Shakespeare's Henry V is about the 100 Years War and the famous battle at Agincourt in which 7,000 English commoners defeated 20,000 French noblemen through the use of the long bow. I use a clip of King Harry's famous "band of brothers" speech at Agincourt in some of my classes when discussing motivation and charisma. Perhaps John McCain should study both Sir Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh, who offer excellent renditions.
Here's the St. Crispian's Day speech:
WESTMORELAND
O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
KING HENRY V
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe* when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Re-enter SALISBURY
SALISBURY
My sovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed:
The French are bravely in their battles set,
And will with all expedience charge on us.
KING HENRY V
All things are ready, if our minds be so.
WESTMORELAND
Perish the man whose mind is backward now!
KING HENRY V
Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz?
WESTMORELAND
God's will! my liege, would you and I alone,
Without more help, could fight this royal battle!
KING HENRY V
Why, now thou hast unwish'd five thousand men;
Which likes me better than to wish us one.
You know your places: God be with you all!
*St. Crispian is the patron saint of shoemakers.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Obama Not Antichrist, But Is Likely Supporter
Conservative Chloe has forwarded Jack van Impe's discussion of the criteria for someone to be considered the Antichrist. It is clear that Barack Obama is not the Antichrist per se, but it seems equally likely that he is closely aligned with him. Van Impe establishes specific criteria for someone to be the Antichrist.
First, he begins to call himself God. This is indeed one of Obama's characteristics. Hence, there is perhaps a connection. But the Antichrist is enmeshed in the European Union, which does not seem to be the case with Obama. However, it is also true that Obama has kept his birth information a locked secret, and there are numerous contradictions surrounding stories of his birth, such as that his mother was registered at the University of Washington at the same time that she is recorded to have given birth in Hawaii as well as a mystery as to who the father was (Franklin Marshall Davis, Barack Obama, Sr., etc.).
Is it possible that Obama was really born in the European Union? Why does he hide his vault birth certificate so aggressively, to the point of spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to prevent Phil Berg from obtaining it? Moreover, Obama's religious affiliation is controversial. Some of his opponents say that he is a Muslim, while his media supporters say that he is a Christian. Impe argues that a "one-world religious system" will characterize a coming one-world dictator. Many people such as Louis Farrakhan have called Obama the "Messiah". This overlay of religious and secular power seems consistent with Impe's analysis.
While Obama may not be the "one-world dictator" he may be laying the groundwork for him. One trend in this direction is Europe's revival as a monetary power as America debases its currency and falters economically due to powers of the Federal Reserve Bank. The resulting strengthening of the Euro relative to the dollar increases the likelihood that the Euro could become the one-world currency, the role the dollar currently occupies. As the Euro becomes dominant, Europe would become the center of the world's economy. Obama's efforts to socialize and weaken the American economy, pursue inflation and redistribute wealth from productive Americans to those who do not produce would be consistent with this turn of events.
Impe writes that "Rome will again be the center of the world economically, politically, militarily, and spiritually." Given the collapse of the dollar under liberal policies, which Obama represents, and the American left's attack on human effort, freedom and the free market economic system, it seems that it has been necessary for the Antichrist to be at least supported by an attack on America "from inside" by New Age, left wing extremists in order to permit the European Union to become dominant. Obama might be playing this role.
Similarly, the current emphasis on regional alliances such as NAFTA, the European Union and ASEAN, is consistent with biblical prophecy. The emphasis on regional alliances flies in the face of economic logic, for unimpeded trade rather than regional trade barriers are economically optimal, as the economist Jagdish N. Bhagwati has pointed out. Yet, there has been increasing pressure from various quarters to break up the globe into economic regions. The Bible predicts this.
It does not appear that Barack Obama is the Antichrist for some other reasons. First, according to Impe, "Not only does (the Antichrist) have to arise out of the EU but he does not desire women." But Barack is married, although he does appear rather effeminate or unisex, and no one knows what his desires are. At the same time, there are many similarities between Obama and the Antichrist, according to Impe:
1. The Antrichrist will do according to his own will; is "a person driven by self"; and is only altruistic in order to advance his agenda.
2. He exalts and magnifies himself. The Antichrist is likely a public figure from early on who thrives on attention.
3. Verse 37 says that he will have no regard for the God of his fathers.
4. He will Honor a god of 'fortresses'. Fortresses refers to power hungry politician type.
5. He will act against the strongest world power in conjunction with a foreign god . He will advance the religion of this false god, and ultimately cause this false religion t rule over many.
6. He will cause division within the world.
Impe adds:
"Revelation says that the number of the beast is 666, and it is a number of a man. The number 6, always refers to man. Three 6's is obviously 3 men. I submit that these three men have the following roles."
1- Politician
2- Religious leader (false prophet)
3- Beast
Might Obama represent one leg of this three-legged stool?
First, he begins to call himself God. This is indeed one of Obama's characteristics. Hence, there is perhaps a connection. But the Antichrist is enmeshed in the European Union, which does not seem to be the case with Obama. However, it is also true that Obama has kept his birth information a locked secret, and there are numerous contradictions surrounding stories of his birth, such as that his mother was registered at the University of Washington at the same time that she is recorded to have given birth in Hawaii as well as a mystery as to who the father was (Franklin Marshall Davis, Barack Obama, Sr., etc.).
Is it possible that Obama was really born in the European Union? Why does he hide his vault birth certificate so aggressively, to the point of spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to prevent Phil Berg from obtaining it? Moreover, Obama's religious affiliation is controversial. Some of his opponents say that he is a Muslim, while his media supporters say that he is a Christian. Impe argues that a "one-world religious system" will characterize a coming one-world dictator. Many people such as Louis Farrakhan have called Obama the "Messiah". This overlay of religious and secular power seems consistent with Impe's analysis.
While Obama may not be the "one-world dictator" he may be laying the groundwork for him. One trend in this direction is Europe's revival as a monetary power as America debases its currency and falters economically due to powers of the Federal Reserve Bank. The resulting strengthening of the Euro relative to the dollar increases the likelihood that the Euro could become the one-world currency, the role the dollar currently occupies. As the Euro becomes dominant, Europe would become the center of the world's economy. Obama's efforts to socialize and weaken the American economy, pursue inflation and redistribute wealth from productive Americans to those who do not produce would be consistent with this turn of events.
Impe writes that "Rome will again be the center of the world economically, politically, militarily, and spiritually." Given the collapse of the dollar under liberal policies, which Obama represents, and the American left's attack on human effort, freedom and the free market economic system, it seems that it has been necessary for the Antichrist to be at least supported by an attack on America "from inside" by New Age, left wing extremists in order to permit the European Union to become dominant. Obama might be playing this role.
Similarly, the current emphasis on regional alliances such as NAFTA, the European Union and ASEAN, is consistent with biblical prophecy. The emphasis on regional alliances flies in the face of economic logic, for unimpeded trade rather than regional trade barriers are economically optimal, as the economist Jagdish N. Bhagwati has pointed out. Yet, there has been increasing pressure from various quarters to break up the globe into economic regions. The Bible predicts this.
It does not appear that Barack Obama is the Antichrist for some other reasons. First, according to Impe, "Not only does (the Antichrist) have to arise out of the EU but he does not desire women." But Barack is married, although he does appear rather effeminate or unisex, and no one knows what his desires are. At the same time, there are many similarities between Obama and the Antichrist, according to Impe:
1. The Antrichrist will do according to his own will; is "a person driven by self"; and is only altruistic in order to advance his agenda.
2. He exalts and magnifies himself. The Antichrist is likely a public figure from early on who thrives on attention.
3. Verse 37 says that he will have no regard for the God of his fathers.
4. He will Honor a god of 'fortresses'. Fortresses refers to power hungry politician type.
5. He will act against the strongest world power in conjunction with a foreign god . He will advance the religion of this false god, and ultimately cause this false religion t rule over many.
6. He will cause division within the world.
Impe adds:
"Revelation says that the number of the beast is 666, and it is a number of a man. The number 6, always refers to man. Three 6's is obviously 3 men. I submit that these three men have the following roles."
1- Politician
2- Religious leader (false prophet)
3- Beast
Might Obama represent one leg of this three-legged stool?
McCain Likely to Win--Florida and Election Dynamics on His Side
Two blogs (h/t Bob Robbins and Contrairimairi) capture a re-energized McCain campaign. This information contradicts the opinions of poller Sabado who appeared on Bob Grant the other night. First, Conservative Edge notes that early voting in Florida has resulted in a stunning shift:
"In a stunning shift in poll numbers, the LA Times estimates that John McCain leads Barack Obama 49-45 of those who have already voted in Florida, Just last week, a Times poll showed Obama leading 50-47 in the Sunshine state.
"But, the news gets worse for Obama. According to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, of the total citizens who have already voted, 54% are Democrats while 30% are Republicans. If these numbers hold up, and there is not a huge defection of GOP voters from McCain, Florida could be a blowout win for McCain.
"The coup de grace for Obama may come from Israel. Exit polls for absentee voting in that country show McCain winning 3-1 over Obama, despite a higher level of registered Democrats than Republicans."
Second, Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs features an eye-opening Red State.com post from a former Hillary worker now employed in the Obama campaign who argues that:
"Barack Obama doesn’t have a chance. His only chance is to foster disorganization, chaos, despair, and a sense of inevitability among the Republicans. It has worked up until now. Joe the Plumber has put the focus on the issues again, and this scares us more than anything. Being in a position to know these things, I will rate what the Obama campaign already knows are their weak links from the most important on down."
Potential breakdowns in the Obama campaign include former Hillary voters, Sarah Palin (whom the college educated elite hate but they wouldn't vote for McCain anyhow), and Obama's radical connections.
Read the whole thing here.
"In a stunning shift in poll numbers, the LA Times estimates that John McCain leads Barack Obama 49-45 of those who have already voted in Florida, Just last week, a Times poll showed Obama leading 50-47 in the Sunshine state.
"But, the news gets worse for Obama. According to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, of the total citizens who have already voted, 54% are Democrats while 30% are Republicans. If these numbers hold up, and there is not a huge defection of GOP voters from McCain, Florida could be a blowout win for McCain.
"The coup de grace for Obama may come from Israel. Exit polls for absentee voting in that country show McCain winning 3-1 over Obama, despite a higher level of registered Democrats than Republicans."
Second, Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs features an eye-opening Red State.com post from a former Hillary worker now employed in the Obama campaign who argues that:
"Barack Obama doesn’t have a chance. His only chance is to foster disorganization, chaos, despair, and a sense of inevitability among the Republicans. It has worked up until now. Joe the Plumber has put the focus on the issues again, and this scares us more than anything. Being in a position to know these things, I will rate what the Obama campaign already knows are their weak links from the most important on down."
Potential breakdowns in the Obama campaign include former Hillary voters, Sarah Palin (whom the college educated elite hate but they wouldn't vote for McCain anyhow), and Obama's radical connections.
Read the whole thing here.
The Fable of Little Johnny
Contrairimairi has forwarded this fable of Little Johnny. I have not confirmed the facts with the Elmira school district.
LITTLE JOHNNY
A teacher in Elmira, New York asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Obama fans. Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different again.
Little Johnny said, "Because I'm not an Obama fan."
The teacher asked, "Why aren't you an Obama fan?"
Johnny said, "Because I'm a Republican."
The teacher asked him why he's a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, "Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a Republican, so I'm a Republican."
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, "If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?"
With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, "That would make me an Obama fan."
: ) Little Johnny - wise beyond his years.
LITTLE JOHNNY
A teacher in Elmira, New York asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Obama fans. Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different again.
Little Johnny said, "Because I'm not an Obama fan."
The teacher asked, "Why aren't you an Obama fan?"
Johnny said, "Because I'm a Republican."
The teacher asked him why he's a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, "Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a Republican, so I'm a Republican."
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, "If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?"
With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, "That would make me an Obama fan."
: ) Little Johnny - wise beyond his years.
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