Will CNN change its tune? There’s quite an interesting dynamic playing out at the Atlanta network, and you probably know the details. The fact that there is so much money for them to grapple over is a scandal in itself. It might be entertaining to watch two Trump haters trying to ruin each other. But with the kind of money that is at stake, they’ll survive. Makes you wonder who the advertisers are, if only we were willing to watch long enough to find out.

But that is the crux of the problem with China. You’re no doubt aware of the fact of the diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. Putin and Xi are already there, but no American government officials on account of “human rights abuses.” We occasionally hear about the Muslim Uyghur population, re-educated at a bare minimum, in camps constructed for that purpose. Chairman Xi fixed that for you. Apparently an Uyghur helped light the Olympic torch. The immediate question is, what would have happened if he’d refused? Athletes who chose to compete have had warnings about saying anything that might be construed as critical of the Chinese. Even the old bat has issued a statement.

Back to the point, apparently the corporations see their growth potential as being in China. If something’s not good for America, too bad. The almighty dollar is the top priority. You’ll notice there hasn’t been a lot of talk about the debt, but the cabal in charge has been running it up through the roof. It’s enough to make you feel, and act, hopeless about the future. On top of the debt, the occupant’s scriptwriter is subtly doing everything imaginable to hobble Americans because of the environment, social justice or whatever.

There are some things the government can’t do to us on account of the Constitution and the Bill or Rights. But the corporations are doing whatever the government recommends. They’re doing it to their employees, they’re making demands of their clients. Two years after the fact, the CDC has finally admitted that natural immunity is at least as good as the vaccine. But don’t worry, the places that are staying open will still demand your papers.

Some of the arguments being made are downright comical. Shaq says the mandates and lockdown orders are the dumbest thing he’s ever heard of. Uh-oh. The interview with CBS, which incidentally enforces the vaccine on employees, did not go well. There are respected studies showing that the lock-downs did more harm than good. If you’re not seeing that on the mainstream news, it’s because they pushed, shamed the non-complaint and brought in lackeys to call the non-compliant guilty of “not caring.” And potentially manslaughter if not murder. No wonder we can’t watch.

It’s beginning to look like every household name we know and love has cast it’s lot with China. It’s a financial decision and one that doesn’t bode well for the future of the U. S. The vast upwardly mobile market just represents unlimited riches. Why should they worry about America when they can dominate one sector or another in China? There is evidence, documentation and e-mails suggesting that the occupant has taken advantage of, shall we say, financial help from his son who is on corporate boards operated by the Chinese government. Ever heard of Peter Schweitzer? We’re all but scared to read his book. The mainstream and the occupant himself says it’s a smear job. Russian disinformation.

We’ve been through infuriating cycles before, but nothing quite rose to the current level. It would be easy to be hopeless and beaten, but maybe we’re not beaten. There may be a lot of rabble-rousers who demand that “society” make them rich, while they rage about racism. The most daring are smashing jewelry cases at retail stores. Who’s betting that every one of them is out on bail. We may never know. Unless…

Unless some of the lies get jammed down the mainstream media’s throat. It’s not nice to lie to everyone, particularly if you present yourself as America’s Most Trusted Name in News, or whatever.

Ukraine is still hanging fire. Troops are being publicly put on high alert in nearby NATO countries. Germany has bowed out. The pipeline, you know. Everybody saw this coming, we just didn’t expect it to happen so fast. A quick look at the “diplomats” who have our future all figured out says it all. At their recent planning session in Davos, they admitted to respecting and trusting each other even though nobody else does. Now that the public everywhere in the Western world has shown a willingness to comply with each and every mandate, logical or otherwise, they’ve got big plans for us.

What’s going on in Israel? The people have complied. The population is double and triple-vaxed at the highest rate on record, and having the greatest Corona virus crisis on earth. Maybe it’s good that Netanyahu is out of office, for now. He is being pursued by prosecutors for crimes aplenty, and has been mighty quiet, unlike somebody we know. But the analogy is eerily accurate.

Trouble is brewing among the Arab nations, some of which have made buddies with Israel and others that are standing by their historical posture. The war in Yemen continues, but somebody’s hitting the UAE with drone-launched explosives, and they think it’s in support of the Houthis that are fighting in Yemen. It’ll never end. Not in this era.

Who could have expected the Canadian truckers to shut down the Capitol in Ottawa over health rules and mandates. They have my respect, even though the Prime Minster so often photographed in blackface, has called them racist and evil. What a dork.

A couple of things you’ll remember my Dad saying from time to time. One is that Israel will tear itself apart internally in the absence of an outside enemy. He also said that end-time events would be brought about by a worldwide financial collapse. There’s astonishingly good news on the other side. If the media displayed some honesty there might be good news on this side. We can take comfort in the knowledge of how it ends. God will only put up with the success of evil for so long. We’re more fragile.

Mark

Source: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/fridayupdates.php

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – 4 February 2022 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

“The U.S. is standing opposed to athletes and sports lovers across the world,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Tuesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing. “The Olympics are not a stage for political stances or political manipulation.”

“The U.S. will pay a price for its wrong practices,” he said, without specifying what actions China might take. The U.S. will host the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028, though it’s unlikely Beijing would wait that long to respond. Zhao added that China had lodged its complaint with American diplomats.

Washington’s decision not to send officials to the event is largely symbolic considering the COVID-related restrictions they would face in the Asian nation, which has taken a zero-tolerance approach to fighting the pandemic. Still, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the Olympics, which start Feb. 4.

Blacklists, Trade and More U.S.-China Flashpoints: QuickTake

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki cited China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, and other human rights abuses” as the reasons the U.S. won’t send representatives. China calls allegations about abuses in its far western region “the lie of the century.”

The Canadian and Australian governments are also mulling whether to attend the event. New Zealand said Tuesday it told China in October its officials would not attend, citing a range of factors “mostly to do with COVID.”

Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/china-warns-u-s-will-pay-a-price-for-boycotting-olympics-1.1692165

The post China Warns U.S. Will ‘Pay a Price’ for Boycotting Olympics first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

We’re all on our own.  The mainstream is brimming with stories of people who decided to wait and see what the side effects of the “vaccines” were, and are now suffering in some ICU unit.  One study indicates that the hospitalized cases are roughly split between people who are “fully vaccinated” and those who aren’t.  What are we to believe, especially when those giving advice don’t have a very good record for being truthful?  So the vaccinated are worrying that they’ll be infected with some variant carried by the un-vaccinated, and they’re none too pleased.

They’ve just applied the word “breakthrough” to the cases of the “vaccinated.”  Still, they tell us as if in unison, the shot will lessen the chance you’ll be sick unto death.  That’s reassuring.  Word is that the “vaccines” are about to be approved by the FDA.  That will take away the arguments all over the Internet that claim mandating an unapproved shot is a violation of the Nuremberg treaty that dates back to 1947.  Can you imagine the legal repercussions if the shots being pushed by every government entity and most of the private sector were not approved?  So the FDA has no choice but to approve the vaccines, then the mandates from on high will be legitimate from a legal standpoint.

Panic has spread like wildfire (again) as reports of new infections come from every quarter.  We all have it ringing in our ears, “Get the shot!”  People are wearing masks again, and this time it’s genuine fear, and not just virtue signaling.  No doubt, the sickness has spread and “health authorities” are telling everybody what to do.  Maybe the government can’t mandate vaccination, yet, and if the shots touted don’t fit the definition of the word, the definition can simply be changed.  The powers that be have the authority to change the definitions of words, and they’ve been doing it for some time.

It was last December when Governor Cuomo told Dr. Fauci that they were just like the movie stars Di Niro and Pacino.  They had a good laugh as they reveled in how famous they’d become.  Cuomo told Fauci he could pick which movie star he wanted to be.  They might have sealed their fates.   Pride cometh before a fall, says the Proverb, obviously still in effect after all these centuries.  Some truths are everlasting.  It looks like both of them tempted fate when they decided to flaunt their fame and supposed importance.  Lately they’ve probably both lost sleep, deservedly.

Fauci, worries that he’ll eventually be blamed for the “gain of function” research that he insisted was so important, even if it did cost lives. Lots of them.  The very suggestion causes him to act out in ways unbecoming the amiable saintly demeanor with which we’re so familiar.  Cuomo’s not laughing anymore as he’s busy trying to defend against all manner of “me too” accusations, and maybe even facing criminal charges.  It seems a little incongruous that Cuomo’s name now opens many a news segment for getting a little frisky with the help.  Never mind that he ordered sick and elderly corona virus patients into nursing homes, with many dead to show for it.  Officials can’t be bothered about that.  Nobody died as a result of his inappropriate behavior, and he’s reminding us he’s Italian.  We wouldn’t understand, hard as we might try.

Meanwhile the Taliban is taking over Afghanistan and the summer fires are raging in California, but then… freedom is banned in the Western world with newfound authority from “health officials.”  There’s trouble in the Gulf of Oman, with Iran suspected of tampering electronically with passing vessels.  Israel has a new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennet, who wants to cooperate with the White House, but worries that Iran is closer to a nuclear warhead than ever before.  It could get scary.

In sports, they’re celebrating so-called transsexuals, even at the Olympics.  These dudes could never pass for women, never.  But we’ve got bearded men kissing on the mouth in commercials, as if the news wasn’t bad enough.  We’re assailed with conflicting information and many don’t know who or what to believe, having been lied to so routinely.

Our trust has been squandered on a host of subjects, ranging from the global-warming scam to the Fauci flu.  We’re being lied to on a host of subjects, and we know it.  Our trust lies outside the cacophony of nonsense spilling from every device.  The mainstream has bought into too much clap trap, and cried wolf too often.  They’ve lost all credibility and can’t believe that we can’t just be herded around with their bogus “facts.”  Sorry.

Mark

Source: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/fridayupdates.php

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – 6 August 2021 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

More than 15,000 athletes from over 200 countries are expected to make their way to Japan in time for the Olympics starting July 24.

But as the date nears, pressures on the host country to postpone the Tokyo Games for a second time are mounting after it was initially delayed in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While precautions are in place, coronavirus cases continue to rise in Japan, which is also struggling to ramp up vaccinations. International spectators will be barred from traveling to the Games.

While the final say and planning rests with Olympic organizers and the Japanese government, here’s what major stakeholders have to say.

Full steam ahead, more or less. In the words of International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach in January: “We’re not losing time or energy on speculation about whether the Olympics are taking place,” he said at a press conference.

“Our job is to organize the Olympics, not cancel it. We’re working on how the games will take place.”

“Our job is to organize the Olympics, not cancel it.” — IOC chairman Thomas Bach.

To date, the committee has released an official “playbook of rules” that includes guidelines on safety and has promised to maintain a “safe travel bubble” with the thousands of athletes, their entourages as well as journalists covering the games. It’s also in discussions to secure vaccine donations for Olympic athletes.

Bach more recently reaffirmed that “safety over packed stadiums came first”, as well as voiced his support for medical operations, jabs for athletes, and the strict implementation of “COVID counter-measures” in Olympic villages and all venues. “We are fully committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said.

But how that will play out in reality remains to be seen. Officials have already confirmed a positive case involving a coach who entered Japan and tested positive upon arrival at the airport in Tokyo.

Much of Japan is fiercely against holding the Olympics during the pandemic — and understandably so. The country is seeing a rapid rise in daily coronavirus cases.

A new survey showed that 83% of Japanese citizens polled did not want the Olympic games to go ahead in July. It was roughly split between those who wanted it cancelled outright or just postponed again, but the percentages for both were higher than in previous polls.

One public petition calling for the Olympics to be cancelled also drew more than 350,000 signatures.

Japan has extended its state of emergency. But with its slow vaccination rate, the lowest among the world’s wealthiest nations, the country is struggling to contain a new surge.

The government wants the Olympics to proceed. The Tokyo Games are already the most expensive in history, costing an estimated $15.4 billion to stage. The year-long delay added to the financial burden.

“The Tokyo Olympics are operating in a very tough environment,” Toshiro Muto, CEO of the organizing committee, was quoted as saying in an Associated Press report when asked about the record costs.

He also revealed that costs had increased for the opening and closing ceremonies and said that the event should be looked at as “an investment rather than a cost”.

In a column published by Channel News Asia, sports commentator John Duerden said that the financial costs to the Japanese government were a huge factor to its final decision.

“Cancelling the Olympic Games would see Japan losing out financially. Such a loss, as the Japanese economy reels from a pandemic-caused slowdown could [also] be politically damaging,” Duerden noted. “It is understandable that there’s been a reluctance to cancel the Olympics unless absolutely necessary.”

Like the IOC, Japanese government officials have vowed to ensure a safe and secure Olympics.

But earlier this month, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appeared to acknowledge the growing pressure, saying he has never “put the Olympics first” and that it was up to the IOC, with Japan responsible for ensuring safety measures.

The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association wants the games canceled, Reuters reported. The top medical organization, which represents thousands of doctors, shared an open letter with Prime Minister Suga on its website this week, saying it “strongly requests” the authorities to cancel the games. The group warned that hospitals in Tokyo were also overwhelmed with coronavirus cases.

“Medical institutions dealing with COVID-19 patients have their hands full and have almost no spare capacity,” it said.

It added that Japan would have to bear the maximum responsibility for any superclusters that emerged as a result of the Olympics.

None other than Japan’s biggest sports star, tennis champion Naomi Osaka, voiced alarm over going ahead with the Games. Osaka told BBC Sport that the coronavirus cases in Japan “were a big concern” for her and she wasn’t really sure if the Games should proceed.

“I’m an athlete, and of course my immediate thought is that I want to play in the Olympics,” she said. “But as a human, I would say we’re in a pandemic, and if people aren’t healthy, and if they’re not feeling safe, then it’s definitely a really big cause for concern.”

But Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, who is seeking his first Olympic gold in singles after missing the 2016 Rio Games due to a knee injury, was looking forward to Tokyo. “This is for me the big one,” he was quoted as saying.

Others said that the world could use the international spectacle that the Games provides as a much-needed breather from the deprivation brought on by more than a year of the pandemic.

“I think the whole world really needs this Olympics, maybe more than anything else, due to the difficulties in the past year and a half,” Jonathan Groth, a Danish table tennis player who competed in the 2016 Rio Games, previously told VICE World News. “We need to come together for one event and have something to focus on together.”

Follow Heather Chen on Twitter.

The post The Japanese Public Wants Out of the Olympics. Everyone Else Says No. first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.