andalucía Sunshine Tour week V

Published on 2024-03-06

Published on 2024-03-05

A List of All Key Events This Year, with Links to More Details About Them.

Published on 2024-03-05

Zechariah and Derek Petersen taking off in the$ 24, 500 Horseflight Jumper Classic.

Published on 2024-03-05

In the$ 50, 000 Mars Equestrian Grand Prix, Leilani Keenan and Lezaro Light Up competed.

Published on 2024-03-05

Selena O'Hanlon's classes at the William Fox-Pitt Clinic are Tuesday Education.

Published on 2024-03-05

In the €105,500 Grand Prix of Doha CSI 3*, Friedfried Puck wins.

Published on 2024-03-05

Looking Forward to the SRF Carolina International & H. T.: Stacked 4*S Entry List Promises Full Slate of Action

Published on 2024-03-05

In the$ 50,000 Hermès Grand Prix, Ansgar Holtgers Jr. & Tulum Thrive

Published on 2024-03-05

Ireland reigns once more in the$ 150, 000 CSIO4* Countries Cup presented by Florida Coast Equipment.

Published on 2024-03-05

In the$ 75, 000 Marion County Grand Prix, François LaMontagne and Chanel du Calvaire find their music.

Published on 2024-03-04

Published on 2024-03-04

A wealthy history and beautiful activity are the 2024 Dutch Masters.

Published on 2024-03-04

Many Experienced Jumpers in the March Collection of Dutch HorseTrading

Published on 2024-03-04

[alarrytale]

Hello, I recently started reading your thoughts on your blog and i agree with most of them. I have been in the fandom for 3 years now and have believed that he ain't a father to F for the same no of years. for the first year, i was waiting in hopes that this could end, I was more optimism and thought that the change that happened post aug 2021 was leading somewhere to it's ending. but now in sept 2023, I feel like..... I mean this shit, is it ever even ending? I feel so tired for them. I get so upset when I think about it. at this point I don't care about Larry, if they have broken up or still together (I believe they are together but even if they are not and have mutually broken up, it's okay for me. I am not waiting for the told you so moment, even though I would love to support them when they come out if they want to) but I just want bbg to end. I just want Louis as an artist to be out of the constraints, to be his own person and to not be blacklisted (??? ; because I read somewhere about it and it hurts me so much to think about how cruel this world is, some people get so much for mediocrity and some don't even get a fair chance). anyway, its just that bbg and Louis career sabotage have affected me so much. I know I need to take a major step back to focus on my life and to avoid anymore parasocial relationships. but... idk, do you think that BBG is ever going to end? it's not a sustainable lie but post aug 2021, it seems like Louis is trying to be that father image in the fandom. it would suck if it doesn't end. jabduendidkif. I don't want this year's Christmas to also be like the earlier ones. Free the baby as well. he doesn't deserve it.

Hi, anon!

Yes, bg is going to end! The main reason for that is that it's fake and that Louis doesn't want it. Bg ending is on the top of my wishlist. But i don't think it's good for us to make it a focal point or obsess over it. We will keep looking for signs that it's ending and just be disappointed when it's not. Time moves slowly that way too. Just try to forget it and go for muted optimism. The day it finally ends take the day off work and go home and cry tears of relief and joy, and celebrate (that's my plan anyways).

We as fans can't influence this in any way, and we need to accept it. I want Louis to be free too, but the music business isn't fair. The ones with the most money, most connections, best at horsetrading and the ones with the best standing will win. It isn't about talent or quality, not even popularity. Award shows is just politics. It's an ugly business alltogether. And even if both Louis and Harry were free, they still would have to deal with the politics of the business. That's just how it is.

Bg isn't over until it's over, and we have to prepare for more shenanigans unfortunatly. But when it happenes just ignore it. You've been through it before and it's is expected. It's predictable. Try to distance yourself from it. It's a marathon not a sprint, so don't drain yourself emotionally over it. You come first, and take breaks if neccessary. Vent to someone about it. Call them out on their lies. Refuse to be gaslighted. But if it's too draining, remove yourself from it. Your're going to be fine! 🩵

[mariacallous]

Far right wins first round in France election, final result uncertain, exit polls show

PARIS, June 30 (Reuters) - Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party scored historic gains to win the first round of France's parliamentary election on Sunday, exit polls showed, but the final result will depend on days of horsetrading before next week's run-off.

The RN was seen winning around 34% of the vote, exit polls from Ipsos, Ifop, OpinionWay and Elabe showed, in a huge setback for President Emmanuel Macron who had called the snap election after his ticket was trounced by the RN in European Parliament elections earlier this month.

The RN's share of the vote was comfortably ahead of leftist and centrist rivals, including Macron's Together alliance, whose bloc was seen winning 20.5%-23%. The New Popular Front (NFP), a hastily assembled left-wing coalition, was projected to win around 29% of the vote, the exit polls showed.

The exit polls were in line with opinion surveys ahead of the election, and were met with jubilation by Le Pen's supporters. However, they provided little clarity on whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN will be able to form a government to "cohabit" with the pro-EU Macron after next Sunday's run-off.

A longtime pariah for many in France, the RN is now closer to power than it has ever been. Le Pen has sought to clean up the image of a party known for racism and antisemitism, a tactic that has worked amid voter anger at Macron, the high cost of living and growing concerns over immigration.

At Le Pen's Henin-Beaumont constituency in northern France, supporters waved French flags and sung the Marseillaise.

"The French have shown their willingness to turn the page on a contemptuous and corrosive power," Le Pen told the cheering crowd.

The RN's chances of winning power next week will depend on the political dealmaking made by its rivals over the coming days. In the past, centre-right and centre-left parties have teamed up to keep the RN from power, but that dynamic, known as the "republican front," is less certain than ever.

If no candidate reaches 50% in the first round, the top two contenders automatically qualify for the second round, as well as all those with 12.5% of registered voters. In the run-off, whoever wins the most votes take the constituency.

High turnout on Sunday suggests France is heading for a record number of three-way run-offs. These generally benefit the RN much more than two-way contests, experts say.

The horsetrading began almost immediately on Sunday night.

Macron called on voters to rally behind candidates who are "clearly republican and democratic", which, based on his recent declarations, would exclude candidates from the RN and from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party.

Political leaders from the centre-left and far-left all called on their third-placed candidates to drop out.

"Our guideline is simple and clear: not a single more vote for the National Rally," France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said.

However, the centre-right Republicans party, which split ahead of the vote with a small number of its lawmakers joining the RN, gave no guidance.

POSSIBLE PRIME MINISTER

Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old RN party president, said he was ready to be prime minister - if his party wins an absolute majority. He has ruled out trying to form a minority government and neither Macron nor the NFP leftist group will form an alliance with him.

"I will be a "cohabitation" Prime Minister, respectful of the constitution and of the office of President of the Republic, but uncompromising about the policies we will implement," he said.

The mood was gloomy at the Republique square in Paris, where a few thousand anti-RN protesters gathered at a rally of the leftist alliance on Sunday night.

Najiya Khaldi, a 33-year-old teacher, said she felt "disgust, sadness and fear" at the RN's strong results.

"I am not used to demonstrating," she said. "I think I came to reassure myself, to not feel alone."

Market reaction to Sunday's result was muted, with the euro gaining around 0.23% in early Asia-Pacific trading. Fiona Cincotta, senior markets analyst at London's City Index, described relief that the result yielded "no surprises."

"Le Pen had a slightly smaller margin than some of the polls had pointed to, which may have helped the euro a little bit higher on the open," she said. "Attention now is on July 7 to see whether the second round supports an absolute majority or not. So it does feel like we're a little bit in limbo."

COMPLEX CALCULUS

The RN was seen winning the most seats in the National Assembly, but only one of the pollsters - Elabe - had the party winning an absolute majority of 289 seats in the run-off.

Experts say seat projections after first-round votes can be highly inaccurate, and especially so in this election.

No nationwide official results were available on Sunday evening, but they were expected in the coming hours. Exit polls in France have tended to be highly accurate.

Voter participation was high compared with previous parliamentary elections, illustrating the political fervour Macron aroused with his stunning and politically risky decision to call a parliamentary vote.

At 1500 GMT, turnout was nearly 60%, compared with 39.42% two years ago - the highest comparable turnout figures since the 1986 legislative vote, Ipsos France's research director Mathieu Gallard said. It was unclear when the official turnout figure would be updated.

[mourning-again-in-america]

there's this Thing, I think, of sacralizing the secular, "we need to remember the tragedy of reducing this Human, Social Even down to political-horsetrading" and I understand where it's coming from, I think, but it still annoys me, it feels like fighting an unnecessary rearguard action in order to demonstrate that you're not *happy* about compromising. But the definition of compromise is to sacrifice your values! This isn't just negotiating which intersections of Pareto curves are most preferable!

[icnnetwork]

#ED के बाद क्यों क्राइम ब्रांच पड़ी CM Kejriwal के पीछे ? जानें क्या है MLA खरीद-फरोख्त का आरोप!

#ArvindKejriwal #AamAadmiParty #DelhiPolice

#Atishi #HorseTrading

[sportsminorityreport]

The AAU thing...

It’s been a while since I checked in, but there are some things to be said. 

First of all the highly selective AAU randomly had a massive expansion as it appears that three groups in their number did some horsetrading.  My personal beliefs looking at this is that Stanford did this to show and gain a little loyalty from Arizona State.

What’s that?

Ok here is the gist. Every PAC school has an adminitstrator who is the face of the university in dealing with the other member schools. ASU’s has been in place for quite a long time and has done a fantastic job transforming ASU into a legitimate AAU candidate.

But...

He also was a huge, unrepentant supporter of the conference’s last commissioner.  That is cloying for the other schools as the discover problem after problem they inherited from that administration.

My understanding was that ASU was finding their application to the AAU as (likely) still kind of a fringe merit applicant lacking support among the PAC contingent, let alone the other AAU members.

But now they are in.

My suspicion is that Cal and Stanford knew they are in a vulnerable spot it the PAC collapses, so they brokered a deal --- you vote for my guy and I’ll vote for yours.

How I think it worked.

Cal reached out to the other UC schools and said “I think I can get UC riverside in if you are willing to vote for candidates favored by other schools.”

“OK”

Then Stanford reached out ---probably to Northwestern with an otter to the enormous Big Ten block.

“Hey if you guys don’t raid us again and are willing to throw your voting block behind some candidates, I think we can get a few schools in you might want in.   How about Miami?”

“How about Miami, Notre Dame, and a school of our choice.  How about the University ot South Florida?.”

“Gulp... OK....”

...

The end result

A staggering 6 schools were added to the AAU --- Arizona State, Notre Dame, Miami, USF, George Washington, and UC Riverside.

The implications

I think ASU, which was already a loyal PAC member, became even more so.

I think Notre Dame very much appreciated the box of chocolates from their hard trying boyfriend, the Big Ten.  Maybe one day Notre Dame will put on The Big Ten’s promise ring...

I think Miami is the Big Ten’s secret lover, needing only the word and they will jump ship.

The USF thing though....I think that may be the juiciest bit.  I think that is “proof of concept”.  

I think the Big Ten knows Florida State is 50-50 on whether they want into the big ten or the SEC.  Academics at FSU and the smart FSU football fans who understand recruiting want FSU in the BIG Ten with all of their key ACC allies --- something that will ensure they maintain their current recruiting footprint while reducing the number of competitors ---  and the dumb FSU football fans out there who want to be in the SEC because they want them in the SEC....not realizing that FSU would just turn into Arkansas or Texas A&M in the SEC. 

Just giving FSU AAU status would not guarantee FSU would join the Big Ten.  But giving it to a slightly inferior clone of FSU does show “proof of concept”.  

“Join the Big Ten and we will get you into the AAU.”

Did it all work?

I think to a large degree it did.

It is pretty clear that ASU is saying some pretty resistant things to both Arizona and the Big 12.  The fact that the Big 12 commissioner is now shooting off his mouth about how 14 is an ideal number and that he wants schools who want to be there speaks to this. 

Now that being said, Greg Flugar’s sources at ASU that he reports are pretty high up.  it sounds like are still looking at this current moment and not down the board 5-10 years at the Big Ten long game.

ASU’s leadership are worried that the Grant of Rights will be effectively too easy for Oregon and Washington to walk away from.  They see that as what that pair collectively want and believe they will get what they want.  If it is too easy to walk away from, ASU’s leadership believes the PAC collapse is inevitable.  The unstated part of that is still, if Oregon and Washington go, ASU follows Arizona to the Big 12, creating a vacuum that drags along an unhappy Utah.