Month: May 2021

Categories
books

A Byzantine Church Remembered

Book Review

The Holy Apostles

A Lost Monument, a Forgotten Project, and the Presentness of the Past.

Margaret Mullett and Robert G. Ousterhout, Editors

Dumberton Oaks Research Library and Collection.

2020.

“The Holy Apostles” is an excellent volume of essays published by scholars focusing on the long destroyed Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. During the centuries of the Byzantine Empire, the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople contained the relics of Apostles, Saints, and Christian Emperors including Constantine and Justinian. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it became for an extremely brief period the Patriarchal Cathedral.

Patriarch Gennadios was permitted to use the Church following the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a Mosque. The Patriarch subsequently decided to abandon the Church and to move the Patriarchate elsewhere. Large numbers of unfriendly Turkish settlers were moving into the area and there was a body found on the premises which was perceived as a threat. Furthermore, the Patriarchate did not have the funds necessary to maintain and preserve the Church.

Tragically, the Church was destroyed and converted into a Mosque. The Fatih Camii Mosque presently stands on the ruins of the long lost Church. Fortunately, the Church of the Holy Apostles survives in the memory of historians and scholars who have contributed time and effort into examining the Church.

There are excellent and informative essays by scholars who recount the history of the Church and the relevance of the Apostles of Christ (for whom the Church was named) in the theology of the fathers of the Church. Scholars have taken the time to study historic descriptions of the Church and have attempted to give us an idea of what the Church of the Holy Apostles looked like. They have done so by visiting and photographing existing Churches which resemble the descriptions of the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Photographs are produced of the still standing Church of Saint Irene in Constantinople and other Churches that may bear a resemblance to the Church of the Holy Apostles. This text is really an excellent effort undertaken to study the Church of the Holy Apostles. It is very informative and it is good to see that one of the most important Churches in the history of Constantinople has not been forgotten.

At the present time, the condition of Hagia Sophia is steadily worsening. One day, scholars may be working on a project about Hagia Sophia. With Hagia Sophia, there are at least photographs and videos that can be studied to teach future generations of the beauty and splendor of Hagia Sophia.

History never really ends. Five and a half centuries ago, Sultan Mehmet II demolished the Church of the Holy Apostles. Today, President Erdogan of Turkey presides over the ruination of Hagia Sophia.

Categories
political

Hagia Sophia Diaries 24

Hagia Sophia: In poor condition one year after Church converted into a mosque

Ten months after Hagia Sophia of Constantinople was converted into a Mosque, news reports are surfacing of the terrible condition in which Saint Justinian’s Church is in. There is dust throughout the whole Church, knobs are broken, and cables are hanging throughout the Cathedral. President Erdogan’s promises regarding Hagia Sophia have obviously not been kept.

Once Hagia Sophia was converted into a Mosque, it was easy to predict that the Church would be altered and would not be protected. President Erdogan is a fanatic and was unlikely to recognize the significance of Hagia Sophia for either Christians or for secular interests who were interested in the preservation of the Great Church. UNESCO and the various secular interests waited much too long to speak to the Turkish government about Hagia Sophia.

The Greek Government and the Orthodox Church of Greece also waited much too long to make international appeals for Hagia Sophia. By the time any of them began protesting, the Turkish government had been fully committed to the conversion of the Great Church. The question now is what comes next?

It is is crucial that UNESCO fulfills commitments pledged to examine Hagia Sophia and to document the condition of the Great Church and any and all damage done to this remarkable Christian edifice. The Turkish government can do as it wishes regarding Hagia Sophia as no one at this point can do anything about it. However, Turkey should be condemned internationally and the Erdogan government should be treated as a pariah government.

UNESCO and various academics and related organizations should be willing to condemn Turkey. Credit should be given to secular Turkish officials who for nearly eighty five years were responsible for the upkeep of Hagia Sophia. At least they preserved the iconography and the building.

It is obvious that the Erdogan government took Hagia Sophia from the more rational and responsible officials of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and gave them to the ignorant followers of Erdogan. This is utterly contemptible and worthy of international condemnation. It is also a sign of darker things to come from the Erdogan government in the realms of external aggression against neighboring countries such as Greece.

Categories
faith

Constantinople 2021

Today is the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople. The Queen of the Cities fell on 29 May 1453. Constantine Dragases Paleologos fell in battle against the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. The Greek Army numbered 7,000 and the Ottoman Turks had an army of 80,000.

Despite being overwhelmed, the Greeks held out for nearly two months until they could hold out no more. The Emperor Constantine died fighting to the end. He refused all suggestions that he should leave and go into exile. He died bravely in battle accepting a martyr’s death.

At the time of the fall of the City, the Greeks had been badly divided. The previous Emperor John and the Bishops had accepted the heretical Council of Florence. They had entered into communion with the Papacy and accepted Roman Catholic doctrines in denial of Orthodoxy.

Some things never change. The Greek Orthodox Church today is in chaos owing to the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to enter into communion with schismatics in Ukraine. Bishops in Greece and Cyprus, and the Patriarchate of Alexandria have followed the lead of the Ecumenical Patriarch. At the time of the Council of Florence, the Greek speaking world was blessed to have Saint Mark of Ephesus speaking against the Union of Florence.

There are today bishops in Greece and Cyprus who have spoken against the Patriarchate’s actions in Ukraine. We should hope and pray that they will prevail and that the Greek speaking Churches will reverse their disastrous decisions. Their are some encouraging signs such as the fact that Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens wants to restore relations with the Russian Church.

Russian bishops have said that they are praying for Patriarch Bartholomew and his synod. The Russian Church has stated that it hopes for a resolution to the Ukrainian crisis. It appears that there is still a chance to under the damage of the past three years. Greek Orthodox should pray fervently for the Patriarchate to reverse its actions in Ukraine.

The Patriarchal School of Theology in Turkey remains closed. The effort to open the School of Halki was set back because of the Ukrainian issue. Turmoil caused by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Orthodoxy only serves to worsen its position in Turkey.

Greece and Cyprus face possible genocidal threats from Turkey. National unity is necessary. The Greek speaking world does not need a Church schism anymore than the Greek world needed the national schism in 1920 when Prime Minister Venizelos fell from power at the height of the Asia Minor campaign.

The Greek speaking world should reflect on this dark day of May 29 to reflect on the errors of the time and the present mistakes that need to be corrected. Greeks today should pray for the souls of Constantine Paleologos and the defenders of Constantinople who fought heroically and died in defense of the Christian faith and its Capital.

Categories
position papers

Orthodoxy And Politics

The question of the political participation of Christians has always been controversial. Christians however have always had interests in the political sphere. During the first three centuries of the Church, Christians were martyred. The pagan Roman Empire demanded the slaughter of Christians if they did not worship the Emperor as a god.

Throughout the centuries, Christians have suffered as a result of persecution by heretics (the iconoclasts) and non Christian conquerors (Arabs, the Ottoman Empire). Orthodox Christians have been persecuted by western Christians (the Crusades). The most obvious examples of persecution of Christians today emanate in the Islamic world.

However, as the western world has entered a post Christian era it has become fairly obvious that hostility to the faith of Jesus of Nazareth and neo paganism are on the rise. Specifically, the Democratic Party in America has become host to the enemies of Christianity. The Democratic Party has become the party of the rainbow flag which promotes the blasphemous doctrines of transgenderism.

Upon coming to power, President Joe Biden signed into law (with the support of Congressional Democrats) the “equality act”. This act would force not only secular schools to permit boys identifying as girls to use female restrooms and showers, it requires women’s shelters to permit men to live among women. At a very minimum, the Democratic Party is supporting the overthrow of traditional morality that has traditionally guided relations between men and women.

During the debates of the Democratic Party in 2019, Presidential Candidate Beta O’rourke stated that if he were President he would strip Churches and other religious institutions of tax exempt status if they refused to perform gay weddings. The audience erupted in applause. An audience of Democrats applauded the proposal to strip religious communities in the United States of their rights.

There are to be sure aspects of the Republican agenda and Donald Trump that are not compatible with Christianity. However, we do not live in a perfect world. The fact is however that the Trump administration defended religious freedom and the rights of Christians by respecting freedom of conscience and the refusal of Christians to participate in the forcible imposition of the LGBTQ agenda.

The Biden administration has routinely denounced Russia, Hungary, and Poland. These are three Christian countries whose governments reflect the Christian values of their citizens. The Democratic Party has made it clear that it intends to make the imposition of its radical social agenda a part of its foreign policy.

The Book of Genesis teaches us that “male and female he created them”. The trans ideology that the Democrats are promoting is being pushed on children. In one notorious case in Texas, a mother has gone to court to deprive her husband of his legal rights in order to begin to transition her eight year old son into a girl. This is horrific and immoral.

In addition, Governor Ralph Nordham of Virginia has openly supported abortion up to the day when a woman is to give birth. Even this is not enough for this particular Democrat. This Governor has openly said that in the event that an infant survives a nine month abortion that the “Doctor” and the Mother would have a discussion about what to do with a living, breathing baby. So, even a living baby would be a “choice” according to the Governor.

Conservative and religious groups have condemned the Governor’s extreme position. Not the Democrats however. There is nothing too extreme for the Democrats as long as it goes along with the party’s left wing agenda. Orthodox Christians in America now live in a society where infanticide is being legitimized.

This along with the trans agenda being directed at children. Religious objections are being denounced as “transphobia”. In addition, we are seeing the emergence of child drag queen celebrities on Youtube and the imposition of “drag queen story hour” in public libraries across America. The Democratic party has emerged as the enemy of Christianity.

It is one thing for Christians to be non partisan. In more reasonable times, it is the position of the Orthodox Church to remain outside of partisan politics. Indeed, the Church is not a political party and must not be reduced to politics. However, the political situation in America has deteriorated to such an extent that Orthodox Christians are required by the command of God to oppose the radical neo-pagan agenda of the Democratic Party.

Infanticide is evil and must be condemned. Sex changes for minors is evil and must be condemned. Children are gradually being sacrificed by the contemporary neo-pagans to the false ideology of the LGBTQ movement. The Democratic Party does not respect freedom of conscience or freedom of religion.

Orthodox Christians like the early Christians of the pagan Roman Empire are being put in a defensive position where they are required by the commandments of God to resist and to defy the new order that is coming into effect. The warning signs have been made clear.

Ironically, there is a similar position that the Democrats and present day American liberals share with the Nazis toward Christianity. For example, during the Nazi occupation of Greece , the Germans could have said that they allowed the Christians to attend Church services and observe their faith. But, when it became known to Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens and several other bishops that the Germans were looking to round up Greek Jews to send them to the extermination camps such as Auschwitz, the Church actively resisted.

SS General Stroop threatened to have Archbishop Damaskinos shot for actively speaking out against the round up of Jews. Because ultimately, Christ in the Gospels taught about those he referred to as “the least of my brethren”. Those who thirst, who are hungry, and who suffer. Christians are obligated to help those in need and the Orthodox Church of Greece responded accordingly by resisting the Nazis.

Likewise, Christians cannot accept the agenda that the Democratic Party is pursuing in America today. Christians cannot accept the trans agenda. Dressing up boys as girls and vice versa is morally wrong and attempting to “transition” children is an attack on God’s creation.

Furthermore, marriage was intended by God for the union of one man and one woman. Marriage can never be of two people of the same gender. Saint Paul speaks against homosexuality in his epistle to the Romans. Yet, the radical left whose agenda the Biden administration promotes would force Christians to accept policies that are regarded as sinful.

There is an impending storm in America. A gradual persecution of Christians is beginning. Christians are not being fed to the lions as they were during Roman times, but they are being slowly coerced into accepting practices that are contrary to biblical and dogmatic precepts. I suspect that the audience of Democrats that applauded the comments of Beta O’rourke would applaud if Christians were being fed to the lions.

There are many reasons to disapprove of the Republicans and some of their policies, but at the present time the Democrats have become increasingly radical to the point that they are emerging as a threat to believing Christians. As such, until this threat subsides, freedom of worship will be more secure under the Republican Party.

Categories
Letters

UNESCO Letter

Greetings, 


I am once again writing to you regarding the ongoing issues pertaining to the Great Hagia Sophia Cathedral of Constantinople and the Church of the Savior at Chora. I am writing again because it appears the Turkish government continues without hindrance to make changes to the Great Church of Hagia Sophia that was established by the EmperorJustinian the Great between the years 531 and 537 AD. The latest changes to Hagia Sophia indicate that the danger to the Byzantine Greek Orthodox iconography is growing with the continued changes to Justinian’s Cathedral. 


The Turkish government has placed an electronic sign between the minarets of Hagia Sophia which is yet another serious blow to the character of Hagia Sophia. I am writing to you to express the hope that UNESCO will condemn this latest attack on the Christian character of Hagia Sophia. In your last letter to me, I was informed that UNESCO officials paid two visits to Hagia Sophia in October 2020 and January/February 2021 to collect information for an examination. 


I respectfully seek to inquire how that is coming along? Considering that the activities of the Turkish government  within Hagia Sophia continue unabated It appears that the very existence of Hagia Sophia’s religious, historic, and cultural foundations are at risk and that Hagia Sophia’s future is in a state of crisis. I remain appreciative for the attention that you are giving to Hagia Sophia and remain certain that you remain sensitive not only to the historic and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia, but to the great spiritual significance that Hagia Sophia holds for Greek Orthodox Christians. 


I look forward to your response, 

Thank you 
Theodore G. Karakostas 

Categories
faith

Memorial Service For Martyrs of Pontian Genocide in Russian Church

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk: The atrocities committed against the Greek population of Pontus are shocking

A memorial service was held in a Church in Russia for the memories of the victims of the Greek Pontian Genocide that is commemorated every year on May 19. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfayev top Church diplomat of the Russian Orthodox Church was present and said it was “a real genocide”. The presence of Metropolitan Hilarion is an expression of sympathy from the Russian Orthodox Church.

This is proof of the brotherly relations that bind the Greeks and the Russians together. Previous to the anniversary of the Greek War of Independence in March, Metropolitan Hilarion presided over a doxology in memory of the Greeks who died in the fight for Greek independence. Likewise, Patriarch Kyril of Moscow expressed words of praise for the fighters for Greek independence.

The support and good will for the Greeks by the Russians is undeniable. Does the Greek world really believe that it is in the interests of Orthodoxy or Hellenism for the schism of the Churches to continue. I am a longtime sympathizer of the Ecumenical Patriarchate but considering Constantinople’s actions in Ukraine, it is hard to support the Patriarchate.

The Churches of Constantinople and Greece have the ability to end the schism in Orthodoxy. They should do so immediately. It has been more than clear to anyone who has observed the gestures emanating from the Russian Church that Moscow is favorably disposed toward the Greeks. Athens and Constantinople must opent their eyes.

Categories
Published commentaries

Commentary Published In National Herald

OPINIONS – GUEST VIEWPOINTS

The Turkish Republic Was Born in Genocide

Αssociated Press

The bodies of deportees from Van who died of typhus and various other diseases, pictured in a forest near the Mother See of Etchmiadzin, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Armenian capital of Yerevan, in the summer of 1915.

(Armenian Genocide Museum/PAN Photo via AP)5/13/2021By Theodore G. Karakostas     

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has begun the process of groveling before Turkish dictator Erdogan. In the aftermath of the Biden administration’s formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Blinken has stated that Biden does not blame Turkey for the Ottoman perpetrated Genocide. The reality, however, is that crimes against humanity were not committed by the Ottomans alone. 

The Republic of Turkey was born in genocide. The murderous founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal (the so called ‘Ataturk’) presided over systematic exterminations of Christians – Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek – throughout the lands of Anatolia. No mercy was extended to any men, women, or children.

The civilian Christian populations in every village and town that Kemal’s Army came across were butchered. In September, 1922, Kemal’s Army conquered the once-liberated Christian City of Smyrna. The Turkish Army under the notorious Noureddin Pasha hunted down all Greek and Armenian Christians and set fire to the City. 

There is great historical evidence that affirms that Kemal himself not only approved of the massacres, but praised them. Kemal had previously met with Noureddin Pasha before the massacres at Smyrna. Noureddin Pasha himself handed over Greek Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostom to the jihadist mobs who murdered him. While Constantinople remained under the control of the western powers, fear struck the Christian populations who believed they would suffer the fate of the Christians of Smyrna. Many Greeks fled Constantinople in terror. 

The very idea that the Turkish Republic has no complicity in genocide is an obscene lie and all Greeks, Armenians, and Assyrians should be outraged and offended by the Secretary of State and others who are attempting to curry favor with the present Turkish dictator. Mustafa Kemal ordered the ethnic cleansing of over one million Greeks from Asia Minor and Eastern Thrace. It is morally offensive and outright racist to attempt to absolve the Turkish Republic of responsibility for crimes against humanity. 

Adding to the outrage is the effort of some members of the Biden administration to curry favor with the Erdogan regime even as the regime threatens Greece with war. Turkey has put forward claims on the Greek islands. There is no question what will happen should the Turks occupy even a single Greek island. The massacre of Smyrna will certainly be repeated in the event of a Turkish occupation of any Greek territory. 

Turkey is a sponsor of terrorism which supported Azerbaijani aggression against the Armenians of Artsakh. Turkey purchased oil from the Islamic 

State which was perpetrating Genocide against the Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’ite Muslims. Turkey permitted countless volunteers from America and Europe to pass through its border into the territories controlled by the Islamic State. Turkish treachery at the present time has not been enough  to convince State Department officials that Turkey is a hot bed of jihadism, international terrorism, and aggression against peaceful countries such as Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece.

President Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide should have been a major step toward rehabilitating American foreign policy. The President was hoping not to offend Turkey. It has been official state policy in Turkey from the time of Kemal to deny the Genocides of all its Christian populations.

There is no possibility of making distinctions between the Young Turks who ruled the Ottoman Empire in its final years and the Turkish Republic, which could not have come into being without the physical extermination of the Christians. 

The Turkish Government over time has proceeded to ethnically cleanse the Greek Orthodox populations of Constantinople and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos. Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974 and ethnically cleansed the occupied territories of Greeks. From 1984 until 1999, the Turkish military destroyed over 3,000 Kurdish villages in its dirty war against the Kurds. The history of the Turkish Republic is stained with blood. 

Either the administration supports historical truth and human rights in Turkey, or it does not. 

When it comes to historical facts and evidence, there is no middle ground.

I hope that the traditional American hypocrisy demonstrated in its brazen support for the murderous Turkish Republic will not remain in effect under President Joseph Biden. 

Categories
Published commentaries

My Commentary From the Armenian Life

Turkish Republic was born in Genocide

Posted on May. 11. 2021

By  Theodore G. Karakostas | Greek American writer


Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has begun the process of groveling before Turkish dictator Erdogan. In the aftermath of the Biden administration’sformal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Blinken has stated that Biden does not blame Turkey for the Ottoman perpetrated Genocide. The reality is that crimes against humanity were not committed by the Ottomans alone. 

The Republic of Turkey was born in Genocide. The murderous founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal (the so called “Ataturk”) presided over the systematic extermination of every Christian Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek throughout the lands of Anatolia. No mercy was extended to any men,women, or children. The civilian Christian populations in every village and town that Kemal’s Army came across were butchered. In September 1922, Kemal’s Army conquered the once liberated Christian City of Smyrna. The Turkish Army under the notorious Noureddin Pasha hunted down all Greek and Armenian Christians and set fire to the City. 

There is great historical evidence that affirms that Kemal himself not only approved of the massacres, but praised them. Kemal had previously met with Noureddin Pasha before the massacres at Smyrna. Noureddin Pasha himself handed over Greek Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostom to the jihadistmobs who murdered him. While Constantinople remained under the control of the western powers, fear struck the Christian populations who believed they would suffer the fate of the Christians of Smyrna. At least 300,000 Greeks fled Constantinople in terror. 

The very idea that the Turkish Republic has no complicity in Genocide is an obscene lie and all Greeks, Armenians, and Assyrians should be outraged and offended by the Secretary of State and others who are attempting to curry favor with the present Turkish dictator. Mustafa Kemal ordered the ethnic cleansing of over one million Greeks from Asia Minor and Eastern Thrace. It is morally offensive and outright racist to attempt to absolve the Turkish Republic of responsibility for crimes against humanity. 
Adding to the outrage is the effort of the Biden administration to curry favor with the Erdogan regime even as the Erdogan regime threatens Greece withwar. Turkey has put forward claims on the Greek islands. There is no question what will happen should the Turks occupy even a single Greek island. The massacre of Smyrna will certainly be repeated in the event of a Turkish occupation of any Greek territory. 

Turkey is a sponsor of terrorism which supported Azerbaijani aggression against the Armenians of Artsakh. Turkey purchased oil from the Islamic State which was perpetrating Genocide against the Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’ite Muslims. Turkey permitted countless volunteers from America and Europe to pass through its border into the territories controlled by the Islamic State. Turkish treachery at the present time has not been enough to convince State Department officials that Turkey is a hot bed of jihadism, international terrorism, and aggression against peaceful countries such as Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece.

President Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide should have been a major step toward rehabilitating American foreign policy. The President was hoping not to offend Turkey. It has been official state policy in Turkey from the time of Kemal to deny the Genocides of all its Christian populations.There is no possibility of making distinctions between the Young Turks who ruled the Ottoman Empire in its final years and the Turkish Republic which could not have come into being without the physical extermination of the Christians. 

The Turkish Government over time has proceeded to ethnically cleanse the Greek Orthodox populations of Constantinople and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos. Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974 and ethnically cleansed the occupied territories of Greeks. From 1984 until 1999, the Turkish military destroyed over 3,000 Kurdish villages in its dirty war against the Kurds. The history of the Turkish Republic is stained with blood. Either the administration supports historical truth and human rights in Turkey, or it does not. 

When it comes to historical facts and evidence, there is no middle ground. It is apparently clear that the traditional American hypocrisy demonstrated in its brazen support for the murderous Turkish Republic will remain in effect under President Joseph Biden. 

Categories
faith

Hagia Sophia Diaries 23

https://greekreporter.com/2021/05/09/turkey-installs-theres-no-god-but-allah-illumination-at-hagia-sophia/

The Turkish Government continues provoking. They have now placed an electronic sign between the minarets on Hagia Sophia. This is yet further evidence that promises made by President Erdogan to preserve the Christian iconography will not be kept. The Turkish government continues to make alterations to the building of Hagia Sophia.

It is very clear that the Erdogan government is not done with Hagia Sophia. Furthermore, Ankara knows that no one is paying any more attention to Hagia Sophia. It is only a matter of time before the Christian iconography is gradually destroyed.

Categories
political

American Political Crime Families

Representative Elizabeth Cheney is having a difficult time of it these days with the Republicans attempting to remove her as the third ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. It is impossible to sympathize with her as she shares the views of her father Dick Cheney. If there is anything that can be learned from Greece, it is that political dynasties bring harm to a country. Current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is an exception considering how well he is running the country.

Donald Trump has managed to maintain a high degree of influence within the Republican Party. That in itself is good. The problem however is he is still promoting conspiracy theories about winning the election which is not the case. In order to build a movement, the former President needs to abandon this immature behavior and begin building a program at the intellectual level.

Despite some misgivings about Trump at the present time, it is delightful to see Elizabeth Cheney squirm. Yes, Donald Trump acted badly in January when he failed to discourage the worst elements in his camp from attacking the capital. The fact is however, that Dick Cheney did much worse than that crowd at the capital.

Dick Cheney brought the neocons into the Bush administration. Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and others were his guys. The team that conceived the Iraq war was put together by Cheney. It helped that President Bush was a profoundly ignorant man totally unqualified for the Presidency.

The war on Iraq brought havoc and destruction. It brought about a civil war between Sunnis and Shi’ites. It opened the door for “Al Qaida in Mesopotamia” which was the forerunner to the Islamic State. It was this organization that conceived the horrors of beheading innocent people. The rise of the Islamic State proceeded with the practice of genocide against Shi’ites, Christians, and Yazidis.

Syria was the sequel to the Iraq war and is the sole responsibility of President Barack Obama. However, without the destabilization of Iraq there may never have been conflict in Syria and so everything that has come to pass in the Middle East is on Bush and Cheney. It was also Cheney’s neocons who conceived of the torture and abuse at the prison of Abu Ghraib.

The sadistic torture and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners was a moral disgrace and indicative of the psychopathic tendencies of the Bush-Cheney foreign policy team. In addition to the horrors of Abu Ghraib, the subsequent refugee crises (Iraqi and Syrian) that has flooded Europe is the responsibility of the Bush-Cheney administration.

It was under the Bush-Cheney administration that the roots of the conflict with Russia can be laid. The Russians were initially invited to participate in the invasion of Iraq. They declined to do so and were never forgiven by the Bush administration. The Bush-Cheney administration cynically invited other countries to participate in the Iraq invasions. They had no inclination to assign any other country real responsibilities.

The Bush-Cheney administration wanted to pretend that the Iraq war was an international coalition and could deny responsibility if things went badly as they did. The Bush family has no business seeking political power considering the legacy it left in Iraq. The Cheney family needs to be gone as well.

It is irrelevant if Elizabeth Cheney is right or wrong in voting to impeach Trump. What matters more is that she shared her father’s deranged foreign policy views. Granted, the attack on the capital in January was ugly, stupid, and an expression of barbarism. It was criminal activity that is being investigated and the participants will be prosecuted (rightfully so).

The destruction that Dick Cheney left in Iraq and throughout the Middle East and Europe that happened as a result of the 2003 invasion was much more hideous and evil than what took place at the capital. The last thing America needs is a reemergence of the neocons. For this reason, the Cheney crime family needs to be dislodged like the Bush crime family.

The Clinton crime family appears to be gone having been vanquished by Donald Trump in 2016. Donald Trump crushed the Clintons after he had crushed Jeb Bush in the Republican primaries earlier that year. Not too bad as Trump eliminated two crime families. Now it appears the Cheney crime family is being taken care of.

Only the Biden crime family has emerged unscathed. Fortunately, this appears to be a one term Presidency and the Bidens will have no political prospects when this one term is complete. The hypocrisy of the Democrats can be seen by the fact that they never tried to impeach Bush for the invasion of Iraq which was far worse than anything the Trump administration did. They also tried to impeach Trump nearly a year before the events at the capital last January.

If the Democrats were consistent they would be investigating Hunter Biden for his scandals. Consistency does not exist in politics. What distinguishes Donald Trump from the Bush, Cheney, Clinton, and Biden crime families is that he was and remains an outsider that was never part of the establishment.

Despite his flaws and mistakes, Donald Trump remains an alternative to the Democrats and the old Republican establishment. The recent tensions between the Biden administration and Russia indicates why Trump remains preferable to either the Democrats or the old Republicans. Elizabeth Cheney is a remnant of the war party in the Republican Party. Depriving her of any influence in the future of the party is a welcome development.