21 October 2018. Quo Vadis OCA? To the Centre or to the Phanar?

Mollard has the white hat now… but what about the future?

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Everyone here in the American diaspora is wondering how the OCA will fall on the Ukrainian Crisis. Of course, not all bishops are created equal. Mollard, although nominally the First Hierarch, is a cypher chosen for the fact that he wouldn’t rock the boat nor utter any controversial statements. The issue will pivot on how Michael Dahulich stands. A senior archpriest told me:

Dahulich is the most ambitious cleric in the USA, not only in the OCA. Look at how he disrupted the Sobor where Mollard was elected. I’ll lay you any money that both sides are politicking him hard. Wherever he falls, he’ll carry most of his students from STS with him. My view is that he’s a “Paris is worth a mass” man. He’s going to follow whoever gives him the most. No one knows. Watch him. He’s the only bishop who can influence the whole shooting match.

I agree with the above assessment. Mollard is a marshmallow, chosen precisely for that reason. The Church had enough of Paffhausen and his libertarian antics. BTW… I think that Paffhausen is trying to position himself to take over the white hat in the OCA again. I doubt that very highly. Firstly, the Centre knows how much of a pain in the ass he was the last time, and, secondly, it’d want a figure that could unite all wings of the OCA. Paffhausen isn’t that. Dahulich could do that… he’s ethnic, but he has a following amongst convert clergy (mostly, amongst his students at STS). Nevertheless, no one knows what’s going to come out of the OCA meeting, least of all, me. It could very well be that the Synod would deadlock in the short term. Therefore, we may see a whole lot of nothing. However, both of the contending sides will get an idea about where the bishops stand. Don’t expect much… I’ll bet that they’d issue a worthless piece of fluff, GIGO from top to bottom. However… eppur si muove… events will simmer beneath the surface.

Watch Dahulich… you don’t have to like someone to realise their importance…

BMD

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20 October 2018. Genprokuratura Reclassifies Kerch Terakt as Criminal Matter

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The Genprokuratura reclassified the Kerch terakt from terrorism to murder. That is, it views it more as a criminal matter than a terrorist incident. Trust me, it doesn’t mean that the incident wasn’t momentous or that there wasn’t a serious loss of life. It simply means that the preponderance of the evidence points to a criminal rather than a terrorist action. It doesn’t lessen the tragedy one little bit, however, it does change the complexion of the response. I’ll say this, though… the security at the Kerch Bridge just went up a notch. NATO is boasting that it’s going to hold exercises in the Sea of Azov. To do so means crossing the Kerch Strait, which is in Russian territorial waters. I do hope that the boastful and feral Anglos rethink this one…

Just one last thing… the Galician Uniates and schismos are all agog with glee on the web over this tragic event. It tells you much about them and their American paymasters, doesn’t it?

BMD

18 October 2018. As Seen by Vitaly Podvitsky… Kerch

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If you reflect on the subject of a tragedy, when a teenager or anyone else arms themselves with a gun and starts to commit mass murder, one way or another, you can start to discern the reasons if you look hard enough. You can find not only those on the surface that are manifest and plain, but also deeper meanings. Where does this demonic rationalisation come from, when someone living in society methodically prepares to take the lives of others, to cause horrible suffering to all those affected by the consequences of his acts? He acquires a gun, to go to do what he will. He strokes it and checks it out. He counts out his ammo, each of which ends in mutilated flesh and human suffering. He adds nuts nod screws [to his bomb], which will spew out with great speed at the time of the explosion, wanting to see the blast spin all those into fear for their innocent lives. Something in this is possessed and demonic. It feels like the world accumulates in itself evil to the brim, but it just keeps on accumulating… yesterday in Columbine, today in Kerch, tomorrow… who knows what town.

Politicians of all kinds easily threaten whole countries, promising a great deal of bloodshed for whatever reason. Who’s stronger and bolder… just give the command to kill! Movies, games, reading, and other media products have long since gone to hell. However, only when our kids start to die at the hands of scumbag losers do we only just begin to look for reasons. An infernal grudge that crawled out of hell grips the world. It climbed into our screens, monitors, thoughts, conversations, books, and daily life. Someone takes a weapon and goes to carry out their dark plans without thinking and not being able to understand the consequences. Apparently, his soul went crazy; he’s doomed then. Apparently, somebody set them up and led them to the abyss. Moreover, even if the perpetrator remains human, then, someone who’s no longer human probably likely drove him to the edge. We who live on this planet still have a chance to figure out how to change this… as we cry along with the weeping families of Kerch.

17 October 2018

Vitaly Podvitsky Masterskaya Karikatury

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Editor:

Vitaly Podvitsky is the editorial cartoonist for RIA and Sputnik. He usually doesn’t write so much, so it means that this affected him on a deep level. Take a care not to rush to judgement. It may be that a lone gunman was part of the mix, if not the whole story. Equally, foreign special services aren’t above using twisted individuals. Most of my Russian friends think that an American/junta sabotage group wanted to attack the Kerch Bridge, but found it too well defended. They then sought a softer target and befriended a twisted sort. It’s plausible, but I’d want to see some evidence, and if the Russians do find evidence they probably wouldn’t make it public… you don’t reveal to your foe what you know about them.

We probably will never know the full story, for a multitude of reasons. Yet, the author is correct… evil is afoot… much of it in “religious” vesture. Do be wary, not all that seems fair is. That’s especially true in America, where Evangelicalism masquerades as Christianity and has stolen the podium to such an extent that it’s the greatest impetus to evil and unbelief in our society. Have a care… the times aren’t good.

BMD

18 October 2018. Our People and Our Planet Before Their Profits

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