Saturday, September 14, 2013

Sat Sep 14th Todays News

While there are some marked differences between the US and Australia in politics, there are strong similarities too. In Australia, voting is compulsory while in the US it is voluntary. This means in Australia politicians spend their time claiming middle ground so as to attract swing voters, while in the US it is incumbent on politicians to appeal to core values. The three Obama supplied advisers in the recent election were not of much help, with ALP scoring the lowest primary support in over a hundred years. The Australian Liberal party is not that old to have seen the earlier efforts. However, the US seems to be two years behind Australia in political cycles. In 2007, a successful (but divided) conservative government got railroaded by press and ALP took the reigns. In the US in 2009, it was similar. The ALP had done so badly by 2010, that they nearly lost office. They only held on to government with the help of so called independent conservatives. Interesting was the leadership tussle between Rudd and Gillard which seems to mirror the tensions between Obama and Clinton. Both Rudd and Gillard are badly mired in corruption allegations that are central to their past. Rudd made an allegedly illegal executive decision to destroy documents detailing the gang rape of an Aboriginal teenager, obstructing the course of justice. Gillard is accused of using her influence as a lawyer to facilitate theft and corruption from stand over union tactics. Neither leader was competent in office, using bad policy as a shield for poor government. Six years on from 2007, the ALP were trounced at election, deftly holding onto some seats despite an implosion of votes. The leadership is vaporised, and this suggests that the Democrats will have difficulties in their mid terms for similar reasons. 
Julian Burnside is famous as an advocate for refugee welfare, which makes his mirror call for a Tasmanian penal colony funny. Rudd's election eve boast of having retained furniture in Queensland has been shown a sham, in the electoral sense. Gillard blames Rudd for letting her be a bad PM. Bolt posts an article as to how a good scare saved some ALP seats. Vote analysis shows ALP support was most rusty hard among constituents that don't read English and were unaware from media how bad the ALP are. ALP offer a discount of minus 100 percent after promising 10%, suggesting where their budget analysis came from. A graphic shows disturbing links of hatred in the Middle East. Today was Yom Kippur, but Israel is blameless for this web of hatred. While Syria is gassing its own people, Israel is stretched with her medical aide. Colarado drowns. Obama dithers. Putin stands up as an adult. UN point blame at Assad. 
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Happy birthday and many happy returns Lisa An Thai, Josephine Khuu andStacey Bennett. Born on the same day across the years, as Ephraim of Nea Makri (1364), Michael Haydn (1737), Fanny Holland (1847), Sam Neill (1947), Tony Bui (1973), Amy Winehouse (1983) and Jesse James (1989. On your day, Feast of the Cross (Christianity); Yom Kippur ends at nightfall (Judaism, 2013)
81 – Domitian became the last Flavian emperor of Rome, succeeding his brother Titus.
1763 – About 300 Seneca warriors during Pontiac's Rebellion attacked a British Army detachment, killing 81 soldiers.
1926 – The Locarno Treaties establishing post-First World War territorial settlements were formally ratified by the signatory nations and came into effect.
1979 – Afghan President Nur Muhammad Taraki was assassinated upon the order of Hafizullah Amin, who became the new president.
2008 – All 88 people aboard Aeroflot Flight 821 died when the aircraft crashed on approach to Perm Airport in Perm Krai, Russia. Titus succeeded. Pontiacs drove deeply. Locarno nations came into being. A President was assassinate, long live the President. Russia has still to make good quality, reliable goods. Enjoy the feast.
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The Burnside plan: a Tasmanstan to our south

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (11:18am)

It is not clear whether Julia Burnside is being serious or ironic:
Prominent barrister and asylum seeker advocate Julian Burnside QC is proposing the entire state of Tasmania be declared an immigration detention centre…
“If politicians are obsessed with the idea that asylum seekers must be kept in detention then that could be legally satisfied by declaring the island of Tasmania a place of detention,” he said....
He has suggested the Federal Government give the Tasmanian Government $1 billion a year as “a thank you”.
Questions:

How many people would take to the boats, knowing we’d release them straight away into Tasmania? (Don’t ask Burnside: he once claimed the rate of arrivals under Labor’s policies would fill the MCG only after 20 years, only to find three years later so many boat people were arriving they could fill the MCG in four years).
How exactly would we stop boat people in Tasmania from then coming to the mainland by, yes, boat?
How quickly and radically would a boat people influx that is now around 25,000 a year change Tasmania, with a population of around 500,000?
Does Burnside expect any social tensions or challenges from importing so many people - many of a different faith and many without English or relevant work skills - to an island so small and with such high unemployment?
What planet is Burnside on?
But here’s Greg Barns, former head of the Australian Republican Movement, cheering Burnside’s plan and looking forward to the diluting of the cultural influence of those nasty whites who actually built Tasmania:
[Tasmania] certainly needs greater diversity. It is certainly too, more Anglo Celtic than the rest of Australia.
Reader Philip is rightly puzzled by blowhard Barnes:

What is the correct percentage of Anglo-Celts for Tasmania? How many of these “Anglo-Celts” also have German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, etc. forebears? Isn’t this a rather racist view of Australia?
Well, Philip, I have suspected Barns of having racist views - or at least of having a severe case of sanctimony. Remember this outburst from Barns?:

Australia is a backwater, a racist and inward-looking country… It is a nation which periodically makes world headlines for its racist outbursts… Racist thugs (are) now taking it upon themselves to beat up anyone who looks as if they are from the Middle East… Why can’t Australia be more like Canada, a nation that embraces civil rights and tolerance… Let’s admit it. Australia has become a pigsty.
(Thanks to reader Tim.) 

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Another Rudd boast proves empty in Queensland

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (9:28am)

Kevin Rudd claims victory on election night:

I’m also proud of the fact that despite the pundits we appear to have held every seat in Queensland.

Labor concedes defeat after Rudd leaves:
Labor has conceded defeat in Capricornia, which is a seat it had held since 1998… Labor is also set to lose Petrie, north-east of Brisbane, leaving the party with only six of the 30 seats in Queensland.

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Gillard says she won the election. And Rudd lost it

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (8:50am)

Julia Gillard declares she’s won the election:
Are election victories the only measure of political success? ...
Indeed, a truly striking feature of Tony Abbott’s election campaign is how little he was prepared to challenge Labor’s hold over our national consensus…
Labor, working with the trade union movement, has won the battle on workplace relations so profoundly that it is impossible in modern Australia to find an advocate for the Howard government’s Work Choices laws. Certainly not prime minister Abbott…
Labor’s dominance of the national consensus is not limited to workplace relations. Prime minister Abbott, having lost the argument, spectacularly abandoned his opposition to my school funding reforms… My carefully crafted education reforms – transparency, quality, national curriculum, national standards, funding reform – had destroyed the utility of the Coalition’s political approach. Its business model was broken… So the humiliating backdown came…
The same is true of disability care, a revolution in the way our nation treats those with disability. The Coalition has never proposed a social institution of this scale…
All of these are Labor reforms through and through. Life-changing and nation-changing. Part of our national consensus – now part of us.
Tony Abbott did not seek to contest the vision Labor defined for our nation’s future as outlined in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper.
Hmm. That’s a very thin portfolio of victories. Two unfunded and yet unrealised schemes, both still to be defined, and a status quo on workplace relations that in fact does not exist and will crumble. Oh, and a white paper of blah blah on the Asian Century which will inevitably be overwritten by events.
The list of Labor “reforms” which Abbott will now dismantle is much longer - the carbon tax, the foolishness on our border laws, the great green bureaucracy machine, some of the massive handouts, the NBN overinvestment, restrictions on free speech, the mining tax, the addiction to green tape, the expansion of the state media, pro-union legislation and on and on and on. I suspect the return to a balanced Budget will also occur much sooner than Abbott super-cautiously indicated.
Gillard then asks:

So, given all this, as a political party of purpose, one capable of writing our nation’s story, why was Labor repudiated by the people?
Here’s a short answer: because it broke promises, imposed a useless carbon tax, bungled things like live cattle exports, spent too much and blew its Budget. Because it lied, cheated and divided.
But here’s Gillard’s version - it lost because it dumped her:
Labor comes to opposition having sent the Australian community a very cynical and shallow message about its sense of purpose.
The decision by Labor caucus to change leaders in June this year was not done on the basis of embracing a new policy agenda; it was not done because caucus now believed Kevin Rudd had the greater talent for governing. Caucus’s verdict of 2010 on that was not being revoked.
It was only done - indeed expressly done - on the basis that Labor might do better at the election.
Labor unambiguously sent a very clear message that it cared about nothing other than the prospects of survival of its members of parliament at the polls.
No alternate purpose was articulated during the election campaign that made sense to the Australian people. Kevin clearly felt constrained in running on those policies where Labor had won the national conversation, because those policies were associated with me. Yet there was not one truly original new idea to substitute as the lifeblood of the campaign.
Gillard is so in denial about her broken promise on the carbon tax that she wishes only she had lied about it - and she urges Labor to keep promising this great new tax on power bills:

Labor must continue to stand behind the significant policies which are right but are currently outside the national political consensus. Clearly, carbon pricing is the political giant of this class…
I erred by not contesting the label “tax” for the fixed price period of the emissions trading scheme I introduced… I made the wrong choice and, politically, it hurt me terribly…
Labor should not in opposition abandon our carbon pricing scheme.
Gillard urges Labor to get rid of Kevin Rudd’s dud policies instead:

But there are things that must be quickly thrown overboard. The bizarre flirtation in the campaign with “economic nationalism” and the cheap populism of appearing anti-foreign investment must be chucked out now. Poor policies like the different corporate tax rate for the Northern Territory and the hugely expensive move of naval assets from Garden Island should be ditched.

And she is rightly against Rudd’s absurd new leadership rules:

First, the rules adopted about the Labor leadership immediately prior to the election on removing the Leader should be changed. These rules literally mean that a person could hang on as Labor leader and as prime minister even if every member of cabinet, the body that should be the most powerful and collegiate in the country, has decided that person was no longer capable of functioning as prime minister. A person could hang on even if well over half of their parliamentary colleagues thought the same.
Ironically, I argue against these rules, even though under them I would have unseated Kevin Rudd in 2010, given colleagues would have signed up in sufficient numbers to have him gone, but he could never have defeated me in 2013.
A few more flicks at Rudd:

Caucus and party members should use this contest to show that Labor has moved on from its leadership being determined on the basis of opinion polls, or the number of positive media profiles, or the amount of time spent schmoozing media owners and editors, or the frippery of selfies and content-less social media… In addition, thought has to be given to the costs and consequences of poor conduct. What can and should be done when caucus colleagues dedicate themselves to destabilising others and bringing the party in to disrepute?
And then the pain:

I sat alone on election night as the results came in. I wanted it that way. I wanted to just let myself be swept up in it.
Losing power is felt physically, emotionally, in waves of sensation, in moments of acute distress..
I know too that you can feel you are fine but then suddenly someone’s words of comfort, or finding a memento at the back of the cupboard as you pack up, or even cracking jokes about old times, can bring forth a pain that hits you like a fist, pain so strong you feel it in your guts, your nerve endings.
Gillard makes some good points. Labor does need to project a sense of purpose above a hunger for power. But she is in denial: that was a challenge she spectacularly failed, not least by trashing Labor promises to grab power with the Greens support.
To justify herself she now urges Labor to keep the carbon tax she never had a mandate to introduce. In three year’s time, with the carbon tax then gone, will Labor really go into an election promising to bring it back? Would voters trust any promise that it won’t, if it doesn’t drop it fast?
(Thanks to reader Steve.)
UPDATE
Hypocrisy alert.
Reader AP:
Excuse me? Did she actually say “this bizarre flirtation during the campaign with economic nationalism”? Ms Gillard, who consistently fought to demonise foreign workers (while employing a couple of them herself)? Who paid massive handouts to “Australian” car makers? Which party consistently calls for higher import tariffs and more protectionism? Who introduced a requirement for major resource projects to hire bureaucrats to tell them where they should source plant and equipment? Who introduced a mining tax, which in its initial incarnation amounted to a 40% nationalization of that industry? Are you deluded? Trying to re-write history? Or just very, very forgetful?
Reader Mick:

It appears that Ms Gillard has a very short and selective memory: It was only done - indeed expressly done - on the basis that Labor might do better at the election. Labor unambiguously sent a very clear message that it cared about nothing other than the prospects of survival of its members of parliament at the polls.
Is this not exactly the same reason that Labor dumped Rudd for Gillard in 2010.  

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The Bolt Report tomorrow

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (8:44am)

On The Bolt Report tomorrow at 10am and 4pm: Richard Marles, Michael Kroger and John McTernan.
A bit of gloating, too. But some sound advice for a Labor party that shows no sign of having learned a thing.

The twitter feed.
The place the videos appear. 

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A good scare nearly saved Labor

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (8:22am)

It’s scary to think that better campaigning by Kevin Rudd could have made this election tight, despite the Government’s appalling record. 
Troy Bramston:

LABOR’S nightly tracking polling showed the recruitment of Peter Beattie as a candidate and the lack of a compelling reason to vote Labor sent the party’s support into a death spiral that was halted only by a switch to populist economics and a move to negative campaigning…
The party’s internal polling in key marginal seats during the campaign...reveals a collapse in Labor’s two-party-preferred vote from 49 per cent to 44 per cent in the second week of the campaign, after Mr Beattie was announced as Labor’s candidate for the Brisbane seat of Forde…
An analysis of “vote switching” prepared by Labor’s pollster UMR, also obtained by The Australian, shows the key reasons voters deserted Labor were in-fighting and disunity, followed by policies on asylum-seekers and the impact of the carbon tax on power prices… Labor voters also cited concerns over the government’s economic management, the level of debt and the budget deficit as reasons to switch their vote to other parties.
The polling showed the key reasons why the Coalition failed to win key seats in NSW and Queensland was the lack of policy announcements, delaying the release of policy costings and the unpopularity of the Opposition Leader… Labor seized on the “cuts message” as its electoral saviour and it stabilised the party’s vote for the rest of the campaign.
UPDATE
Former Labor Senator and demographer John Black’s analysis suggests Labor’s vote was propped up by the disconnected poor, the welfare dependent, the selfies-impressed young and the guilty rich. That’s not a promising coalition of self-interests:
The demographic groups maintaining support for Labor were dominated by people insulated from mainstream media, in that English was not the language spoken at home. Seats with strong overseas-born communities held out against the swing and a few, such as Fowler in western Sydney, swung strongly to Labor.
But apart from men working in skilled clerical jobs, not one occupation or industry group remained sufficiently loyal to score a place on the pro-Labor demographic table.
Instead, the Labor vote was propped up by some younger families, single parents and students on Youth Allowance. Also swinging to Labor was the big group of highly mobile voters who had moved homes in the past five years. Labor also won some support from the self-employed and from New Zealanders, Pacific Islanders and Southeast Asians…
While many former Labor voters swung to the Liberals, it seems some of the urban rich, as well as rural middle-class farmers, moved their votes marginally towards Labor...
The trouble is that the Left demographic no longer represents the working class the Left claims to, er, represent:
The preference drifts from the Greens were led by the usual suspects: pushbike commuters, agnostics, couples without kids, gays and creative arts graduates…
The preferences from minor parties to the Coalition, on the other hand, read like a demographic who’s who of the groups that used to support Labor in the days of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating: skilled blue-collar workers with trade certificates, service workers, labourers, truck commuters and young mums.
The Left too often represents the dependency class - and if the Liberals don’t tackle the handout mentality it will get outvoted in time by those with a bigger stake in hand-outs than in tax breaks. Well, so the theory goes:
The final nail in Labor’s coffin here were the families on welfare: the single mums getting parenting payments, the battlers on rent assistance or the blue-collar families on Family Tax Benefit Part A. Not even rusted-on Labor voters living on transfer payments remained loyal to Kevin Rudd’s New Way of running the ALP.
Despite all the resources allocated by the Gillard and Rudd governments to the national disability insurance scheme, disabled pensioners and their carers failed to swing their votes to Labor; in fact there was a non-significant movement in the reverse direction.
Not many votes for Labor’s other big promise on the never-never:
When we looked at the charts for education we see that for all the money and effort Labor put into the Gonski funding reforms, there was no significant swing to Labor nationally from parents of any current education group… The evidence shows parents of schoolchildren are looking for better education outcomes rather than more funding...
As for Labor’s obsession with its newest moral cause:
Rudd’s outspoken advocacy of gay marriage cost him votes where it hurt most: in the outer suburbs of the major cities, where cheaper housing attracts working-class evangelicals and welfare groups, who are living and voting in the same seats as the original middle-income farmers… Rudd’s gay marriage advocacy also failed to win any swings from seats containing the bulk of the younger, inner-urban gay demographics.
The unions wasted their members’ money:
If the ALP or the ACTU were running a campaign supporting Labor across any of the 19 major industries there was no sign of it, with not one significant male industry-based swing to Labor candidates.
Another Labor “achievement” gets no reward in votes:

Those homes with dial-up, which had swung to Labor in 2010 and which presumably would benefit from the NBN, swung against Labor this year.
Black credits Rudd with saving an astonishing 25 seats:

Despite his best efforts at electoral self-harm, the 55 seats and 46.8 per cent of the preferred vote won by Rudd was about 25 seats and 6.8 per cent ahead of the results we were anticipating under Gillard.
UPDATE
Nick Cater on the Liberal advances on middle and working-class Australia - as represented by 15 seats in west and northwest Sydney:

At the 1993 election, Labor won 57 per cent of the primary vote across the 15 seats and the Liberals just 34 per cent. Even in 1996, the “Howard battler” election, Labor had a clear lead of 47 per cent to 40 per cent.
This year, for the first time, the parties are level on 43 per cent.
Like John Howard, Abbott appears suited for western Sydney. His socially conservative views that irritate his critics in politics and the media are readily accepted in the west of Sydney where attachment to family, tradition and religion is keenly felt.
Does Labor, with its obsession with handouts and identity politics, understand the heartland?

In the 15 seats, couples in registered marriages outnumber couples in unregistered relationships by 10-1; in the rest of the country, couples are twice as likely to cohabit.
Work patterns are different too: western Sydney residents are likelier to work in the private sector than those elsewhere…
Counter to received political wisdom, the people of western Sydney appear not to be looking for handouts. They are less likely to collect all major categories of welfare, with the exception of the Youth Allowance…
Abbott’s Menzian self-help rhetoric - lifters, not leaners; a hand up, not a handout - is well tuned for this audience…
By portraying ethnic minorities as disadvantaged and vulnerable, Labor convinced itself that the party of redistribution was the non-European migrant’s natural home.
Yet, across the board, migrants from Asia and the Middle East are strongly socially conservative… They put a premium on education and their work ethic is strong.
(Thanks to reader Peter of Bellevue Hill.) 

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From the party that ran up record deficits, this membership offer

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (8:15am)

image
Reader The Village Idiot (Reformed):
Hi Andrew, Got an email from the ALP urging me to join. I wanted to see how much it cost and went to https://www.nswalp.com/new-membership/.

As you can see, “General” membership is $25.00 for 1 year or $135.00 for 3 years representing a 10% saving according to the boffins at Sussex Street, Sydney.

By my calcs, 3 years @ $25.00 pa = $75.00, less 10% of $7.50 = $67.50, not the $135.00 demanded. They actually want you to pay a 100% penalty by joining for 3 years.

I’m thinking of reporting them to the ACCC, the NSW Department of Fair Trading and my former Maths teacher. With overcharging like this, why couldn’t they deliver a surplus ???

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Chris Kenny’s classy response to the ABC’s vilification

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (8:12am)

How does the ABC justify what it did to Kenny? How does it justify that gross image and vile language?
UPDATE
Why is managing director Mark Scott flushing the ABC down the sewer? This week it was an ABC 1 show calling Kenny a “dogf...ker” and photoshopping a picture of him to match.
Now this:

The ABC has launched a series of music videos about its lesser-known digital station ABC2 to raise awareness and build awareness of its brand…
Stuart Menzies, ABC2 controller, said he gave the artists a simple brief: produce two 60 second musical numbers that refer to the digital television channel, however they like.
With no holds barred the Bondi Hipsters threw in the line ‘ABC2 can suck my dick’ and approach the difficulties viewers have finding the station on the remote with the line, “Why the f*ck is ABC2 so hard to find?”
The video - paid for with your money - is here.
Why is the ABC legitimising this stuff? 

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The worst advice an angry Labor could take

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (7:53am)

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Peter Hartcher, channeling Labor, outlines a political strategy dictated more by rage than reason - a strategy somewhere between dumb and dangerous:

It’s the Abbott model of how to destroy a government. And guess what? The Labor party noticed.
Rule No. 1: Don’t give the government a thing. Fight it up hill, down dale, day in day out. Be strident, be angry, be unreasonable. Apply maximum pressure and see what cracks.
Contest: Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese’s clash is one of Right v Left factions.

Rule No. 2: Don’t allow the government to control the narrative. Make a lot of noise. Fill the airwaves with angry dissent and maximum outrage. Generate an impression of disorder. If you control the narrative, you control the psychological battlespace.

Rule No. 3: Exploit the deadliest of all contemporary policy issues, the one that was central to the downfall of the last three prime ministers: climate change. This remains a potent issue and will remain so for years.,,
Whether it’s Anthony Albanese or Bill Shorten leading the Labor Party, you can be confident the opposition will apply the Abbott model.
I cannot believe Hartcher and Labor could be so blind to history and the numbers.
Abbott’s strategy, grossly caricatured here, worked because of four things which Hartcher almost completely overlooks.

First, Labor was so incompetent in office - especially on boats, broken promises, class war, mega-spending and tax policy - that there was plenty for Abbott to criticise. Indeed, on most issues where Abbott was most adamant in Opposition, he proved right and Labor conceded error. Lesson for Labor: oppose what should be opposed to make Abbott’s failures the issue, not your whingeing, particularly if it’s futile.
Second, Labor for three years was a minority government. Any twist could have ended it, which made Abbott’s oppositional tactics potentially lethal - and newsworthy. But Abbott in government will have a margin of at least 30 votes, as well as a Senate in which from July the Greens and Labor will lose their power to block legislation. There is no air of crisis for Labor to exploit. Lesson for Labor:  opposition when you are so far behind must be driven more by principle, not power politics. It’s more about exposing real failures - and defining your own virtues - than it is about an imminent toppling of the government.
Third, Labor after the 2010 election broke a fundamental promise on the carbon tax to seize government. That made it illegitimate in the eyes of many voters, and legitimised any opposition to it. Abbott has a mandate Gillard never had. Lesson for Labor: opposing Abbott is one thing, but opposing the will of the voters a dangerous other.
Fourth, yes, indeed, global warming was central to the downfall of two Labor leaders and one Coalition one (not John Howard, actually, but Malcolm Turnbull). But it was deadly not because those leaders opposed the global warming faith but because they fell for it, promising more than they could deliver or delivering what they promised not to, in the arrogant belief the cause justified the means. If Labor keep pushing the global warming scare - and a form of carbon tax - it will be destroyed again. The carbon tax will be Labor’s WorkChoices. Lesson for Labor: do not fight to save the carbon tax.
In short, Labor should ignore every bit of Hartcher’s advice, and resist its own angry inclinations.
Fight like fury, yes, but only on those issues that will define Labor virtues or expose Coalition failure.
UPDATE
Bill Kelty is absolutely right:
FORMER ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has accused Labor of underestimating Tony Abbott for years, declaring the party’s breach of trust with voters over the carbon tax was a bigger cause of its defeat than the disunity cited by senior ALP figures…
“… when Julia Gillard actually announced the Greens policy (of introducing a carbon tax), people saw it as a breach of faith, a breach of trust… All the other things don’t matter. When that essential covenant of trust between the electorate and those who are elected is broken, it’s very, very hard to rebuild.”
And he’s right on how Labor should oppose:

I think the best way to deal with Abbott is to deal with him honestly, combatively and fairly...
UPDATE
Paul Kelly on Labor’s gift to Tony Abbott - its religious adherence to a carbon tax:

Abbott’s game plan is obvious. He will roll up the repeal bills [to scrap the tax] as soon as possible. He wants to force Labor to declare its hand. After Labor votes against repeal, Abbott will move to discredit it as a party unable to accept its defeat.
When Abbott subsequently carries his repeal bills from mid-2014 the door opens to a new landscape: Labor campaigning to resurrect the carbon tax (as a floating price) thereby gifting Abbott PM a permanent campaign against it.
And to think Labor portrayed Abbott as the religious bigot who’d put his God above the will of the people.
Terry McCrann makes the very same point - with added science:

Tony Abbott will work with this majority to get the carbon tax abolished. He will again defy the critics, by showing himself a very adept negotiator.
The carbon tax will have gone by the time of the next election. Will the next opposition leader promise to bring it back? In the context of a world that had stopped warming and which had turned its collective back on mandatory CO2 cuts?

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In defence of Pinochet

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (7:50am)

Dr Peter Phelps in the NSW Legislative Council:

Last night two members of this place lamented the overthrow of Salvador Allende’s regime in Chile 40 years ago today. Tonight I make the case for Augusto Pinochet. There are many who believe that General Pinochet was a reluctant hero, a morally courageous man, who not only saved his country from communism but also whose adoption of the Chicago school of economics brought prosperity to his country. Pinochet stopped an avowed communist from creating a new Cuba in South America. First, we have to come to a realisation—one that far too many people, especially those opposite, are reluctant to arrive at. We have to accept that sometimes it is necessary to do bad things to prevent terrible things from happening…
It is all too easy to say, “We believe we should never sanction dictatorship” or that we should have no truck with evil, but such principles are foolish and self-defeating in the real world. We should ask ourselves whether in hindsight it would have been better to have had an illiberal Tsar or a murderous Stalin. Indeed, the Left’s moral position is basically one of placing one’s own sensibilities before the requirements of survival. Those who denounce Pinochet appear to be totally ignorant of the historical reality in Chile at the time of the military coup on 11 September 1973.
Salvador Allende was not some mild-mannered social democrat. The choice was not between popular socialism and a military regime; the choices on offer were full-blown communism and civil war, or military rule. Allende was elected with only one-third of the vote for his party, roughly the same as Hitler was. He was installed as president based on his immediately broken promise to respect the rule of law…
On 26 May 1973 Chile’s Supreme Court unanimously denounced the Allende regime’s “disruption of the legality of the nation” in its failure to uphold judicial decisions…

The Greens moralists opposite are the first people to get up in this Chamber and spruik about the primacy of parliaments. They are the first people to spruik about the role of judicial authority, but in this instance Chile’s Supreme Court unanimously denounced Allende, and its Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly resolved that he was being unconstitutional. In spite of all that, the Chilean armed forces held off. Pinochet did not move until both the legislature and judiciary had condemned the abuse of executive power. The Allende Government was operating contrary to law, was preparing to launch a civil war and was planning to turn Chile into a Soviet state. Yes, Pinochet killed people. If anyone knows of any other way to overthrow a government than by military force, then let me hear about it.
Yes, Pinochet killed people. According to the 2011 commission, the regime killed some 3,065 people over 17 years and that is a terrible number. But the Marxist Sandinistas in Nicaragua killed just as many in the first few years of their regime—and members opposite love the Sandinistas. Yes, Pinochet killed people; he killed people at the rate of about 15 per month. But according to the Black Book of Communism between 1959 and 1997 the Castro regime in Cuba killed between 15,000 and 17,000 people, or at twice the rate of Pinochet. Yet do members opposite criticise Castro? No, they idolise him. They idolise a man who killed people at a rate twice that of Pinochet. I ask those opposite: What would they have done in Chile in September 1973 to prevent it from becoming a brutal Communist state like Cuba?
Actually, the Left doesn’t seem that upset if the state kills civilians, as long as it’s in the Left’s cause:

The Daily Telegraph asked one of the volunteers manning the makeshift stalls if they believed Marxism was responsible for any deaths throughout history.
”Only people who deserved it,” he replied.
(Thanks to readers JH and CA.) 

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Rudd forgives Labor after ruining it

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (7:34am)

It’s sweet of Kevin Rudd to forgive Labor for what he did to it:

Outgoing prime minister Kevin Rudd gave his farewell speech as leader of the Australian Labor Party, telling his colleagues there were no hard feelings, even for his enemies.
‘’To those who have made these criticisms, I bear none of you any malice,’’ Mr Rudd told his caucus colleagues on Friday.

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A tangle of hatreds

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (7:08am)

The Middle East explained:
image
(Thanks to reader Sharper.) 

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Abbott prepares

Andrew Bolt September 14 2013 (6:35am)

So what has Tony Abbott been doing in this past week of near-invisibility, while Labor continues to be in the eye of the media hurricane?
Never before in Australian politics has there been such a quiet transition to a new administration. Not a single news conference from the prime minister-elect. Hardly a peep from MPs who will be sworn in as ministers within days.
Abbott and his team ignored the hungry media beast’s demands to be fed. Instead, they worked away quietly and methodically behind the scenes, preparing for an orderly and unhurried takeover of the levers of power. And the country got on perfectly well…
Abbott likes to say that while opposition is 90% theatre and 10% hard policy grind, government is the reverse of that. Although he is not yet sworn in, he spent long hours during the week with Dr Ian Watt, head of the prime minister’s department, getting things in place.
Legislation - including bills to abolish the carbon tax and the mining tax - is being drafted and will be discussed by the new Cabinet on Monday week. Letters have been drafted for each incoming minister setting out their responsibilities and exactly what is expected of them.
Abbott’s back-to-basics approach will be reflected in the portfolio titles. No longer will there be a Minister for Environment, Heritage and Water, for example-just an Environment Minister. Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship will be simplified to Immigration. And so on.

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Madu Odiokwu Pastorvin
Father,I thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. Thank You for believing in me, for giving me a hope and a future. Today I choose to stretch; I choose increase; I choose to rise up higher so that I can be all You’ve created me to be in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Madu Odiokwu Pastorvin
Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back.(Isaiah 54:2, NIV)
We serve a big God with big plans for your future. Maybe some things haven’t worked out the way you thought they should because those plans were too small. Maybe it’s time to stretch yourself further and get a bigger vision for your life. If you’re not sure how to do that, start by asking God to increase your thinking. Ask Him to increase your capacity to receive from Him. Ask Him to enlarge your tent stakes. Continue to meditate on His Word and spend time in His presence, then watch what He will do as you stretch and grow in Him.

He wants you to experience His abundance. He wants you to constantly be increasing. He wants you to be happy in your marriage. He wants you to enjoy your work. He wants you to be continually rising to new heights. If you’re in sales, God wants you to lead that company. If you’re an athlete, God wants you to set new records. If you’re a mom, God wants you to be the best mom that you can possibly be.Stretch further and see what He can do in your life.God bless you.

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Pastor Rick Warren
"Even while laughing a heart can ache." Proverbs 14:13 (GW)

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Pastor Rick Warren
#Faith is following God's leading without knowing where.

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J.John

Friends in London please see this http://t.co/4mcLBYFd7l
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J.John

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Jim Elliot http://t.co/3KQFJ2n2Jb
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J.John
Christianity must mean everything to us before it can mean anything to others.
Donald Soper http://t.co/IXK9QpkqHe

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J.John

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 http://t.co/LUAkbPt68w
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J.John

If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you do not like, it is not the gospel you…http://t.co/IcIUQDpaNn
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J.John
We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have…http://t.co/uLsYoeQSWM

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Here is Obama sitting down in the Oval Office at the White House with his brother Malik Obama. 
Malik Obama is the treasurer for the Muslim Brotherhood. 
He also is a U.S. citizen, and received 501 c 3 Tax Exempt Status from the IRS's Lois Lerner without any question! 
This is while conservative groups were targeted by the IRS. 
This is who Barack Obama secretly steals billions from the U.S. Treasury and bribes the Muslim Brotherhood through and the Cairo consulate.
In the comments below is a document showing these bribes to the Morsi Egyptian Muslim Bortherhood before they were overthrown and put in prison.
This document was then seized by the Egyptians and given to the media and the Egyptian prosecution as evidence.
Notice how the media is all over this treason ???
They are yellow cowards !!!
The Egyptians have a media that is free compared to the United States in 2013.
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Ali Kadhim
How we like to get our stretch on! #team9lives#warriortraining #mindbodysoul
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"The demographic groups maintaining support for Labor were dominated by people insulated from mainstream media, in that English was not the language spoken at home."
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4 her
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Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University have reported a major breakthrough in the field of HIV research, claiming they have created a vaccine that completely eradicates the virus that causes AIDS in some monkeys. Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ptlgfth
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The Liberty Treehouse "Beyond the Blackboard" starts now on TheBlaze.com/TV. Tania, Pat, and myself will all be joining this special program to talk about the problems facing our kids in school and the steps families can take to find solutions outside the classroom. Don't miss it.
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PARENTAL WARNING: Fairtrading have issued a warning to parents to check their homes for potential risks of blind cord strangulation to babies and children.

Meet the couple who recently lost their 18 month old son and are hoping their story will serve as a warning to other families.

Mark Burrows reports in 9 News at 6pm TONIGHT on Channel 9. 
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You lost because supporters of gun rights didn't like you - deal with it and stop being a sore loser.

Watch this Democrat get cut off for whining on CNN...
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Syrian rebel leader claims that the Assad regime has transferred chemical weapons to the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah amid talks to ensure the transfer of Syria’s WMDs to international authorities for destruction...
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Dr. Phil
Are you the victim of a vindictive boyfriend? Click here:http://bit.ly/VindictiveBoyfriend

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4 Americans lost their lives last September 11, but NBC only wanted to show Hillary's "Liberty" award.

Click for details...
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Thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes in and around Boulder, Colorado amid massive flooding. Officials say all 2,000 residents of nearby Lyons, Colorado, will have to evacuate if they have not done so already. Watch the latest report and video: http://tinyurl.com/m5n7hnn
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Didn't Obama tell us we could keep our health insurance coverage if we like it?

Defend this, Democrats...
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"The kid had a Google+ page and clearly on his page, he was planning his death. Somebody should have stepped forth and helped this kid. He was obviously in so much pain." -Ross Ellis, founder/CEO of Stomp Out Bullying
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HISTORY IN THE HEADLINES: This week, NASA confirmed that the Voyager 1 spacecraft has accomplished a remarkable feat: It's become the first man-made object to leave the heliosphere and reach interstellar space, nearly four decades after it was launched. Get the facts behind this historic moment: http://histv.co/18Y1Ow7
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Yom Kippur is unique in Israel because it touches almost the entire country...

Gmar Chatimah Tovah to all who observe.
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In a ghost town devoured by the Namibian Desert
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If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Click here for more: http://bit.ly/RAINN_Hotline 
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FACT: Feinstein's Bill invents the power for government to decide who is a "real" reporterhttp://bit.ly/1bfwT37. FACT: If you defend this, you want a government-controlled media. FACT: We will work to remove from office any Republican who backs this. Democrats: Yes or no, will you help remove this woman from office?http://bit.ly/1bfwT37
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Doormat protected by doormats .. but for the corruption, there is no complaint from those used ..

WASHINGTON –  Federal investigators reportedly are looking into Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and its ties to a corruption case against a D.C. businessman sources say bankrolled questionable political operations.  
Investigators have been looking into claims that Jeffrey Thompson allegedly shelled out more than a half million dollars to fund secret “street teams” operating in Texas, North Carolina, Indiana and Pennsylvania for Clinton’s 2008 campaign.  
The teams would canvas neighborhoods and look for strategies to target voters in predominantly black and Hispanic precincts.
The Washington Post reported Friday that investigators are now turning their attention to Minyon Moore, a senior Clinton campaign adviser, and her role in arranging the street teams. The development comes as Clinton weighs a 2016 bid for the presidency. 
The issue, according to a review of court documents, is that the creation of an off-the-books campaign with the cooperation of a senior campaign adviser could violate campaign finance rules. However, to do that, the government would have to prove that the creation and funding of the street teams violated federal campaign contribution limits.
Sources reportedly say Thompson is being accused of paying for the street teams, Moore is being investigated for her role in arranging them and New York marketing executive Troy White is accused of running them.
On Wednesday, White pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for failing to file $600,000 in tax returns reflecting the amount that his company Wytehouse Marketing Inc. was paid to run the street teams.
Calls made to Moore’s employer, Dewey Square Group, were not immediately returned Friday. The company told the Post that Moore was "unaware of any inappropriate activities" and is cooperating. 
Lyn Utrecht, an attorney for Clinton’s 2008 campaign, said that the campaign “has cooperated fully” in the White case.
According to the Post, Washington prosecutors “remain focused on building a case against Thompson, whom they allege secretly poured $653,000 into an illegal off-the-books campaign to elect D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray.”


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/14/feds-looking-into-clinton-2008-campaign-for-links-to-dc-corruption-case/#ixzz2erodrMdN
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A NAKEDMiley Cyrus is riding a dolphin, a giraffe, or straddling the Eiffel Tower.
Since releasing her new "Wrecking Ball" music video which sparked derision for the vision of her naked on a demolition site and licking a sledgehammer, meme-makers on the internet have gone to town.
Miley Cyrus in her
Miley Cyrus meme: astride a leaping dolphin.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/naked-miley-memes-flood-the-web/story-e6frfmqi-1226719045607#ixzz2erorAMxP
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For the last 900 Sundays or so, Jay Goldinger has led the volunteer Food on Foot effort helping salvage hundreds of Los Angeles’ homeless from the dangers and despair of the gutter towards a future of full of hope. 
At the end of the first week of the no-nonsense program, the participants are given a hand-mirror: “take a good look”, they’re told, “you’re looking at the enemy.”

Yom Kippur is the Jewish people’s mirror.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/13/why-is-evil-triumphing-in-syria-this-yom-kippur-all-need-to-take-honest-look-in/?intcmp=HPBucket#ixzz2epEK2csg
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The winner for 2013 was divided between two Belarus institutions: President Alexander Lukashenko who decreed it was illegal to applaud in public, and the Belarus police force who later arrested a one-armed man for clapping.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/ig-nobel-awards-laugh-at-silly-science-research-this-year8217s-top-contender-surgery-for-duckgnawed-penises/story-fn5fsgyc-1226719016764#ixzz2ep7iz3dn
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Pastor Rick Warren
Tonight I teach "The 6 Ways God Tests Our Faith" to #WomenOfFaith at the Honda Convention Center in Anaheim #KariJobe

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Pastor Rick Warren

Wow! "SON OF GOD" the movie by the same producers of #TheBible TV series (Mark Burnett and Roma Downey) will release in THEATERS 2014! http://bit.ly/14NBHe9
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Sarah Palin
My best wishes to the Jewish community today as Yom Kippur is celebrated. This is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holy days wherein we’re reminded of humanity’s timeless struggle for peace and justice in a world in need of redemption. May we never cease striving for these ideals, may we never lose hope in the ultimate goodness of God, and may we always seek His unearned mercy and grace. It is amazing that He miraculously and freely gives to those who ask and accept.

I received such a meaningful gift yesterday from friends in New York. This photo shows the rose they sent me; it’s handcrafted out of the remains of rockets fired at Sderot and other Israeli communities from Gaza. The sculpture represents people who grow roses from rockets, “creating beauty from ashes,” representing an Israel that has endured so much. May the people of Israel know who their friends are, and may they know peace.

- Sarah Palin
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How about sending the world broke through meaningless action? - ed
news conference

FOR decades Hollywood has been making films about the end of the world and how, sometimes, plucky humans manage to avert it.
Now some of the world's finest minds have come together to draw up some real-life doomsday scenarios - and work out how mankind could avoid being wiped out.
From killer computers to crippling cyber-attacks by terrorists using the internet to the release of engineered diseases, the members of the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk warn that the future could be far from rosy.
But once the threats have been identified the group - led by Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and including Stephen Hawking - intends to devise ways of "ensuring our own species has a long-term future".
Although nuclear annihilation and a giant asteroid obliterating the planet remain distinct, if unlikely, possibilities, Lord Rees believes "the main threats to sustained human existence now come from people, not from nature".
Other scenarios being considered by the 27-strong group - which also involves academics from Oxford, Imperial, Harvard and Berkeley - include extreme weather, fast-spreading pandemics, and war or sabotage resulting in a shortage of food and resources.
Speaking at the British Science Festival at Newcastle University, Lord Rees said: "In future decades, events with low probability but catastrophic consequences may loom high on the political agenda.
"That's why some of us in Cambridge - both natural and social scientists - plan, with colleagues at Oxford and elsewhere, to inaugurate a research programme to compile a more complete register of these 'existential risks', and to assess how to enhance resilience against the more credible ones."
Lord Rees's co-founders in CSER are Jaan Tallinn, one of the people behind internet phone service Skype, and Cambridge philosopher Professor Huw Price.
The group says in its manifesto: "Our goal is to steer a small fraction of Cambridge's great intellectual resources ... to the task of ensuring that our own species has a long-term future. In the process, we hope to make it a little more certain that we humans will be around to celebrate the university's own millennium, now less than two centuries hence."
CSER member Professor David Spiegelhalter, a Cambridge statistician, said: "Asteroids crashing on Earth are an existential threat, but there is not really a lot we can do about preventing such an event.
"The ones that we are not so well aware of are the technological threats. Our reliance on technology leaves us vulnerable to it. We use interconnected systems for everything from power, to food supply and banking, which means there can be real trouble if things go wrong or they are sabotaged.
"In a modern, efficient world, we no longer stockpile food. If the supply is disrupted for any reason, it would take about 48 hours before it runs out and riots begin."
How the world could end, according to the world's biggest brains:
Intelligent technology: A network of computers could develop a mind of its own. Machines could direct resources towards their own goals at the expense of human needs such as food and threaten mankind.
Cyber attacks: Power grids, air traffic control, banking and communications rely on interconnected computer systems. If these networks collapse due to action by enemy nations or terrorists, the paralysis could result in society breaking down.
Engineered infection: A man-made super virus or bacteria with no antidote escapes the lab or is released by terrorists. Millions die.
Food supply sabotage: Efficient distribution networks mean many Western nations have only 48 hours worth of food stockpiled. Any disruption would result in panic buying and riots.
Extreme weather: As the Earth continues to warm a tipping point is reached and the process snowballs, resulting in irreversible and worsening natural disasters.
Fast-spreading pandemic: International travel means a new killer virus, mutated from animals, could travel the globe in days, wiping out millions before a vaccine can be developed.
War: Growing populations put a strain on water and food resources. Nations will go to war to protect or capture these precious supplies.
Nuclear apocalypse: Nations with atom bombs launch targeted strikes leading to all-out warfare and global loss of life. Also fears nuclear warheads could fall into terrorist hands.
Asteroid impact: A giant asteroid is believed to have killed off the dinosaurs. Some fear a similar impact could do the same for mankind.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/geniuses-predict-how-the-world-will-end-and-how-to-avoid-it/story-fn5fsgyc-1226718860033#ixzz2erqPrHFg
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It's National Foster Care Week. Hundreds of kids 5 years + desperately need a permanent home. Meet three of them: http://bit.ly/16mykco
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Dr. Phil

"Don’t take advantage. Take them home." – Leah, whose 17-year-old daughter took her own life after allegedly being raped and bullied.http://bit.ly/DRP091313 #DrPhil
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Hi everyone! Here's the MichelleMalkin.com newsletter for September 13th. Enjoy!

From the Blog

The epic meltdown of the gun-grabbers

COLORADO SPRINGS — Quick, call the CDC. We’ve got a Rocky Mountain outbreak of Acute Sore Loser Fever...

Video timeline of the Obama administration’s continually evolving Syria policy

Here’s decisively indecisive video demonstrating the “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” approach to foreign policy in action...

Harry Reid: The anarchists have taken over Congress!

Harry Reid’s upset about something again, which must mean something potentially good for America is going on...

More From the Right Side of the Web

Featured Video

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Last night on "Hannity," Michelle debated Juan Williams on Syria.

Michelle's Top Tweets

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And ... Our Hate Tweet of the Day

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Mmm ... banana.

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September 14: Feast of the Cross (Christianity); Yom Kippur ends at nightfall (Judaism, 2013)
Nur Muhammad Taraki

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Events[edit source | editbeta]

Births[edit source | editbeta]

Deaths[edit source | editbeta]

Holidays and observances[edit source | editbeta]


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“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 NIV
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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning

"Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain also filleth the pools."
Psalm 84:6
This teaches us that the comfort obtained by a one may often prove serviceable to another; just as wells would be used by the company who came after. We read some book full of consolation, which is like Jonathan's rod, dropping with honey. Ah! we think our brother has been here before us, and digged this well for us as well as for himself. Many a "Night of Weeping," "Midnight Harmonies," an "Eternal Day," "A Crook in the Lot," a "Comfort for Mourners," has been a well digged by a pilgrim for himself, but has proved quite as useful to others. Specially we notice this in the Psalms, such as that beginning, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" Travellers have been delighted to see the footprint of man on a barren shore, and we love to see the waymarks of pilgrims while passing through the vale of tears.
The pilgrims dig the well, but, strange enough, it fills from the top instead of the bottom. We use the means, but the blessing does not spring from the means. We dig a well, but heaven fills it with rain. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. The means are connected with the end, but they do not of themselves produce it. See here the rain fills the pools, so that the wells become useful as reservoirs for the water; labour is not lost, but yet it does not supersede divine help.
Grace may well be compared to rain for its purity, for its refreshing and vivifying influence, for its coming alone from above, and for the sovereignty with which it is given or withheld. May our readers have showers of blessing, and may the wells they have digged be filled with water! Oh, what are means and ordinances without the smile of heaven! They are as clouds without rain, and pools without water. O God of love, open the windows of heaven and pour us out a blessing!

Evening

"This man receiveth sinners."
Luke 15:2
Observe the condescension of this fact. This Man, who towers above all other men, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners--this Man receiveth sinners. This Man, who is no other than the eternal God, before whom angels veil their faces--this Man receiveth sinners. It needs an angel's tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love. That any of us should be willing to seek after the lost is nothing wonderful--they are of our own race; but that he, the offended God, against whom the transgression has been committed, should take upon himself the form of a servant, and bear the sin of many, and should then be willing to receive the vilest of the vile, this is marvellous.
"This Man receiveth sinners"; not, however, that they may remain sinners, but he receives them that he may pardon their sins, justify their persons, cleanse their hearts by his purifying word, preserve their souls by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and enable them to serve him, to show forth his praise, and to have communion with him. Into his heart's love he receives sinners, takes them from the dunghill, and wears them as jewels in his crown; plucks them as brands from the burning, and preserves them as costly monuments of his mercy. None are so precious in Jesus' sight as the sinners for whom he died. When Jesus receives sinners, he has not some out-of-doors reception place, no casual ward where he charitably entertains them as men do passing beggars, but he opens the golden gates of his royal heart, and receives the sinner right into himself--yea, he admits the humble penitent into personal union and makes him a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. There was never such a reception as this! This fact is still most sure this evening, he is still receiving sinners: would to God sinners would receive him.
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Today's reading: Proverbs 16-18, 2 Corinthians 6 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway

Today's Old Testament reading: Proverbs 16-18

1 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.
2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the LORD.
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
4 The LORD works out everything to its proper end—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided.

Today's New Testament reading: 2 Corinthians 6 

1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Paul’s Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything....
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Joseph

[Jō'zeph] - may god add or increaser.
  1. Poetic description of the descendants of Joseph the son of Jacob (Deut. 33:13).
  2. The Father of Igal, one of the spies sent by Moses into Canaan (Num. 13:7).
  3. A son of Asaph (1 Chron. 25:2, 9).
  4. A man of the family of Bani who had taken a foreign wife ( Ezra 10:42).
  5. A priest of the family of Shebaniah in Joaakim's time (Neh. 12:14).
  6. Ancestor of Joseph, Mary's husband (Luke 3:24).
  7. Another ancestor of Joseph in the same line (Luke 3:26).
  8. A more remote ancestor of Joseph, Mary's husband (Luke 3:30).
  9. A disciple nominated with Matthias to take the place of Judas Iscariot among the disciples. Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:23). This Joseph must have been a commendable Christian since he was nominated as an apostle.
  10. The eleventh son of Jacob and first of Rachel, and one of the most outstanding men of the Bible, meriting honorable mention (Gen. 30:24, 25).

The Man Whose Dream Came True

The story of this young man who went from pit to palace and from rags to riches, never loses its charm for young and old alike. It would take a book itself to fully portray all the vicissitudes and virtues of Joseph, who kept his record clean. All that we can do in our treatment of him is to suggest a few aspects of his character for development.
Joseph was a youthful dreamer and his dream came true (Gen. 37:5-9; 41:42-44).
Joseph labored as a slave, but was faithful in hard places (Gen. 39:1-6, 20-23).
Joseph enjoyed the presence of God and won the confidence of his master (Gen. 39:2, 4).
Joseph had physical beauty, but it was never a snare to him (Gen. 39:6).
Joseph resisted temptation. His godless mistress could not seduce him. Grace was his to flee youthful lusts. Thus he did not commit a "great wickedness" (Gen. 39:7-13).
Joseph was silent amid foul accusations and the appearance of guilt and unjust punishment (Gen. 39:14-20 ).
Joseph was unspoiled by sudden prosperity. When days of honor followed days of humiliation, he did not yield to pride (Gen. 41:14-16).
Joseph the interpreter of dreams proved that "prison walls do not a prison make." He acknowledged his dependence upon God for illumination, proving that he was not a mere dreamer but an interpreter of dreams (Gen. 40).
Joseph manifested great wisdom, brotherly love, filial devotion and utter submission to God (Gen. 43:20; 45:8, 14, 23; 47:7 ). He knew how to return good for evil (Gen. 50:16-21). If we cannot have all the gifts of Joseph, who is a perfect type of Christ, we can certainly covet all his graces. If we cannot have his greatness, we can certainly emulate his goodness.
R. W. Moss says, "A very high place must be given Joseph among the early founders of his race. In strength of right purpose he was second to none, whilst in graces of reverence and kindness, of insight and assurance, he became the type of a faith that is at once personal and national (Heb. 11:22 ), and allows neither misery nor a career of triumph to eclipse the sense of Divine destiny."
11. The husband of Mary, and foster-father of our Lord (Matt. 1:16-24; 2:13; Luke 1:27; 2:4-43; 3:23; 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42).

The Man of Wood and Nails

It is somewhat unique that two Josephs were associated with Christ, one at His birth and the other at His death. Both of these godly men gave Jesus of their best. In this section we think of Joseph the carpenter, who was present at the manger when Jesus was born, even though he was not His father. While Christ came as the Son of Man, He was never a son of a man.
Joseph's presence at Christ's birth witnesses to a severe test that had emerged triumphant. Mary was the pure young woman he had fallen in love with, and was about to make his wife. Yet the Child she was about to bear would not be his. Seeing her "great with child," without fanfare Joseph was minded to put her away. He never acted rashly with his espoused, although he was baffled by her condition. This serves for all time as an example of godly wisdom and tender consideration for others.
Bitterly disappointed that Mary had apparently betrayed him, yet believing, he made no haste. As a praying man he waited upon God, and his love for and patience with Mary were rewarded. God understood his mental difficulties and rewarded Joseph's conscientious attitude toward Mary by revealing His redemptive plan. God never fails those who carry their anxieties to Him. Joseph received a direct and distinct revelation from God, and at once his fears were banished, and his line of duty made clear.
Tenderly he cared for his dear one as if the Child she was bearing were his own. Overawed by the mystery of it all, that his beloved Mary had been chosen as the mother of the Lord he as a devout Jew had eagerly anticipated, we can imagine how he would superintend every detail of the Nativity.
What holy thoughts must have filled the mind of Mary's guardian. Where suspicion regarding Mary's purity once lurked, strong faith now reigned as he looked into the lovely face of Mary's Child. At last God's promises had been fulfilled and before him was the Babe through whom God's covenants would be established.
When it became necessary because of Herod's hatred to flee into Egypt, Joseph cared for Mary and her first-born Son with reverent devotion until tidings came that Herod was dead, and that they could safely return to their own land. While a shroud of secrecy covers the thirty years Christ spent at home, we can be sure of this, that between Jesus and Joseph there was an affection strong and deep.
Briefly stated, we have these glimpses of Joseph:
I. He was "a son of David" and could claim royal or priestly descent (Matt. 1:20).
II. His family belonged to Bethlehem, David's city.
III. He followed the trade of carpenter, and doubtless taught Christ how to use wood and nails (Matt. 13:55).
IV. He was a pious Israelite, faithful in all the ordinances of the Temple (Luke 2:22-24, 41, 42).
V. He was a kindly, charitable man, treating Mary gently in her time of need (Matt. 1:19; Luke 2:1-7).
VI. He was faithful in his care of Christ, and deserved to be called His "father" (Luke 2:33. John 1:45; 6:42).
VII. He never appears in the Gospels after Christ was twelve years of age and became "a son of the Law" (Luke 2:41-51), which may suggest that he died during the interval. This would explain why Jesus at His death asked John to care for His mother.
VIII. He died, tradition says, at the age of 111 years, when Jesus was but eighteen years of age.
12. Joseph of Arimathaea, a secret disciple of Jesus, whose unused grave was surrendered to Jesus. Thus the One born in a virgin womb was buried in a virgin tomb ( Matt. 27:57-60; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50; John 19:38).

The Man Who Gave His Grave to Jesus

This wealthy and devout Israelite, a member of the Sanhedrin, lived in a city of Jews (Luke 23:51). It is to the provision he made for the body of Christ that Isaiah had reference when he said, "He made His grave with the rich" (Isa. 53:9). Of this renowned Joseph we discover:
1. He was an honorable counselor (Mark 15:43 ). Because of his adherence to the Law and integrity of life he was a member of the governing body known as the Sanhedrin.
II. He looked for the kingdom of God. Immersed in Old Testament Scriptures, he anticipated the reign of the promised Messiah.
III. He was "a good man and just" (Luke 23:50, 51). As the Bible never uses words unnecessarily, there must be a distinction between "good" and "just." As a "good man" we have his own internal disposition - what he was in himself. As a "just man" we have his external conduct - what he was towards others. His just dealings were the fruit of the root of his goodness. His was the belief that knew how to behave.
IV. He was a secret disciple (John 19:38). Joseph of Arimathaea was similar to Nicodemus in his respect for our Lord as a man, admiration for Him as a teacher, belief in Him as the Christ, and yet, till now, his lack of confessing Him before men. Dreading the hostility of his colleagues on the Sanhedrin, he kept his faith secret.
V. He begged the body of Jesus (Matt. 27:58 ). As soon as Jesus was dead, Joseph hastened to Pilate for permission to inter His body. David Smith observes that when the condemnation of Jesus was over - a condemnation in which Joseph took no part - he realized how cowardly a part he had played and, stricken with shame and remorse, plucked up courage and went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. It was common for friends of the crucified to purchase their bodies, which would otherwise have been cast out as refuse, and give them decent burial (Mark 15:45).
VI. He gave his grave to Christ ( Matt. 27:59, 60). With lingering reverence Joseph paid his last respects to the One he admired, and in the hour of sorrow helped the friends and not the foes of the righteous Sufferer. Joseph had a garden close to Calvary, where he had hewn a smoothed and polished tomb in the side of the rock as his own last resting place, in which, aided by Nicodemus, he buried the linencovered and perfumed body of Christ.
VII. Joseph, legend tells us, was sent to Britain by Philip the Apostle, and founded the Church of Glastonbury. Medieval chroniclers delighted to tell of the staff Joseph stuck into the ground. The staff supposedly took root, brought forth leaves and flowers and became the parent of all the Glastonbury thorns from that day to this.
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September 13, 2011
Sit Down and Be Quiet
Today's Truth
"Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish" (John 6:11 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Have you ever noticed this pattern in the gospels - the disciples get in a bind and Jesus bails them out. It reminds me of the old fifties program, Father Knows Best. The kids got in trouble, the father solved the problem and then he taught us all an important life lesson at the end. Come to think of it, "Father Knows Best" would be a fabulous subtitle for the gospels!
In John 6:1-15 , we find the disciples in a precarious situation. Their lawn party had turned into quite a bash. The guests far exceeded their expectations, the disciples hadn't planned on providing dinner, and it appeared the crowd was expecting refreshments. But the disciples didn't have the funds or the food to feed them. All they could scrounge up were five loaves of bread and two dried fish. The crowd was getting restless, the disciples were getting nervous, and Jesus was getting ready. He took the five loaves and two fish and told the crowd to sit down - he told them to rest.
Then He lifted the food toward heaven, blessed it, and commanded the disciples to hand out the provisions to those who were seated. He didn't feed the people who were running around worrying - but the ones who were at rest. To those He gave "immeasurably more than they could ask or imagine" (seeEphesians 3:20), with twelve baskets left over.
When we believe God, we will have rest and peace in our lives. I want you to do something for me. Right now, I want you to use your imagination. The Bible tells us in Ephesians that we are "in Christ" and Christ is "in us." It also tells us that we are seated "in heavenly places" and "transferred to the kingdom of Christ." Picture yourself sitting right beside Jesus under a spreading oak tree. Perhaps His arm is around your shoulder and your head is resting on his chest. You can feel the beating of His heart against your cheek and your head moves with the rise and fall of His breathing. With His other hand, He strokes your head and immediately knows how many hairs are on your head. His breath warms your skin as it brushes past your face. Imagine Him looking into your eyes and knowing your innermost being and meeting your gaze with a warm, affirming smile reassuring you of His love and care.
Now tell me, as you imagine yourself in the presence of Jesus, how anxious do you feel? How rejected do you feel? How worried about tomorrow are you?
You may be thinking, "Yes, Sharon. I feel at peace in that scene. But that's not reality." Dear sister, that is the greater reality. No matter what you are going through today, Jesus is right there with you. So maybe you just need to sit down and be quiet for a while.
Let's Pray
Dear Father, I'll admit, sometimes I am so busy running around trying to solve my problems, I miss Your provision. Help me to listen to You more closely and see Your provision more clearly. I don't want to miss what You have for me today. Help me to sit down and be quiet - to rest in You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your TurnIs it difficult for you to sit down and be quiet with Jesus?
What keeps you from taking time to be still before Him?
Today, take at least ten minutes to be still with Jesus. No multi-tasking. Don't do this while driving the car or washing the dishes. Just you and Jesus. Give Him your full attention.
If you did this today, I want to celebrate with you. Log ontowww.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and tell me about it!
More from the GirlfriendsWomen love the idea of going to a spa! I'd like to invite you to God's spa to experience the ultimate makeover. In Sharon's book, Becoming Spiritually Beautiful, you'll discover beauty secrets to give you the inner glow that only God can give. It also comes with a Bible study guide for those who want to dig deeper into God's transforming truths.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
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P31Header
Glynnis Whitwer
September 13, 2011
I Would Have Made a Great Pharisee
Glynnis Whitwer
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." Matthew 23:25 (NIV)
Give me a list of rules to follow and I'm happy. I can follow rules like nobody's business. My left-brain dominated thinking likes order and routine, blanketed with no surprises. There's some comfort, I guess, in being able to assess my performance according to a set standard. If I'm obeying the rules, I must be doing okay. Right?
There's one big problem with that line of thinking. It tends to redirect my focus from what really matters: the condition of my heart. Jesus identified this problem with a group of religious people back in the day called the Pharisees, and it didn't make Him happy. In fact, He reserved His harshest comments for those people whose insides didn't look anything like their outsides.
I wonder if the Pharisees were well-intentioned. Did they really want to serve God and thought they were by following the rules? Or was it more of a power play to gain respect? Either way, Jesus split open their pretty packaging and revealed the ugliness of their hearts. Just like He does with me.
It seems God continually brings me to the end of my endurance, both emotionally and physically, to reveal the truth about my heart. What's revealed in those moments of pressure is usually something that needs addressing, like selfishness, insecurity, jealousy or bitterness. Getting split apart isn't pleasant. In fact, it's often painful and embarrassing. Yet, it's required if I want to become a true follower of Christ.
The reality is I would have made a great Pharisee. But the truth is I'd rather be a great disciple. I'd rather be sitting at the feet of Jesus than teaching in the temple. I'd rather share a simple meal of bread with Jesus than a fancy feast elsewhere. And if that requires the ugliness in my heart gets spilled out, then so be it.
Because at the end of the day, I'd much rather hang out with Jesus who loves me in spite of all that junk. The other option is pretending it isn't there, but that's not fooling anyone. So, I'll welcome God's holy intrusion in my life, submit my need to rank my performance and spend more time attending to my heart. That's what really matters.
Dear Lord, You are holy and righteous, and yet You love me just as I am. Thank You for calling me to a higher level of obedience, one that requires I submit my heart and my life. I long to follow You more than anything. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!
Application Steps:
Identify an area of your life where following the "rules" has taken priority over having a right heart. Submit that area of your life to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal anything in your heart that needs addressing.
Reflections:
How does a strict adherence to rule-following hinder us at times from obeying all of God's commands?
Read the key verse at the top of the devotion. Why is hypocrisy such a dangerous condition in our lives?
Power Verses:
Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (NIV)
Matthew 23:23, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (NIV)
© 2011 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
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LeeStrobel-Newsletter-Header-Final
Emerging from the cocoon

LeeheadshotAs a young Christian, I was forced to share Christ with a group of Hindus in India. Scared me to death! And it changed my life – just as the adventure of talking with others about Jesus can change yours.

The sun was scorching. I found a patch of shade under an expansive tree and sat cross-legged on the brown and brittle grass. I was visiting the predominantly Hindu province of Andhra Pradesh in Southeast India as a volunteer writer for an Indian ministry. My task was to produce articles about the thousands of people who were crowding into exciting nighttime rallies to hear the message of Jesus.

But today was something new: an American pastor was going to stop by and speak at a modest event in a sparsely populated farming community at noon, when it was hot and people were generally busy in the fields. Frankly, I was skeptical that anybody would show up.

Half a dozen Indian musicians began playing music to attract a crowd. I picked up a tambourine and tried to keep the beat of the syncopated tunes. (Thankfully, nobody captured this on video, and YouTube didn’t exist yet!) Soon some onlookers began to gather. Fifteen minutes later there were twenty-five people who were sitting on the grass, apparently curious why anyone would come to this remote and seemingly forgotten locale.

Visit Us on the Web: LeeStrobel.com - The Ambition - BibleGateway.com
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Questions from readers:
  • Where can people view ancient manuscripts?
  • How many Greek New Testaments do we have?
  • How can I share Christ with a Bahá'í?

Q. Is there a place I can go to actually see some of the ancient manuscripts of the Bible? What's the best count of the number of handwritten Greek manuscripts we have today? 

A. These questions actually came from two different readers of the newsletter, but they're both best answered by one expert: Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and director of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (www.csntm.org), whose mission is to make digital images of ancient biblical texts available online. In responding to the question about where people can go to view ancient texts of the New Testament, here's what Wallace told me:

"Do you mean Internet sites or physical sites? If the former, csntm.org has more digital images than anyone else - more than 350 manuscripts and more than 140,000 images online. In addition, we have another 650 manuscripts whose images we are not allowed to post, but people may come to our offices (2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 1043, Plano, TX 75075) to view all that they want." (Wow, that's what I call Southern hospitality!)

Read the rest of this answer and answers to the other questions!

Have a question? Drop me a line atAskLee@Leestrobel.com. We'll answer the ones with the broadest interest in upcoming newsletters. Thanks to Sam Wall, former chief researcher for the Bible Answer Man radio show, who heads the "Ask Lee" response team.
Lee's Notes

• Biblegateway.com has launched some inspiring and informational new newsletters, including Investigating the Bible, which is a weekly slice on the evidence for the reliability of Scripture drawn from The Case for Christ Study Bible, for which I served as general editor. Visit thewebsite's newsletter page to peruse topics and subscribe. There are also options to receive daily scripture in your inbox. I particularly like reading the email with the day's verse after I've completed my morning devotions - it's like an added bonus! Oh, and I hope you'll recommend to your friends to become subscribers of this newsletter,Investigating Faith.

• Dr. Craig Smith says our culture - driven by books, Hollywood and secular academia - has become increasingly skeptical about the reliability of the Bible. Yet there's an upside. "When Christians are prepared with credible answers to the questions our culture is asking, we find that there are many natural opportunities to speak the truth in the public arena," said Smith, author of The Word: Understanding the Trusting the Bible in an Age of Skepticism.

Read the rest of Lee's Notes!

Is Jesus a copycat?
Lee-913

Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason discusses the common claim that Jesus is merely a story plagiarized from mythology. He takes less than six minutes to make salient points that dismantle this discredited theory. I was honored to write the foreword to Greg's very helpful book Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, which is an excellent resource for learning how to approach skeptics and seekers about Jesus.

Lee's Links: Suggested articles from the web
Kids and apologetics
Apologetics - or defending Christianity - is making a comeback among young people hungry for reasons to believe.
Google dumps churches
Google used to offer churches the same price breaks as other non-profits - but all of that has now ended.
Anti-porn crusade
CNN examines the Christian campaign against pornography - asking whether it can really stem the epidemic.
Flaws with Zeitgeist film
Popular Zeitgeist movie tries to convince Internet visitors that stories about Jesus came from mythology. Wrong!
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How does a person meditate on God's Word?

This week's reading: Psalm 119:15
Meditation is a combination of reviewing, repeating, reflecting, thinking, analyzing, feeling and even enjoying. It is a physical, intellectual and emotional activity-it involves our whole being.
In some ways, meditation doesn't easily fit into Western culture. We value action and busyness more than stopping and considering. The author of this psalm was from another time and culture, one with a tradition that valued meditation. As a result, meditation came more naturally for him and others with his Middle Eastern background. We have to overcome some cultural obstacles to learn to meditate.
There are many ways to meditate on God's Word. Some possibilities include: (1) Take time to read a verse or passage over and over. (2) Begin to memorize all or part of it. (3) Listen-quiet your heart to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through God's Word. (4) Consider how it fits with the rest of the Bible and life in general. (5) Become emotionally involved-allow yourself to feel what God feels, his desires expressed through his words. (6) Move from meditation to application-connect your thoughts to action. Consider how the truth and power of the Word of God should affect your behavior.

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Today's reading is from theNIV Quest Study Bible
by Zondervan

This unique Bible addresses the common, uncommon, and perplexing questions people ask about Scripture.


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Everything New - A Weeekly Devotional

HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD?

"When I was young, I said to God, God, tell me the mystery of the universe. But God answered, that knowledge is for me alone. So I said, God, tell me the mystery of the peanut. Then God said, well, George, that’s more nearly your size." -George Washington Carver
How can we mortals say we can know God? There is only one answer: revelation. Belief begins with unbelief (or spiritual ignorance), and then out of the darkness comes the light of God. Out of the silence, his Word. We can know God only because he wants to be known and makes himself known.
John Calvin’s The Institutes of the Christian Religion is a landmark work in the history of Christian thought, and it begins with these simple words: “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern.” Calvin was saying that we have a drive to understand ourselves–our origins, our purpose, our physiology, our psychology, our spirituality–and this leads us to want to know God because we are made in his image. Then, as we try to know God, we are carried along to a deeper understanding of ourselves. This process leads to revelations such as “Oh, I am to be truthful like that, and faithful like that, merciful like that.” Understand God, and understand yourself. Understand yourself rightly, and better understand God. And so the cycle goes.
But how can we know God? Is it from earth up? Or from heaven down? Many honest truth seekers believe that the evidence we have about God and his whole realm of truth is written on the earthy tablets of nature and human experience. If you want to know what it means to be human, then study a multitude of samples of the creature, make observations about their customs and physiology and relationships, and draw your conclusions about what it means to be human. What you believe about humanity is the cumulative analysis of what you experience with a great many human beings. Collect your data; draw the inferences.
Do the same thing for God: look for the traces of his being, the signs of his character written in the stars and the patterns of nature and in human consciousness, and draw your conclusions about what God must be like.
This “earth-up” approach is the way we know about most ordinary things in life we are curious about. It is how scientists diagnose and treat disease and how mothers figure out if their babies have ear infections and how boyfriends learn to read the non-verbal signals sent from their girlfriends (for which there is no known reliable textbook). It is the way of knowing by generalizing from the particular. Theoretically, our knowing becomes clearer and more refined as we gather an ever-wider body of experience.
But there is an alternative way of knowing. The “heaven-down” approach is very different. This is the way of revelation. It does not negate the earth-up way of knowing, at least when it comes to knowing about very earthy kinds of things. But when it comes to knowing God, a different knowing is required. A dog can sniff around a person’s footprints left in the soil, but that doesn’t amount to any real knowledge of the person. We may be able to pick up certain generalities about God from our experience, but it takes the voice of God, the uncovering of himself, to really know God.
That is why we need God's Word–in Christ, and in the Scriptures.
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About The Author - Mel Lawrenz serves as minister at large for Elmbrook Church and leads The Brook Network. Having been in pastoral ministry for thirty years, the last decade as senior pastor of Elmbrook, Mel seeks to help Christian leaders engage with each other. Mel is the author of eleven books, the most recent for church leaders, Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement.
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