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The editor of the British cultural and political magazine Standpoint stated that "war, famine and pandemic have been familiar since the horsemen of the Apocalypse. More remarkable is the fact that Western civilisation constantly overcomes these terrors, renews itself and enables all humanity to share in its prosperity . . . Our civilisation has withstood dictators and depressions before" (Daniel Johnson, January 2009, p. 3, emphasis added throughout).
The bold title of his editorial is "We Decline to Decline." But will the West be able to forestall all the forces arrayed against it?
The United States is still the hub of Western civilization. Is American power waning? The prognosis of some insightful observers is not that encouraging.
The BBC News Web site reported on Nov. 21, 2008: "US economic, military and political dominance is likely to decline over the next two decades, according to a new intelligence report on global trends. The National Intelligence Council (NIC) predicts China, India and Russia will increasingly challenge our influence" ("US Global Dominance 'Set to Wane'").
(Europe, meanwhile, is a sleeper not yet in the picture of most intelligence services. But according to biblical prophecy, a new European-centered superpower will emerge to dominate much of the world. The Good News and its sister publication World News & Prophecy continually watch and report on developments within the European Union, a likely predecessor to a much more sinister, powerful and supremely authoritarian configuration.)
Paul Kennedy, professor of history and director of International Security Studies at Yale University, wrote that "overspending and military overstretch are contributing to U.S. decline and Asia's rise" ("American Power Is on the Wane," The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 15, 2009, p. 14). In another feature article this insightful observer said, "But it looks as if we- America, much of the rest of the world and its peoples-are in for a rough ride as 2009 unfolds" ("When Soft Power Meets Hard Choices," The Sunday Times, Jan. 25, 2009).
Former President George W. Bush threw some much-needed light on this fundamental question of decline in his farewell address. "He underlined that, in facing challenges, the US must 'maintain our moral clarity' as he came close to reprising his famous 'axis of evil' speech. He said: 'I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise'" (Tom Baldwin, " Bush Calls on America to Keep Its Moral Clarity," The Times, Jan. 16, 2009, p. 41).
In the end, the fate of America and Western civilization depends much more on our moral status with God than any other factor. For example, how is the nation doing in observing the Ten Commandments?
In actuality the Bible foretells the direction in which the leading Western countries have been and are headed. To understand more, request or download our free booklet . (Sources: BBC News, The Times [London], The Sunday Times [London], Standpoint, The Wall Street Journal.)
Even in terms of annual legal crossings on the U.S.Mexican border, the estimated number of 300,000 makes it the world's busiest. Yet the possibility of a failed Mexican state ranks high among American international worries.
A regular column in the International Herald Tribune asked: "What do Pakistan and Mexico have in common? They figure in the nightmares of U.S. military planners trying to peer into the future and identify the next big threats. The two countries are mentioned in the same breath in a just-published study by the United States Joint Forces Command, whose jobs include providing an annual look into the future to prevent the U.S. military from being caught off guard by unexpected developments " (Bernd Debusmann, "Among Top U.S. Fears, a Failed Mexican State," Jan. 9, 2009, p. 2).
Both of these countries are close to the top in the reported rankings of failed states subject to rapid and sudden collapse. The dangers associated with Pakistan are more painfully obvious. A retired American intelligence analyst said in December 2008 that Pakistan is "one of the single most challenging places on the planet" (ibid.).
Mexico is more of a surprise. One paragraph in the article reflects the gravity of Mexico's plight: "Vicious and widening violence pitting the drug cartels against each other and against the Mexican state have left more than 8,000 Mexicans dead over the past two years. Kidnappings have become a routine part of Mexican daily life. Common crime is widespread. Pervasive corruption has hollowed out the state" (ibid.).
Mexico's governmental infrastructure remains under continual pressure and assault by drug cartels and other criminal gangs. The Joint Forces Command study plainly stated: "Any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for Homeland Security alone. One minor indication is that the Mexican border town of Tijuana is now off-limits to American marines because of its increasing violence" (Chris Ayres, "You Wanna Die Tonight, Gringo?" The Times, Jan. 23, 2009, p. 2). (Sources: The Times [London], International Herald Tribune.)
An important U.K. report published by the Commission on National Security-a project sponsored by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)-called attention to weak states as major threats to Britain's security. The more-than-20 such states have a combined population of 880 million.
Somalia is at the top of the list. Drought, al-Qaeda influence and even piracy are major factors in making it a threat. In alphabetical order this list of potential failed states also includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nigeria and Pakistan. Some are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, an arc of instability that poses security problems for not only Britain, but the United States and the entire Western world.
The IPPR report concluded that "weak, corrupt and failing states have become bigger security risks than strong states . . . They are the targets of transnational criminal networks which are expanding their drugs, arms and people trafficking" (Richard Norton-Taylor, "Weak States Are Major Threat to British Security, Report Warns," The Guardian, Nov. 27, 2008).
This report warns that "storm clouds are gathering [in the African arc of instability], creating profound and direct challenges to UK and wider international security" (ibid.). These little-governed or ungovernable areas of the globe warrant our attention as actual and potential sources of terrorist attacks. (Source: The Guardian [London].)
The Jewish Chronicle called it "The Worst Wave of Hate for Quarter of a Century." Hatred of Jews suddenly became much more evident in the wake of the air strikes and Israeli incursion into Gaza. One observer said that anti-Semites are "using an overseas conflict as an excuse for their racism" (Leon Symons, Simon Rocker and Jonny Paul, Jan. 16, 2009, p. 1).
A demonstration in London against the Israeli action attracted 12,000 protestors. Over a period of about two weeks more than 150 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded across Britain-including arson, personal attacks on individuals, graffiti and abusive telephone calls (ibid.).
The "State of the Union" column in The Wall Street Journal reported: "A Pew study from September [2008] shows that 25% of Germans and 20% of French are still affected by the [anti-Semitic] virus. In Spain, 46% have unfavourable views of Jews.
"Is there really no connection between this statistic and the fact that the Spanish media and government are among Europe's most hostile toward the Jewish state? Is it just a coincidence that Europe's largest anti-Israeli demonstration took place Sunday in Madrid with more than 100,000 protestors?" (Daniel Schwammenthal, "Europe Reimports Jew Hatred," Jan. 13, 2009, p. 12).
It is increasingly difficult to conveniently separate anti-Israeli feelings and anti-Semitism, as London's chief rabbi has pointed out for many months. The Wall Street Journal piece plainly concluded that "the rejection of Israel's right to exist is what drives their attacks."
A Time feature article observed that "the threat posed by Hamas is only the most immediate of the many interlocking challenges facing Israel, some of which cast dark shadows over the long-term viability of a democratic Jewish state" (Tim McGirk, "Can Israel Survive Its Assault on Gaza?" Jan. 19, 2009, pp. 13-16).
For a comprehensive understanding of the immediate dangers and the biblically foretold, positive long-term outcome, please see our May-June 2008 Good News cover article "Can Israel Survive?" Also, to comprehend the historic and prophetic background of Israel's position in the world, request or download our free booklet . (Sources: The Jewish Chronicle [London], The Wall Street Journal, Time.)
Riots and protests have been erupting at various points in Europe. Formerly placid Iceland has been the site of several this year. In Riga, Latvia, 10,000 protestors stormed the national parliament. Demonstrations against the Bulgarian government have alarmed the intelligentsia there. Last December Greece was the site of two weeks of demonstrations by protestors. The Greek consulate in Berlin was briefly assaulted as well. All these occurred in addition to the widespread protests against the Israeli incursion into Gaza.
In some of these nations the police are viewed as lazy, corrupt and brutal-often seemingly powerless when confronted by a rioting crowd. Civil unrest is apparently becoming a serious problem in Europe. Is this one small indication of the potential revival of authoritarian forces that will restore order? (Source: The Times [London].)
According to a Daily Telegraph article, "Secret talks to create a European Union President and Foreign Minister will begin in the New Year after the Irish government confirmed it would hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty [the renamed EU constitution]" ("Secret 'EU President' Talks Begin as Ireland Agrees to Vote Again," Jan. 12, 2009).
Negotiations on these two new positions created by the Lisbon Treaty had ceased when the Republic of Ireland voted to turn the treaty down last June. A positive result is considered likely with special concessions to Ireland such as a permanent Irish European Commissioner and legal guarantees that the EU will keep hands off the country's military neutrality and tax, social and ethical issues. But that's a lot, and some observers question the long-term ability of the EU to fully honor these guarantees.
William Hague, British shadow foreign secretary and a member of the Conservative Party, stated: "It would be a serious mistake to take the Irish people for granted. It would be democratically illegitimate to start putting the renamed EU constitution into force when the Irish people have yet to give their democratic consent" (ibid.).
An editorial in The Times said that "the EU has many challenges, chief among them [is] understanding democracy" ("No Still Means No," The Times, Dec. 12, 2008). In other words, the European Union doesn't take "no" for an answer and is determined to press ahead in spite of opposition from concerned voters. (Sources: The Times [London], The Daily Telegraph [London].)
According to a British Roman Catholic cardinal who recently published a new book, Faith in the Nation, "The rise of secularism has led to a liberal society, hostile to Christian morals and values, in which religious belief is viewed as 'a private eccentricity' and the voice of faith groups is marginalised" (Jonathan Wynne-Jones, "Cardinal: Britain Is Hostile to Christians," The Sunday Telegraph, Dec. 7, 2008 ).
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, continued, "Britain shows signs of degenerating into a country free of morals, because of its rejection of traditional values." He also stated that "atheism has become more vocal and aggressive" (ibid.). (Source: The Sunday Telegraph [London].)
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Keywords: Mexico U.S. power antisemitism
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