Euro Recession: TOLD YOU SO!!!!

The LA Times reports that Ireland's unholy union with the Unholy Union is now threatening to pull them down.
"Part of the problem is that European monetary policy, which once worked in favor of fast growth in Ireland, is now working against it. ...

Now that Ireland needs aggressively low interest rates to stimulate the ailing economy, it is not getting them. This summer, when the economy here became one of the first in the industrialized world to fall into recession, the European Central Bank actually raised interest rates, worried more about the rise of inflation across the euro zone. ... That strategy, economists say, makes sense for euro zone countries such as France, which is not in recession, but not for Ireland."

Of course! Whatever the Big Three - Germany, France, and Italy - need takes precedence over what once-valued members such as wee Ireland needs to survive.

Listen to me: if you roll around with pigs, you're gonna get filthy! Get out of the European union, Ireland. Europe has never - never - never had any interest in Ireland other than raping and stealing everything they can get from us. Won't surrender your new-found freedom to another, worse master. Britain was horrible enough, the Fourth Reich will kill you!

Look at what they're trying to force on the rest of the world:

"Seeking solutions, European leaders are pushing sweeping reforms of the world financial system. Pressing for such moves as global guidelines on executive pay and universal accounting standards, they are calling on the United States and other major nations to sign on to their plan within 100 days."

Typical of the Oligarchical mindset of the Regal European set, if they screw themselves up, they try to pull the rest of the world into their troubles.

You cannot expect success from a union of such diverse and insular, old monarchies as those of which Europe is composed. Germany CANNOT maintain the best interests of France, who CANNOT focus on the needs of Italy, who CANNOT care intimately about the well being of Spain. There are just too many old grudges and jealousies there.

And Ireland has always been their whipping boy; a ripe garden to pluck and discard.

GET OUT OF THE UNION!

Ireland for the Irish!

A comment on Obama's Lawsuit problems

Last night a major announcement: Obama is taking a few days to hurry to Hawaii. His story is that his grand mother is sick. The media has zero details on this illness or why Obama has to drop his campaign plans and run to Hawaii.

This is the latest from Phil on his lawsuit re Obama's birth certificate --- a Hawaiian one.

I absolutely wish no ill will towards Obama's grandmother, but it sure it seems like a huge coincidence considering the timing of Phil's release. If I lived in Honolulu where the State Department of Health issues birth certs, I'd be camped out there just to see who shows up in the next few days....maybe Michael Signator.

This press release should be taken or faxed TODAY to every Secretary of State of the Union with a polite demand that Obama be declared ineligible to appear on the ballot.

If you have a radio show, I hope you will air this press release.

FAX it to your state rep and state senator.

FAX it to your local county clerk with a short letter letting him/her know Obama cannot be an eligible candidate on election day because - include the legal definiton of 'request for admissions.'

I will do mine this morning.

If we the people flood all of the above -- by the MILLIONS - we can make the volcano erupt... and to hell with the FAKE news we get from all of the left-wing media types.

Phil has done all this work, we need to back up his efforts. We can get Obama off the ballot.

For those of you who don't know what "Request for Admissions" means in Phil's press release:

http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/Term/E92D773B-2002-4F98-A3FBA39DF0E60C5D/alpha/R/

request for admission - A discovery procedure, authorized by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the court rules of many states, in which one party asks an opposing party to admit that certain facts are true. If the opponent admits the facts or fails to respond in a timely manner, the facts will be deemed true for purposes of trial. A request for admission is called a "request to admit" in many states.
Devvy Kidd

More on Obama's Lawsuit

Obama & DNC Admit All Allegations of Federal Court Lawsuit regarding Obama's "Not" Qualified to be President and Obama Should Immediately Withdraw his Candidacy for President
(Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania 10/21/08) -

Philip J. Berg, Esquire, the Attorney who filed suit against Barack H. Obama challenging Senator Obama's lack of "qualifications" to serve as President of the United States, announced today that Obama and tbe DNC "ADMITTED", by way of failure to timely respond to Requests for Admissions, all of the numerous specific requests in the Federal lawsuit. Obama is "NOT QUALIFIED" to be President and therefore Obama must immediately withdraw his candidacy for President and the DNC shall substitute a qualified candidate. The case is Berg v. Obama, No. 08-cv-04083.

Berg stated that he filed Requests for Admissions on September 15, 2008 with a response by way of answer or objection had to be served within thirty [30] days. No response to the Requests for Admissions was served by way of response or objection. Thus, all of the Admissions directed to Obama and the DNC are deemed "ADMITTED."

Therefore, Obama must immediately withdraw his candidacy for President.

The admissions include:

OBAMA - Admitted:

1. I was born in Kenya.
2. I am a Kenya "natural born" citizen.
3. My foreign birth was registered in the State of Hawaii.
4. My father, Barrack Hussein Obama, Sr. admitted Paternity of me.
5. My mother gave birth to me in Mombosa, Kenya.
6. My mother's maiden name is Stanley Ann Dunham a/k/a Ann Dunham.
7. The COLB [Certification of Live Birth] posted on the website "Fightthesmears.com" is a forgery.
8. I was adopted by a Foreign Citizen.
9. I was adopted by Lolo Soetoro, M.A. a citizen of Indonesia.
10. I was not born in Hawaii.
11. I was not born at the Queens Medical Center in Hawaii.
12. I was not born at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Hawaii.
13. I was not born in a Hospital in Hawaii.
14. I am a citizen of Indonesia.
15. I never took the "Oath of Allegiance" to regain my U.S. Citizenship status.
16. I am not a "natural born" United States citizen.
17. My date of birth is August 4, 1961.
18. I traveled to Pakistan in 1981 with my Pakistan friends.
19. In 1981, I went to Indonesia on my way to Pakistan.
20. Pakistan was a no travel zone in 1981 for American Citizens.
21. In 1981, Pakistan was not allowing American Citizens to enter their country.
22. I traveled on my Indonesian Passport to Pakistan.
23. I renewed my Indonesian Passport on my way to Pakistan.
24. My senior campaign staff is aware I am not a "natural born" United States Citizen.
25. I am proud of my Kenya Heritage.
26. My relatives have requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my first name.
27. My relatives have requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my last name.
28. My relatives have requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my place of birth.
29. I requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my first name.
30. I requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my last name.
31. I requested changes to the portion of my birth certificate that identifies my place of birth.
32. The document identified as my Indonesian School record from Fransiskus Assisi School in Jakarta, Indonesia is genuine.
33. I went to a Judge in Hawaii to have my name changed.
34. I went to a Senator and/or Congressman or other public official in Hawaii to have my name changed.
35. I had a passport issued to me from the Government of Indonesia.
36. The United States Constitution does not allow for a Person to hold the office of President of the United States unless that person is a "natural born" United States citizen.
37. I am ineligible pursuant to the United States Constitution to serve as President and/or Vice President of the United States.
38. I never renounced my citizenship as it relates to my citizenship to the country of Indonesia.
39. I never renounced my citizenship as it relates to my citizenship to the country of Kenya.
40. I am an Attorney who specializes in Constitutional Law.
41. Kenya was a part of the British Colonies at the time of my birth.
42. Kenya did not become its own Republic until 1963.
43. I am not a "Naturalized" United States Citizen.
44. I obtained $200 Million dollars in campaign funds by fraudulent means.
45. I cannot produce a "vault" (original) long version of a birth certificate showing my birth in Hawaii.
46. My "vault" (original) long version birth certificate shows my birth in Kenya.
47. The only times I was to a Hospital in Hawaii was for check-ups or medical treatments for illnesses.
48. Queens Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii does not have any record of my mother, Stanley Ann Dunham (Obama) giving birth to me.
49. Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii does not have any record of my mother, Stanley Ann Dunham (Obama) giving birth to me
50. I was born in the Coast Province Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.
51. I represented on my State Bar application in Illinois that I never used any other name other than Barack Hussein Obama.
52. I went by the name Barry Soetoro in Indonesia.
53. My Indonesian school records are under the name of Barry Soetoro.
54. I took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution when admitted to the State Bar of Illinois to practice Law.
55. I took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution when I was Sworn into my United States Senate Office.
56. I hold dual citizenship with at least one other Country besides the United States of America.

DNC - Admitted:

1. The DNC nominated Barrack Hussein Obama as the Democratic Nominee for President.
2. The DNC has not vetted Barrack Hussein Obama.
3. The DNC did not have a background check performed on Barrack Hussein Obama.
4. The DNC did not verify Barrack Hussein Obama's eligibility to serve as President of the United States.
5. The DNC admits Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Kenya.
6. The DNC admits Barrack Hussein Obama is not a "natural born" United States citizen.
7. The DNC admits Barrack Hussein Obama was not born in Hawaii.
8. The DNC admits they have not inquired into Barrack Hussein Obama's citizenship status.
9. The DNC admits they have a duty to properly vette the Democratic Nominee for President.
10. The DNC admits Lolo Soetoro, M.A., an Indonesian citizen adopted Barrack Hussein Obama.
11. The DNC admits the Credentials Committee has been aware of this lawsuit since August 22, 2008 as the lawsuit was faxed to our Washington D.C. Office on August 22, 2008.
12. The DNC admits their Credentials Committee failed to verify and/or inquire into the credentials of Barack Hussein Obama to serve as the President of the United States.
13. The DNC admits their Credential Committee's Report failed to address the issues of Barack Hussein Obama's ineligibility to serve as President of the United States.
14. The DNC admits Howard Dean, Chair Person has and had knowledge Barack Hussein Obama was born in Kenya and ineligible to serve as the President of the United States.
15. The DNC admits Plaintiff and all Democratic citizens of the United States have been personally injured as a result of not having a qualified Democratic Presidential Nominee to cast their votes upon.
16. The DNC admits Plaintiff and all citizens of the United States have a Constitutional Right to vote for the President of the United States and to have two (2) qualified candidates of which to choose from.
17. The DNC admits Plaintiff and all citizens of the United States have a Constitutional right to have a properly vetted Democratic Presidential Nominee of which to cast their vote.
18. The DNC admits an FBI background check is not performed on the Presidential or Vice Presidential Candidates.
19. The DNC admits the United States Constitution does not allow for a Person to hold the office of President of the United States unless that person is a "natural born" United States citizen.
20. The DNC admits they collected donations on behalf of Barack Hussein Obama for his Presidential campaign.
21. The DNC admits Plaintiff and Democratic citizens donated money based on false representations that Barack Hussein Obama was qualified to serve as the President of the United States.
22. The DNC admits if Barack Hussein Obama is elected as President and allowed to serve as President of the United States in violation of our Constitution, it will create a Constitutional crisis.
23. The DNC admits Barack Hussein Obama took an Oath to uphold the United States Constitution.
24. The DNC admits allowing a person who is not a "natural born" citizen to serve as President of the United States violates Plaintiff's rights to due process of law in violation of the United States Constitution.
25. The DNC admits allowing a person who is not a "natural born" citizen to serve as President of the United States violates Plaintiff's rights to Equal Protection of the laws in violation of the United States Constitution.
26. The DNC admits the function of the DNC is to secure a Democratic Presidential Candidate who will protect Democratic citizen's interests, fight for their equal opportunities and fight for justice for all Americans.
27. The DNC admits the Democratic National Committee has been promoting Barack Hussein Obama's Presidential election knowing he was ineligible to serve as President of the United States.

Our website obamacrimes.com now has 50.7 + million hits. We are urging all to spread the word of our website and forward to your local newspapers, radio and TV stations.

Berg again stressed his position regarding the urgency of this case as, "we" the people, are heading to a "Constitutional Crisis" if this case is not resolved forthwith.

* * For copies of all Court Pleadings, go to http://obamacrimes.com

Obama Citizenship in Question

Wow!

Obama citizenship lawsuit

Law of Estoppel Snags Obama:
"I am ineligible... to serve as President..."

Pennsylvania attorney Phillip Berg, in his lawsuit (see documents at http://obamacrimes.com) questioning Barack Hussein Obama's right to become President, filed a request for admissions. In the request, he stated certain allegations and required Obama and the DNC to admit to the truth of them or to deny them within 30 days. According to the Rules of Civil Procedure, the respondent must answer within the specified time frame or the court will accept the silence of the respondent as acquiescence - an admission of the truth of the allegations. The respondent thereby estops his future protests against the factual nature of the allegations.


Unfortunately for the People of America, neither Barack nor the DNC came forward to admit or deny Berg's allegations within the allotted time. Now we have a constitutional challenge on our hands. Ipso facto, the court must assume Obama and the DNC admitted to the allegations, and it must rule that Obama has no right to pursue the office of President of the United States. Why? Because these admissions prove that Obama has no right to run for president or become president - they admit that he did not qualify by way of natural born citizenship.

Instead of responding to the request for admissions, Barack put his campaign on hold and jetted off to Hawaii to tend to his ailing grandmother. I consider this "coincidence" way too coincidental. I believe he has gone to do damage control - to find some sneaky way to fabricate and/or slip into the system some kind of plausible birth certificate in a criminal effort to prove the US citizenship which he has to this point refused to substantiate by credible documented evidence.

Before you start feeling too sorry for Obama and his supporters, remember that Obama had plenty of opportunity to present proper and certified evidence of his birth. And the public has every right to question his integrity, in light of the sketchy history of his mother's country-hopping and multi-nationalist associations preceding and coinciding with his birth. In his arrogance, Obama refused to presentc credible evidence of his birth, and he has tried to get the court challenge dismissed out of hand. If he somehow gets into the presidency, I believe we can expect more of the same recalcitrant deceit and duplicity.

This has NOTHING to do with Obama's politics. It has to do with his obedience to his oath of loyalty to the Constitution for the USA and the laws pursuant thereto.

Obama Ashamed of His Name!

American politics - you gotta love 'em! Now the Obama campaign has started complaining because the McCain folks are getting his name RIGHT! When speakers have referred to him as "Barack Hussein Obama" the Obama campaign has called it unfair and saying that this stirs up resentment toward the candidate (who, earlier in his campaign said he was proud of his name). Guess his' decided to change his stance on that, too!

But it goes beyond political bickering, the local ACLU and NAACP chapters have also asked for an apology. Obama is calling in the big guns - FBI investigations have been ordered against some who have dared to refer to Obama (who would be the president of the United States, for cryin' out loud!) by his full birth name.

Of course, this isn't really new for Obama. Recall that when he was in school, he presented himself as Barry Obama, so others wouldn't call him Barack.

Identity crisis? Ashamed of his connections? Or just pathetically confused? GACK! What a candidate for leader of the free world!

Muammar Gaddafi: "Obama, my brother"

I really want to be finished with this political junk. I hate the bickering, the duplicity, the having to choose and all that means.

BUT...

Somethings just need to be brought to light.

I, personally, believe Barack Hussein Obama is dangerous for America. He is inexperienced and he leans way too far liberal left for my personal comfort. The issue of his allegiance is, I think, of paramount importance, though. To even consider for president, during these tumultuous times of conflict with radical Islam, someone who may or may not have connections with the other side is ludicrous and must be founded in either a desire to see American crushed or in blinded ignorance. Unfortunately, too many of our citizens are more concerned with a person's skin color or their historic uniqueness as a candidate to look at that person's connections and background and lack or leadership experience.

This link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZiqexz7aqQ) leads to a video of Muammar al-Gaddafi, the de facto leader of Libya, endorsing Obama as a potential great president of American. He repeatedly refers to Obama's Islamism as he calls him "our brother Obama." He refers to the Arab world's prayers and contributions in support Obama. He explains that Obama's statements in support of Israel are only lies of a democratic election in which candidates are expected to say whatever necessary to get elected. He even speaks encouragingly to "our brother Obama" to not have self-doubt regarding his right to lead America, hoping that Obama "will take pride in his African and Islamic identity and faith ... and that he will change American from evil to good."

Yet, even in the light of blatant support by our national enemies for a presidential candidate, the mainstream press is pushing Obama as the leading candidate in the race. You have to look past the "legitimate media" (remember, I used to be one of them until I saw how unilaterally corrupt they are) to find anything negative about Obama. He is given a pass on every gaff, from his slip of "my Muslim faith" when he meant to say Christian faith, his reference to 57 or 60 states instead of 50, his alliance with many, many influential and questionable characters. Yes, these could be missed or overlooked, but we have to wonder why other political figures' mistakes or dubious connections are highlighted over and over and over. If Bush, Cheney, McCain, or any other conservative politician had made any of the above mistakes, David Letterman, Jay Leno, MSNBC, ABC, CNN, CBS, NBC, etc would have been all over them. But they've yet to jab Obama for any of them. That alone should raise red flags for any even semi-conscious. But, again, the desire to see someone "different" stand in office overrides all caution.

Please watch the above referenced video and draw your own conclusions. I've included other telling clip links below along with a forwarded message from a friend. Please warn your liberal-leaning friends and family in a kind and sincere way. They are deluded, not stupid. Just because they don't understand is no reason to disown them, just to educate them.

Here are some other links:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws (the video of the ignored "57 states" [+ 3 = 60] mistake. Yet we hear often about McCain's house counting gaff)
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pO1dIKgfPw&feature=related (in which Obama supports sex education for kindergarteners)
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BnLozS-TnM&feature=related (2004, Obama states publicly that he is too inexperienced to run in 2008)
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU2Yv-rnJEo&NR=1(caught in out right, blatant lies - guess he hopes we'll just not pay attention)
------------------

(George) STEPHANOPOULOS: "The McCain campaign has never suggested that you have Muslim connections. McCain said that that's wrong."

OBAMA: No, uh, well, uh, well, look, the -- the, uhhhh. Listen, uhhh, you and I both know that the minute that Governor Palin was, uh -- was, uh, forced to talk about her daughter, I immediately said, "That's off-limits. And -- and -- and -- and --

STEPHANOPOULOS: John McCain did the same thing about questioning your faith.

OBAMA: And what -- what was the first thing the McCain campaign went out and did? They -- they said, uhhh, look, uhhh, his liberal blogs that support Obama (nervous laugh) are out there attacking Governor Palin. I mea- ih, uh, uh, eh, L-l-let's not play games. W-w-what I was suggesting, you are absolutely right that John McCain has not, uh, talked about my Muslim faith, and you're absolutely right that that has not come --

STEPHANOPOULOS: Christian faith.

OBAMA: Uh, M-my Christian faith.

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Palin Rocks! ... I'm Bothered Now, though

Well! If you missed Sarah Palin's speech last night at the Republican National Convention (US presidential race), you missed it! Granted, the US is one of the few countries yet to elect a major female leader, and Ireland has had two successful Madam Presidents, but I think Palin made it clear she is ready for a Chief Executive job. Yes, she will only be Vice President, but in the next election, she's a certainty to be nominated for President.

And that's my quandary. All through this tedious campaign season, I've said, "Just get McCain in there for four years, then let's move on to President Mike Huckabee." But after Palin's speech - well, actually about ten minutes into it - I have a real problem. My problem is this: in four years, do I still want to vote for Huckabee for president, or for Sarah Palin?

Huckabee has been my presidential pick since he entered the primaries. First of all, he's from Arkansas (so am I), he's a strong leader with a proven record of lowering taxes, balancing a horribly wrecked budget, working equally well with both parties, plus he's a sincerely nice guy. I've had dinner with him a couple of times (easy to do in a small state like Arkansas), and he comes across in an informal setting as friendly, sharp, and interested in everything. I really, really like Huckabee for President.

Or I did. RATS! Now comes Palin and I was just as stunned as everyone else who heard her (and have functioning synapses). She was quick, charming, solid on her ideas, and very focused on the job at hand. (Unlike the opposing presidential candidate who can't seem to even remember what he said yesterday ... or how many states we have in the US! - see my earlier post on BO's numeracy skills.)

I think Palin will make a great addition to the McCain ticket. I think she'll be a good VP. And I believe she could very possibly be a great first American Madam President.

Obama's Revelation: 57 States or OIC??

Today is September 3, 2008. That's important when you realize that it has now been FOUR MONTHS since Barack Hussein announced that there are 57 US states. And the major media outlets still haven't acknowledged his mistake. The few references to it have been on media blogs where the miscount has been sternly defended as a minor mistake based on his confusion.

Isn't it fun to watch the liberal media ... oh alright, all the liberals ... spin back and forth! A few years ago, when Dan Quayle misspelled a vegetable "potatoe" instead of "potato"), they went nuts over it for weeks, deeming it as proof positive that Quayle was unfit for office. But now, when their pet candidate screws up again and again (and again!), they can't seem to see anything wrong with it.

What's a little confusion or bumbling amount to?
DATELINE IRAN
MARCH 14, 2009
EXCERPT FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA'S MEETING WITH IRAN PRESIDENT: "Mr. Ahmadinejad, we WILL hand over control to you!" "Wait, no, er, I meant we will NOT. ... I think , er, uh, 8, no, 23, no, 57, uh, what was the question, ol' buddy?"

But what was behind BO's numerical gaff? Snopes.com excuses the mistake (of course!) by quoting his explanation that his "numeracy is poor." Oh, his numeracy skills are poor, is that all? The dictionary defines numeracy as "the ability to understand and work with numbers." Wait. Isn't counting, and calculating, and understanding numbers an important skill for the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!?? The guy supposedly graduated from Harvard, for cryin' out loud. Ever see the TV show, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? BO had better keep far away from that program!

But there's a second possibility. Other than base ignorance, I mean. A quick check of the Internet reveals that the Organization of Islamic Countries is made up of ... wait for it ... fifty-seven member countries (or states, as they call them). Wow. What an interesting coincidence!

Could it be that Barack Hussein Obama had another group of states in mind when he quoted the number? Could it be that he is focusing on a coalition of countries that are, let's say unfriendly to the US's interests?

Could it be this is one more example of why this guy would be a HORRIBLE choice for Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces?
Yes!

New Referendum Proposed ... Told you so!!!

A much more humbled Minister Dick Roche tried to pour oil on the tumultuous waters he had stirred up in his blasphemous suggestion that the Irish government should ignore the will of the Irish people in favor of placating the European master race in an interview on RTE this morning. However, in his attempt to make peace, he only made matters worse for himself.

I agree wholeheartedly with Cardinal Brady's assessment that we don't believe the Euros have any religious convictions to back their rush to power. Of course they don't! What glory could Christ's Church possibly get from the fourth Reich? The power hungry would-be masters on the continent are in it for themselves alone ... as before. Hitler, too, believed he was acting on divine assignment, but who would accept that assertion now, with the perspective of history?

The same will be seen of this power grab in the future. If Ireland falls into goose stepping line with the Euros, we will be blithely handing our leash into the hands of another brit-like master who will strip our goods from us and leave us wallowing in the mud left behind.

Let's look at some of Roach's comments on RTE today:

Roche referred to the influence on the outcome of the referendum by "people outside Europe who wish Europe harm" - By which he means the Irish diaspora who have a clearer perspective of the overall issue. Indeed, in Roach's opinion, what right do Irish descendants have to state their experience and feelings about their - our - homeland?

At one point, Roche actually said; "we've already had a referendum on this matter." yes, we have, and we told our feelings - don't try to shove us around, thank you!

Questioned repeatedly, Roche continually refused to say that other cabinet members agreed to the idea of defying what the Irish people have said. This can offer a modicum of hope that Roach, alone, is defying the people's wishes.

Roche referred several times to "Eukips and ultra extremists" as those who are arguing against a second referendum. We can only assume that these biased terms of endearment mean anyone who disagrees with Roach, who wants to be more Euro than Irish.

Roche also hinted at threats that Ireland will find herself in much more difficult economic straits if we do not submit ourselves to the master race in Europe prime. These sound frighteningly like old, historic sabre-rattlings which Ireland has often had to deal with, don't they?

Just to show his knowledge of what has happened in the last few months, Roche said, "The Irish people have spoken." To which we say, yes, so let us be!

And he fell to the simplistic arguments that opposing sides to Lisbon were liars, that "everybody" on the no side argued that Ireland's place was within Europe - nope, wrong again, Mr. Roach. Many of us argued that Ireland's place was with Ireland. Perhaps with some help from our plantation lands in the USA.

Oh, and by the way, Mr. Roche, twenty-six other European "states" did not agree to the treaty as you assert. Many of those "states", including France, have serious problems with allowing themselves to be blended complacently into a whole which reflects none of their national identity. As I've said before, Greece is not part of Spain; France is still not part of Germany, and Ireland is not part of any of them! We are Ireland! Not "Number Twenty-Seven" among a bunch of nameless, faceless, identical "states."

I understand. I really do. Everyone in Europe is so jealous of America's success they can't wait to be called The United States of Europe. But, as an American for 50 years let me say that the homogeneity here is not what you want. Yes, we have some funny little "Yankee" and "Southerner" variances in our culture, but California is very much like New York is very much like Florida is very much like Chicago. We are all the same.

There is no way that the French people will quietly go into the blender with the Germans, the Italians, the Polish, and the british. The historic characters are too firmly ingrained into the national cultures. And they should be! The world needs a uniquely French, Greek, Polish, and IRISH character to relate to. This rush to a one-world identity is wrong. It is not efficient, it is not sensible, it is wrong.

Ireland, please stand strong against the pressure to melt into a euro-character. The world has one melting pot. It is moderately successful in some areas, but not in all. You don't want to surrender your Celtic character which is only yours. Stand strong.

Ireland is Ireland!

More reasons to stop eating dead things!

This comes from a friend of mine - funny thing is she's a carnivore and would probably eat some of these disgusting things!

This is a popular buffet at the Beijing Olympic village ...




"Oh yes, dog brain soup very good for you! Very high in cholesterol and slimy doggy stuff!"





NOW - aren't you glad to be a vegetarian! Honestly, this looks like the depths for deprivation. How low we've stooped to eat bugs, dogs' livers, and goats' lungs! Don't give me that, "but people who are starving will eat anything to stay alive." People who are starving will eat plants and gain much more food value than from scorpions and snake. Besides, China is rapidly becoming an economic powerhouse.

This is just depravity. We were created as a beautiful, dignified, happy race. But after the Fall, we have tried to see how low we can go. And this is pretty low!

God forgive us!

Welcommen to the real EU!

HA! The Daily Telegraph posted a story yesterday that demonstrates the real mindset inside the European unUnion. The story, titled "British children banned from German only playground in Crete resort" tells that a Greek resort which restricts its children's facilities to only German visitors.

"British families spent thousands of pounds each to book into the family friendly Meltemi Village, an all inclusive resort on the island of Crete. But when they arrived at the so-called family friendly resort they were told that the children's club was out of bounds because it was for German youngsters only," goes the story.

Well, of course, because the Germans are, remember, the master race, so why shouldn't their kindern receive special privileges?

But who is really surprised? This idea to blend such historically divided cultures into one happy family is as goofy as it sounds on the surface. Yes, individuals can get along. Yes, some cultures can even manage to cooperate for a profit. But face it, you can only go so far into making the Irish act like the French, or the brits act like the Czechs, or the Germans act like ... well, like anything but Germans!

The only ones to profit from the solidification of the EU compact will be the highhanded cliques such as the Germans and the French. This attempt to replay WWII again by taking over Europe is a blatant power grab. Have the Irish benefited from the union? A little. But so does the mouse when he accepts the first bite of cheese in the trap. Or the child who receives a free drug from a kindly pusher.

Der Herrenmensch are just part of the problematic mindset of this unnatural union. Our culture developed as a slave race to the brits (who thought themselves the master race), not as a partner of the broader Europe peoples. Yes, our contributions to those folk helped them develop their cultures and civilization, but how much did they help us overall? How much did they contribute to the Irish character (rape aside)? How much did they help us out of our servitude to our tormentors for 700 years? Not at all. They just looked on as we were trampled and misused by a stronger group. And, because that stronger group used our resources to buy the Europeans' loyalty, they refused to even see our slavery as wrong. They were, in fact, partners to our subjugation.

So why should we join them in their mass hysteria? This whole European Union farce is an attempt to build, not only an unnatural, but an unholy alliance. Doesn't this sound a little familiar? Doesn't this ring of a rebuilding of the old Roman Empire, as foretold in the Bible? Ezekiel 38 and 39, as well as references in Daniel and Revelation tell that in the last days the Roman Empire will be rebuilt from a union of her neighbors.

My dear Irish brothers and sisters, do we really want to become part of that? Not if we read the whole story and see where that group proceeds.

For more on the development of the EU into a 2,500 year old prophecy, read Joel Rosenberg's blog at joelrosenberg.blogspot.com.

Don't go blindly into another damaging relationship with the same folk who have scorned us for so long. Their disdain is apparent in their disregard for our recent vote on Lisbon. We have more strength of character than they ever have had. We've earned it in our chains. Push them away.

Americans Refused Voting Rights

In a story by Robert Novak, published today, we learn that,

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. Roy Blunt, the House Republican whip, on July 8 introduced a resolution demanding that the Defense Department better enable U.S. military personnel overseas to vote in the November elections. That act was followed by silence. Democrats normally leap on an opportunity to find fault with the Bush Pentagon. But not a single Democrat joined Blunt as a co-sponsor, and an all-Republican proposal cannot pass in the Democratic-controlled House.

So? Republican proposes, Democrats decline to support.

But wait, why wouldn't Democrat Congressmen want American soldiers to miss out on their right to vote for president?

Could it be because so many loyal Americans who feel strongly enough about defending our rights they'll go overseas to risk life and limb ... would be opposed to an ARAB-American as their Commander in Chief? Or maybe it's just because there aren't too many Democrats fighting for us as there are Republicans?

Ooooo! How diabolically clever! Isolate the citizens most likely to vote against your party during the elections so your party will be in a stronger position to win. Sounds like somebody has been taking notes form Robert Mugabe's political tactics!

Write your congressman and ask them to push for voting rights for American soldiers. At least give them a chance to vote on the government they're defending!

Barack Hussein is ARAB-American

For some reason (oh come on, I'm trying to be nice) the US media has glommed onto Barack Hussein and are infatuated with him. The tout his looks, his charisma, his popularity at his rock concert-style appearances, but for some reason ( ! ) they don't talk too much about his experience, knowledge of the issues, or plans for our future if he should (shudder) become pres ... you know, I can't bear to say it.

I won't wear you down by pointing out that the reason the media focuses on his surface, but doesn't dwell too much on his lack of depth. I'll only guess there's not much story fodder there. But I do want to point out one important point about which BHO has made a big deal and which the media has followed the pattern - that is his ethnicity. Osama, er, sorry Obama refers to his background regularly, referring to his upbringing and his family history. But, once again, much of it is style, but no substance.

A recent visit to an ancestry site which has explored Barack Hussein's ancestry (and many have done so) reveals the following statement regarding BHO:

"Senator Obama is not African American according to U.S. Law. Senator Obama is an Arab-American according to U.S. Law. Senator Obama’s racial background consists of the following: 50% white (mother and her parents on both sides), 43.25% Arabic (father and his parents on both sides), and 6.25% African Negro (father on one side, but 1 generation removed). 12.5% is the legal threshold one must prove to claim racial status under the law. " [emphasis mine]

So, by law, Barack Hussein Obama is not African-American, as he claims. Maybe this is why so many real African-Americans are turning away from a politician who is trying to "play the race card" and to take advantage of their difficulties to ride to office.

Do we even need to examine the eligibility of a presidential candidate who blatantly lies about such a basic issue as his family? Yes, we've become inured to our politicians lying from time to time - good grief, it's become almost expected of that particular species - but a presidential candidate should have some integrity, for Heaven's sake! We're talking about someone who could be entrusted with our national safety, much less representing us to the world!

The man doesn't even know where he came from, how can he know where he's going?

This Arab was ashamed of his family as a kid (changed his name in school to Barry) and tried to say he was African-American rather than Arabian. But he can't really make a logical claim to an African American work. First, he wasn't raised as an African American, and he wasn't raised by African Americans, and he wasn't raised in an African American neighborhood.

So this Arab is trying to ride the coattails of American blacks who have honest issues of their ancestral past to deal with.

The media shouldn't be wasting their time wondering editorially whether Barack Hussein will carry the black vote, they should be poling Islamic temples to see if he will carry the Arabian vote. Wait, do they vote? Bet they will if there's a chance of having a "brother" Arab in the White House deciding American policy with the Middle East!

GACK! Did you hear what I just said? "a chance of having an Arab in the White House deciding American policy with the Middle East!" Where will Israel stand at that point in our considerations? Where will our energy concerns stand if B. Hussein is presi ... nope, still can't say it.

Please, inform as many others as you possibly can of this possible situation. Tell them we're considering an Arab for president. And urge them to vote against him.

Letter to US Congressmen

Dear Senator [___],

French president Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Ireland this Monday to attempt to force them to vote again on a measure they have already rejected. His overbearing attitude and this effort to impose his will upon another people (BTW, his own citizens rejected his proposal, too) is tantamount to an autocratic imposition of his agenda.

The Lisbon Treaty, however you may feel about it, introduction of a Fourth Reich or just a market annexation, has been properly proffered and voted upon. It was duly rejected by the free Irish voters.

Now EU Führer and French president Sarkozy is doing just what so many Irish citizens feared - he is attempting to force them to bend to his will against their own.

Please support Irish rights to decide their own government. Encourage Taoiseach Brian Cowen to stand up for his own people's decision and to resist Sarkozy's highhanded powerplay.

The Irish people have let their will be known. Only in a totalitarian state (is this what the EU is aimed toward becoming?) is the will of the people summarily ignored. Sarkozy's refusal to accept the Irish decision is indicative of his end goal and intentions.

The United States needs to stand strong beside the homeland of so many of our ancestors and defend this affront to liberty and free speech.

Sarkozy Stay Home!

Haven't you ever heard, "If you can't say something nice, than say nothing at all?" (OK, apparently neither have I!) But it certainly applies to French President Nikki Sarkozi. After all Ireland has done for him! You'd think the man would be grateful, wouldn't you?

But no, he's coming over all pissy and whiny about our vote against his pet take over attempt (who'da thunk it?) just because we didn't welcome the next phase toward dictatorship with open arms.

Just because the dimwitted brits have accepted your take over attempt (anything would be better, they probably think, than what they have now), doesn't mean we're going to change our minds. You didn't read the history books correctly, N.S., we weren't britain's partners or buddies, we were their slaves. And FYI, former slaves don't usually follow their past masters over a cliff. We just stand and watch, and cheer.

But your overbearing attitude of "Ve vill make zose ignorant peasant Irish obey our commands" isn't really surprising. If you'll recall, many of us expected, even predicted this turn of events before the vote you lost. Many pundits said that if we didn't back your horse you'd come back to run over us.

And that prediction, having come true with your eminent visit, will simply be ammunition for us to use, should another vote actually be decreed, to swing more voters against your blitzkrieg. You want to see a real landslide vote, just force us to vote on your proposal again. You'll be lucky to get a dozen drunken sailors to side with you.

C'mon Nikkita! Stay home where you're wanted ... oh, right, even your OWN PEOPLE REJECTED your mess of a proposal toward a fourth Reich! Drop it, already. Nobody wants to play in your gulag, Nikki. Stay home and sulk, or whine, or even criticise us.

Just stay home, OK?

Iran kicking up more dust at Israel

It's both amazing and alarming to see the world headlines borrowing from a "fiction" novel so closely as today's Independent did. In the story headed, "Iran turns the screw on Israel with firing of missiles," Tom Baldwin tells that the Middle East is moving closer to following the plot outlined in Joel Rosenberg's popular suspense novels.

In case you're one of the roughly two dozen people in the world who haven't read the books yet, let me clue you in. Rosenberg wrote his first novel, "The Last Jihad," in 2000 and early 2001. It opens with Islamic terrorists using a plane to kamikaze attack the US. Now, remember, this was a year before 9/11, right? His novel and the following series, "The Last Days,"The Ezekiel Option," and "The Copper Scroll," proceed to describe, with what hundreds of news reviewers have described as "eerie prophetic accuracy," the unfolding events of the march to and through Armageddon. The Washington Times' Mark Kellner said of Rosenberg, "He has been called a 'modern-day Nostradamus' for his novels, which seem to be ripped from the headlines -- next year's headlines.."

Enough said about Rosenberg's novels. You've read them (if not ... DO IT! - go to his web site to find out more about these must reads) so I won't bore you with another recap.

Back to Iran and Israel ... as Ahmadinejad and his military commander, General Salami, (I kid you not, the man in charge of Iran's military is named after a pork sausage! Would that make the two of them the team of "salami and baloney"?) where was I? Oh yes, General Balon ... Salami said that the missile firings were in response to "harsh language" from Israel and the US. So apparently, Salami and Baloney were so offended by our saying they should mind their manners they threw a hissy fit and threatened - again - to annihilate Israel.

Whine, whine, whine. Ever since Abraham gave Ishmael the boot in favor of Isaac (at God's direction, BTW), these guys have been whining. Only problem is, now they're developing nuclear weapons. That means the next time they get their burkas in a wad they could be tossing nukes around.

Not to worry, I read the back of the book. (and parts of the middle, which is to say Ezekiel and Revelations) And I'm happy to report that they lose, we win.

BUT ... now is the time to choose sides: Islam and their hate filled rhetoric of "kill everyone who doesn't believe the same way we do," or Christianity and Jesus' teachings of "love your enemies and bless those who curse you." Seems like a no-brainer, right? Apparently, because the ones choosing the wrong sides seem to be "no-brainers."

ALERT! more poison meat recalled (good grief!)

DATELINE: America; July 8, 2008

The USDA has (AGAIN!!!!) issued a warning and a recall of poisonous beef. ( see the notice at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/R01_2008_Expanded/index.asp)

This is a Class 1 Recall; Health risk is HIGH.

Look, I'm not going to go into all the reasons that eating meat is harmful for your body and your children's bodies (read my earlier posts for full discussions of that), but I will say that the USDA and the scandalous meat packing plant practices are certainly making a strong case for vegetarianism. We don't need meat to live - or even to function better.

Meat consumption is a choice. It is an expensive choice, and a harmful one. It is a dangerous choice. It's OK to play "russian roulette" with your own health and life, but you shouldn't with your children's lives.

This latest recall is regarding E. Coli tainted beef and is centered throughout the country. But the next poison contamination could be at your neighborhood store. It could involve chicken, pig, or more cows.

Why risk it? At least with contaminated vegetables (such as the recent tomato scare) you can still safely eat processed - canned or bottled - vegetables. (See FDA report at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html) But with beef ... well contaminated dead cow is contaminated no matter what you do to it!

The following post offers some suggestions for what to do with cows you may have, but may now be unsure what to do with.

God bless your family and their health - but don't leave it all up to Him, use common sense. Don't eat dead, decaying animals!

10 Things to do with cows

So, if you have some cows just lying around the place, which you're now too scared - or too bloody smart! - to have butchered due to all the mad cow and other alarms going off, here are some suggestions for what to do wit that darlin' bo of yours:

> pet cows
> ride cows

> feed cows
> use cows as grass trimmers
> obtain fertilizer from cows (after above)
> decorate cows with political sandwich boards and lead them through downtown
> give kiddy rides at the fair
> stress relief: talk to cows
> play fetch with cows (slow game!)
> brush and comb cows

JUST DON'T EAT THEM! (Sound silly? Americans spend $4 billion dollars each year on our dogs and cats!)

Eating a cow is; a) harmful to your body (cholesterol, hormones, etc); b) harmful to the environment (takes much more land to raise beef cattle than veg foods, plus much more pollution); and c) detrimental to the cow's health!

Read my earlier posts for more details, but basically: we were originally engineered to operate at peak efficiency on a vegetarian diet (Genesis 1:29), so meat is contraindicated for human consumption.

Ireland: NO to EU Referendum = Hooray!

GOOD JOB IRELAND!!!

I am proudly bragging on my homeland today about the victory over the EU (pronounced "eeew") in the only democratic referendum in the whole of Europe. Of course, most Americans just stare at me blankly and ask what I'm talking about since it has nothing to do with Barak Osama, Hillary, or other Desperate Housewives on TV. I don't bother to try to explain - they wouldn't understand.

But I am glowing with pride in my brothers and sisters back home! I have commented in several of the newspaper and blog comment sections. But I've not seen it said much better than this, by a fellow freedom lover:

Don't forget that Ireland was once a shining beacon of light in the Atlantic -a land of saint & scholars- when the rest of Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages upon the collapse of the Roman Empire.

The Irish people survived brilliantly once, they will survive once again. Ireland may not have Roman continental uber sophistication but during the Dark Ages in Europe, she was free.

As a new Dark Age begins to fall all over Europe under the yolk of the EU where the voice of it's ordinary inhabitants are denied and held in contempt by the elite ruling class, Ireland has once again shone forth a promising beam of that ancient light. Many will try to snuff it out but I believe the Irish will once again show the world how much she values Truth & Freedom.

Posted by Ming Ye

Now isn't that interesting. Ming Ye isn't your common Irish name, is it? Yet he (she?) is right on target - we are the shining light. Is another Dark Age coming on us? Could well be. The previous one only lasted around 1,000 years, so we can make it through another one! ("Come Lord Jesus!")

Stand strong, Ireland! Shine on!

GOD BLESS IRELAND FOREVER!

[USA] Radioactive sand coming to Idaho from Kuwait

In an Idaho Statesman story Radioactive sand coming to Idaho from Kuwait; BY JESSIE BONNER - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, we learn that American Ecology Corp. is shipping about 6,700 tons of sand - nearly 80 train boxcars - containing traces of depleted uranium and lead FROM KUWAIT to a hazardous waste disposal site 70 miles southeast of Boise!
The Kuwait Ministry of Defense contracted MKM Engineers Inc. of Stafford, Texas, to package the waste and transport it to the United States. MKM then subcontracted with American Ecology for disposal, American Ecology spokesman Chad Hyslop said.
Wait, wait ... WHAT??!!!
We shipped 6,700 tons (that's 13,400,000 - thirteen MILLION pounds) of their radioactive dirt to us??!! Where does that make ecological sense? Is this some sort of anti-globull warming move? Balance out the glow around the globe?
And more importantly, why haven't we heard about this in the press? Not important enough - right, let's cover every time Obama sneezes and Hillary burps, but radioactive sand is not interesting enough.
Gaaaaaa!

THE FAMINE YEAR

Weary men, what reap ye? "Golden corn for the Stranger."
What sow ye? "Human corpses that await for the Avenger."
Fainting forms, all hunger-stricken, what see you in the offing?
"Stately ships to bear our food away amid the stranger's scoffing."
There's a proud array of soldiers what do they round your door?
"They guard our masters' granaries from the thin hands of the poor."
Pale mothers, wherefore weeping? "Would to God that we were dead"
Our children swoon before us, and we cannot give them bread!"

"We are wretches, famished, scorned, human tools to build your pride,
But God will yet take vengeance for the souls for whom Christ died.
Now is your hour of pleasure, bask ye in the world's caress;
But our whitening bones against ye will arise as witnesses,
From the cabins and the ditches, in their charred, uncoffined masses,
For the Angel of the Trumpet will know them as he passes.
A ghastly, spectral army before God we'll stand
And arraign ye as our murderers, O spoilers of our land!"

by Jane Wilde (Wexford born mother of Oscar Wilde)

Irish Torture Animals to Death!

Donegal can be the county to stop fur farms throughout Ireland.

Fur Free campaigners in Donegal Town will demand an end to Irish fur farms this Saturday. With a Hugh visual display of caged animals, Large Banners, Posters, and Leaflets, activists will highlight the horrible suffering found on fur farms.

The fur industry is one of the cruelest industries in the world. Unfortunately, Minister Mary Coughlan has allowed County Donegal to become known as the fur farm capital of Ireland. Donegal has this reputation for three reasons;
1) County Donegal has more fur farms than any other county in Ireland;
2) The Irish Fur Breeders Association is in County Donegal;
3) The constituency of the Agriculture minister, Mary Coughlan is in Donegal. It is Minister Coughlan who gives the licences to the fur farmers each year. The Minister of Agriculture has the most say on whether or not fur farming will continue in Ireland

Unbelievably, over 170,000 foxes and minks are locked up and killed each year in the Republic of Ireland. The animals are packed into small wire mesh cages for their entire lives, often there will be more than one animal to a cage. They will never be allowed outside for exercise. This unnatural caged life results in the animals developing “Stereotypical Behaviour”, which is a polite way of saying insanity.

When the foxes and minks are finally taken out of the barren cages to be killed, the methods chosen to kill the animals are selected so as not to damage the pelts rather than for animal welfare reasons. Foxes are killed by anal electrocution, by placing an electrode in their mouth and another in their anus and then their internal organs are fried alive. Minks are suffocated to death by Carbon Monoxide or Carbon Dioxide. They are crammed 50 to 70 minks into a gassing box. A veterinarian is not needed to kill the animals and does not have to be present when the animals are killed.


Fox Being Anally Electrocuted

The fur farms in Ireland are not farms but instead factories and all of them are run by limited companies.

Spokesperson for ALiberation, Edmund Long said “There are few industries crueler or more useless than the fur industry. Nobody needs to wear fur except the animal the fur belonged to” “At present there is an Animal Welfare Bill being drafted by Minister Mary Coughlan’s own department, the Department of Agriculture. This bill has the power to end fur farming in Ireland. We would urge everyone to write to Minister Coughlan and the other TD’s in their own constituencies asking for an end to this mindless cruelty.”

press release: author email aliberationnow at gmail dot com

Greatest Carcinogen? Animal Protein!

Dr. T. Colin Campbell makes a startling (even for me!) statement in his video found on the VegSource web site. After describing his research and his journey from growing up on a dairy farm to a leading researcher into cancer and diet, Dr. Campbell's studies led him to state, "(animal protein) is the most significant carcinogen we consume. Forget about DDT and dioxin and things like that - we're talking about animal protein." Wow! What a radical idea.

Go watch the video at http://www.vegsource.com/video/colin.htm, and visit Dr. Campbell's web site at http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html and let me know what you think.

His research and studies are well founded (over a forty year period) and well supported (National Institute of Health and American Cancer Society). It looks pretty solid to me - what do you think? Is cancer caused directly by eating animal products?

Interesting!

Plastic bags are SO Dumb!

Ain't it grand to see the human race collectively shake the cobwebs from our noggins and move to quit something so dumb! Four (of many) reasons to quit the plastic shopping bag habit:
1) trashing up the neighborhood
2) over 35 million barrels of oil are used to create them yearly
3) the Pacific Garbage Patch ("It's an area twice the size of the United States," Los Angeles Times blog, 5/19/08) is largely made of these
4) cloth, re-usable bags are cool!

STOP USING PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS!

Here is some uplifting news from the RTE News web site regarding countries that are taking action against the wasteful, lazy, dumb use of plastic grocery bags. Do your part by a) saying no thanks to paper or plastic - bring your own bag shopping, and b) encourage your congressman to pass legislation to ban the bag.
------------
GLOBAL TREND

Ireland's success story with its plastic bag surcharge is rippling across the world.

Here is a list of other countries & continents that already restrict plastic shopping bags or plan to do so:

AFRICA -- Rwanda and Eritrea banned the bags outright, as has Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somalia. South Africa, Uganda and Kenya have minimum thickness rules, and Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho and Tanzania are considering similar measures.

AUSTRALIA -- Coles Bay in Tasmania became 'Australia's First Plastic Bag-Free Town' in April 2003. Dozens of others followed suit. In January 2008, the environment minister called for supermarkets to phase out use of the bags nationwide by the end of the year.

BANGLADESH -- The first large country to ban bags in 2002. Bangladesh blamed millions of discarded bags for blocking drains and contributing to floods that submerged much of the country in 1988.

BHUTAN -- The isolated Himalayan country banned plastic shopping bags, street advertising and tobacco in 2007, as part of its policy to foster 'Gross National Happiness'.

CHINA -- The ban on ultra-thin bags that goes into force on June 1 will cut pollution and save valuable oil resources, the State Council, or cabinet, says. In May 2007 Hong Kong proposed a 50 cent 'polluter pays' levy on plastic shopping bags.

ENGLAND -- In May 2007 the village of Modbury in south Devon became Europe's first plastic bag-free town, selling reuseable and biodegradable bags instead. London's 33 councils plan to ban ultra-thin bags from 2009 and tax others.

FRANCE -- In 2005, French lawmakers voted to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags by 2010. The French island of Corsica became the first to ban plastic bags in large stores in 1999.

INDIA -- The western state of Maharashtra banned the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags in August 2005, after claims that they choked drains during monsoon rains. Other states banned ultra-thin bags to cut pollution and deaths of cattle, sacred to Hindus, which eat them.

IRELAND -- Our plastic bag tax was passed in 2002. The tax created an initial 90% drop in bag use, according to the Environment Ministry. (GO IRELAND!!!)

ITALY -- Outright ban to be introduced from 2010.

TAIWAN -- A partial ban in 2003 phased out free bags in department stores and supermarkets and disposable plastic plates, cups and cutlery from fast food outlets. Most stores charge people who don't bring their own T$1 (€0.02).

UNITED STATES -- San Francisco became the first and only U.S. city to outlaw plastic grocery bags in April 2008. The ban is limited to large supermarkets.

The state of New Jersey is mulling phasing them out by 2010.

In January 2008 New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a bill forcing large retailers to set up plastic bag recycling programmes and to make recycled bags available.

A Plea to Ireland Regarding Her Future

As an Irishman of the diaspora (all four of my grandparents were of Irish descent) I am vitally interested in the present and, especially, the future of my home land. This issue of the Lisbon Treaty frightens me to death! I'm afraid that too many of my brothers and sisters do not realize that the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is in effect a decision equal to new elections in Ireland. The decision on ratifying the Lisbon Treaty is - upon transferring the current powers of the nation state of Ireland to the federal state in Brussels – it is a decision on accepting or rejecting the permanent construction of A NEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT OVER IRELAND. To do so will be to utterly discard on the rubbish heap of history all the sacrifices of our ancestors, both the suffering against British oppression and the fighting for freedom in which so many lives were lost.

This is a crucial time in Irish history - a time when you/we will decide whether to march on under your/our own strength and character and leadership or to surrender your/our rights, lives, and fate to others who have, upon every past opportunity, either turned their backs on Ireland in her need or swooped in to take advantage of her riches. Which is exactly what is happening now. Ireland (God bless her forever!) has risen, by her own strength of character and moral fortitude and by God's kind grace, far above her past of subjection and base poverty to a point where she is a jewel in the crown of Europe and the world. Ireland has earned all her scars and medals of valour and has come into her own - at last. (One might quote of Ireland as well, "Free at last, free at last! Thank God almighty, we're free at last!")

And now, in the time of finally enjoying the fruits of our hard-won, blood-bought freedoms and successes, Ireland considers handing over her self-mastery to yet another foreign dictator! God forbid it! Let Ireland be Ireland, not some small dot on the EU map. Let Ireland be Ireland, not another chattel within another kingdom - for such is the becoming EU/EC. Never forget the sacrifices made by our (OUR) grandparents for the possibility of self-rule for Ireland. We are Ireland! We are not Europeans - we never have been. We were at best pets, at worst slaves of Europeans. Ireland has suffered too long to throw away her freedom and self-sufficiency on yet another European master race. We are Ireland!

Look long and hard at America and learn from her mistakes. Under her own power, the United States stood together by choice. Today, we have given up the idea of mutually beneficial partnership among the member states and have become subjects to a dictatorial Federal Government who seeks to rip our choice from us - from freedom of religion to freedom of choice to freedom of speech. American is becoming what the EU would march straight into, from the beginning.

Ireland, my Ireland, whom I learned to pray for and to love from my mother's knee and my father's stories, remember the source of your strength in your tortured past - return to your faith and your moral sense of self. God lead you through 700 years of tribulation and abject slavery. Your/our sense of Irish identity apart from that of the rest of the world kept us unified and alive during years of deprivation and attempted genocide. Please, please, please don't give all that up now for a new, stronger master.

We, the children of your diaspora, are counting on you to safeguard our heritage and our home. Guard and keep them from another outsider who seeks to steal and destroy our culture. We are counting on you. Please don't let us down. Remain independent and free and self-governing. Please.

We are Ireland!

[USA] Government PROTECTS Mad Cows

I love this story! It's been cooking since 2004, when the US government went to war against Creekstone Farms to try to stop them from testing all the cattle they slaughter for mad cow disease. The reason? The United States Government said that if Creekstone tested all its cattle for mad cow, it could create a false negative (!!!!) and thereby scare the American public.

WHAT!!!!?????

Your government says it doesn't want you to become falsely reassured by too many tests being done on cattle?

Let's break this down: if we test all the cattle, we could find that they are safe to eat ... and that would scare the public - thinking they have safe cattle to eat ... so we need to step in and stop a private business from being responsible (good heavens, no!) about what they sell.

You've just got to wonder, how much has this insane legal action cost you and me in taxes over the last four years!

Go vegan - it's the only safe and sane way to go!

BC
---------------
SOURCE: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5769046.html
May 9, 2008, 10:39PM
Meatpacker argues for extra testing
Government asks to limit checks for mad cow disease

By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration on Friday urged a federal appeals court to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority.

The government seeks to reverse a lower court ruling that allowed Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to conduct more comprehensive testing to satisfy demand from overseas customers in Japan and elsewhere.

Less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are currently tested for the disease under Agriculture Department guidelines. The agency argues that more widespread testing does not guarantee food safety and could result in a false positive that scares consumers.

"They want to create false assurances," Justice Department attorney Eric Flesig-Greene told a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

But Creekstone attorney Russell Frye contended the Agriculture Department's regulations covering the treatment of domestic animals contain no prohibition against an individual company testing for mad cow disease, since the test is conducted only after a cow is slaughtered. He said the agency has no authority to prevent companies from using the test to reassure customers. "This is the government telling the consumers, 'You're not entitled to this information,' " Frye said.

Chief Judge David Sentelle seemed to agree with Creekstone's contention that the additional testing would not interfere with agency regulations governing the treatment of animals. "All they want to do is create information," Sentelle said, noting that it's up to consumers to decide how to interpret the information.

Larger meatpackers have opposed Creekstone's push to allow wider testing out of fear that consumer pressure would force them to begin testing all animals too. Increased testing would raise the price of meat by a few cents per pound.

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef.

The district court's ruling last year in favor of Creekstone was supposed to take effect June 1, 2007, but the Agriculture Department's appeal has delayed the testing so far.

Why I Don't Eat Meat

I have a few reasons for being a "strict vegetarian", meaning that I don't eat any animal products. First, as I've described above, is my health needs. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are serious enough to change a person's diet!

Those were the alerts I got from my doctor in August of 2007.
I read Dr. Barnard's book, accepted the sound logic of the diet advice (no animal products or oil, and low glycemic index foods) and three months later my diabetes was cured and my other numbers were on the happy decline.

So why not quit the diet and reintroduce meats, etc? Well, first of all I have brought back some oil (extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO), Promise Light Buttery Spread with Flax Oil, and occasional - occasional cheese. But I'll not go back to meat. For one thing, animal products are the only source of cholesterol. No animals = no cholesterol overload. Period.

In my research about my health, I began looking into reports of contamination in the meat industry. What I found is so disturbing that I cannot stomach the thought of eating a dead cow, chicken, or pig, much less the animal itself. Our meat processing industry is so very much removed from what it was just 100 years ago that the stuff in the meat market is poison to a human body. Literally. Pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and other "additives" turn a good piece of steak into a cesspool of poisons. I can't afford to do that to me any more.

Then there's the issue of eating animals at all. WAIT. Stay with me here. Yes, the Bible tells how to kill and eat certain kinds of animals. But the Bible also tells how to properly handle divorce, slavery, and warfare, none of which were in God's original plan for us. When you look back to God's original design, you see that He engineered us for a plant-based diet. Look at the original story:

Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Not until after the flood, from 1 to 3 thousand years later, did God allow for animal eating. Yes, He allowed it. No, it is not a sin. BUT it is contrary to His original plan. And contrary to our bodies' needs. In the early Christian church, one way Christians were singled out in society was that they were vegans. They honored God's creation by not taking life for their own carnal desires. (They thought like this: If I gave my grandson a puppy out of love for him so he could enjoy playing with it, and found out later that he killed it and ate it, I wouldn't stop loving him, but I sure would be disappointed. And I'd be careful about what gifts I would give him later on!) It wasn't until after the middle of the first Christian century, when they Roman church began adopting so many worldly traditions into itself, that blood and flesh consumption became accepted into Christian society.

So, health, common sense, and respect for God's carefully designed animals are reasons I don't eat the pets God gave me. It's not my place to condemn you for what you choose to put into your body or your children's bodies - unless you're a dear one to me. Then I'll try to help you see the danger. And offer alternatives.

I Just Don't Understand Carnivores!

Honestly! I just can't follow some people's thinking.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a class with some friends discussing health. We had just watched a video about how important it is to guard your physical health for various reasons, including our spiritual responsibility to care for God's creation (our bodies). I and another member talked about our experiences with vegan/vegetarianism and how it had improved our health both generally and in specific areas such as blood pressure, choesterol, diabetes, energy, etc.

All agreed that this was a wise move and that taking care of ourselves is vital. They all took in the info and seemed to digest it. Discussion then moved on to our next meeting and the question was asked, so what shall we eat next time?
(Now, remember, this was mere moments after the aforementioned health discussion.)
One member chimed in: "Oh! Let's have hamburgers! I'll break out the grill!"
Choruses of agreement and sounds of hunger (groans, mmmmmms, etc) followed.

I looked at my wife and we both just shook our heads in amazement and consternation.

What is it that causes normally clear-thinking, rational, mature adults to act so ... blindly? Are they not able to withstand their blood lust, or their addiction to flesh, or their hunger for grease ... or what??? These are not bad people, Jo Donna pointed out later on the way home. In 'most all other areas they exhibit good judgment and logical reasoning skills. So how come when it comes to a clear way to both improve their health and deal more rationally with the creation of the God they all serve, they can't see past their unwise choices?

None of these folks would consider smoking because they are too smart to tempt lung cancer with tobacco. They are not heavy drinkers who risk liver disease and other physical dangers. They are monogamous in their marriages, loyal in their faith and politics, and conscientious in their community responsibilities. So why - why - why are they unable to consider for even 10 minutes giving up the ofttimes-proven-unhealthy habit of eating dead animals, especially poisonous dead animals as are found in pieces in the local markets?

I'm working on a theory that there is more behind this than many would suspect. Consider this: eating animals serves two obvious purposes: first, it is a continuous method of torture and destruction of God's carefully designed, beloved animals; second, it is a slow-but-sure method of destroying God's jewel of His creation, mankind, both physically and spiritually through the continued practice of animalistic killing plus the consumption of fear-hormone-infected animal flesh and blood.

What's the common factor? Attacking the Creator.
Now, who is hell-bent on attacking the Creator? The devil.
And, who would most delight in tricking one of God's beloved creatures into torturing and destroying others of God's design?
See where I'm going?

In the beginning, God designed a beautiful home where all His creation could live in peace together. Adam was placed in direct responsibility for the animals. His first job was to care for them and the garden. In Genesis 1:29 we were directed to eat plants, nuts, and seeds, which were designed to fill all our nutritional and pleasurable requirements. Enter satan and the deception and fall from grace.
We lost the garden, and a few generations later we were turned loose on the animals.

I honestly believe, my friends and brothers sisters, that this lust which is upon so many of us, including God's elect, is a trick and trap of God's enemy onto us, God's beloved. As long as the enemy can keep us dulled with blood lust and our bodies poisoned with animal flesh, he can flaunt our brutish and bratish behavior in God's face.

How much it must grieve our loving Creator and Father when he witnesses the wholesale torture and murder of gentle animals who He designed for His own and our pleasure. Jesus said that the Father is aware of a sparrow's fall - what must it do to Him when a beautiful cow, an intelligent and clever pig, or a trusting and frightened chicken is ripped to death just so we - God's other creation - can suck down their blood and gulp down their flesh. How it must break God's heart!

I wonder, can God even bear to look down into a slaughterhouse? Can God, in all His power and strength, stand to hear the screams of terror and pain? What does He think of us, His children, when we carelessly and blithely rip His gentle pets to shreds for our blood lust?

What will we have to answer for when we stand before our Father?

The Bible talks about animals in Heaven, around the throne. Will we carry our selfish lusts into His presence and think how we'd like to rip a leg off one of the oxen near Him? God forbid it! But what will we think? Based on recent observations, I guess we'll just laugh it off and say to Heavenly God, "Aw, Who cares if You made them, anyway? They're just stupid animals; just meat for my belly!"

143 MILLION more reasons

Last month, the USDA grudgingly ordered another beef recall. This time it was 143 MILLION pounds of beef packaged and shipped up to a year and a half earlier. Much of this tainted meat was served to our children.
Think about this:
* Mad cow disease lies dormant for up to ten years before symptoms of brain disease begin to show.
* E-coli poisoning is much preferable, since it manifests immediately.
* Animal born diseases sicken and kill thousands each year.
* Factory-style animal slaughter houses (which produce the vast majority of the meat you eat and feed your family) are rife with cases of blatant abuse, misuse, and mishandling.
* Animals that are killed in terror release massive amounts of negative hormones, including natural antibodies and adrenaline into their systems, which are passed along to those who eat that meat.
* The excessive demand for meat to eat contributes hugely to pollution of water, land, and air, increasing the damage done to you and your family.
* According to the US Department of Agriculture statistics, one acre of land can grow 20,000 pounds of potatoes...
* That same acre of land, when used to grow cattle feed, can produce less than 165 pounds of edible cow flesh.
* Every second, one football field of rainforest is destroyed in order to produce 257 hamburgers. Rainforests are vital to life on earth - they regulate the global climate and the water cycle, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and provide humans with medicines, food, and much more.
* Two-thirds of Central America’s rainforests have been destroyed, in part to raise cattle whose meat, typically found in hamburgers and processed meat, is exported to profit the US food industry.
* Over 4 million acres of cropland are lost to erosion in the US every year due to plundering farmlands to fatten animals for slaughter.

Eating meat just doesn't make any sense at all. The only honest reason to eat meat is "I just want to." And when that is balanced against all the negatives, it pretty much amounts to selfish gluttony.
You are too smart to keep eating meat. And you're too caring to keep feeding it to your family.
Just say no. Your body will thank you, your family will thank you, and you can feel good about yourself.

Bobby - just too darned smart to eat meat.

More news about that HUGE meat recall

What they didn't tell you about recent meat recall

By Stephen J. Hedges

Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON — The largest meat recall in U.S. history was bound to reverberate throughout the food-manufacturing world. So far, four major food manufacturers — ConAgra, General Mills, Heinz and Nestlé — have acknowledged that meat involved in the 143 million-pound recall, announced Feb. 17, was used in some of their products.

So why haven't those products been recalled?

They have been — very quietly.

Nestlé, General Mills, Heinz and ConAgra each acknowledged to news organizations that they have recalled products containing beef from the meatpacking company Hallmark/Westland.

Those products include two versions of Nestlé's Hot Pocket sandwiches, Heinz's Boston Market lasagna with meat sauce, General Mills' Progresso Italian Wedding Soup and a variety of meat products from ConAgra, ranging from Slim Jim snacks to Hunt's Manwich Original Sloppy Joe Sauce.

The companies stressed that the use of Hallmark/Westland meat was limited, and that they notified retailers and told them to pull those products.

But none had taken the usual step of notifying consumers through news releases and warnings on Web sites.

Why the secrecy? In part because the recall is indirect; the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urged Hallmark/Westland to contact food producers that use its meat and urge them to pull their products. But the USDA did not contact food producers.

The food manufacturers said they are under no obligation to notify consumers.

The Hallmark/Westland recall is considered a Class II recall under U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, which means there is a remote risk of adverse human-health effects.

But food-safety advocates said ordinary shoppers have been forgotten.

"It's better to fess up and be open and honest with your consumers," said Bill Marler, a lawyer who often sues companies on behalf of food-poisoning victims. "It makes consumers more comfortable with your product, not less comfortable."

SEE THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AT:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004276452_meat12.html

New MAD COW threat - COW HEADS!!!!

Elkhorn Valley Packing LLC, in Kansas, is recalling over 400,000 pounds of frozen beef which have the threat of infecting consumers with the dreaded and fatal "mad cow disease." In fact, what's causing the fear is a shipment of cattle heads!

In the first place, who eats a cow's head? I thought we were confining ourselves to their rumps and guts for delicate dining! But apparently someone is eating a lot of cow heads. The problem comes in when folks try to eat not only the head proper (or improper, I guess) but when they also try to chow down on the offending cow's TONSILS! ('scuse me while I gag just a little bit). Seems the tonsils, which are disease barriers in us as well as cows, grab and contain dangerous diseases, such as BSE (that's Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, which is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system of cattle and carnivores who feast on cow flesh). So, the USDA is making them recall the cow heads in question.

So, what is the bottom line here? About the only sure way to avoid a slow, agonizing, expensive death by mad cow disease is to DON'T EAT MEAT! Good grief! how hard is this? Not only will eating cows' heads (and rumps and guts) give you this horrendous disease, but it is nutritionally damaging to your body. (see articles at the bottom of this blog)

If you absolutely MUST eat a dead cow (or pig or chicken, etc), you should have the package of "beef" examined by a reputable representative of the Centers for Disease Control. Just take or mail the flesh to the nearest office of the CDC and in a few months you'll know whether or not it will kill you sooner or later!

(Matthew 10:29)

Two new deaths from MAD COW disease

Reuters News Service is reporting right now (9:00 am Monday 4/7/08) that two people have died in Spain from mad cow disease!

Reasons to give up meat just keep piling up!

Read below for super non-animal recipes. You don't HAVE to eat animals. There is a whole world of alternatives out there. God designed us to operate best on the diet He advised in Genesis 1:29 And God said, "Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food." He designed the animals for His and our pets. It is unnecessary, anti-nutritious, and just plain rude to eat God's pets. We were given dominion over them, yes. But that means we're supposed to be taking care of them, not eating them. When God had finished carefully creating every delicate aspect of each kind of animal, then put us in charge of taking care of them, then assigned us our food sources, the Bible says that He looked over all He had made, saw it was good, and blessed the whole set up.

Take care of God's pets. Eat what He designed you to eat. Meat is loaded with cholesterol, saturated fats, and enzymes which are contraindicated for your body's nutritional needs. Just do what comes naturally - eat everything else except animals. You'll feel better and live longer for it.

BC

Do Animals Have Souls?

SOURCE: http://www.all-creatures.org/ca/ark-186soul.html

'Only humans matter: they have souls. Animals don't.' This has been said, millions of times. People often use it as a mantra, not because they are necessarily helping to alleviate human suffering, but to justify their lack of concern and compassion for the suffering of animals. Of course humans matter - but so do animals: and animals have souls too.

Catholic teaching has never actually denied this, following St Thomas Aquinas in this as in most things, although it has not yet developed a fully positive understanding of the place of animals within the order of salvation. This is a subject being grasped by some of the best theologians of our time, as they realise that this lack of understanding results in an untypically muddled response from the Catholic Church over an important contemporary issue - that of animal welfare.

The first thing to unravel from the various strands of tradition is the meaning of the word 'soul'. It is not really helpful to talk of people or animals 'having' souls - as you might 'have' a wristwatch or brown eyes or curly hair. Body and soul are not simply two factors existing alongside or in each other, but form an indivisible whole. A person, or an animal, is wholly body and wholly soul and both are at all times the whole being. In other words we do not only 'have' a body, or 'have' a soul - we are both body and soul. The Hebrew language does not talk of the two as separate entities, as we shall see in the Scriptures. Pagan Greek and Roman philosophers, whose thinking played such a leading role in influencing Christian theologians through the ages, did make the separation between spirit and matter, placing reason and soul in the higher, spiritual sphere, and according body and matter a much lower status. We shall see how this came to effect the way in which animals, and the rest of the nonhuman creation, came to be viewed.

Living souls

In the beginning of our Scriptures, we see God creating 'every living creature' (Genesis 1:21, 24). The Hebrew words (transliterated) are 'chay' (living) and 'nephesh' (soul). 'Nephesh' is mentioned over 400 times in the Old Testament signifying soul. The words 'chay nephesh' are used from chapter one, verse 20, when the waters are filled with living creatures. The close translation from Hebrew is: 'And God said: Let the waters swarm [with] the swarmers [having] a soul of life …' and in the next verse: 'And God created the great sea animals, and all that creeps, [having] a living soul …' (The words in square brackets are not used in Hebrew, but are understood.) In verse 30, God provides food - purely vegetarian - to every living thing, in which, the Hebrew adds, '[is] a living soul'. There is a definite separation here between 'every green plant', which of course are living things, and every creature possessed of a 'living soul'. In chapter two, the second, and older Creation account, the first human being was created from dust, then God 'blew into his nostrils [the] breath of life and man became a living soul', a 'chay nephesh'. Here we have the real sense of 'nephesh', or soul, as a being animated by the breath of life. This reminds us of the glorious invocation of psalm 150, where 'everything that breathes' is to praise the Lord.

Pope John Paul II: 'animals possess a soul'

When Pope John Paul II declared in a public audience in 1990 that 'also the animals possess a soul and men must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren' some people must have thought this was a new teaching, unaware of the Holy Father's scholarly familiarity with the authentic Hebrew texts. When he went on to state that all animals are 'fruit of the creative action of the Holy Spirit and merit respect' and that they are 'as near to God as men are', animal lovers in the audience were ecstatic! The Pope mentions the special relationship of mankind with God as being created in His image and likeness. 'However,' he goes on 'other texts state that animals have the breath of life and were given it by God. In this respect, man, created by the hand of God, is identical with all other living creatures. And so in Psalm 104 there is no distinction between man and beasts when it reads, addressing God: " … Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth." The existence therefore,' the Holy Father reminds us, 'of all living creatures depends on the living spirit/breath of God that not only creates but also sustains and renews the face of the earth.'

This discourse caused a stir around the world, and was especially encouraging to Catholic animal welfare groups which had begun to despair that anything 'animal friendly' would ever be heard in Rome. The then professor of theology and dogma at the University of Urbino, Carlo Molari, called it 'very important and significant. It is a "sign of the times" because it demonstrates the Church's desire and deep concern to clarify present confused thinking and attitudes towards the animal kingdom. There should be no need, but the Pontiff, in reiterating that animals came into being because of the direct action of the "breath" of God, wanted to say that also these creatures, as well as man, are possessed of the divine spark of life and that living quality that is the soul. And are therefore not inferior beings or only of a purely material reality.'

The image of God

In the ten years that have passed, not a great deal has changed in church-goers' understanding of the souls of animals. Could that be because so little is ever taught or preached or prayed about them and their undoubted suffering at human hands? More is known about mankind being 'made in the image of God' and about having 'dominion' over the natural world. That is too often used as justification for treating the world as one great natural resource for human benefit, and all the other creatures in it as designed for mankind alone.

But what did 'image' really mean? Statues, or images, were and are used to represent kings and rulers. Think of the number of statues of Queen Victoria there are scattered around the former Empire. Human beings are living statues, living representatives - in much the same way as ambassadors represent the head of state of the country they come from. We human beings are to represent the rule of God in the created world, using delegated powers to see that the world continues to function and flourish in the way the Creator intended. To be shepherd-kings, not 'as those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them', but as 'slave of all' (Mark 10: 42-45). St Francis came close to this model in treating all other created beings as 'brothers and sisters', rather than as most people do today, as disposable things whose only value is in their usefulness to us.

We have elevated the human being beyond all other creatures until he has even taken the place of God. Secular rationalism would do away with the concept of soul altogether. The French philosopher, Descartes (1596-1650), divided the human person into the 'thinking part' res cogitans and the body res extensa. He saw the body as a machine, which had to be governed by the self-awareness of human rational thought. He dropped the word for soul 'anima' and replaced it with the word for mind 'mens' What animals lacked, so he said, was the human rational thought, therefore their status was purely that of machines - and machines cannot feel. The screams emitted by tortured animals were no more, he said, than the squeaking of mechanical parts and of no consequence. That attitude to some extent still exists, even though scientists are now discovering that even relatively simple life forms are capable of feeling pain and stress.

The Age of Reason was typified by Descartes and by Kant, who wrote that 'So far as animals are concerned we have no direct moral duties; animals are not self-conscious and are there merely as a means to an end. That end is man.' For them might have been written those chapters in Job in which God asks: 'Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?' (chapters 38 and 39). However, they had been influenced more by Aristotle and the Stoics than by Scripture. These ancients held that animals, while possessing 'animal souls' (as distinct from 'vegetable souls') lacked reason, and demonstrated their lack of reason by lack of speech. They were not to know of the complex communication abilities of many of the primates, dolphins, whales, etc. What is worse is that they considered that lack of speech gives us the right to exploit them! Stoics also thought that animals cannot learn by experience - but then, they never watched 'One Man and his Dog'!

What is definitive in Christian understanding of animals in the order of salvation, is that, with the incarnation of Christ, with God taking flesh, there is a new connection between all that shares the matter of flesh, of bodies: as the Holy Father said, a 'solidarity' between us and our brothers and sisters, the other 'living souls', the animals.