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Response to another flawed semi-trad argument…

Don’t Be Like Judas!
(Nor Like Eric Sammons, For That Matter)

OK, so we doctored this screenshot a little: The painting on the left doesn’t actually show the betrayal of Judas

Eric Sammons, editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine, recently released a video clip on YouTube that’s a composite of highlights from his 35-minute Crisis Point podcast episode “Don’t Be Judas” of Apr. 15, 2025.

As the clip is less than a minute long (a so-called YouTube ‘short’), a lot more people will be exposed to what Sammons says there than would take the time to sit through the full-length episode.… READ MORE

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) affirms that the consumption of pornography (depiction of erotic behavior or images to cause sexual excitement) negatively impacts the physical, psychological, emotional and social health of adults, children, and families. Viewing pornography has become pervasive even among young children and can be highly addictive. It has been declared a public health crisis by many states. Current mobile and high speed internet technology makes the use or exposure to pornography ubiquitously available for adults and adolescents. For children, negative effects of pornography exposure include anxiety, depression, violence, and the sexual assault of other children. Pornography is also used to groom children for sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

Pornography use results in a deformed and maladaptive view of human sexuality and relationships.  This results in higher rates of depression, dissatisfaction with a sexual partner, and dissatisfaction with marriage.  Men who view large amounts of pornography are more likely to downplay the seriousness of rape, and to even endorse the myth that women enjoy rape.

The ACPeds recognizes that pornography is addictive with negative consequences to society, and especially to children. It undermines healthy adult sexual and non-sexual relationships and harms children directly and indirectly. Parents need to protect children and adolescents from the harmful effects of pornography by putting parental controls in place so that children cannot access it on devices.  Parents should also work with local and state officials to outlaw its production and consumption.

Approved by the ACPeds Board of Directors (May 2025)
Approved by ACPeds Members (June 2025)

 Corresponding ACPeds Referenced Paper:

The Impact of Pornography on Children (Aug. 2024)

Other Pertinent ACPeds Referenced Paper:

Media Use and Screen Time – Its Impact on Children, Adolescents, and Families (May 2020)

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) affirms children living with their married, biological parents consistently have better physical, emotional, and academic well-being (unless the children are experiencing an abusive environment). Although the demographics of families are changing, with more parents opting for cohabitation or divorce and stepparenting, the research continues to demonstrate the benefits of the married environment for children’s development.

Each child and each family are obviously unique, with different strengths and weaknesses, different personalities and temperaments, and varying degrees of social, emotional and economic resources, as well as differing family situations prior to divorce. Despite these differences, divorce has been shown to diminish a child’s future competence in all areas of life, including family relationships, education, emotional well-being, and future earning power.

With divorce and single parenting, children experience significant potential losses, including loss of time with parents, loss of economic security, loss of emotional security and weakened relationships with parents, loss of academic stimulation and possible loss of religious faith and practice. Children who have experienced divorce are at greater risk for physical, emotional and sexual abuse by a nonbiological parent-figure living in the home, and they may be less likely to value their own marriage in the future.  Even the divorced adults (primarily mothers) may suffer similar losses, including decreased physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

When adults view their marriage as damaged and “at risk”, those who persist and work to improve their marriage often find ten years later that they are in a happy relationship.  Therefore, ACPeds encourages married parents to work to improve their relationship and avoid divorce whenever possible. ACPeds supports the well-being of children, regardless of their family structure, and encourages parents (biological or adoptive) and guardians to provide maximal love and nurturance to their children.

Approved by the ACPeds Board of Directors (May 2025)
Approved by ACPeds Members (June 2025)

Corresponding ACPeds Referenced Paper:

Marriage, Divorce, and Family Relations: Effect on Children (2025)

Other Pertinent ACPeds Referenced Papers:

Marriage and the Family (Sept. 2014)

Cohabitation: Effects of Cohabitation on the Men and Women Involved – Part 1 of 2 (Mar. 2015)

Cohabitation: Effects of Parental Cohabitation and other Non-marital Sexual Activity on Children – Part 2 of 2 (Jul. 2015)

Same-Sex Parenting: A Scientific Analysis (May 2019)

Pope Leo XIV, like his predecessor Pope Francis, is a pope of notable firsts.

Formerly Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA, Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States, the first from North America, the first to have Peruvian citizenship, and the first from the Augustinian Order. 

Perhaps the Augustinian charism has profoundly shaped his life, including these early days of his papacy.

However, the influence of Saint Augustine of Hippo, the fourth-century bishop and Doctor of the Church, is not unique to Pope Leo among recent popes.

Pope Benedict XVI, while not a member of the Augustinians, also shares with Pope Leo a life and ministry shaped by Saint Augustine. 

Both Pope Leo and Pope Benedict completed their doctoral work on Saint Augustine as young priests.

The then-Father Robert Prevost, a canon law student in Rome, defended his doctoral thesis in 1987, discussing the role of local priors in the Augustinian order based on Augustine’s monastic rule.

Pope Benedict, as Father Joseph Ratzinger, completed his theology doctorate in 1953 in Germany with a dissertation on Augustine’s concept of the People of God. 

But what was Augustine’s influence on their work as bishops? 

In both, this influence meant helping others in their search for God through preaching and pastoral closeness.

Saint Augustine insisted that Christians ought to use their talents in service to God and others. 

For Father Prevost, this was evident as a missionary and bishop in Peru. There, he accompanied Catholics and others through civil unrest and natural disasters, offering them an example of how to live out the Gospel. 

For Father Ratzinger, this commitment to the Augustinian ideal of service was manifested by his teaching and episcopal career. Like Augustine, he taught about the compatibility of faith and reason and the primacy of love as communion. 

Both Popes have also shown their devotion to Saint Augustine in their respective coats of arms.

Pope Leo XIV’s coat of arms features an emblem of the Augustinian order: an inflamed, pierced heart resting upon a book. The emblem represents the conversion experience of Saint Augustine, who described it using the phrase,

Pope Benedict XVI’s coat of arms features a scallop shell, which relates to a famous legend of Saint Augustine.

While walking on a beach one day, he noticed a child trying to use a seashell to scoop up the sea into a hole in the sand. When he told the boy that this was impossible, the boy replied that this represented Augustine’s attempts to comprehend the mystery of the Trinity and the need for childlike faith. 

As the new pontificate of Pope Leo XIV continues, we do not have to look too far into the past to see the influence of Saint Augustine, the Doctor of Grace, on recent pontificates. 

Benedict XVI’s teachings as pope were heavily influenced by Augustine, and he once referred to him as "the greatest Father of the Latin Church." Like him, he taught that God was accessible to human reason, and that both faith and reason led to true knowledge. 

In a world marked by more complex challenges, Saint Augustine can help the new Pope, and us, promote the Gospel as a response to the deepest questions of the human heart. 

Saint Augustine, Doctor of the Church, pray for us!

The Turkish leader has suggested hosting a leadership-level summit in Istanbul or Ankara

Türkiye is ready to continue mediating between Russia and Ukraine to help end the conflict and plans to propose hosting a summit bringing together the two countries’ leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Speaking in a televised address posted on X, Erdogan described the second meeting between delegations from Moscow and Kiev in a month as “very magnificent.”

“My biggest wish is to bring together both (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and (Ukraine’s Vladimir) Zelensky, perhaps in Istanbul or Ankara,” he said, suggesting that US President Donald Trump could also take part in the gathering.

“If they agree, I would join the meeting personally,” Erdogan stated, calling for Istanbul to become “a true center of peace.”

During Monday’s meeting in Istanbul, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations agreed on a “largest ever” prisoner exchange, according to the head of the Russia negotiation team, Vladimir Medinsky. The swap will include all severely injured and seriously ill POWs, as well as a separate mechanism involving all captive soldiers who are under 25 years old, he told reporters.

Medinsky also said Russia would unilaterally return the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian servicemen next week. Moscow also presented Kiev with a detailed memorandum outlining a proposal for a lasting peace and steps toward a “full-fledged ceasefire,” he said.

Türkiye has played a key mediating role between Russia and Ukraine since 2022, when it hosted early peace talks between the two. Those talks failed to bring about a breakthrough after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised Kiev not to accept a deal, and to seek victory on the battlefield.

Ukraine returned to talks under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has insisted that a truce be brokered. The previous round of talks, held in Istanbul on May 16, led to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

On Monday, the Ukrainian delegation suggested holding the next meeting before the end of June, the head of Kiev’s delegation Rustem Umerov told reporters after the talks. Moscow has not commented on the proposal.

Testimony in opposition to Oregon SB 1003
Sharon Quick, MD, MA (Bioethics)
President, Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation
Expertise: Pediatric Anesthesiology/Critical Care, Medical Ethics
Senate Rules Committee June 2, 2025

I am Dr. Sharon Quick, President of the Physicians for Compassionate Care Education Foundation (PCCEF), an organization without religious or political affiliation. We advocate for the vulnerable terminally ill, promoting good palliative care. I have expertise in pediatric anesthesiology, critical care, and medical ethics. We oppose SB 1003-A Engrossed. Please see the following reasons for our opposition.

This article is a transcript of “‘Aborting healthy babies does not happen‘” courtesy of volunteer Ben Tomlin. If you’re interested in volunteering to transcribe more of our content, please complete our volunteer survey.

(Video also available on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.)

I believe she is defining late term abortion as the killing of healthy third-trimester babies. Aborting an otherwise healthy baby does not happen.

Dr. Vicki Chan (@‪vickichanmd‬ on TikTok), “Unfortunately, many have been confused and misled with this.”

Hi, Dr. Chan, I’m glad to hear that you are against killing healthy third-trimester babies. I am too. I think almost everybody is. I am frustrated though that you are using your platform and your credentials as a doctor—not an OB-GYN, but still a doctor—to suggest that that is not a reality. It’s legal in multiple places in the United States to kill healthy third-trimester babies, and it is something that people do. Is it common compared to first-trimester abortion? No, it’s not common. It is legal, and it does happen.

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How do I know this? Well, I know because abortion providers have talked about it, which I will reference in a second, and I know because I made an appointment for an abortion when I was 28-weeks pregnant at a clinic in Washington DC. Washington DC has no gestational limits on abortion, and at zero points did anybody pretend that I needed to have some kind of medical reason to do that. I was not going to get an abortion. I was filming undercover for work that I’m doing, and I wrote all about it here, it’s in The Washington Times as a piece detailing what exactly happened.

But for the purposes of talking to you now, the central point is that when I called them and I was 27-weeks pregnant and I told them the first day of my last menstrual period and they knew I’d be 28-weeks pregnant in the following week, they had no problem with that. They made the appointment. They told me it would cost $11,400. I went to the clinic in person with cash—$11,400—and they did my ultrasound, they pulled my blood work, we talked about the procedure, and at no point did they pretend (1) that there needed to be any medical reason to do this, or (2) that abortion this late—28-weeks on a healthy baby—would just be induction of live birth.

At an abortion clinic that performs these procedures, nobody is pretending, as moderate pro-choice people like to believe, that this is just early induction of labor because abortion is just termination of a pregnancy. Abortion is termination of a pregnancy with the intent and result of not a live child.

The reality is that when people seek abortions of viable, healthy fetuses, the providers make sure that those fetuses are not born alive because they induce demise first. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can hear it from the providers themselves. This is an article that was published quite recently actually in The New Yorker, talking about a clinic in Maryland that performs abortions up until 34-weeks. They profiled a woman, pseudonym Amanda, that came in to get an abortion at 32-weeks because she didn’t realize she was pregnant until 30-weeks. Zero mentions or hints of any health problems with her 32-week baby. And as if just to address the misconception that moderate pro-choice people have about what this means, they explicitly talk about how they induce demise. The idea that people are delivering live fetuses, that does not happen.

They have the same practice in the UK, although they’re a little bit more blunt about it. This research article came out not long ago talking about feticide before termination of pregnancy, and they explicitly talk about how sometimes even after 22-weeks, people are seeking abortion when there’s no fetal abnormality, so feticide may be essential to prevent a live birth and the potential survival of an extremely premature baby, which would defeat the purpose of the termination, because in real life, the purpose of termination of pregnancy, aka abortion, is not just to end the pregnancy, it’s to end the pregnancy in such a way that the child does not survive.

Here’s an interview out of the Boston Review of another abortion provider, and she is also very blunt about this. She talks about women seeking later abortion—30-weeks, she even mentions 40-weeks—and she talks about how sometimes they’re doing this even for reasons apart from health, and she says, “If a woman decides to proceed with an abortion after twenty-four weeks, she must accept the terms that she will deliver a baby and that baby will be dead.”

[Read more – Abortion isn’t just about ending a pregnancy; it’s about killing a fetus.]

So again, ma’am, I appreciate that you are against the killing of healthy third-trimester babies, and I appreciate that you want people to have an accurate understanding of what’s going on. I also want people to have an accurate understanding of what’s going on, and what’s actually going on is that, though it is rare compared to first-trimester abortion, compared to other circumstances, killing of healthy third-trimester babies in abortion does happen, and it is legal, and if you find that appalling, thank you, me too. Please stop telling people it’s not real. It is.

[Read more – “TikTok docs” don’t know what they’re talking about]

LifeNews.com Note:  Monica Snyder is the executive director of Secular Pro-Life, an organization that uses non-religious arguments to promote the pro-life perspective. This is where the article previously published.

The post Abortion Clinic Agreed to Kill 28-Week-Old Unborn Baby for $11,400 appeared first on LifeNews.com.

Iran’s uranium enrichment activities are entirely peaceful, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has insisted

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Iran will give assurances regarding the peaceful nature its nuclear program, as US President Donald Trump pushes for the country to entirely dismantle its enrichment capability.

In March, Trump reportedly gave Iran a two-month deadline to make a nuclear deal with the US, threatening “bombing” if it does not accept. Washington recently set out its terms in a letter, following five rounds of Oman-brokered negotiations between the two nations.

“We are ready to give assurances to all sides about peaceful nature of our nuclear program,” Araghchi, Tehran’s top negotiator in the nuclear talks with the US, said at a press conference in Egypt on Monday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sunday that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff “has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal” to Iran, adding that “it’s in their best interest to accept.” She reiterated Trump’s position that “Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb.”

READ MORE: US reiterates ‘red line’ in Iran nuclear talks

Tehran views the US proposal as both unfair and unlikely to reach a compromise, an Iranian source familiar with the proceedings has told RT.

“Iranians were dismayed to see such a fanciful, one-sided text that is so out of touch with reality,” the source said.

Iran is poised to reject the US proposition as a “non-starter,” Reuters wrote on Monday, citing a senior Iranian diplomat.

Last month, Trump said the only outcome he would accept is the “total dismantlement” of the Iranian nuclear program. Washington has insisted that Tehran should not be able to enrich its own uranium, even for civilian use, a clause Araghchi has dismissed as a violation of Iran’s sovereign rights.

During his first presidential term, Trump accused Tehran of secretly violating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, and unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal. Tehran has dismissed the accusations, and has since gradually ramped up its domestic uranium enrichment.

It does not make sense for New York to consider legalizing assisted suicide while it simultaneously works to prevent suicides in its communities, Cardinal Timothy Dolan wrote in a May 29 op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.

He detailed how he was once driving on the George Washington Bridge when the traffic came to a sudden halt; drivers at first were angry at the disruption, until they realized that a man was considering jumping off the bridge.

“Everyone’s mood changed in an instant,” Cardinal Dolan wrote. “Instead of being impatient, angry, in a rush, we prayed for that man and the rescue workers trying to coax him back to safety. We all rallied on behalf of a troubled man intent on suicide.”

This is the normal response to when someone is considering suicide, the archbishop of New York explained, adding that there are many local public resources to help prevent suicides, such as school-age prevention programs with the Archdiocese of New York, and collaboration between NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and religious leaders to address the suicide epidemic of officers.

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“Our state spends millions on anti-suicide efforts,” Cardinal Dolan continued, noting that Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has spearheaded unprecedented investment in mental health resources.

“Which is why I am more than puzzled, I am stunned, when I read that New York lawmakers are on the verge of legalizing suicide — not by leaping from a bridge but via a poison cocktail easily provided by physicians and pharmacists,” he wrote.

In April, New York’s State Assembly voted 81-67 in favor of legalizing assisted suicide, advancing the bill to the state Senate.

Cardinal Dolan decried the state’s disparity in responses, noting that on one hand it “will marshal all its resources to save the life of one hopeless and despondent man” — and on the other, “it may conclude that some lives aren’t worth living — perhaps due to a serious illness or disability — and we will hand those despondent women and men a proverbial loaded gun and tell them to have at it.”

Noting particularly weak spots in the legislation, Cardinal Dolan wrote that the bill does not require a psychological exam before the lethal drugs are offered. Further, supporters have argued that assisted suicide is only for those who are diagnosed with six months or less to live, but the cardinal also pointed out that “many controllable illnesses can become terminal if untreated.” He added that other places that have legalized euthanasia or assisted suicide, such as Canada, have since stripped away initial safeguards and widened the scope of the deadly practice.

Cardinal Dolan said he is praying that New York’s political leaders will ultimately reject the bill.

“The prospects of defeating the bill look bleak, and it’s tempting to give into hopelessness. But those brave first responders on the bridge didn’t give in; they worked together to stop a tragedy,” he concluded. “Will state senators or Ms. Hochul step up to protect precious human life? That is my prayer.”

LifeNews Note: McKenna Snow writes for CatholicVote, where this column originally appeared.

The post Cardinal Timothy Dolan Slams New York Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide appeared first on LifeNews.com.

Kentucky’s abortion ban remains intact to protect babies from abortions after the ACLU of Kentucky withdrew its lawsuit challenging the pro-life law.

The dismissal ensures that abortions will continue to be banned in nearly all cases, except to save the mother’s life or prevent severe injury.

The lawsuit, Poe v. Coleman, filed in November 2024 in Jefferson County Circuit Court, targeted Kentucky’s trigger law and six-week abortion ban, enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The trigger law bans abortions except in life-threatening situations or to prevent permanent injury, offering no exceptions for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomalies.

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The plaintiff, a Louisville woman using the pseudonym Mary Poe, argued the bans violated her constitutional rights, even though there is no right to abortion in the Constitution. The ACLU of Kentucky, representing her, sought class-action status to include all pregnant Kentuckians unable to have abortions.

On May 30, 2025, the ACLU voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without specifying a reason, though executive director Amber Duke reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to abortions.

Pro-life leaders hailed the outcome as a triumph for Kentucky’s commitment to life.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, a defendant in the case, vigorously defended the bans, arguing they reflect the state’s values. In a November 2024 statement reported by LifeNews.com, Coleman’s office called the ACLU’s lawsuit “baseless” and a “desperate attempt to impose a radical abortion agenda.” On X, Coleman celebrated the dismissal, stating, “Kentucky’s pro-life laws stand strong, protecting innocent lives and reflecting the will of our people.”

In 2023, the state Supreme Court ruled that abortion businesses lacked standing to sue on behalf of potential customers, prompting the ACLU and Planned Parenthood to file Poe v. Coleman with a pregnant plaintiff. A prior suit by a woman identified as Jane Doe was dropped in December 2023 after her embryo was deemed nonviable, highlighting the legal challenges of challenging the bans.

Kentucky’s laws have slashed abortions. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported just 23 abortions in 2023, all deemed medically necessary, compared to 4,441 in 2021 when abortion was fully legal. Pro-life advocates view this as evidence of the bans’ success in protecting unborn lives.

The post Kentucky Abortion Ban Will Keep Saving Babies After ACLU Drops Lawsuit appeared first on LifeNews.com.

Macron speaks, Merz contradicts, and the EU drifts into irrelevance

Modern Western Europe is quickly becoming a real-world demonstration of Hegel’s famous dictum – that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. In the past, the missteps of its leaders could be seen as awkward but forgivable moments against the backdrop of a still-coherent West. Today, farce is becoming the default operating mode for the region’s political elite.

Whether the antics come from small states like Estonia or from former heavyweights like Germany, France, and Britain, the effect is the same: Europe, or more precisely the European Union and its close NATO-aligned partners in the West, is no longer behaving like a serious geopolitical actor. What was once merely weakness has become a lifestyle – a self-parodying style of politics defined by empty declarations, theatrical gestures, and media spectacle.

The reasons are not difficult to identify. Western Europe has lost its strategic compass. What we’re witnessing now, unfolding near Russia’s borders, is a crisis of direction with no clear destination. Recent developments, in fact, would have seemed unimaginable even a few years ago.

In the space of just a few weeks, the leaders of the EU’s most prominent countries issued ultimatums to Russia – with no thought as to what they might do if Moscow ignored them. Unsurprisingly, the efforts of the four most vocal backers of Ukraine – Britain, Germany, France, and Poland – collapsed into rhetorical theater with no follow-through.

Estonia, never one to miss a moment for posturing, saw a group of its sailors attempt to seize a foreign ship en route to St. Petersburg. The move, swiftly rebuffed by the Russian military, triggered a political scandal back in Tallinn – though perhaps not the kind they’d hoped for.

In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron continues to rely on dramatic pronouncements to remain in the spotlight. In Berlin, newly appointed Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Ukrainian forces were permitted to strike Russian cities with Western missiles – only to be contradicted hours later by his own finance minister. As for the long-touted “peacekeeper deployment plan” pushed by Paris and London, European media finally admitted what had been obvious for months: the plan is dead, lacking support from Washington.

Some of this, admittedly, stems from a media environment that has grown dangerously overheated. Western news outlets now thrive on alarmism, churning out a steady stream of war talk and pushing politicians to match the rhetoric. Since the launch of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, media across the Atlantic and in Brussels have played the role of propagandist, not watchdog.

But the problem runs deeper than headlines. Europe’s political class has drifted into a world of abstraction, where politics has become an intellectual game – untethered from real capabilities or consequences. In some cases, the farce is provincial, as with Estonia’s attempted maritime stunt. In others, it is cloaked in academic posturing, such as the wordy performances Macron delivers with the help of philosophically literate aides.

In all cases, one truth emerges: the European Union and its near partners are no longer serious actors in world affairs. They are still loud, still self-important, but no longer decisive. Their actions do not shift the global balance. The only real questions now are how long this detachment from reality can persist, and what the next stage of decline will look like. 

This is not a matter of personalities or party lines. Whether globalist liberals or national conservatives take charge in Europe, the result is increasingly similar. Right-wing governments that replace the establishment often prove just as erratic and symbolic in their behavior.

What makes this transformation even more surreal is that Europe still has the ability to turn its politics into a spectacle. Many of its politicians – or at least their speechwriters – are highly educated. Macron’s speeches, rich in historical and philosophical references, are products of minds trained at the best institutions. Once, such intelligence was used to shape policy and outplay rivals like Russia. Now, it produces only clever phrasing for empty statements.

Macron, of course, helped set the tone when he declared NATO “brain dead” back in 2019 – a remark that was amusing at the time. But after the laughter faded, Western Europe began churning out similarly dramatic slogans, each more detached than the last. The British followed suit. Now the Germans are joining the script. 

More troubling than the words, though, is the lack of accountability for them. European leaders say much and do little – and when they do act, it is often misguided. Worse, they seem genuinely unaware of how their provocations are perceived outside their own echo chamber. What looks absurd in Moscow, Beijing, or even some quarters of Washington, is seen in Brussels or Berlin as noble posturing. These leaders are living in a different dimension, but the rest of us still have to engage with their declarations, however disconnected from reality. 

And while it is tempting to dismiss this as just another European drama, the risks are real. Britain and France still possess nuclear capabilities. The EU’s economy, while faltering, retains global influence. Even the smallest states – like Estonia – can trigger crises that draw in larger powers. The Baltic naval stunt may have been primitive theater, but under the wrong conditions, even small acts of political play-acting can spiral into genuine danger.

No one seriously believes the United States is prepared to defend its European satellites at the cost of war with Russia. But given the destructive power of both Russian and American arsenals, even the faintest chance of escalation must be treated seriously – even if Western Europe itself has lost the ability to understand the consequences of its actions.

Ironically, Poland – once one of the most loudly anti-Russian voices in Europe – now appears almost restrained compared to the behavior of France, Germany, or Britain. In recent years, Warsaw has moved toward a more conservative, if still adversarial, stance – offering a rare glimpse of something resembling balance.

In the last century, Western Europe unleashed two of the most devastating wars in human history. Today, it plays at war once again – but with less awareness, less responsibility, and far less capacity. The danger lies not in its strength, but in its delusions. This is not Liechtenstein brandishing a sabre. These are nations with real armies, real missiles, and an increasingly fragile grasp on reality. 

If there is to be stability in Europe’s future, it must start with accepting the truth of the present. The continent is no longer the center of world politics. The logical next step is to strip Western Europe of the destructive capabilities it no longer knows how to wield. Demilitarization is not humiliation. It is realism – and the only way to bring Europe’s role back in line with its actual relevance.

This article was first published by Vzglyad newspaper and was translated and edited by the RT team.

Lindsey Graham has said he hopes the activist, who is sailing to Gaza to protest the Israeli naval blockade, can swim

Joining the flotilla that aims to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip may end badly for Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, US Senator Lindsey Graham has warned in a post on X.

On Sunday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FCC) announced that one of its yachts, crewed by 12 people, including Thunberg, had left Sicily for Gaza with a “symbolic” cargo of humanitarian aid.

"Hope Greta and her friends can swim!” wrote Graham, a staunch supporter of Israel and an ally of US President Donald Trump, apparently implying that Thunberg’s boat, the Madleen, could be sunk.

The previous Freedom Flotilla mission was aborted in early May after one of the boats, named Conscience, was hit by two drones in international waters near Malta. The FCC blamed Israel for the attack. Israel did not comment.

Thunberg said before her departure that “no matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocized [sic],” in the Gaza Strip.

Hope Greta and her friends can swim!https://t.co/Noab4QyJtV

Israel has denied accusations of perpetrating genocide, and has blamed the brutal suffering of the Palestinian population on the unwillingness of Hamas to lay down arms. West Jerusalem has justified the naval blockade of Gaza, in place since 2007, by the need to prevent arms deliveries to the Palestinian fighters.

According to the UN, one in five people in the Gaza Strip is now facing starvation, following a renewed Israeli offensive that began in March.

READ MORE: Man throws Molotov cocktails at pro-Israel activists in Colorado (VIDEOS)

Israel began its military operation in the enclave in response to a cross-border raid by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people died and 250 others were taken prisoner. Israel’s 18-month military response has killed more than 54,400 Palestinians, almost half of whom are women and children, and wounded over 124,000, according to the latest data from the enclave’s Health Ministry.

Dear OnePeterFive donors, supporters, and readers, Christ is risen! Happy Sacred Heart month everybody. This is a glorious month filled with the glory of Christ in His Church. Turns out if you Google “Restore June to the Sacred Heart” you get our articles on this subject: Thank you, Artificial Intelligence! This is the month where Catholics can show forth their love for…

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Latvia has reportedly cited national security concerns over some real estate holdings close to critical infrastructure

Latvia has prohibited entry for Russian citizens who own real estate near strategically important sites in the country, citing national security concerns, local broadcaster TV3 reported on Monday.

According to a statement from the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) cited in the report, a series of agency probes has identified risks emanating from Russian-owned properties near critical infrastructure.

As a result, “in several cases,” Russian property owners have been blacklisted and prohibited from entering Latvia.

Latvian authorities are trying to limit purported Russian influence within its borders. A former Soviet republic, like Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, it has adopted an increasingly hardline stance against Moscow since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022.

Riga announced sweeping travel restrictions for Russian nationals, barred Russian-registered vehicles from entering the country, and introduced a mandatory Latvian language test for Russians, deporting thousands of those who refused to take it or failed.

Riga has also moved to ban Russians from owning property. A bill presently before parliament aims to prohibit citizens of Russia and Belarus, as well as companies linked to them, from acquiring real estate in Latvia, citing potential threats to national security and circumvention of Western sanctions.

Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis has cited “a hybrid war” with Russia, and urged EU members prohibit the issuance of Schengen tourist visas to Russian nationals, alleging risks of sabotage.

The three Baltic states, all NATO members bordering Russia, have also warned of potential invasion once the Ukraine conflict ends. Russia has repeatedly dismissed the warnings as “nonsense” meant to scare the European population and justify increases in military spending.

READ MORE: EU country reveals how to spot ‘Russian spies’

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently accused the Latvian authorities of “blatant discrimination against Russians,” saying many of their policies were openly Russophobic. She said Russophobia had “reached a new high” in the Baltics in recent years and warned that Latvia, in particular, would have to answer to the International Court of Justice if it continued with its discriminatory practices.

Portuguese political activist Afonso Goncalves has said a local bank closed his personal account without warning or explanation.  

Goncalves, 24, is the founder of Reconquista, a right-wing nationalist movement established in 2023, who describes his association as a “metapolitical” initiative aimed at reshaping Portugal’s cultural and political landscape.  

The activist said Novobanco, a major Portuguese bank, closed his account without explanation and did not respond to requests for answers.  

“I asked them to send me a reason in writing. They simply said ‘no’,” Goncalves said a video posted to YouTube on Friday.   

The activist is known for his vocal support of financial transparency and freedom of speech. In his video, he appeared to link the closure to his political views, though he did not provide evidence for this claim. He stated, “This is what happens when you speak the truth. You get shut down.”  

Account closures by banks in Portugal are legally allowed under certain conditions, such as suspected fraud or compliance with anti-money laundering laws. However, financial institutions are typically required to provide a reason upon request. Goncalves did not say whether he intends to file a formal complaint.  

No court proceedings or legal actions related to the closure have been reported so far. Goncalves concluded his video by saying he would continue to “fight for financial freedom” and encouraged others to be aware of what he described as “systemic censorship.”  

Bank account closures have become increasingly common in the West. In Britain, right-wing Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage said in June 2023 that private bank Coutts closed his account. Parent company NatWest first cited financial grounds, but internal documents later reportedly showed his political views influenced the decision.   

In Canada, authorities froze the bank accounts of Freedom Convoy protesters in 2022 under emergency powers. Then-Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the measure targeted those funding the anti-government protests.   

The most recent case took place in Germany last month when former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder faced payment blocks from Sparkasse Hannover over concerns about Russian ties. The bank reportedly blocked nearly €500,000 in annual transfers linked to Schroeder’s role on the board of Nord Stream 2, a pipeline project owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, despite him not being under sanctions.