#palin knighting donald

[alvincommunitycollege]

ACC Announces Fall 2016 Dean's and Merit List

Alvin Community College recognized students for making the Fall 2016 Dean’s and Merit Lists during a reception on February 13.

To be eligible for the Dean’s list students must earn at least a 3.5 grade point average for 12 or more credit hours in a semester and no course with a grade lower than a C. To be eligible for the Merit List, a student must have 7 – 11 college-level semester hours during a semester with a minimum 3.5 GPA with no F or incomplete. College-level courses exclude credit-by-exam, nontraditional, transfer, or developmental courses.

The full Dean’s List recipients are: Juan Aguirre, Zachary Aldmon, Hannah Aldridge, Mohammad Alom, Daisy Alvarado, Donald Anderson, Kirsten May Andrade, Johnson Appiah, Jessie Arce, Yesenia Arenas, Rylee Arnold, Jordan Bagwell, Kelsey Barba, Taylor Barrow, Eva Bartley, Cassandra Mae Batang, Jerry Beasley, Alex Begnaud, Emery Bennett, Drew Bennett, Grant Bentley, Scott Berardi, Kane Berger, Alyssa Bergeron, Zachary Bernal, Dustin Bernatovich, Stephen Bishop, Victoria Bitner, Madison Bochard, Paul Boddy, Jared Bolton, Joseph Booth, Braedon Boznango, Natasha Braun, Taylor Broussard, Ruth Brown, Zara Burns, Bridget Byrd, Marc Cardenas, Raya Carr, Luis Carrillo, Dale Carrion, Guadalupe Castaneda, Dalia Castelan, Cayla Caster, Chelsea Catching, Cynthia Cedillo, Toni Chavez, Mica Chenier, Rachel Christodoss, William Clark, William Clifford, Freyja Coe, Nathan Comeaux, Cristian Cornejo, Meagan Crisp, Karlie Crow, Brandon Cuddihy, William Dahlstrom, Kaitlyn Dahlstrom, Cole Dahlstrom, My Dang, Jeffrey Davidson, Adriana Davila, Egla Delrioaguillon, Christopher Detorre, Cody Dewar, Raul Diaz, Nephtali Diaz, Katherine Dillard, Chase Dillman, Michael Dinsdale, Cheyenne Dornelles, Andrew Dotson, Adrienne Dover, Amanda D'Souza, Amber Eastham, Zachary Edwards, Kaitlyn Elder, Esther Erfan, Christopher Erickson, Adam Erlewein, John Evans, Karsten Fagan, Jennifer Fakharizadeh, Yecenia Fernandez, Clinton Fewell, Victoria Flannory, Tristan Flores, Jaecen Foytik, Timothy Franke, Scott Frankovich, Alyssa Frausto, James Freitag, Nathan Fuchs, Mallory Gaddis, JoLee Galetka, Marlena Gana, Soledad Garcia, Ryan Garner, Hector Garza, Brooklyn Garza, Bakari Gayle, Julia Glasgow, Stephen Glasgow, Mallory Glover, Rosemary Gonzalez, Stephan Good, Leslie Gordon, Signe Gostomski, Victor Gostomski, Esther Granados, Laurel Gray, Sophia Graziosi, Isabella Graziosi, Ariana Green, Bobbye Green, Emily Greenough, Evan Griffin, Marissa Grimes, Jonathan Guerrero, Emily Guidry, Brandon Hagood, Kayleigh Hanchey, Liam Haney, Joshua Hargett, Syeda Hasnain, Matthew Hernandez, William Hill, Kathryn Hoelter, Jared Holston, Hunter Honish, Lioubov Hooks, Terri Hubbard, Dayna Hudson, Ahamad Huff, Edgar Ibarra, Sarah Jackson, Leann James, Stuart Johnson, Sally Johnson, Allison Jones, Austin Jordan, Matthew Jrab, Neida Juarez, Cody Karstedt, Sara Khan, Jessica Kuntz, Stephen Labeth, Christian Lagunas, Christopher Lam, Mai Le, Anh Le, Travis Lemoine, Marianel Liga, Claudia Limon, Meiling Lin, Peng Lin, Aaron Linden, Skyler Little, Lisa Lopez, David Lovejoy, Teresa Lozano, Brittany Luke, Timothy Lute, Samantha Maddox, Charles Maldonado, Aaron Kyle Manio, Linda Manyida, Kaitlyn Manzanaris, Claire Marsh, Kara Martin, Jessica Martinez, Victoria Martinez, David Mbange, Wyatt Mccann, Kimberly Mcclain, Kelci McClary-Davis, Byran McDaniels, Elizabeth McDonald, Courtney McGregor, Jeremy McKinney, Alex McLeister, Christopher McQueen, Esteban Medrano, Rylan Meek, Mark Mejia, Gabrielle Melchor, Sarah Melenric, Beatriz Merida, Joshua Miles, Alexander Miller, Mandi Mitchell, Alicia Moreno, Alyssa Morton, Victoria Motes, Megan Myers, Josie Naval, Elizabeth Navarrete, Thanh Nguyen, Tien Nguyen, Kelly Nguyen, Brittany Nguyen, Achim Noack, Leah Noworyta, Tracey Oldham, James Oliver, Luke Olson, Chukwunonso Omeili, Jasmine Onyemachi, Danielle Ortiz, Gabriela Oxford, Amaya Padgett, Jose Padilla, Kayla Palmer, Victoria Palomarez, Neisha Pander, Juan Parkin, Lloyd Pate, Hiral Patel, Mary Patterson, Hailey Paulk, Christopher Perez, Jocelin Perez, Jacob Pitts, Maxx Pizzitola, Blake Powitzky, James Pugh, Jolan Pyland, Daniel Ramirez, Jesse Ramirez, Austin Redwine, Dustin Reeser, Anthony Reid, Steven Reyes, Luis Rodriguez, Jason Rogers, Michael Anthony Rohland, Roy Romano, Linda Rubenak, Amber Rushing, Michael Saladiner, Gabrielle Salinas, Lauren Santos, Laura Schindler, Zachary Schnitzer, Andrew Schueneman, Taylor Sengphanlaya, Savannah Serrato, Michael Shakin, Britney Sharp, Mallory Sherer, Weston Siemens, Noah Sills, Ashley Slaughter, Kirsten Slovak, Marcy Smith, Evetta Soma, Shauna Squyres, William Stanaland, Dorcas Starcke, Joshua Stearns, Austin Stephens, Jeffery Stewart, Richard Stillman, Jared Streeter, Nicolas Sudderth, Brittney Surber, Michael Swope, Sophia Lauren Talavera, Preston Tao, Nathan Tarket, James Thompson, Frances Tibia, Abigail Tiemann, Nicholas Trinh, Christopher Trochesset, Madison Troxlar, Matthew Tucker, Ernest Umandap, Victoria Van, Daniel Varghese, Hope Vavich, Sara Vera, Marisah Villarreal, Melanie Walker, Kaina West, Emily Wheeler, Krista Whitehead, Travis Wiggins, Zayne Willems, Tysheria Williams, Sarah Williams, Lori Williamson, Jordan Wix, Layla Wolken, Sarah Woods, Sara Yan, Katherine Yuchnewicz and Jinle Zhang.

   The full Merit List recipients are: Sheila Agim, Emily Aguiar, Christopher Alanis, Edera Alexander, Stacy Allen, Samuel Allison, Leonie Almeida, Kaleb Anderson, Blake Anderson, Kinsey Anderson, Alexia Andrade, Sheikinna Ang, Sunny Angst, Jael Anorga, Maryline Anyaso, Kathy Arenas, Abigail Armesto, Maida Arredondo, Marissa Arredondo, Jose Arreola, Juan Arzate, Denise Aviles, Yessenia Ayala, Madison Ayres, Kendall Baker, David Banda, Rosa Barron, Kenneth Bartholomew, Kamya Bates, Alyssa Battad, Victoria Bedar, Kathryn Bell, Beth Benge, Alokika Bhakta, Kristin Binford, Luke Black, Charlcie Blackmon, Cassidy Bodden, Bailey Bradley, Hannah Bransom, Alisha Brown, Angela Brown, Mary Brown, Breanna Burgess, Kamden Burke, Faith Butts, Brenda Camargo, Justin Campbell, Kirlice Carr-Lett, Sasha Casiano, Vicente Castellanos, Jeffrey Castillo, Korinne Cathey, Wendy Chapin, McKaylee Chapman, Ashlee Chappell, Laura Chebetar, Kelly Childers, Rachel Clark, Lynze Clayton, Ashley Collins, Brandon Conner, Jordyn Cooper, Treicha Coutee, Omar Coward, Derrick Cross, Kimberly Davis, Barrett Day, Paola Viera De Cardona, Lillian Decker, Robynn Demen, Lexie Derrick, Sandra Diaz, Bailey Dishon, Emily Drilling, Alexa Duminski, Natalie Dunlap, Troy Dunnahoe, Ashley Durham, Purelily Ekpo, Allissa Eller, Agustin Encinia, Jason Engelke, Victoria Esparza, Evelyn Espinosa, Annalysa Estrada, Robert Evans, Lela Fagan, Brendon Farmer, Dustin Fehrle, Caleb Fisher, Maricela Flores, Shelby Foland, Christian Fontenot, Paula Ford, Bethany Fortune, Erick Franco-Herrera, Ashley Frazier, Eugena Freeman, Theodore Frick, Jennifer Garay, Marina Garcia, Mirna Garcia, Cindy Garcia, Elijah Garcia, Charles Garza, Brenda Garza, Rose Garza, Eden Garza, Angela Gaytan, Jaina George, Adebisi George, Benjamin Godson, James Goff, Samantha Gomez, Tracy Gonzales, Jose Gonzalez, Xavier Gonzalez, George Gonzalez, Rhonda Gonzalez, Christopher Goodman, Patricia Gordon, Lauren Gormly, Ailia Gould, Carter Goyen, Brittney Green, Christian Greengrass, Adam Groce, Garrett Grothe, Monica Guerra, Jorge Padierna Guerrero, Autumn Guillory, Cody Gutierrez, Nichole Gutierrez, Sarah Gutierrez, Cindy Ha, Adam Haggerty, Patrick Hankamer, Kaitlyn Harbuck, Cierra Harris, Amy Harris, Brandi Hartman, April Hasse, Gabriella Hastings, Erin Haynes, Sarah Hedleston, Mercedes Hendrix, Julia Hensley, San Juanita Hernandez, Jessica Hernandez, Lorena Herrera, Julie Higuera, Jonathan Hirsch, Britney Hoang, Ashley Hoang, Molly Hodge, Shane Hoffower, Desiree Hofstetter, Brianna Holt, Natalie Honore, Katie Huff, Simeen Humayun, Yasmin Imouhdine, Kaden Ingram, Llasmin Interiano, Kimberly Isaacson, Lori Ivy, Candice Jackson, Destiny Johnson, Aaliyah Jones, Darrien Jones, Shawnee Justis, Samuel Kapel, Jane Kasinga, Meredith Kaspar, Taylor Kelley, Brittany Kennedy, Carrie Kidd, Cindy Knight, Rachel Kocurek, Eva Koll, Alison Kozuch, Binumon Chelackal Kunjappan, Kevin Kuriachan, Yva Ladera, Jordan Lake, Macy Langer, Stephanie Leblanc, Salena Leija, Scott Lever, Ariel Lima, Joseph Livingston, Reana Llamas, John Lombardi, Jehu Lopez, Hillary Lopez, Malia Mackenna, Catherine Magnuson, Katie Marabella, Ekaterina Marek, Veronica Mares, Ramiro Martinez, Joshua Mathew, Kaitlin McClurg, Dillon McCoy, Joseph Mcgee, Mackenna Mcintyre, Britni McKimmy, Katelyn McManus, Taylor Meador, Patrick Meador, Shea Mehornay, Ansel Mendoza, Diana Mendoza, Jose Sosa Mendoza, Brianne Menzies, Lauren Merritt, Taylor Messick, Mark Miller, Jessica Miller, Christian Miller, Amber Molidor, Robert Moore, Bridget Moore, Sheryl Moore, Sergio Moreno, Ashley Moss, Mara Mullally, Jose Navarrete, Robert Newman, Anh Nguyen, Svannah Nguyen, Sabrina Nguyen, Ragen Noriega, Ashley Novak, Gwyneth Obediente, Mariely Ocana, Oalyssa Oconer, Shemilore Oguntoye, Toluwani Olabiyi, Nikki Ondrus, Ana Ortiz, Adrian Ortiz, Anndrea Osborne, Angela Otoya, Ngozi Ozumba, Rumaldo Padilla, Jazmin Padilla, Dustin Page, Molly Page, Joshua Palin, Kevin Parker, Arriyon Parker, Rahul Paul, Roberto Pena, Emily Pepper, Brandon Perdue, Veronica Perez, Irving Perez, Heather Person, Eloy Phillips, Michelle Phung, Andrew Pier, Julia Pittman, Heather Porter, Vanessa Putnik, Brooke Quintanilla, Hector Ramirez, Christina Ranieri, James Rannik, Noelle Rebresh, Lindy Reed, Bethany Reed, Hunter Reed, Claretta Remy, Chloe Reyna, Meagan Ripple, Joshua Roberts, Olivia Roberts, Sara Rodrigues, Britney Rodriguez, Jeshua Rodriguez, Stephanie Rodriguez, Cecilia Rodriguez, Courtney Roeckel, Valerie Rogers, Jairo Romero, Raquel Rooney, Parker Roy, Pricilla Ruiz, Janie Salazar, Payton Salge, Brandon Salinas, Brenda Sanchez, Cynthia Sanders, Harrison Sauter, Mackenzie Savage, Taylor Savedra, Anthony Schmaltz, Patrice Scott-Willis, Patrick Thomas Sepnio, Mauro Serna, Akshaya Shankar, Randall Sharp, Steven Shelton, Nolan Sheppard, Christopher Simons, Daryl Smith, Vontavia Smith, John Snider, Thomas Soliz, Noah Sorrels, Victoria Soto, Edward Spiers, Amy Stahl, Brazos Starr, Dustin Stine, Ashley Strain, Jennifer Strain, Gail Stroud, Kayla Sturgill, Joshua Sturm, Hannah Suarez, Richard Suniga, Camille Surima, Blaire Tacquard, Luke Tadlock, Brooke Talbert, Regino Tellez, Avery Thomas, Brieanna Thomas, Twinkle Thomas, Halen Titus, Jolisha Titus, Rafaelle Tkac, Ariana Torrez, Payson Townsend, Kylie Trant, Courtney Trinidad, Elizabeth Tuffin, Gabrielle Vergara, Tarren Vielma, Weston Vincent, Ericka Walker, Kaitlyn Welsh, Felipe Trujillo Wheeler, Taryn Wilcoxson, Kalena Williams, Travis Williams, Simeon Williams, Tessa Williams, Haley Williams, Jessica Willis, David Wilson, Dellaney Wimberly, Timothy Winbush, Jennifer Wood, Timothy Wood, Arielle Woodruff, Kirstyn Woodside, Emily Wyhs, Lauriena Yanes and James Yeamans.

[ourdarkcollectorrunawayme]

Conversations with my conservative friend

specrOkay, so my friend is huge defender of Ben Carson and claims that the criticisms against him with his appointment to the secretary of Urban Development and Housing, with his lack of experience is racist. I sent him a list of points as to why the criticisms against Carson are not racist, but actually reasonable. My friend then responded, trying to redact logic and reality. I going to post the points I made and the responses he made, to make sure that their is a complete context to the conversation. I would appreciate anybody, whichever side of the political spectrum you are on, with your opinions. 

If Ben Carson was white he would still get the same criticism that he is receiving from Elizabeth Warren and other progressives on his qualifications to be the secretary of the Department of Urban Housing and Development.

Ben Carson, M.D. is a Republican, and if he were a Democrat, he would be getting NO Criticism from Warren. This IS a Type of Racism ... against Minorities in a non-progressive Party that Warren deems an “Uncle Tom” Figure. That is still racist, and that is still disgusting.

Research what other black figures are saying about him, and Kanye West doesn't count, because he doesn't know what he is talking about half the time.

Colonel Allen West, Ambassador Alan Keyes, Senator Tim Scott all like him. That is good enough for me. Even Herman Cain knows Carson, M.D. is a Genius.

The term "urban" is a word that conversatives use when they are talking to their white constituants. It is term used to dogwhistles the idea that "people of color live in the cities and they don't have the same values as rural white Americans and I will protect you from them".So saying that Carson is qualified for the position because he grew up in the urban city of baltimore is like saying because I lived near a beach, I am qualified to be head of the navy.

That is not a Comparison I recognise as accurate. In the South, the rural AND urban Areas have mixed black and white Areas in it. It is only up north that “urban” is a derogatory Term for “black.” And it is true that Values ARE different. The Society and Culture is different. Just look at B.E.T. and C.M.T.

2. Urban Development and Housing department specializes in programs that help people who live in those urban areas, and may not have the same advantages as people with money. And how a city can operate to the best advantages for everyone. Meaning he would be in charge of which programs get funding and contacts and loans going to different companies. This also covers people who would be well within or under the poverty and approves or denies them public housing.If anything, this means my stepmom, as an architect, is more qualified than Carson for the position.

Do you honestly think Obama was qualified for the Presidency or even Hillary? I do not see you going after them. These Secretaries have People under them that have worked in that Department for Years waiting on Retirement that will help guide Doctor Ben into making the big Decisions. I am not worried. H.U.D. IS an important Department. I know someone who works at the Francis Marion Hotel who used to live in Federally subsidised Housing. It is very important. But Carson, M.D. is not making the big Decisions all by himself.

3.Warren's main concern is that the incoming president's business and companies deal in construction and real estate, who he has violated many anti-discrimination laws and mistreating and underpaying the people who build his hotels. Warren just wants a yes or no answer out of Carson that the funds the department receives will not benefit from that department with a friend of his incharge. Carson keeps evading answering that question.

Trump’s Businesses are going to be run by his Sons and Daughters, and they are more than qualified to do that. Donald is not going to be involved with them while he is President. As for Mistreatment, this is the first I am hearing of it. As for underpaying, my last Boss did that for Painters and Construction Workers that did a shitty Job when no Contract was signed. That is Business. I am also concerned Trump’s former Businesses do not benefit, but I have no Reason to assume he would be devious about it.

4. Carson constantly tells the story that when he was young he was angry black man, who was only tamed by Christianity to white conservatives because it plays into their racist master narrative that all blacks are savage and violent. Friends, family members, and people he knew when he was young contract those claims, saying that he was actually quiet.

I am not surprised vindictive Shits would lie about his Childhood. The Lifetime Film I watched about his Life starring Cuba Gooding Jr., seemed to portray him as inwardly angry but outwardly silent about his Frustrations. That is the way I am. And why are only conservatives racist? And why are only whites racist? Larry Elder, a black Libertarian Radio Show Host from L.A. says in one of his Books that black Americans are more racist than white Americans. Hell, he and I are alike in the Christianity tamed me Story. I used to be very angry. You are looking at it from a racial P.O.V. when Race should not be a Factor. He is a PERSON! He is a Human Being and a Christian who happens to have had a troubled Childhood. I think you are inventing Racism – and though I am not calling you prejudiced – that CAN be a Form of Prejudice. Not saying you are!

5. Name another black politician other than Herman Cain.

Lt. Col. And former Congressman Allen West, Amb. Alan Keyes (I voted for him for President over George W. Bush), Doctor Ben Carson, Sen. Tim Scott, John Knight, Thad McClammy, Alvin Holmes, Richard Arrington, Jr.

6. I looked up your claim about Elizabeth Warren, I check politifact and this is what I got http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/oct/29/facebook-posts/critics-say-elizabeth-warren-lives-54-million-mans/ . Another good thing to do when making accusations is the credibility of your source of information.

I said she lived in a two million dollar House with two Servants, a Maid, a Cook, and a Butler, but I may be wrong about the Butler. I think she has a total of four People waiting on her in her Cambridge Mansion.

7. Would you be saying the same things about Elizabeth Warren if she was a man. When you describe women of power like her as "sharp-tongued", "domineering", "ambisious", you are saying she is a "bitch and shouldn't be in a man's position of power". Where as you would applaud men with similar or the same traits.

Instead of inventing Racism, now you are inventing Sexism? Rough Stuff ... I am mad at her for using the Myth of Native American Heritage to get into a good University, obtain Work Credit, and get to where she is. When she ran against Scott Brown it all came out, but she upset him anyway. Women of Power? What about how much I like Condoleeza Rice, Janet Brewer, Sarah Palin, Lurleen Burns Wallace, and so forth? Did you vote for Nikki Haley? I never used the word Bitch. I never even called Hillary Clinton a Bitch, even though my Mom has. And what about your Attitude towards Maggie Thatcher and repeating a Quote where she was called a Bitch? I would not throw Stones in Glass Houses.

7. The word "elitism" has now become a dogwhistle for conservatives. It means "people who are smart and know what they are doing". In the most recent episode of the Young Turks, the panel talks about that and what it means. In a tolitarian society, its not the most vernrable in society to go first, its the intellectuals because they are warning everyone of the danger that is coming. Then ruling party begins devaluing education.

An Elitist is not necessarily someone smart. People criticised Mitt Romney and Donald Trump on Intelligence. An Elitist is someone in a high Mark in Society, plenty of Money, lot of Power, and looks down on everyone else. You are taking my Words and making up your own Definitions. Intellectuals are Libertarians, not Conservatives, Liberals, or Statists (Authoritarians/Totalitarians). Intellectuals never get elected. John Kerry is an Elitist. He married into Money twice. Now he flies aboard Air Force Three. Mitt Romney is not an Elitist because he was a Servant to Men, Women, and Children two Years in Paris giving up a lot of free time, College Years, and earned Money. He was also the Son of Mexican Immigrants. I doubt he has armed Bodyguards. Donald Trump is more or less an Elitist, because he has his own Money, earned, Bodyguards, he looks down on others, and has an arrogant Aura about him. He is still the best out of those four Oddballs. Jill Stein, M.D. was my second Choice. The Liberals and Progressives hate and despise her. The real War on Women is coming from the Left.

And Education is being devalued as we speak. Elimination of Vouchers and Charter Schools, cracking down on private and parochial Schools, sprouting up of Common Core, New Math, etc., and getting rid of School Choice. It is the dumbing down of America, and the inner Cities and metropolitan Areas are being hit the hardest. Ben Carson, M.D. would be better served as Secretary of Education or Surgeon General. I am not sure what the Qualifications for Cabinet Posts are, but Hillary was not qualified for Secretary of State, and look how People flocked to her. She served less than a Decade in the Senate, and she was a First Lady. She got nothing accomplished. I agree that spells bad News for these non-Politicians in Trump’s Cabinet, but maybe it is for the best. You might have preferred Ivanka Trump in the Oval Office since she is a Woman, yes? ~_^

I have noticed Liberals and Progressives not only hate Conservatives, they hate Libertarians as well. I never understood their Bigotry and Intolerance of others who were different ... or traditional. Present Company excluded. I will get to your other Messages tonight, Jen. Take Care! And sorry for me getting all heated.

Please keep comments and reblog responses civil. I am not putting up my friend’s name or email, because I don’t want to throw him completely under the bus or cyberbullied by anyone

[drjacquescoulardeau]

JOSHUA GREEN – DEVIL’S BARGAIN – 2017

 The book is a guide through the complicated career of Steve Bannon and the controversial contradictory erratic career of Donald Trump. And what’s more how the two came across each other and bonded together and are now like the hen and the egg in the shape of the puppet and the puppeteer, the sorcerer and the sorcerer’s apprentice, and we could think – as a perfect antagonistic image – of Jachin and Boaz (from right to left) the two pillars of Solomon’s Temple: “According to Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Boaz (Hebrew bōʿaz "In him/it [is] strength") stood on the left when entering Solomon's Temple, while Jachin (Tiberian Hebrew yāḵîn "He/it will establish") stood on the right, and the two were made by Hiram.” And the Old Testament is just as clear as the Roman-time historian: “2 Chronicles 3:17 New International Version (NIV) 17 He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.” And two notes tell us: Footnotes: a- Jakin probably means he establishes. b- Boaz probably means in him is strength. But Thomas Troward (1921) refers Boaz to Ruth and comes to a different interpretation: “Thus the two pillars typify Unity and the redeeming power of Love, with the significant suggestion that the redemption results from the Unity. They correspond with the two "bonds," or uniting principles spoken of by St. Paul, "the Unity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace," and "Love, which is the Bond of Perfectness.” And this interpretation is like the Christianization of the pillars by using a reference to the Old Testament itself, viz. Ruth and Boaz.

Why start with this reference which is not present in the book? Because this couple Bannon-Trump is so strongly bringing up images from Walt Disney’s Fantasia as well from the Old Testament, from what is seen as the basic reference in these two characters’ ideology, “Traditionalism” borrowed from the French occultist and metaphysician René Guénon (1886-1951) who brought together in himself Roman Catholicism, Freemasonry and Sufism, thus uniting the three Semitic traditions that are Christianity, Judaism (in the underground but acceptable form of Freemasonry that actually historically brought together Christianity and Judaism) and Islam (this last reference connected to Guénon will be in contradiction with the strongly anti-Islam position of Bannon and Trump as we will see later). The author does not insist enough on this point, and Bannon even goes further and injects into this united Semitic vision that developed in the Middle East from old Semitic traditions and Sumerian or even Zoroastrian traditions of Mesopotamia and Iran, the other religious descendant from this Iranian religious and philosophical hatchery, viz. the Four Yugas of Hinduism developed from old Sanskrit Vedas. The four Yugas are (with their timespans): 1- Satya Yuga equals 1,728,000 years; 2- Treta Yuga equals 1,296,000 years; 3- Dvapara Yuga equals 864,000 years; 4- Kali Yuga equals 432,000 years. We are supposed to be right in the middle of the first phase of this Kali Yuga. “We live in the Kali Yuga — in a world infested with impurities and vices. People possessing genial virtues are diminishing day by day. Floods and famine, war and crime, deceit and duplicity characterize this age. But, say the scriptures, final emancipation is possible only in this age.” And we are entitled to wonder what is coming next: “WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? It is predicted that at the end of the Kali Yuga, Lord Shiva shall destroy the universe and all the physical body would undergo a great transformation. After such dissolution, Lord Brahma would recreate the universe and mankind will become the 'Beings of Truth' once again.” (https://www.thoughtco.com/the-four-yugas-or-epochs-1770051)

This cyclical apocalyptic vision of the universe is by the way very similar to the Nordic mythology of the Ragnarok, or even the New Testament’s vision of the Apocalypse, the Revelation. Steve Bannon and Donald Trump are seeing the world, meaning here the American-centered world, on the verge of collapse. Robert Kuttner in his coverage of a telephone call he had from Bannon on Tuesday August 15, 2017, published in American Prospect on Wednesday August 16, reports Bannon saying: “To me,” Bannon said, “the economic war with China is everything. And we have to be maniacally focused on that. If we continue to lose it, we're five years away, I think, ten years at the most, of hitting an inflection point from which we'll never be able to recover.” (http://prospect.org/article/steve-bannon-unrepentant) The apocalypse may come in five or ten years, which means, China may become the dominant force in the world and the USA may become a non-entity, since it will no longer be the first power in this world. Trump is no philosopher or spiritualist thinker, so he sets this apocalypse in more political words: America will end, if it is not already the case, imminently if he, Trump, with the support of true Americans, does not make America great again by his protectionist policy of America first.

The book is for most of it a journalistic story about events with dates, places and participants of the surge and emergence of Donald Trump, his meeting with Steve Bannon and subsequent alliance, and the first six months or so of his presidency. It’s only in the tenth chapter that he tries to bring together a synthetic and compact summary of this “ideology-political-‘science’” vision enacted by the two protagonists. The historical vision is naïve since for them (Bannon for sure, Trump maybe) the world changed with the destruction of the Knights Templar in 1314 on the order of Philip IV, called the Fair (Philippe le Bel), King of France, and later on the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 historically known as the Treaty of Westphalia that ended the thirty years’ war between the Catholic and the Protestant entities in the German Empire. It also gave independence to Switzerland from Austria and the Netherlands from Spain (whose king was the Emperor of the German Empire). In this same historical line Bannon brings together René Guénon, as already mentioned, Julius Evola (1898-1974) who inspired Benito Mussolini, and an eclectic religious palette from his very traditional Tridentine Catholicism (Council of Trent, Italy, 1545-1563) to the Hindu concept of cyclical time, as I have already mentioned, and a little bit of Zen Buddhism, that particular spiritual meditative form of Buddhism developed in Japan that may have a strong nationalist coloration. If you add the nationalist trend of their thinking you have the skeleton of their Traditionalism that makes them consider the world is changing in their direction. They consider they are part of a vast (global?) movement that brings them together with English Nigel Farage of UKIP, French Marine Le Pen of National Front, Dutch Geert Wilders of the Party of Freedom, and American Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. Apparently Joshua Green seems to have overlooked Austrian Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party of Austria, and he could have added the Polish brand or the Hungarian breed of such extreme right nationalistic anti-(im)migrant and traditionalist Catholics to the basket, though he adds Vladimir Putin and his ideologist Alexander Dugin. This addition is in fact opportunistic because there is not one single common point between Vladimir Putin’s reassertion of Russian national pride and power and Eurasianism on one hand, and the American nationalist protectionist hegemony of Trump on the other hand.

As a matter of fact, it is in the last chapters that this book becomes interesting. Bannon-Trump ideology is defined as based on

 1-    traditional Christian faith strongly inspired by Tridentine Catholicism to which they nostalgically want to refer (note that implies a clear rejection of Judaism and Islam);

 2-    the rejection of the rise of secular modernity in the West (with two contradictions since Trump would not have become and would not be the President he is without that secular modern world and its communication tools like Twitter on one hand, and the fact that they meet here with extreme Islam and Sufism that reject this very secular modernity);

 3-    a strong reference to Catholic social subsidiarity (Pope Pius XI and his 1931 Encyclical, Quadragesimo anno, that is in phase with small-government conservatism, though there is then a contradiction since Trump is using the federal machine to bring up the societal transformation he is dreaming of like the famous Mexican wall, the infrastructure plan, the repealing and replacing of Obamacare, the tax reform, etc., though pushing down onto the states all federal expenses he wants to get rid of);

4-    the condemnation of and attempt to bring down the encroaching globalism that has been developing in the world over the last fifty or seventy years (with a contradiction again since he wants to bring the USA back into the dominant seat in the world and impose an American-oriented globalism);

 5-    an absolute opposition to the civilizational jihad personified by the migrant crisis brought around by the will of Islam to reject and destroy the Western world and civilization (with another contradiction here in the desire to have an alliance with Sunni Arabs – not Muslims – against essentially Shia Muslims – who count hardly any Arabs – and what’s more his apparent decision to widen and increase the military intervention in Sunni Afghanistan, mostly Shia Iraq against Sunni Isis in alliance with Sunni Kurds and Sunni Syrians against the Shia Syrian government and in contradictory relation with Sunni Turkey: nothing is simple in that area);

 6-    the strong triple reference to borders that have to be revalued and strengthened, currency that has to be nationally defined, and military and national identity (which defines when implemented in the American context a strong protectionist, nationalistic and interventionist vision, conception and imposition of the USA as the master of the world);

7-    a direct call and incitation to act directed to all the traditional right movements covered by the term alt-right that counts all conservative movements from the Tea Party to white nationalists, white supremacists, KKK, various movements defending male domination at all levels of society and other racial-minded movements that defend a return to the values of the past (and here the contradiction has just exploded in Charlottesville because this incitation is the ferment of some civil problems that some have called riots, upheavals, civil terrorism, and many other horrors like these people chanting “Jews will not replace us” on the Friday night torch march).

 8-    The last element that the author seems to underestimate is the reference to the blue collar working class, those workers who only have a high school degree for most of them and who see the transformation of our modern world as purely evil for them since it pushes them aside.

Sure enough the book in its conclusion sees the themes it has developed coming to a dead end, an impasse, a blind alley, but not yet Charlottesville that happened after the publication of the book, and Charlottesville is a complete and dangerous stalemate in which social upheaval is possible, in which the President stubbornly refuses to remain within the presidential tradition of the USA represented for example by the two ex-Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush’s joint statement. This situation brings down the attempt to have some kind of coordination between the White House and the CEOs of most Silicon Valley firms and industrial corporations in order to rethink the problem of outsourcing various productions and bringing them back to the USA. The numerous CEOs that resigned from these commissions or committees brought up their dissolution by the President that registered his inability to go on with this plan and in a way his obstinacy at refusing what some demand him to do: apologize and condemn without any fuzziness the extreme right movements that started the confrontation in Charlottesville with the Friday night torch march that was both not announced beforehand and directly referring to the same kind of marches in the USA in the various lynching operations of the KKK or other racist movements, or even the pogroms against black ghettos for decades after the Civil War and up to very recently. To defend the statue of Robert E. Lee was contextual enough to bring back the memory of slavery and then segregation and then all kinds of extreme racial discrimination. And those are facts now, since the pictures and the recordings of these sorry events have been brought up to us thanks to modern technology. Luckily we will in no way move towards some kind of regressive reactionary retroactive going back to the world when we only had smoke signals and tam-tams to communicate “long distance.”

 The book is full of information and thus extremely useful, but it is maybe too much journalistic and it has by far been overtaken by events we can only regret and condemn, events in which Steve Bannon or Donald Trump have not taken the proper stand.

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU

[corwinsfilmproductionblogst-blog]

My Top 10 Movies

10 Willow 1988 A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen. Ron Howard George Lucas, Bob Dolman >A magical journey with themes of learning of a hidden potential.

9 Kung Pow 2002 A rough-around-the-edges martial arts master seeks revenge for his parent's death. directed and writen by Steve Oedekerk >I enjoy how bizzare and irreverent this movie is.

8 5th Element 1997 In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr Zorg at bay. Luc Besson Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen >With neat environments and visuals disigned by Moebius and a lot of thrilling action.

7 Monty Python and the Holy Greil 1975 King Arthur and his knights embark on a low-budget search for the Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles. Terry Gillian, Terry Jones Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gillian, Terry Jones, Michael Palin >I love this movie because it's rediculous in the best way possible.

6 Princess Mononoke 1997 On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. Writen and directed by Hayao Miyazaki >A beautiful film with a vibrant and well fleshed out setting.

5 Summer Wars 2009 A student tries to fix a problem he accidentally caused in OZ, a digital world, while pretending to be the fiancé of his friend at her grandmother's 90th birthday. Mamoru Hosoda Mamoru, Satoko Okudera, John Burgmeier, Patrick Seitz >A fun movie with great animation.

4 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 1984 In the Valley of the Wind lives Nausicaa, princess of her people. Their land borders on a toxic jungle, filled with dangerous over-sized insects. Meanwhile two nearby nations are bitterly engaged in a war and the Valley of the Wind is stuck in the middle. Hayao Miyazaki Miyazaki, Dindy Davis Hewitt, Donald H Hewitt, Kazunori Itô. >A beautiful but dangerous setting.

3 Lion King 1994 Lion cub and future king Simba searches for his identity. His eagerness to please others and penchant for testing his boundaries sometimes gets him into trouble. Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton and literally 26 other people. >The definition of a classic film, I watch this movie like every year.

2 Akira 1988 A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop. Katsuhiro Otomo Katsuhiro and Ito Hashimoto >A dark and strange dystopian setting with some psychics thrown in there.

1 Clerks 1994 A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof. Kevin Smith Kevin Smith >The writing is fantastic, its mostly character interactions but its all very relatable. This movie is goofy but it can quickly get dark as hell, which is nice because I can have a pretty morbid sense of humor.