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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, December 20, 2021

Author SymphonyPosted on

America is clearly divided. Democrats get vaccinated, Republicans don’t want to. Now, vaccine demands are rising for a virus clinically proven to cause no harm 40% of the time. Two in five people with the Omicron variant of COVID won’t have symptoms. When Democrats hear that, they fear the virus more because lack of symptoms makes it more sneaky. When Republicans hear that, they fear the virus less because lack of symptoms is lack of real threat. The same virus invokes opposite reactions.

Republican states argue to block vaccine mandates over technicalities. Democratic-controlled governments argue “science”—when “40% asymptomatic” means 40% zero risk of harm. Neither side presents the strongest case in their own favor. Republican states should argue lack of symptoms and Democrats should argue that workforce hubs do matter.

Our response to the virus is not the problem; our polarity over any response is devastating. The virus hasn’t torn the country apart; our division has. As the saying goes, it’s all in the mind. The strange part is that a billionaire’s daily 40 minutes of meditation is making headlines in a nation that mostly doesn’t see the contradiction of its own thought life. But, some do, enough to make headlines about mind time worthwhile to the ever changing news industry.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, December 13, 2021

Author SymphonyPosted on

Six states were hit by tornadoes: Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee. While the nation grapples with disaster, and families look for refuge and loved ones—many lost—Jeff Bezos posts about his latest space flight.

Greed is growing, but not just within American borders. Tensions with China rise, with the now-known Taiwan as the main poster boy. But, Russia looms in the background exploiting China’s self absorption as a distraction to take Ukraine. If Russia hit Ukraine, the US promises to respond. But, that would happen alongside a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The US would have its hands full and the Communists of the East know it—Russia and China.

China wouldn’t be so provocative without backing. Russia is the real threat. Or, is the threat that America’s financial leaders are aloof? Or, is the threat that we got ourselves here?

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, December 6, 2021

Author SymphonyPosted on

At 98 years old, Bob Dole is dead. He ran for president against Clinton in 1996. After losing, Clinton awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Chris Cuomo, also known in some food establishments and to the late Rush Limbaugh as “Fredo”, has been fired from CNN.

Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack from Japan. Today, things are very different as Japan looks together with the US toward defending against China. Seeing China as Japan’s adversary, however, has not changed. Bitter roots remain between the two, and those roots will sprout if China tips the apple cart by invading Taiwan.

Big in the West is that naming “Taiwan” fits more in Western news than it did even a month ago. And, Japan is also involved, as it was 80 years ago, when Bob Dole was 18. He went off to war, as many young Americans may do soon.

Russia is amassing troops near the Ukraine. In the context of China’s aggression toward Taiwan, we can expect Russia not to come to China’s defense, but to bust a move while the world is distracted with poster boy “Taiwan” more than with forgotten poster boy “Ukraine”.

This global mayhem is easier to sustain with two variants of COVID, with lockdown, quarantine, and vaccine requirements increasing. It is in this worldwide situation of sustained chaos and control that China and Russia are ready to bust a move. That will awaken the West.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 29, 2021

Author SymphonyPosted on

This Thanksgiving, Jesus series, The Chosen, is taking off. A box office movie is on the way. Dallas Jenkins, the director, is making headlines. TMZ and the Wall Street Journal ran stories on it. Season 3 is in progress.

This is a big deal because films about Jesus are rarely done with a quality that can compete with film standards we have all come to expect. But, this is well done. Camera work, writing, acting, and character development make the story feel alive. The audience can relate to the characters. Dallas’s whole concept was that we can understand Jesus by understanding the people who knew him.

Meanwhile, economy doomsayers sound the horn and the global COVID pandemic continues. Israel just added travel restrictions over the new Omicron variant. Dallas Jenkins thinks that binging on Jesus is the best way to pass time when holed up at home. May financial supporters and fans from around the world seem to agree.

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Encore of Revival: America, November 22, 2021

Author SymphonyPosted on

The world is not responding well to the so-called “plandemic”. The important thing is not whether the global disease, as said by Judy Mikovits to have been developed under the supervision of Fauci, was actually intended to do all this. The public thinks it was because governments haven’t work carefully to earn public trust. Even without public trust, if chaos was the goal, opposing the so-called “plandemic” also achieves the same goal. So, the result is the same—almost everywhere except in peaceful Taiwan.

It’s not just the virus that was the problem, but our reaction to it. It’s amazing what a little peace and calm could do.

But, virus violence isn’t the only over-reaction where America is concerned. We have the ancient issue of guns—the one reason Russia and China have not already invaded. The best-kept secret from gun-owners is the threat of invasion that guns hold at bay. The Right makes the issue about gun owner rights. The rest of the world looks in and mocks America for having guns, but no one answers with a real reason why.

All we need is for things to get a little worse, like a broken nose, for people to see the wisdom that waited for us all along.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 15, 2021

Author SymphonyPosted on

America’s divide is staggering. Neither Trump nor Biden divided America; our difference in values did. We were divided since the Pilgrims arrived and signed a Compact where Christians and non-Christians would work together. But, both overreached and tried to boss the other—both tried to force their values on everyone—whether classic Bible-wielding Christians, those who believe in no god, those who believe in every god, those who believe in one kind of marriage, and those who believe in any kind of marriage.

For many years, we worked in peace to make it through our differences together. But having grown up, we now see our true colors. Many of us grew up in families and circles that go against our true values. People switch loyalties. After the last two presidential elections, fewer people think of themselves as independents, and many Democrats and Republicans hopped to the other side of the fence.

We can’t blame leaders for our division. Instead, we must look to lines of thought that promote peace. America does not need to help Taiwan as much as America must absolutely learn from Taiwan. That island nearly half the size of Lake Michigan with a population larger than Florida hosts the most peaceful and yet resilient people in the world. COVID theatrics—either way—never worked on the Taiwanese, who calmly stood together through it all. Now, safety restrictions are lifting and life is nearly back to normal without a problem.

As America unites against the self-made enemy known as China, Taiwan is plopped in the limelight. While some Americans will see another poster boy on whom to lavish messiah complex -driven “compassion”, some may see the peaceful people whom America can still become like.

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