A Call To Sanity And Repentance:

A Call To Sanity And Repentance: The ‘Woke Right’ And A New Subculture In American Evangelicalism

Ty Perry

In a recent interview, Tucker Carlson, whose animosity toward Israel and the Jewish people has become increasingly apparent, mocked Senator Ted Cruz for his support of the State of Israel based on the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12.

Though it was frustrating to watch Senator Cruz struggle to articulate the Abrahamic Covenant (and where in Scripture it is found), the most alarming part of it all was the antagonism and condescension that dripped from Carlson’s lips as he derided Cruz’s Christian Zionism.

Many Christians, particularly young men, are being influenced by a mixed crowd of socio-political commentators in the Conservative Manosphere, such as Carlson, Joe Rogan, and Andrew Tate, as well as by hardcore, anti-Zionist, Reformed theology bros like Joel Webbon.

This conflation of right-wing populism and extreme Reformed theology has created a new subculture in American evangelicalism—what I call the Young, Restless, Reformed, and Paranoid (YRRP).

And it’s a problem.

Although I have significant, substantive disagreements with aspects of Reformed theology, I gladly admit that there are plenty of Reformed Christians whose theology does not lead them to deride the Jewish people or the Jewish state, politically.

Rather, I am convinced that the opposite is true. In a social application of Newton’s Third Law of Motion, the insanity of the secular, woke Left has created an equal and opposite reaction—the Christian, woke Right.

Ironically, these two otherwise opposed worldviews find common ground in their opposition to the Jewish people, the State of Israel, and the United States’ support for both.

While I have no hope that anything I, an unabashed conservative Christian Zionist, might say will convince a far-Left secularist to abandon their anti-Zionism (which is to say, antisemitism), some hope remains that a YRRP brother who claims the name of Christ might hear me out.

Here are a few things to consider:

1.) The Abrahamic Covenant affirms that the land of Israel will always belong to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the Jewish people.

It is an eternal covenant that clearly depends not upon the faithfulness of Abraham or his descendants but entirely upon the faithfulness of Abraham’s God (Gen. 15:7–21; 17:6–8). Abram, it must be noted, contributed absolutely nothing to the covenant—he was asleep during the covenant-cutting ceremony!

For all the Reformed movement’s emphasis on the glory of God, I find it curious that the extreme element within it fails to see how God’s literal, future fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (not to mention the Land Covenant, the Priestly Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant) with national Israel brings glory to His name—something He swears He will do (Ezek. 36:16–32).

The testimony of both the Old Testament and the New is that “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable,” and that because of His unchanging, holy character, He will keep His covenants with the original recipients “for the sake of the fathers” (Rom. 11:28–29).

The onus, then, is on the YRRP to demonstrate contextually from Scripture that God has changed His mind about the Abrahamic Covenant.

2.) God’s command to bless Abraham and his descendants does not require that we support or endorse everything the State of Israel does today.

Whether due to sincere confusion or latent antisemitism, this concept of blessing the Jewish people seems to be a sticking point for many in the YRRP camp. My own anecdotal evidence leads me to believe that it’s far more about an unwillingness to extend kindness and aid to the Jewish people than it is a genuine mystification about the meaning of the word bless.

Blessing Israel does not mean we go around rubber-stamping everything they do or say—any more than we do for the United States. Nor, as one Tuckerite once sarcastically asked me, does it mean we are required to write a monthly tithe check to Benjamin Netanyahu.

Rather, it means we should take every opportunity God gives us to seek the welfare of the Jewish people, individually or as a state, particularly when it comes to protecting them from those who hate them. Indeed, God judges those nations that come against His people Israel, even if He has used those nations to chasten them (Jer. 50:17–18).

Christian anti-Zionists, the YRRP among them, must reckon with God’s warning that He will judge those who divide up His land (Joel 3:2) and who do not extend help to His people in their time of greatest need (Matt. 25:31–33, 41–46).

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Jan Markell Updates: Watching The Stage Being Set

Watching the Stage Being Set

Video Update

IDF says fighter jets struck Hezbollah facility in Beaufort Castle area, southern Lebanon

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday

Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck a Hezbollah facility in the Beaufort Castle area a short while ago, the military says, after Lebanese media reported strikes in the area.

According to the IDF, the facility, used by the terror group to “manage its fire and defense array,” was part of an underground Hezbollah site that was previously targeted in Israeli strikes.

“In recent days, the IDF identified attempts by the Hezbollah terror organization to restore the site and therefore the terror infrastructure in the area was struck,” the military says.

The IDF says the “presence of this site and the attempts to reestablish it constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

Trump is ‘very determined’ to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, says Macron

Speaking at a news conference in Brussels after a meeting of EU leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron says US President Donald Trump is “very determined” to broker a new ceasefire in Gaza. 

Macron, speaking following a phone call with the US president, says Trump is “very much aware of the importance of a ceasefire” for Gaza following the US-brokered ceasefire this week that halted 12 days of fighting between Israel and Iran.

“I think his commitment is crucial on this issue,” Macron says.

The two leaders discussed the Middle East and Ukraine, according to Macron’s office.

IDF says troops in northern Gaza demolished Hamas tunnel used in deadly attack during 2014 war

A Hamas tunnel in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, used in a deadly attack on troops during the 2014 Gaza War, was recently demolished, the military says.

In the incident on July 21, 2014, a cell of Hamas operatives emerged from a tunnel and exchanged fire with troops, killing Lt. Col. Dolev Keidar, 2nd Lt. Yuval Haiman, Warrant Officer Baynesain Kasahun, and Sgt. First Class Nadav Goldmacher.

The tunnel, which the military says was a kilometer long, was demolished by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit during operations of the Kfir Brigade’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the Beit Hanoun area.

PM denies reported plan to end Gaza war while backing Palestinian state

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies that he agreed to a White House vision that would end the war in Gaza, expand the Abraham Accords and see Israel commit to supporting a future Palestinian state.

“The conversation that’s described in the article in Israel Hayom did not take place,” says the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.

“Israel was not presented with the political proposal supposedly described in the article, and it obviously did not agree to it.”

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A “Tranquil” Peace Is Coming

Is the Israel and Iran War Over?

Britt Gillette

Despite the widespread belief Iran has been defeated, they still have options. Iran is weakened, but not powerless.

Faced with elimination, Iran’s regime is like a cornered animal. My best guess is the current ceasefire is a bid by the United States to give Iran an “out.” It’s an effort to keep Iran from exercising the most extreme of options at their disposal – options they will almost certainly act on if they feel they have no other choice.

These options include:

– Firing ballistic or hypersonic missiles at critical oil infrastructure in the Middle East.
– Firing hypersonic missiles at U.S. naval assets.
– Effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, modeling Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

It remains to be seen if Iran will take any of these actions, but it’s a mistake to underestimate their capabilities. The threat from Iran will not end until a new regime comes into power.

A lasting ceasefire leaving the current Iranian regime in power will only allow them to rebuild and continue to plot against Israel. Israel knows they have a narrow window to remove the current regime and create peace in the region.

As The Times of Israel reports, Netanyahu foresees once unimaginable prospects for peace on the horizon:

Looking beyond Gaza, Netanyahu said he believed the operation in Iran would also lead to an expansion of the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization deals between Israel and Arab countries that were brokered during Trump’s previous term.

“Extraordinary opportunities are being opened up here,” he said, and reiterated that Israel’s show of strength “is opening up opportunities that we can’t even imagine.”

“I can imagine a massive expansion of the peace agreements,” he continued. “I can see collaborations that might seem fantastical right now, but maybe you understand they’re not fantastical.”

“We will see a bright future of security, of prosperity, of hope, and also of peace.”

The Bible also tells us, we’ll see a Middle East similar to the one just described, which means the current Iranian regime must be defeated. In such a world, the constant existential threats against Israel – persistent threats since 1948 – will seemingly disappear.

Of course, the key word here is “seemingly.”

Again, Israel hasn’t experienced such a state of peace since its modern foundation in May 1948. But such a peace will arrive.

Ezekiel 38:11 describes it. It tells us Israel will be “a land of unwalled villages” – a “tranquil” people, quiet and undisturbed:

“You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!” Ezekiel 38:11 (NLT)

The stage is being set for the Ezekiel 38-39 Gog of Magog invasion to take place in the near future. It appears likely the current conflict will end with regime change in Iran, and a seeming state of peace in the Middle East.

The Bible says the Gog of Magog invasion will occur “after Israel’s people have been gathered from among many nations” (Ezekiel 38:8). God says it will happen “when I bring my people home from among the enemy nations” (Ezekiel 39:27).

These are clear references to the modern day nation state of Israel and the times in which we live, and the Old Testament prophets directly linked the restoration of Israel and the regathering of the Jewish people with the imminent coming of the Messiah.

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Report: Iran-backed Swedish gang recruiting drone pilots to hit Israeli sites

Report: Iran-backed Swedish gang recruiting drone pilots to hit Israeli sites

Israel National News

Swedish authorities are probing an alarming development involving the Foxtrot criminal network, which is reportedly searching for drone pilots to carry out attacks on Israeli targets, according to a report by Sweden's largest newspaper, Aftonbladet.

Police sources cited in the report indicate that the network has been actively recruiting operatives through encrypted chat platforms. The discussions reportedly involve detailed plans for using drones in coordinated assaults in Sweden and Denmark, with Israeli and Jewish sites considered likely targets. While criminal groups have previously employed drones for surveillance and have explored arming them with explosives, this represents a serious escalation.

Although Israel and Iran recently agreed to a ceasefire following drone attacks earlier this month, experts quoted in the report caution that tensions remain high and the truce may not hold. Swedish police have not confirmed the latest intelligence but maintain that the threat level against Israeli and Jewish interests remains elevated. American diplomatic and commercial sites are also believed to be potential targets.

Aftonbladet also cites an SVT "Uppdrag granskning" investigation in which members of the Foxtrot network allegedly admitted to carrying out attacks at the behest of Iran. One such case was the shooting at the Elbit Systems office in Gothenburg last autumn.

Foxtrot leader Rawa Majid is believed to have received protection in Iran in return for orchestrating these plots. "He has nothing to lose, because he has nowhere else to go," a source from the network told SVT.

Iran has denied any ties to the network. Sweden's security service, Säpo, declined to say whether the ceasefire impacts their assessment of Iran’s ability and willingness to use criminal groups to conduct violence abroad.

"What we can confirm is that Iran has previously used criminal networks in Sweden to carry out violent acts against interests perceived as threats to its regime. We also know that international developments can affect Sweden's security situation," said Säpo spokesperson Jonathan Svensson.

This investigation follows prior attacks on Israeli interests in Sweden, including a 2023 incident in which a 15-year-old was intercepted en route to the Israeli embassy in Stockholm with a firearm, and another minor opened fire the following day. The Swedish Security Service later linked both incidents to Iran.

In January, the US Treasury sanctioned Foxtrot and Majid for collaborating with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and using minors to target Jewish and Israeli institutions.

Digital dystopia looms large in the UK

Digital dystopia looms large in the UK

Rhoda Wilson

The UK government is considering a mandatory digital ID for all citizens and legal residents in the UK.  And the NHS has plans to sequence and store the DNA of all babies born in England.  We are fast approaching a dystopian digital surveillance state, similar to what China’s communist government has implemented.

The UK government is considering a proposal for a mandatory digital ID, known as the “BritCard,” which would require the entire population to download it and connect their birth records to the “One Login” system.

The BritCard scheme was proposed by the “think tank” Labour Together. Labour Together’s team is made up largely of former Labour MPs, former local government politicians, former civil servants and former politicians’ assistants.  It is influential within the Labour Party and, currently, the Labour government under Keir Starmer. 

Labour Together claims that, according to a poll they had conducted, 80% of Britons would support a digital identity card.  We would like to know who they polled – their office staff?

“For a progressive society to work, it needs to be able to collectively agree who is allowed to join it. Because it will exclude those who cannot join it, it needs to give its members proof that they belong,” Labour Together said.  “Progressive” doesn’t mean that society is improving or people’s lives are going to improve; it means that society is progressing towards the Globalists’ aims of totalitarianism.

A few sentences later, making the case for a mandatory digital ID for all adults, except illegal immigrants, Labour Together said, “By introducing a mandatory, universal, national identity credential – BritCard … It could end identity exclusion.”  Thus, they demonstrate that they spew out buzzwords and nonsense in the hopes of sounding convincing, that the money and time spent preparing their proposal have been well spent.

“The Government should announce as early as possible in Summer 2025 its intention to explore introducing a digital right-to-work and right-to-rent credential, as part of its plan to tackle illegal migration,” Labour Together demands.  We don’t for a moment believe that this initiative is to “tackle illegal migration.”

The “think tank” then lists what the Government “should also” do, including “rebrand the Gov.UK App and Gov.UK Wallet as the ‘BritCard app’.”  Labour Together seems to have forgotten that the Government answers to the public, and not to Labour “think tanks.”

Meanwhile, the Bank of England and HM Treasury are currently in the design phase for a potential digital pound, the UK’s central bank digital currency (“CBDC”), with an Academic Advisory Group supporting the process.  In January 2025, the Bank of England announced plans for a “Digital Pound Lab” to enable “hands-on experimentation” as part of its preparation for a potential CBDC. The Bank of England continues to assert that a final decision is yet to be made on whether to launch a digital pound and that a vote in Parliament is required before any launch.

However, WEFphile Keir Starmer is ignoring the public’s will, as demonstrated in the results of the 2016 referendum to exit the European Union (“EU”), and is making moves to re-incorporate the UK into the EU, beginning with his “Brexit reset trade deal” talks and the defence pact Starmer signed with the EU last month.  Last year, Andrew Bridgen warnedthat this pact will give the unelected European Commission full control of the British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, MI5, MI6, GCHQ, and access to the Five Eyes and our local police forces.

So, Britons should be concerned that the EU is currently threatening citizens of member countries with the launch of a CDBC in October.

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China And Russia Double Down On Support For Iran

Beijing and Moscow Double Down on Propping Up Tehran, Threaten to Give It Nukes

Ben Bartee

As anyone who understands how these things unfold could have foreseen, the president over the weekend shifted the goalposts from knocking out Iranian nuclear facilities to explicitly calling for regime change:

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!”

The neoconservative theory of the case is that, now that the Iranian regime is up against the wall, either external or internal pressure or some combination thereof will finish the job, the regime will be replaced by some Western-friendly alternative (like the delusional belief that the Shah’s failson could get reinstalled) or the country will be balkanized and befell by factional internal conflict (a la Syria), and utlimately regional peace will be secured.

None of this is likely to come to fruition without major, probably kinetic, pushback from both Russia and China.

For one thing, Iran is an indispensable stepping stone along the highly ambitious Belt and Road initiative designed to turn China from a major into a dominant commercial player on the world stage.

Via Newsweek (emphasis added):

“As Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Central Asian countries to deepen cooperation under China’s “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiative. This marks the latest step in what analysts call Beijing’s diplomatic offensive and was highlighted in a recent podcast by the China-Global South Project (CGSP).

The CGSP podcast discussion turned to China’s vocal support for Iran, after Xi spoke out Tuesday to rebuke Israel for sparking the ongoing conflict with its surprise attack last week.”

For its part, Russia signed in January a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty with Iran across multiple sectors. The Caucuses have been a hotbed of geopolitical conflict between the West and Russia in recent years, with Iran just south of the region as a major bulwark.

Iran has also equipped Russia with thousands of drones and allowed Russia to use its technology to produce more, which Russia desperately needs on the frontline with Ukraine.

For its part, Russia signed in January a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty with Iran across multiple sectors. The Caucuses have been a hotbed of geopolitical conflict between the West and Russia in recent years, with Iran just south of the region as a major bulwark.

Iran has also equipped Russia with thousands of drones and allowed Russia to use its technology to produce more, which Russia desperately needs on the frontline with Ukraine.

Via Reuters, September 2024 (emphasis added):

“Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Friday that Russia had launched 8,060 Iran-developed Shahed drones at Ukraine since it began its full-scale invasion 2-1/2 years ago.

“The partnership between Russia and Iran has resulted in lost homes and lost lives,” the foreign ministry said on X…

The Wall Street Journal reported in May this year that Moscow was also actively producing Shahed type drones by Iranian technology at a plant in the Tartarstan Republic. Until now, Iranian military support for Moscow has been most visible in the supply of those drones, which carry a smaller payload and are easier to shoot down because they travel at a fraction of the speed of ballistic missiles.”

Accordingly, Russian and Iranian geopolitical interests are deeply aligned, which means any regime change operation attempted by Israel or the United States would not be allowed to succeed without extreme resistance from Iran’s patron — as conveyed by Dmitry Medvedev’s threat to arm Iran with nukes as a deterrent.

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This Is Not Simply Another Heated Conflict In The Middle East; It Is A Prophetic Alignment

This Is Not Simply Another Heated Conflict In The Middle East; It Is A Prophetic Alignment

Robert Gottselig

Over the weekend, the American operation “Midnight Hammer” did just as its name suggests, hammering Iran by launching a historic and highly coordinated military operation against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

The mission was aimed at destroying Iran’s deeply fortified nuclear enrichment facilities, particularly at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strike force included seven B2 Spirit stealth bombers, which flew undetected into Iranian airspace. According to Fox News, the United States dropped a total of fourteen 30,000 lb bunker buster bombs and fired 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles from submarines, obliterating all its targets.

This highly complex and coordinated effort was precisely carried out with one hundred percent success, and all the B2s returned home safe and sound.

Of course, Iran vowed swift and decisive retaliation against both Israel and the United States with threats to target American bases in the Middle East. Iran did target an American base in Qatar—though it didn’t amount to much, causing no injuries or damage.

With the destruction of their nuclear program and Israeli strikes intensifying, it became clear that the regime was teetering on the brink of collapse.

Iran has now accepted a ceasefire. An agreement that they quickly broke, sending millions of Israelis back into bomb shelters the same morning the ceasefire came into effect. Israel, of course, responded. As of now, the ceasefire is holding—for how long is anyone’s guess.

When Iran accepted the ceasefire, it wasn’t without lying to their people. The regime claimed that it was their success that led to the agreement and reportedly plans to hold a victory celebration in Tehran. Nothing could be further from the truth. Iran was on the verge of collapse and was left with no more options.

The truth is that Israel should have finished them off, but if you know Ezekiel 38 and 39, none of this should surprise you as a student of God’s Word. We know that Iran must live to see another day. What we are witnessing today is far more than just another major conflict with Israel and her enemies. This is part of something much greater that is coming. It is setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

Israel stood on the threshold of victory over its enemies once again, all the while seeking peace with her Arab neighbors. The Abraham Accords and its likely expansion is bringing Arab nations that once stood as Israel’s enemies to the peace table. Israel has a great longing for peace today. No one can blame them. They are tired of war and conflict. All these developments are leading towards the ultimate peace deal that we read about in Daniel 9:27.

Meanwhile, the Iranian regime is seeking their survival, aligning remarkably with the prophetic details described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. The war with Israel is setting Iran up with a perfect motivation for revenge.

How will the details of these prophecies further come together before being fulfilled? Time will tell, but the Bible tells us how it will end.

This hasn’t simply been a serious conflict in the Middle East; it is prophetic alignment. The pieces are coming together, and God’s Word will come to pass exactly as He has said it would. We are truly living in remarkable times, and now, more than ever, we must stay grounded in the Bible.

Next ceasefire on the horizon? Trump & Qatar say Gaza talks gain new momentum after Israel-Iran war

Next ceasefire on the horizon? Trump & Qatar say Gaza talks gain new momentum after Israel-Iran war

All Israel News Staff

The end of the war between Israel and Iran has given rise to new hopes for a quick second ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

During the NATO summit on Wednesday, the sentiment was echoed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said there is “great progress” in the talks between Hamas and Israel.

“I think that because of this attack that we made,” Trump said, “I think we’re going to have some very good news… Gaza is very close.”

In recent weeks, there has been no new progress in the talks over a ceasefire in Gaza, where fighting continued even amid Israeli strikes in Iran.

Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed Al Ansari confirmed Trump’s remarks, telling CNN that Qatar, which has been the main mediator in the talks, has been in touch with “all sides.”

“This is the time now for President Trump to push for it and we believe he is sincere about it… We are willing to help on that,” Ansari said.

“There was momentum created by the ceasefire in Iran and Israel,” he said, “but we’re not out of the woods yet. There are a lot of details that I can’t discuss right now about the deal in place but I can tell you it’s the same parameters that keeps going in and out of the talks.”

However, the two direct parties to the conflict were significantly more cautious in recent statements.

Hamas sources told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the terror group continues to reject demands for disarmament and the exile of its leadership, while demanding a guaranteed and final end to the war as part of any agreement, which Israel has rejected.

Senior Hamas official Taher Nounou told the French news agency AFP: “Our contact with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators has never stopped, and the talks have even intensified in recent hours.”

However, speaking with the Qatari Al-Arabi channel the same day, he said there was “nothing new” in the negotiations.

“The United States has the ability to stop the war, and Trump can force Netanyahu to stop it. We welcome any initiative that will lead to an end to the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, and the reconstruction of the Strip,” Nounou said.

Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the new push for a deal yet.

Speaking with Ynet News, a senior security source estimated that the “change in the regional balance after the war in Iran,” could energize the talks and lead to an eventual breakthrough.

Trump envoy hints at new countries joining Abraham Accords

Trump envoy hints at new countries joining Abraham Accords

Ynetnews

Steve Witkoff says 'big announcements' coming on new countries seeking to normalize relations with Israel as talks with Iran may soon resume.

“We think we're going to have some pretty big announcements on countries that are now coming into the Abraham Peace Accords,” Witkoff told CNBC in an interview, following speculation that Israel’s military gains in its military campaign against Iran could incentivize more nations in the region to normalize ties with Jerusalem.

The Abraham Accords were signed in September 2020 at the White House, initially bringing together Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Morocco and Sudan joined the framework shortly afterward. Talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia had been progressing but were suspended after the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war.

Last month, Trump met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and publicly urged him to join the Abraham Accords as well.

Witkoff also commented on the potential renewal of nuclear negotiations with Iran, saying talks could resume as early as next week following the ceasefire that went into effect Tuesday. “We're hopeful for a comprehensive peace agreement [with Tehran],” he said. “We were hopeful when we first started negotiations. It didn't quite work that way, but today we are hopeful... I think they're ready. That's my strong sense."

However, he stressed that uranium enrichment and a push for nuclear weapons remain a red line for Washington. “Enrichment is the red line, and beyond enrichment—weaponization is the red line. That would destabilize the entire region,” he said. “Everyone will then need a bomb—and we just can't have that.”