NOTES ON THE DAUGHTER OF TARSHISH: A METAPHOR FROM COLUMBUS TO EPSTEIN AND THE TAP ROOTS OF AMERICAN DISORDER (WARNING: GRAPHIC)

TRIBUTE. “Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things. You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.” – JOHN GILLESPIE MCGEE JR., Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, “High Flight,” 1941; edited. In Honor of NASA’S Artemis II successful Exploratory Moon Mission completed on April 10, 2026

  1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Wail, you ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor; It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus…Overflow your land like the Nile, you daughter of Tarshish, THERE IS NO MORE RESTRAINT.” – ISAIAH 23:1, 10, NASB

KEY TERM: “RESTRAINT.” ‘Maziyach’ [מֵ֥זַח]: “A belt or girdle (that restrains); strength.” NOTE: “מָזִיחַ denotes the band, girdle, or fastening that secures clothing or armor. In daily life it gathered the outer robe for work or battle. ‘In Metaphor, it represents strength held together, defenses firmly in place, or—when loosened—Power stripped away.’”

QUOTATION. “‘This is why God has allowed you to have more:’ Not for you to waste on prostitutes, drink, fancy food, expensive clothes, and all other kinds of Indolence [habitual idleness; indisposition to labor; laziness; inaction], ‘but for you to distribute to those in need.”’ ― JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, On Wealth and Poverty, 388 A.D.

COMMENTARY. “‘Tyre was the Mart of the Nations.’ She was noted for Mirth and Diversions; and this made her loth to consider the Warnings God gave by His servants. Her merchants were princes and lived like princes. Tyre being destroyed and laid waste, the merchants should abandon her. ‘Flee to shift for thine own safety; but those that are uneasy in one place, will be so in another. For when God’s Judgments pursue sinners, they will overtake them.’

Whence shall all this trouble come? It is a Destruction from the Almighty. God designed to convince men of the Vanity and Uncertainty of all Earthly Glory. ‘Let the Ruin of Tyre warn all places and persons to take heed of Pride; for he who Exalts himself shall be Abased. God will do it!’ He Who has all power in His hand; but the Chaldeans shall be the instruments.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. TEACHING

In the seminal work, TheI.  Wealth of Nations, published in 1776 by ADAM SMITH, he produced what many consider ‘The’ foundational text of Classical Economics that explains how Nations become wealthy. He argued that Free Markets, Division of Labor, and Self-Interest (guided by an “Invisible Hand”) drive ‘Prosperity.’ It critiques Mercantilism, advocating for Laissez-Faire market policies, and remains a cornerstone of Modern Capitalism, influencing discussions on trade, productivity, and economic policy. – Adapted from an AI Overview, “Wealth of Nations,” ret. Mar. 1, 2026

Before actually studying Smith’s ideas, I had naïvely assumed that the “Invisible Hand” was Providence, since that was the Religious Ecology and vernacular of the 19th century. Oh my, was I horrendously wrong!

Here is a much more accurate summary from LGT Wealth Management online journal (Sep. 26, 2025; edited) that tells the Real Story in objective but shocking review.

THE INVISIBLE HAND. “‘Smith postulated that Self-Interested Trading in truly free markets should lead to an efficient and Self-Regulated Market, without the need for Governmental Intervention.’

The Baker, for example, bakes bread to make a living; however, in order to succeed, they must sell it at a fair price, otherwise their customers will shop elsewhere. Even though the baker’s goal is profit, the outcome is that the customer has affordable bread. In essence, ‘The Invisible Hand speaks to the idea that when individuals pursue their own interests for personal gain in a competitive market, they frequently contribute to Society’s Wellbeing as a whole – even if this is

Unintended.’

The concept that markets tend toward this Optimal Equilibrium, without intervention or steering, became a cornerstone of Free-Market Capitalism and the Core Assumption of Neoliberal Economics.”

Anybody see a possible CATASTOPHIC FLAW in all this economic formulation? I do, beloved. It is brilliantly summarized by the distinguished, Yale-educated Professor of Religious Philosophy, DR. SAMUEL FLEISCHACHER. The title of his monograph: “Adam Smith on Religion” (Sep. 5, 2020; edited).

ADAM SMITH’S GOD. “‘For Smith, the workings of our SENTIMENTS give rise to Moral Standards, and motivate us to live up to such Standards, whether or not we believe in a God. NO RELIGIOUS SOURCE is needed for us to learn Morality nor is any Religious Sanction needed for us to heed it.’ But in ‘the Natural Course of things,’ Unjust and Indecent people win out over Just and Decent ones. It is hard to countenance this fact unless ‘The Universe’ somehow compensates for such Injustice. So our very moral impulses, Smith says — ‘The Noblest and Best Principles’ in human nature — lead us to believe that ‘the Great Author of our nature … will complete the Plan which He himself has taught us to begin’ and establish for us a ‘Future State,’ in which Justice and Decency are rewarded (III.5.10)…

‘Religion is thus NOT NECESSARY to Morality, but Religious Reflections are a Natural Outgrowth of carrying out a Moral Life and help support our moral commitments.’ ‘Religion enforces the natural Sense of Duty,’ says Smith; those who believe in it ‘act under an additional tie, besides those which regulate the conduct of other men.’ (III.5.13). For Smith, as for [Immanuel] Kant: ‘A Moral Faith in God is a Reasonable Consequence of a commitment to Virtue, and a laudable addition to the other, purely Secular reasons sustaining that commitment.’”

SKEPTICAL DEISM. In an earlier Commentary (Feb. 28, 2026), I asked an important question that bears repetition here:

“What SPIRIT Rules America?”

Taking all this into consideration, here is what I think. Most historians and economists strongly believe that Smith’s Foundational Proposals are the basis for: AMERICA’S VISION of Free Market Capitalism. Thus, the effectively God-less Theology of DEISM fed an easy capitulation to the Selfish Accumulation of Wealth (and Power) that of course did not provide Moral Restraints imagined by Smith.

This has been true from our very Birth in 1776, through the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, to its very Epitome in the person of the demonic, power-mad despot, President Donald Trump in 2026.

To be celebrated and regaled this coming JULY 4, the 250th Anniversary of our Birth as a Nation of peoples. Selah.

JESUS ON WEALTH. “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves TREASURES IN HEAVEN [‘thésauros (θησαυροὺς)-‘imperishable heavenly riches’] where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness!

NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].” – MATTHEW 6:19-24, AMP

IMPLICATIONS. As I now reflect on the True Foundations of the American Order, as enacted by the conduct of our FIRST THREE PLANTATIONS at St. Augustine, Florida (1565), Jamestown, Virginia (1607), and even Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620), and our inarguable ‘Desire for Material Gain’ (with “God” defined largely by the Deism of the Era in our Founding Documents):

I see THE GREAT FLAW in our ‘Somewhat Laudable Origins.’

Money. Power. Pride. All of which emanates from our earliest unprecedented ACCUMULATIONS of not only Selective Freedom, but our Vast Lands, inexhaustible Resources, and comparative Lawlessness that most American Christians today regard deeply, spiritually and politically as –

“The Greatest Nation in all of history!”

Ergo: So, what could be wrong with wanting to swear allegiance to ‘THE PRESIDENT’ who can make it “Great Once Again”? Selah.

III. THE COLUMBUS CONNECTION

I have been taught, as most of you I am confident, that Christopher Columbus is an Arch Hero of Western Christendom who is most often described in this way.

“Many [if not most white Catholics and Evangelical] Christians view Christopher Columbus as a deeply religious, though flawed, instrument of God who brought the Christian Faith to the New World. Motivated by a Desire to Evangelize and finance a Crusade to Jerusalem, he is often seen as a ‘Providential Agent for spreading the Gospel.’” – AI OVERVIEW, ret. April 9, 2026; edited

One Catholic scholar, the late DR. EDWARD M. SULLIVAN, described Columbus this way on behalf of the National Christopher Columbus Association, of which he was the Historian.

“‘The Faith of Columbus’ is given more explicit definition in the Preamble to the By-Laws of the National Columbus Celebration Association: ‘The Association seeks to honor not only the memory of Columbus and his historic achievements in linking the Old World and the New, but also the ‘Higher Values’ that motivated and sustained him in his efforts and his trials. Those Virtues–Faith in God, the Courage of his Convictions, Dedication to Purpose, Perseverance in Effort, Professional Excellence, and Boldness in facing the Unknown–are as needed as ever today and in the future.’” – “To the Memory of Christopher Columbus,” 2001; edited

NATIVE REALITY. By stunning contrast is an account that I take vastly more seriously. It is penned by founder and writer for ICT (Indian Country Today) News.  VINCENT SCHILLING an Akwesasne Mohawk, an author, public speaker and journalist who has contributed to such publications as NBC.com, the Smithsonian’s American Indian Magazine, and the CBC. He is the editor of NativeViewpoint.com.

Prepare for what I consider a Major Correction to the culture-soaked White Chistian Mythology of the life, times and base motivations of Columbus’ Voyages. I will report Mr. Schilling’s well researched analysis at some length due to its terrible importance to AMERICAN ORIGINS that have largely determined how we got here to this towering Existential Crisis.

THE PRINCIPLE. “Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. 

A GOOD TREE cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a BAD TREE bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].” – MATTHEW 7:15-20, AMP

  • KIRK. “Those who neglect the Roots of Order, one may add, are compelled to water those roots desperately—after wandering in the parched wasteland of Disorder. Upon our knowledge of those Roots may depend what sort of Order America and the World will have by the end of this century. It may be the Order of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Rich and Dehumanized; it may be the Garrison-State controlled by ferocious Ideology, as in George Orwell’s Nineteen-Eighty-Four; or it may be an Order Renewed and Improved, yet recognizably linked with the Order that arose in Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London.” ― RUSSELL KIRK, The Roots of American Order, 1974; edited

COLUMBUS: ROOT & BRANCH. Here are Mr. Vincent’s MAIN IDEAS from an essay titled, ““8 Myths and Atrocities about Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day,” (ICTN News, Oct. 9, 2017; edited).

“For there is nothing hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come out into the open.  So be careful how you listen; for whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [A LONGING FOR TRUTH], even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.” – JESUS OF NAZARETH, LUKE 8:17-18, AMP

OPEN. “On the Second Monday of October each year, Native Americans CRINGE at the thought of honoring CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, a man who committed Atrocities against Indigenous Peoples. Columbus Day was conceived by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic Fraternal organization, in the 1930s because they wanted a Catholic Hero. After President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the day into law as a Federal Holiday in 1937, the rest has been History. In an attempt to further thwart the celebration of this ‘holiday,’ we at ICTMN have outlined EIGHT MISNOMERS and bloody, greedy, sexually perverse and horrendous Atrocities committed by Columbus and his men.

  1. FALSE FUNDING. “After obtaining funding for his explorations to reach Asia from the seizure and sale of properties from Spanish Jews and Muslims by order of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Columbus headed out to explore a new world with money and ships. Brimming with the excitement of discovering new land, Columbus offered a reward of 10,000 maravedis or about $540 (a sailor’s yearly salary) for the first person to discover such land. Though another sailor saw the land in October 1492, Columbus retracted the reward he had previously offered because he claimed he had seen a dim light in the West.”
  2. FALSE LANDING. “We’re not talking about the Leif Ericson Viking explorer story. We mean Columbus didn’t land on the higher 48—ever. Columbus quite literally landed in what is now known as the Bahamas and later Hispaniola, present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Upon arrival, Columbus and his expedition of weapon-laden Spaniards met the Arawaks, Tainos, and Lucayans—ALL FRIENDLY, according to Columbus’ writings. Soon after arriving, Columbus wrecked the Santa Maria and the Arawaks worked for hours to save the crew and cargo. Impressed with the friendliness of the Native people, Columbus seized control of the land in the name of Spain. He also helped himself to some locals. In his Journal he wrote: ‘As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the Natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts.’”
  3. FALSE REPORTS. “When Columbus first saw the Native Arawaks that came to greet him and his crew he spoke with a PEACEFUL AND ADMIRING TONE. ‘They…brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things… They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane…They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.’ After several months in the Caribbean, on January 13, 1493, two Natives were murdered during trading. Columbus, who had otherwise described the Natives as gentle people wrote [just one year after his first landing]: ‘(They are) evil and I believe they are from the island of Caribe, and that they eat men.’ He also described them as ‘savage cannibals, with dog-like noses that drink the blood of their victims.’ The [patently false] Cannibal Story is taught as fact in some of today’s schools.”
  4. SAVAGE CREW. “‘On Columbus’s First Trip to the Caribbean, he later returned to Spain and left behind 39 men who went ahead and helped themselves to Native women. Upon his return, the men were all dead. With 1,200 more soldiers at his disposal, rape and pillaging became rampant as well as tolerated by Columbus. This is supported by a reported close friend of Columbus, Michele de Cuneo who wrote the first disturbing account of a relation between himself and a Native female gift given to him by Columbus. ‘While I was in the boat I captured a very beautiful Carib woman, whom the said Lord Admiral gave to me, and with whom, having taken her into my cabin, she being naked according to their custom, I conceived desire to take pleasure. I wanted to put my desire into execution but she did not want it and treated me with her finger nails in such a manner that I wished I had never begun. But seeing that (to tell you the end of it all), I took a rope and thrashed her well, for which she raised such unheard of screams that you would not have believed your ears. Finally, we came to an agreement in such manner that I can tell you that she seemed to have been brought up in a school of harlots.’ Several accounts of cruelty and murder include Spaniards testing the sharpness of blades on Native people by cutting them in half, beheading them in contests and throwing Natives into vats of boiling soap. There are also accounts of suckling infants being lifted from their mother’s breasts by Spaniards, only to be dashed headfirst into large rocks.” Bartolome De Las Casas, a former slave owner who became Bishop of Chiapas, described these exploits. ‘Such Inhumanities and Barbarisms were committed in my sight as no age can parallel,’ he wrote. ‘My eyes have seen these acts so foreign to human nature that now I tremble as I write.’”
  5. SLAVERY & GOLD. “Because Columbus reported a Plethora of Natives for Slaves, Rivers of Gold and Fertile Pastures to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, Columbus was given 17 ships and more than 1,200 men on his next expedition. However, Columbus had to deliver. In the next few years, Columbus was desperate to fulfill those promises—hundreds of Native Slaves died on their way back to Spain and Gold was not as bountiful as expected. Columbus forced the Natives to work in gold mines until exhaustion. ‘Those who opposed were beheaded or had their ears cut off.’ In the Provinces of Cicao, all persons over 14 had to supply at least a thimble of gold dust every three months and were given copper necklaces as proof of their compliance. ‘Those who did not fulfill their obligation had their hands cut off, which were tied around their necks while they bled to death—some 10,000 died handless. In two years’ time, approximately 250,000 Indians in Haiti were dead. Many deaths included mass suicides or intentional poisonings or mothers killing their babies to avoid persecution.’ According to Columbus, in a few years before his death, ‘Gold is the most precious of all commodities;’ Gold constitutes treasure and he who possesses it has all he needs in the world, as also the means of rescuing souls from Purgatory, and restoring them to the enjoyment of Paradise.’”
  6. SEX SLAVES. “‘In addition to putting the Natives to work as slaves in his gold mines, Columbus also sold Sex Slaves to his men—some as young as 9!’ [As with Muhammed’s most favored wife, Aisha, 9 years old at marriage]. ‘Columbus and his men also raided villages for Sex and Sport.’ In the year 1500, Columbus wrote: ‘A hundred Castellanoes are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm, and it is very general and there are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from nine to ten are now in demand.’”
  7. DOG FOOD. “‘In the early years of Columbus’ Conquests, there were butcher shops throughout the Caribbean where Indian bodies were sold as dog food.’ There was also a practice known as the ‘MONTERÍA INFERNAL,’ the Infernal Chase, or Manhunt, in which ‘Indians were hunted by War-D.’ These dogs—who also wore armor and had been fed human flesh, were a fierce match for the Indians. ‘Live babies were also fed to these War Dogs as sport, sometimes in front of horrified parents.’”
  8. EXECUTIVE PARDON. “After a multitude of complaints against Columbus about his mismanagement of the Island of Hispaniola [present day Haiti], a Royal Commissioner arrested Columbus in 1500 and brought him back to Spain in chains. Though he was stripped of his Governor title, he was Pardoned by King Ferdinand, who then subsidized a Fourth Voyage.”

                PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. Because of the explosive nature of these historical claims, Mr. Vincent published an extensive List of Sources, and this is only sample of those resources for you to examine on your own.

                • History of the United States, Volume V, by Elisha Benjamin Andrews

                DAVID BARTON: HELL’S HISTORIAN. “‘Nearly all those [Columbus] forcibly brought to Spain were the cannibalistic Caribs or those captured in justified warfare…The modern claims that he was a heartless Genocidal Maniac are false.’ In fact, Christopher Columbus even wrote about his motivations and Heart for Evangelism in a Book that he began writing in 1502, heavily and generously quoting the Scriptures. Included in the Book is a letter he wrote to Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, which lays bare ‘his heart for reaching the lost.’ Here he is in his own words:

                ‘I have seen and put in study to look into all the Scriptures … Our Lord has opened to my understanding (I could sense His hand upon me), so that it became clear that it was feasible to navigate from here to the Indies…All those who heard about my enterprise rejected it with laughter, scoffing at me…Who doubts that this Illumination was from the Holy Spirit? I attest that He [the Spirit] with marvelous Rays of Light, consoled me through the Holy and Sacred Scriptures…No one should be afraid to take any enterprise in the Name of our Savior, if it is Right and if the Purpose is purely for His Holy Service.’ – PAUL BATURA, “Go Ahead and Celebrate Christopher Columbus, Who Sought to Tell the New World About Jesus Christ,” The Daily Citizen (Focus on the Family), Oct. 7, 2022; edited

                NOTE: No Bibliography Cited.

                IV. LAST THOUGHTS: DARK ROOTS

                THESIS. ‘From Christopher Columbus’s 15th-century Sex Trafficking of Indigenous children to Jeffrey Epstein’s modern, high-profile network, America has a long, documented History of SYSTEMIC SEXUAL EXPLOITATION [OF YOUNG CHILDREN], often fueled by Power Imbalances, Wealth, and Legal Complicity. Sexual Violence has been ingrained in the NATION’S FOUNDATION as a tool of Control and a Commodity for Profit.’ – Adapted from AI Overview, ret. April 10, 2026; edited

                CODA. Tragically, the United States of America, traditionally regarded from Lincoln to Reagan to Trump as “The Last Best Hope of Mankind,” has completely forgotten Christ’s Basic Commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39). ‘AMERICA’S DARK HISTORICAL ROOTS of Unbounded Lust for Money and Power, Slavery, Sexual Exploitation, Native Slaughter, and Mexican Conquest, convince me that we were NEVER who we claimed to be.’

                No beloved: Not Ever.

                And why it becomes impeccably Logical for me to understand now this Reality: America is Pre-Destined: BABYLON THE GREAT, ruled by the Tyrant, the Beast of Babylon – The Biblical ANTICHRIST.

                Selah.

                THE TAPROOT. To Conclude. ‘IF’ my Vision of the Founding of the New World, especially including America, is a roughly accurate one – certainly more legitimate than the fluffy stuff of the David Barton Revisionist School of historical thought, then a CHILLING AMERICAN REALITY must be confronted.

                Therefore, with this MAJOR UNCOVERING about the Roots of the current American Disorder, THE BAPTIST fiercely puts it to us all, beginning with our PASTORS who remain Silently Subservient to the Trump Sedition:

                “And already the axe [of God’s judgment] is swinging toward the ROOT OF THE TREES; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire… His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.” – MATTHEW 3:10, 12, AMP

                Let’s get on with it then, beloved. While there is Day. Night is quickly advancing when none of us can anymore work. Selah.

                MEDIA

                YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/oJlgxasGJdg

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