Virtually No Conscientious Objection in Israel

The Telegraph reported on April 14:

“Israeli teenagers risk being sent to prison by refusing to join the army… Draft-age pupils in Israel have defied the law and Benjamin Netanyahu by telling him they will not join the army after leaving school… All men and women are obliged to join the Israeli Defence Forces at age 18, although exemptions exist for Arab citizens and ultra-Orthodox Jews engaged in religious studies.”

We can be thankful that the USA does not have similar restrictive laws, prohibiting religious freedom of sincerely held beliefs against fighting in war. Also, to compel women to fight in war is extremely troublesome.

American Companies Flee Overbearing Tax Liabilities

The Financial Tines wrote on April 13:

“Walgreen has come under pressure from an influential group of its shareholders, who want the US pharmacy chain to consider relocating to Europe, in what would be one of the largest tax inversions ever attempted. At a private meeting in Paris on Friday, investors owning close to 5 per cent of Walgreens’ shares lobbied the company’s management to use its $16bn takeover of Swiss-based Alliance Boots to re-domicile its tax base…

“Existing rules mean that a US company can forgo its domestic tax status through a deal that transfers more than 20 per cent of its shares to foreign owners. A tax inversion by Walgreens would be likely to face strong political resistance in the US, where the practice has become increasingly popular during the past two years…”

With ridiculous American tax laws, those practices should surprise no one. As usual, America is digging its own grave in so many different ways.

Ukraine Crisis Escalates

AFP wrote on April 13:

“The UN Security Council has held emergency talks after Ukraine declared a ‘full-scale’ military operation against pro-Russia forces, amid deadly clashes in its restive east. Russia and the West locked horns over the escalating crisis in Ukraine with Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin saying ‘there has already been bloodshed and a further escalation must be swiftly stopped’…”

“Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced the launch of a counterstrike against the armed separatists in the eastern Donetsk region early on Sunday morning… US ambassador Power urged Russia to explain why 40,000 of its forces are massed on the Ukrainian border and find constructive ideas to stop armed attacks on government buildings in eastern Ukraine.”

This crisis will not end any time soon…

Russia’s Preparations For Ukrainian Occupation

AFP wrote on April 16:

“Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday said Ukraine was on the verge of civil war as Kiev authorities launched a military operation against pro-Kremlin militants in the separatist east. ‘I will be brief: Ukraine is on the brink of civil war, it’s frightening,’ the country’s former president was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.”

The Local added on April 16:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Chancellor Angela Merkel that Ukraine was on the verge of civil war after the Kiev government sent in the army against separatists in the east of the country, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.”

Apparently, Russia is preparing the occupation of Ukraine and providing the West with a “justification” for their anticipated actions. One should not be fooled by Russia’s promises to cooperate with the West in regard to Mr. Putin’s militant separatists.

Global Military Spending

Deutsche Welle reported on April 14:

“Global military spending totaled $1.7 trillion (1.23 trillion euros) in 2013, a decrease of nearly 2 percent from the previous year. However, the drop in overall investment in the armed forces was by no means a sign of countries across the globe of nations slowing down military development, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday… the  major cause of the 2-percent drop stemmed from changes the United States’ military budget, the top spender in the world. Washington-approved budget cuts led to a 7.8 percent drop year-on-year, down to $640 billion. The withdrawal from Iraq and the winding down of operations in Afghanistan also contributed to the decrease in spending.

“Meanwhile, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia sharply increased their spending between 2012 and 2013. Beijing invested 7.4 percent more in its armed forces, bringing its total budget to $188 billion. Saudi Arabia rose from seventh to fourth in the world. In 2013, its military expenditures totaled $67 billion, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year…

“France, Britain, Germany, Japan, India and South Korea were among the top spenders. The SIPRI report also noted stark growth in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East as the West spent less.

“SIPRI ranked Russia number three on its list, noting that it had invested a greater percentage of its GDP in its military in 2013, beating out the US for the first time in a decade. Moscow spent 4.1 percent of its GDP on its armed forces, barely overtaking Washington, which spent only 3.8 percent of its GDP on the same sector…

“Moscow’s deployment of troops along its southwestern border with Ukraine has worried Western leaders, who are trying to de-escalate tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the transitional government in Kyiv. The SIPRI report noted that the perceived threat of Russian military aggression could also have an influence on EU military spending, which has dropped in the face of the eurozone crisis.”

These statistics are highly significant, in light of biblical prophecy, which predicts the military decline of the USA, and the rise of military spending in Russia, China and Europe.

Germany Warns of War in Europe

The Local wrote on April 14:

“Germany warned of war in Europe on Monday, with vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel stating the continent was being ‘dragged’ into a ‘smoldering conflict’ with Russia over Ukraine… He said that good news several months ago from Ukraine – including an end to bloody violence against protesters – had since given way to ‘an ongoing military confrontation’ and the realization that ‘Russia is apparently willing to let tanks cross European borders. Suddenly, we are being dragged from the observer’s position into a long smoldering and incendiary conflict, which is also demanding a price from Europe in the form of sanctions against Russia,’ he said.

“Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier meanwhile, called the danger of Europe splitting a ‘ dal one’…

“He told the paper that he believed Russia was testing the West through it’s handling of Crimea. ‘ [It] cannot be, seven decades after the end of the second world war and 25 years after the end of the cold war, that we start changing borders based on ethic, linguistic or religious factors.’ Berlin also said it saw indications Russia was supporting pro-Kremlin militias who seized government buildings in eastern Ukraine.

“Christiane Wirtz, spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said: ‘There are many signs that the armed groups active in eastern Ukraine are receiving support from Russia,’ she said, adding that Merkel had discussed the crisis with British Prime Minister David Cameron by phone on Monday morning. ‘A look at the appearance, uniforms and weaponry of some of these groups hardly suggests that they are defense forces spontaneously formed by civilians,’ she said.”

NATO Reacts to Russia’s Threats

AP wrote on April 16:

“NATO is strengthening its military footprint along its eastern border immediately in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the alliance’s chief said Wednesday.

“Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO’s air policing aircraft will fly more sorties over the Baltic region west of Ukraine, far from the tensions in the eastern part of the country. He said allied warships will also deploy to the Baltic Sea, the eastern Mediterranean and elsewhere if needed.

“NATO’s supreme commander in Europe told reporters that ground forces could also be involved at some point, but gave no details.

“NATO members Poland and the Baltic countries Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have been wary following Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula, demanding a more robust military posture to counter neighboring Russia.’
“Rasmussen said the new NATO deployments are about ‘deterrence and de-escalation” in the face of Russia’s aggressive behavior in Ukraine, which is not a member of the 28-nation alliance…

“Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove said multiple nations have approached him with offers of ground forces that will be included in a plan of operations he will give to NATO later Wednesday or Thursday.

“Breedlove said the package of new military moves is designed to remain in place through Dec. 31.”

One certain outcome from Russia’s gamesmanship is the awakening in Europe to the fact that their military strength must increase! The US has proven itself to be weakened and can no longer be looked to as their first line of defense.

Signs in the Heavens?

The Daily Mail reported on April 14:

“Popular televangelist claims four blood moons are sign of ‘world-shaking event… Four complete lunar eclipses will appear in the sky starting on April 15. Pastor John Hagee, of Texas’ Cornerstone Church, believes God is trying to communicate with humans through these celestial signs….

“Bestselling author and televangelist Pastor John Hagee claims the four blood moons that will soon appear in the skies over America are evidence of a future ‘world-shaking event.’ The blood moons are part of a tetrad, a set of complete and consecutive lunar eclipses that will begin on April 15 and continue in roughly six-month intervals until October 2015…

“The April 15 event happens during Passover. On Oct. 8, the blood moon will occur during the Feast of Tabernacles. Another blood moon will occur during Passover on April 4, 2015. The last will happen on Sept. 28, 2015, another Feast of the Tabernacles.”

Technically, all the predictions don’t match the times of God’s Holy Days. In 2014, the Passover was already in the evening of April 12. It is true, however, that the Days of Unleavened Bread fall from the evening of April 14 until sunset of April 21. Further, the Feast of Tabernacles 2014 BEGINS at sunset—at the end of October 8. In 2015, Passover will be in the evening of April 2, and the Days of Unleavened Bread will begin with sunset of April 3. In 2015, the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated, according to the Hebrew calendar, from the evening of September 27 until October 5. Even though close, Hagee’s dates are not completely accurate.

In any event, we must be careful not to assign “heavenly signs” to events like the ones described by Hagee. The biblical heavenly signs will cause tremendous catastrophes… they involve much more than just inconsequential visible constellations or eclipses. Also, from a time sequence standpoint, the heavenly signs will occur AFTER the BEGINNING of the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation did not begin with Passover of 2014, and it is not to be expected that it will begin in 2015 either.

Putin Defies Obama in Syria

Bloomberg wrote on April 3:

“President Vladimir Putin, condemned by NATO for annexing Crimea, is now defying the U.S. in Syria by sending more and deadlier arms to help Bashar al-Assad score a string of advances against insurgents, military experts say. Assad’s army, seeking to end a three-year civil war that’s killed 150,000 people and displaced 9 million, started using longer-range Russian Smerch and Uragan rockets for the first time in February… ‘Russia is now doing everything to ensure that Assad wins convincingly,’ Alexei Malashenko, a Middle East analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Center, said by phone. ‘If Russia can show it’s capable of carrying out its own foreign policy, regardless of America’s wishes, it will be a major achievement for Putin.’” 

Russia Meddles in Ukraine

The Washington Post wrote on April 5:

“First, Russia took over a chunk of their country. Now, to the astonishment of many Ukrainians, Moscow is telling them how to run the rest of their nation. The lectures do not sit well here. Russia has been insisting that Ukraine adopt a federal form of government that would give regions nearly boundless authority. It’s a means to make the regions vulnerable to Russian interference, Ukrainians say, and eventually tear the country apart. And, they point out, Russia would never tolerate such a system itself… ‘The issue of federalization is absolutely artificial,’ said Yuriy Yakymenko, a political expert at the Razumkov think tank in Kiev. ‘It’s part of Russia’s plan to impose control over Ukraine and prevent it from integrating with Europe.’…

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has steadily built a top-down system he calls the ‘vertical of power.’ And Russia, which snapped up Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula after arranging a March 16 referendum in favor of annexation that violated Ukraine’s constitution, has shown no tolerance for separatism at home.

“A declaration of independence by Russia’s southern region of Chechnya in 1991 led to two wars with Moscow that were fought with exceptional brutality and bloodshed. Although a Kremlin-installed strongman has extinguished most of the violence, Chechnya remains unpredictable. Last week, four Russian soldiers were killed and seven were wounded when their armored vehicle drove over an explosive device in Chechnya during what the Interior Ministry described as a reconnaissance mission. And Islamist separatists have taken the struggle to neighboring Dagestan, where shootouts kill hundreds of police and militants every year.

“Ukraine is tranquil by comparison. Although some pro-Russian crowds in eastern Ukrainian cities have clashed with pro-Ukrainian crowds since the fall of Yanukovych, Ukraine authorities say Russian agents provoked the disorder. But Russia has described what it calls ‘atrocities’ against Russian-speakers, issuing warnings that suggest it is building a case to send troops into eastern Ukraine as it did in Crimea…”

Unrest in Eastern Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 7:

“Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said that unrest in eastern Ukraine is part of a plan to destabilize the country and bring in Russian troops. Pro-Russian demonstrators have seized government buildings in several cities. The interim prime minister described the protest organizers as a ‘group of radicals who coordinate themselves with intelligence services from foreign countries.’

“Pro-Russian protesters on Sunday night seized official buildings in the cities of Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk, calling for referendums on the regions joining the Russian Federation. In Donetsk on Monday, protesters were quoted by Interfax Ukraine as proclaiming the creation of a sovereign ‘people’s republic’ independent of Kyiv’s rule. Interfax reported that the men pledged a referendum on joining Russia no later than May 11.

“Yatsenyuk also said on Monday that Russian troops remained within a 30-kilometer (19-mile) zone near the border with Ukraine – contradicting earlier reports of a Russian withdrawal from the border. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on Monday in Berlin that the German government was ‘alarmed’ by the most recent tensions in eastern Ukraine…”

USA Backs Militarization of Japan

Reuters wrote on April 5:

“U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he welcomed the possibility of Japan giving its military a greater role by allowing it to come to the aid of allies under attack… [This] represents the clearest U.S. support yet for Tokyo’s effort to bolster its military as it faces off against a more assertive China… Hagel visits China, suspicious of Japan’s military intentions and where memories of Japan’s past militarism run deep, after Tokyo.

“Japan has been locked into a security pact for more than half a century that commits the United States to defend Japan should it come under attack. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, however, are not allowed to aid U.S. ships or other military units that are fired upon… In its postwar pacifist constitution, written by the United States, Japan renounced the right to wage war… Japan eased its weapons export restrictions on Tuesday in the first major overhaul of arms transfer policy in nearly half a century in a move that alarmed China.”

All of this will backfire on the West, when Japan, Russia and China combine their forces. Note the next article.

Japan Loses Confidence in America

The New York Times wrote on April 5:

“When President Bill Clinton signed a 1994 agreement promising to ‘respect’ the territorial integrity of Ukraine if it gave up its nuclear weapons, there was little thought then of how that obscure diplomatic pact — called the Budapest Memorandum — might affect the long-running defense partnership between the United States and Japan. But now, as American officials have distanced themselves from the Budapest Memorandum in light of Russia’s takeover of Crimea, calling promises made in Budapest ‘nonbinding,’ the United States is being forced at the same time to make reassurances in Asia. Japanese officials, a senior American military official said, ‘keep asking, “Are you going to do the same thing to us when something happens?”’

“For Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who arrived in Tokyo on Saturday for two days of talks with Japan’s leaders, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, America’s longstanding promise to protect Japan against hostile nations — read China and North Korea — has suddenly come under the microscope. The American response to the Russian takeover of Crimea, which President Obama has condemned while at the same time ruling out American military action, has caused deep concern among already skittish Japanese officials… ‘If Japan is attacked, and the Americans decline to respond, then it is time from the Americans to pull out” of their bases here, [one analyst] said. “Without those bases, America is not going to be a Pacific power anymore…’”

USA to Send Warships to Japan

Deutsche Welle reported on April 6:

“After discussions with his opposite number in Tokyo, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Sunday that the US would deploy two extra ballistic missile defense destroyers to Japan. Hagel said the two ships would be sent in response to North Korea’s ‘pattern of provocative and destabilizing actions,’ which he said were a violation of UN resolutions.”

European Communication Network?

Reuters reported on April 4:

“The United States on Friday criticized proposals to build a European communication network to avoid emails and other data passing through the United States, warning that such rules could breach international trade laws… Germany and France have been discussing ways to build a European network to keep data secure after the U.S. spying scandal… Deutsche Telekom has suggested laws to stop data traveling within continental Europe being routed via Asia or the United States and scrapping the Safe Harbor agreement that allows U.S. companies with European-level privacy standards access to European data.”

In light of America’s illegal spying activities in Germany and France, these countries would be most likely not that concerned about America’s interpretation that they might violate international law… Note the next article.

German Public Anger with USA over Spying Scandal

The Washington Post wrote on April 3:

“A chapter in trans­atlantic relations that Washington would sooner forget got a new lease on life Thursday as German lawmakers opened their first parliamentary hearings into the Edward Snowden scandal. Revelations of large-scale U.S. spying on Germans, up to and including Chancellor Angela Merkel, prompted an initial wave of outrage here last year. But now, the lengthy committee investigations could keep the spotlight on leaks by the former National Security Agency contractor for a year or two to come…

“The hearings also have the potential to provoke further anti­pathy. Indeed, a number of lawmakers here are demanding safe passage to Berlin for Snowden — who is living in self-imposed exile in Moscow — to testify before the eight-member committee. Any such move would likely outrage the United States, which is seeking to take Snowden into custody… the push to give Snowden his day here serves as another reminder that, even as the scandal appears to be dissipating in other parts of Europe, it remains at the top of the agenda in Germany…

“The committee is set to call dozens of witnesses and review piles of documents. But even its members appear to concede the limits of their effort, which is likely to be hampered by an anticipated lack of full cooperation by U.S. officials. It suggests that the hearings are being called at least in part for national catharsis and as an outlet for German rage.

“Parliament’s airing of the evidence began Thursday, even as fresh revelations continue to stoke public anger. In recent days, Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine published further details from the Snowden leaks, including evidence of an NSA dossier on Merkel that allegedly included more than 300 intelligence reports. Although U.S. snooping on Merkel is not new, the reports served as a continuing reminder for an already bitter German public…

“A top German prosecutor is still weighing whether to open a criminal investigation into the affair, which could further damage ties between Washington and Berlin. And there is no mistaking the lingering anger of German lawmakers, particularly those clamoring to bring Snowden to Berlin to testify. Such a move… would create fresh tensions at a time when Europe and the United States are trying to maintain a common front on the Russian-Ukraine crisis. But some here seem to think that bringing Snowden to Berlin is exactly the kind of thumb-nosing the Americans deserve.”

Germany Strongly Criticizes USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 6:

“German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has strongly criticized the US over revelations about electronic surveillance by intelligence services. The minister complained that German questions have not been answered… the minister complained that Berlin’s fears about the extent of the agency’s operations – as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden- had not been allayed. Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit US President Barack Obama in Washington in May. However, de Maiziere said he held out little hope of concrete results… ‘My expectations about the success of further talks are low,’ said the minister.”

Superpower–But No Clout!

Bloomberg’s report on April 9, 2014, stated:

“Secretary of State John Kerry and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee agreed on one thing today: Being a superpower isn’t what it used to be.

“At a hearing on the U.S. State Department budget, Republicans and Democrats alike raised concerns about America’s limited ability to cope with global challenges, from Russian aggression in Ukraine to Iran’s nuclear program, China’s assertiveness in the Pacific and Syria’s civil war.

“While some Republicans blamed the administration for decisions that they say have eroded U.S. influence, Kerry pointed to a ‘changed world.’

“’The United States has power, enormous power,’ he said, ‘but we can’t necessarily always dictate every outcome the way we want, particularly in this world where we have rising economic powers — China, India, Mexico, Korea, Brazil, many other people who are players.’

“The two-hour Senate hearing was only one place where lawmakers and others challenged President Barack Obama’s foreign policy today. The jousting underscored the U.S. struggle to defend its global interests and allies as technology and the diffusion of economic and military power erode its post-Cold War position as the lone superpower.”

If the descendants of ancient Israel stopped obeying God, His clear warning was that His protection would be withdrawn. In so many ways, the United Kingdom and the United States are coming under these curses. One poignant example is found in Leviticus 26:19: “I will break the pride of your power…” You just might want to read the whole chapter of this Book of Leviticus, which is found in the Old Testament, to see how many other problems our nations will suffer!

United European Military Scheme

Carnegie Europe wrote on April 1:

“Just as the EU seemed powerless to prevent the rise of an aggressive Russia, a series of new EU security plans began leaking to the Brussels foreign policy crowd. The ideas, collected in a 73-page paper co-authored by the European External Action Service and the European Commission’s enterprise directorate, are dynamite… it reveals a shocking shift by European mandarins in their increasingly desperate attempts to boost the union’s lackluster military capabilities… The paper states: ‘The EU member states, the European External Action Service, and the European Commission welcome the pledges by leading European corporate entities to boost EU defense capabilities through targeted, high-volume financial contributions. . . . These contributions will enable the EU, within the period of its forthcoming budget, to build, train, integrate, and deploy its own supranational military task force.’

“In other words: since governments won’t buy the EU its own army, big business will. What nations seem incapable of offering will now be provided by a consortium of Europe’s capitalists… The core of the new initiative will be a Friendship Projection Force (FPF), comprising up to 31 naval vessels. Each will carry the name ‘EU Security Ship’ or EUSS. The first batch of ships will come from the French Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, originally earmarked for sale to Russia but now available as a corporate donation to the EU. They will be named EUSS Strasbourg and EUSS Helgoland.

“Plans for additional ships, including a helicopter carrier and four German-built submarines, are at an ‘advanced stage,’ according to EU officials. After a long, heated debate about where to put the EU flotilla’s naval base, the Ukraine crisis tilted the decision toward the historic former Lenin shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, home of the anti-Communist Solidarność movement. A second, smaller naval headquarters will be built in Malta to cover the union’s southern flank…

“The document does not reveal all the companies involved in the new scheme, but Germany’s Siemens, Spain’s Telefónica, Italy’s ENI, and Gaz de France seem to form the core of the consortium. They will function as ‘shareholders’ of the new force, with no say over operational matters but some input into strategic discussions on individual countries and thematic priorities…

“Sources close to the deal stress that the switch to a commercial approach was necessary to finally get Germany behind the idea of a beefed-up European defense. They also claim that the idea was not so unusual within the broader European context…”

Global Banana Production Threatened

The Independent wrote on April 4:

“Scientists have warned that the world’s banana crop, worth £26 billion and a crucial part of the diet of more than 400 million people, is facing ‘disaster’ from virulent diseases immune to pesticides or other forms of control… Alarm at the most potent threat – a fungus known as Panama disease tropical race 4 (TR4) – has risen dramatically after it was announced in recent weeks that it has jumped from South-east Asia, where it has already devastated export crops, to Mozambique and Jordan.

“A United Nations agency told The Independent that the spread of TR4 represents an ‘expanded threat to global banana production’. Experts said there is a risk that the fungus… has also already made the leap to the world’s most important banana growing areas in Latin America, where the disease threatens to destroy vast plantations of the Cavendish variety. The variety accounts for 95 per cent of the bananas shipped to export markets including the United Kingdom, in a trade worth £5.4bn…

“According to one estimate, TR4 could destroy up to 85 per cent of the world’s banana crop by volume…  the crop – and many other banana varieties – have no defence against TR4, which can live for 30 years or more in the soil and reduces the core of the banana plant to a blackened mush. It can wipe out plantations within two or three years… Such is the virulence of soil-based fungus, it can be spread in water droplets or tiny amounts of earth on machinery or shoes…”

Clinton: Space Aliens Possible

NBC News wrote on April 3:

“Former President Bill Clinton said he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Earth was eventually visited by aliens… However, Clinton also explained that he had reviewed the subject during his time in the White House and found no evidence of alien life. ‘We know from our fancy telescopes that just in the last two years more than 20 planets have been identified outside our solar system that seem to be far enough from their suns and dense enough that they might be able to support some form of life, so it makes it increasingly less like that we’re alone,’ Clinton added.”

However, according to the Bible, there is no alien life form anywhere in the universe; the earth is the only place where God created life. Mr. Clinton argues from human wisdom, leaving God out of the picture.

“Pentagon Alarmed as Troops Mass Near Ukraine Border”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on March 28:

“Russian troops massing near Ukraine are actively concealing their positions and establishing supply lines that could be used in a prolonged deployment, ratcheting up concerns that Moscow is preparing for another major incursion and not conducting exercises as it claims, U.S. officials said. Such an incursion could take place without warning because Russia has already deployed the array of military forces needed for such an operation, say officials briefed on the latest U.S. intelligence.

“The rapid speed of the Russian military buildup and efforts to camouflage the forces and equipment have stoked U.S. fears, in part because American intelligence agencies have struggled to assess Russian President Vladimir Putin’s specific intentions. The troop movements and the concealment—involving covering up equipment along the border—suggest Mr. Putin is positioning forces in the event he decides to quickly expand his takeover of the Crimea peninsula by seizing more Ukrainian territory, despite Western threats of tighter sanctions…

“The U.S. believes Russia now has nearly 50,000 troops in position for possible operations, including those participating in the declared exercises along the Ukrainian border and those already inside Russian-controlled Crimea, officials said… A senior Ukrainian official said Thursday that the number of Russian troops in the area was closer to 100,000… Another senior military official said the Pentagon was increasingly worried that the Russians have moved into place additional supplies including food and spare parts that could both support an exercise or a military incursion into Ukraine. Putting in place the logistics support could allow Russian forces to sustain themselves if they were to cross into eastern Ukraine.”

How Russia Plays with the West

Deutsche Welle reported on March 31:

“The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies Monday that after completing maneuvers in the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov border region, a battalion from the central military district’s 15th motorized infantry brigade would return to its home region of Samara on the Volga… During a call Monday, Putin informed Merkel of the partial withdrawal that he had ordered, the chancellor’s spokesman said in a statement… German Defense Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Putin’s partial withdrawal order was ‘a small signal that the situation is becoming less tense.’”

The naivety of the West is astonishing and frightening at the same time.

BBC News added on April 1: “Nato is not seeing a Russian troop pullout from the border with Ukraine, the military alliance’s chief has said.”

The Washington Times wrote on April 2: “NATO’s top military leader warned Wednesday that Russia was ready enough to move on Ukraine that troops could be across the border within 12 hours of receiving the order to attack.”

Putin Calls Obama—No Mention of Crimea

The New York Times wrote on March 28:

“President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia reached out to President Obama on Friday to discuss ideas about how to peacefully resolve the international standoff over Ukraine, a surprise move by Moscow… But it remained uncertain whether Mr. Putin was seriously interested in a resolution that would go far enough to satisfy the United States, Ukraine and Europe, or instead was seeking a diplomatic advantage at a time when he has been isolated internationally. While the White House account of the call emphasized the possible diplomatic movement, the Kremlin’s version stressed Mr. Putin’s complaints about ‘extremists’ in Ukraine and introduced into the mix of issues on the table the fate of Transnistria, another pro-Russian breakaway province outside his borders.

“Neither American nor European officials expect Mr. Putin to easily reverse his seizure of Crimea, the largely Russian-speaking Ukrainian peninsula Moscow annexed last week after Russian troops took control there. Indeed, the Kremlin statement made no mention of Crimea, suggesting Mr. Putin considers the matter a fait accompli that is no longer up for discussion…”

No leader in the Western World is remotely as shrewd as Vladimir Putin. But at least some understand his tactics and actions better than others. See the next article.

Putin’s Actions Parallel Hitler’s Conduct

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 31:

“On Monday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said he saw parallels between Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and Adolf Hitler’s land grab of Sudetenland. As Germany’s Mr. Euro, Wolfgang Schäuble is one of the country’s best-known politicians abroad. When the finance minister speaks, people generally tend to listen…

“Russian officials claim ethnic Russian residents of the peninsula are threatened by Ukraine. The Nazis argued similarly in… 1938 that ‘ethnic Germans’ in peripheral regions of what was then Czechoslovakia required protection.”

On the other hand, most Americans are as blind as most of their leaders, paralleling the ignorance of most citizens in other Western countries. Note the next article.

The Blindness of the Nations

CNN wrote on April 2:

“The vast majority of Americans say Vladimir Putin’s not honest or trustworthy, but according to a new national poll they don’t compare the Russian president’s actions in Ukraine with the land grabs in the years leading up to World War II by Germany’s Adolf Hitler.

“A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday indicates that only 24% of the public equates Putin’s annexing last month of neighboring Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula with Hitler’s actions, with 51% saying that’s too strong a comparison. Just over one in five admitted they don’t know enough about pre-Second World War history to answer the question.

“Early last month… at a fundraiser in Long Beach, California, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton compared Putin’s military intervention in Crimean to Hitler’s European aggression ahead of World War II.”

That Putin’s actions can be compared with Hitler’s “land grabs” leading up to World War II, there can be NO DOUBT. And as Hitler did not stop with just the “Anschluss” with Austria, so Putin will not stop with just the annexation of Crimea. He may patiently wait a little while until his opportunity presents itself. Note the next article.

Putin Won’t Stop with Crimea

National Journal wrote on March 30:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to seize more territory beyond Crimea, a slim 54 percent majority of National Journal’s Security Insiders said. ‘There is nothing about the international response so far to his actions in Crimea that would discourage Putin from annexing additional portions of Ukraine,’ one Insider said. After Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea, National Journal’s pool of national security experts believe Putin is eyeing more territory that was formerly under Moscow’s control. ‘Putin will make every attempt to secure his gains in Crimea by adding predominantly ethnic Russian territories in Ukraine and, quite possibly, Transnistria from Moldova,’ one Insider said. ‘Now that he has an appetite for conquest, Putin may find the idea of seizing further territory irresistible.’

“Poltava, another Insider noted, the site of Peter the Great’s victory over Charles XII of Sweden that established Russia as a major force, is in eastern Ukraine. ‘If Putin can grab Crimea for historical reasons, than Poltava can’t be far behind.’”

Will Putin Invade Finland?

The Independent wrote on April 1:

“After annexing Crimea and with troops massed on the border of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin will not stop trying to expand Russia until he has ‘conquered’ Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland, one of his closest former advisers has said. According to Andrej Illarionov, the President’s chief economic adviser from 2000 to 2005, Mr Putin seeks to create ‘historical justice’ with a return to the days of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and the Soviet Union under Stalin.

“Speaking to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Mr Illarionov warned that Russia will argue that the granting of independence to Finland in 1917 was an act of ‘treason against national interests’. ‘Putin’s view is that he protects what belongs to him and his predecessors,’ Mr Illarionov said…

“Mr Illarionov has helped draft a host of Russia’s economic policies in recent years, and served as Mr Putin’s personal representative at a number of G8 conferences. He is now a senior fellow at the Cato institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity in Washington. Finland is not a Nato member, meaning a Russian invasion would not be considered an attack against the alliance… The Scandinavian nation was part of the Russian empire for 108 years as an autonomous Grand Duchy.”

Germany’s Big Business with Russia

Bloomberg wrote on March 30:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s deputy chided Siemens AG Chief Executive Officer Joe Kaeser for traveling to Moscow, saying German companies shouldn’t sell out European values to protect business with Russia… While the European Union and the U.S. seek to punish Russia for annexing Crimea, many German corporate leaders view Putin as an economic partner… While Merkel has said Germany could withstand the economic impact of European economic sanctions against Russia, the heads of Adidas AG, ThyssenKrupp AG and Deutsche Post AG questioned the need for sanctions…

“ThyssenKrupp CEO Heinrich Hiesinger said ‘Russia felt cornered.’ Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel said the U.S. and its allies had meddled ‘in the front yard of another big power’ and questioned calls by EU leaders including Merkel to review Europe’s energy ties with Russia…

“Kaeser said meeting with Putin showed that Munich-based Siemens, Europe’s biggest engineering company, ‘won’t be overly influenced by short-term turbulences’ involving Russia…”

This short-sighted and highly questionable approach by some of Germany’s powerful economic companies (including Krupp which has the controversial reputation of having conducted big business with Hitler) is, to an extent, mirrored by equally short-sighted and totally unrealistic and false statements by former German Chancellors Schmidt and Schroeder, trying to justify, explain or at least downplay Putin’s illegal actions. Note the next article.

German Shortsightedness and Anti-Americanism

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 31:

“Is it acceptable for a person to be sympathetic towards or have an understanding for Russia’s actions in Crimea? Are Moscow’s claims justifiable? Did the West provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin? For weeks, this debate has dominated the public discussion in Germany like no other…  Nothing, it seems, is as polarizing as the question of whether Moscow’s annexation of Crimea was a justifiable reaction to NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe or if it was acting in violation of international law, thus making any sympathy for the move unacceptable.

“Those expressing understanding for Russia’s move are clearly dominating the Internet forums and talk shows. One former German chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, even declared that the situation in Ukraine is dangerous ‘because the West has gotten so terribly worked up about it.’ The question of whether Putin’s actions were legitimate didn’t even seem to interest him. ‘I find it entirely understandable,’ he said. Another former chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, admitted that he himself hadn’t always respected international law…

“The soft-heartedness for Russia’s iron hand has many origins — some historic, some current, some idealistic and others material. The most obvious are the interests of business, because companies want to continue trading with Russia and therefore oppose sanctions. Other influencing factors include fears of a new cold or even hot war, historic ties to Russia and anti-American sentiment that is widespread in Germany…

“Klaus von Dohnanyi… is a conservative Social Democrat and enjoys widespread respect among CDU politicians as well. He is the personification of Germany’s political center… In an interview at a hotel in Berlin, Dohnanyi says that it wasn’t wise of Putin to annex Crimea. It would have been better, he continues, if the Russian president had used the referendum results to force Ukraine to become neutral. Nevertheless, he believes that the West must show Russia respect.

“Dohnanyi’s understanding for Russia is one side of his worldview. The other is his criticism of the United States. ‘The Americans often don’t have a sense for diplomacy and for Europe’s geopolitical problems,’ he says. The longer one listens to him, the greater the impression becomes that the Americans are the problem and not the Russians. ‘What has the situation produced? The situation has produced an attempt to bring Ukraine into NATO,’ he said in a talk show…

“As a consequence of so much understanding for Russia, the interests of Eastern European countries are often ignored… Today, it is the Ukrainians who are being sacrificed on the altar of sympathy for Russia. When the Polish government imposed martial law in 1981 and stepped up its fight against the opposition, the US initiated sanctions against the Soviet Union and Poland. Then-German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of the SPD refused to join…”

German Anti-Americanism clouds the issues and ignores the real dangers. Germany will bitterly pay for such false ideologies.

Russia Is Winning in the Middle East

The Mosaic Magazine wrote on March 26:

“On March 19, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that if the West imposed sanctions over the annexation of Crimea, Russia would retaliate by exacting a much greater price: it would throw its support to Iran in the nuclear talks…  the Kremlin sees itself as the great-power patron not just of the Assad regime but also of Iran and Hizballah—the entire Resistance Alliance… [Putin] will never sell out Tehran and Damascus in order to win compliments in Washington; if forced to choose, he will always side with the former against the latter, and will certainly leave them in no doubt that Russia is their most dependable friend in the United Nations Security Council. It is this fact that makes Russia a revisionist power in the Middle East and the permanent adversary of the United States…

“Putin has a strong track record of supporting some actions designed to prevent an Iranian bomb… he also has a strong track record of building the Iranian nuclear program and of providing security assistance to the Iranian military… On the key issue of stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he is never so supportive as to be taken for granted…

“No matter which course the president follows, the Ukraine crisis has damaged the prestige of the United States in the Middle East. America’s Arab friends in the region, who are on the front line against Iran, Syria, and Hizballah, already feel the pinch, and are deeply uncertain about how to respond…

“The ally who most immediately feels the fallout is Israel. On March 17, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon described, with unusual bluntness, the consequences of what he called the ‘feebleness’ of American foreign policy. The Obama administration’s weakness, he argued, was undermining the position not just of Israel but also of America’s Sunni allies. ‘The moderate Sunni camp in the area expected the United States to support it, and to be firm, like Russia’s support for the Shiite axis,’ Yaalon lamented. Yaalon spoke no less despairingly of Obama’s ability to make good on his pledge to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon…

“Whether Israel actually has the political will and military capability to launch an independent strike against Iran is anybody’s guess. But two facts are undeniable. First, Putin’s muscular foreign policy and Washington’s timorous response have increased the pressure on Israel to strike independently. Second, Obama has lost influence over the Israelis—just as he lost influence over his Arab allies when he refused to back them on Syria.

“Adrift in Machiavelli’s no man’s land, neither a true friend nor a true enemy, Washington is left with the worst of both worlds, treated by its adversaries with contempt, charged by its friends with abandonment and betrayal… in the Middle East, Russia and its clients are winning and the United States, despite huge natural advantages, is losing.”

It is sad that when decisive American leadership is needed, the same is lacking or non-existent.

Catastrophic Consequences of Regional Nuclear War

CBS wrote on March 26:

“With an estimated 17,000 nuclear weapons in the world, we have the power to exterminate humanity many times over. But it wouldn’t take a full-scale nuclear war to make Earth uninhabitable, reports Live Science. Even a relatively small regional nuclear war, like a conflict between India and Pakistan, could spark a global environmental catastrophe, says a new study…

“Firestorms would belch over 5 million tons of ash into the sky. The ash would absorb the sun’s rays, causing deadly cooling on the surface… Rainfall and other precipitation would be reduced by about 10 percent, triggering worldwide droughts and leading to wildfires in the Amazon, which would spew more smoke into the atmosphere. The sky ash would heat the stratosphere and accelerate the chemical reactions that destroy the ozone layer. The intense ultraviolet radiation that would get through to the surface would be a dramatic threat to human health and damage fragile ecosystems on land and sea.”

Press Freedom Under Serious Attack

Daily Caller wrote on March 24:

“New York Times reporter James Risen called the Obama administration ‘the greatest enemy of press freedom that we have encountered in at least a generation’ on Friday, explaining that the White House seeks to control the flow of information and those who refuse to play along ‘will be punished’…

“Risen made the remarks while speaking at Sources and Secrets conference — a meeting of journalism, communication and government professionals held in New York City. The foreign policy reporter, who is currently fighting a fierce court battle with the federal government over his protection of a confidential source, warned that press freedom is under serious attack in today’s America… And the media has been ‘too timid’ in pushing back against the onslaught.”

Hollywood’s “Noah” and the Bible

Newsmax wrote on March 31:

“People expect to see literalism in Bible movies, says Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly, so it isn’t surprising there has been adverse reaction to Darren Aronofsky’s blockbuster ‘Noah.’ On his show Monday, O’Reilly noted that conservative talk show host Glenn Beck had called the movie ‘dangerous disinformation.’…

“Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper countered that ‘Noah’ is a big-budget picture that has to have a lot of elements to succeed, including the stone giants who protect Noah and help him build the ark… EWTN’s Arroyo said people were willing to give the film a chance, but then once they saw it on screen they were hit with Noah’s trying to kill his grandchildren because he thinks it is what God wants him to do. O’Reilly noted that the story in the Bible is dark. God is vengeful and says humans have spit in his face, he said.”

Stone giants protecting Noah? Noah trying to kill his grandchildren? Enough said.

Ongoing NSA Spying Scandal

AFP wrote on March 29:

“According to German news magazine Der Spiegel, the US National Security Agency kept a spy database on more than 100 world leaders. This included 300 files on German Chancellor Angela Merkel… The list was 122 names long, but only 12 of these names were shared with Spiegel…

“The Spiegel story also indicated that Britain’s GCHQ intelligence service infiltrated German internet firms and that the US National Security Agency (NSA) obtained a court order to spy on Germany.”

France’s Move to the Right

Deutsche Welle reported on March 31:

“The shake-up of Hollande’s deeply unpopular government comes after nationwide local elections on Sunday in which both the far-right National Front (FN) and the mainstream opposition party Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) made historic gains, while Hollande’s Socialists suffered some of their worst losses ever.

“The UMP, the party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, snatched a number of towns long considered Socialist bastions, a performance that bodes well for its chances in national elections scheduled for 2017. The FN under Marine Le Pen also put it its best showing at the grassroots level of French government, winning control of 11 towns and more than 1,200 municipal seats nationwide.

“The results reflect the growing discontent in France with Hollande’s government, which came to power in 2012. Critics say it has been helpless in the face of a stagnant economy, persistently high unemployment and falling living standards in many quarters.”

Outbreak of Deadly Ebola Virus in Africa

BBC News reported on April 1:

“The WHO says 83 people in Guinea have died in suspected cases of Ebola, which is spread by close contact and kills between 25% and 90% of its victims. It has now spread to neighbouring Liberia, as well as Guinea’s capital, Conakry, which has a population of two million people… The traditional handshake is no longer a part of salutations in Guinea as people are really terrified of being infected with Ebola… The disease originated in the southern Forest Region where bats, a local delicacy, are thought be carriers of the virus. Their sale and consumption has been banned…

“‘We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases,’ said Mariano Lugli, a co-ordinator in Guinea for the medical charity. ‘This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organisations working to control the epidemic.’… Sierra Leone has also reported five suspected cases, none of which have yet been confirmed, while Senegal, which also borders Guinea, has closed its land border. Saudi Arabia suspended visas for Muslim pilgrims from Guinea and Liberia on Tuesday, in a sign of the growing unease about the outbreak… The tropical virus leads to haemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.”

Big Los Angeles Earthquake Just a Preview?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 28:

“The 5.1 magnitude earthquake that rattled Southern California on Friday night raises the possibility that a larger quake is on the way, seismologists said. The swarm of earthquakes began at 8:03 p.m., when a 3.6 earthquake hit. That ended up being a foreshock of the largest earthquake to hit, a magnitude 5.1 at 9:09 p.m. At least two more aftershocks hit, a 3.4 at 9:11 p.m. and a 3.6 at 9:30 p.m.… The quake was felt over a large swath of the region…”

The Los Angeles Times added on March 30:

“Experts say a bigger earthquake along the lesser-known fault that gave Southern California a moderate shake could do more damage to the region than the long-dreaded ‘Big One’ from the more famous San Andreas Fault. The Puente Hills thrust fault, which brought Friday night’s magnitude-5.1 quake centered in La Habra and well over 100 aftershocks by Sunday, stretches from northern Orange County under downtown Los Angeles into Hollywood — a heavily populated swath of the Los Angeles area.

“A magnitude-7.5 earthquake along that fault could prove more catastrophic than one along the San Andreas, which runs along the outskirts of metropolitan Southern California, seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that such a quake along the Puente Hills fault could kill 3,000 to 18,000 people and cause up to $250 billion in damage. In contrast, a larger magnitude 8 quake along the San Andreas would cause an estimated 1,800 deaths…

“Part of the problem with the potential damage is that the fault runs near so many vulnerable older buildings, many made of concrete, in downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. And because the fault, discovered in 1999, is horizontal, heavy reverberations are likely to be felt over a wide area.The shaking from a 7.5 quake in the center of urban Los Angeles could be so intense it would lift heavy objects in the air…”

Big Earthquakes Will Strike

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on March 28:

“John Dvorak, a geophysicist who now works at an astronomical observatory in Hawaii, warns that a quake break can just be the calm before the earthquake storm… As he notes in an interview, plenty of other parts of the country are vulnerable to earthquakes, including the Northwest, the Midwest, the South and – yes – even the Big Apple… earthquakes, even large ones, tend to cluster in time and space. An earthquake storm is when there is a cluster of large earthquakes in a region occur over a period of several decades.

“The best examples are the earthquakes that are now happening in northern Turkey along the North Anatolian fault. The storm began in 1939. Since then there have been 13 major earthquakes, and scientists expect at least one more major earthquake is yet to happen at the west end near Istanbul… The last major earthquake to strike Istanbul was in 1509.  The next one is expected in the next few decades.

“There is also an earthquake storm happening at the eastern end of the Indian Ocean. It began in 2001 with a magnitude-7.9 event and includes the disastrous December 2004 earthquake that struck Sumatra. In total, there have been seven major earthquakes there since 2001, and at least a few more are expected…

“Most of the motion between the Pacific and North American plates occurs along coastal California. In the last hundred years, there has been only one significant earthquake along those plates: the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the World Series earthquake. But during the previous hundred years before that, there were five significant earthquakes along the California coast, in 1812, 1838, 1857, 1868, and 1906. Large earthquakes are the major means by which seismic energy gets released after building up between the two tectonic plates. And so one or more large earthquakes are in California’s future. It is a matter of when…

“Alaska is the most seismically active place in the United States, followed by California. In third place is Utah, fourth is Hawaii. And there is a big seismic potential in the Pacific Northwest. There is also the New Madrid area in southeast Missouri where a series of four major earthquakes struck in 1811 and 1812. A repeat of those events will cause major damage in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. There’s also New York and New England. The largest historic earthquake in New York occurred beneath New York Harbor in 1884. It was felt along most of the East Coast. The largest New England earthquake occurred in 1755 off the coast at Cape Ann. It is still a mystery why earthquakes occur in these areas.”

Major Earthquake Strikes Chile

BNO News reported on April 2:

“A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 struck off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday evening, prompting tsunami warnings for Pacific coastlines in the region, seismologists and officials said. The 8.0-magnitude at 6:46 p.m. local time was centered about 83 kilometers (52 miles) northwest of Iquique, the capital of the Tarapaca Region in northern Chile. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it extremely shallow, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Reuters added on April 2:

“A major earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck off the coast of  northern Chile on Tuesday, causing five deaths and triggering a tsunami that pounded the shore with 2-meter-tall waves.”

This earthquake was followed on Wednesday, April 2, by a 7.8 earthquake.

The Ring of Fire

ABC News added on April 2:

“The 8.2 earthquake that shook northern Chile and surrounding countries late Tuesday night was one of a string of recent earthquakes along what is known as the ‘Ring of Fire,’ a circle of quake-prone areas on the Pacific Rim. A magnitude 5.1 quake hit Los Angeles last week, followed by aftershocks along the California coast… Both cities lie along the so-called Ring of Fire, where two plates underneath the earth’s surface occasionally bump up against other plates… The 9.0 magnitude quake that hit Japan and cause the Fukushima meltdown in 2011 was on the Pacific’s Ring of Fire… The most susceptible areas on the Ring of Fire include such populated cities as Santiago, Chile; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Tokyo, Japan; and Lima, Peru.”

Powerful Earthquake at Yellowstone

NBC News reported on March 30:

“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Yellowstone National Park in Montana early Sunday…the quake, which hit at 6:34 a.m. local time, was centered almost in the middle of Yellowstone National Park, near the Norris Geyser Basin… Jessica Turner, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Service, said the quake was the most powerful to hit the park since 1985…”

Is Yellowstone’s Supervolcano About to Blow?

Epoch Times wrote on April 2:

“A number of bloggers are posting videos that show bison and other animals allegedly leaving Yellowstone National Park, prompting theories that as earthquakes ramp up the seismic activity will set off the Yellowstone supervolcano. Two of the main bloggers behind the discussion stress that there’s no way to know when the supervolcano will go off but note that the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that hit on March 30 seemed to set off a reaction from the animals, who are moving for a reason…

“A series of smaller quakes have hit the region over the past few weeks, and those quakes have been linked to the recent 5.1 magnitude quake (and aftershocks) that hit in the Los Angeles region. Tom Lupshu, who describes himself as a “noted Ohio survivalist and search-and-rescue expert,” said on YouTube that nearly one quarter of the northern elk herd at Yellowstone National Park are missing, according to the annual winter count… ‘The more the Earthquakes in the region, the more are the chances of the volcano being activated from its dormant state. Last time an earthquake struck in 1980…’

“Researchers recently discovered that the supervolcano is far bigger than previously thought, about 2.5 times… The findings point to the potentially disastrous consequences if the volcano were ever to blow… the Yellowstone Volcano is still active, and… nothing can be done to prevent an eruption.”

The Great Alaska Earthquake

Quartz wrote on March 30:

“Fifty years ago this week, the Great Alaska Earthquake ravaged the Pacific Northwest, killing more than 100 people. Nine-tenths of those weren’t caused by the earthquake, though, but by a series of tsunamis that pummeled the coast, one of which towered 219 feet (66 meters) high. They come taller than that, though. The 1958 tsunami that ripped through Lituya Bay, a sleepy fjord near the Gulf of Alaska, was eight times bigger…

“Calamity struck at 10pm on July 9, 1958, when a 8.0-Richter-scale earthquake rammed the Alaskan coast up and northward. That impact shook free between 40 million and 60 million cubic yards (30.6 million and 46 million cubic meters) of rock and ice that rimmed the Lituya basin, dumping it 3,000 feet into the bay below. The 1,720-foot monster that reared up as a result shot through the bay at 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour)…”