Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's book‚ How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.In this fast-paced business world‚ female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy‚ aggressive‚ or competent.One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much?IS IT?Sorry‚ I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo‚ here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.When setting a deadline‚ ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something‚ instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.When sharing your ideas‚ overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead‚ downplay your ideas as just "thinking out loud‚" "throwing something out there‚" or sharing something "dumb‚" "random‚" or "crazy."Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting‚ thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it‚ no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.When you hear a sexist comment‚ the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home‚ with your friends and family‚ and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that‚ it might be tempting to say‚ "I already know that." Instead‚ have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your "hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry‚ opportunistic‚ and transparent. Instead‚ ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time‚ and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.When you get interrupted‚ you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead‚ simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.When collaborating with a man‚ type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.When all else fails‚ wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man-like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact‚ you may even get a quick promotion!Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a "secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.About the Author: Sarah CooperSarah Cooper is a writer‚ comedian‚ and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book‚ How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings‚ is out now.A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace‚ Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.This article was originally published on 3.25.19

If anyone had doubts as to the seriousness of the threat to the West and its heritage of political freedom‚ what happened this last week in the “Mother of Parliaments” should be enough to dispel them. [T]he fight is between those who hold civilization dear and those who embrace the pre-civilizational. When Pim Fortuyn was assassinated two decades ago in Holland‚ largely because of his opposition to multiculturalism‚ most shrugged it off as unimportant. When Islamists went on a rampage of murder after a Parisian satirical magazine published a satirical cartoon that offended many Muslims’ sensibility‚ that seemed like an isolated incident and why stir up trouble anyway? We wrote off concerns about radical political Islamism as racist‚ xenophobic‚ whatever‚ when they spawned political reactions in Switzerland‚ Sweden‚ and Hungary. (READ MORE from Shmuel Klatzkin: Antony Blinken Declares Israeli Settlements Illegal) But now it is in Britain. And it is huge and it is ugly.  Southend West Member of Parliament Sir David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by Ali Harbi Ali. Ali’s intended target had been Conservative Mike Freer‚ the MP for Golders Green‚ home to London’s largest Jewish community‚ who is himself not Jewish. Ali went to Freer’s office‚ didn’t find him‚ and went on to kill Arness. Freer announced about a week ago that he was calling it quits after thirty years in Parliament. He was subject to constant death threats; his office was torched in December‚ and he and his staff have had to wear stab vests whenever they went out. Freer finally had enough. He explained to the BBC the routine that eventually wore down his nerve: You just have to be aware of your surroundings. So when you park your car‚ just make sure there’s no one hanging around. When you approach the office‚ people quite legitimately could be waiting to see you. Always make sure you keep a distance. Always make sure the office is well lit‚ the CCTV is working‚ the panic buttons are there. If you do a public event‚ always make sure you have an exit that you can run to behind you‚ in case someone comes at you from in front. It’s all that kind of awareness that becomes engrained. Prime Minister Sunak properly condemned the attacks that led to Freer’s resignation: They’re not just an attack on him but an attack on British democracy … people are free to debate issues passionately and have robust debate. Intimidation and abuse is simply unacceptable. Nice words‚ and properly cautious to indicate that he was not quashing “robust debate.” Yet the rule of law along with free speech is in trouble in Britain right now‚ and Sunak’s proper words have not yet been matched by proper and effective action. Britain has had for some time strong laws against hate speech. They were employed to deny entry to Britain for radio talk host Michael Savage for his harsh criticism of political Islam. The same was true for Dutch politician Geert Wilders (whose recently won the Dutch election). Delicate concern for the sensitivities of Britain’s large and growing Muslim communities was clearly thought to be part of a quid pro quo. They thought that‚ offered special protection from hearing challenging opinions‚ this large population that came from authoritarian lands and cultures would then appreciatively assimilate into the British culture of robust free speech and fair play. That hope was laid to rest after October 7. Hamas’s orgy of rape and murder has lit a fire under terrorist wannabes and organized campaigns of violence and intimidation burst forth. Hundreds of thousands march the streets of London‚ and police who were quick to enforce the niceties of the hate speech laws against the likes of Savage and Wilders temporized in the face of the mobs chanting the exterminationist slogan “From the River to the sea‚ Palestine will be Jew free” (my slight emendation indicates what their euphemism really means‚ wink‚ wink) and threatening violence to all who oppose them. When asked why they did not arrest a man screaming for “Jihad” at one such rally‚ a senior police officer rationalized that “jihad” “can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.” (READ MORE: The American People Know the Real Hamas)  Indeed‚ it can. One can‚ though‚ make a reasonable inference from context‚ just as the university presidents asked us to do when excusing their egregiously antisemitic speech double standards before Congress. Their performance so disgusted us because we knew what draconian actions they had taken toward the least impropriety against a more intersectionally fashionable group. So‚ too‚ there is a building recognition that this new-found sensitivity to speech rights in Britain is intersectionally selective‚ and in real life‚ outside the fog of rationalizations‚ Jews are not receiving equal protection of the law in Britain. But Jews have served the world as the canary in the coal mine. Enemies of freedom regularly come for the Jews first‚ but you can be sure that the next target will be anyone who values the freedom implicit in Genesis’s assertion that all humans are created in the divine image. And so as the institution of Parliament comes under attack‚ and Parliament buckles before the mobs‚ the intimidators‚ and the assassins.  Here’s the story. Parliamentary tradition has established days in which the parties who are in opposition get to propose motions that normally would not get to the floor. The main British opposition is the Labour Party. Labour had gone hard-core antisemitic for a number of years‚ and were crushed at the polls for it. A new leader took over in the aftermath‚ Keir Starmer‚ who made an effort to rid the party of antisemites. However‚ he is faced with the same dilemma facing Democrats here — they have a large Islamist constituency that is very happy with the antisemitism and wants it back. They are pushing Labour to renew the hostility to Israel that had attracted them to the party. On this Opposition Day‚ Starmer was put into a corner by the small Scottish National Party‚ a hard left antisemitic party. The SNP used this day to put a motion that called for a Gaza ceasefire together with blaming Israel for “collective punishment” of the Gazans. Not a word about the massacre‚ rape‚ and kidnapping that Hamas set in motion and which it is committed to doing again‚ nor of its atrocious policy of hiding among civilians. This placed Starmer in a pickle. The motion elides over Hamas’s ghastly atrocities executed on a mass scale‚ and places the blame on Israel for the war crime Hamas committed by using civilians for human shields when Israel responded to the war Hamas began. Starmer made his reputation on being above such hate. But with the angry mobs making their violent mood known and smelling blood with the success of their intimidations so far‚ the antisemites in Labour were about to join the Scottish party’s motion‚ and so embarrass Starmer and perhaps bring his leadership to an end. At this point‚ the Speaker of the House of Commons‚ Lindsay Hoyle‚ suddenly jettisoned decades of precedent and allowed Labour to amend the SNR’s resolution by eliminating the repugnant libeling of Israel’s refusal to grant Hamas victory for the war crime of using civilians as a shield. The governing Conservative Party and the SNP both objected to the unprecedented ruling of the Speaker and walked out‚ enabling Labour to save face and carry the amended motion‚ purged of antisemitism‚ saving Starmer for the moment. (READ MORE: Trump: The New Churchill) The Speaker‚ however‚ was facing censure for his breaking of the established rules of the day. He apologized to the House‚ while claiming that he did what he did to protect the lives of Members of Parliament which he felt were in immediate danger from the Jew-hating mob.  He wasn’t wrong on that danger. Politico.eu reports a Labour MP commenting on the danger he and his colleagues face:  I’ve a wife and a three-year-old son at home‚” said a male Labour MP. “They aren’t elected‚ and even if they were‚ why should my home be a target for anyone? In what civilized world should politicians have their homes or their lives targeted? Correct. In no civilized world. As Victor David Hanson puts it‚ the fight is between those who hold civilization dear and those who embrace the pre-civilizational. It is a fight against the great bulwarks of civilization‚ the Jews as representatives of the Biblical tradition‚ and constitutional government and its rule of law. And as Hanson points out‚ civilization only survives if it refuses to be confined to the rules that its enemies will never obey‚ and fight for its life. What does that take? A Labour member of Churchill’s wartime coalition‚ Hugh Dalton‚ described how in the darkest days just after Dunkirk‚ with Britain now all alone against the onslaught of organized savagery. Churchill was incandescent in a meeting with his ministers. He told them how he had considered and rejected the idea of entering into negotiations with Hitler. They could only lead into subjection to the savagery by choice. He was sure that all agreed. Dalton quoted Churchill’s finish: “And I am convinced‚” he concluded‚ “that every man of you would rise up and tear me down from my place if I were for one moment to contemplate parley or surrender. If this long island story of ours is to end at last‚ let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground.” Britain‚ like America and like Israel‚ is facing the violence-loving heirs of Hitler. To temporize about that is contemptible. As in the face off between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson in 2019‚ Britain faces again the choice between the ghost of its pre-constitutional past‚ when it was the first nation to expel its Jews‚ and its finest hour when it stood alone and faced down Nazis.  The choice must be made again and again‚ by Britons and Americans alike. And it must be with a commitment as stark as the terror and hatred we all face. Now‚ again and again‚ must be our finest hour. The post Britain Again Has a Choice: Civilization or Savagery appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Two years ago this month‚ a memo began circulating among the College of Cardinals excoriating Pope Francis’s pontificate and thoroughly analyzing its many failures. Entitled “The Vatican Today‚” the detailed evaluation was signed simply by “Demos‚” a Greek word meaning “the people.” Shortly after his death‚ it was revealed that Demos was in fact the late‚ great champion of the Church Cardinal George Pell. In that memo‚ Pell described the present pontificate as “a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe‚” and faulted Pope Francis for brokering bad deals with the Chinese Communist Party‚ allowing the Catholic Church in Germany to run headlong towards heterodoxy and outright schism‚ and damaging Rome’s credibility through a lack of transparency on issues from clerical sex abuse to financial crime. Finally‚ the unnamed cardinal explains‚ the College of Cardinals has become increasingly irrelevant and even purposeless under the reign of the Dictator Pope. Now‚ a new memo is making the rounds‚ signed by “Demos II.” The author begins by explaining that his analysis is “intended to build on those original reflections” Pell wrote two years ago. “Conditions in the Church since that text appeared have not materially changed‚ much less improved‚” Demos II writes. While crediting Pope Francis for emphasizing “compassion toward the weak‚ outreach to the poor and marginalized‚ concern for the dignity of creation and the environmental issues that flow from it‚ and efforts to accompany the suffering and alienated in their burdens‚” the unnamed cardinal does not shy away from the Holy Father’s failures. Demos II writes that the Francis pontificate is characterized by “an autocratic‚ at times seemingly vindictive‚ style of governance; a carelessness in matters of law; an intolerance for even respectful disagreement; and — most seriously — a pattern of ambiguity in matters of faith and morals causing confusion among the faithful.” He adds‚ “Confusion breeds division and conflict. It undermines confidence in the Word of God. It weakens evangelical witness. And the result today is a Church more fractured than at any time in her recent history.” (READ MORE from S.A. McCarthy: Bishops Against Proposal to Fund American Indian Abortions) However‚ Demos II isn’t writing a review of Francis’s papacy‚ he’s drawing a blueprint for the next Pontiff to follow. “The concluding years of a pontificate‚ any pontificate‚ are a time to assess the condition of the Church in the present‚ and the needs of the Church and her faithful going forward‚” Demos II writes. “The task of the next pontificate must therefore be one of recovery and reestablishment of truths that have been slowly obscured or lost among many Christians.” Demos II notes seven areas in which Francis has weakened the Church and offers seven corresponding “practical observations” that the next Pope may use to undo the damage done. First‚ the unnamed cardinal explains that the Pope is not intended to be a dictator. “Real authority is damaged by authoritarian means in its exercise‚” writes Demos II. “The Pope is a Successor of Peter and the guarantor of Church unity. But he is not an autocrat. He cannot change Church doctrine‚ and he must not invent or alter the Church’s discipline arbitrarily.” The author notes that the Pontiff “governs the Church collegially with his brother bishops in local dioceses” and “always in faithful continuity with the Word of God and Church teaching.” Demos II adds‚ “‘New paradigms’ and ‘unexplored new paths’ that deviate from either are not of God. A new Pope must restore the hermeneutic of continuity in Catholic life and reassert Vatican II’s understanding of the papacy’s proper role.” However‚ Demos II warns‚ “Just as the Church is not an autocracy‚ neither is she a democracy.” Under the Francis Pontificate‚ democracy has nearly run rampant‚ with the most recent example being the German Church tiptoeing closer and closer to replacing the authority of local bishops with a “Synodal Council‚” comprised of both clergy and laity. Although the Vatican has expressly forbidden the creation of any such body‚ Pope Francis and his curial advisors have indicated an openness to discussing the German bishops’ vision for an anti-clerical Church. “The Church belongs to Jesus Christ.” Demos II writes. “She is his Church. She is Christ’s Mystical Body‚ made up of many members. We have no authority to refashion her teachings to fit more comfortably with the world.” Referring to the global Synod on Synodality‚ with its heterodox brainstorming amid so-called listening sessions‚ which prominently featured non- and ex-Catholics‚ Demos II adds‚ “Moreover‚ the Catholic sensus fidelium is not a matter of opinion surveys nor even the view of a baptized majority. It derives only from those who genuinely believe and actively practice‚ or at least sincerely seek to practice‚ the faith and teachings of the Church.” Over the past decade‚ Pope Francis has garnered a reputation for ambiguity — a reputation no doubt solidified and immortalized by his disastrous decree Fiducia Supplicans‚ which claims to uphold the Church’s moral teachings on marriage and sexuality while simultaneously allowing and emboldening ideologically-motivated clerics to undermine that very teaching. “Ambiguity is neither evangelical nor welcoming‚” Demos II writes. “Rather‚ it breeds doubt and feeds schismatic impulses. The Church is a community not just of Word and sacrament‚ but also of creed. What we believe helps to define and sustain us.” Singling out Pope Francis’s seeming disregard for the doctrinal clarity and evangelical fervor of his predecessors Pope St. John Paul II and the late Pope Benedict XVI‚ the unnamed cardinal adds that “doctrinal issues are not burdens imposed by unfeeling ‘doctors of the law.’ Nor are they cerebral sideshows to the Christian life. On the contrary‚ they’re vital to living a Christian life authentically‚ because they deal with applications of the truth‚ and the truth demands clarity‚ not ambivalent nuance.” Demos II also notes Pope Francis’s penchant for issuing motu proprios‚ which are the papal equivalent of an American president’s executive orders. In addition to his administrative dictatorship — perhaps most clearly seen in his vengeful treatment of Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Joseph Strickland — Pope Francis has‚ as Demos II points out‚ developed an “excessive reliance on the motu proprio as a tool for governance‚” often circumventing the necessity of adjusting of canon law. Demos II adds‚ “Canon law orders Church life‚ harmonizes its institutions and procedures‚ and guarantees the rights of believers.… Again‚ as with ambiguity of doctrine‚ disregard for canon law and proper canonical procedure undermines confidence in the purity of the Church’s mission.” (READ MORE: German Bishops’ Schism Averted — For Now) Insisting‚ as the great G.K. Chesterton did some 100 years ago‚ that “we do not want … a Church that will move with the world. We want a Church that will move the world‚” Demos II castigates the Francis Pontificate’s overemphasis on sociology and seeming engagement with secular standards of ethics. He writes‚ “One of the key flaws in the current pontificate is its retreat from a convincing ‘theology of the body’ and its lack of a compelling Christian anthropology … precisely at a time when attacks on human nature and identity‚ from transgenderism to transhumanism‚ are mounting.” It’s no secret that Pope Francis’s health is failing‚ and has been for several years. Demos II also criticizes the current Pontiff’s frequent travel‚ noting that travel “served a pastor like Pope John Paul II so well because of his unique personal gifts and the nature of the times‚” but the times have changed. The Church is in crisis‚ its financial institutions mired in scandal and sin‚ and the halls of the Vatican packed with self-serving career bureaucrats and closeted homosexuals. “The Vatican itself urgently needs a renewal of its morale‚ a cleansing of its institutions‚ procedures‚ and personnel‚ and a thorough reform of its finances to prepare for a more challenging future‚” Demos II writes. “These are not small things. They demand the presence‚ direct attention‚ and personal engagement of any new Pope.” Finally‚ the unnamed cardinal explains‚ the College of Cardinals has become increasingly irrelevant and even purposeless under the reign of the Dictator Pope. “The College of Cardinals exists to provide senior counsel to the Pope and to elect his successor upon his death‚” Demos II explains. “That service requires men of clean character‚ strong theological formation‚ mature leadership experience‚ and personal holiness. It also requires a Pope willing to seek advice and then to listen.” Pope Francis has placed a high premium on “diversifying” the College of Cardinals‚ selecting non-traditional and unexpected candidates over the past ten years‚ and stacking the deck with his own allies‚ regardless of their moral‚ pastoral‚ or spiritual fitness for the role. A prime example would be San Diego’s Cardinal Robert McElroy‚ a heterodox bishop who has advanced homosexuality‚ an end to priestly celibacy‚ climate hysteria‚ and even tolerance for abortion. Furthermore‚ Pope Francis has not fostered the “collegial” dimension of the College of Cardinals‚ failing to summon the cardinals together in regular (mush less frequent) consistories‚ and often only listening to those he has placed in his own curial sphere‚ discarding the counsel and advice of cardinals who aren’t his favorite. “In the future‚ if the college is to serve its purposes‚ the cardinals who inhabit it need more than a red zucchetto and a ring‚” Demos II writes. “Today’s College of Cardinals should be proactive about getting to know each other to better understand their particular views regarding the Church‚ their local church situations‚ and their personalities — which impact their consideration of the next pope.” (READ MORE: Virginia’s Bishops Speak Out Against Euthanasia) It’s no secret that Pope Francis’s health is failing‚ and has been for several years. The time is rapidly approaching when a new Pope will ascend to the Chair of St. Peter. Since Francis has effectively stacked the College of Cardinals with his own relatively inexperienced cohorts and proteges and blocked cardinals over the age of 80 from even participating in the preparatory debates and discussion preceding papal conclaves (cardinals of that age are already ineligible to vote in the conclave)‚ the analysis‚ counsel‚ and advice of men like Pell and his pseudonymic successor seem ever more crucial to the future of the Catholic Church.       The post Revisiting A Catastrophe: A Cardinal’s Blueprint for the Next Pope appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

WASHINGTON — Thursday always was going to end this way. Former President Donald Trump would show up at the Texas border‚ and he would be on fire‚ while President Joe Biden would try and fail to play catch up‚ having lost the support of voters who think he’s botched immigration bigly. After all‚ Trump made plans to visit Eagle Pass last week‚ so that he could remind the public of the border’s sleepier days when he was in office. Gallup reported that Americans see immigration as the most important problem facing the country. Then Biden announced he would go to Brownsville on the same day‚ so he could showcase his reversal on immigration policy. On the optics alone‚ Trump won the day. The former president was in the thick of it‚ near an erstwhile border hot spot‚ at home with the men and women who put their lives on the line to enforce federal immigration law. And talking about the border in a way that resonates with American voters. The current president has avoided the border for most of his presidency. It was not until two years into his tenure that Biden first visited the border as president; he went to El Paso in January 2023. This was his second trip‚ and to a border backwater. And what did Biden say? Basically‚ he was trying to convince America that the southern border has been a hot mess because Hill Republicans walked away from a bipartisan compromise that was supposed to address the chaos. Yes‚ Republicans caved under social media pressure from Trump‚ who wanted to keep the issue in play because he expects to run against Biden in November. But what Republicans did once under duress‚ Democrats have been doing for decades because they don’t believe in enforcing federal immigration law. Biden used his border event to urge Trump to “join” him in passing a measure that Trump doesn’t want. “We can do it together‚” Biden said. (READ MORE from Debra Saunders: Smirnov: From Trusted Informant in 2010 to Accused Liar in 2024) Together? No. Perhaps because Biden couldn’t — or chose not to — pass immigration reform unilaterally when Democrats also controlled the Senate and House. There have been more than 6.3 million migrant encounters along the southern border since Biden took office. They’re not all folks you’d invite into your living room. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens posted on X Tuesday that in the previous 72 hours‚ 11 people with violent criminal histories were arrested along the Southwest border. “Their criminal histories include: child molestation‚ aggravated assault‚ rape‚ murder‚ &; manufacture/trafficking of firearms.” Jon Feere of the pro-enforcement Center for Immigration Studies crunched the numbers and figured the Biden administration “has allowed over 200‚000 criminal aliens to run free after being arrested by sheriffs across the country.” Feere added‚ “the administration’s real intention is to undermine ICE’s mission and gut immigration enforcement‚ rather than improve public safety.” No surprise. (READ MORE: Chaos at the Border‚ Finger-Pointing in Congress) As of February‚ Gallup reported that Americans see immigration as the most important problem facing the country. Contact Review-Journal Washington columnist Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjournal.com. Follow @debrajsaunders on X. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The post Showdown at the Border appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

There’s a fatal temptation with Lent. Few people struggle to come up with a list of things to “give up” — and frequently those lists are quite long with items like sweets‚ carbs‚ TV shows‚ genres of music‚ and so on. The trouble comes when‚ about 10 days in‚ we realize Lent isn’t even nearly over‚ and we’ve bitten off more than we can chew (metaphorically speaking‚ of course‚ since we probably also decided to try fasting). The result is that by the time we’ve reached the halfway mark‚ we’re ambling through Lent‚ and we feel guilty over our inability to stick to our resolutions. We accept our fate as bad Christians‚ but Easter doesn’t feel quite as sweet knowing that we failed Lent. (READ MORE: Happy Birthday‚ Rhapsody in Blue) The root of the problem‚ however‚ isn’t our Lenten resolutions but that we tend to approach Lent as a challenge rather than as a season. In a challenge‚ you can simply adopt an attitude of negation; when you’re in a new season‚ you have to replace what you’ve negated with something else‚ and you have to set the mood. Fortunately‚ that’s something our ancestors understood. While the monks were enjoying their diets of bread‚ water‚ and beer‚ they were also writing music and filling their minds and senses with the texts of penance. The meaning of the Lenten season was ever present. So as you sit down to adjust your expectations and reevaluate your Lenten penances‚ here is some of the best music of the ages to set the mood. “O Sacred Head Surrounded‚” J.S. Bach The version of this hymn with which most of us are familiar comes to us from J.S. Bach’s setting of “St. Matthew’s Passion‚” which has a plethora of translations and versions. “O Sacred Head Surrounded‚” as a chorale embedded within the “Passion‚” provides a moment for the audience to take a reprieve from the tragic story they’re experiencing and to meditate on just one aspect of Christ’s suffering: His crowning with thorns. Of course‚ Bach didn’t pull the text out of nowhere; as tradition has it‚ he stole it from a medieval monk and reformer in France who predated him by centuries: St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard embedded the text in a longer poem of seven parts that meditates on the crucified body of Christ‚ beginning at His feet and slowly working its way up to His face. In that work‚ which is titled “Salve Mundi Salutare‚” the text of “O Sacred Head Surrounded” appears just before the end. The poet has already walked with Christ and seen the wounds in His hands‚ His feet‚ and His side; now‚ at last‚ he sees Christ’s sacred face. (READ MORE by Aubrey Gulick: It’s Not the 1970s. But the Catholic Archdiocese of LA Wants It to Be.) Bach didn’t even write the melody. He stole it from Hans Hassler‚ a German composer nearly a contemporary to Bach. What Bach did write was the hymn’s harmony‚ with its aching suspensions and moving affects. It’s an emotional setting for a hymn — a genre usually characterized by simple moving chords — and is one of the most difficult to play and perform as an organist or as a choir. It’s also‚ however‚ one of the most rewarding. “Ne Irascaris Domine‚” William Byrd William Byrd’s story is an odd one. He grew up in the halls of the English court as a choirboy and as Thomas Tallis’ star organ student during one of the most tumultuous periods of British religious history. For some reason‚ Queen Elizabeth I was fond of him. Despite his Catholic faith (and tendency to rub Anglican clergy the wrong way by improvising ornate organ music during Puritanical liturgies)‚ Elizabeth kept him at the palace for decades and showered him with favors. Byrd and Tallis were awarded the first copyright for printed music in England‚ and Byrd became one of the most published composers of his time in both English and Latin. Byrd practically spent his life at the palace‚ but it seems he didn’t feel at home. He became the voice of English Recusant Catholics — and simultaneously one of the most powerful composers of penitential music in history. When the Church speaks of penance‚ she speaks of exile. She compares her Lenten journey to that of the Jews during the Babylonian captivity and invokes the stories of men like Daniel‚ Shadrach‚ Meshach‚ and Abednego. Exile was something Byrd understood. (READ MORE: We Built Ugly Churches and Still Do Not Attract Young People: How Is This Possible?) That’s abundantly clear in his 1581 work “Ne Irascaris Domine.” Written for five voices‚ the choral work is split into two parts. The first pleads with God to “not be angry” with His people and to have mercy on their distress. “Behold‚ look upon us … we are thy people‚” the choir pleads. The second part has a stunning shift in tone‚ as the composer explores a desolate wasteland: “Your holy city is abandoned. Zion has become a wasteland. Jerusalem is desolate.” “Miserere Mei‚” Gregorio Allegri No list of Lenten music would be complete without this classic polyphonic work — a jealously guarded secret of the Sistine Chapel Choir until a 14-year-old Amadeus Mozart transcribed the work and received permission to publish his transcription. While that story’s truth is debated‚ the very fact that it exists captures the legendary status of Allegri’s “Miserere.” What is certain is that the modern rendition of the piece is not the one Mozart would have transcribed in 1770. Like most Renaissance music‚ Allegri’s masterpiece has undergone an evolution. Each successive generation has left its mark on the piece. Even the High C‚ the climax of the piece‚ was an addition made by an anonymous singer and then added by an editor at some point. But regardless of the changes the piece has undergone — or perhaps because of them — it has managed to captivate audiences for hundreds of years. The post In the Spirit of Penance: Lenten Music to Lift Your Spirit appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

I am blessed with the most wonderful and loyal readers (and editors and publisher) here at The American Spectator. In eight years‚ many have come to regard me almost as family‚ and — as long as they don’t ask me to help with college tuition — I feel the same toward them. So when I go a spell without publishing‚ emails of concern arrive. Am I OK? Alive? And at the world-class hospital where G-d‚ in His grace‚ led me for a lung transplant‚ to be diagnosed the day I otherwise apparently would have died‚ the pulmonologists follow up with me constantly: “Rabbi‚ our goal is that you outlive all expectations.” Most of us have no idea what transpires in the life of a transplant recipient. Uh‚ OK. Hmm. Those who know me also know I am not a victim. I do report evil and wrongdoing‚ but I do so to teach and learn. For me‚ as an example‚ the Holocaust is not a victimhood to perpetuate with museums and mandatory Holocaust classes. I see where a psychology of Perpetual Victimhood has led others down a rabbit hole from which there is no return. That is why I believe Holocaust museums are a waste of hundreds of millions‚ and are counter-productive. Since October 7‚ more people than ever before have acknowledged I was right all along. Two generations have been reared on Holocaust museums and mandatory Holocaust classes. Seen the results? The public does not need to be educated that Jews have been mass-murdered. If others want to out-victim the Jews‚ have a good time. I hope you are right. (READ MORE from Dov Fischer: Toby Keith’s Songs Touched My Life) So I do not write this article from victimhood. I rejoice that G-d has given me a new chapter of life‚ seen me through an amazing rehab‚ and has blessed me with doctors‚ meds‚ and procedures to augment health and‚ by G-d’s grace‚ to extend life.  Rather‚ I write because‚ as a lung transplant recipient‚ I have learned how little I previously understood and how little others do about what really goes on after a serious transplant. We don’t know because the details — call them “Organ Recitals” — are TMI‚ too personal‚ and seem like whining. So people don’t tell. But their employers‚ customers‚ clients‚ patients‚ and family should know why they seem to miss work days or skip out early even two years later. I write this as a favor for transplant recipients too proper or self-conscious to discuss of their own accord. We all have antibodies that ward off foreign invasions like flu‚ virus‚ and bacterial infections. Antibodies do not discern that implanted organs are good “foreign invaders.” Therefore‚ they attack implanted organs to reject them. That is why early transplant patients died so soon after successful surgeries. To ward off organ rejection‚ transplant doctors severely suppress their patients’ immune systems. I take Prograf (Tacrolimus) and CellCept or Myfortik (mycophenolate mofetil). They both get processed in the kidneys and therefore increase creatinine and BUN levels (bad for kidneys ) and decrease eGFR (also bad). But‚ by G-d’s grace‚ they ward off rejection. They likewise leave the patient immunosuppressed‚ typically as part of a lifetime regimen‚ so even a flu or virus can pose peril. As a result of the above‚ it is risky‚ even perilous‚ for patients on those drugs to mingle nonchalantly in large mixed settings. This is not about masks or vaccines but about germs that do not matter to a healthy person but are perilous to the immunosuppressed. Many of us avoid public swimming pools and gyms. I worked out at a fitness place five days a week‚ for twenty years. Some people there would cough‚ sneeze‚ or sweat on the equipment without cleaning it. Practically‚ I gave up my gym membership and now exercise with a personal trainer. Likewise‚ the severely immunosuppressed must weigh carefully how‚ when‚ where‚ and in what circumstances they worship publicly. Same for other public gatherings. Wé are not hermits. So we occasionally go to a restaurant. More frequently to Starbucks. Even an occasional live theater or concert performance. But many of us‚ despite politics and totally opposed to imposing masks and vaccines on others‚ will wear masks at certain venues. They don’t work? OK‚ fine. So don’t wear one. But‚ likewise‚ let the immunosuppressed do what makes them happy‚ and don’t snicker at them. Similarly‚ if someone behind us is coughing or sneezing — happened once — we leave immediately. Not in a huff. No angry glances. It is what it is. I am 70 and have some spondylosis and degenerative disc stuff in my back. I never cared because one daily Meloxicam pill made it disappear. However‚ because non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Meloxicam‚ Celebrex‚ Ibuprofen‚ Advil‚ Motrin‚ and Naproxen get processed in the kidneys — as do the Prograf and CellCept anti-rejection meds — I may no longer take my back-pain pill. I may take Acetaminophen (Tylenol)‚ but it’s not the same. Therefore‚ I had to find a pain-medicine specialist. Note‚ through the rest of this article‚ that every single thing takes two hours: 30 minutes to get there‚ 30 back‚ and an hour to wait‚ fill out forms‚ see the medical assistant‚ then the doctor or undergo the exam or procedure. It took six tries to get the right back-pain doctor and treatment. Six different sets of appointments‚ sets of diagnostic exams‚ medicines‚ treatments‚ and procedures — until G-d led me to the resolution. In total‚ that process alone consumed over 40 hours over ten weeks. It takes me four hours to write‚ edit‚ document‚ and complete an article. Therefore‚ ten articles never got written while I went through six rounds to resolve the pain engendered by not being able to take a single daily Meloxicam pill anymore because of the Prograf and CellCept. And that is why your employee needed to miss 40 hours of work and why your friend or family member rescheduled that phone or Zoom or Facetime call five times in two months without explaining why. (READ MORE: America Is Better Off Now That DeSantis Will Govern Florida for Two More Years) Pain Doctor One (PD1) looked at my lumbar X-ray and prescribed rehab. Remember: each thing is two hours. I went six times: 12 wasted hours. Plus the two hours wasted on that doctor. PD2 (two hours) prescribed swimming or a jacuzzi. I am immunosuppressed; I am not freestyling in a public pool. Moreover‚ I have nowhere to put a jacuzzi and do not intend to spend $5‚000-10‚000 putting it there in place of a Meloxicam tablet. PD3 prescribed Lyrica. Lyrica‚ meant for stroke victims‚ works off-label for some as a painkiller‚ but it did almost nothing for my back. However‚ it generated three side effects‚ one that I was warned of and two that I was not. It took six weeks for me to clean Lyrica and its effects out of my system. PD4 prescribed an epidural in my left and right L4/L5 lumbar zone. It did no good. (Are you tabulating the wasted hours? The articles I could have been writing?) By my educated guess‚ now 20 months out of the transplant‚ it averages 15 hours a week. PD5 said that PD4 should have been injected at the sacroiliac junction. That did it. In all‚ some 40 hours from the first X-ray with PD1 to the injection with PD5. But he added that‚ because I must forevermore take prednisone‚ a corticosteroid‚ to prevent lung swelling‚ that is causing bone loss‚ osteoporosis‚ so I cannot get another steroid shot soon after this one wears off. Today I saw highly touted PD6‚ and he proffered a non-invasive procedure that offers a longer-term resolution without requiring more cortisone than osteoporosis will allow. Nobel Prize to him from me. But so many hours. Now concerned over how many cortisone shots I can receive when the present wear out‚ my GP (two hours) sent me for a DXA exam (two hours) to measure bone density. After waiting an hour‚ I was told to come back in a week because I still had barium in me from a recent food motility test. See two paragraphs down. Two more hours wasted. Came back. Underwent the test. Two more hours (always 30 minutes to‚ 30 fro‚ and an hour of waiting room‚ getting nuked‚ talking to the medical assistant‚ telling the same thing to the doctor‚ and whatever). The DXA confirmed that the daily prednisone‚ which is needed to retard swelling in the lung cavity‚ caused osteoporosis‚ so … For bone density enhancement‚ a Reclast infusion is prescribed to thicken the bones and torture the Jew. Will be three or four hours next week. The meds challenge digestion. I take 24 meds daily‚ comprising 34 pills‚ half in the morning and half twelve hours later. Yummy! That has contributed to gastroparesis and has generated GERD. For the gastroparesis: a food motility test‚ in which you eat an egg white cooked with some barium‚ and a cracker or two. Then they X-ray your innards every hour for four hours to monitor the pace at which the barium food is moving through. After 4 hours‚ if it’s still being processed‚ they stop and diagnose “Gastroparesis.” That was four hours‚ not two — an entire lost article opportunity. Initially‚ for the GERD‚ a prescription for Protonix. Then an increased dose. Then the maximum. Now to the X-rays‚ MRIs‚ and CT scans. (Keeping track of the hours?) It emerges that a previously repaired hiatal hernia has reopened‚ and a previous fundoplication needs re-tightening. In a fundoplication‚ they wrap the top of your stomach around the bottom of your esophagus to prevent gastric acid from escaping and traveling up the esophagus‚ possibly perilously toward the lung. And the hiatus tear (hernia) needs to be closed so that absolutely no acid gets through. But first they must check peristalsis‚ esophagus motility. Two hours. Also an acid test (two hours‚ counting travel time) in which a sadist in a white coat sticks a tube into your sinus‚ then down into your throat‚ and runs the line down to your stomach while telling you to keep swallowing. They measure the acid. In addition‚ a gastroenterologist (two hours) anesthetizes you and attaches to your esophagus a BRAVO pill (made in Israel!)‚ measuring two days of gastric acid “events.” The patient wears a belt with an external recorder that receives the data accumulated internally by the pill. The BRAVO box must be returned afterward to the gastroenterologist. Two hours. When too much liquid accumulates around the lung cavity‚ it can lead to pleural effusion. If the liquid further accumulates‚ it can overflow into the heart cavity‚ too. This can cause atrial fibrillation. Off to the cardiologist: two hours. He does an EKG where they costume your chest like The Borg‚ and afterward affixes a patch to your chest and gives you an accompanying dedicated smartphone. Leave the patch on for seven days‚ and it sends data to the single-purpose smartphone that transmits your heart rhythm info to your cardiologist. Two new meds‚ comprising three pills‚ are added to the prior 21. The prednisone that reduces or prevents lung swelling paradoxically contributes to edema‚ liquid swelling in the lower extremities. So now a vascular doctor. Two hours. He has you come back the next week for an ultrasound. Two hours. He prescribes a medicine to control the edema. Dutifully obeying the Primary Directive‚ you never start a new med without getting formal clearance from the Hospital Lung Transplant Team who‚ by G-d’s grace‚ extended your life. They tell you not to take the medicine because it counteracts the anti-rejection meds. So you go into compression stockings with a donner and doffer‚ or Jux-ta-lite wraps. The Cell Cept/Myfortik is associated with a greater predisposition potentially to skin cancers. So the dermatologist you formerly saw once annually now gets visited monthly (two hours per month)‚ with occasional unscheduled additional visits if something suspicious pops up. More multiples of two hours. Some visits end with stuff getting deep-freezed (deep-frozen?). Sometimes‚ it’s a nothing. Still two hours. During the lung transplant‚ they detected a very perilous bacterium in the lung. To eradicate that peril‚ for a week or two I had to wear a belt with a sack that automatically infused a very nasty antibiotic‚ Amikasin. By G-d’s grace and kindness‚ the bacterium was eradicated. May Israel be as successful with Hamas and their tunnels. Alas‚ a side effect: the amikasin left me 50 percent bereft of aural sound for life. That meant having to find an audiologist (two hours)‚ get fitted for hearing aids (two hours)‚ and then several appointments to tinker with them until perfect (eight more hours).  They are top of the line‚ but I have learned that people with hearing aids will never hear as well as they did. The surgery also inadvertently paralyzed one of my two vocal cords‚ leaving me unable to generate oral sound. Thank G-d‚ a uniquely skilled doctor with a six-month waiting list inserted me into her schedule before Rosh Hashanah‚ and she injected a Botox-like substance into my vocal cord to bulk it up and thereby facilitate the paralyzed vocal cord and the healthy one making contact‚ thus generating voice. I now teach classes on Zoom four hours weekly‚ and I post all on my Youtube channel‚ now scores of classes‚ hundreds of hours‚ and a bunch of interviews. Imagine life without a voice‚ without hearing‚ without back mobility‚ without a heart rate‚ without lungs. The price: two hours times infinity. The benefit: infinity. And of course the mandatory quarterly visit to the hospital Lung Transplant Team for comprehensive follow-up‚ X-ray‚ breathing tests‚ and an opportunity to renew old friendships with life savers.  Two hours each way to and fro the hospital‚ and four hours there. An eight-hour adventure. Am I complaining? Of course not. I am thrilled. I wrote this article after a day of three doctors‚ including the cardiologist chest patch and Pain Doctor 6. To meet them‚ I had to cancel three telephone meetings that will be rescheduled. In my inbox‚ several dear emails from wonderful readers wondering why I have not published lately‚ concerned whether I am alive. Most of us have no idea what transpires in the life of a transplant recipient. Recipients don’t want people to think they are falling apart because they are not. Successful and emotionally mature people don’t want to seem like complainers and emphasize they are doing great. Every week‚ I teach those three Zoom classes: one on the Books of the Bible‚ one on the Jewish legal codifications by Rambam Maimonides (now focusing on Judaism’s laws and ethics of war when fighting anti-Semitic aggressors)‚ and one on each prior week’s news out of Israel‚ that war‚ and related prior-week Jewish news around the world‚ amplified with music and videos selected from Youtube and Israel TV.  I also distribute a weekly 15-25-page compendium and analysis of the weekly Torah portion that Jewish congregations around the world read each respective week. There are people to counsel‚ prospective converts to mentor‚ people with personal challenges to guide‚ and even an occasional marriage or funeral service to conduct. And one of my own to always cherish‚ respect‚ and devote time to. (READ MORE: 101 Truths I Never See in the Media) Most people simply have no idea how many hundreds of hours a transplant recipient must set aside‚ whether pre-planned or suddenly required‚ attending to medical appointments‚ diagnostic exams‚ and procedures. By my educated guess‚ now 20 months out of the transplant‚ it averages 15 hours a week. That’s maybe 5 published articles a week. The articles vanish into a clock. Time to whip up a new batch before Purim and Passover take over. The post What Transplant Recipients Don’t Tell You appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

It’s no secret that Iran has been steering Hezbollah’s operations in Southern Lebanon‚ overseeing Hamas’s (now dwindling) presence in Gaza‚ and funneling arms and aid to a slew of terrorist agents across the Middle East. Through such covert maneuvers‚ Tehran managed‚ initially unnoticed‚ to set up camp in Israel’s backyard. As Venezuela‚ Bolivia‚ Cuba‚ and Nicaragua continue to depend on Iranian support‚ Tehran could easily leverage its current position and influence for its agenda. Should Americans — half a world away from the turmoil in the Middle East — be alarmed by this slippery tactic? Maybe. Iran’s modus operandi of using proxy military agents‚ cunning diplomacy‚ and economic partnerships to expand its global spheres of influence has never been limited to the Middle East. In recent years‚ Tehran’s sights have been dead set on the underbelly of the Western Hemisphere. According to a 2022 report by the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies‚ “For Tehran‚ Latin America is an international priority.” As Tehran continues to forge links with the “Global South‚” Latin America’s geographical proximity to the U.S. strengthens its “ability to poke the U.S. in the eye‚” in analyst Eldar Mamedov’s words‚ and allows for proxy agents to be planted in the U.S.’s backyard. (READ MORE: The Venezuela Template Against Democracy) Despite vast religious and cultural differences‚ Iran has long viewed the Latin American left’s revolutionary and anti-U.S. sentiment as an expression of ideological alignment to its own revolutionary and anti-West agenda. The 1980s and 90s were a strategic period of gathering information‚ building goodwill‚ and establishing cultural and intelligence networks via Hezbollah in dispersed Shiite communities in Argentina‚ Colombia‚ and Venezuela. By 2010 Iran had embassies in all Latin American capitals‚ established lines of credit‚ and was backing the construction of mosques‚ Islamic charities‚ and cultural centers. Perhaps the greatest cultural campaign was through the Tehran-controlled Spanish-language HispanTV channel operating off Venezuela’s TeleSUR. Described by opposition groups as “disinformation efforts” and broadcasting outlets for “Tehran’s conspiracy theories‚ Holocaust denial‚ and anti-Semitism‚” HispanTV has effectively reached audiences in roughly seventeen countries since going live in 2011. It’s objective? To disseminate widespread sympathetic animosity toward the West and drive home “the need for radical change in world order‚ with the United States as the chief obstacle‚” noted journalist Douglas Farah. Recently‚ the focus has shifted from social and cultural assimilation to greater economic and military partnerships. Although Tehran takes pains to shore up its long-standing relations with revolutionary Nicaragua and Cuba‚ the greatest effort in recent years has focused intently on Venezuela and Bolivia. In Venezuela‚ the former Chavez-Ahmadinejad partnership of the early 2000s procured Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers as regional military advisors and cemented bilateral relations that have carried well into Nicolás Maduro’s current presidency. Leveraging this precedent of good relations‚ Tehran built military-industrial complexes in Venezuela that‚ on the one hand‚ increased its military exports to the region‚ while on the other provided bases for IRGC’s Quds Force and Hezbollah operating in Venezuela and covertly advising ELN and FARQ militants in neighboring Colombia. Iran’s persistent expansion has been filling the international power vacuum in the region left by the former Soviet Union. A 2021 meeting between Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran reinvigorated the spirit of the former Chavez-Ahmadinejad alliance and came in the wake of an international scare. Months prior‚ Iranian warships proposed steaming to the Venezuelan coast — a wake-up call to the international community of Iran’s potential to patrol the waters between Caracas and Havana. While on the heels of Plasencia’s meeting‚ Maduro proceeded to sign a twenty-year agreement on oil‚ military‚ and economic cooperation with Tehran. In Bolivia‚ the rich bilateral relations that Ahmadinejad established with Evo Morales — resulting in a new embassy in La Paz in 2008 and solidifying agreements in agriculture‚ mining‚ and security — experienced a slight setback under right-wing Jeanine Áñez’s interim presidency in 2019‚ but resumed with greater zeal after Luis Arce was elected to office in November 2020. The strengthening of new ties was made evident by “opaque” defense and security agreements that Bolivian Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo signed with his Iranian counterpart‚ Mohammad Reza Ashtiani‚ in Tehran in the summer of 2023. The contents of these agreements still aren’t entirely public‚ but Novillo shed light on possible military drone and patrol boat deals to fight drug traffic and ensure border security. (READ MORE: Five Quick Things: A War With Venezuela‚ Maybe?) Recent diplomatic reactions to the current Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have only further unveiled Iran’s tightening grip on domestic and foreign policy in the Andes. Arce never condemned the October 7 attack‚ and when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) entered Gaza two weeks later‚ Arce broke all diplomatic ties with Israel‚ followed‚ hours later‚ by Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Chilean President Gabriel Boric recalling their ambassadors from Tel Aviv. Israeli Foreign Affairs spokesman Lior Haiat spoke on X (formerly Twitter) calling out Bolivia’s diplomatic break for what it is: “A surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran.” Former Colombian president Ivan Duque has repeatedly voiced concerns over Hezbollah’s mobility in Venezuela “that can clearly allow members of Hezbollah to enter Colombia” and entangle his country‚ and others‚ in foreign geopolitical hot spots. For some‚ Duque’s cries come unwarranted. Oliver Stuenkel‚ a Latin American political analyst‚ recently pointed to the region’s “growing benefit of being a bystander to geopolitical turmoil” as a selling point for investors “betting on Latin America to reduce their exposure to geopolitical conflict.” For others‚ however‚ Hezbollah’s ties to the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that left eighty-five people dead is a persistent reminder that Latin America is not a bystander to geopolitical affairs nor safe from foreign nefarious actors. As Venezuela‚ Bolivia‚ Cuba‚ and Nicaragua continue to depend on Iranian support‚ Tehran could easily leverage its current position and influence for its agenda — either in the spread of radical religious and social policies or by entangling Latin American militaries with proxy agents and terrorist groups in distant geo-political hotspots. (READ MORE: Exploiters Closer to Home) Argentina‚ Paraguay‚ Guatemala‚ Honduras‚ and Colombia are currently the only Latin American countries that designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group — and by implication condemn Iranian involvement in the region. But with Colombia’s first left-wing president now in office‚ it’s questionable whether Petro will retain this position or join the “Iranian bloc” next to Maduro‚ Arce‚ and President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. In familiar yet alarming ways‚ Iran’s persistent expansion has been filling the international power vacuum in the region left by the former Soviet Union. Iran has sought to polarize an already fractured left-v-right political and social landscape and “poke the U.S. in the eye” with potentially violent repercussions. With President Biden’s southern border crisis spiraling out of control‚ it’s worth mentioning the fact that Iranian proxy cells have joined the ranks of drug dealers and gang members pouring across the Rio Grande. With all international eyes currently fixed on Iran’s hands meddling in Lebanon and Gaza‚ it would be prudent to glance south now and then before it’s too late. The post Iran Makes Inroads in Latin America appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In my most recent article for American Spectator I wrote of the developing Russian threat to the Baltic states‚ signified by the Putin regime’s placement of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on a wanted list‚ along with other figures from Latvia and Lithuania. I noted that these absurd criminal indictments were straight out of Russia’s destabilization playbook‚ and observed that these threats presaged a gradually escalating assault of the independence of these NATO countries. I also emphasized that the first phase of this assault would likely involve some kind of “gray zone” hybrid warfare. They are preparing to fight‚ ideally with the full support of NATO‚ but fight no matter what. The very same day that my article posted‚ stark evidence emerged of just such an assault. The headlines read “Estonia thwarts Russian hybrid operation‚ arrests 10‚” and “Estonia thwarts ‘shadow war’ attack.” A companion article in the journal Defense One discussed how these attacks were part of a pattern previously employed by Russian and Chinese special services‚ noting that the run up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine was marked by similar actions. This comes on the heels of a report by the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service that discusses a potential Russian military buildup in the Baltic region‚ one that would directly threaten Estonia‚ Latvia‚ and Lithuania‚ as well as new NATO member Finland‚ while also posing a more wide-ranging threat to all the countries of the Baltic littoral‚ Sweden‚ Denmark‚ Germany‚ and Poland. This report further noted that the pace of this Russian buildup would be heavily influenced by the progress — or lack thereof — of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The linkage between Ukraine’s success and the security of the Baltic nations is well-understood by the leaders of these nations. Estonia‚ for example‚ has provided more than 500 million Euros  worth of military assistance to Ukraine‚ more than 1.4 percent of the country’s entire Gross Domestic Product‚ (GDP) a huge sacrifice for a tiny country. In doing so they’ve sacrificed their own immediate security‚ giving up most of their Javelin anti-tank missiles and a significant portion of their heavy artillery. Forthcoming military assistance will raise the total to 900 million Euros‚ a figure that doesn’t include substantial quantities of humanitarian aid. Estonia’s neighbor‚ Latvia‚ has provided military aid to Ukraine approximating nearly one percent of it’s GDP; Lithuania has provided approximately 1.5  percent of its GDP in combined military and humanitarian aid. (READ MORE from James H. McGee: Putting America First Means Standing Up to Bullies) The forthright commitment of these states should come as no surprise. Each saw their independence lost under Stalin‚ each saw themselves subjugated and claimed by the Russian hegemon as a part of the Soviet Union‚ each regained its independence scarcely three decades ago‚ within living memory of many citizens. And each has seen that Putin’s imperialism reserves a special place for those bordering nations‚ regardless of their history‚ culture‚ and ethnicity‚ who‚ in his tortured view of history‚ belong to Russia. But it isn’t just those nations who suffered under Russian rule that have drawn the conclusion that their security is inextricably linked with the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Just days ago‚ Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark would send all of its artillery ammunition — every single round — to Ukraine. Last year‚ Denmark pledged to send all of its French-built 155mm self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine‚ including those for which it had not yet taken delivery. The Danes have also taken the lead in supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighters. Ukrainian pilots are now training on the Danish F-16s‚ with combat deployment anticipated for this summer. Had the Biden administration not dragged its feet about granting approval to the Danes‚ these vital aircraft would likely already be in action. (The Netherlands‚ Norway‚ and Belgium have also pledged F-16s to Ukraine.) The list goes on. Sweden just announced its 15th military aid package to Ukraine‚ packages that take full advantage of Sweden’s small‚ but highly sophisticated defense industry‚ and which included tanks‚ infantry combat vehicles‚ anti-tank guided missiles‚ and its Archer self-propelled‚ semi-automatic 155mm artillery system. Finland has contributed 1.6 billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine. Despite recent diplomatic controversies regarding Ukrainian grain shipments‚ Poland continues its emphatic support for Ukraine‚ which has included a broad range of military and humanitarian assistance. Put very simply‚ all of the Baltic littoral states have been forthright and energetic in their support for Ukraine — all except one. While the Germans have talked a good game‚ and‚ in fairness‚ have supplied some absolutely vital weapons systems‚ particularly Patriot and IRIS air defense systems‚ the total German contribution‚ as measured against its status as Europe’s longstanding economic powerhouse‚ has been laughably meager. In part‚ this reflects the parlous condition of the Bundeswehr on the eve of the Ukraine war — the Germans could barely keep their tanks running or their helicopters flying‚ much less send usable systems to a combat zone. (READ MORE: Dishonest Language‚ Truth‚ and Failed Policies) More fundamentally‚ German politics militates against anything resembling effective leadership consistent with its status as the largest and (theoretically) most powerful Baltic state. In addition to deepening divisions occasioned by Germany’s poorly-conceived and ill-timed environmental policies‚ and also its disastrous immigration policies‚ the country has recently seen the emergence of an explicitly anti-Ukraine party‚ small‚ but already garnering influence. The U.S. took its own “holiday from history” in the 1990s‚ allowing its military to decline as we spent our “peace dividend.” The Germans went on a similar holiday‚ compounded by the political‚ economic‚ and social demands of reunification‚ and‚ subsequently‚ by a series of incredibly short-sighted decisions regarding its reliance on cheap Russian energy and the Chinese market for its industrial goods. Perhaps‚ too‚ it has dawned on them that‚ for all the vaporings from Brussels about Trump‚ relying on Joe Biden is also problematic. Last year‚ I discussed the divide between NATO’s eastern European “frontline” states and those further removed from the immediate threat from Russia. I suggested that this‚ more than any other aspect‚ defined the likely future of an effective NATO alliance. That divide remains as salient as ever‚ even as some efforts have been made by Germany‚ France‚ Italy‚ and the UK to offer stronger support and reassurance of commitment to their eastern European NATO allies. But for months now‚ the question that has exercised NATO above all others has been the assurance that the U.S. would respond to an Article 5 attack on a member nation with a full military response. Much has been made of Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that‚ if NATO refuses to get its defense act together‚ the U.S. would feel no obligation to act on its behalf. These comments have been hashed and rehashed by both European leaders and the old line U.S. foreign policy establishment. Just this week‚ The Economist headlined this issue‚ asking if Europe is ready to defend itself if Trump makes good on these words. But perhaps‚ as is so often the case‚ The Economist has it backwards. Perhaps the very fact that the most laggardly NATO countries are now seriously concerned with rebuilding their military forces speaks not only to the threat from Putin’s Russia‚ but also to the need that Trump has so pungently articulated. After all‚ both George W. Bush and Barack Obama also called on our NATO partners to ramp up their defense spending — they just didn’t act as if they really meant it. Predictably‚ The Economist and the trans-Atlantic foreign policy establishment ignored and continue to ignore a more considered Trump pronouncement‚ contained in his 2017 address in Warsaw‚ Poland‚ a carefully considered and thorough statement of the Trump administration’s position on European security. Speaking at the memorial to the 1944 Warsaw uprising‚ the President bluntly challenged NATO countries to do more for their own defense‚ while explicitly insisting that the U.S. was “firmly behind Article 5‚ the mutual defense commitment.” He also professed his support for the “Three Seas Initiative‚” a mutual cooperation undertaking by the countries of the Baltic‚ Adriatic‚ and Black Seas. (READ MORE: Time for an Asian NATO?) Listening closely to Trump’s (regrettably occasional) current remarks on the subject of European defense‚ one suspects that his actual position still aligns with both the blunt challenge and the categorical reassurance contained in the Warsaw speech. The countries that currently meet or exceed the 2 percent target for defense spending — which would mean all of the most threatened countries along the Baltic — have reason to believe that Trump’s angry challenge is in no way aimed at them. For the rest‚ well‚ perhaps they’ve gotten the message. Perhaps‚ too‚ it has dawned on them that‚ for all the vaporings from Brussels about Trump‚ relying on Joe Biden is also problematic. Instead of supporting Israel in completing the task of destroying Hamas‚ an undertaking essential to a lasting Middle East peace‚ the Biden Administration now appears bent on undermining the process‚ for no obvious better reason that pandering to the voters of Dearborn‚ Michigan. If Ursula von der Leyen worries loudly about Trump’s criticism of NATO‚ many other‚ albeit less prominent European leaders‚ worry about Biden’s vanishingly small attention span and an American military preoccupied with climate change‚ a military that wastes precious combat training time on DEI instruction. But you won’t read about these concerns in The Economist. In the meantime‚ those NATO countries that remember what Russian domination was like are doing all that they can to keep the Ukraine in the fight‚ knowing that if Putin realizes his ambitions in Ukraine‚ their turn is sure to follow. This is the meaning of Putin’s threats‚ this is the meaning of his attempt to portray Kaja Kallas as some kind of criminal‚ this is the meaning of the hybrid subversive acts recently thwarted by Estonian counter-intelligence. This is why Estonia has doubled the size of its territorial defense forces  — it’s equivalent of our National Guard — and is exercising them with increased frequency and intensity‚ often alongside troops from the UK‚ France‚ and the U.S. And this is why Estonia‚ along with Latvia and Lithuania‚ is now undertaking to “build a wall.” In this case‚ however‚ the wall will consist of hundreds of bunkers‚ miles of razor wire‚ and anti-tank ditches and barriers. They know the threat is real and urgent‚ and they know that it’s no longer about a flood of migrants from Belarus‚ but rather wave upon wave of tanks and armored personnel carriers. They are preparing to fight‚ ideally with the full support of NATO‚ but fight no matter what. They are deadly serious‚ because they know that their freedom‚ their very lives‚ may soon be at stake. At the very least we owe them the respect that such seriousness demands. James H. McGee retired in 2018 after nearly four decades as a national security and counter-terrorism professional‚ working primarily in the nuclear security field. Since retiring‚ he’s begun a second career as a thriller writer. His 2022 novel‚ Letter of Reprisal‚ tells the tale of a desperate mission to destroy a Chinese bioweapon facility hidden in the heart of the central African conflict region. You can find it on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions‚ and on Kindle Unlimited. 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