The ideology of Zionism that many in Israel follow so religiously is a racist, supremacist, materialist ideology masquerading as something God-given. It has nothing to do with authentic Judaism. The fact that Trump and so many so-called Christians look at Netanyahu and Zionism as things to be reverenced, is truly sad. In this vein, Pompeo's recent visit to the Western wall, where he entered the Sanhedrin and stood with Netanyahu fawning over a proposed model of the Antichrist's Third Temple, is truly disturbing:
Recently, Don_D posted a video similar to this one that you have posted here. It is difficult to tell from the video where exactly they are, iow, how do the creators of these videos know that they are under the Temple Mount? If you read the article below it appears doubtful that there are under the Temple Mount but I can't be certain where they are, can you? It could be a museum that they are in with a mock up of the Solomon's Temple and artifacts that were obtained from the Temple Mount site. I found the following article to be very interesting and I suggest that anyone here interested in the Temple Mount and the history of Jerusalem and Christianity should read it. Imo Netanyahu is probably trying to show other leaders evidence that the site did contain proof that the temple was originally there and therefore, should be part of Israel. Iow, this is part of the battle of who should have rights to the Temple Mount Muslims or Jews (and Christians possibly). I will add though that I do wonder if and when Israel gains control of the site, they will try and build the Third Temple. I realize that there is a group in Israel already raising funds to do so. I really think that many here will find this article very interesting https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-is-beneath-the-temple-mount-920764/
Very interesting videos. Thanks for posting them. I couldn't believe they actually built that replica temple in Brazil, and was gobsmacked when I saw this video of the opening ceremony. No wonder Pope Francis isn't a big fan of American Evangelicals if this is the kind of stuff they're spreading in Latin America. It's downright weird.
Dolours, Thank you for posting this, I'm always amazed by what I learn on MOG. This is classified in the Yikes category! My first thought was "Why build this except to attract tourists and money". My second thought was "What religion are they practicing there, if any". And my third thought was "I wonder what the Orthodox Jews think of this monstrosity" and I discovered that most are not pleased with this temple. I also wondered if the temple was an exact replica and I found out that it is not, it was built to be far bigger than Solomon's Temple. I found a few of things about this temple from two Wikipedia pages. Here is an excerpt about who built it including some of the illegal things they have been accused of doing: The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG, from Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus [iˈɡɾeʒɐ univeʁˈsaw du ˈʁejnu dʒi ˈdews] (IURD) is an Evangelical, non-denominational church with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, Brazil. It was founded on July 9, 1977 in Rio de Janeiro by bishop Edir Macedo, owner of the multi-billion television company RecordTV. In 1999, it claimed to have 8 million members in Brazil and was already considered a "commercial church" and had established temples in the United Kingdom and, since 1992, in Africa and India, claiming a total of more than 12 million members worldwide that year. By 2013, the church had congregations in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and other US locations. The church openly supports Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro. In 2017, the church was accused of adopting children in Portugal and taking them abroad illegally and was later exonerated of all accusation. It has also been accused of Cult-like illegal activities and corruption, including money laundering, charlatanism, and witchcraft, as well as intolerance towards other religions. It has been subject to bans in several African countries. A London UCKG pastor in 2000 arranged a service to cast out the devil when his help was sought for an ill and badly injured child whose guardians thought she was possessed; she died and her guardians were convicted of murder. There have been accusations that the church extracts money from poor members for the benefit of its leaders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Church_of_the_Kingdom_of_God Here is most of the Wikipedia page about this temple in Brazil: Temple of Solomon (São Paulo) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Temple of Solomon (Portuguese: Templo de Salomão, IPA: [ˈtẽplu dʒi saloˈmɐ̃w̃]) is a replica of the Temple of Solomon built by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in São Paulo. According to Brazilian press reports, the new temple is an "exact replica" of the ancient Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. According to the church's leader, "The outside is exactly the same as that which was built in Jerusalem", but with increased dimensions. Bishop Edir Macedo, the founder and leader of the neo-pentecostal church, at the time of construction explained that "We are preparing ourselves to build the temple, in the same mold as Solomon's. Solomon's Temple … used tonnes of gold, pure gold … We are not going to build a temple of gold, but we will spend tonnes of money, without a shadow of doubt." Bishop Macedo has said that the temple is twice the height of Rio de Janeiro's Catholic-sponsored Christ the Redeemer statue. Inside the temple there is a replica of the Ark of the Covenant constructed according to "biblical orientations". The Temple The temple was officially inaugurated on July 31, 2014. The inauguration attracted thousands of worshipers including former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The Temple serves as both a house of worship and as world headquarters for the Church. The mega-church seats 10,000 worshipers and stands 55 meters (180') tall, the height of an 18-story building. Its dimensions therefore far exceed the temple it replicates, described in the Bible as having the relatively modest height of some thirteen meters ("thirty cubits", 1 Kings 6:2). The majority of the temple space is devoted to the main sanctuary. The sanctuary is lined with pews imported from Spain, which face the main altar. The sanctuary has a conveyor belt system designed to carry tithes and offerings from the altar directly into a safe room. The main ceiling is adorned with 10,000 LED light bulbs which will form different patterns designed to look like stars. Keeping with the Jewish theme of the temple, the walls are adorned with menorahs, and the entrance features a large central menorah. The church spared no expense in designing the many other features of the temple. Aside from the main sanctuary, the temple also has 36 rooms for children's Bible school, with a capacity of about 1,300 children, radio and television studios, a museum about the original temple, and 84 apartments of differing sizes for bishops and pastors of the church. The 11-story complex includes outdoor features such as a helicopter landing pad, a garden of olive trees based on the Garden of Gethsemane near Jerusalem, and flags of several countries. There is a parking lot able to accommodate 1,000 vehicles and 50 buses, classrooms for 1,300 children, and radio and television studios inside the building. One of the most prominent features of the temple is its large central altar. It features an exact replica of the Ark of the Covenant, built to the specifications described in the Book of Exodus. The structure is entirely covered in gold leaf. Behind the ark is the temple's baptistry, above the altar is 100 square meters of gold stained glass windows, and an inscription "Holiness to the Lord" Construction The temple construction cost $300m, 50% more than the initial estimates. It took four years to build. The building is designed by architect Rogério Silva de Araújo. The temple takes up an entire city block, and 24 properties had to be purchased in order to create the space to build it. The project also required new traffic signals and other improvements to the surrounding streets to improve traffic flow. Construction on the temple used 28,000 cubic meters of concrete and two tons of steel. The church also contracted to import $8m worth of Jerusalem stone from Israel. The stone was used to cover the central pillars of the temple, the entrance, and the center aisle. Macedo told the Guardian that "We have signed the contract and commissioned the stones that will come from Jerusalem, just like the ones that were used to build the temple in Israel; stones that were witnesses to the powers of God, 2,000 [years] ago." Jewish reception Brazil's Jewish community has generally accepted the temple, with a bit of reluctance. Rafael Edad, Israel's ambassador to Brazil, stated during the end of the temple construction that "four years is too little time to build something so great, with so many details. It is great like Brazil, I have no words". Some have had more mixed feelings, such as Brazilian rabbi Nilton Bonder, who stated "on the one hand, there's the favorable way in which Jewish culture and history are treated in the structure, [but] on the other, there's the bizarre aspect of the project's dimensions and aggressive marketing". Additional information The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was founded in Brazil in 1977. It claims to have 8 million communicants who live in 180 different countries. It has a television channel, Rede Record, and a weekly newspaper, Folha Universal, distributed free to 2.5 million households, according to Church officials who also say that Bishop Macedo's blog gets as many as 4 million hits per month. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Solomon_(São_Paulo) (Note: I removed most of the hotlinks from the Wikipedia text above in order to post it on one page. Of course, those links are accessible on the Wikipedia pages themselves. TY.) Last night, I noticed that the creator of the video that Richard67 posted above also posted the following video which makes a little more sense now I suppose ,
I find all this happening while the Church is being attacked relentlessly no coincidence. I am very interested to see just how many world leaders visit and participate in the ceremony at this synagogue of the Sanhedrin. http://drbo.org/chapter/31008.htm
A good video outlining the symbolism of this hidden synagogue it's layout and what it represents in rabbinic Judaism.
An interesting take on the recent visit to Morocco by Pope Francis. https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/126028/pope-king-usurp-jewishness-jerusalem/ Did The Pope Just Evoke the Prophetic Alliance Between Esau and Ishmael Against Jerusalem? By Dr. Rivkah Lambert Adler April 7, 2019 , 10:00 am “So Esau went to Ishmael and took to wife, in addition to the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael son of Avraham, sister of Nebaioth” Genesis 28:9 (The Israel Bible™) It is a well-known Jewish idea that the clashes among Jacob, Esau and Ishmael that began in the book of Genesis continue throughout history. Objectively speaking, the primary political and spiritual adversaries of the Jewish people (the descendants of Jacob) have always been Christians (the descendants of Esau) and Muslims (the descendants of Ishmael). There is an ancient Jewish teaching that, during the End Times, the descendants of Esau and the descendants of Ishmael will unite in their desire to destroy the descendants of Jacob. Since ascending to the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has been working openly to bring Esau and Ishmael together by enhancing Christian-Muslim relations. On the return flight from a recent visit to Morocco, where the official state religion is Islam, the Pope spoke with journalists about his vision for uniting the descendants of Esau and the descendants of Ishmael. Pope Francis referred to harmony between Christians and Muslims as “a beautiful flower that promises to bear fruit.” In that interview, which was published last week, Pope Francis shined a light on an alliance between the Muslim country of Morocco and the Vatican regarding the status of Jerusalem. On his first day in the country, Pope Francis and Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, signed a statement about Jerusalem. In essence, the statement, which references Al-Quds Acharif, the Arabic name for Jerusalem, minimizes the distinctive relationship between Jerusalem and the Jewish people and calls for Jerusalem to become, “the common patrimony of humanity and especially for the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue can be cultivated.” As is well-known, the Vatican is a supporter of a two-state solution, further diminishing the singular connection between Israel and the Jewish people. The Pope calls for Christians and Muslims to see themselves as equally entitled to Jerusalem. “We are all citizens of Jerusalem, all believers,” he said, referring to Muslims and Christians. Couched in language of peace, harmony and fraternity, the call for greater cooperation between Christians and Muslims, and this specific statement calling for the universalization of Jerusalem, would effectively strip Jerusalem of its uniquely Jewish identity. According to Rabbi Yechiel Weitzman author of The Ishmaelite Exile, this alliance of Christians and Muslims was predicted hundreds of years ago and is a sign of the End Times. According to Rabbi Weitzman, “the last stage in the process of Israel’s perfection will be characterized by the alliance between Ishmael and Esav (Esau), an alliance aimed at tormenting the entire world and the Jewish people in particular.” The ancient Biblical connection between Esau and Ishamael is stated plainly in Genesis. Ishamael became Esau’s father-in-law when Esau married a daughter of Ishmael. So Esau went to Ishmael and took to wife, in addition to the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael son of Avraham, sister of Nebaioth. Genesis 28:9 Rabbi Weitzman concluded, “At the very outset of history, Ishmael and Esav forged a bond through marriage. And so it shall be at the End of Days. The alliance between them will bring history to its culmination in the redemption.”
I didn't know about that Jewish prophecy. "Hundreds of years ago" isn't really that ancient relative to the prophecies of the Old Testament. I don't see how a two state solution would strip Jerusalem of its Jewish identity or diminish the connection between Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Also, Pope Francis is the last person in the world who could be accused of being anti-Semitic. While I'm no fan of this Pope, we Catholics must be careful not to let outside influences, either secular or religious, feed divisiveness in our Church. Jesus Christ is the Messiah, irrespective of what today's Jews believe, and Christ's Church is the new Israel. Just as Jews are entitled to equal treatment and civil rights in countries outside Israel, non-Jews should be entitled to the same rights in Israel. Plenty of Europeans are facing up to the fact they will be a minority in their major cities but that doesn't diminish their link with those cities. Israel's staunchest allies have been telling us that's a good thing. If it's good for Europeans, why wouldn't it be good for the people of Israel?
Dolours, President Trump hasn't been stating that it is a good thing in regard to Europe or anywhere else actually, at least not un-vetted/uncontrolled immigration. Cardinal Sarah has recently stated that is not a good thing either. I'm waiting to see what the Trump Administration suggests in the ME peace agreement that they should be unveiling soon, a two-state solution? and if so what are the details of it? I believe that scripture states that Israel should not be broken up but that does not mean to say that people who practice other religions cannot live there in harmony. All of Don's posts about the Third Temple etc. prompted me to see what the site Unsealed.org is up to. I was looking at this site on and off when there was anticipation that a sign of the Woman Clothed With Sun from Revelation 12 was in the heavens in 2017. I found this very interesting article last night: Jewish Rabbis: "Messiah is Coming This Year - We Need To Prepare" Thursday, March 21, 2019 I think that all we can do is what the Blessed Mother has been appearing on Earth for years and years to tell us and that is mainly to continue to pray. I realize that you know this already, I'm just stating such for anyone reading these posts who is beginning to get anxious, etc.
My question is this: What is this book these leaders are signing? Is it a guest book or some kind of agreement? It appears to be more formal than a guest book.Very interesting and puzzling at the same time. Now that I think about it, if Netanyahu is also signing then this was a joint declaration and not simply a guest book. Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
Mario, I am suspicious of those videos. For one, I think that the creator, Leeland Jones, is a little ahead of himself in what he is surmising in regard to the 70 nations. I think that is why Don has stated the following but Don appears to be a little sold on these videos. I remember some on MOG discussing about 70 nations (including Obama) coming against Israel at the UN right after the US elections in December of 2016. Member EarthtoAngels is better versed on this than I am though. What was posted at the time seemed to make a lot of sense. In addition, that video that I posted has many things labeled but I am not sure where they have come up with those labels including The Chamber of Hewn Stone which was part of the Second Temple and calling it the Sanhedrin Temple to begin with I believe is incorrect. I see that Leeland Jones took the following video and wrote over "GPO" at the upper left hand corner of the video and I believe that he added those labels "The Chamber of Hewn Stone", "the Sanhedrin Temple", etc. unless he got the video second hand. Here is what I believe is the original video posted by Benjamin Netanyahu. "Prime Minister Netanyahu and Brazilian Pres. Bolsonaro visited the Western Wall plaza and placed a note in the Wall. Afterwards, the leaders toured the Western Wall tunnels together, including the Wilson's Arch excavations and the Shaarei Teshuva synagogue" The synagogue/temple that the both the Brazilian President and Sec. Mike Pompeo recently visited in Israel is called the Shaarei Teshuva Synagogue, I don't believe that it is part of the Third Temple. Iow, fake news imo. ref. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/30-seconds-with-Pompeo-at-the-Western-Wall-watch-584251 There are so few stories about Sec. Mike Pompeo's visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on this recent trip to Israel but he visited there too along with a few other holy places in Jerusalem. Pompeo visits Armenian chapel of Jerusalem's Holy Sepulcher Church March 22, 2019 - 10:33 AMT http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news...an_chapel_of_Jerusalems_Holy_Sepulcher_Church PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of the State Mike Pompeo visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Armenian chapel inside the Church on Thursday, March 21. In the Armenian Chapel Pompeo lit a candle after which the Armenian Superior of the Holy Sepulcher Church Reverend Samvel Aghoyan welcomed him on behalf of Jerusalem Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian and the St. James Brotherhood, according to a Facebook post by the Patriarchate’s Archimandrite Koryun Baghdasarian. “We wish success in all your efforts to establish peace in the region, so that all the nations and followers of different religions can live in a peaceful and prosperous region,” Rev. Aghoyan told Pompeo. Don, I keep meaning to reply to this post of yours above. In my post I was pointing out that although Rick Wiles appears to be concerned with certain members of the Trump Administration like Mike Pompeo, Mr. Wiles has stated that he/TruNews loves/supports President Trump. That is all. *** The following site is helpful, it contains videos explaining some of the locations that were toured by Sec. Mike Pompeo and the Brazilian President recently like the Wilson Arch. http://jerusalemexperience.com/tour/wilsons-arch-jerusalem/# ie.
I found this, Carol. This synagogue is located under the Western Wall and was dedicated back on Hanukah, 2017. 1. Sha’arei Teshuva synagogue On Hanukka, Israeli billionaire Yitzhak Tshuva inaugurated the Sha’arei Teshuva synagogue located inside the Western Wall tunnels. It took 12 years to build the synagogue, which was financed by Tshuva and was designed by his daughter, Gal Naor. The timing of the dedication ceremony was not coincidental – it was held on the seventh night of Hanukka, which was also Rosh Hodesh.
Mario, Thank you. I think that it is incorrect to refer to it as the Third Temple or the Sanhedrin Temple. I do believe that we are close to something big occurring but after having studied Catholic prophecy it seems as if there will be a period of peace before the Antichrist (w/ a capital A). With that said, we'll soon see if the ME peace agreement that the Trump Administration will unveil soon stands firmly with Israel and not a two-state nation. We may see a fuse lit there as predicted by Our Lady of Revelation. *** Edited to add: I looked for a map with this synagogue but I have not been able to find one. I did find these images which may help show where the synagogue is located. This map shows where the tunnel is.
I dunno, Carol, what's going on, but that third temple stuff gives me the creeps. Don is right when he says that neither Jews (orthodox or secular) nor Evangelicals are friends of Catholicism. If Jews really believe that Muslims and Christians will unite against Israel, then it makes sense for them to foster disharmony between various Christian churches, between different stands of Islam, and between Christians and Muslims. It really doesn't matter what President Trump thinks about changing demographics in Europe. The conspiracy theories about small groups of people pulling global strings are becoming more believable by the day. That temple in Brazil screams Freemasonry at me. Think I'll take a visit to the Holy Land off my bucket list.
I think the videos are interesting. Leland is a died in the wool all religions are Babylon kind of guy and that does give me pause about what he says. He says all religions are idolaters. That said, he seems to understand a thing or two about the Sanhedrin which lines up very well with the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 8 and that Synagogue fits the bill of that prophecy rather well. We should find out shortly what the details of the peace plan of the Trump administration entail. Knowing what Trump ran supporting and what he wants in the US I think that the Palestinians are not going to see anything in that agreement but a one way ticket out of Israel by offering a lot of money to the neighboring nations to accept them. A two state solution does not line up with what the rulers of Israel think and I think Trump supports this.
Don, I don't know this man Leland from a hole in the wall (that's a little pun on Ezekiel 8) but if he can interpret scripture and apply it to the present day without making any errors, he may be one of few men on Earth to do so. Imo, that video is missing a lot of elements from Ezekiel 8 but I'm certain that I can't interpret this scripture correctly. It is interesting to note "the seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel" are considered by many including Leland to be the enemies who come against the nation of Israel. So who is committing the abominations, it could be anyone or everyone who is a descendant of the house of Israel, idk. I am referring to anyone or everyone who is worshipping near the Temple Mount if this is the location that the scripture is really referring to. Maybe we can find a Catholic interpretation of this scripture. Ezekiel 8 (DRA) 1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the ancients of Juda sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. 2 And I saw, and behold a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins, and downward, fire: and from his loins, and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the appearance of amber. 3 And the likeness of a hand was put forth and took me by a lock of my head: and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the vision of God into Jerusalem, near the inner gate, that looked toward the north, where was set the idol of jealousy to provoke to jealousy. 4 And behold the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I had seen in the plain. 5 And he said to me: Son of man, lift up thy eyes towards the way of the north. And I lifted up my eyes towards the way of the north: and behold on the north side of the gate of the altar the idol of jealousy in the very entry. 6 And he said to me: Son of man, dost thou see, thinkest thou, what these are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should depart far off from my sanctuary? and turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater abominations. 7 And he brought me in to the door of the court: and I saw, and behold a hole in the wall. 8 And he said to me: Son of man, dig in the wall. And when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. 9 And he said to me: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they commit here. 10 And I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and of living creatures, the abomination, and all the idols of the house of Israel, were painted on the wall all round about. 11 And seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and Jezonias the son of Saaphan stood in the midst of them, that stood before the pictures: and every one had a censer in his hand: and a cloud of smoke went up from the incense. 12 And he said to me: Surely thou seest, O son of man, what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every one in private in his chamber: for they say: The Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth. 13 And he said to me: If thou turn thee again, thou shalt see greater abominations which these commit. 14 And he brought me in by the door of the gate of the Lord's house, which looked to the north: and behold women sat there mourning for Adonis. 15 And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man: but turn thee again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord: and behold at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men having their backs towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces to the east: and they adored towards the rising of the sun. 17 And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man: is this a light thing to the house of Juda, that they should commit these abominations which they have committed here: because they have filled the land with iniquity, and have turned to provoke me to anger? and behold they put a branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I also will deal with them in my wrath: my eye shall not spare them, neither will I shew mercy: and when they shall cry to my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them. I do agree that the videos are interesting but I think that we should still scrutinize them like anything else that gets posted. Dolours, Hardly anyone really likes anyone these days it seems and as things get worse any friends that you think that you had either try and take advantage or they run away completely. I wonder which nations have truly been Israel's friends since 1967, I mean in reality this is nothing new. For example, I believe that Israel had the right to name whichever city they want as their capital. No other nation on Earth has been prevented from doing so but look at how long it took for other nations to recognize Jerusalem as their capital. In addition since they gave control of the Temple Mount to Waqf (the Muslims) in 1967 to keep peace and yet there is still a lot of turmoil in Israel, something eventually has to change. I think that the PA should have at least agreed to sit down to discuss a peace agreement. This is what President Trump originally wanted, for no agreement to be drawn up without the parties participation but yet the PA refused to do so. I agree that there are a lot of highly suspicious things occurring in the world right now, including the idea of building a Third Temple, that mega-church that was built in Brazil, the near global push for unlimited migration everywhere and the increase in the appeal of Socialism/Communism in many places in the world, etc. It all gives me the creeps.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-s...ter-leverage-with-dollar-threat-idUKKCN1RH1OJ Column: Saudi Arabia tries to develop counter-leverage with dollar threat John Kemp LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s threat to sell its oil in currencies other than the dollar if the United States enacts anti-OPEC legislation is an empty one, but it illustrates the extent of tensions between the two governments over oil prices. Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia, May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah Senior Saudi officials have discussed a plan to stop invoicing oil in dollars and switch to other currencies if the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC), recently introduced in Congress, becomes law. The threat has been communicated to top officials in Washington and leaked to signal the strength of the kingdom’s opposition (“Saudi Arabia threatens to ditch dollar oil trades to stop NOPEC”, Reuters, April 5). Invoicing oil sales in euros or yuan would aim to damage the U.S. dollar’s status as the petro-recycling currency and its reserve status more generally, weakening its value and taking aim at U.S. financial dominance. In practice, the threat is not credible since the kingdom relies almost totally on the United States for its security, including purchases of armaments and training, intelligence sharing, and support in its conflict in Yemen. The kingdom could not afford to jeopardise its security relationship and close ties with the present U.S. administration. But it does illustrate the strain on relations that has emerged between the kingdom and the United States, especially the White House, over the desirable level of oil prices. Those tensions are likely to intensify as the United States gears up for congressional and presidential elections in November 2020. PRICE DISAGREEMENT On most issues, Saudi Arabia’s rulers and the White House are more closely aligned than ever before – especially in their shared commitment to confronting Iran. Saudi Arabia is central to the regional security system the Trump administration has been trying to assemble to contain Iran’s influence in the Middle East. In turn, Saudi Arabia has become increasingly dependent on the United States for its internal and external security as its conflict with Iran escalates, both in the diplomatic arena and in wars being fought by proxy in the region. The U.S and Saudi governments need each other. On the issue of oil prices, however, the two disagree sharply. President Donald Trump has made clear he wants oil prices to remain below $70 per barrel in a series of messages posted on Twitter and delivered in television interviews. Saudi Arabia, by contrast, needs prices well over $70 and probably over $80 to shore up its government finances, pay for an expensive economic transformation and stem the deterioration in its own balance of payments. CAMPAIGN POLITICS Like most first-term presidents, Trump’s over-riding priority is to be re-elected. All other policy considerations will be subordinated to that aim. Other U.S. officials may pursue various policy priorities. But the president’s and vice-president’s names are the only ones on the ballot which puts re-election at the forefront of their calculations. Since the oil shocks of the 1970s, gasoline prices have often been a high-profile issue in election campaigns and the run-up to November 2020 will be no different. The president has calculated, correctly, his marginal voter next year will be a motorist in the Midwest, so he needs moderately low gasoline prices, at least until after election day. Trump is not the first president who has tried to exert pressure on Saudi Arabia to lower oil prices in the run up to a vote. In 2000, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson mounted a very public campaign to press Saudi Arabia to increase oil output and lower prices (“U.S. urges OPEC to increase oil production”, New York Times, Sept. 7, 2000). Richardson pressed publicly for output increases and even called up the kingdom’s oil minister in the middle of an OPEC meeting. Richardson’s intervention, which irritated the kingdom, coincided with the Clinton White House’s efforts to help the presidential campaign of Vice-President Al Gore. COUNTER-LEVERAGE So far, NOPEC bills introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have made little progress, and the administration has adopted a non-committal attitude to them. If oil prices rise to $80 or more, however, the bills may start to make more progress through the legislative process as lawmakers respond to pressure from their constituents. The higher the prices rise and the nearer election day comes, the greater the prospect the NOPEC legislation will start to move forward. At $85-$90, Congress will take more notice. At $90-$95 the bill could make it to the president’s desk. And at $95-$100, the president might direct the attorney-general to initiate legal proceedings. Saudi Arabia cannot be sure whether the president would sign or veto a NOPEC bill if it was approved by both chambers and presented to him. In fact, the president has every incentive to maintain constructive ambiguity since it provides a useful source of leverage to ensure Saudi Arabia cooperates with his re-election effort. In circumstances where oil prices are high and rising, the president might demand an output increase and lower oil prices in exchange for vetoing the bill. NOPEC is therefore a useful bargaining chip for the White House, and the threat to switch invoicing away from the dollar is the kingdom’s response, an attempt to develop a form of counter-leverage. More importantly, the threat to the dollar’s reserve currency status is intended to give the kingdom’s lobbyists in Washington a talking point to raise with lawmakers and within the administration. While the threat may not be credible, it is meant to signal the kingdom’s concern and is intended to help create a firewall to keep NOPEC legislation bottled up in Congress and as far from the president’s desk as possible.
What we in the west have to look forward to with the constant eroding of our right to free speech. God forbid someone is offended or a citizen speaks out about tyranny.
Yep, it's coming. It has been slowed by this president here in the US. But the globalists seem to like china and it's "ways" for control of the masses. I want to get my youngest through school (4 more years) and then part of me wants to go live in the mountains of AZ far away from the crazy cities. Less people = less problems and run ins with people feelings which are over taking people's sanity
Hi Tanker, I encourage you in your faithfulness, especially in raising your children to adhere to the Faith. My precious wife and I were much like you earlier at the end of the last century. At that time, our six children ranged in age from 16 down to 2. We were in the early years of the web; there was no iPhone back then. We were homeschooling and considering forms of Catholic covenant communities in the pursuit of a Catholic culture. I believe the advance of the globalists is at a pace that ensures open persecution soon. Our children are grown up now; our youngest just turned 21 and has one more year at college. If you add up the accumulative miles they live from their parents it comes to 8500 miles with the closest being 6 hours by car. Miraculously, they all keep the Faith, each with their own twist. My oldest daughter, Rachel, is due at anytime with her fourth child. They live half an hour south of LA in the bluest State of the Union. But they are connected to about 30 other Catholic homeschooling families who support the True Faith. One son attends a Anglican parish turned Catholic in Houston. Though not a TLM parish, the liturgies beat the regular NO Mass by a mile. It is a solid support for his wife and son. My deacon son, Patrick, is serving down in Atlanta and will be ordained a priest this May 4. Another son is involved in the Charismatic Renewal while studying at Steubenville. And so it goes... The distance from my children is the heaviest Cross the Lord has given Geralyn and myself to carry. But I share this with you all in order to exult the Providential care of the Lord. Does this mean that the members of MOG who have children that have abandoned the Faith are failures. No! They planted the seeds! If it only be the Warning that pierces the hearts of their loved ones and brings them home, so be it. Our prayers and our desires for godly children are never wasted. Let us all hold firmly to the Two Hearts and trust in the Providence of God! The way home to God is never far away, no matter what we think! Lord in your marvelous mercy, we entrust all of our loved ones to you. You are the unfailing Hound of Heaven. Do what ever is necessary so that Our Lady may take each of them by the hand on the day of their death and escort them to Jesus who will welcome them into the eternity of God's Presence! Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
