1. The so called “spiritual” represented by B 16 joins hands with the “secular”, Marcello Pera, president of the Senate, member of the Berlusconi party.
   
   The idea is to shoot all the artillery towards the progressive laicism of the European States and the consequent de-christianazation of Europe. It’s argued that a strong Christianity is needed to oppose the rising Islamism. (Reaction to growth of the Islamist Ideology).
   
   This means, in practice, to bipolarize the situation, advocating that only one strong Christianity can sucessfully counteract the rising strong Islamism. Here we see a desire to come back to medieval roots, where all European policies were determined by the Vatican.
   
   This book also proposes a negation of the Vatican II. It’s a most interesting book because it reveals, without the shade of a doubt, that this Pope is bent on liquidating Pope John 23 heritage. End ot the politique of dialogue, beginning of “real politik”. Nothing could be more fit to an imperial agenda. Inquisition is on the horizon.
   Rating: 1 / 5

2. A short book, with a short section by Ratzinger that reiterates Gelasius I, which if nothing else speaks volumes on the mindset of Benedict XVI. Otherwise, little that is noteworthy.
   Rating: 2 / 5

3. Not a quick-read book, but one which offers an historical framework within which to evaluate a few of the imponderables nowadays associated with the rise of Islam.
   Rating: 4 / 5

4. The first 30 pages were hard to get through but after that it was great. There is mention that not only does Christianity offer happiness in the next life, as does Islam, but it offers a better life in this world. I recommend it for all who are wondering if any religion is better than any other. Not light reading but worth the effort.
   Rating: 4 / 5

5. I didn’t know much about Ratzinger before I picked this up so I was suprised to see him giving praise to the United States and not doing things like, you know, calling the fight against anti-Semitism, Islamic psychopaths and Pan-Arab Authoritarianism a “great loss for humanity.” I couldn’t agree more. The future of the world and the West in particular looks pretty bleak at times in my view. Who’s going to do it if not us? We defeated Fascism and Communism by ourselves. Once more we have to swoop to rescue our European friends from the latest threat while they cower in fear.

   Why is the United States so willing to fight these battles both figurative and literal while Europeans seem to care less? Ratzinger argues the reason for this is that Americans aren’t completely consumed with self-hatred the way Europeans are although we’re about halfway there. As he put it, we Americans “aren’t afraid to love ourselves.”

   Important point to make because Europeans like to kid themselves into thinking they hate Americans because of the War in Iraq when in actuality they hate us because we’re religous, because of our success, and because they’d all be speaking German or living on communes if it weren’t for us. Since those threats have been defeated Europe is starting to reconsider its friendship with America now that the relationship doesn’t seem as important as it used to.

   This self-love, our religiousity, our belief in ourselves, our belief in liberty for all humanity, our relationship with Israel; all of this gives America a unique position in the world today and should, as Ratzinger argues, bring us to recognize the important role we have in preserving the West and bettering all of humanity.

   As the Islamic World continues to invade the West, terrorize the citizens of Europe and ghoulishly obsess about the annihilation of world Jewry the United States is and will be the only one to confront these great problems. If we don’t stand up then who knows what will happen to liberty and human rights in another century or two especially with the rise of China. If these problems aren’t snuffed out then all of humanity could be facing a darkness that makes relativism look like a Sunday morning walk in the park.

   Rating: 4 / 5

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