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Only last week, the state of Virginia passed a resolution apologizing for its role in slavery. Today, in Britain, a group of white aging hippies – chained and manacled – began marching from London to Hull, in the north-east of England, as part of a campaign demanding Britain apologize for its part in the slave trade.

Let’s make a distinction here.

There seems to be some confusion, both in Britain and Virginia, between “regret” and “apology”. Virginia delegates voted to express “profound regret” for the state’s involvement in slavery, which is a bit silly, but fine if it makes them feel better – and then, according to the Yahoo news report, went on to say:

“……..they know of no other state that has apologized for slavery……..”

The Bible certainly talks of “……visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children……”, but if by that it means we must apologize to…….. whoever(?) for the wicked avarice of our ancestors, then count me out. I believe it would be a presumption on my part to do so. Not only is it utterly stupid, but illogical.

Conversely, I have no problem with expressing regret at the actions of my forefathers, for I consider they were a disgusting, corrupt, selfish and brutal set of monsters who, had they faced any form of justice, should have been whipped around the town till the skin fell from their bones. Sadly, that fate more often befell their victims.

If the good gentlemen of Virginia are expressing their personal guilt based on Biblical doctrine, then it may have been unnecessary. While the quote above suggests guilt may be fairly apportioned to the descendants of the “sinful”, Deuteronomy 24:16 says, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Which would seem to make overly-belated apologies unnecessary.

As for the aging hippies of Britain, emulating the slaves of their ancestors with chains and manacles (and sore feet, it’s a long way from London to Hull) in the hope of shaming Brittania into an apology, I have only three words to say to them:

Get a life!

Frankly, while regretting the suffering of all those who were forced into slave labor, my sentiments tend to lie with those of Virginia Republican delegate Frank D. Hargrove, before he became a turncoat and voted for the resolution, who said it was time “black citizens got over slavery.” Britain and America between them have lit enough conflagrations in the world already this century, without dwelling on the mistakes of long ago.

If the good gentlemen of Virginia and the somewhat dubious British contingent marching to Hull, were campaigning for an apology to the unfortunate Iraqis, for Britain’s and America’s continuing crimes against that people , then they would have my full and complete support.

The world changes little. Brutality is still practiced in abundance, only today it is generally at a distance rather than on our own doorsteps. It may well be another hundred and fifty years before our descendants feel some strange compulsion to apologize for the sins of their ancestors, to the descendants of those people in Iraq who are suffering at our country’s whim today.

Filed under: Strange ideas

Purim starts this Saturday evening. No, it’s really not a new advert for dishwasher liquid – but “….a [Jewish] holiday that commemorates the redemption through divine intervention of the Jewish people from an evil Persian ruler about 2,500 years ago.”

At least, that’s according to today’s Jerusalem Post.

OK? What’s so special about that, you ask?

Normally, not a lot – unless, of course, you’re a Jew celebrating Purim. But this year Purim is also being celebrated by the lunatic Christian fringe, otherwise known as the Evangelicals, who are planning to use – or, perhaps, “abuse” might be a better word – six million children in the process.

It’s all the brainchild of this man –

Michael D Evans: evangelist; avid supporter of Israel and all things Israeli, founder of the Mike Evans Ministries.

The “Plan” is to “enlist” six million children “….to pray that God annul [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad’s plans for the destruction of the Jewish people……”

Apparently, the two sons of darkness, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, are also in on it – which is hardly surprising.

According to Evans:

“The number six million is a reminder to Christians that never again must we allow a Holocaust……and since the young suffer most in times of catastrophe, it is fitting that children should be the ones praying.”

No more holocausts then, but genocide and apartheid are fine.

On the surface, Zionist Jews and Evangelicals make strange bedfellows, but Evangelicals have long supported the Jewish State. They see it as Biblical prophesy that Israel plays a vital role in God’s plan for the “Rapture” and, as a consequence, their divine responsibility to ensure Israel’s survival.

To normal human beings, with logical brains delivering logical thoughts, such ideas are so immature as to be scarcely worth considering. When six million innocent, easily-indoctrinated, children are involved the whole idea becomes appalling.

What, I wonder, would both Zionist Jews and Evangelicals say if Iran’s president was to “enlist” all Iranian children to pray that Allah annul George Bush’s plan to destroy Iran?

At the very least, they would condemn it as manipulation of the young and innocent.

Evan’s ego-inflated website can be found HERE. He obviously considers himself an influential man, and maybe he is. He describes himself as “…..one of the most-viewed Middle East analysts in the United States.”

Maybe he’s that also. If so, it is alarming for one very good reason.

However much knowledge one person acquires, and however cleverly they utilize that knowledge, if the very foundation of their belief system is at fault then the knowledge is for nothing and its use is detrimental.

Evangelicals and Zionist Jews tend to have one common denominator – they are self-inverting, looking to themselves and each other without regard for those outside their community. They lack an all-embracing, forgiving, love of humanity. Israel has proved this over and over in its brutal suppression of the Palestinian people, just as the Evangelical movement in America has sought political power to gain control over us all and force their false ideals upon us.

For that reason alone humanity should shun their presence and ensure their power is restricted. Manipulating the nations of the earth in an attempt to bring about their own delusional prophecies is a dangerous game that could rebound on all of humanity.

Jews acknowledge Purim to honor their god’s intervention; freeing them from slavery. Enslaving six million innocent young minds gives no cause for celebration.

Filed under: Save the children

In simple terms it boils down to whether we can still trust them. It’s not just the doctors, but the whole health industry. Have you noticed how they say one thing, then ten years later decide the opposite is true?

The real problem comes down to money, or rather, the importance of cash. It’s become more crucial than alleviating illness, at least so far as the major health professionals are concerned.

Take my doctor, as an example. He’s always trying to push either the latest drug to come on the market, or whatever Merck is giving the best backhanders on at the time. Last month it must have been the anti-reflux drug, Nexium.

Now, I know all about Nexium as I happen to have an esophageal reflux problem and have been taking proton pump inhibitors (Nexium is a PPI) of one sort or another since before I left Britain. This guy has been prescribing me another PPI, Prevacid, for the last four years.

After Christmas, I had a bit of a cough that wouldn’t clear up, and made a couple of clinic visits without success. Last month I made another appointment, and after some deliberation he disappeared, returning a few minutes later with a sample pack of Nexium.

“I think it may be a reflux problem causing your cough, ” he said, “I want you to try some of these and let me know how you get on.”

Fortunately, I recognized what they were and suggested it may not be such a good idea to add another 30mg of PPI daily to the 60mg I was already taking. Needless to say, he went rather red and muttered something about, “Oh, you’d better not take these then,” before rapidly disappearing out the door with the offending pills.

It seems my good family doctor was so keen to flog the drug company’s wares that he failed to check my medical records before dishing out the profitable pills. Profitable for him, that is. God knows what damage it may have caused to my health.

It begs the question: are doctors so keen to push drug company wares that they are putting patients’ welfare at risk?

How many vitamin supplements do you take each day? Most of us swallow, if not a multi, then at least a couple of different vitamin pills each day. After all, they’re an insurance premium against the rubbish passing for nourishment that we shove down our throats on a regular basis. It’s what the medical profession have told us for years: take your vitamins and you’ll live to be healthy, wealthy and wise.

Well, it seems they may be changing their tune. Vitamins are no longer a good idea – unless you listen to the manufacturers, of course. In fact, vitamin supplements may be doing you a great deal of harm, according to researchers at Copenhagen University. Not to put it too succinctly, they may be killing you.

To quote the conclusion of the researchers, as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

“Treatment with beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E may increase mortality. The potential roles of vitamin C and selenium on mortality need further study.”

Of course, an “expert” from the vitamin supplements industry has leapt in to proclaim the research “fatally flawed”.

But then he would, wouldn’t he?

Filed under: Fashion statements