Rudy's Corner

Pinocchio-politics  is a term I recently encountered—the process that President Donald Trump has branded as “fake news”: properly identified it is when politicians and media turn lies into truth and truth into lies.   Recently I listened to a German broadcast featuring Dr. Hans‑Georg Maaßen, former president of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, speaking at an Alternative für Deutschland (AFD) gathering. The AFD is a conservative movement in Germany, comparable to the MAGA movement in the United States, and may become Germany’s leading party in the next election. Many Germans, like many Americans, are frustrated with long‑standing socialist policies. https://youtu.be/p8U4cKVHGnU?si=lIIb1fkRRMQZtkSX Dr. Maaßen explained that he was forced into early retirement in 2018, allegedly at the direction of then‑Chancellor Angela Merkel, without explanation. He described this as evidence of how political power and media can work together to manipulate ...

Islam and the World of the Arabs In the book Chronicle of Humanity, that I purchased in Munich in 1984, the origins of Islam are described in detail and compared with Christian doctrine. I took the liberty and translated synopsizes of empires, religions and world leaders into English.   Book title: Chronicle of Humanity Imprint:  © Chronik Verlag, Harenberg Kommunikation Verlags  und Medien GmbH & Co. KG, Dortmund (1984). Concept, editorial planning: Bodo Harenberg. Editors: Raphaela Drexhage, Jens Firsching, Dr. Petra Gallmeister, Cordula Grüner, Ingrid Reuter, Ernst Christian Schütt. Overview articles: Editorial staff; Brigitte Beier; Prof. Dr. Michael Erbe; Norbert Fischer; Ulrich Ernst Huse; Prof. Dr. Robert Jungk; Felix R. Paturi. Country sections and calendars: Bernhard Pollmann. Image editing: Norbert Fischer. Copyediting: Ferdinand Schwenker. Editorial coordination: Annette Retinski. Dust jacket: Walter Nester, Lothar Alker. Complete production: Westerman...

In my nearly one-hundred-year life, I have come to realize that human existence encompasses both physical and spiritual aspects. While our physical needs can easily be met with money for food, clothing, and shelter, fulfilling our spiritual or emotional needs presents a far greater challenge. We all yearn for happiness, love, popularity, and respect. Achieving spiritual happiness demands discipline. For instance, what exactly is happiness? Where can one find it? Temptations abound, and well-meaning suggestions from friends and relatives only add to the confusion. I can only share my personal experience. After World War II, in a bombed-out building, a group of people gathered for a religious service. I was seven years old, on the verge of turning eight. The preacher wore a ceremonial outfit like those found in a Catholic church. He held a piece of printed paper depicting palm trees and a donkey. Somehow, I made a connection between this image and the prayer our mother had taught us, and...

  An inflation factor that no one seems to discuss. What is it? It’s self-inflicted pain, injected into society by fear, which hinders economic growth and prosperity!   Numerous gurus tell us how much prices have increased; some even hint at the causes. But none of them acknowledge what we, the people, did to ourselves.   In economics, inflation refers to the general increase in the prices of goods and services within an economy. This is typically measured using the consumer price index. (Source: Wikipedia)   That sounds plausible, but what does it mean? I can relate to it when my fuel pump purchases double in price, or a carton of eggs jumps from 39 cents to 4 dollars a dozen. Or not too long ago, when you bought a hamburger at McDonald’s, you received change back on a dollar, while today, you’re lucky to get change back on a twenty-dollar bill.   That’s the kind of inflation that I and most other average citizens can comprehend. However, beyond that, economis...