In October 2024, I was elected by the residents of the Snowy Monaro Region to represent them as a councillor. The council area has around 22,000 residents living in an area ~15,000 square kilometres, about three quarters the area of Wales in the United Kingdom. The area includes the famous Snowy River and the Snowy Mountains where Australia’s ski fields are located.
Figure 1. Map of the Snowy Monaro Regional Council area in southern New South Wales, Australia. Source
In late March, I wrote a post about the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals being incorporated into the Draft 2042 Snowy Monaro Regional Council Community Strategic Plan.
It Is A Conspiracy!
I live in a beautiful part of Australia - the Snowy Mountains - far from the stress and crowds of the big city. My great-grandfather moved to this area 150 years ago and my family has been farming in the here ever since. My great-grandfather put the first trout in the Snowy River, at a time when Australia was just a series of six colonies of Great Brita…
I noted in my March post that somehow, the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) had been incorporated into our local draft strategic plan that purported to extend to 2042. I noted the following:
I am lobbying hard to have references to the U.N.’s 17 SDGs removed from our community strategic plan but most local people don’t understand and don’t care. The Secretary General of the U.N., in promoting the 17 SDGs, called for: “inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond and deliver for the people and planet and to get the world back on track by turbocharging action on the Sustainable Development Goals”.
Who knows what this means but it is not good. I doubt that I could find one person in our rural community who could explain “inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism”.
The draft plan was made available for local residents to provide feedback and out of the 22,000 residents, about 40 people provided feedback to the council. Some of the feedback drew attention to the lack of relevance of the 17 SDGs to the local region. Remarkably, these SDGs have now been removed.
So - perhaps the United Nations doesn’t have the influence that I thought in this remote location. While it is a small step for the Snowy Monaro Regional Community, I like to think that, just for a moment, I beat the United Nations! Of course - I’m dreamin’!
Some of my Sons of Issachar readers may be interested to view or listen to a recent interview that I had with a local journalist about my assessment of the first seven months of life as a councillor.
Stories That Caught My Attention
President Trump’s First 100 Days
There has been much written about the first 100 days of President Trump 2.0. He had a major rally in Michigan and talked about his achievements - notably, the closure of the southern border with the millions of illegal immigrants crossing under Joe Biden. He has taken to the administrative state with a virtual chainsaw and managed to keep several dozen policy balls in the air. His tariff policy has confused the stockmarket but it may yet prove to be a winner. Under his administration, there have been investment commitments of US$8 trillion, as Trump seeks to induce manufacturers to return to the US.
Joel Skousen from worldaffairsbrief.com provided the following assessment:
“It’s been a little over three months since president Trump took office, and it’s customary for pundits to comment on Trump’s first 100 days, either in praise or condemnation of his track record so far. The mainstream media doesn’t like anything Trump has done, and Trump’s biggest supporters in the alternative media like Breitbart, Epoch Times, and the Daily Signal seem to like everything Trump has done. I see both the positive and negative things Trump does. While I have applauded each of the Trump Exec Orders that have worked to dismantle and reverse discrimination in America, reduce non-essential workers in the federal government, and expose billions in secret slush fund spending, most of his best initiatives have been blocked by the courts—which isn’t his fault. However, despite trying to rein in the massive “unelected bureaucracy” Trump has not been able to penetrate and eliminate the Deep State very far, but at least he has not picked as many Deep State advisors this time around, relying instead on yesman for the most part. But Trump has made some serious missteps too, such as creating havoc in the domestic and world economy with his arbitrary tariff hikes (made worse by nearly daily changes), but his worst misstep—rooted in his naive desire to become the world’s greatest “peace” president—is repeatedly failing to recognize the major threat that NK, China and Russia pose as existential enemies to the US armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons.”
With the Trump administration now trying to negotiate with Iran and Russia plus all the items in the domestic agenda, it seems likely that some balls Trump is juggling, will be dropped. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s real estate buddy from New York may not be in same league as the wily Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and you’d have to back Russia holding the cards in relation to the conflict with Ukraine.
Domestically, Trump’s major challenge is with the various judges who are trying to halt the most important and significant parts of his policy agenda. It will be interesting to see what Trump is able to achieve and bed down during his second 100 days in office.
Will There Be Nuclear War Between India and Pakistan?
There has been conflict between India and Pakistan ever since partitioning of the subcontinent in 1947. Skirmishes on the northern border have been a recurring issue but the recent conflict appears to be more serious.
Tyler Durden who writes Zerohedge, recently discussed the risk of nuclear war:
“Hostilities between India and Pakistan have intensified after a deadly militant attack in the contested Kashmir region killed twenty-six people. New Delhi has blamed its neighbor for the attack, but Islamabad has denied any involvement. The incident has sparked a series of smaller military engagements along the Indian border and the Indian government has ordered all Pakistani visitors in India to leave by April 29th. It has also threatened to block or divert water supplies from the Indus River system, which support 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture.
The Indus Water Treaty – which was brokered by the World Bank in September 1960 – determined the rights and obligations of Pakistan and India concerning the use of waters of the Indus River system. The agreement has stood the test of time and has long been hailed as a rare example of cooperation between the two ideologically opposed nations. India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty is being called an “act of war” by Pakistan.
It is easy to forget that both India and Pakistan have large arsenals of nuclear weapons. Mr Durdan writes:
“Pakistan is estimate to control at least 170 nuclear weapons of various yields. All of them have a range of under 2000 miles, but they are more than enough to wipe out all of India’s major population centers. Pakistan also has a “first use” policy; they hold that any war with a nuclear armed opponent means they have the option to fire nukes first.
India’s arsenal is comparable, with at least 164 nuclear weapons, though many have a larger yield and greater range.”
It seems likely that in any serious future strife between India and Pakistan, China will also be likely to become involved:
“A nuclear exchange or full blown war also risks the potential involvement of nuclear armed China. China and Pakistan have increased defense ties over the years. In February, China “reiterated its firm support for Pakistan in defending its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and its support for Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard national security, stability, development and prosperity”.
I have thought for some time that when a major conflict does break out that involves the superpowers, that rather than the Middle East, Russia or Taiwan, it could be somewhere that may have been overlooked.
It will be important to keep our eyes on India and Pakistan as the long-term hostility between these countries could flare into a full conflict following a “minor incident” in the same way that the assassination of an obscure European Royal in 1914, triggered Word War 1.
The Conclave
I have watched the movie Conclave several times now and found it compelling and wonderfully filmed with great cinematic performances. The movie must have increased its downloads dramatically since the death of Pope Francis and with the real-life conclave commencing next week on 7 May, 2025.
Pope Francis appointed about 80% of the voting cardinals and so it is likely that the seemingly Marxist and globalist views of the current Vatican will continue.
Mike McCormick writes an interesting and inflammatory substack and wrote this week about the most likely successor to Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
“Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, long considered the probable successor to Pope Francis to lead the Catholic Church as God’s chosen representative on Earth, is looking pretty damn fallible all of a sudden.
Parolin is the source of too many lies, too many betrayals, too much dirty history covering for rapist, ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick for the conclave to ignore……………….
My prayer for Cardinal Parolin is that he publicly confesses his sins and asks those he harmed for absolution. There’s a lot of us. He was in on the 2020 shutdown of all Church activities during the fake plandemic….”
It is likely that the results of the conclave will be known by the end of the week ahead. Mike McCormick has the view that Cardinal Parolin is a “baddie” who will not be elevated into the top position. However, it would be a miracle indeed if a true man of God emerges when the white smoke comes from the Vatican chimney.
China and the US - Chairman Mao’s Lesson
President Trump has deliberately provoked China with the tariffs he has imposed and there has been a significant impact already on the Chinese economy. Trump wants to stimulate manufacturing in the US and redress the trade imbalance between the US and China.
However, Sam Faddis, the ex-CIA agent who writes the excellent substack AND Magazine, has some interesting insights this week that go back to China under Chairman Mao.
Faddis notes that a key arm of the Chinese State Media, the Beijing Daily, published an article this week related to the trade war with the US. The Beijing Daily quotes from Chairman Mao’s lectures from 1938 titled On Protracted War. Mao’s lectures presented the strategy for defeating the Japanese and Faddis writes that the approach presented is a good summary of the Chinese approach to conflict.
From the Beijing Daily article, Sam Faddis highlights the following points made by the Chinese state media arm:
Trump is trying to strangle China. He is aggressive. He is ruthless.
There is no room for compromise.
If China gives way, Trump will only become more aggressive. China must resist.
American assurances cannot be relied upon. A deal would mean nothing.
Time is on China’s side.
Anyone who believes China should compromise is guilty of having an “erroneous viewpoint”. Given what happens to people in China who are judged to have “erroneous viewpoints,” that’s not a good thing.
In the trade war between the US and China, Faddis believes that China is prepared for the long haul:
“This is a battle for national supremacy. There can only be one winner.
The CCP believes we do not have the stomach for a long fight. We will lose heart. Our morale will suffer. We will quit. They have good reason to. We have made a habit of starting fights we are not prepared to win in recent decades.
There will be no deals. Nowhere is there even the hint of reaching an agreement or backing down. In fact, the whole focus of On Protracted War was on shutting down any discussion of trying to negotiate or compromise. The lectures are built on the bedrock that only uncompromising resistance can lead to victory. To compromise is to surrender and to be lost.”
It is hard to predict the outcome of the US-China trade war. Faddis believes that the Chinese won’t blink first!
Ivermectin and Fenbendazole as Cancer Remedies
There have been many case studies demonstrating that ivermectin and fenbendazole (both antiparisitic drugs used widely in animals), have efficacy in treating various forms of cancer. Joel Skousen in worldaffairsbrief.com has provided a brief post about ivermectin and fenbendazole:
“Here’s another incredible case study courtesy of Dr Makis. He started chemo at the Cleveland Clinic and then after 2 cycles added: Ivermectin 78mg/day and Fenbendazole 1000mg/day. The results after 1 month: 90-96% tumor volume shrinkage
From the patient: "I have not met with my oncologist to review the results, but it seems to me that all the cancer has reduced in size substantially"
Dr. Makis: if you’re going to do a chemo regimen for your Stage 4 Lung cancer, you HAVE TO add Ivermectin and Fenbendazole to see incredible results! Patients are coming to me from the largest, most prestigious Cancer Centers in the world. But why? Because their Oncologists are handcuffed. They are not allowed to provide cutting edge cancer treatments. They are not allowed to provide treatments with curative intent. And those options exist.”
You can read the article on the substack post: