Fall 2007
The Rise, Fall And Rise Again Of Empires
This seasons PESR will deal with economics and basic political systems. We will
not just look at the turmoil that is taking place in global markets today but will
attempt to view these events with an eye towards giving it some historical
political and spiritual significance to them. Given the economic, political and
environmental turmoil going on today many of you will wonder why I am
covering this now subject now. It is because people are always wanting to know
'what is going to happen?' and 'where is this all leading' and so forth. I am
writing this because I know that to a large degree, the future is written in the
pages of the past. People who never study the past will always be at a loss as to
where we are going, because they do not know how we got where we are.
Before I begin, I want to stress that what is happening in our markets is not a
normal downturn. The major financial publications have ceased putting major
hedge fund bankruptcies and other bad news on the front pages and have
relegated them to the back pages of their periodicals, if they bother to report
them at all. I will do something I considered doing about a month before David
Walker, the head of the GAO made headlines; I will show my readers how
America's descent is very much like Rome's. There are differences to be sure, but
the reality is that the fall of America like the fall of Rome, will change the world
in ways that few can really comprehend. I admit I am really going to bore some
of you who want to see more on current events and want to see housing crash
graphs, stories of disaster and tales of woe. But I have always believed that if you
really want to know the future, you must study the past because the one constant
of human history is that no one ever learns from it. The same mistakes repeat
themselves. Before I begin let me make this perfectly clear, what we are
witnessing in the global markets is the beginning of the end of a system of debt
based money system that is controlled by a relatively small group of insiders
who create nothing and consume most everything.
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Fall 2007
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Whenever any small group of like minded men have so much power, the
temptations to corrupt the system in their own interests is immense. It is a
temptation our leaders, both political and economic have yielded to with joy and
increasingly with a sense of arrogant superiority. They understand what only
about one person in a thousand really understands. That being the true nature of
our economic system and thus they are able to fool the vast majority of their
potential victims with soothing words. These deceptive vocalizations and
writings are designed to do one thing that is imperative for them to do in order
maintain their power. That is, keep as much 'dumb' money in the markets as
possible. Their methodology amounts to this, sooth them with statements from
prominent people who are part of the insiders club and hope you can fool
enough people so that they will keep their money in the markets. It is the same
methodology the captain of the Titanic used to sooth the passengers on his
doomed ship. He had the orchestra play soothing music on the deck as the ship
slowly descended into the freezing arctic waters.
This is a story of the rich man and the poor man, the wise man and the fool,
those who will eat and those who will starve. Those of you who think that these
evils cannot happen in America should talk to those older Americans who were
alive during the depression. They will tell you that it has all happened before.
Ultimately, it is a story about those who will live and those who will die. For
those who put their trust in those who have shown no compunction against
lying, they are about to be on the short end of the greatest swindle on earth. As I
write this 136 mortgage lenders have filed bankruptcy or gone out of businesses
and 13 major hedge funds have been destroyed, and there is no end in site. This
is a banking/financial crisis of the first order so be prepared. It is unclear
to this author how much longer our elite can hold the system together with
chewing gum, saliva, a soothing symphony and shoestring. A look at the major
derivatives holders and the names of the banks that rushed to the Fed's discount
window when Bernanke suddenly opened it up should tell you a great deal. Let
us look at the past and see what it tells us about our future.
We Who About To Die Salute You!
“Numerous factors contribute to the acceptability of ideas. To a very
large extent, of course, we associate truth with convenience – with what
most closely accords with self-interest and personal well-being or
promises to avoid awkward effort or unwelcome dislocation of life.
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“But perhaps most important of all, people approve most of what they
best understand. As just noted, economic and social behavior are
complex, and to comprehend their character is tiring. Therefore, we
adhere, as though to a raft, to those ideas which represent our
understanding."
How did Rome fall? There are as many diverse views on this as there are
historians but they can be summarized as follows. However I do not want to say
that these are the only reasons for Rome's fall. Its decline was not due to any
single reason but many and it was the inability of Rome to come to terms with
these problems in a constructive manner than contributed to her downfall.
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Overextension of the Empire
Corruption of the Emperors and his officials
Decline in basic morality of the citizens and officials
Fiscal mismanagement
Poison in drinking water1
The Welfare State
Weak/corrupt Imperial institutions
Religious Divisions
The barbarianization (foreign mercenaries) of the Army
Add to these well know reasons is one that I would add purely for the record, the
inability of removing an emperor from power in any other way except murder.
This violent method of succession contributed, in my opinion, greatly to Rome's
political instability which contributed to the weakening of its institutions
throughout the empire. But if Rome had survived how would it look? There is a
school of thought that subscribes to the idea that Rome never really fell. Its
systems and foundations remain with us to this day. I am not one who believes
this other than to say that it would not be possible for any entity as significant as
Rome not to have effected our political, economic and cultural systems to this
day. It was the Roman Republic that America's founders tried to emulate.
1 This is a far more interesting theory than one would think on first glance. There is a lot of debate about this and some
historians have viciously attacked this idea. Yet if we look at the Imperial family and many of Romes leading citizens
Insanity seems to add weight to this idea. Nero, Caligula were quite mad, Claudius seemed to suffer from a serious
congenital birth defect. Lead poisoning according to those who hold to this theory seemed to afflict only the upper
echelons of society.
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However, unlike Rome they saw the need for clear separation of powers and
check and balances to thwart he tendencies of one group or one man from
gaining too much power. This is a distinctly America creation and contributed
very much to her greatness as a nation and as a global power. Our system was
envied and emulated.
From Republic To Dictatorship
Yet the internal distentions that brought Rome from a Republic to a dictatorship
are very similar to the things happening now in 21st century America. It has been
said that if History does not repeat itself, it certainly rhymes, and this is true
with comparisons between Rome and America. There are stark similarities but
there are important differences as well. I suppose that the most glaring
difference is that it took Rome longer to fall than America has even been a
nation. The following section will not be about the fall of the Roman empire, but
rather the about fall of its Republican form of government that led to Imperial
Rome, led by the Caesars.
It is generally accepted that the the Rome that we commonly know from history
started off as a Republic. But actually Rome had a monarchy before her
Republican system arose. The early days of Rome were not Imperial in nature,
even though it had an army that was becoming increasingly competent. Rome as
we all know eventually had a very competent Army. We must note here that it
was only later, after the monarchy, that it was ruled by the senate who made
decisions effecting the empire.
Rome really sprang at least in part from the Etruscans whose origin is still a
historical mystery. They appear to have conquered the native Roman population
sometime in the 8th Century BC and overran the city of Rome in the seventh
century and expanded thought much of the Italian Peninsula. Yet like all
conquerors, the Etruscans began to decline. The inhabitants of Rome expelled
their Etruscan king in 509BC which led to a wider revolt assisted by the Greeks.
The 'Latins' (Latinum) or early Romans were a mixed race of people made up
probably from a hodgepodge of earlier invaders. Indeed there is no evidence that
these early Latins had developed enough politically to form a single state. Thus,
while many historians have a strongly held to beliefs about it, the origins of
Rome itself are shrouded, at least somewhat, in historical mystery.
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Tacitus makes it clear that in the beginning however that Rome was ruled by
Kings.
Rome at the beginning was ruled by kings. Freedom and the consulship
were established by Lucius Brutus. Dictatorships were held for a
temporary crisis. The power of the decemvirs did not last beyond two
years, nor was the consular jurisdiction of the military tribunes of long
duration. The despotisms of Cinna and Sulla were brief; the rule of
Pompeius and of Crassus soon yielded before Caesar; the arms of Lepidus
and Antonius before Augustus; who, when the world was wearied by
civil strife, subjected it to empire under the title of "Prince." But the
successes and reverses of the old Roman people have been recorded by
famous historians; and fine intellects were not wanting to describe the
times of Augustus, till growing sycophancy scared them away. The
histories of Tiberius, Caius, Claudius, and Nero, while they were in
power, were falsified through terror, and after their death were written
under the irritation of a recent hatred. Hence my purpose is to relate a
few facts about Augustus- more particularly his last acts, then the reign
of Tiberius, and all which follows, without either bitterness or partiality,
from any motives to which I am far removed. - Tacitus, The Annuls of
Imperial Rome
Here is always a problem with history. It is written by historians who usually
lack the objectivity and care with the facts that is necessary to relate events in an
evenhanded way. Political correctness (sycophancy) and self-interest too often
take the front seat and reality and historical truth are relegated to the back seat,
or trunk, hidden away so that no one can see it. Think about today and how our
historians usually hail from institutions that get their money from large
corporate funded foundations and how very significant portions of even recent
history are removed to serve those interests. I think of Anthony Sutton, a
research fellow at the Hoover Institute who wrote some of the most gutsy
expose's on elite financing of both Soviet Communism and Adolph Hitler. He did
not last long there because the Hoover institute got is money from those same
conspirators. These foundations and their financial influence (often control)
gives them a very big say over 'official' history. This is not a new phenomenon.
This is why we must be careful not to fall into the traps that history and her
recorders have made for us with accounts of the past that served their times,
emperors and power elite rather than providing a clear reflection of the times
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they purport to relay. This is not always possible. As powerful men then as well
as now know, if you can control the records of history, you can control the
future. Nevertheless the broad panorama of Roman history can be relied upon to
give anyone a glimpse at her glory, violence, corruption and fall. One fiction
writer cleverly works this important fact into a popular TV miniseries. In a
scene from I Claudius, the stammering, half-witted emperor who never was
born to rule or even wanted to be Emperor sets down the real history and then
buries it so that it could be found millennium later, knowing that the real
history is never written down by historians. Indeed the whole play is about this
'forbidden history' that Claudius sets down. At the beginning of the play,
Claudius goes to the Sybil, a kind of soothsayer and he tells him his and Rome's
fortune,
Ten years, fifty days and three,
Clau--Clau--Clau--shall given be
A gift that all desire but he.
To a fawning fellowship
He shall stammer, cluck and trip,
Dribbling always with his lip.
But when he's dumb and no more here,
Nineteen hundred years or near,
Clau--clau--Claudius shall speak clear. - I Claudius
As noted, Rome was originally ruled by kings, but evolved into a republic. The
history of these early kings is not clear as later historians were forced to relay
them from notoriously unreliable oral traditions. Also of note is the fact that this
system seems to have been modeled on the Greek City-state tradition. When it
finally came to an end it left Rome with a definite, clear and almost universal
distaste for monarchy. This is as far as I will delve into this part of Rome's
earliest history but let it be noted here that it is this distaste that later would be a
key and pivotal reason why Civil Wars were later fought between generals as
Rome's army became more powerful and the Senate lost control of it.
It is this theme and many of the political problems that existed in the years
leading up to the days of Sulla, to Crassus and Julius Caesar and the Empire
that began under Augustus that resonates and reflects many of the trends and
problems that America faces today and have been amplified by the ascension of
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the Neo-conservatives.
As the years passed, a great struggle took place in Rome between the Plebeians
(common people) and the Equestrians (aristocracy). The Plebeians wanted some
of the opportunities of office extended to them, as well as a say as to how Rome
was governed. Needless to say the Equestrians, strongly opposed this. Yet it was
not possible to continue to exclude the commoners from having a voice in
Rome's political affairs. A recalcitrant stance on this issue could lead to civil war
and without the army, which had a great many plebeians in her service, the
equestrians could very well lose. These struggles let to the formation of the
Centuriate Assembly, or a kind of Senate for the little guy. This was a major
concession made by the Equestrians, but the assembly had little real power, but
it did provide an important means for the plebeians to air their grievances in an
official channel, something the Equestrians did not want as it gave focus to those
issues they would rather see ignored. The struggle was pretty severe and many
Plebeians in the cities took to find ways to physically protect themselves from
the increasingly rapacious greed of the Equestrians. The discontent was
becoming less about political privilege and more and more about simple
survival. Plebeians who were forced to serve in the military would come back
after long wars and find that their lands were now owned by the rich
Equestrians, because they could not pay the taxes that were levied on them in
support of the wars. Roman laws on debt were extreme. Those who owed money
could be sold as a slave in order to pay it. Needless to say, this situation was one
that was creating a great deal of discontent.
It was during this tumultuous period that certain equestrians attempted to set
up a tyranny, or rather to set up a dictatorship using unconstitutional means.
These men were
Spurius Cassius
Spurius Maelius
Marcus Manilus
More important concessions were won by the Plebeians as time passed and they
were mechanism put in place to protect Plebeians from unjust and corrupt
Equestrian magistrates. The main mechanism was the Tribune of the people.
The Tribunes2 received their power from an oath by taken by the plebeians that
anyone who ignored his Veto would be treated as accursed. Tribunes could Veto
2 The name Tribune comes from the the word Tribe and was probably used to denote a tribal officer.
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a magistrate but not a Governor of the Provinces. Indeed a tribune could
summon the Senate in order to put proposals before it. Those who violated the
the Tribune's person would be put to death . The Tribuneship originated as a
defiant administrative tool designed to protect the plebeians from mistreatment.
The equestrians were forced to appoint four and these men would come to the
aid of any Plebeian who needed it. It was not lost on the equestrians that this
was aimed directly at the authority of the Patrician aristocracy and any move by
them to harm a tribune could mean serious unrest or even civil war. Rome did
indeed suffer from a series on Civil Wars which had their root in this
monumental struggle between the Equestrians and the Plebeians.
It would be an oversimplification to say that this conflict between these two
groups was the sole cause of the fall of the Roman Republic. Clearly there were
other reasons as well. Mainly, these could be summed up as the inability of the
Senate to come to terms with a plethora of internal fiscal, political and social
problems. The Equestrians time and time again put their own privileges, wealth,
comforts and hereditary titles before the overall needs of the state. The
Equestrians were a party was made up of Senators and wealthy nobles and
landholders3. The Plebeians on the other hand, had trouble forming a united
front against the Equestrians because they hailed from various social and
economic classes and often had different interests from one another. Even so,
they were led by more liberal minded members of the Senate. At first, the
struggle was merely political, in the form of a few demagogues on either side
inciting passions coupled with the usual political intrigues. However, later as the
problems grew and men became more ruthless in seeking victory, it became
incumbent for armies to be formed. As the years passed, it was becoming
increasingly clear that the way to power in Rome was through the successful use
of military power. Gaining such power usually entailed leading or distinguishing
oneself in a foreign campaign. It is worth noting that the Empire did expand
during these tumultuous years. Yet those men who led these armies knew that
the power of their armies could assist their internal political ambitions. Sooner
or later, the military would be used against ones own countrymen.
It is here that we must talk about a man named Tiberius Gracchus. He was a
Roman official who saw the declining fortunes of Romes peasant farmers as
being one of Romes most pressing national security threats. He proposed a law
that would free up land to allow landless farmers to have their own farms, with
3 This party can best be summed up as desiring the continuation of privilidge via the use of domestic repression. The
interests of this class is subserviant to the state. In other words the state exists to serve their interests, not the other way
around. It is the 'Me first' party.
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some important conditions4. Yet Gracchus' proposal was met with very stiff
opposition in the Senate. This was largely due to the fact that the landed
aristocracy, which had broken previous laws5 limiting the amount of land a
single person could have, saw that this proposal would force them to relinquish
property they had illegally obtained. Gracchus was forced to withdraw the bill
and then submit an amended version, which left the key portions of the land
reform out. Yet even this was subject to the usual Senatorial obfuscation. This
came in the form of another 'bought off' tribune vetoing the bill. Gracchus finally
got his bill passed by appealing to the Tribal assembly and having this senatorial
puppet tribune, Octavius, removed from office. The implantation of the law was
further hindered by the corrupt Senate who then used carious administrative
means to thwart its implementation. Not unlike today, they simply did not
provide adequate funds for the commissioners. Other reforms were attempted
by Gracchus' but his popular support was cooling. Nevertheless, the Senate was
desperate to ensure he was not re-elected and hired a few slaves and
mercenaries to kill him. He was murdered with 300 of his followers and their
bodies were thrown into the Tiber.
Tiberias Gracchus had a younger brother Gaius who carried on with reforms but
with a slightly less confrontational flavor. He is noted as one of the most gifted
orators in Roman history and was more successful than his predecessor of
getting things done. He enacted an important grain law that allowed Romans to
buy it at half price. This was very important because the poor of Rome were
many and the danger of mass starvation was quite real.
The younger Gracchus was relentless in his pursuit of Land reform and made
some very powerful enemies in the process. The Senate eventually engineered
his downfall because they were deathly afraid of his successes. But ultimately his
hard work and victories were not enough to stop the tide of civil conflict from
engulfing Rome. Nevertheless, a very important development did come from it
and that is the establishment of a lower house of government. In the United
States it would be the predecessor to the House of Representatives, in Great
Britain it is the aptly named, the House of Commons. The evolution of the lower
chamber is beyond the scope of this paper, but it is important to note that the
privilege classes fought its empowerment tooth and nail in Ancient Rome
because it gave power to the ordinary man. The conflict between the two forced
the upper classes to resort to measures that proved to be most destabilizing to
Rome and laid the seeds for violent conflict and later dictatorship. It is
4 Namely, the land could not be transferred to others and a nominal rent must be paid to the state.
5 Graccus's proposal was not really new, it was mostly just a law that would enforce laws that were already on the books.
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important however, not to glorify the this lower Assembly (actually there were
several) as they turned out to be even more corrupt and incompetent that the
Senate. Yet we need to understand that finally at least for a while the people had
a small say in the administration of the state. But throughout these times, Rome
was engaged in several wars. Since Rome's authority rested on her military
conquests, it would be wise to understand a few of the changes that took place
during these times and how they contributed to Roman military greatness.
We cannot talk about the tumult' years of the early Roman Republic without
mentioning Gaius Marius. I will not bore you with the tales of his great military
exploits and how he saved Rome from Celts, Teutons and Cimbri. Suffice it to
say that Marius was indeed one the most capable Roman Military Leaders ever.
Rather, I want to focus on some of this reforms in the sphere of Military
administration, that are of note.
Let us stop a minute and look at what is transpiring in Rome. First, simply put
the Equestrians were greedy and self centered. The had little care for the poor of
Rome and looked upon them as rubbish. The poor had almost no rights until the
family of Gracchus began to move to force the Senate to force them to begin to
grant limited status to Rome's peasants. It was the moves of this family that set
the path towards real change in the state. The fundamental questions were this.
Why did the state exist and what was its purpose? Did it exist purely for their
privilege and pleasures of the rulers and their rich friends, or did it exist to
benefit all citizens6? This is the fundamental question that is still is with us. Why
did our founders write a constitution? Why did they separate the powers? Why
did they give us a bill of rights? Did they just want to sound noble for posterity's
sake, or had they learned some important lessons, not only from Rome, but from
their own history in Europe and England? Granting ordinary people rights was
an important step in avoiding serious civil conflict later 7. What brought about
the Republics downfall at the most basic level, in this authors estimation, was
unequal wealth distribution and the unwillingness of the Senate to put the needs
of the State above their own personal ambitions. This led eventually to men who
took it upon themselves to become 'protectors of Rome'.
But let us get back to Marius. His military reforms had the broadest implications
6 I use the term citizen because a slave, of which there were many in Rome, had no rights.
7 Unfortunately neither system dealt early enough with the Slave issue to stop Civil War from erupting because of it. In
Rome with Spartacus, in America with the Civil War.
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for the Roman state. Marius was a far seeing leader who saw that Rome's poor
was a ready pool to draw from in order to populate the Roman Army. However
there were many laws in place that prevented that. These laws were many. One
required new recruits to buy their own gear, a requirement that the poor or
Rome could hardly fill. Another was that recruits own property. Yet another
hurdle Rome's poor could not fill. In our world today, this seems strange, one
would think that Rome's poor would be the first to be sent into a war rather than
the aristocracy and the landed classes. Yet there was a genuine fear that if the
poor were armed, that they might turn on their commanders or worse. The idea
of an armed rebellion by Rome's poor was not one that Rome's powerful wanted
to come to pass. Forcing the soldiers to pay for their own arms solved two
problems, it saved the aristocracy money and kept the poor away from arms.
Perhaps you can understand why America's founders placed the Second
Amendment in the Constitution. It gave the ultimate power - force- to the
people.
Marius' reforms changed that. He brought his reforms in and this led to the
professionalism of the Roman army. Now, peasants could fight, make rank, earn
a decent wage and even gain a position of authority in the empire. The fears of
the aristocracy proved to be unfounded, at least partially. Yet another danger
came from this new professional army that the Senate did not see.
Ambitious generals and those who were fed up with the Senate and its obsession
with its own privileges were able to gain the loyalty of their troops to such a
degree that their higher loyalty was to the general, rather than the Senate, for
whom many of the new recruits felt little love to begin with. This led to a slew of
generals who used their army to impose their will on Rome. The two most
notable were Sulla and of course, Caesar. It is interesting to not that the changes
that were meant to benefit the army and the poor, instituted by Marius (who was
of humble origin) eventually were exploited by the Equestrians.
Sulla is a very important figure during these times. Having won victories in the
First Mithradatic War. Lucius Cornelius Sulla was of noble birth. Sulla was
originally chosen to serve Under Marius as a quaestor but later Sulla appears to
have born Marius a grudge. This would later prove to be significant. During his
wars a new faction had been gaining influence in Rome led by one Publius
Sulpicius. At this time, while there was a basic conflict between the “haves” and
the “have not's”, men such as Publius were far more difficult to pin down
because politics had become a confused menagerie of factions pitted one against
the other, sometimes in bloody conflict. What these men really stood for is not
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always easy to say, other than the protection of their own property weighed in
heavily in their personal political convictions.
The conflict inside the Roman body politic was raging and blood was flowing in
the streets of Rome.
The year before his (Publius Sulpicius) tribunate had been a turbulent
one at Rome. The Social War and Asiatic disturbances had brought about
a financial crisis. Debtors, hard pressed by their creditors, invoked
obsolete penalties against usury in their defence, and the creditors,
because the praetor Asellio attempted to submit the question to trial,
murdered him in the open Forum. The debtors responded by a cry for
tabulae novae, or a sweeping remission of all debts. Of these debtors
many doubtless would belong to the lower orders; but, from a proposal
of Sulpicius made the next year, it appears probable that some were
found in the ranks of the Senate. War had made money 'tight,' to use the
phraseology of our modern Stock Exchange, and reckless extravagance
could no longer be supported by borrowing.
***
Rome was thus broken up into two camps, not as of yore broadly marked
off by palpable distinctions of rank, property, or privilege, but each
containing adherents of all sorts and conditions, though in the Senate the
opponents of Sulpicius had the majority. When Sulpicius proposed to
enrol the Italians in the old tribes, the consuls proclaimed a justitium, or
suspension of all public business for some religious observances. It is said
by some modern writers that the object of Sulpicius in proposing to enrol
the Italians in the old tribes was to secure the election of Marius to the
command against Mithridates. It is certain, indeed, that Marius longed
for it.
[Sidenote: Attitude of Marius.]
Daily he was to be seen in the Campus Martius exercising with the young
men, and, though old and fat, showing himself nimble in arms and active
on horseback--conduct which excited some men's good-humoured
sympathy, but shocked others, who thought he had much better go to
Baiae for the baths there, and that such an exhibition was contemptible in
one of his years. Sulpicius may have thought Marius quite fit for the
command, and was warranted in thinking so by the events of the Social
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War; but there is no more ground for supposing that the election of
Marius was his primary object than for considering Plutarch's diatribe a
fair estimate of his character.
[Sidenote: Connection of Marius and Sulpicius explained.]
He was the friend and successor of Drusus, and his alliance with Marius
was a means to the end which in common with Drusus he had in view,
and not the end itself. This consideration is essential to a true
understanding of the politics of the time, and just makes the difference
whether Sulpicius was a petty-minded adventurer or deliberately
following in the lines laid down for him by a succession of statesmen.
[Sidenote: Street-fighting.] To the manoeuvre of the consul he replied by
a violent protest that it was illega gl. Rome was being paraded by his
partisans--3,000 armed men, and there was a tumult in which the lives
of the consuls were in danger. One, Pompeius Rufus, escaped, but his son
was killed. The other, Sulla, annulled the justitium, but is said to have got
off with his life only because Marius generously gave him shelter in his
own house. In these occurrences it is impossible not to see that the consuls
were the first to act unfairly. Sulpicius had been intending to bring
forward his laws in the regular fashion. They thwarted him by a trick.
Whether he in anger gave the signal for violence, or whether, as is quite
as likely, his Italian partisans did not wait for his bidding, the blame of
the tumult lay at the door of the other side. In such cases he is not guiltiest
who strikes the first blow, but he who has made blows inevitable. - AH
Beesley8
I include this small bit of history only to show you the reader what things were
like then. They were dangerous, violent and everything had become intensely
political. Taking sides could mean your life. For brevities sake, I will only
recount that Sulla eventually marched on Rome and despite what some say, he
seemed to have some cause from a purely military and
tactical standpoint.
Sulla brought in a slew of new reforms, but they all
benefited the Equestrian party as well as his friends and
supporters. He increased the number of Senators from
300 to 600 and gave it back the power it had before the
reforms of the Gracchi. But Sulla was one of the most
brutal 'rulers' that Rome ever had and his viciousness
became a byword against tyranny. He murdered his
8
The Gracchi Marius and Sulla Epochs of Ancient History / Beesley, A.H.
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enemies without trial or even indictment. He merely posted their names up in a
death list and offered rewards (two talents) for information that led to their
deaths. Many of these men were of the equestrian order and over 2000 of them
died as a result of Sulla's murderous rampage. He then auctioned off their
property. Many of those killed had done no wrong or even wished Sulla any
harm, they merely were personal enemies of his Sulla's friends. He declared
himself Dictator over everything; including life and property. Sulla had set a
pattern for his psychopathic bloodthirstiness when he he defeated Carbo's army
earlier, he herded 12,000 people together and murdered them in cold blood. It
should be noted that a young general named Pompey was one of Sulla's generals
and was given the title 'The Great' (Lat. Magnnus) by this butcher.
Pompey hailed from the Plebeian (populares) side of the fence was ambitions
brutal and cunning. In his later years he found more affinity with the equestrian
side of the political world. Many equestrians feared him and support for him
began to wane as his arrogance cost him the good will of other notable generals
of his time Namely Crassus, and Lepidus. This was the age of the Generals, those
who wielded power and influence in Rome by virtue of the tremendous military
forces under their command. Let us remember that the reforms of Marius
brought changes in military personnel to the degree that soldiers were often
more loyal to their generals than to the state. This made the way for men like
Crassus, Pompey, Lepidus, Sertorius and of course Caesar. Generals bickered
over who should take credit for putting down revolts, protecting Rome from its
enemies, etc. It is perhaps here that we should spend a few moments on the best
known of the Slave Revolts of that time.
Actually, there were three major slave revolts known as the Servile Wars in
history. The first two centered around the island of Sicily and while notable, will
not be covered here for time's sake. Suffice it to say that men who know that they
would always be slaves, and that their children will always be slaves, eventually
will revolt because they know that they have nothing to lose but their chains.
Rather, we will look at the most famous of these revolts that being that of
Spartacus. Now most of us have seen the movie9 and while it is largely accurate
with (some exceptions) the motivations of the slaves (other than freedom) is not
as clear as modern movies make it. It does seem likely that Spartacus himself
wanted to leave Rome and return to his home in Thrace. The motivations of the
other leaders such as Crixus are not as clear and the idea that this army of
9 Actually there were two notable ones, the Stanley Kubrick film and one done a couple of years go as a made for TV
miniseries. It was also quite good and showed more of the dissension between Spartacus and the other leaders.
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gladiators and slaves were serving a common cause does not seem to be
historically accurate. More likely there were sharp divisions about what they
were ultimately to do, especially after so many spectacular successes against the
greatest military power on earth. The strength of the slave army was that
wherever they went and won a victory, they were sure to find more slaves to join
their ranks. Rome at that time had a great many slaves most were brought from
foreign, conquered countries. They had no love for Rome, rather possessed a
deep resentment over their new status. This was a ticking time bomb that the
greed of the Roman Senate and equestrian party placed under the Roman state.
Slavery, was frankly one of the primary sources of wealth and labor in Ancient
Rome. Let us keep in mind that these were in the days before oil, motors, trucks,
cranes, earthmovers, etc. Everything was done under the power of man or beast.
From this we can see how vital a slave system was to the Roman economy. For
the equestrians an end to slavery was unthinkable; utterly and completely. They
were not able to comprehend anything other than slavery to do critical difficult
tasks on which the Roman economy depended. We should keep in mind as well
that Slavery did exist in other cultures that were contemporary with Rome, but
nowhere was its practice so vital to its economic lifeblood as it was in Rome.
Early Roman military victories had brought in an enormous amount of slaves
and with it the wealth that was based upon this system. However, this influx of
people with no rights little or no legal standing, coupled with an already large
and increasingly impoverished plebeian class10 brought great social change of a
violent nature, as witnessed by the afore mentioned Servile wars. The
equestrians seemed not to be concerned with the long term consequences of
their actions, nor of the detrimental effect these policies had on the majority of
Romans. They did however see wealth in the form of slaves and grabbed it.
Complicated Comparisons.
Now that we have looked at a small but important part of Roman history it is
time to look at a few issues. First it is not easy to compare the social structures
of first century Rome with America today in the 21st century. Slavery has been
done away with and even the poorest Americans fare better than a Roman
plebeian of this era. The founders of America provided rights to all men (except
slaves11) when they founded the Constitution. These rights extended to the
10 Increasingly impoverished due to the large influx of slaves who began doing work for nothing in jobs that ordinarily
would go to a pleb.
11 The inability and unwillingness of the Founders to deal with the slave issue caused America to enter into its own 'Servile
War'. The American Civil War had at the heart of its conflict the issue of slavery. The issue was never addressed in the
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common people as well as to the rich. Having learned a lesson from the ancient
and their own recent past they knew of the excesses of power when there were
no rights given to ordinary citizens. This is why the bill of rights was
such a monumental and revolutionary innovation 12. The basic respect
for human rights lead America to become one of the most envied places for
ordinary people to flock to. There was opportunity to create, build, work,
innovate and have the right to keep what one has earned. These were basic rights
that European governments had long denied their people and their systems,
societies and cultures stagnated as a result. The American system, with its many
faults provided a way for people trapped in rigid, backwards social systems in
other parts of the world to etch out a better life.
This was never true about Rome during any period of its existence. Granted
there were periods of greater and lesser repression and varying degree's of
economic expansion, but freedom, both economic and social was unheard of in
Rome. The founders of America learned the lessons of history well and did much
to prevent the kinds of internal disruptions that plagued Rome during the days
of the Republic. They understood and more importantly carefully utilized the
lessons of history to avoid the kinds of internal dissent that nearly tore Rome
apart.
Nevertheless, there are important comparisons that can be made. But these are
more basic. The rulers and rich men of Rome who were charged with the
security and administration of the state were incapable of seeing the long term
effects such decisions as Marius' reforms would bring. They were also not able to
control the great military forces that ambitious generals would eventually
wield13. Their maltreatment of their poorer citizens came back to haunt them
because the loyalty the soldiers should have had to the state was often merely a
masked contempt ably exploited by men like Sulla, Pompey, Crassus and Ceasar.
The idea of marching on Rome and restoring 'order' from the Senate was not at
all odious to the men, especially when the General was generous to them,
something that the Senate never was nor was ever likely to be. Thus, the we see
how the state and its primitive mechanisms for maintaining order were no
match for the rising anger of the plebs, abating the ambitions of Generals, or of
crushing revolts which was a constant problem in those days.
Constitution and thus America saw history repeat Roman folly.
12 It is also why certain men in America who hail from the Modern Equestrian order (GOP) are determined to destroy it.
13 I see America's over reliance on military contractors as being in a similar vein. Men who are well paid and willign to do
anything for money will have more loyalty to their paymasters than their national citizenship. Instead of Caesar and
Crassus, insert, Blackwater and Triple Canopy.
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Modern Societies are far more complex and modern states, especially in the
post-modern world, world have an abundance of tools to assuage plebeian rage,
and keep revolts from transpiring. First and foremost is one that simply did not
exist as a highly developed science until the 20th Century, namely propaganda. In
short it is the skillful use of media and information to influence behavior on a
mass scale. Propaganda requires some kind of mass media and this
technological development did not really come into existence until the invention
of the printing press. However, its effect was never so great until the advent of
the 20th Century and the widespread use of radio and later television14. Far from
being a tool to rouse people to anger and action, these two tools have had a far
more important but far less recognizable effect on society. Specifically, it induces
people to not react to important events and to not get alarmed when their rights,
property and even lives are in danger. Instead of inciting and inflaming, it is
used to inebriate and pacify. This tool was not available to the ancient Romans
and has been and will continue to be instrumental in keeping the American
government in power long after much of her populace has been reduced to
poverty levels not seen since those days of the Roman republic15.
Secondly, it is also important to remember that our Senate is elected, the Roman
Senate was not. It is also interesting to note that originally in America, our
Senate was not directly elected until the seventeenth Amendment was passed in
1913, until then, they were appointed by the legislatures of the states16. As much
as I personally like democracy, I know that it too must be limited or else it turns
into mob rule. Mobs can be manipulated by ambitious men who will use the mob
they hold in contempt, if that is the only way the see to get power. Much like so
many leaders in the Democratic party.
Here is a problem with popular movements. Its leaders can and are often coopted to serve the interests of the moneyed classes. This is essentially what has
happened to the Democratic party. It used to be the voice of the working man
and represented the interests of ordinary people. The rise of leaders like Jimmy
Carter and Bill Clinton show that it is now controlled by interests hostile to
voters who support it. They make a good show of deceiving the voters, which like
the ancient Romans, were largely ignorant people and easily swayed by any
14 Time does not permit me to explain the very important influence of the modern corporation in this as well. It is also
another system that Rome did not have at its disposal to enforce the 'rights' of the monied class.
15 Nevertheless the advance of the Internet as a means of counter propaganda has been a potent weapon against this
abusive tool of the state.
16 Much can be said about democratic input good and bad. Pure democracy is mob rule and this would never work as the
majority would always deny rights to the minority. This is why our form of government was set up as a republic not as a
democracy per se. It does have clear democratic underpinnings to ensure that the rights of the people are heard. Rome
was never any kind of democracy as this was not one of the political innovations from Greece that Rome inherited.
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rumor or gossip and in modern times, disinformation.
Enter Caesar
I will cover the Consulship of Pompey and Crassus briefly with little comment
other than to say the the 'constitution' that Sulla made was nullified and the two
worked well together once they buried the proverbial hatchet. Later with the
greatest reluctance, the Senate was forced to gave Pompey a new command to
stop Sicilian Cilician Pirates. This once again put a significant military force at
Pompey's disposal. Having already crushed one very able General from the
Plebeian side of the political landscape (Sertorius) who also happened to be in
league with the Pirates Pompey would fight. Pompey was beginning to show his
Equestrian colors.
I will not bore you with Ceasar's military conquests nor his murder. These are
generally well known and have been put forward in drama and TV, so much so
that the essentials should be known17.
What is important to note about Caesar is that he too hailed from the Plebeian
side of the political spectrum. As the Senate became fearful of him they unwisely
stripped him of much of this power and immunity. Leaving him no alternative
but to either go back to Rome and plead for mercy from the Patricians or march
on Rome. Naturally he chose to cross the Rubicon with his troops towards
Rome. The Senate felt secure as they had Pompey to guard their interests. Little
did they know that Caesar was far better prepared for conflict than Pompey.
What is interesting to note is that all of the major generals of this time hailed (at
least originally) from the Plebeian side. When Caesar took Rome, he did not kill
his enemies as Sulla did. This was very noble but ultimately proved to be a
mistake, as these same senators to whom he showed mercy turned on him and
murdered him. Unlike other generals, Ceasar seemed to really care about the
plight of the Plebeians. He, like Marius before him saw the need for reform, but
knew that the Senate would block and obfuscate his every move. This is why he
wanted more power. This is not what is generally portrayed in history. Caesar is
usually called a tyrant and Brutus the murderers 'noble'. But history is written by
17 There have been some pretty good ones too. Julius Caesar done in the 50's with Marlon Brando, Sir John Gielgud, James
Mason is merely Shakespeare's immortal play set to film. More recently a miniseries was done starring Jeremy Sisto and
Richard Harris (who plays Sulla) , which frankly was better than expected for a TV miniseries. One little known film is
called 'The Druid's with Christopher Lambert. This is really the story of Caesars conquest of Gaul. While the filmmakers
did take a great many liberties, it is also quite a good film, despite its pagan name and hoaky opening scenes. Let's face
it, the whole world was pagan back then, so don't get on your high horse about watching a film about those times and the
religions of those days. If nothing else it may give you an appreciation of the influence of Christianity.
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the victors and those who kowtow to them.
The lessons here are important. First, those who hailed from the side of the
Plebeians were the ones who ultimately destroyed the republic and while a few
ambitious men who used the people benefited greatly, the ordinary man in the
street was still dirt poor, slaves were still in bondage and things for the man on
the street did not improve significantly. Pompey openly sided with the
Patricians, though he originally hailed from the Plebeian side. Sulla, while
originating from the Plebeian side was so brutal that his name became
associated with tyranny. From a historical perspective we should be careful of
those individuals who claim to be for the interests of the ordinary people. They
usually turn out to be the worse tyrants.
Fire in Waco blamed on the Davidians but special photographic film evidence shows that
the fire was not started by the Davidians, but by Government agents. Bill Clinton, a
Democrat gave the orders. Scores of people died, including many small children. I have
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seen and posses a copy of the film showing government agents shooting into the
compound to start the fire. It is damning.
But the film tells a different story. Taped interviews with the
survivors and a replaying of the government's tape of the
negotiations between the FBI and Koresh make a strong case for
seeing the killing of the federal agents as an act of self-defense
against an armed government assault. Once federal blood had been
shed, the movie says, the government decided to move in for the kill.
The most damning evidence against the FBI, which took over the
case from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, is found on
heat-sensitive infrared videos shot by the FBI from an aircraft
flying over the compound. In the film, technological experts testify
that strange flashes on the videos almost certainly came from
automatic gunfire directed at the compound from government
tanks. This contradicts the FBI's insistence that during the entire 51day siege, federal forces never fired a shot.
The visual evidence also suggests that a tank ran over the body of
one or more sect members and that gunfire from federal troops
ignited (perhaps deliberately) the highly flammable tear gas that
had been pumped into the building. - NYT
I could go on and on about how those who claim to represent the interests of
poorer, working class Americans consistently betray them. From the Job killing
Nafta, to ensuring little things like mass murder in Rwanda are duly facilitated
by doing less than nothing, to launching missile strikes on some of the worlds
poorest people who detract from his own sex-scandal and balanced budget
pronouncements that were little more than accounting tricks, the Democrats are
as interested in the rights of ordinary people as a Klansman interested in civil
rights for blacks. Today, Legions of troops don't march on Rome, rather legions
of lobbyists have already encamped inside the city gates offering money, great
jobs when they leave office, bribes, high class hookers, insider trading tips,
offshore bank accounts to any Senator, Congressman or President who does
their bidding.
The GOP, which traditionally represents the interest of the moneyed class (as
the Roman patricians did) has done great damage to the Republic. But the
Democrats, if history is any judge, will hasten its end. There is far less difference
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between the two than most want to know about.
In the next PESR, we will look at the actual fall of Rome itself and draw
comparisons. We will look at things poison in the drinking water in the form of
lead poisoning to how foreign mercenaries paid for by Roman taxes was a
dubious choice to guard the interests of the empire. We will see how the empire
split and why Rome's fate was sealed long before any of the signs of her
destruction were apparent.
Spiritual Review
Key Actors To Watch And Why
Persia Rising
Once again I want to spend some time in what is
happening in Persia (modern Iran). This is a
region that is certainly in the news. There has
been a slew of stories, mostly leaked from the
White House that the US is preparing some kind
of attack on Iran. Most of it appears to be part of
a DOD 'information management' program
designed to compel the Iranian leadership that a
change in leadership and policies needs to be
contemplated. As I have mentioned before, Iran
remembers America's interference in Iranian
internal politics from the 50's through the years
of the Shah until he was toppled in 1979. It is
very much the central point in which much of
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Iranian policy turns. We must remember that this is a revolutionary government
was built on the fact that it was able to oust the Shah, who was merely a lackey
for America. Thus, our policy makers simply are not dealing in any kind of
reality hoping for a change due to US pressure. The current Iranian government
came to power on a wave of anti-Americanism and is maintaining itself in the
same fashion. Our war talk, and anti-Iranian propaganda is probably doing the
regime and Ahmadinejad far more good than harm at home. There is a policy
vacuum in Washington. This vacuum comes from having policy makers who
have never understood the world we live in. They know how to follow orders,
fudge intelligence in ways to support a counterproductive foreign policy, but a
fundamental understanding of recent history, cultural differences, political
ideals is not only lacking in most quarters, it simply is non-existent. This comes
from putting lackeys, political hacks and campaign donors in key decision
making positions. It is a general failure to see the big picture. That is not to say
there are not some smart people in the government but they are still a small
minority. If solutions they present do not conform to the prevailing
misconception, they are sidelined, fired or worse.
This is the problem with our Iran and Iraq policy. But I want to concentrate on
Iran for now. America's concern with Iran is threefold
1) Iran supports terrorism (groups like Hizbollah in particular)
2) Iran, as mentioned earlier has anti-Americanism at the heart of its foreign
policy due to the nature and beginning of the Iranian revolution.
3) America is deeply concerned that its blunder into Iraq is going to
strengthen Iran and eventually give them control in the South where it is
predominantly Shia, as Iran is. This would give Iran control of the major
oil fields.
These things coupled with Iran's switch in payments from Euro's to dollars and
the Japanese, which are major Oil purchasers from Iran, now buying it in Yen is
a knife aimed directly at the heart of American hegemony.
Persia, is indeed becoming a major player force in the
Middle East. From Syria and Lebanon via its proxy Hizb'ollah it is a force to be
reckoned with. This organization (Hezbollah) is extremely crafty. It was formed
in 1982 and is modeled after the Iranian Revolution. It is Shia and it gives voice
to a large portion of Lebanon's population. It started of as a small rather
unremarkable group but American's involvement in the Lebanon Civil war
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changed all of that. Their first major attack was the Beirut bombing of 1983
which killed 241 US marines. The group is vehemently anti-US and anti-Israeli.
It is now a very popular group that has legitimate political positions as well as
terrorist cells. Its rhetoric is as vile as anything the Nazi's could create calling
Jews everything from 'microbes' to 'vile'
I wish to draw your attention to the threat posed by this entity which has
robbed Palestine; this cancerous tumor, this vile microbe, an entity that
knows no limits, that spreads out wherever Israelis are, wherever there is a
remnant from the Talmud or where a Jewish rabbi once sat… Hope is
rising for the fulfillment of the divine promise to eradicate this cancerous
plague…” Nasrallah calls: “Death to Israel” and the crowd chants in response:
“Death to the Israelis”. [al-Manar television, May 7, 1998]
Hizbollah blames Israel for everything. And unlike the propaganda you hear that
they are not really against Jews, they just don't like Israel. The fact is, that
nothing is further from the truth.
“What do the Jews want? They want security and money. Jews, from
the dawn of history, are the most cowardly and greedy among
Allah’s creatures. If you search the entire world, you will not find
anyone stingier or greedier than the Jews.” [al-Manar Television,
September 28, 2001]
Clearly there will never be peace between Hizbollah, her followers, her funders
and the state of Israel. Any such attempt will end as all other attempts have, in
failure. Hizbollah along with most schools of Islam are really only interested in
imposing Islam on the whole world, via military force and terrorism if necessary.
Hizbollah is the epitome of such thinking.
Iran (Persia) is a key financier of Hizbollah and uses it to further its foreign
policy goals. There are cells in Syria, Lebanon, and in the West bank and Gaza
strip. They are a catalyst for anti-antisemitism and for the destruction of the
Jews.
This group and the Iranian government that funds it are prophetically
significant.
And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and
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said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near
where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face:
but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the
end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a
deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me
upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the
last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The
ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and
Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that
is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four
stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in
his power. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the
transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and
understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be
mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and
shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy
people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his
hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall
destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he
shall be broken without hand. And the vision of the evening and the
morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it
shall be for many days. And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days;
afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at
the vision, but none understood it.
(Dan 8:16-27)
Now I highlighted the the bolded portion for a reason. Because once again,
because some want to apply it to Alexander's and Nebuchadnezzar's time. I do
think that the first part does, it matches exactly what happened. But if we look
at the rest of it it says that a king of fierce countenance will stand up and have
great power in the latter time of his kingdom. I know I have talked a little bit
about this before, but I think we must put the only other two horned beast in the
Bible, mentioned in Revelation, in the proper perspective.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the
power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which
dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from
heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on
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the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the
sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should
make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did
live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the
image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would
not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all,
both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in
their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or
sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the
number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six
hundred threescore and six.
(Rev 13:11-18)
So Daniel and John both talk clearly about a two horned system in the time of
the end. I believe that they are talking about the same system. And we must
remember that there is the spiritual power behind this system that Daniel so
ably described before that withstood the Angel for 21 days (Dan 10:13).
If we look at this system it has the same authority as the other system Seven
headed system (Rev 13:1 ff). The two are together, and work together. But if we
notice, one system arises out of the sea and the other out of the earth. The sea is
believed to mean the troubled sea of gentile kingdoms, I personally would go so
far as to say the trouble sea of democratic nations. Whereas the earth means
those nations in the near east18. Whatever the meaning is, what is important to
note is that they are coming from two different places. This is a key clue as to
what God is slowly reveling to us saints in these times. Media/Persia is going to
embrace a false religious system and this will eventually be the dominant power
in this region. Revelation chapter 13 tells us of two beasts, who work together
but arise from different regions. So now I have to ask the question, are there any
religious undertones to what is coming out of Iran and parts of Iraq these days 19?
If you can't answer that question, check your pulse... let's just make sure you are
still with us in the land of the living.
So now that we see this important facet of this end time system, Let us look
more closely at a very interesting player in the end times and his prophetic role
for I see that it relates directly to this two horned beast.
18 This is my belief.
19 Remember that the entire two horned system is called the false prophet.
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Russia.
Russia is a key player in the end times drama. But not as many Christians see it.
Most believe that the Gog and Magog War is led by Russia. There is a great deal
of truth in this as far as it goes but the reality may be quite different that most
think. You see there is a very clear, concise incontrovertible piece of scripture
that throws a considerable bit of cold water on the Gog and Magog war being
during the end times (before Christ returns). In fact, a careful study of the
passage in Ezekiel and a look at the description of it in the book by John the
Revelator should leave any serious Bible Student and honest Christian good
reason to doubt this dubious20 interpretation. Now I know many so called
'experts' go on and on are post all kinds of messages and 'words' purporting to be
from the LORD about the Gog and Magog war and how it is just around the
corner and that it is to precede the Battle of Armageddon. I have read these and
many others. I see these so called words passed around on all kinds of news
groups, Christian sites and prophetic sites by well meaning but spiritually
undiscerning Christians.
Gog
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of
Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth
part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and
will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow
out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right
hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy
bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the
ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be
devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it,
saith the Lord GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them
that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the
LORD. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people
Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the
20 I say dubious because I am not ready to call it totally false.
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heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day
whereof I have spoken. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall
go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields
and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and
the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
(Eze 39:1-9)
This battle has been a point of some contention by some bible scholars. The
main question is weather the battle of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel Chapter 38 &39)
is the same as the battle of Armageddon. In other words are there two major
battles or only one. Some expositors maintain that there are actually two
different battles. While some of the things that were revealed to Ezekiel in his
book seem somewhat (though not significantly) different from what we find in
Daniel and Revelation, it must be noted that Ezekiel was not given the divine
word and interpretation that Daniel was given in addition to the broad
panorama of the rise and fall of future empires.
Many have also surmised that this is the same battle as Armageddon. I see the
the imagery as similar though not identical. Once again there is another
possibility that most expositors do not want to contemplate. That is, the battle of
Gog and Magog does not happen before the Second Coming of Christ. The book
of Revelation makes it abundantly clear when the battle of Gog and
Magog will transpire, it is after Christ has returned.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them
together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And
they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the
saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of
heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast
into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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(Revelation 20:7-10)
One of the main reasons for any serious Bible Student (rather than those who
just read some of the rehashed junk on the net) to doubt a pre-second-advent
occurrence is that the book of Ezekiel describes Jerusalem as dwelling securely.
While it is quite true that Israel has been gathered out of the nations where she
was driven, her position in the world today is anything but secure, with
problems with the Arabs, Palestinians, Hizbollah, and the likes. There are
constant wars and battles and terrorist attacks going on in and around Israel.
They must remain ever vigilant against terrorist attacks, wars and uprisings.
This is hardly a situation that can be described as 'dwelling securely' and 'being
at rest' (Ezekiel 38:11, 38:8). Having studied prophecy for years, I often see the
last days as being like a storm building up to a climax of Christ's return. Israel is
the key or 'vortex' to end times events and I do not see the situation improving
much at all in the days to come. I could be wrong, I speak here from no special
divine unction. Yet sometimes, modern prophecy teachers are so bent on finding
mysteries and obscure meanings in scripture that sometimes simply are not
present. Revelation tells us plainly, as plainly as possible when the battle of Gog
and Magog will happen. Yes, there may very well be two fulfillments to this
prophecy and then again there may only be one. Many prophecy students often
leave out the obvious in their never-ending search for the obscure. It is
important not to be too dogmatic and to not study these important prophecies
with preconceived notions. Most Bible students just throw out what the book of
Revelation has to say about this important battle. They won't even deal with it.
They have already made up their minds. Too many seem to think they can teach
God what his word means rather than letting the scriptures speak for
themselves.
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And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will
go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling
without walls, and having neither bars nor gates (Eze 38:11)
A picture a a new security wall being built by Israel
Does the picture above line up with the prophecy? Are they not building walls
in Jerusalem at this time? Is Israel dwelling securely21?
Yet and still there are some similitude's that can not be ignored in the passage
that hearken back to the great battle of Armageddon. One that first comes to
mind is the Great Feast that the LORD prepares for the birds of the air (Rev
19:17, Ezekiel 39:4). Additionally the destruction of Gog and Magog are as the
result of direct intervention by God, as with the battle of Armageddon. There are
also parallels that are in Zechariah (Zech 14:13 – cf Eze 38:21).
Yet and still a most important point is this, it is only after Christ returns that
Jerusalem will be safely inhabited. See (Zech 14:4 and 14:11). I do not see any
scripture that says Jerusalem will be safely inhabited before the return of Christ.
21 There has long been the prevailing school of thought that there will be some kind of peace treaty with Israel signed by
the last days beast system. This comes from a very poor interpretation of Daniel Chapter nine. Please read this article
and understand it. This is passage is one that Christ specifically demands that we understand (Mark 13:14) referring to
Daniels prophecy of the 70 weeks and the abomination of Desolation. This is VERY important so click the link and read
it.
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Not one.
The destruction of Gog is a monumental event just like the battle of
Armageddon, it will take seven months just to bury the dead and the fuel
obtained by Israel just from the destruction of the weapons will be enough to last
seven years (Ezekiel 39:8-10).
Who is Gog?
Gog is the leader of (chief Prince of) Meschech and Tubal. This is an important
factor in understanding who and when this will take place. Many expositors
believe this land of Magog to be Russia (and those allied with Russia). This is
almost certainly the case insofar as Russia is part of the invading Army.
Meschech and Tubal have largely been associated with Russia through the work
of widely disseminated anthropological and linguistic research. The two names
have been found together on inscriptions of the Assyrians. They were largely
driven northwards to the area of the Black Sea. This does not necessarily mean
Russia, as the actual place of there dwelling is the area between the Back and
Caspian Seas, an area which has recently had a upswing of violent anti-Israeli
Islamic fundamentalism. The same can be said of Tubal who is seen to have
settled in Georgia (former USSR). This has led many to conclude that the
invading armies are Russian (former Soviet). The rest of the band of marauders
are from:
-Persia - Modern Iran
-Ethiopia - (Modern Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea)
-Libya - Modern Libya
-Gomer - The nations of Western Europe
-Many People
God will destroy them. And leave one sixth remaining. Such a broad destruction
of so many armies (including western Europe's) would not leave much left for
another army to be raised for the battle of Armageddon.
This has led many to believe that these battles (Gog and Magog and
Armageddon) are one in the same. Gog can be described in two ways he appears
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to be
1) a chief hater of Israel and
2) he is a thief.
So the question is does this refer to Modern Russia and the folks the modern
nations of today or to the tribes and nations who will be around at the end of the
thousand years.
The millennium reign is one that the scriptures do not spend a great deal of time
talking about. But there are some things that we should be aware of.
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I
create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in
Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no
more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more
thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days:
for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an
hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and
inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and
another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and
mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not
labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the
blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come
to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet
speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and
the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's
meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith
the LORD.
(Isa 65:18-25)
The millennium reign is a time when God's blessings will be on all men as well as
the entire creation. Things will be abundantly different than this wicked age as
the the curse that was put on creation with the fall is largely removed. That does
not mean there will be no sin as there will be a few trouble makers. The verses
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above show there will still be some. There will be infants and marriage and there
will be peace. Who will inhabit the earth in these times is a matter of hot debate
and it is a debate that will not be dealt with here. Suffice it to say when people
are living for such a long time and death is a rare thing, we are looking at a
major population explosion on earth. There will be people on earth who will see
blessings that we have not seen an would probably have trouble comprehending.
Yet, it seems that many will never have known the trouble that we here have
seen while satan was the prince of this world. In many respects these people will
be wholly innocent compared to the saints who were redeemed during the
Church age and before. We have seen the face of evil. These men and women of
those days will not know it as we will have. They will probably be forced to rely
upon the redeemed of Christ to tell them what evil was and what it was like back
in the 'olden' days.
Just like the young people of today, the older the olden days get, the further
removed from their reality it will seem. As time passes I suspect many will be
tempted no so much to sin, but to disregard the warnings of their elders. This, in
my estimation is when...
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:
the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the
breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and
the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall
be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
(Rev 20:7-10)
Have you ever wondered why God releases satan at the end of the age once again
only to deceive? I think it is because of this very reason. The people born in these
times must also be tested. Their faith in God's word must be tried against the
wiles of the master deceiver. This the people who dwell in Jerusalem in those
days will see the hand of God save them.
___
However, let us get back to Gog and Magog, I see the names are exactly the same
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and the imagery in both are also very much the same. Ezekiel and Revelation are
the only places these two are mentioned in regards to tremendous judgment.
Thus, I think it most unwise to place this event in another time frame than that
which the scriptures makes clear. Rather... perfectly, crystal clear.
The Real Prophetic Russia Stands Up
It is this authors estimation that Russia is going to play a key end time role,
Indeed perhaps more important a role than any other western nation. For I see
Russia as being that eighth head in the beast that has seven heads and ten horns.
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth
shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and
is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven
heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are
seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and
when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was,
and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the
beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto
the beast.
(Rev 17:8-13)
I risk repeating myself to many of you, but not to others so let me give you a
quick rehash of this. From its inception let us look at the G7 or Group of Seven.
At its beginning there are (present tense) Seven kings (rulers) that the woman
(Babylon the Great/USA) sits upon. Five of these are fallen (Empires at one time
but no more), one is still an empire (USA) and the other has not arrived yet
(From the inception of the G7, now G8) And the beast the was and is not, this is
the eighth head.
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth
shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
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foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not,
and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are
seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings:
five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he
cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and
is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which
have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast.
(Rev 17:8-12)
Who are the Five that are fallen?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Britain (British Empire)
France (Napolenoic Empire)
Germany (Nazi Empire)
Japan (Japanese Empire – Hirohito)
Italy (Roman Empire)
Who in their right
mind would not
say this entity is
not the most
influential in the
world today? The
UN is a skeleton
compared to the
G7. This is the real
power today.
When these guys
meet things
happen. They
decide who gets
IMF loans, who
gets outed in
military coups, whose currency will rise and whose will fall. They are very
powerful. It is interesting that when the media refers to them it is always 'the
heads of the Group of Seven Industrialized nations met today in such and
such a place'.
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So now that you have come this far, you know who the eighth head is. It is
Russia as it only recently joined this exclusive group of rulers (kings).
So now some of you are probably asking, “OK, brother Mark, but you skipped
over 'the was, but is not, yet is' thing...”
OK. The eight head was an empire. Most of us alive today remember the old
Soviet Empire. It died in 1991. A new government came into being under Boris
Yeltsin and the new Russian Republic was born and is still with us today and this
is the one that sits on the G7/G8 as the eight head. It is NOT currently an empire
as it lost its satellite Republics (as the Soviet Empire broke up). It was an
empire, is not one now, BUT WILL BE ONCE AGAIN.
Did I make that print large enough for you? I hope so, because Russia is rising
and it will rise to such prominence that it will be the dominant power in the
world for the last act of end time drama.
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with
the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength
unto the beast.
(Rev 17:12-13)
So lets look at this very, very carefully for in it we can see what is happening
behind the scenes in the world of geo-politics. These kings when they get power
are interested in only one thing, giving power to the new Beast which is lead by
Russia who is the eight and is of the Seven.
The Ten horns are ten kings who have no kingdom as yet but will have power AS
KINGS for ONE HOUR with this horrible beast. Let us take a good look at
something else about this 'one hour' and the ten kings.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great
city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
(Rev 18:10)
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Who destroys Babylon? The ten Kings (Rev 17:16). How long do they reign? One
hour. Who is the reigning head, still an empire, when this eighth head appears?
America. Where is the home of the emerging World Government today that is
also the worlds commercial Center? New York CITY (Rev 17:18)22.
Dead Man Walking
Dear readers, For people not to see this now in these times or gainsay it, is
wrong. It would be different if the Geopolitical scene did not bear these things
out. But as usual the scriptures are 100% accurate and either ignored or
misinterpreted, on some occasions, deliberately so. The place to look is Russia.
Who are these ten kings? That is another subject covered in my article 'Who is
the Antichrist'. I suspect that these are indeed important men or financial
oligarchs/rich men/oil Sheiks/new political entities) on the scene (or about to
appear) but are not of any prominence today. You might recognize their names
and you might not. I see the Middle East as perhaps place to look for them. This
is where Islamic (anti-Christian/Anti-Jewish) hatred brew against the US which
could be used by Russia in her march towards global Preeminence. Another
possibility is that there will be some kind of caretaker government that will last
only a short while (one prophetic 'hour') run by men who will deal with a major
international financial crisis. They will be given great authority but will move in
unison with Russia to destroy America. Whatever the case, Russia, the Middle
East (Islamic nations) as well as the global financial system are areas that those
who love Christ and wish to obey his command to 'watch' should be looking at. I
say this as well, as feel led to. Stop trying to save America. The Republic is dead,
we are a bankrupt, perverted, violently wicked nation that has already had our
divine sentence pronounced, by the eternal judge. The sentence has not yet been
carried out, but the bailiff has just snapped the cuffs on the condemned and is
leading him off to his fate. He may squirm and scream and even try to fight his
way out, but this is a 'dead man walking'. The Ten kings await their entrance
onto the global scene.
Lets go back and look at these things from a different and more 'secular'
perspective.
22 Some of you will wonder how I figured this out or wonder if I just stole this from someone else and won't give credit to
them. I did not 'steal it'. I have long been a student of prophecy and sincerely asked God about this beast and asked God
to give revelation and clarity. He did without me having to 'steal' some one else's work. This is God's revelation and to
him be the Glory. In fact, I had never even read that these beasts were so interpreted except to gainsay it by those who
sell their prophecies.
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Russia Today
"It stretches credulity to its absolute bounds to think that suddenly, overnight,
all those who were Communists will suddenly adopt a new philosophy and
belief, with the result that everything will be different. I use this opportunity to
warn the House and the country that that is not the truth. - UK MP
Christopher Gill Quoting From Golitsyn's 'The Perestroika Deception'
Today Russia is on the rise once again. More so than is being told to us on the
one-eyed glowing mind number, better known as the TV.
Let's just take a look at a few news articles about Russia's resurgent military.
Russia approves mass production of cutting-edge Bulava missile
Russia Defense Chief Touts New Submarines
Russia Tests The 'Father of All Bombs'
British Jets Intercept Russian Bombers
What does this mean, strategically speaking?
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Russia asserted its resurgent strategic autonomy in a highly symbolic
manner in September 2006 when President Putin sat down at the Paris
Summit with the French President and the German Chancellor. Publicly,
it was given out that the Paris Summit focused on Russia’s energy
supplies to Western Europe and European energy security. In
contemporary international affairs, energy supplies and energy security
are no longer economic matters but foreign policy and strategic tools.
Obviously, the focus had to be on Russia’s strategic role in European
affairs and its spillover effects in other strategic regions.
Russia was therefore no longer down and out as Western observers had
got used to believe in the post Cold War era. This author had consistently
maintained that even when Russia was economically down, it was not
strategically out. Even with a run-down economy Russia continued as
the only nation with strategic strength and capabilities to reach the
United States. - RUSSIA ASSERTS ITS RESURGENT STRATEGIC
AUTONOMY, by the South Asian Analysis Group (by, By Dr. Subhash
Kapila )
There are hundreds of stories on the net that show that Russia is on the move
and looking to enhance its security position. This is not to say that Russia has
not or is not cooperating with the US in some security areas. Clearly they are.
However, in areas from Arms Control to America's new penchant for 'unilateral'
military actions, we are not helping matters. Russia has become much tougher
on the west recently, from its military stance after Bush's unilateral decision to
build an anti-ballistic missile system, to its Energy policy with Europe, which
Russia uses as a weapon when she feels her interests are threatened, all the way
to America's potential unilateral attack on Iran which neither Russia nor the
Chinese are going to support. America and the EU have not been wholly fair to
Russia. Often citing slow progress in democratization as the reason, Russia is
often treated as the bow-legged step child by both of these powers. American
politicians and their bankers robbed Russia not long after the Soviet Union fell
and this has led to the deep mistrust that most policy 'experts' ignore.
While the US and the EU like to take the high ground in talking 'Democracy',
each of these entities are clearly showing a 'fascist' streak of their own at home.
The EU is about to implement sweeping new changes many of which were
rejected by voters a few years ago. They don't plan on letting people vote on
these changes, fearing the result. In America, it would take an encyclopedia to
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cover the damage done by the last two administrations (Clinton and Bush) We
have become in every sense of the word an Armed Madhouse.
Russia has interests. She will do what she needs to do to protect herself and
those interests. Kowtowing to the west, which has often derided, raped and
inhibited Russia is not the way she has chosen to protect those interests.
Real Revolution
Russia's fall and rise again, as I mentioned earlier are of tremendous prophetic
significance. Indeed, I want to share something with you.
Years ago, when I served our country as a Russian Analyst, I never fully believed
that the coup against Gorbachev was a real one. I thought then as I do know that
key players were reading from a script, and had decided to end the Soviet Union
and this was the best way to do it. I admit I was in the minority back then. Yet,
there were a few who were asking some pointed questions. Indeed, there were a
few who smelled a rat, but just a few. Most were scrambling to make themselves
relevant in a changing world in which our intelligence services suddenly found
out they had no reason to exist, as the primary threat was gone. I could write a
book on the shenanigans going on to keep jobs, positions, resources because the
question was being asked, 'why are we here'? Much of the intelligence
community had become a fifth wheel.
What I am going to do now is take you back a bit to what those in Intelligence
circles were saying some of their assessments. What follows is history,
declassified by the CIA and the Clinton Administration. The documents can be
found on the net and I happen to have one nifty little Book called 'At Cold War's
End' in hard copy. It is most interesting and filled with old National Intelligence
Estimates that really shows what the thinking was at the time. I am going to
share some of this with you and take you on a journey into the past for a good
reason. But please take some time and get a feel for what was being discussed at
the time and the problems that Russia faced and the challenges that the US saw
were on the horizon. Please note that some of these are not the greatest copies
and I have endeavored to make them, as legible as possible.
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Let us take a ride in Watson's 'Wayback' Machine
Let's set the dial to the year 1991...
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From the National Intelligence Daily (NID).
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From NIE 11-18-90
While the Intelligence community looked on the collapsing Soviet Union, there
was concern as to what it was all going to look like. All eyes were on Yeltsin and
Gorbachev as Yeltsin suddenly and rather inexplicably became the symbol for
reform. The real questions being asked by officials was this, 'What happened
next?' There was a split in the community as to the answer to this question (as
there of then is in predictive assessments). Another interesting Assessment can
be found here, 'Spotlight On the Russian Revolution of 1991.” Put out by the
CIA/DI.
Here is what the CIA saw as possible scenario's for the future in the USSR just
after the coup. Here you can see what they figured could happen.
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Here is where I differed from these assessments. I saw all of them23 and noted
the strengths and weaknesses of each. I saw fragmentation (at the time) as the
most likely effect of the coup, provided the real managers of what I believe to
have been a staged coup, did not have their own back up plan. I think they did
and I think history has borne this out. This is exactly what I thought was the real
possibility and threat, that this was a show put on for the world to see but the
benefit of Russian insiders.
Some people did ask questions. I figured at the time that if the Soviet Union did
not disintegrate and there were no real trials over the decades of Soviet crimes
(which were promised but never delivered upon) the best explanation for the
ineptitude of the Soviet coup would be that the leaders knew the system was
bankrupt and understood the ramifications and futility of attempting to reform
it using existing political and economic structures. The key for them would have
been to step back, keep control of the banking system, military and key
economic entities and let the system re-mold itself, with the old party hacks still
in control of key parts of the Russian (former Soviet) system. With a
weakened central government, the illicit profit potential would be
enormous. Many KGB officials wound up in key government positions. Indeed,
in the days of the Soviet Union the KGB was often synonymous with corruption
and bribes.
You see what really happened in Russia in my estimation, was that the
KGB/Communist Party really never lost control of it24. They turned the petty
corruption of the Soviet years into a highly evolved art form. The amount of
corruption now is unparalleled. The History Channel did a really interesting
series on Organized Crime and one of the programs dealt with Russia and in one
segment an undercover US official was trying to buy a Nuclear Submarine from
the Russian mob, who appeared to really have access to one.
Weakened systems of government and the concomitant rise in organized crime
could have been predicted by a 10 year old who lived in Sicily in the last century.
23 Yes, I really was in a position to read these assessments (all of them) back then. I thought then, as I do now, that they
did not ask the hard questions and concentrated on minutia and did not address key issues.
24. Some of these things were my own private cogitations at the time. They have only been reinforced by events the past 16
years. The universal euphoria at the time did not allow me to share these things with too many people. I would have been
'locked up' as a looney if I had.
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The fragmentation indeed could have happened but the key portions of the state
were still under the control of the (psuedo-former) Party members and KGB.
They (and their mafia money and businesses) were the glue that held the post
Soviet Russia together, even though that glue was laced with cyanide and was
highly radioactive. It was corruption and violence that was a major factor in
keeping Russia together. Even now, it is the Oligarchs, many of whom are
simply glorified Mobsters that pull the strings in Russia. They are the real
power.
Now, let us go back to Golitsyn's, The Perestroika Deception, the book the
British MP quoted from in the beginning of this section. I think his work is
indispensable, as it is an oversimplification to say that this is all driven by
organized Crime and the KGB. There were and still are true believers in Lenin's
revolution. But in my estimation, their influence has been overtaken by both
events and profits. Nevertheless, Golitsyn's observations should be noted and
understood in light of the world that existed 16 years ago.
According to my assessment, the Soviet 'coup' and its 'failure' constituted
a grandiose display of deception - a provocation. The 'ineptitude' of the
participants in the 'coup' and the 'failure' of it were skillfully planned and
executed. The main argument in support of this assessment is that the
Soviet military, the KGB, the Party and leading media figures apparently
had neither the skill to launch a successful coup nor the guts to crush
resistance to it. This is news indeed! - Anatoliy Golitsyn
Golitsyn is unique insofar as he was a member o the KGB so his insights into
what was going on inside are invaluable.
He goes on to tell us in his book that the KGB was responsible for creating a
controlled opposition as early as 1958 as a precursor to Perestroika. It was his
estimation that the fall of the Soviet Union was a key part of a long range
strategy of the Communist Party to deceive and undermine the West, and reemerge even stronger than before.
It was not 1985, but 1958 that the Communist leaders recognized, after
the Hungarian and Polish revolts, that the Stalinist practice of mass
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repression had severely damaged the system and that the radical
measures were necessary to restore it. It was then than they decided to
transform the Stalinist system into a more attractive form of 'Communist
Democracy'. - The Perestroika Deception, page 12.
In accordance with a Party decision, the KGB was assigned a key role in
the execution of strategy. In 1959 the KGB under Aleksandr Shelepin was
instructed to employ its intelligence and security assets, not for mass
repression, but in the interests of strategy against the main enemy. Its
main task became the neutralization and dissolution of genuine political
opposition by nationalists and anti-Soviet intellectuals. - The
Perestroika Deception, page 14
Anyone who wants a different spin on what happened in August 1991 from
someone who was once a KGB insider should read this book. It will change your
view of the history of the past 16 years. I have read this book a long time ago.
You may be able to argue with some of what he says, and even some of his
analysis. But the overall thrust is something that cannot be ignored.
Today
Vladimir Putin. Where did he work during the years of the Soviet Union? The
KGB.How much influence does the (former) KGB have under Putin?
Perhaps we can understand what the Holy Spirit meant
when it says
this beast arises out of the bottomless pit goes into
perdition. (Rev 17:8)
This is a hellish system and Russia is going to make her
presence felt around the globe. The world has been
watching China as being the new Superpower and
counterbalance to the US. I see China as a major
regional power, but I do not see any global ambitions in
Chinese history or culture. I do in Russia and they are
not making any secret about it.
Russian Leader and Former
KGB Officer Vladimir Putin
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One other observation I want to make before I move on is this, democracy is a
foreign concept to Russian culture and history. Russia has never had a period of
democracy, except perhaps under Yeltsin, whose reign was so marred by the
corruption, crime and violence of the oligarch's that 'Democracy' became
synonymous with organized crime in the lexicon of many ordinary Russians. The
past few years under the KGB's Putin has put food on the shelves, reduced crime
(somewhat) and given Russians a sense of pride again. This may be a big
oversimplification, but to Russians it was a choice between food and democracy.
They have chosen food.
Now as an American with a full belly, living on streets that are generally crime
free and a warm house in winter, it would be easy for me to criticize Putin and
Russia. But I know that as much as I love democratic systems, Russia's choice,
however odious to my personal ideological preferences, may not necessarily be
the wrong one just because it is decidedly different and psychologically less
palatable than ours. Yet it is the spiritual undertones that should concern any
Christian. Crime, murder and violence are hardly 'rock solid' foundations on
which to build a nation.
In short, at this point in time as brutal and crooked as their system is, it is not
fair to level the kinds of charges many in the west have made simply because in
16 short tumultuous years with western nations robbing and interfering in
Russia' affairs to expect a modern, stable, corruption free democracy. Such
expectations are not only unfair, they are wholly unrealistic.
Times And Seasons
When America falls or is badly weakened, I expect that within days, if not hours,
Islamic governments in the Middle East to attack Israel. I expect this battle to
lead to the destruction of Damascus. I expect America's fall to be sudden and
violent. I also expect it to be soon. When this happens the world will change in
ways that will seem macabre. Over and over the spirit warns that men will
become depraved, cold and hate-filled.
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Lift
ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them,
shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have
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commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for
mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a
multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous
noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts
mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from
the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at
hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall
all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: And they shall be
afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in
pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another;
their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and
he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven
and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be
darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to
shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for
their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease,
and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man
more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of
Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove
out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of
his fierce anger.
(Isa 13:1-13)
End time Babylon. Get it through your heads brothers and sisters who dwell in
the USA, we are it. One look at the news and you can understand why God is so
angry with us. Why will we not repent and stop doing evil? I will tell you why.
We are too proud and arrogant to seek God's face. Let me make this clear well,
God is not some 'ogre' in the sky who likes to inflict pain and punishment on
people. He loves people, he really does and this is why he made such a great
sacrifice to save us via his son, Jesus Christ. We, by our own actions are
forcing the Lord God on a course he does not want to take.
Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the
earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the
nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for
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her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would
have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and
let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment
reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.
(Jer 51:7-9)
I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented
him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to
his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the
heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and
the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not
the judgment of the LORD.
(Jer 8:6-7)
Look at the headlines. America's evil is surpassing that of the Nazi's. We kill,
maim, kidnap, send people to concentration camps, intern our racial minorities
in prisons on trumped up charges, and then kill them, through deliberate
negligence and outright murder on the prison grounds. Spin these things as you
wish, the prisoners are just as dead and in the methods described. No one has
any intention of repenting of these or the myriad of evils and they are certainly
not the least bit sorry for what they have done. If there is any sorrow, it is only
because they got caught.
The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they
have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?
Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them
that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the
greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto
the priest every one dealeth falsely.
(Jer 8:9-10)
I go to many sites around the net and I see so much false teaching on many sites
it angers me. I see the same old flim-flam men selling God's word and their
teachings for money knowing full well that this is sin. I see newsgroups and their
owners citing scriptures and then at the same time hailing known racist and
hate groups as though somehow they are going to 'save America' from 'those
people'... you know, the Mexicans, the Blacks and the Jews. I see all of these
things and know I live in times like Isiah did. Listen, there is not one true
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prophet of God who sells his material. If he is selling it, he has missed God
and probably doesn't even know it. Men like David J. Meyer have the right idea,
he makes it available to all but does ask (not demand) a donation for tapes from
his ministry. The rest deal falsely and are given to covetousness. Do you know
why so many prophets are going to be lost on the great day? This is why. Money
for God's word.
When all is said and done there are only a very few that God has really set up to
be voices in these times that are actually doing what they were called to do.
Many were called to do it, but few will be chosen. Those who will win praise from
God are those who will do it and do it properly. They will have great reward. In
every case of those lost, stubborn disobedience in one form or another is to
blame. Some of these guys have been at it a long time and still don't get it. Some
are teaching false doctrines (ie., Pre-tribulation rapture) and misidentifying key
prophetic players in their expensive 'prophetic' materials. These will never see
the truth because it takes three things to understand God's prophetic word.
●
●
●
Humility
God's Holy Spirit
Obedience
If you do not have these qualities in the greatest abundance you will err in direct
proportion to your lack of these qualities. I had a talk with one prophet whom I
respect years ago and we were appalled at what some of the so-called 'watchmen'
that most Christians believe and listen to in America on the net and on
alternative radio. I am not here to name names but to warn those of you who are
reading this to be very careful. Deceit is everywhere and if someone requires you
to pay to read his or her Christian materials, run. Run as though you have just
seen the devil, and don't look back.
Lastly I want to talk about America's murder factory.
I am not talking about Iraq, I am talking about America's Prisons. This subject
warrants more space than I am going to give it now but there are some serious
evils transpiring in America's prison system.
It is fast becoming a slave labor factory and murder machine. Even now, the
Justice department is to get expanded powers over death penalty cases
disallowing appeals allowing for faster executions. Not only is this a clear
usurpation of States rights, it is an ominous precedent from a man, whose time
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as Governor in Texas earned him the name of the Texecutioner.
Why is it that this man, who now sits in the White house is responsible for so
many deaths. Why is it that wherever he goes death follows him, and corpses
pile up?
While many mock, laugh at my belief as to why this is happening, I trace it all
back to the Brotherhood of Death, an organization of which Bush is a member
of. The sad thing is, when anyone in the media talks about this brotherhood of
death, it is treated like a joke.
It is, and the joke is on us. We allow men like this who belong to satanic
organizations to lead our nation and then wonder why death is their number one
preoccupation, why the implementation of tyranny is their obsession, and lies
and deceits are their footstool.
Watch what is happening in the prison system. The murders, the rapes the
human experimentation, and the deaths, both by execution and by murder by
the prison guards are a growing and deliberately unchecked problem
No one cares that many of these men are guilty only of not having enough
money for defense. In short we are dealing with a system very similar to the
Nazi system. Bush's grandfather, who was also a member of the 'Brotherhood of
Death' funded, supported and got rich from being the Nazi's most important
supporter.
Generally speaking folks, I don't expect anyone to really understand the
ramifications of what I am saying. I really don't. I expect that many who read
this will wind up having their remains being sent up through a chimney, never
knowing the breath, scope and depth of the shaft they had been given and the
much deeper shaft (bottomless pit) that awaits them.
In the near term, dear readers, I am going to have all of my 'disaster
preparations' ready. A little cash (including foreign currency and silver), enough
food for a few weeks, a tank full of gas and a bug-out bag. I plan to have all ready
by 15 October. Those are my personal plans for what I think may be coming.
May God grant you mercy and wisdom to understand the times while it can do
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you some good.
In Christ,
Mark Watson
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