Tuesday, March 11, 2014
7 actions to take immediately following an EMP strike
The threat of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) strike on this country is a very well documented one, I have written about the threat in the past and have used information from the EMP Commission report which was published in 2004 in several of my articles. Most recently I read an article published over on the Economic Collapse Blog which sums up nicely what impact an EMP strike would have on our country.
An electromagnetic pulse can range from a minor inconvenience to a civilization-killing event. It just depends on how powerful it is. But in the worst case scenario, we could be facing a situation where our electrical grids have been fried, there is no heat for our homes, our computers don’t work, the Internet does not work, our cell phones do not work, there are no more banking records, nobody can use credit cards anymore, hospitals are unable to function, nobody can pump gas, and supermarkets cannot operate because there is no power and no refrigeration. Basically, we would witness thecomplete and total collapse of the economy.
So what actions should you take immediately following an EMP strike? Remember that time will be critical, the first few hours (days at most) will enable you to get a jump on everyone else and set the stage for your success. You will immediately know that an EMP, be it from a nuclear weapon or massive solar flare, will have struck your area. Your car will no longer work, your cell phone won’t work, the power will be out everywhere, planes will have fallen from the sky. You will know it was an EMP but the vast majority of the public will not, they will be quite literally sitting around waiting for someone to tell them what to do. You won’t know how large the scope of the strike is but you will have to assume the worst, which would be a nationwide outage.
First things first, if you are at work, get home. Your boss no longer has authority over you, your co-workers no longer are a priority. They will be trying to restart a computer that will never again work, trying to restart their smartphone, sitting in the break room trying to call 911 and saying things like: “This is ridiculous, I’m going to miss my 3pm sales call!” You on the other hand will go to you car and change into the extra set of clothes and shoes you keep in the trunk. You will don your “get home bag” and start walking, hopefully your walk will not take more than a day.
Once home it is time to start implementing your plan. Remember time is absolutely critical and you only have a small window of it in order to set yourself up for success. During these initial hours and days people will still have faith that some sort of government agency will come in to make everything better. They will expect to see the power come back on any minute because someone will surely do something. They will tell each other to sit tight, just hold on for a day or so because eventually the HMMWV’s will roll in loaded with supplies and some military officer or government official will explain that this is merely a temporary problem, nothing to worry about, sorry for the inconvenience. You know better because you realize just how devastating an EMP strike is and the reality is that it could be months before systems start to come back online. It will only take a week or two (at most) before things start getting really ugly because people start going hungry. With all of that that in mind you take these 7 actions because you were prepared for this to happen.
1- Use your cash. In the first few days after an EMP strike cash will still have value. Take all of your cash and that radio flyer wagon your kids have and walk down to the corner store. Avoid the big retail stores, I suggest finding the corner gas station or local drug store. The owner of the store will no doubt be there, concerned that the items in the store are unprotected during a power outage. Explain to the owner that you are in need of some supplies, can pay cash and do not require change. Tell him/her that you will give them an extra $100 to allow you to “shop” for a few minutes. Load up your wagon with anything you can find to include medication, candy bars, water bottles, pop tarts, lighters, hand sanitizer etc etc. Of course you should be well stocked at home but you might as well get rid of your worthless paper money in exchange for any amount of extra supplies you can get your hands on. In a week (maybe less) most stores will be completely looted so you need to take advantage of this moment.
2- Fill up the tub(s) with water. Hopefully you have a water bob for each bath tub in your home in addition to several other water storage devices and water purification/filtration devices. Remember a down grid means that fresh water will stop flowing to your home very quickly. Fill up your tub as soon as you can, that extra hundred or so gallons could prove invaluable. If you are concerned about the quality of the water remember you can add 8 drops of regular Clorox bleach per gallon to help purify what you have in the tub.
3- Talk to your neighbors. This step is absolutely critical, you have to get out and talk to your close neighbors and explain to them what is going on. They will be in denial for the most part, hopefully you have copies of the EMP report printed off which you can distribute as you go door to door. Explain to them what is going on and that time is critical, let them know a worst case scenario means that there will be no help coming for quite a long time. Additionally mention the following to them.
a. Discuss a neighborhood watch. Tell them that in a few days or weeks things will get dangerous with hungry people roaming the streets. It is essential that you define your neighborhood’s boundaries and set up a neighborhood watch of sorts, assigning people to different shifts.
b. Offer to hold a meeting. Set a time that you will have a meeting at your home, say every day after sunrise in your garage. Tell them they are invited and that every day you will be there passing out information. At first you might not have anyone attend these meetings, in a few days there will be a handful and in a week you might have 50 or more hungry, scared, tired people demanding answers. If you are going to assume the role of a leader, be prepared to do just that.
c. Tell them to use their cash. Much like you should have already done, tell them that their cash will soon be worthless and that they need to get down to the market to spend it. Most people have no cash on hand, so this probably won’t be a real issue.
d. Tell them to inventory their supplies. Most people have 3 to 5 days food on hand in their home. You should mention that they need to start rationing what they have, and taking inventory of everything else.
e. Start identifying those with skills. I wrote about how to organize a survival community as well as what skills will be valuable after T-SHTF in a few recent articles While making the rounds in your neighborhood you should start identifying who has special skills and make note of it. Cops or military personnel could help with security, Doctors have obvious value, and so on and so forth.
4- Start rationing food. Hopefully you have at least a 1 year supply of food for your family, if not more. Start rationing immediately because more than likely you will have to share some of your food with your neighbors. It will be unavoidable, you will need their help to survive as a community and there is absolutely no way that they will starve while watching you and your family live high on the hog. This doesn’t mean that you cannot oversee how some rations are distributed, or seek out other sources of food, but just remember nobody gets through SHTF alone.
5- Hygiene preparations. Consider where you are going to dispose of your human waste, it might be a good time to start digging that pit. Also consider where you will dispose of your trash and if you will bury it or burn it. Remember the trash man won’t be around next Sunday and your toilets will stop flushing very quickly.
6- Listen to your weather radio. Prior to the EMP strike you had a small solar/hand crank weather radio secured in an old microwave in the basement, it still works. You should monitor NOAA Weather Radio frequencies throughout the day in case there is information being published which you can use to stay informed. Maybe the strike only covered 500 square miles and help will be on the way in a week, or maybe there is nothing but static…not a good sign.
7- Consider your own security plan. Despite all of the actions you are taking, trying to help those within your community by reaching out to organize them, realize that not everything goes to plan. There could be dissenters within your neighborhood or those outside of your community who might choose to take advantage of the situation. Looting will become prevalent very quickly and no neighborhood will be immune. Consider your security plan, this is no time to rely on the charity and goodness of mankind. Remain suspicious of all activity and never walk around unarmed. Never allow your family members to venture out alone and remember to stay in after dark. All of that said I would caution against using deadly force unless absolutely necessary. Protect yourself and your family but remember that there will come a time when the power does come back on and people will be held accountable for their actions.
An EMP strike on our nation will be an absolutely catastrophic event and while I’m sure all of us hope that something like this never happens, hope is never a course of action. Despite our best efforts to prepare for such an event there is a good chance that many will not survive. Some have predicted that within a year of a strike, 9 out of 10 Americans would be dead. In sports success or failure on the field of play is determined months before the actual game by how much dedication the athletes displayed during practice. In much the same way success or failure following an EMP strike will have been determined by how seriously we took our prep strategy in the months or years prior, as well as actions which we take immediately after. Life isn’t fair, plan accordingly.
An electromagnetic pulse can range from a minor inconvenience to a civilization-killing event. It just depends on how powerful it is. But in the worst case scenario, we could be facing a situation where our electrical grids have been fried, there is no heat for our homes, our computers don’t work, the Internet does not work, our cell phones do not work, there are no more banking records, nobody can use credit cards anymore, hospitals are unable to function, nobody can pump gas, and supermarkets cannot operate because there is no power and no refrigeration. Basically, we would witness thecomplete and total collapse of the economy.
So what actions should you take immediately following an EMP strike? Remember that time will be critical, the first few hours (days at most) will enable you to get a jump on everyone else and set the stage for your success. You will immediately know that an EMP, be it from a nuclear weapon or massive solar flare, will have struck your area. Your car will no longer work, your cell phone won’t work, the power will be out everywhere, planes will have fallen from the sky. You will know it was an EMP but the vast majority of the public will not, they will be quite literally sitting around waiting for someone to tell them what to do. You won’t know how large the scope of the strike is but you will have to assume the worst, which would be a nationwide outage.
First things first, if you are at work, get home. Your boss no longer has authority over you, your co-workers no longer are a priority. They will be trying to restart a computer that will never again work, trying to restart their smartphone, sitting in the break room trying to call 911 and saying things like: “This is ridiculous, I’m going to miss my 3pm sales call!” You on the other hand will go to you car and change into the extra set of clothes and shoes you keep in the trunk. You will don your “get home bag” and start walking, hopefully your walk will not take more than a day.
Once home it is time to start implementing your plan. Remember time is absolutely critical and you only have a small window of it in order to set yourself up for success. During these initial hours and days people will still have faith that some sort of government agency will come in to make everything better. They will expect to see the power come back on any minute because someone will surely do something. They will tell each other to sit tight, just hold on for a day or so because eventually the HMMWV’s will roll in loaded with supplies and some military officer or government official will explain that this is merely a temporary problem, nothing to worry about, sorry for the inconvenience. You know better because you realize just how devastating an EMP strike is and the reality is that it could be months before systems start to come back online. It will only take a week or two (at most) before things start getting really ugly because people start going hungry. With all of that that in mind you take these 7 actions because you were prepared for this to happen.
1- Use your cash. In the first few days after an EMP strike cash will still have value. Take all of your cash and that radio flyer wagon your kids have and walk down to the corner store. Avoid the big retail stores, I suggest finding the corner gas station or local drug store. The owner of the store will no doubt be there, concerned that the items in the store are unprotected during a power outage. Explain to the owner that you are in need of some supplies, can pay cash and do not require change. Tell him/her that you will give them an extra $100 to allow you to “shop” for a few minutes. Load up your wagon with anything you can find to include medication, candy bars, water bottles, pop tarts, lighters, hand sanitizer etc etc. Of course you should be well stocked at home but you might as well get rid of your worthless paper money in exchange for any amount of extra supplies you can get your hands on. In a week (maybe less) most stores will be completely looted so you need to take advantage of this moment.
2- Fill up the tub(s) with water. Hopefully you have a water bob for each bath tub in your home in addition to several other water storage devices and water purification/filtration devices. Remember a down grid means that fresh water will stop flowing to your home very quickly. Fill up your tub as soon as you can, that extra hundred or so gallons could prove invaluable. If you are concerned about the quality of the water remember you can add 8 drops of regular Clorox bleach per gallon to help purify what you have in the tub.
3- Talk to your neighbors. This step is absolutely critical, you have to get out and talk to your close neighbors and explain to them what is going on. They will be in denial for the most part, hopefully you have copies of the EMP report printed off which you can distribute as you go door to door. Explain to them what is going on and that time is critical, let them know a worst case scenario means that there will be no help coming for quite a long time. Additionally mention the following to them.
a. Discuss a neighborhood watch. Tell them that in a few days or weeks things will get dangerous with hungry people roaming the streets. It is essential that you define your neighborhood’s boundaries and set up a neighborhood watch of sorts, assigning people to different shifts.
b. Offer to hold a meeting. Set a time that you will have a meeting at your home, say every day after sunrise in your garage. Tell them they are invited and that every day you will be there passing out information. At first you might not have anyone attend these meetings, in a few days there will be a handful and in a week you might have 50 or more hungry, scared, tired people demanding answers. If you are going to assume the role of a leader, be prepared to do just that.
c. Tell them to use their cash. Much like you should have already done, tell them that their cash will soon be worthless and that they need to get down to the market to spend it. Most people have no cash on hand, so this probably won’t be a real issue.
d. Tell them to inventory their supplies. Most people have 3 to 5 days food on hand in their home. You should mention that they need to start rationing what they have, and taking inventory of everything else.
e. Start identifying those with skills. I wrote about how to organize a survival community as well as what skills will be valuable after T-SHTF in a few recent articles While making the rounds in your neighborhood you should start identifying who has special skills and make note of it. Cops or military personnel could help with security, Doctors have obvious value, and so on and so forth.
4- Start rationing food. Hopefully you have at least a 1 year supply of food for your family, if not more. Start rationing immediately because more than likely you will have to share some of your food with your neighbors. It will be unavoidable, you will need their help to survive as a community and there is absolutely no way that they will starve while watching you and your family live high on the hog. This doesn’t mean that you cannot oversee how some rations are distributed, or seek out other sources of food, but just remember nobody gets through SHTF alone.
5- Hygiene preparations. Consider where you are going to dispose of your human waste, it might be a good time to start digging that pit. Also consider where you will dispose of your trash and if you will bury it or burn it. Remember the trash man won’t be around next Sunday and your toilets will stop flushing very quickly.
6- Listen to your weather radio. Prior to the EMP strike you had a small solar/hand crank weather radio secured in an old microwave in the basement, it still works. You should monitor NOAA Weather Radio frequencies throughout the day in case there is information being published which you can use to stay informed. Maybe the strike only covered 500 square miles and help will be on the way in a week, or maybe there is nothing but static…not a good sign.
7- Consider your own security plan. Despite all of the actions you are taking, trying to help those within your community by reaching out to organize them, realize that not everything goes to plan. There could be dissenters within your neighborhood or those outside of your community who might choose to take advantage of the situation. Looting will become prevalent very quickly and no neighborhood will be immune. Consider your security plan, this is no time to rely on the charity and goodness of mankind. Remain suspicious of all activity and never walk around unarmed. Never allow your family members to venture out alone and remember to stay in after dark. All of that said I would caution against using deadly force unless absolutely necessary. Protect yourself and your family but remember that there will come a time when the power does come back on and people will be held accountable for their actions.
An EMP strike on our nation will be an absolutely catastrophic event and while I’m sure all of us hope that something like this never happens, hope is never a course of action. Despite our best efforts to prepare for such an event there is a good chance that many will not survive. Some have predicted that within a year of a strike, 9 out of 10 Americans would be dead. In sports success or failure on the field of play is determined months before the actual game by how much dedication the athletes displayed during practice. In much the same way success or failure following an EMP strike will have been determined by how seriously we took our prep strategy in the months or years prior, as well as actions which we take immediately after. Life isn’t fair, plan accordingly.
Credit to All Self-Sustained
Iran scoffs at Israel weapons claim
Tehran calls Israel's showcase of arm shipment a 'farce'; Israel's move stems from concern over strengthening ties between Tehran, US, says Iranian FM.
Iran dismissed as farcical Tuesday Israel's highly publicised display of weapons it said it had seized from a vessel in the Red Sea bound for Gaza from Iran.
The foreign ministry said a news conference given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday beside the alleged cargo was pure propaganda aimed at torpedoing Iran's growing rapprochement with the West.
"The claim is a farce," foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told reporters.
"This coincides with the (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) AIPAC meeting in the United States, and when Iran's place in the region and its interaction with different countries are improving."
She said the improved relations between Tehran and Washington had "worried" Israel and prompted it to "resort to its usual tactics."
Prime Minister at public display of armament haul (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Photo: Motti Kimchi
In Monday's news conference in the Israeli port of Eilat, Netanyahu accused the European Union and the United States of "hypocrisy" for forging ahead with nuclear talks with Iran that have been bitterly opposed by Israel.
Israel paraded the weaponry it said it had seized which included longer-range rockets as well as mortar rounds and rifle cartridges.
It came as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the lead negotiator for the major powers in the nuclear talks with Tehran, wrapped up her first visit to Iran.
Iran dismissed as farcical Tuesday Israel's highly publicised display of weapons it said it had seized from a vessel in the Red Sea bound for Gaza from Iran.
The foreign ministry said a news conference given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday beside the alleged cargo was pure propaganda aimed at torpedoing Iran's growing rapprochement with the West.
"The claim is a farce," foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told reporters.
"This coincides with the (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) AIPAC meeting in the United States, and when Iran's place in the region and its interaction with different countries are improving."
She said the improved relations between Tehran and Washington had "worried" Israel and prompted it to "resort to its usual tactics."
Prime Minister at public display of armament haul (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Photo: Motti Kimchi
In Monday's news conference in the Israeli port of Eilat, Netanyahu accused the European Union and the United States of "hypocrisy" for forging ahead with nuclear talks with Iran that have been bitterly opposed by Israel.
Israel paraded the weaponry it said it had seized which included longer-range rockets as well as mortar rounds and rifle cartridges.
It came as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the lead negotiator for the major powers in the nuclear talks with Tehran, wrapped up her first visit to Iran.
Credit to Ynet
Netanyahu: “Iran will next hide nuclear suitcases.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Monday, March 10, that because the world chooses to slide over Iran’s concealed nuclear program, the next Klos C ship may not carry missiles but “nuclear suitcases.” They would not only reach an Israeli port, he said, but any port in the world.
He spoke at Israel’s naval base in Eilat at the presentation of the 60 missiles, 181 mortar shells and hundreds of bullets unloaded from the Klos C that was apprehended by Israeli commandos on the Red Sea opposite Sudan last week. Present too were defense minister Moshe Ya’alan, chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and top generals.
Netanyahu did not elaborate on his reference to nuclear suitcases. DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources link it to a shipment of 6-10 “nuclear suitcases” that were part of an illegal Ukraine delivery to Iran in 2003 or 2004 of half a dozen nuclear-capable X-55 cruise missiles (NATO codenamed AS-15) whose 2000-km range covers every part of Israel.
These nuclear suitcases were believed at the time by Western and Middle East intelligence sources to be an original development of Russian nuclear agencies.
In 2005, Ukraine president Viktor Yushchenko confirmed the sale of the X-55 missiles to Iran and China – by his predecessor. But never referred to the nuclear suitcases; nor were they confirmed by Russia or the US.
Nuclear suitcases were designed as a mobile weapon of mass destruction for the easy transfer of tactical nuclear weapons or dirty bombs from place to place. It was therefore perfect for terrorists.
As for the missiles, Israel intelligence estimated that they were sold to Iran without nuclear warheads but with attached diagrams and specifications, so providing the technology whichr jumped Iran forward in its quest for a nuclear weapon.
The nuclear suitcases, too, were apparently sold without nuclear explosives.
All this means that Iran secretly possessed nuclear-capable, long-range missiles almost a decade ago.
The illicit Ukrainian transaction, hinted at by the prime minister, had additional murky and serpentine features. It is presumed that China which bought the same number of missiles as Iran footed the bill for both. To disguise the sale, Ukraine and Iran cooked the sales and shipping documents to show that the end-users of the weapons were Russian.
The forging of documents is clearly a common Iranian trick of concealment up to the present day. Along with the inventory of weapons unloaded from the Klos C, Israel displayed Monday fake Iranian shipping manifests designed to conceal the ship’s route from Bandar Abbas in Iran to Port Sudan en route for Sinai and the Gaza Strip.
The forging of documents is clearly a common Iranian trick of concealment up to the present day. Along with the inventory of weapons unloaded from the Klos C, Israel displayed Monday fake Iranian shipping manifests designed to conceal the ship’s route from Bandar Abbas in Iran to Port Sudan en route for Sinai and the Gaza Strip.
The Prime minister implicitly rebuked EU Foreign Police Executive Catherine Ashton for failing to raise the Iranian weapons ship in her talks in Tehran Monday, when he said, “There is a shrill chorus of international condemnation when we build a balcony in Jerusalem, but scarcely a word when Iran tries to smuggle missiles into Gaza.”
IDF officers at the Eilat presentation pointed to four types of M-302 missiles shipped from Iran with ranges of 90, 120, 140 and 160 km, which could cover the distance from the Gaza Strip to Haifa. Invited to the presentation were also foreign diplomats and correspondents, although few of the latter attended.
IDF officers at the Eilat presentation pointed to four types of M-302 missiles shipped from Iran with ranges of 90, 120, 140 and 160 km, which could cover the distance from the Gaza Strip to Haifa. Invited to the presentation were also foreign diplomats and correspondents, although few of the latter attended.
Credit to DEBKAfile
I'm prepared to hit City to punish Putin, says David Cameron
Sanctions will be imposed on Russia within days unless it loosens its grip on the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, David Cameron announced today.
The City of London and the defence industry could suffer as a result Britain has learnt from history that it must “stand up to aggression” and cannot stand by “when nations are trampled over”, the Prime Minister said.
Britain, the EU and the US are drawing up a list of Russian officials who will see their off-shore bank accounts frozen and banned from travelling to the West unless it steps back from annexing the Crimean peninsula. Defence co-operation is also under review, with a presumption that arms contracts will be scrapped.
Mr Cameron, speaking after talks in Hanover with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he would “ratchet up the pressure” on Vladimir Putin if he attempts to “legitimise” a Russian-backed referendum on Crimea leaving Ukraine on Sunday.
Downing Street said that any sanctions would be aimed at individuals but sources said that this would be unlikely to mean President Putin could be targeted.
President Putin must open talks with the interim Ukrainian government, back free elections in the country in May, return Russian troops in Crimea to their bases and withdraw their support for the “illegal and unconstitutional” Crimea referendum, Mr Cameron said.
Credit to The Telegraph
A Word About Truth
Joseph Herrin
The series I have just begun titled Foundations has elicited a significant amount of e-mails. One of the primary reasons I have not been posting to the Parables Blog as frequently as I have been accustomed to doing in the past is that many of my days have been entirely taken up in answering correspondence. There have been some very encouraging letters that have come in, for which I am indeed grateful. Some have written to ask for clarification of various things being set forth in this series. At the same time there have been those who have written to express disagreement. Of this latter group, there is manifested a variety of attitudes in their writing. Some are thoughtful and patient, while others are argumentative, impatient, and irrational.
One of the things the Father has emphasized to me ever since He called me into ministry back in 1999 is the necessity to not only communicate truth, but to communicate truth in a spirit that reflects His own heart. There have been occasions when I discerned that Yahweh would have me to speak sharply to an individual who was manifesting a stubborn and intractable spirit. This is in keeping with Paul’s counsel to Titus.
Titus 1:12-13
One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith...
There are Cretans among the people of God to this day. I have encountered many who wanted nothing more than to wrangle over words and to engage in endless disputes. Their heart was not set on apprehending truth. As a minister I need to be sensitive to know when someone is wasting my time, drawing me into fruitless discussion. On many occasions I have set forth lengthy explanations of a matter, looking to the Scriptures as a foundation for understanding while setting forth logical arguments, only to have the individual send back a quick retort that demonstrates that they are not interested in arriving at the knowledge of the truth. Regrettably, some desire only to engage in debate and argument.
On most occasions when someone expresses disagreement, I have discerned it to be the Father’s will that I prevail in patient discussion. Even when a person is writing in a petulant manner, using emotionally loaded speech, I most often find myself prompted by the Holy Spirit to manifest the exact opposite in my correspondence; showing great reserve, gentleness, and patience while assuring the individual that my motive is to see the people of God established on a solid foundation of truth. The Spirit of Christ frequently reminds me of the Biblical proverb that states, “A soft answer turns away wrath.”
A natural response of the sinful human nature is to become angry when people speak to us contemptuously, or in a dishonorable fashion. The Adamic nature wants to fight fire with fire. I recognize this tendency in my own flesh. I find that in my soul I am more inclined to unrighteous anger than I am to excessive meekness. Consequently, I have found the Holy Spirit speaking words of restraint to me over the course of my years of ministry. I have been reminded that even Moses, whom Yahweh described as the meekest man on the face of the earth, was frequently waxing hot. This chosen, humble servant of Yahweh disqualified himself for entry into the promised land when he angrily smote the rock and sharply rebuked the people when Yahweh had commanded him only to speak to the rock.
I empathize with Moses. Being a shepherd to a stubborn and rebellious people is an exceedingly taxing vocation. Yahweh was permitting Moses, His friend, to experience what He endured day after day. Moses found the burden difficult to bear.
Numbers 11:11-15
So Moses said to Yahweh, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers?... I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now - if I have found favor in Your sight - and do not let me see my wretchedness!"
As Christians we have a distinct advantage over Moses. Moses did not have the indwelling Spirit of Christ to supply him strength and to form in him the heart of Christ. He had only the Law. Of the Law it is said, “For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Galatians 3:21). The Law could only inform Moses of the will of God. It could not impart to him the divine life necessary to walk uprightly before Yahweh. We have something far better than the Law. We have been given the indwelling spirit of Christ.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
The apostle Paul further tells us that God is at work in His people to impart to them both the desire and the power to do His will.
Philippians 2:13
[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
[Amplified Bible]
This transformation does not come without a struggle. We do not automatically progress from self-centered, easily angered, flame breathing descendants of Adam, to the meek and gentle nature of Christ without a battle.
For the life of Christ to be manifested in us, the Adamic nature must die. The apostle Paul in another place wrote:
II Corinthians 4:11
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Yahshua's sake, that the life of Yahshua also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
If we do not mortify the flesh, putting its passions and desires on the cross, we will not be enabled to exhibit the life of Christ. Resurrection life flows only from the death of the old life. Therefore, I find myself being called upon to follow in the steps of the great apostle who testified, “I die daily.”
The apostle Paul knew very well the experiences of Moses. Both men were called to serve as shepherds and guides to God’s people. In many ways the experience was as bitter for Paul as it was for Moses. The apostle wrote:
I Corinthians 4:9-13
For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
The truth is, every minister of Christ who commits himself to carry out his calling in a manner that is pleasing to God will experience to some degree those things described by Paul. They will be regarded as fools. Many will fail to show them due honor. They will be roughly treated, reviled, persecuted and slandered. Rather than being the head, they will be the tail. In all of this they must clothe themselves with humility, with gentleness, with love and peace. They must choose to not hold the offenses of others against them, but to freely forgive all men from the heart.
I have truly been amazed as I have watched the Father’s dealings with certain men and women. His patience has frequently astonished me. When I have thought that lightning might flash from heaven and leave a person a smoking pile of dust, Yahweh has often done just the opposite, showering the person with mercy and goodness.
Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
I don’t begrudge the immature, the carnal, and wicked the mercy that God shows to them. Yahweh’s goodness to the undeserving gives me encouragement that He will also be merciful with me in my failings, which are many. I choose to treat others in the same way I wish to be treated, in the way I would like God to treat me, for He has promised to do so.
Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 7:2
“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”
James 2:13
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Because this is a principle of God’s kingdom, I routinely find myself reviewing my e-mails before I hit the “Send” button. I find it expedient to examine my words to measure the emotional tone of the words. I want to see if I might make my communication more palatable by removing any unnecessary bone of contention. I want to assure the person that no matter what their motive is, my heart’s desire is to please Christ and to aid my fellow man in arriving at the knowledge of the truth.
Many years ago I was reading a book that gave some sage advice on framing one’s words so that they might lead to agreement, rather than prolonging disagreement. The author stated that we should express ourselves in a manner that allows the other person to “save face.” What he meant by this is that we should not intentionally embarrass the other party in our efforts to win an argument. If we take a prideful approach, requiring that another person confess openly that they were wrong and we were right, there is a natural impediment set before them. We should seek to remove that impediment.
When remonstrating with another person on some topic of agreement, I often seek some point to complement them on. This is not to be confused with flattery. The truth is, if we seek for some merit in another person, we will almost always find it. Men are not normally all bad, or all good. There is mixture in all of them. I may complement the other person for having taken the time to consider the matter before us. If they cite Scriptures in defense of their view, even if the Scriptures are misunderstood or misapplied, the person could be commended at the least for looking to God’s word as the authority to judge a matter. At times a person will write me a lengthy letter and I will share with them that I appreciate the patience that they evidently manifested to do so.
Words such as these defuse what could be a volatile communication. They inform another person that we are not their enemy. If we can persuade them that we are both seeking the same thing, which is truth, then it becomes far easier for them to adjust their views when they are shown their error.
Consider how different a conversation is when a person is careless in their speech. If they are prone to reviling, reproaches, and insults, then even if they have truth they have practically assured that no one except the most humble of men will be able to glean anything from their words. As a case in point, yesterday a person recommended that I watch a video of a certain Christian man. I saw that he had a video on a subject that I have frequently been invited to offer my thoughts about. I clicked on the video and was grieved to find that in the first minute of the video the speaker described those who disagreed with his view as “stupid.” By the 4th minute he had repeated this statement several times, and then complained that people would often reject his arguments only to return to "their selfish, stupid, ignorant lives."
This man is shooting himself in the foot. He won’t win anyone to his point of view through insults. If someone were to say, “You are right and I was wrong,” it would be tantamount to admitting that they were “selfish, stupid, and ignorant.” We should guard against demonizing others if we desire to lead them to truth. If a Christian takes such an evil approach, will not Yahshua hold them accountable for driving people away from truth, even if their core message was one of truth? Indeed, He will.
Our words and actions toward all men should flow from a heart of love, a love that seeks not its own and is not easily provoked. I am persuaded that Yahweh will hold me accountable for the manner in which I communicate truth to others. If my tone engenders offense, turning someone away from truth, then Yahweh will surely hold me responsible. Yahweh’s servants must always be cognizant of the fact that they must one day give an account for the manner in which they carried forth the ministry entrusted to them.
James 3:1-2
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
Most teachings on the verses above focus on the need to speak that which is true. I think the greater challenge is to speak truth in a manner in which God will approve. Do we seek to conciliate when slandered? Are we slow to anger? Are we willing to overlook offenses and continue to seek the welfare of the person to whom we are speaking? Do our communications manifest the fruit of the Spirit which include patience, gentleness, humility, longsuffering, and love?
As one who has been called to serve as a teacher to the body of Christ I continually am met with challenges. It is a small remnant who prove themselves to be lovers of truth in this hour. There are multitudes of carnal Christians who make the task of the Bible teacher difficult, and at times unpleasant. It brings grief to one who wishes to see all men standing in truth to observe men and women resisting truth to their own hurt and that of others.
II Timothy 2:24-26
And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
When I stand before the Lord to give an account of this ministry will the evidence reveal that I was “patient when wronged,” that I demonstrated “gentleness [while] correcting those who are in opposition”? Will it be shown that my heart’s motive was to see those who minds are held captive to Satan set free? I have made evident progress in these areas over the years. As the days grow darker, and the minds of God’s people come further under the sway of Satan, a greater conformity to Christ will be needed.
Don’t misunderstand me. There are times when a sound rebuke is called for. There are also times when an argumentative man is to be rejected, and the minister must no longer waste valuable time in fruitless conversation with such an one.
Titus 3:9-11
But shun foolish controversies... for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
II Timothy 4:2
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
We can only discern what the appropriate response is as we abide in Christ and have our senses attuned to the voice of God’s Spirit. Yahweh will communicate to us when He is angry, and when He is not. He will inform us when we are to show forbearance and when we are to cut short the foolishness of another. There are times when Yahshua spoke strong words of rebuke to the religious leaders of the Jews due to their intractable spirit. They were blind leaders of the blind, and they had turned a deaf ear to the voice of God. Gentle words could no longer move them.
Yahweh has bequeathed to man no greater power than the power of words. They have the ability to do great good, and to inflict grievous harm. When Yahweh entrusts great power to a person, He will also require that they wield that power in a manner consistent with His character and nature. Let us therefore give attention to the words we speak.
We must be careful to speak truth, but we must not stop there. We must also make it our aim to communicate through our words the heart of God. We must strive to harmoniously match the message of truth with the emotion of God’s heart.
May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.
Credit to Joseph Herrin
The series I have just begun titled Foundations has elicited a significant amount of e-mails. One of the primary reasons I have not been posting to the Parables Blog as frequently as I have been accustomed to doing in the past is that many of my days have been entirely taken up in answering correspondence. There have been some very encouraging letters that have come in, for which I am indeed grateful. Some have written to ask for clarification of various things being set forth in this series. At the same time there have been those who have written to express disagreement. Of this latter group, there is manifested a variety of attitudes in their writing. Some are thoughtful and patient, while others are argumentative, impatient, and irrational.
One of the things the Father has emphasized to me ever since He called me into ministry back in 1999 is the necessity to not only communicate truth, but to communicate truth in a spirit that reflects His own heart. There have been occasions when I discerned that Yahweh would have me to speak sharply to an individual who was manifesting a stubborn and intractable spirit. This is in keeping with Paul’s counsel to Titus.
Titus 1:12-13
One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith...
There are Cretans among the people of God to this day. I have encountered many who wanted nothing more than to wrangle over words and to engage in endless disputes. Their heart was not set on apprehending truth. As a minister I need to be sensitive to know when someone is wasting my time, drawing me into fruitless discussion. On many occasions I have set forth lengthy explanations of a matter, looking to the Scriptures as a foundation for understanding while setting forth logical arguments, only to have the individual send back a quick retort that demonstrates that they are not interested in arriving at the knowledge of the truth. Regrettably, some desire only to engage in debate and argument.
On most occasions when someone expresses disagreement, I have discerned it to be the Father’s will that I prevail in patient discussion. Even when a person is writing in a petulant manner, using emotionally loaded speech, I most often find myself prompted by the Holy Spirit to manifest the exact opposite in my correspondence; showing great reserve, gentleness, and patience while assuring the individual that my motive is to see the people of God established on a solid foundation of truth. The Spirit of Christ frequently reminds me of the Biblical proverb that states, “A soft answer turns away wrath.”
A natural response of the sinful human nature is to become angry when people speak to us contemptuously, or in a dishonorable fashion. The Adamic nature wants to fight fire with fire. I recognize this tendency in my own flesh. I find that in my soul I am more inclined to unrighteous anger than I am to excessive meekness. Consequently, I have found the Holy Spirit speaking words of restraint to me over the course of my years of ministry. I have been reminded that even Moses, whom Yahweh described as the meekest man on the face of the earth, was frequently waxing hot. This chosen, humble servant of Yahweh disqualified himself for entry into the promised land when he angrily smote the rock and sharply rebuked the people when Yahweh had commanded him only to speak to the rock.
I empathize with Moses. Being a shepherd to a stubborn and rebellious people is an exceedingly taxing vocation. Yahweh was permitting Moses, His friend, to experience what He endured day after day. Moses found the burden difficult to bear.
Numbers 11:11-15
So Moses said to Yahweh, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers?... I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now - if I have found favor in Your sight - and do not let me see my wretchedness!"
As Christians we have a distinct advantage over Moses. Moses did not have the indwelling Spirit of Christ to supply him strength and to form in him the heart of Christ. He had only the Law. Of the Law it is said, “For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Galatians 3:21). The Law could only inform Moses of the will of God. It could not impart to him the divine life necessary to walk uprightly before Yahweh. We have something far better than the Law. We have been given the indwelling spirit of Christ.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Yahshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
The apostle Paul further tells us that God is at work in His people to impart to them both the desire and the power to do His will.
Philippians 2:13
[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
[Amplified Bible]
This transformation does not come without a struggle. We do not automatically progress from self-centered, easily angered, flame breathing descendants of Adam, to the meek and gentle nature of Christ without a battle.
For the life of Christ to be manifested in us, the Adamic nature must die. The apostle Paul in another place wrote:
II Corinthians 4:11
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Yahshua's sake, that the life of Yahshua also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
If we do not mortify the flesh, putting its passions and desires on the cross, we will not be enabled to exhibit the life of Christ. Resurrection life flows only from the death of the old life. Therefore, I find myself being called upon to follow in the steps of the great apostle who testified, “I die daily.”
The apostle Paul knew very well the experiences of Moses. Both men were called to serve as shepherds and guides to God’s people. In many ways the experience was as bitter for Paul as it was for Moses. The apostle wrote:
I Corinthians 4:9-13
For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
The truth is, every minister of Christ who commits himself to carry out his calling in a manner that is pleasing to God will experience to some degree those things described by Paul. They will be regarded as fools. Many will fail to show them due honor. They will be roughly treated, reviled, persecuted and slandered. Rather than being the head, they will be the tail. In all of this they must clothe themselves with humility, with gentleness, with love and peace. They must choose to not hold the offenses of others against them, but to freely forgive all men from the heart.
I have truly been amazed as I have watched the Father’s dealings with certain men and women. His patience has frequently astonished me. When I have thought that lightning might flash from heaven and leave a person a smoking pile of dust, Yahweh has often done just the opposite, showering the person with mercy and goodness.
Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
I don’t begrudge the immature, the carnal, and wicked the mercy that God shows to them. Yahweh’s goodness to the undeserving gives me encouragement that He will also be merciful with me in my failings, which are many. I choose to treat others in the same way I wish to be treated, in the way I would like God to treat me, for He has promised to do so.
Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 7:2
“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”
James 2:13
For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
Because this is a principle of God’s kingdom, I routinely find myself reviewing my e-mails before I hit the “Send” button. I find it expedient to examine my words to measure the emotional tone of the words. I want to see if I might make my communication more palatable by removing any unnecessary bone of contention. I want to assure the person that no matter what their motive is, my heart’s desire is to please Christ and to aid my fellow man in arriving at the knowledge of the truth.
Many years ago I was reading a book that gave some sage advice on framing one’s words so that they might lead to agreement, rather than prolonging disagreement. The author stated that we should express ourselves in a manner that allows the other person to “save face.” What he meant by this is that we should not intentionally embarrass the other party in our efforts to win an argument. If we take a prideful approach, requiring that another person confess openly that they were wrong and we were right, there is a natural impediment set before them. We should seek to remove that impediment.
When remonstrating with another person on some topic of agreement, I often seek some point to complement them on. This is not to be confused with flattery. The truth is, if we seek for some merit in another person, we will almost always find it. Men are not normally all bad, or all good. There is mixture in all of them. I may complement the other person for having taken the time to consider the matter before us. If they cite Scriptures in defense of their view, even if the Scriptures are misunderstood or misapplied, the person could be commended at the least for looking to God’s word as the authority to judge a matter. At times a person will write me a lengthy letter and I will share with them that I appreciate the patience that they evidently manifested to do so.
Words such as these defuse what could be a volatile communication. They inform another person that we are not their enemy. If we can persuade them that we are both seeking the same thing, which is truth, then it becomes far easier for them to adjust their views when they are shown their error.
Consider how different a conversation is when a person is careless in their speech. If they are prone to reviling, reproaches, and insults, then even if they have truth they have practically assured that no one except the most humble of men will be able to glean anything from their words. As a case in point, yesterday a person recommended that I watch a video of a certain Christian man. I saw that he had a video on a subject that I have frequently been invited to offer my thoughts about. I clicked on the video and was grieved to find that in the first minute of the video the speaker described those who disagreed with his view as “stupid.” By the 4th minute he had repeated this statement several times, and then complained that people would often reject his arguments only to return to "their selfish, stupid, ignorant lives."
This man is shooting himself in the foot. He won’t win anyone to his point of view through insults. If someone were to say, “You are right and I was wrong,” it would be tantamount to admitting that they were “selfish, stupid, and ignorant.” We should guard against demonizing others if we desire to lead them to truth. If a Christian takes such an evil approach, will not Yahshua hold them accountable for driving people away from truth, even if their core message was one of truth? Indeed, He will.
Our words and actions toward all men should flow from a heart of love, a love that seeks not its own and is not easily provoked. I am persuaded that Yahweh will hold me accountable for the manner in which I communicate truth to others. If my tone engenders offense, turning someone away from truth, then Yahweh will surely hold me responsible. Yahweh’s servants must always be cognizant of the fact that they must one day give an account for the manner in which they carried forth the ministry entrusted to them.
James 3:1-2
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
Most teachings on the verses above focus on the need to speak that which is true. I think the greater challenge is to speak truth in a manner in which God will approve. Do we seek to conciliate when slandered? Are we slow to anger? Are we willing to overlook offenses and continue to seek the welfare of the person to whom we are speaking? Do our communications manifest the fruit of the Spirit which include patience, gentleness, humility, longsuffering, and love?
As one who has been called to serve as a teacher to the body of Christ I continually am met with challenges. It is a small remnant who prove themselves to be lovers of truth in this hour. There are multitudes of carnal Christians who make the task of the Bible teacher difficult, and at times unpleasant. It brings grief to one who wishes to see all men standing in truth to observe men and women resisting truth to their own hurt and that of others.
II Timothy 2:24-26
And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
When I stand before the Lord to give an account of this ministry will the evidence reveal that I was “patient when wronged,” that I demonstrated “gentleness [while] correcting those who are in opposition”? Will it be shown that my heart’s motive was to see those who minds are held captive to Satan set free? I have made evident progress in these areas over the years. As the days grow darker, and the minds of God’s people come further under the sway of Satan, a greater conformity to Christ will be needed.
Don’t misunderstand me. There are times when a sound rebuke is called for. There are also times when an argumentative man is to be rejected, and the minister must no longer waste valuable time in fruitless conversation with such an one.
Titus 3:9-11
But shun foolish controversies... for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
II Timothy 4:2
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
We can only discern what the appropriate response is as we abide in Christ and have our senses attuned to the voice of God’s Spirit. Yahweh will communicate to us when He is angry, and when He is not. He will inform us when we are to show forbearance and when we are to cut short the foolishness of another. There are times when Yahshua spoke strong words of rebuke to the religious leaders of the Jews due to their intractable spirit. They were blind leaders of the blind, and they had turned a deaf ear to the voice of God. Gentle words could no longer move them.
Yahweh has bequeathed to man no greater power than the power of words. They have the ability to do great good, and to inflict grievous harm. When Yahweh entrusts great power to a person, He will also require that they wield that power in a manner consistent with His character and nature. Let us therefore give attention to the words we speak.
We must be careful to speak truth, but we must not stop there. We must also make it our aim to communicate through our words the heart of God. We must strive to harmoniously match the message of truth with the emotion of God’s heart.
May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.
Credit to Joseph Herrin
Diplomacy Fails In Ukraine: Putin Slams Kerry Plan, Kiev Issues Ultimatum
While it may have been pushed back from the front pages to keep confidence high, things in the Crimea, and in Ukraine in general (which may or may not waved goodbye to its gold reserves) are going from bad to worse with every passing day, with the near term catalyst of course being this Sunday Crimean referendum vote, which seems like a done deal, and which will give Russia a carte blanche to annex the territory over the howls of protest from Ukraine's coup government, and the west of course.
Making this outcome one step clower, overnight the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea adopted an independence declaration from Ukraine which is necessary for holding a March 16 referendum.
“We, the members of the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council, with regard to the charter of the United Nations and a whole range of other international documents and taking into consideration the confirmation of the status of Kosovo by the United Nations International Court of Justice on July, 22, 2010, which says that unilateral declaration of independence by a part of the country doesn’t violate any international norms, make this decision,” says the text of the declaration, which was published by the Crimean media.
As RT reports, the document was adopted during an extraordinary session of parliament. 78 of 100 members of the parliament voted in favor of the declaration.
The Crimean parliament’s vote to become an independent sovereign state paves the way for the March 16 referendum for the Crimean Autonomous Republic and the city of Sevastopol to join Russia. If the referendum is in favor, the Crimean authorities will request for their country to become a constituent republic of the Russian Federation. The declaration was signed by the speaker of the Supreme Council of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, and the head of the Sevastopol City Council, Yury Doynikov.“We adopted the declaration of independence to make the upcoming referendum legitimate and transparent,” Konstantinov said. “Now we declare ourselves the Republic of Crimea, we don’t add ‘autonomous."After Tuesday’s declaration of independence, Crimea will never rejoin Ukraine, Konstantinov added. He said that Crimea will adopt the Russian ruble as its currency soon after the referendum.
Not unexpectedly, the west, and Ukraine specifically, continue to make loud noises over the referendum, with the latest development is Kiev sending an ultimatum to Crimea. Guardian reports that "Ukraine's parliament has warned the regional assembly in Crimea that it faces dissolution unless it cancels a referendum it has called to join the region to Russia."
A resolution, supported by a parliamentary vote, gave the Crimean parliament until Wednesday to call off the referendum, due to take place on Sunday. The Crimean parliament on Tuesday passed a motion stating that it would become independent in the event of a yes vote and then seek to join the Russian Federation, arguing that "the unilateral declaration of independence of part of a state does not violate any international laws".
There is the minor matter of enforcing this ultimatum in a territory largely controlled by Russian forces:
Also on Tuesday, the acting Ukrainian president, Oleksander Turchinov, announced that a new national guard would be formed in response to Russian attempts to annex Crimea.Turchinov said mismanagement of the armed forces under former president Viktor Yanukovych meant that the Ukrainian military had to be rebuilt "effectively from scratch". The acting defence minister said the country had only 6,000 combat-ready infantry compared with more than 200,000 Russian troops on its eastern borders.
Good luck with that.
But aside from the actual area of physical confrontation, the real conflict continues behind the scenes. It is here that we find Russia president Putin has apparently rejected a U.S. proposal to resolve the dispute over Ukraine that had been put forward by Secretary of State John Kerry over the past week, according to senior Russian and U.S. officials.WSJ reported that "Mr. Putin's decision led Mr. Kerry to put off a Russian invitation to meet Mr. Putin in Russia, as early as the beginning of this week in Sochi, to discuss the Ukraine crisis, according to these officials."
Moscow and Washington on Monday each blamed the other for the diplomatic stumble and for failing to defuse the most serious U.S.-Russian standoff since the end of the Cold War.Residents of the Crimean region of Ukraine are scheduled to vote Sunday on whether to secede from their country and join the Russian federation.Despite the setback, U.S. and Russian officials stressed Monday that discussions on the former Soviet state were ongoing. The State Department didn't rule out Mr. Kerry visiting Moscow to meet Mr. Putin."The United States needs to see concrete evidence that Russia is prepared to engage on the diplomatic proposals we have made to facilitate direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said.
Send in the Kerry again perhaps? Speaking of political cadavers, ousted Ukraine president Yanukovich, whose political future even Putin said is over, appeared on TV earlier today and reminded everyone he was still the legitimate leader:
Ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said in a televised press conference that he is still the legitimate leader of the country. It was his second statement made from the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don where he fled to when he was removed from power by the Ukrainian Parliament.“I want to remind you that I am not only still the legitimate president of Ukraine but also the supreme commander of the army and I haven’t stopped my duties as president early – I am still alive.”He took no questions from the press after his speech.Yanukovych claimed that he was still the legitimate leader of Ukraine and that he fled Ukraine because of a direct threat to his and his family’s lives.He added he would return to Ukraine soon.He called the upcoming May 25 presidential election “illegal” and said that any government voted in would also be unconstitutionalHe said the US and West should not be backing or funding the new “bandit” government which had carried out an illegal coup d’etat.
And then there is everything else. Reading Reuters:
A pro-Russian force opened fire in seizing a Ukrainian military base in Crimea on Monday and NATO announced reconnaissance flights along its eastern frontiers as confrontation around the Black Sea peninsula showed no sign of easing. Ukrainian activists trying to cross into Crimea to show solidarity with opponents of last week's Russian military takeover there said they were halted by men in uniforms of the now outlawed riot police. One of these fired at close range, hitting a man in the chest, apparently with rubber bullets.With diplomacy at a standstill, Russia said the United States had spurned an invitation to hold new talks on resolving the crisis, the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War - although Washington said later a meeting of foreign ministers was possible this week, if Moscow shows it is ready to "engage".The U.S.-led NATO defense alliance said AWACS early warning aircraft, once designed to counter feared Soviet nuclear missile strikes, would start reconnaissance flights on Tuesday over Poland and Romania to monitor the situation in Ukraine, flying from bases in Germany and Britain.The United States on Tuesday will also begin previously planned military training exercises in the region, the first since the Russian intervention in Crimea. A U.S. Navy destroyer will participate in maneuvers with Romanian and Bulgarian warships in the Black Sea, across from Crimea. In Poland, U.S. fighter jets will take part in joint exercises.* * *On Monday, a Ukrainian defense official said a Russian-led military force of about a dozen men fired in the air as they took control of a Ukrainian naval base near the town of Bakhchisaray, though no one was hurt.The force was accompanied by the base's Ukrainian commander. He persuaded a number of his men to join the Russian forces while allowing others who refused to leave, the Ukrainian official, Vladislav Seleznyov wrote on Facebook. The Russian force later drove off with nine Ukrainian vehicles.Yarik Alexandrov, one of the Ukrainian naval personnel who refused to pledge allegiance to Moscow, told Reuters near the base that he and his comrades at first refused to surrender. "Then they started shooting round our feet and we surrendered," he said. "What could we do? We had no weapons."Similar small confrontations have taken place at other Ukrainian bases around Crimea, although shooting has been rare and there has so far been no bloodshed. Russia denies its troops are involved - a stance ridiculed in Kiev and the West.In a sign of the peninsula's growing isolation from the Ukrainian mainland, armed men prevented a convoy of cars from a Ukrainian activist group crossing into Crimea.The group was part of the Maidan movement behind the protests that forced Yanukovich to flee to Russia. Ukrainian television showed men in the uniform of the Berkut riot police, banned by the new authorities for its role in shooting dozens of demonstrators in Kiev last month, blocking the road south.One was shown firing twice, hitting a man in the chest. His injuries appeared minor, suggesting the use of rubber bullets.In other armed action, Russian forces took over a military hospital and a missile unit. Reuters correspondents also saw a big Russian convoy on the move just outside the port city of Sevastopol near a Ukrainian air defense base.It comprised more than 100 vehicles, including around 20 armored personnel carriers, plus mobile artillery.
In conclusion, just so there is no confusion about who is in charge of Crimea...
Credit to Zero Hedge
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