The New Dark Age

Saturday, 1 February 2025 — The Postil

Greetings to all our dear readers. A lot has been happening in this world and we have some interesting points of view for you to consider, and even ideas to ponder. How quickly we find ourselves in the second month of the new year!

(To access the new articles, please click on the highlighted portion of the descriptions that follow).

Russia and the War in Ukraine

With President Trump’s deadline of ending the war in Ukraine in 24 hours having come and gone, we might be wondering what will happen next. Jean-Luc Baslé helps us understand the crucial problem of this war—neither the West nor Russia can afford to lose, as it would mean disaster for all concerned.

Jean Luc Schaffhauser looks at the bigger picture—the isolation of Russia from the West, and its turn to China. What does this mean for both these countries, and for the United States and all of the West.

Alexander Dugin considers the alliance of Russia with Iran, which is a comprehensive agreement encompassing aspects that are publicly announced and those that are never revealed.

Speaking of China, what will the United States do? In the spirit of rivalry, the US will do everything in its power to contain China and dominate it, as Leonid Savin explains.

And what about the many thousands of sanctions that have been put on Russia? We are often told by experts that they’re like water off a duck’s back and Russia’s economy is booming. But is this actually true? We are happy to bring you the analysis of R. Hove Monkton, who does a deep dive. What he finds might surprise you.

Trump and Trumpism

The Biden era is now a matter of history, while the new boss in the White House is demonstrating what “peace through strength” really means.

We are greatly honored to bring you the views of the French philosopher Pascal Engel who unpacks the rhetoric of Trump to discern what the words of this president mean.

Many have long known that it is often difficult to tell where MAGA ends and MIGA (Make Israel Great Again) begins. We are happy to welcome back C.B. Forde who looks at the close relationship of Trumpism and Zionism (to no one’s great surprise).

In his inaugural address, Mr. Trump had declared now that he was back in the White House, this could only mean that a new “golden age” had at last dawned, in which Americans would live a life of ease, and which would make Cronus and Saturnus envious. Aristarch has a look at this great promise.

Mr. Trump has also stated that he will be “taking back” the Panama Canal. This reminds W.O. Munce of another Trumpian president, Teddy Roosevelt, who built the Canal, and also introduced the “Roosevelt Corollary,” which turned South America into the “backyard” of the United States.

And Mr. Trump wants to take over Canada and has just slapped on some crippling tariffs. Here, a lesson from history is worth repeating—of the time when America was trying to bring about its Manifest Destiny and take Canada, and so Canadians and the British had to march down and burn the White House and Washington DC, and put the president to flight. Things never really turn out as planned.

This Age of Conflict

In the meantime, there is the problem of the Holocaust in Gaza. For many supporters of Mr. Trump, whatever Israel does is God-ordained. C.B. Forde sees in Gaza another kind of destruction—that of sola scriptura, which has weaponized the Bible, and put it in the hands of Christian Zionists who love hunting down isolated verses to quote as justification for the slaughter of the “Philistines” by the “people of God.”

Much of the fuel of the Christian Zionists stems from their critique of the medieval Church. But is any of it actually true? Jeb Smith brings us a close analysis of this important issue.

The historian Charles Hamlin considers why America loves war so much—because, he tells us, it is America’s “method” of doing diplomacy in the world. Hamlin wrote this a hundred years ago, and his analysis has withstood the test of time.

And what will happen to peace operations? Nothing good can come of the new posture of “strength” that the United States has adopted, as Enrico Magnani explains.

Diego Fusaro looks at the failures of neoliberalism, with its now well-known proclamation of the “death of history.”

And we have a wonderful review of Henri Hude’s important book, A Philosophy of War. The review is by four Russian scholars, and well worth the reading.

We live in an age of censorship. How did we end up here? We are happy to bring you some words of wisdom from a century ago, which warn against the censorship of thought.

Matters Cultural

We are also happy to bring you a generous excerpt from Dennis Bonnette’s new book, which looks at the various attributes of God and what they mean for life in the real world.

Boyd Cathey considers the deep impact of Feodor Dostoevsky not only in the world of literature, but also upon moral life in modernity and in the realm of civilization.

Scholarship has been sadly degraded in many ways. But this is nothing new, as Thomas O’Hagan reminds us, from so long ago.

We welcome back Grégoire Canlorbe, who completes his three-part series on mindfulness, freedom and the journey of the soul.

Marion Duvauchel brings us a fascinating review of the mystical understanding of the Hebrew alphabet, and its deep links with history and morality. An intriguing journey.

It is an important question that many ask—why does a loving God allow so much suffering and death? Jeb Smith delves into this hefty topic and helps us understand.

A Literary Turn

Birds are delightful creatures, never predictable always interesting to watch. René Bezin has written a joyful and sad story about a tomtit in the letter box

Henry Murger wrote much about bohemia, with its few ups and many downs. Here’s a story about a painter who sells his painting and then happens upon it, much transformed.

Churches and Cathedrals

So many have you asked us to publish more on cathedrals and churches. We’re ever happy to oblige, and from the masters themselves.

Louis Gonse, who did much to restore churches, speaks about the splendors of the Cathedral of Rheims, which has built, as it were, much of French history and culture.

Louis de Fourcaud describes that marvelous, yet little known, abbey church of Saint Ouen, in Rouen, France. A beautiful description.

The Reformation destroyed so much in England, especially all the richness of medieval art and architecture, along with the many frescoes in churches. John Middleton was an archaeologist who spent much of his life carefully scarping off the whitewash to reveal the splendors that lay beneath. Here he is describing his work in Saint Mary’s church in Kempley, which has the oldest frescoes in Europe.

We hope you will find what we have brought you this month interesting and perhaps inspiring.

And, please consider sharing this newsletter, and help us spread the word. We are deeply thankful of your kind support.

Until next time,

The Postil Team