Happy Thursday!

Perhaps today’s blend should be called Leo Tolstoy, since it’s dominated by war and peace.

On Yom Kippur, “Let Us Remember That True Joy is to Be Found in God”

Today is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The most solemn holy day in the Jewish calendar. A day to deny yourself. Yael Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, shares “How Physical Denial Leads to Spiritual Revival.” 

One Year Ago, Peace: Israel, UAE and Bahrain Sign Abraham Peace Accords

One year ago Wednesday on the White House lawn, Israel signed the Abraham Peace Accords with the United Arab Emerites and Bahrain. Those two Arab nations became the first in a generation to make peace with the Jewish State. Morocco and Sudan soon followed.

A monumental step forward for Middle East Peace. And not a single worthy step forward since January. “Apathy” is the word Foreign Policy magazine uses to describe the White House’s view of the Abraham Accords. And “tepid” about Arab-Israeli peace in general.

But a year since they were signed, the Abraham Accords are holding and the ties between Israel and those that made peace are growing. Hint: That is a good thing.

No Biggy? Or a “Disgraceful Act of Insubordination”? Milley Defends Calls to China

Gen. Mark Milley’s calls to China were “vital,” aimed at “avoiding unintended consequences or conflict,” and pretty much routine. Or so claims the spokesman for the embattled Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

But is it? Is it really “vital” to tell China he would warn them if Trump decided on military action against the Communist state? And to tell officers they had to run any orders from Trump involving nukes by him?

“He isn’t a military dictator, and this isn’t his decision to make, to unilaterally contact a foreign government,” said one Pentagon official who spoke to Just the News. “I would expect him to be brought up on charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

Sen. Rand Paul agreed, saying, if the allegations against Milley are true, “he should immediately be relieved of his duties and court-martialed.”

Oddly enough, Alexander Vindman, the former Lt. Colonel behind the Ukraine hoax, also thinks Milley stepped over the line.

If this is true GEN Milley must resign. He usurped civilian authority, broke Chain of Command, and violated the sacrosanct principle of civilian control over the military. It’s an extremely dangerous precedent. You can’t simply walk away from that. #dotherightthingintherightway https://t.co/izsMMCFPrz

— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) September 14, 2021

Sen. John Kennedy wants to hear from Milley under oath. “Give me about 15 minutes and I will get to the truth,” he told Fox News. “I think Gen. Milley has a lot of explaining to do and I think he ought to stop bellowing and honking on like a goose about white rage and actually try to make our country more secure.”

Given the Afghanistan debacle and this frightening usurpation of power, Milley would be more appropriate in AOC’s Met Gala gown than a uniform loaded with stars.

No Biggy! Says White House

But still, the White House has Milley’s back. Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended him Wednesday with a statement that managed to be loathsome, snide and illogical at the same time.

PRESS SEC. PSAKI ON GEN. MILLEY: "It's the obligation of every Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to follow Constitutional orders to prevent unlawful military action. This president has no intention of fomenting unrest or an insurrection." pic.twitter.com/On7baLvMNS

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 15, 2021

Thank you, Red State for dissecting this bit of nonsense.

Speaking of nonsense, Milley claims his calls were approved by Defense Department officials. Not so. Christopher Miller, the acting Secretary of Defense at the time, said in a statement Wednesday he “did not and would not ever authorize” Milley to make those calls. Miller called the general’s actions a “disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination.”

Mike Huckabee shared his thoughts in a column we’ve put up called “Milley in Hot Water: New Book Reveals National Security Bombshell.” 

What Was Crazy Conspiracy Theory Yesterday is Celebrated as Necessary Today

For 10 months folks have been mocked as crazy conspiracy theorists for saying the duly elected government had been subverted and ripped from the people. Yet on Tuesday, when news of this story broke, the same people who did the mocking were celebrating how Milley (in cahoots with Pelosi) did just that.

Glenn Greenwald put it best:

Watching liberal media stars spend 5 years trying to thread the needle between "we are so grateful to the unelected but noble Generals thwarting Trump" and "only insane conspiracy nuts believe the US has a Deep State" has been quite dizzying. https://t.co/M7vPJ8Fmva

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 15, 2021

And as mentioned above, the White House propagandist is playing right along.

But this isn’t just about a phone call or Milley believing he’s “The Man.”

Milley’s conduct was a continuation of the action that began in August 2019 to ensure Trump would not be allowed to serve a second term and a puppet would be installed in January 2021 regardless of what it took.

Pelosi and Milley pretending Trump was going to take some crazy action against China or with nukes was another step in the propaganda that began Summer 2020 when the Democrats and Swamp GOP began coordinating with Big Tech and the media to target “misinformation” — translation, anything negative about Biden, anything alleged against Trump.

The proof that Biden was compromised by China to the tune of millions of dollars, the Big Guy cashing in with the communists? That was Russian disinformation.

The plotting to steal the election, using COVID and Zuckerberg’s $400 million and, of course, old fashion election fraud? (All now proven, BTW) that’s Trump crazy talk.

In fact, Trump is soooo crazy, he was going to use the military to take over the country. He’s going to use nukes against China in his final days.

Yesterday: “You are nuts for saying the will of the people was cast aside.” Today: “We had to do it to protect the country from Trump.”

FBI Blew Off Sexual Abuse of Female Gymnasts

Quick. Name something the FBI has gotten right in the James Comey-Christopher Wray era. One thing at all.

The latest, tragic, case in point: Their complete bungling of the sexual abuse of top gymnasts. Several of America’s top female gymnasts testified Wednesday on Capitol Hill to just how catastrophically the FBI blew the case.

How many girls continued to be victimized because of the FBI’s slow-walk? Roughly 40 women say they were sexually abused by Larry Nassar in the 14 months after the FBI was made aware of the allegations against him.

U.S. gymnast @McKaylaMaroney: "After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report, 17 months later, they made up entirely false claims about what I said." pic.twitter.com/FfMuIWWBhV

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 15, 2021

Said a tearful Olympic great Simone Biles:

It truly feels that the FBI turned a blind eye to us and went out of its way to protect USAG and USOPC. (USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.) A message needs to be sent: if you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough.

The lead FBI agent on the case was fired. Only yesterday. Right before the hearing.

Meanwhile, crickets on the Twitter feed of the man who headed the FBI at the time, James Comey.

Taliban Fighting Over Who Did the Most to Bring Victory Over U.S.

Apparently, the Taliban leadership got into a knock-down, drag-out brawl at the presidential palace in Kabul. They were fighting over who should get the most credit for the U.S. leaving Afghanistan in humiliation.

Joe Biden’s like, “Hold my ice cream cone.”

Along The Stream

 The Stream’s John Zmirak didn’t take too kindly to George W. Bush appearing to compare January 6 protesters to the 9/11 hijackers in “Dubya, We Hardly Knew Ye”

Our Tom Gilson has a powerful article exposing “The Lie at the Heart of Critical Race Theory.” Just up!

And finally, The Stream’s David Mills shares “The Worst Prayer You’ve Ever Seen.”

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Morning Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at Gab, Parler, MeWe, and now GETTR.