Information Related to "World News & Trends March/April 2010"
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Notice these sobering words from The Wall Street Journal: "Never in the World Economic Forum's 40-year history have business and political leaders gathered in Davos [Switzerland] with so many pressing issues to discuss" ("A World of Troubles," Feb. 3, 2010, emphasis added throughout). Several of those pressing issues center on the global debt problem, and specifically that of the United States and the United Kingdom.
A number of disturbing newspaper and magazine headlines should grab our attention: "U.S. in Fiscal Peril With $12.1 Trillion Debt" (USA Today, Jan. 4, 2010); "Ocean of Debt Threatens Obama as He Forecasts Record £975 [billion, or $1.5 trillion] Deficit" (The Daily Telegraph, Feb. 2, 2010); "Tell Us the Truth About the Depth of Our [Britain's] Debt Crisis" (The Sunday Telegraph, Sept. 20, 2009); "We Can Afford to Pile Up Debt, Says [British Prime Minister Gordon] Brown" (The Daily Telegraph, Feb. 3, 2010); "How Great Powers Fall: Steep Debt, Slow Growth and High Spending Kill Empires—and America Could Be Next" (Newsweek, Dec. 7, 2009).
The USA Today article simply states: "After $787 billion in stimulus spending and $707 billion in bank bailouts, 2010 is fast shaping up to be the year of the federal budget diet. Bipartisan support is growing in Congress for action to stabilize the nation's bulging debt, which is now $12.1 trillion." Influential fiscal experts and concerned politicians want decisive action, but there is no agreement on what needs to be done.
According to The Sunday Telegraph'slead editorial about Britain's debt crisis: "The numbers are horrendous: today the national debt stands at £804.4 billion [or $1.3 trillion], equivalent to more than £25,000 [or nearly $40,000] for every family in Britain. Interest payments are expected to increase by more than 11 per cent every year; by 2013-14, they will amount to £63.7 billion [$100 billion], or more than we now spend on defence and transport together."
TheFeb. 3 Daily Telegraph article said that "Gordon Brown has insisted he was 'right' to run up a huge Government deficit and said that pushing the public finances deep into the red was essential to cope with the recent recession...The Government will spend £178 billion [around $280 billion] more than it raises in tax during the current financial year, a deficit equal to 12.6 per cent of the entire economy and larger than almost any other advanced economy."
In the Newsweek cover piece, author Niall Ferguson focused on how "economic weakness is endangering [America's] global power." He further stated: "But if the United States succumbs to a fiscal crisis, as an increasing number of economic experts fear it may, then the entire balance of global economic power could shift." Ferguson, a Harvard professor, indicated that a debt explosion usually ends up in a radical reduction in national defense spending.
This has already begun to happen in Britain. A Feb. 2 Daily Telegraph report stated: "Britain's Armed Forces face inevitable cuts that will leave the country 'dependent' on allies [like France] to fight future conflicts...The country can no longer afford to fund current operations in Afghanistan" ("Budget Cuts 'Will Leave Britain Reliant on War Allies'").
Failure to balance the books inevitably leads to financial disaster, whether on a national, corporate or individual level, bringing on all the other thorny difficulties that flow from a lack of adequate funds. (Sources: The Daily Telegraph [London], The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek.)
The world became less free in 2009, according to Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization that monitors the status of human freedom around the world.
"For the fourth consecutive year, global declines in freedom outweighed gains in 2009, as measured by Freedom House's annual survey of political rights and civil liberties. This represents the longest continuous period of decline for global freedom in the nearly 40-year history of the report" (Freedom in the World 2010: Global Erosion of Freedom, Jan. 12, 2010, www.freedomhouse.org).
They found declines in freedom in 40 countries, including authoritarian states that became more repressive and setbacks in countries that had been trending more positively in recent years. The Middle East remains the most repressive region overall, and Africa showed the greatest declines in freedom.
The worst of the worst, ranked "not free," include nine countries and one territory: Burma (Myanmar), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Tibet (ruled by China), Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Freedom is a precious commodity. Currently, only 46 percent of the world's population lives in countries ranked as "free." The Bible prizes true freedom. Jesus said to His disciples, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, all human beings at last will know and bask in true freedom (compare Hebrews 8:10-12; Isaiah 11:9). But for now, in a world devoid of true freedom, watch your back!
Not long after being appointed U.S. secretary of State, Hillary Clinton flew to China for her first important diplomatic encounter abroad. She emphasized mutual national interests, like trade and climate policy, just as President Barack Obama later did on his first presidential trip to China.
But a number of months down the road, the diplomatic relationship between these two nations lies pretty much in tatters. According to The Daily Telegraph, "China has accused the United States yesterday of 'rude and unreasonable' Cold War thinking" ("China attacks US 'Cold War' Mentality Over Taiwan Arms Sales," Feb. 2, 2010). What has happened?
A Time magazine article initially stated that "nobody, not even China, can afford to let the row over Google intensify into a broader dispute." Yet the same article later added, "The Google issue has crystallized a whole range of discontent with China, economic and otherwise" ("The China vs. Google Dispute: Hold Fire," Feb. 8, 2010).
For instance, recently President Obama has stated his intention to meet with the Dalai Lama. The Chinese reacted swiftly ("China Warns US of Further Damage to Relations if Obama Meets Dalai Lama," Financial Times, Feb. 3, 2010).
In recent months the perennial Taiwan issue, in which mainland China lays claim to the island, had at least appeared to be cooling somewhat. But Washington recently announced its intention to sell Patriot antimissile batteries, Blackhawk helicopters and two minesweeper ships to Taiwan. China instantly voiced a very strong objection.
Other intractable issues remain on the diplomatic docket. Beijing's stubborn blocking of stronger UN sanctions, intended to curb Iran's march toward acquiring nuclear weaponry, continues as another sore spot from the American standpoint.
Nearly a year and half ago, China had its first spacewalk, serving as a reminder of its growing might and influence. Then in mid-January of this year China announced success in testing advanced missile-interception equipment, continuing the persistent upgrade of its military capabilities. Recall also that "China holds most of America's $12.4 trillion debt" ("Analysis: The Worsening Relationship Between America and China," The Daily Telegraph, Feb. 2, 2010).
Focus attention back to the autumn of 2009. At that time the Daily Mail articulated a disturbing view of this East Asian powerhouse: "An army of 2.25 million. Chilling imperial ambitions. Today, as China celebrates 60 years of communism with an awesome display of military might, the West should be very, very worried" ("Marching to World Domination," Oct. 1, 2009).
To read about where Bible prophecy says these stunning events in East Asia will ultimately take us, download the article "The Enormous Expansion of Chinese Influence: What Does It Portend?" from the archives of our World News and Prophecy newsletter at WNPonline.org (August 2009 issue). (Sources: The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Financial Times [all London], Time, Newsweek.)
Turkey and Israel have generally enjoyed mutually beneficial diplomatic relations ever since Israel became a new nation in 1948. Last year that relationship hit some rapids. Stated The New York Times: "A multinational air force exercise that was supposed to take place in Turkey has been postponed indefinitely after the Turks asked Israel not to participate, officials said Sunday, in a sign of the strained relations between the two allies" (Oct. 12, 2009, emphasis added throughout).
Then came the unwelcome news of "a war of words ignited by a new Turkish TV series depicting Israeli military atrocities" ("TV Show Deepens Split Between Israel and Turkey," The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 19, 2009). The plotline of this popular action drama is fictional but cast Israel in this light as supposedly reflective of reality.
This unfortunate incident shook "what is probably Israel's strongest partnership in the Middle East...The two countries have long had strong diplomatic and trade relations, and Turkey has been a substantial buyer of Israeli military hardware. For years Israeli pilots trained in Turkish airspace" (ibid.).
Financial Times columnist Philip Stephens pointed out that "ignoring anxieties in Western capitals [not to mention Israel], Turkey has engaged with the Palestinian Hamas and with the Iranian-sponsored Hizbollah in Lebanon" (Oct. 23, 2009). Also Turkey has opened its border to Syria, a nation typically hostile to the West, offering Syrians visa-free travel.
Since becoming prime minister in 2003, Recep Erdogan has slowly but steadily shifted Turkey's orientation from the West (the country being a member of the NATO alliance and a candidate to join the European Union) toward its Muslim neighbors to the east—including such unsavory players as Iran and Syria.
Considering recent trends in Turkey and the Islamic world, Israel's hope for restoring close relations with Turkey may be past the point of no return. The rest of the West can only hope that Turkey, with its vast resources and 77 million population, retains its secular character and doesn't adopt the hardline fundamentalist Islam of its neighbors. (Sources: The New York Times, Financial Times [London], The Wall Street Journal.)
Could the Haitian earthquake disaster signal worse natural disasters to come? Some assume things will always remain the same, continuing as they always have (2 Peter 3:4). Natural disasters are expected, even though they are uncomfortable to think about. In relatively recent times we've had devastating earthquakes in China (2008), Chile (2007), Pakistan (2005), Iran (2003) and, most recently, in Haiti. The 2004 tsunami that hit the Thailand coast, as well as the coast of East Africa, was caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor off Indonesia.
Earthquakes occur when one area of the earth's crust slips against another at a fracture in the crust called a fault, causing tremendous friction and massive vibration. The amount of friction and how near to the earth's surface it occurs determines the impact of the earthquake at ground level. And of course the degree of damage is also dependent on human habitation in the affected area. Furthermore, earthquakes can trigger tsunamis and volcanoes.
Many areas of the globe are susceptible to earthquakes, as seismologists and other earth scientists have mapped out interconnected zones the world over—and new fault lines are being discovered regularly.
The Bible tells us that earthquakes will occur in different places before the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:7). And just before His return, there will be a major earthquake that will shake the world as never before (Revelation 16:18,20). As terrible as the Haitian earthquake was, it will not compare to the greatest earthquake yet to come. For more on what the Bible foretells concerning the last days, be sure to read our free booklets Are We Living in the Time of the End? and The Book of Revelation Unveiled.
Pope Benedict XVI recently spoke out against proposed legislation in Britain that could have forced religious organizations to hire homosexuals and restricted their freedom to speak out against behavior they consider sinful. He urged Catholic bishops to fight such government policies with "missionary zeal."
He told the British: "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society. Yet...the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs" ("Pope Benedict XVI Criticises 'Unjust' Effects of Harriet Harman's Equality Bill," The Daily Telegraph, Feb. 3, 2010).
The Times of London also reported that "the Vatican condemned Britain's proposed equality law yesterday, complaining that legislation to give homosexuals equal rights 'violates natural law'" ("Britain's Human Rights Policies Violate Natural Law, Pope Says," Feb. 2, 2010).
A later edition of The Times, on Feb. 3, contained an article headlined "Churches Win Fight Over Discrimination." The first sentence says, "Harriet Harman [deputy leader of Britain's liberal Labour Party] has backed away from a confrontation with religious leaders over whom they can employ, making clear that she will not force contentious amendments to the Equality Bill through Parliament."
This development highlights growing Roman Catholic influence in Britain. Wrote Martin Beckford in another Daily Telegraph piece: "The Roman Catholic Church has provided a vocal and effective opposition to Labour [i.e., the Labour Party] in recent years" ("Catholic Opposition a Thorn in Labour's Side," Feb. 2, 2010).
The fairly substantial Catholic vote could prove crucial in Britain's soon-coming national election, perhaps even determining who Britain's next prime minister will be. The Catholic bishops in both England and Wales will soon publish their own manifesto, possibly influencing Roman Catholic voting patterns. John Paul II, the late pope from Poland, expanded the Vatican's influence throughout the world, and it's clear that Benedict XVI has picked up the baton.
When advised against conflict with the Catholic Church, Soviet leader Josef Stalin dismissively responded, "How many divisions does the pope have?" He had no military divisions as such, but he nevertheless had a huge army, and Europe may be on the verge of finding that out. To understand the vital significance of events in the religious world, read our free booklet The Church Jesus Built. (Sources: The Daily Telegraph, The Times [both London].)
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Keywords: U.S. recession debt freedom China Turkey and Israel Haiti earthquake British catholicism
Haiti: