Author: R J Adams

“The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, went to the Trades Union Congress to denounce Amazon for avoiding taxes and to brand zero-hours contracts as “evil”, only to discover that the church has huge investments in Amazon and his own cathedrals advertise for zero-hours posts.” The Guardian 2018.

Yet again the churches show a lack of empathy with their parishioners. The churches’ egos permeate it’s priests and clergy, from the hierarchy down to those who are given charge and control of a parish.

The sins of the Catholic Church are still echoing around the Vatican as it tries to cover it’s tracks of debauched child molestation throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Meanwhile, the latest explosion of child abuse is rattling around Westminster Abbey. The Head of the Protestant church in England and Wales, archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, (see quote above) has resigned his post. He’s resisted admitting any wrongdoing on his part in the cover up of appalling abuse over decades, inflicted on young boys by one John Smyth. Smyth entrapped boys attending summer camps, which he ran for Evangelical Christian youngsters. He eventually fled to Zimbabwe where he continued his abuse on African victims and died in 2018 before he could be extradited back to Britain.

We read it everywhere. The churches are riddled with these types of abhorrent crimes, as clergy misuse their positions of power and trust to propagate sexual violence against the young and vulnerable. 

Not quite on par with the sins of John Smyth or the Vatican, we read this week of a certain ‘Reverend’ Dr Paul Chamberlain, who while visiting a UK primary school (children 5 years to 11) took it upon himself to tell the children that Santa Claus was entirely fictitious and it was their parents who bought the presents and ate the biscuits left out for Santa. 

Understandably, this left the children upset and sobbing at the news this egocentic vicar had chosen to reveal to them. To say nothing of the outraged anguish of the parents who had to console their offspring.

All told it serves to prove that these so-called “Holy” men who choose to bestow on themselves the titles of “Reverend,” or “Very Reverend,” are in fact very flawed and unfit for the job their “God” has chosen for them. 

Churches everywhere are just businesses running vast pyramid-selling schemes to trap vulnerable people.  The hordes of wealth these institutions accumulate tax free allow limitless power to those of all ranks, none of whom has a phoneline to their god despite the ‘Holy Book’ sermons they spout from their pulpits every Sunday.

Perhaps the Reverend Dr Paul Chamberlain could have added a postscript to his sermon for the school children, by stating that Santa Claus was just as real as the ‘God’ he was telling them to worship.

There’s been much speculation in the media as to why the far-right is gaining so much power in national elections. The general opinion is that the rise in wealth by the 1%, and subsequent fall in living standards for the rest, has provoked a backlash against ruling political parties who are seen as not doing enough for the ordinary people left to scratch a living as best they can.

While this is an obvious and acceptable opinion of the situation I believe there has to be another factor causing sane and sensible people to choose far right-wing, possibly fascist-leaning, politicians rather than the less extreme parties that would normally be considered as more suitable to govern.

It should be noted that almost without exception, far-right politicians are deniers of human induced climate change. Many of their parties are at least part-funded by the oil and gas industry. Why would folk with genuine concerns about the climate vote into power politicians who deny it is happening?

There have been many cinematic ‘Holocaust’ type films over the years, portraying various aspects of a world in climate chaos. People are well aware of the serious consequences of a climate out of control. In blunt terms, it doesn’t bear thinking about. Societal breakdown, the rise of ruthless, cold-blooded, warrior types given free reign in a world bereft of law and order.

We saw it in Iraq when ISIS were running riot. We see it now in places like Sudan, Gaza, parts of Africa where terrorist gangs roam freely. These are not places where we would wish to plan our next summer vacation. To be there would be to share the suffering, the tortures, the rapes, the enormous loss of life. Much better not to think about it. Switch from those pictures on our news screens to a nice family comedy, something to laugh and feel good about. After all, Sudan is a long way away. Life is normal here. Let’s keep it that way.

Maybe Mister Trump is right that it’s all a ruse, a plot of the ‘Deep State’. But what is the ‘Deep State?’ Basically, it’s an emotive phrase to undermine the vast numbers of civil servants working to thrust into reality the demands of their government. Every government needs civil servants. They are the backbone of government. The term ‘Deep State’ has been both invented and emotionalized in far right political circles to produce an ‘Oooh’ reaction in their followers, a mix of fear and pleasure designed to draw people to the speaker emotionally. The marketing industry uses them all the time. There are webpages devoted to them. They’re known as power words, phrases that influence, persuade and convert.

There have been many such politically emotive words and phrases throughout history: ‘illuminati’, ‘big lie’, ‘fake news’, ‘alt-right’, ‘post- truth’, all serve to produce reactions in followers by suggesting that those using these phrases know more about what they represent, than those hearing them.

Consequently, when Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, a far-right political party, smears anthropomorphic climate change as a ‘scam’ his followers are happy to go along with it. Why? Because if their ‘Nige’ says it’s a scam then it must be, because he knows more about it than they do.

Basically, it’s a simple mind block. To consider the consequences of runaway climate change are too distressing to think about, so if good old Nigel, or Donald, tell you it’s not going to happen, then why worry? Push it away, out of sight out of mind, and get on with life.

It’s all part of the craft perfected by the far-right, to give the impression that with them in power life for the ordinary person in the street will be a bed of roses.

In reality, of course, nothing is further from the truth.

^{Courtesy of OtherWords.org}

Perhaps the most frustrating news to come out of Europe this week is the announcement by France that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, cannot be arrested if he arrived on French soil, as Israel is not a party to the International Criminal Court.

There’s hypocrisy, and then there’s political hypocrisy. This is an obvious political move likely agreed by Israel and the United States, to include Emmanuel Macron, the French president, in the joint agreement for peace in Lebanon, that has so far put a stop to the Israeli-Hezbollah fighting there.

As Russia is not a party to the ICC either, then presumably Vladimir Putin could also visit France without fear of arrest. For that matter, any tuppenny dictator wishing to prevent arrest for his war crimes, could plead similar immunity from prosecution by not being a party to the ICC, or simply withdrawing their nation’s membership.

Benjamin Netanyahu has called the arrest warrants ‘antisemitic’. That’s been the Israeli government’s “Get Out Of Jail Free” card for too long.

Meanwhile the Israeli Prime Minister continues to commit genocide in Gaza, using it as  his very own “Stay Out Of Jail Free” card.

Hypocrisy is alive and well and breeds profusely throughout the world’s political regimes.

Hunter Biden’s “Stay Out Of Jail Free” Card

On the subject of political hypocrisy it would seem Joe Biden’s come in for some stick because he’s pardoned his son, after Hunter Biden failed to admit to drug use on a legal form while purchasing a gun. Well, we’ve all done it, haven’t we? No, not necessarily while purchasing a gun, but who out there can honestly hold up their hand and say they’ve never just missed out ticking a box that they know would disqualify them from something they want? I would guess most of us. I certainly have. And no, I’m not going to admit to what it was.

The hoo-hah has arisen because old Joe had constantly told the world that he would never pardon his son and justice must take its course.  Had he won another term, or if his vice president had won the election, I’m sure Joe would have let run the natural flow of justice.  That was before Trump was elected. Trump has surrounded himself with Democrat haters in general and Joe Biden in particular. There’s a fair chance that son Hunter would not have had a fair trial, left to the not-so-tender mercies of Trump’s forthcoming judicial system. Let’s not forget the next President’s cries for revenge on those who, in his opinion, had done him wrong previously. Ensuring his son spent the next twenty years behind bars would be just the revenge on Joe Biden that Trump could wish for. After all, Biden had taken the 2020 presidency away from him.

So can we say for sure that Biden is a hypocrite for changing his mind? There are enough loonies and misfits shouting their mouths off on social media, apparently convinced he is.

Perhaps they should be asked the question, “If you were in Biden’s position, would you allow your son to go to jail for possibly twenty years just to satisfy the vengeful wrath of a tyrant?”

Joe Biden has done the right thing. He’s given his son a “Stay Out Of Jail Free” card. In his position I would not have hesitated to do the same.