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Is Republican Optimism
Really Justified?
BY JOEL HILLIKER
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
MIDDLE EAST
The 13-Year-Old on
Righteous Path
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
childhood, I ask?
I dont want to go out with friends
or have fun. Allah ordered us to
work and fight for the next lifefor
paradise. Before, I went to the park or
the seaside. But then I realized I was
wrongand Ive taken the righteous
path.
I cant stop him if he wants to fight,
[his mother] says. War makes children grow up fast. I want him to become a future leaderan emir. I
would not be sad if he killed Westerners. Im ashamed that my other sons
are working peacefully for civil society
groupsthey must take up arms.
How would she feel, I ask, if he dies
fighting for Islamic State?
She pauses. I would be so happy,
she replies, before bowing her head to
cry.
Related: The Plight of the Children and
The Worlds Newest Most Radical State
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
civil war.
He suggested that Tehran no longer
sees Assads tattered army as reliable
to safeguard its interests in the country; so it needs a parallel army for
long-term service.
Related: Iran Is King
EUROPE
The German Path to an EU Army (II)
Of Neo-Nazis and
Football Hooligans
SPIEGEL | November 4
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
ritish Prime Minister David Camerons Conservativeled government is facing a difficult two weeks at the
end of this month. The underlying theme in all of these
issues is the euroskepticism that is taking hold across the
United Kingdom as the European Unions traditionally
awkward member approaches the moment when it will reevaluate its relationship with the continental bloc.
The United Kingdoms relationship with Europe has
long been a problematic issue for Camerons government,
but tensions between London and the Continent have
been exacerbated greatly by the rise of ukip [UK Independence Party]. [I]ts rise has been dramatic; it became
the first UK party in more than a century outside of the
Conservative and Labor parties to come first in a nationwide election, winning 24 of 73 available seats in theEuropean elections in May of this year .
The contentious parliamentary vote is on the European
Arrest Warrant, which was created in 2004 in the securityconscious climate that followed 9/11. Once issued by an EU
state, a European Arrest Warrant requires another member
state to arrest and extradite a suspected offender to the issuing country for trial.
previously been active in the Nationalen Widerstand (National Resistance)
or in now-banned groups such as the
Kameradschaft Aachener Land.
Meanwhile, the neo-Nazi-hooligan
network became even more radical,
with some of them waiting for an
opportunity to steer the group in a
political direction. Developments in
Iraq and Syria were exactly what they
were looking for, particularly given
the proliferation of pro-Islamic State
Salafist groups in Germany.
The hooligans adopted their new
nameHooligans gegen Salafisten,
or Hogesaand hoped to receive
widespread popular support with their
fight against Islamist extremists. One
forum member posted in a chat room:
The grannies will love us.
Cameron is looking down the barrel of three damaging political defeats within a two-week period at the end of
November. An October 22 poll gave ukip a 13-point lead in
the upcoming Rochester and Strood by-election, suggesting
that Camerons efforts are insufficient for retaining the seat.
Either a defeat in that by-election or a 100-member revolt
in Parliament over the European Arrest Warrant would be
reasonable grounds for a no-confidence vote in his leadership, though that is still unlikely seven months before a
general election.
While these battles will likely keep Cameron awake at
night, it is not important which side wins each fight from a
geopolitical perspective. The true winner here is euroskepticism in the United Kingdom, because each of these events
are symptoms of its continued rise. Underlying euroskepticism has made defection to ukip a viable option for Conservative members of Parliament, has created the grounds
for a euroskeptical rebellion in the House of Commons,
has pushed Cameron to react strongly on the EU budget
request, and will hold him to his pledge to stand up to
Europe. Regardless of who comes out on top in next years
general elections, euroskepticism will be the real victor.
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
TW i n b r i e f
n Germany may train Iraqi Sunnis
ASIA
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
Russia Boycotts
Nuclear Meeting
ASSOCIATED PRESS | November 4
for military building and has safeguarded the cpcs absolute command of the troops, Xi noted.
The Army has established a set of fine political traditions, including serving the people wholeheartedly, fair and
honest promotion of officers, rigorous self-discipline, and
sacrifice to the revolutionary spirit, Xi said.
To strengthen the Armys ideological and political development, Xi urged the troops to have a strong sense of party
principles and interests, giving priority to the cpc cause
and the peoples interests.
Putin Reaffirms
Military Modernization
MOSCOW TIMES | November 4
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
TW i n b r i e f
n Communist Party of China
unmoved by Hong Kong protesters
LATIN AMERICA/AFRICA
Why Boko Haram
Wont #BringBackOurGirls
Anthony Chibarirwe | November 5
t appears the last glimmer of hope
for the return of Nigerias kidnapped
girls has now been snuffed out.
On October 17, the Nigerian government announced a truce deal with
Boko Haram terrorists in which the
276 girls kidnapped by the Islamists
in April would soon be returned to
their families. Apparently, the Nigerian government negotiated with a
different Boko Haram. The real leader
of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau,
ANGLO-AMERICA
Obamas Border Policy
Fueled Epidemic
THE DAILY CALLER | October 31
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
These books of the Bible contain prophetic history, yet few study
them and even fewer understand their significance for today.
didnt tell its Middle East alliesincluding Israel, Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emiratesabout Mr.
Obamas October letter to Mr. Khamenei, according to the people briefed on
the correspondence.
Current and former U.S. officials
have said Mr. Obama has focused on
communicating with Mr. Khamenei
specifically because they believe the
cleric will make all the final decisions
on Irans nuclear program and the
fight against Islamic State.
Exec Amnesty No
Matter How Big a
Shellacking
BREITBART | November 4
bc News Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl reported that
according to White House officials
the president will move forward with
an executive order on immigration reform no matter how big a shellacking
Democrats get tonight during abcs
election coverage on Tuesday.
Karl said White House officials are
saying that you can expect the president to set an aggressive, and defiant
tone tomorrow. Youre not going to
Emergency $6.18
Billion to Fight Ebola
CHRISTIAN POST | November 6
10
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
Police Struggling to
Cope With Immigration
TELEGRAPH | November 6
The remark sparked outrage in con- would have made little difference in an
servative media circles, with American election.
Thinker blog, for example, sniping, old
As nbc News also pointed out,
hippies are going to die someday too.
Throughout the 1990s, the youngest
But demographic surveys of the
and oldest voters tended to vote the
2014 midterm electorate show that
same way. For example, in the 1994
Williamss comments had some facts
election which resulted in a Republito back them up. The people who votcan takeover of the House of Represened in Tuesdays election were the oldtatives, 48 percent of voters under 30
est bunch of voters in decades, leading voted for the Democratic candidate for
one Democrat to label the turnout of
Congress and an identical 48 percent
younger voters for Tuesdays balloting
of voter age 60 and older did the same.
pathetic.
But beginning in 2004, something
At the same time, the gap between
strange happened. Older and younger
the oldest voters and the younger ones
voters began to take dramatically
was even greater than in the 2010 middifferent political paths. By 2010, 55
term elections, in which voters over
percent of the under-30 voters cast
the age of 60 made up 32 percent of the ballots for Democrats, compared to
turnout allowed Republicans to wrest
only 41 percent of over-60 voters.
control of the House of Representatives
This year, the gap closed somewhat,
back from the Democrats after only
but remained massive, with 45 percent
two years of a Democratic majority.
of older voters supporting Democrats,
In 2010, only 12 percent of voters
while the young Democratic base
were younger than age 30. This year,
maintained its 55 percent level.
the disparity was tilted even more to
As for whether Williams is correct
the senior end of the age spectrum . that the older voters will die, allowing
While the under-30 crowd held steady younger, Democratic voters to assert
at 12 percent from the 2010 midterms,
electoral dominance, as of 2014, the
the 60-plus demographic made up
life expectancy of the average Ameri37 percentmore than one in every
can was 79 yearsranking 53rd in the
threeAmericans who cast ballots in
worldmeaning that on average, the
Tuesdays nationwide election. [T]urn- youngest of that 37 percent [of] the overout among younger voters is notably
60 voting bloc have nine more national
higher in presidential election years.
electionsfive presidential and four
At one time, the demographic split
midterm electionsto make their mark.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
11
NOVEMBER 7, 2014
abcs Jon Karl reported on election day that administration officials said no matter how big a shellacking Democrats get tonight, the president is prepared to aggressively
pursue his agenda using his power of executive authority,
where he cant work with Congress . White House officials are saying that you can expect the president to set an
aggressive, and defiant tone tomorrow, Karl said. Youre
not going to see any mea culpas, no big firings, no change
in direction. Is this a surprise?
About a year ago, Oklahoma Congressman James
Lankford participated in talks with the president on a the
government shutdown. He told the Trumpet staff that the
two sides appeared close to an agreement. Rumors of a deal
emerged. The stock market rose. However, the next day,
immediately after the stock market closed for the holiday
weekend, the White House said, All deals are off, Im not
going to negotiate on anything. My way or no way at all.
Lankford said, All of us that were sitting there said, what
was that? What just happened?
Speaker Boehner has told us over and over again, every
negotiation hes had with the president has been that
way, Lankford said. Hell sit down one-on-one and talk
through stuff, but within 24 hours, all the rules change .
The people who are optimistic, hoping the elections will
begin to save this country, simply have no evidence to
support their confidence. Frankly, they do not know who
they are dealing with.
In his press conference Wednesday afternoon, President
Obama was polite in acknowledging the Republican victory. But he refused to admit any real need to change what
he is doing. And whatever his words, watch what he does.
The next two years promise to be bruising politically, and
this presidentunconcerned about reelectionis certainly
not going to put away the executive pen he is increasingly
using to sidestep Congress in order to enact his agenda.
Tough realities, though many people choose to ignore
them, have a lot of Americans mired in disillusionment and
despair. The more vigilant a person is to what is really happening within this countrygeopolitically, economically
and morallythe greater his cause for alarm. Still, election
cycles have a remarkable tendency to create swells of optimism. Rhetoric fills the air about fixing whats broke, taking
back Washington, sending a message, saving the country.
Then, inevitably, the rhetoric is overtaken by reality.
The magic and enchantment that carried the current
president to two election victories have largely been overtaken by disappointment. But the hope being invested in
the Republican resurgence is just as misplaced. It is just as
certain to end in frustration.
As the Prophet Jeremiah once wrote, Thus saith the
Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man. Yes, cursed.
American is headed in the wrong direction. But Republicans wont be able to steer it right. The country does need
saving. But no politicians will be able to deliver. The nation
is being cursed for placing its trust in man.
Jeremiah continued: Blessed is the man that trusteth in
the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. In whom have you
Twitter
placed your trust?
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NOVEMBER 7, 2014