As China, Russia, Iran and others rise to the occasion, the ascent of the Taliban may signal a post-American world order

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN, JPOST       AUGUST 15, 2021

A US ARMY officer stands near a burning vehicle north of Kandahar, Afghanistan. (photo credit: BOB STRONG / REUTERS)

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rapid advance of the Taliban are not necessarily a simple cause and effect. The US had very few troops in Afghanistan, and they weren’t doing much fighting for years. The Taliban appear to have planned a massive offensive, unlike anything seen in the past, likely with foreign intelligence and other support, after having sent delegations to Russia, China, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan.

This means that what is happening has unforeseen consequences. There are many unanswered questions. The New York Times claims that “few will gang up on the U.S. for finally stopping a failed enterprise.” But in the longer term, “the notion that you cannot count on the Americans will strike deeper roots because of Afghanistan.’’ This may underpin some European reactions, according to the article. What is more perplexing is that other NATO members, including European countries, also withdrew from Afghanistan and yet, oddly, this doesn’t erode confidence in whether anyone can count on NATO or European countries. The unspoken point may be that no one was counting on NATO or European states anyway, so it was America’s war to lose.

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T. Belman.  Missing from this article is what Egypt’s Al Sisi is advocating.
Egypt’s El-Sisi Boldly Calls For Islamic Reformation

Sisi and an Egyptian intellectual call for change in Islam and relationship with Jews

Also missing is the contribution that Mudar Zahran has made. Mudar for over a decade has been an advocate of reform and he provided for same in his coalition. He plans to re-write Palestinian school books once he gains control of Jordan. Mudar believes, as did Feisel 100 years ago, in cooperation rather than confrontation. He has informed me that our conference on the Jordan Option in 2017 influenced the Abrahamic Accords.

By Dr. James M. Dorsey, BESA         August 13, 2021

A group of schoolchildren from Loydence Academy in Doha attends an Arab Games exhibition at Katara, Doha, image by Vinod Divakaran via Flickr CC

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Education is emerging as a major flashpoint in competing visions of a future Muslim world. Rival concepts being instilled in the next generation are likely to shape what amounts to a battle for the soul of Islam.

Reports published earlier this year by the Israel-based Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) chart a notable divergence in educational approaches across the Muslim world.
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Dr. Scott Jensen With Laura Ingraham The Ridiculous CDC Guidlines

Dr. Scott Jensen speaks out on false Covid death numbers

By Prof. Efraim Karsh, BESA   August 12, 2021

Israeli Arabs attacking cars and a bus in Jerusalem, May 2021, image by IDF via Wikipedia

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The May 2021 riots by the Israeli Arabs, like their October 2000 precursor, were not an act of social protest but a nationalist/Islamist insurrection in support of an external attack. It was not socioeconomic grievances that drove the Israeli Arabs to wreak wanton violence on their Jewish compatriots for the second time in 20 years but the growing radicalization attending the decades-long betterment of their socioeconomic condition.

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Trade between Israel and the United Arab Emirates alone has reached nearly $600 million; it’s expected to reach $1 billion by the end of the year.

BY ISRAEL KASNETT, JNS

(August 13, 2021 / JNS) One year since the establishment of the Abraham Accords—agreed to by Israel and the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 13, 2020 and then officially signed on the White House lawn on Sept. 15—the Middle East is business as usual, but now greatly improved. The accords established normalized ties between Israel and the UAE, followed soon after by Muslim-majority countries of Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

There was no catastrophic backlash from extremists, as predicted by so-called experts, and the Palestinian issue is still somewhat on the regional backburner. And in the time since, trade between Israel and the UAE alone has reached nearly $600 million; it’s expected to reach $1 billion by the end of the year. For many observers, the accords are an example of leaders in the Middle East establishing a new reality based on peace and prosperity.

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T. Belman. This explains why the Administrative State  (Deep State) is more powerful than the executive or the legislative branches of government. Two years ago I published a Zoom call between bureaucrats in which they were discussing their power over Trump.  As a result Trump had great difficulty getting the bureaucrats to execute his policies.  Israel struggles with the same problem.  Trump plans the bureaucrats laugh.  (Man “trachs”,  the bureaucrats “lach”.)

Understanding the origins of the administrative state goes a long way towards grasping how policy is really made today in American government

By Ronald J. Pestritto, AM GREATNESS     August 13, 2021

The principles and policies of America’s original progressives have received renewed attention over the last decade, both in academia and in public discourse. Today’s progressive politicians and intellectuals have pointed to their roots in the original progressive movement; moreover, the connections between the original progressive calls for reform and the language and shape of our politics today have become increasingly obvious. In what follows, the relevance of original progressivism to government today will be more fully explored. There is no better place to begin than with our administrative state. This essay deals with the general principles of the administrative state and its roots in the original progressive movement.

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By Claude M. McQuarrie III, AM THINKER

It is rare that U.S. Department of Defense officials, blinded by their zealous pursuit of the latest variant of U.S. military diversity policy, reveal that policy’s intellectual vacuousness. Recent comments by the Navy’s top, uniformed personnel officer, however, did just that, exposing the Pentagon diversity policy’s intellectual bankruptcy and providing a focus for those who, following their commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law, genuinely believe America’s sons and daughters in uniform deserve the best leadership available.

On August 3, 2021, VADM John Nowell, Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel, made public comments arguing for reinstating the use of photographs in selection boards, justifying that position by saying that not using photographs is hurting “diversity.” He lamented that the Navy’s recent “data” (accumulated after the policy had been changed so it no longer included official photographs in personnel files the promotion boards used) show the new practice has hurt “diversity.” Rather than acknowledging that such evidence proves “diversity” policies undermine meritocracy in the military, Admiral Nowell’s further comments revealed the dishonest disregard for objective evidence and truth that pervades the pursuit of anti-white, racial discrimination in the name of “diversity” in our military.

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By Martin Walsh, CONSERVATIVE BRIEF        August 13, 2021

Special Counsel John Durham is presenting evidence to a grand jury regarding his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Durham’s final report is expected to be completed in the coming months.

“Durham has been examining potential criminal charges against several lower-level FBI employees, and people who aren’t in government, according to people familiar with the matter,” the WSJ reported.

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THIS VIDEO WILL PUT YOU IN A STATE OF SHOCK PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.

The Mullahs’ delusions.

By Hugh Fitzgerald, FRONTPAGEMAG        Fri Aug 13, 2021

Iranian leaders have a rich fantasy life. Possibly It has something to do with their deep belief in the Return of the Hidden Imam. Twelver Shi’ism may have its points, but a grasp of reality is not one of them. Iran has recently become convinced, despite all the evidence, that it has been outplaying Israel ever since its drone attack on the MV Mercer Street in the Gulf of Oman.

The report on this development is here: “Iran believes it has Israel on the run,” by Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post, August 7, 2021:

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Ted Belman. I am not surprised. Many people prefer to be taken care of rather than to be responsible for themselves. Eric Fromm made this point in his book Escape from Freedom.  The current pandemic forced people to give up their independence and freedom in exchange for dole and other benefits from the state.  This is all being paid for by printing money which is causing inflation which erodes one’s savings. Inflation amounts to a confiscation of wealth.  In effect the middle class is paying for all the benefits being distributed.

Like Margaret Thatcher once said, “pretty soon you run out of other people’s money.” Capitalism creates wealth. Socialism squanders it.

By Alex Parker, RED STATE 

T. Belman.  I agree with the Mayor. Allowing the construction of 1000 units adjacent to Area B or A gives Israel more leeway on the rest of C. Also its answers the High Court which has been responsive to Arab arguments that building permits aren’t available to Arabs.  This proves they are at very little cost to Israel.  It also enables Israel to build 2000 units with less push back by the world.

By the way, when the Arabs complain that they are bursting at the seams and need more land to build, Israel tells them to build up (increase density) not out just as it does.

Finally, I don’t think those 1000 units will be build so quickly just as the 700 approved in 2018 weren’t built. The reason for this is that the Arab population in Area A, B and C  has been declining due to emigration. so the demand isn’t really there. Yoram Ettinger tells me its closer to 1.5 million residents rather than 1.8 million as previously reported by him.

Actually 3200 units were approved by professional bodies but Bennett reduced it by 1000 so as to not anger the Biden Administration just before Bennett meets with Biden in DC.  I disagree with this reduction.  It shows weakness not strength.  So what if it is angry.

Efrat Mayor responds to critics of the approval of housing units for Palestinian Arabs.

By Nitsan Keidar, INN Aug 13 , 2021 5:34 AM

Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi finds it difficult to understand the criticism of the approval of 1,000 housing units for Palestinian Arabs in Area C.

“We must remember that in the end we are waging a struggle in which we want to reach a decision in Area C and prove that we are the sovereign. The government takes a step and says: We decide where the Palestinians will build and when. And there are those who aren’t thinking and are coming out against it, instead of realizing that it is an act of demonstration of sovereignty,” Revivi told Arutz Sheva on Thursday.

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Tierney’s Real News (8/12/21)