Swine Flu–Deadly Pig Disease Reaches Humans

Reuters reported on April 24 that “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it was too late to contain the swine flu outbreak in the United States.”

On April 27, the Huffington Post published an interesting article by journalist David Kirby about the swine flu. We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“Officials from the CDC and USDA will likely arrive in Mexico soon to help investigate the deadly new influenza virus that managed to jump from pigs to people in a previously unseen mutated form that can readily spread among humans. One of the first things they will want to look at are the hundreds of industrial-scale hog facilities that have sprung up around Mexico in recent years, and the thousands of people employed inside the crowded, pathogen-filled confinement buildings and processing plants.

“Industry calls these massive compounds ‘confined animal feeding operations,’ or CAFOs (KAY-fohs), though most people know them simply as ‘factory farms’… Within each confinement, thousands of pigs are restricted to indoor pens and grain-fed for market, while breeding sows are kept in small metal crates where they spend most of their lives pregnant or nursing piglets… Many of these CAFOs raise tens of thousands of pigs at a time…

“Pigs are nature’s notorious ‘mixing bowls’ for inter-species infections, and many swine flu viruses have long contained human influenza genetic components… So where did this new, virulent and highly infectious influenza emerge from? According to Mexico’s Health Minister, Jose Angel Cordova, the virus ‘mutated from pigs, and then at some point was transmitted to humans.’ It sure sounds like something happened on some farm, somewhere.

“For years, leading scientists around the world have worried that large-scale, indoor swine ‘factories’ would become breeding grounds for new pathogens that could more easily infect humans and then spread out rapidly in the general population – threatening to become a global pandemic… This new strain making headlines and killing people contains genetic components of human flu virus, avian flu virus and – for the first time ever – two types of swine flu virus: American and Eurasian…”

Egypt Slaughters Its Pigs, and Jordan Closes Its Pig Farms

The Associated Press reported on April 29:

“Egypt began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 pigs in the country Wednesday as a precautionary measure against the spread of swine flu even though no cases have been reported here yet, the Health Ministry said… Egypt’s overwhelmingly Muslim population does not eat pork due to religious restrictions. But the animals are raised and consumed by the Christian minority, which some estimates put at 10 percent of the population…

“Pigs can be found in many places around [the] Muslim world, often raised by religious minorities who can eat pork. But they are banned entirely in some Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Libya.

“In Jordan, the government decided Wednesday to shut down the country’s five pig farms, involving 800 animals, for violating public health safety regulations.”

Swine Flu Puzzles Experts

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 27:

“There is nothing unusual about swine flu, which is as commonplace among livestock as seasonal flu is among humans. But the latest outbreak of swine flu… has come as a complete surprise. 
 
“The new sub-variant of the H1N1 influenza virus, which killed an estimated 40 percent of the world’s population in the pandemic of 1918, has been deadly in Mexico, where it wasn’t recognized for quite some time. What’s puzzling is that the new viral strain is apparently milder in the US, Canada and Spain…

“Although the airborne virus is called swine flu, it is a recombinant mixture of DNA segments from pigs, birds and humans. The virus is a new genetic strain, which medical experts say could mutate into an even more dangerous variant of potentially pandemic proportions, since no one would have immunity to it…

“In the event of a pandemic, the stockpile of anti-virals in Germany is unusually low, compared with Britain and France, where more than half the population could be treated in an emergency. But… there is absolutely no data showing that anti-viral drugs will save a patient’s life… clinical studies… show that anti-virals only reduce the duration of the disease’s symptoms, but [do] not actually kill viruses, which keep mutating and become resistant to drug treatment over time…”

The Worst Case Scenario?

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 28:

“Germany’s health minister says the swine flu outbreak could turn global and that it’s impossible to predict whether it will or not… Bild commented that the German government’s 100-page emergency plan ‘reads like the script of a disaster movie.’ The plan assumes that a full-blown outbreak of a flu such as swine flu could cause up to 103,000 deaths in Germany alone within eight weeks… Around 30 percent of the population would be infected, the report estimates… ‘the virus being widespread… closing borders or restricting travel really has very little effects in stopping the movement of this virus,’ said Mr Fukuda of the WHO.”

How Swine Flu Panic Affects U.S. Economy

USA Today reported on April 28:

“For an ailing global travel industry, swine flu couldn’t have erupted at a worse time. ‘It has the potential to paralyze travel,’ says Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association… ‘Certainly if it gets out of hand,’ it will be catastrophic. There are signs the situation is speedily getting out of hand.

“The U.S. government Monday urged Americans to cancel travel to Mexico if not essential… ‘This is kind of the one-two-three-four-five punch,’ says Jan Freitag, a vice president at the hotel-tracking firm Smith Travel Research. ‘You have a global recession; business travel has been severely curtailed; leisure travel is curtailed because people are not sure they’re going to have jobs; you have a lot of new hotel supply in the pipeline; and oops, now we have the European Union suggesting that travel to the United States is a mistake.’

“Androulla Vassiliou, the European Union’s health commissioner, initially suggested avoiding all non-essential travel to Mexico and the United States. She later softened her warning, stressing she was speaking only for herself, not the entire 27-nation EU, and that it was an advisory, not a ban, that applied only to hot spots. Still, her comments added to fears that the outbreak would hit an ailing industry on the verge of the summer travel season.

“They also revived memories of the 2002-03 outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in Asia. SARS prompted a plunge in air travel and cost the global economy $33 billion in 2003… Airline stocks slid Monday, with shares of Continental falling $2.17, or 16.4%… Shares of AMR, parent of American, fell 72 cents, or 13.3%…

“Hotels had a bad day, too. Marriott fell $1.13 (5.1%)… American depositary receipts of InterContinental Hotels Group fell 55 cents, or 5.6%… The travel industry already is reeling under the weight of worldwide recession. Before flu broke out, the global airline industry was on track to lose $4.7 billion this year… In the USA, hotel occupancy was down 10.9% from a year ago, and rates were down 7.7%…”

Several Countries Ban Import of Pork and Isolate Travelers

ksl.com reported on April 26:

“Hong Kong and Taiwan said visitors who came back from flu-affected areas with fevers would be quarantined. China said anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms within two weeks of arrival [from] an affected area had to report to authorities. A Russian health agency said any passenger from North America running a fever would be quarantined until cause of the fever is determined. Tokyo’s Narita airport installed a device to test the temperatures of passengers arriving from Mexico. Indonesia increased surveillance at all entry points for travelers with flu-like symptoms…

“Hong Kong and South Korea warned against travel to the Mexican capital and three affected provinces. Italy, Poland and Venezuela also advised their citizens to postpone travel to affected areas of Mexico and the United States…

“The virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, but Joseph Domenech, chief of animal health service at U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency in Rome, said all indications were that the virus is being spread through human-to-human transmission. No vaccine specifically protects against swine flu, and it is unclear how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer.

“Russia banned the import of meat products from Mexico, California, Texas and Kansas. South Korea said it would increase the number of its influenza virus checks on pork products from Mexico and the U.S. Serbia on Saturday banned all imports of pork from North America…”

Bank of America and Citigroup Fail “Stress Test”

The Associated Press reported on April 28:

“Bank of America… and Citigroup…, which have each received $45 billion in government bailout funds, have been told by regulators that ‘stress test’ results show they may need to raise additional capital… Bank of America is looking at a shortfall in the billions of dollars… Both banks plan to rebut the preliminary findings…

“Banks deemed to have enough capital may learn whether they’ll be permitted to repay billions of dollars the government injected into them last fall… Most large banks have said they want to repay the money to escape executive compensation limits and other obligations. Investors have grown more concerned about regional banks with many risky loans on their books. Defaults on those loans could skyrocket in a worsening economy. Banks that carry such loans are likely to be asked to improve their capital reserves.”

US Treasury “Needs” to Borrow Over $870 Billion

The Associated Press reported on April 27:

“The Treasury Department said Monday it will need to borrow $361 billion in the current April-June quarter, a record amount for that period. It’s the third straight quarter the government’s borrowing needs have set records for those periods. Treasury also estimated it will need to borrow $515 billion in the July-September quarter…

“The huge borrowing needs reflect the soaring costs of the $700 billion financial rescue program and the recession, which is nearing a record as the longest in the post World War II period…

“The administration is projecting the federal deficit for the entire budget year ending Sept. 30, will total a record $1.75 trillion. A deficit at that level would nearly quadruple the previous record of $454.8 billion set last year. To cover the government’s heavy borrowing needs, Congress in February boosted the limit for the national debt to $12.1 trillion as part of the legislation that enacted President Barack Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus program. The national debt now stands at $11.1 trillion…

“The $361 billion estimate for borrowing this quarter compared with borrowing needs of just $13 billion in the year-ago period. Normally the government’s borrowing needs shrink sharply in the April-June quarter because of all the tax revenue being collected…”

“That Wasn’t Me”

The Associated Press wrote on April 29:

“‘That wasn’t me,’ President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One. It actually was him – and the other Democrats controlling Congress the previous two years – who shaped a budget so out of balance. And as a presidential candidate and president-elect, he backed the twilight Bush-era stimulus plan that made the deficit deeper, all before he took over and promoted spending plans that have made it much deeper still.”

Mr. Obama’s First 100 Days–How the British “Times” Sees It

The Times wrote on April 25:

“As the White House prepares to reach the 100 days milestone since President Obama’s inauguration, it is being true to the form shown over the preceding 99: to exploit ruthlessly American politics while simultaneously asking that the President be judged by a different standard. The strategy is to swat aside any effort to reach an early verdict, on the ground that the Administration has faced unprecedented challenges, but to acknowledge nonetheless that Wednesday — on which the 100th day falls — may be a useful moment to reflect on how much has been accomplished…

“By any measure the pace has been frenetic. The President has ordered the closure of the Guantánamo Bay prison camp, the end of ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ and for troops to be withdrawn from Iraq; recast military strategy in Afghanistan; travelled to nine countries and met the leaders of almost 60. On top of this he has signed legislation that makes it easier for women to sue for job discrimination and extends health coverage to millions of children; eased a ban on stem-cell research; sacked the head of General Motors; intervened in the housing and credit markets; reached out to the Muslim world; tried to improve relations with Cuba; drawn up a $3.6 trillion (£2.4 trillion) budget and forced a bitterly contested $787 billion stimulus Bill through Congress…

“The President is intensely aware of criticism that he is being overambitious… advisers acknowledge that Mr Obama’s reach may exceed his grasp… Nor is the President quite as infallible as he seemed before the inauguration… In the past week the contradictory statements coming out of the White House on the need to investigate or prosecute those responsible for CIA interrogations showed how swiftly a popular policy on banning torture or allowing transparency can unravel.

“Such episodes are symptoms of the difficulty in moving from campaigning — when all politicians can do is make speeches and promises — to governing, when words ultimately have to be judged by results… Having underestimated the scale of public anger over executive bonuses he then whipped it up by railing so hard against the insurance giant AIG that employees began getting death threats…

“His approval ratings, hovering in the low 60s, are almost identical to those of George Bush eight years ago. Aides say that Mr Obama’s popularity is neither unique nor permanent… Mr Obama is a politician grappling with enormous problems and making a slow descent to earth.”

Obama’s First 100 Days–How the German “Der Spiegel” Sees It

On April 30, Der Spiegel Online published an article, titled: “The Most Expensive President Since 1945.”

It continued:

“The new US president’s first 100 days in office were expensive, glamorous and often contradictory…

“[On the] subject [of communication], the new president is truly a world-class performer. In fact we Germans might like to send our chancellor, Angela Merkel, to the White House for a four-week internship under Mr. Obama.

“… the president has performed poorly when it comes to the central political issue of the day [that of managing the financial crisis]. Obama has ignited a dangerous time bomb in the US government’s budget. The economic stimulus program and the billions in bailout funds for Wall Street banks are being paid for primarily with borrowed funds. Obama’s first 100 days have been the most costly in American postwar history.

“… The bailout programs are not being paid for with ‘taxpayer money,’ as Obama claims. Instead, the money is coming from the savings of the frugal Japanese, Chinese and Europeans… Not only is this is costly, but it is also extremely risky. More important, it is not sustainable. By taking this approach, Obama is only leading his country more deeply into dependence on creditors from around the world. Before long, anyone who wishes to attack America will no longer need nuclear weapons, but merely sufficient dollar reserves. China already has close to $2 trillion (€1.5 trillion) stored away in its coffers…

“Things are not exactly adding up when it comes to Obama’s economic policy. The effects of economic stimulus packages are usually short-lived. For many people, the government’s programs will seem to herald a speedy end to the crisis, but the light at the end of the tunnel will be fueled by burning dollar bills. When the flames subside, darkness will return…

“Obama wants to help establish a modern healthcare system in America — at last. Fifty million people currently have no health insurance. Their situation is hardly better than it might have been during the Middle Ages… But there is one thing the president has neglected to tell his fellow Americans. A first-class medical system cannot be purchased at Walmart discount prices. His promises of further tax cuts and health-care reforms are mutually exclusive. He will have to break one of the two promises…

“The foreign policy motto of his predecessor could have been: ‘If you don’t want to be my brother, I’ll smash your skull.’ Obama clearly takes a different approach to foreign policy… In the coming years, people will start asking themselves: What does America get in return? Is it a soft or a hard currency to be open? The answer will most likely be found in Tehran, Beijing and Moscow…

“Commander-in-chief Obama is sending mixed messages. On the one hand, he is taking a dovish approach to the Arabs, extending his hand to Islam and offering a peace pipe to the Russians. On the other hand…, the US military is adding large numbers of troops to its forces in Afghanistan, while unmanned drones are being used to stage attacks in Pakistan’s border region… His strategy has already bred results, but they are not what he expected. Anti-American sentiment is growing in Pakistan… If Pakistan, a nuclear state, falls into the hands of fundamentalists, Obama will have handed the West more than just another defeat…

“The closing of the CIA prison in Guantanamo Bay and the ban on torture in interrogations brought the sinister practices of the Bush years to a necessary end. This deserves respect, but not applause. Obama’s America is merely returning to the normal state of a democratic nation governed by the rule of law. Although the torture practices have been abolished, no one is being called to account…

“Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is increasingly proving to be a weak point in Obama’s cabinet… This year, bank bonuses are likely to be twice as high as they were before the crisis. This may be a nuisance during normal times, but today — in light of the government’s bailouts of the banks — it is nothing short of scandalous…

“Vice President Joe Biden is… known for his charm as well as his wagging tongue. He embarrassed his boss, for example, when he said of the bailout plans in Washington: ‘If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there’s still a 30 percent chance we’re going to get it wrong’…

“So far, the Obama presidency is as contradictory as reality. No one today can say whether he will end up being the president he wants to be… Many US newspapers speak admiringly of Obama, calling him ‘larger than life.’ But that too remains to be seen. Perhaps life will turn out to be larger than Obama.”

The Demise of the Superpower USA

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 29:

“The severe crisis is affecting the United States, which is already in a weakened position, and it could accelerate the country’s relative demise as a superpower which already began a long time ago. American industry, or what is left of it, is already in a deplorable condition today… The history of the US auto industry… is the history of America as an economic superpower, from its brilliant ascent to its agonizingly slow demise…

“Never before has a country lived at the expense of the future with such reckless abandon. The United States today is an economy that sucks in the savings of other nations. America currently needs more than half of worldwide savings merely to avoid falling below the levels of previous years. The government and private households borrow roughly $1 billion (€760 million) on each business day… Even when adjusted for the size of today’s economy, the US’s current debts significantly exceed debt levels during the Great Depression. The superpower has become an empire of debt. The most dangerous element of President Obama’s crisis management program is that this debt is not being reduced, but expanded.

“… no one knows whether… all the money being thrown at the aggressive virus fueling this crisis will only make it worse. Debts are being fought with debts, meaning that not only banks but entire countries could end up bankrupt. Perhaps the efforts to combat the current crisis are merely laying the foundations for the next crisis, which will be bigger still.”

“Plane Stupid”

The Daily News reported on April 27:

“A perfect storm of idiocy led to a frightening 9/11 flashback for thousands of New Yorkers Monday when a jumbo jet and an F-16 fighter jet buzzed lower Manhattan without warning. A ‘furious’ Mayor Bloomberg denounced the dunces who dreamed up the stunt – and the NYPD officials and bureaucrats who never told him about it… Sources said the chief reason for the panic-inducing flight was to create souvenir pictures of Air Force One flying over the Statue of Liberty to be given out – like a presidential tie clip – to family, friends or supporters…

“The planes appeared on the horizon around 10 a.m. and sent a chill through the city. Flying in as low as 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet above New York City, they circled the Statue of Liberty before flying over Manhattan, Staten Island and New Jersey. Before they vanished, hundreds of frightened people had jammed emergency phone lines, and thousands of terrified people evacuated from buildings in the city and across the river in New Jersey… ‘The President was furious,’ a White House insider said.”

CBS wrote on April 28:

“Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay… But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor’s office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out…”

According to Bloomberg, dated April 28, “The flight by the VC-25… and two F-16 fighter jets cost $328,835, Air Force spokeswoman Vicki Stein said.” 

It’s Politics–Specter Becomes a Democrat, Possibly Giving Democrats Full Control of the Senate

The Washington Post reported on April 28:

“Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch parties and run for reelection in November 2010 as a Democrat, he announced today, a decision that could have wide-ranging consequences for the Senate and President Obama’s agenda. Specter told reporters that he received a ‘bleak’ poll Friday from his advisers that showed virtually no chance of him winning in the GOP primary next spring against Pat Toomey, a former Republican House member…

“The move brings Democrats to 59 seats in the Senate, just one shy of the 60 they need to exert filibuster-proof control over the chamber. In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken holds a 312-vote lead over former senator Norm Coleman (R), but Coleman has appealed the result to the state Supreme Court. Oral arguments in the case are expected to begin in June… Assuming the court sides with Franken in Minnesota, it will mark the first time since the 95th Congress — 1977 to 1979 — that Democrats have controlled 60 or more Senate seats.”

Pros and Cons of Global Warming

The Associated Press wrote on April 24:

“Former Vice President Al Gore, the leading American voice on climate change, urged lawmakers Friday to… take action to reduce greenhouse gases, but Democrats and Republicans sparred even more vigorously over the cost of dealing with global warming.

“Gore, who won a Nobel prize for his work on climate change, told a congressional hearing that ‘the dire and growing threat’ of a warmer earth requires the parties to unite to deal with the environmental threat. He endorsed a House Democratic bill that would limit carbon dioxide and other pollution linked to warming… But former House Speaker Newt Gingrich… argued that the Democratic proposal to reduce greenhouse gases would ‘punish the American people’ by imposing higher energy costs and threatening jobs…

“The House bill calls for mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83 percent by mid-century. It also would require utilities to produce a quarter of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 and impose new efficiency requirements… Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the committee’s top Republican, argued that the proposed ‘cap-and-trade’ system would cost tens of billions of dollars a year… House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio denounced the draft bill as a ‘massive national energy tax on every American …. who drives a car, buys a product manufactured in the United States, or has the audacity to flip on a light switch’…

“While Republicans were critical, some Democrats expressed concern as well. ‘How do we protect our people?’ asked Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., whose state is reeling from the economic recession and is home to many energy-intensive industries, including the ailing auto industry. Dingell said he’s not convinced the bill will protect U.S. jobs, especially if China isn’t forced to take similar actions.”

How Democrats Suppress Global Warming Dissent

News Climate Depot reported on April 25:

“UK’s Lord Christopher Monckton, a former science advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, claimed House Democrats have refused to allow him to appear alongside former Vice President Al Gore at a high profile global warming hearing on Friday April 24, 2009 at 10am in Washington. Monckton told Climate Depot that the Democrats rescinded his scheduled joint appearance at the House Energy and Commerce hearing on Friday. Monckton said he was informed that he would not be allowed to testify alongside Gore when his plane landed from England Thursday afternoon.

“‘The House Democrats don’t want Gore humiliated, so they slammed the door of the Capitol in my face,’ Monckton told Climate Depot in an exclusive interview. ‘They are cowards.’… According to Monckton, House Democrats told the Republican committee staff earlier this week that they would be putting forward an unnamed ‘celebrity’ as their star witness Friday… The ‘celebrity’ witness turned out to be Gore. Monckton said the GOP replied they would respond to the Democrats’ ‘celebrity’ with an unnamed ‘celebrity’ of their own. But Monckton claims that when the Democrats were told who the GOP witness would be, they refused to allow him to testify alongside Gore… ‘The Democrats have a lot to learn about the right of free speech under the US Constitution’…, Monckton said from the airport Thursday evening.”

Soon Civil Unrest in Germany Over Bad Economy?

Netzeitung reported on April 26:

“The economic crisis is hitting the German psyche hard; a new survey says 72 percent of Germans are scared by the crisis and over 30 percent would demonstrate on the streets… In the last week, German politicians and union leaders have debated whether or not social unrest will arrive in Germany once companies are forced to lay off workers and the economy slows down further.

“The Sunday survey in Bild am Sonntag says 54 percent of Germans believe there will be unrest in the coming months. Eastern Germans are gloomier, with 61 percent percent believing that unrest is coming. West Germans are more likely to take to the streets than those from the east, the survey found, with 34 percent of westerners saying they would demonstrate compared to only 27 percent of easterners.

“The first big test of whether Germany’s social fabric is fraying comes… on May 1st, the annual day of work celebrated all over Europe, often with labor demonstrations. In Berlin, where the annual demonstrations often turn violent, with anarchists burning cars and clashing with police, the city is preparing for larger-than-usual rallies. ‘Attacks by extremists on police are rising,’ Konrad Freiberg, the head of the Union of Police, told Bild. ‘Already by May first, the violence threatens to escalate.'”

The Great Depression of 1929–Is History Repeating Itself in 2009?

Der Spiegel Online wrote the following on April 29:

“Is history repeating itself? The current global downturn has many parallels to the Great Depression. And if the current massive bailout packages fail, the effect on the world’s economies could be similarly drastic…

“More than 5 million people in the United States have lost their jobs since the crisis began. As if the country were undergoing fever convulsions, more than 650,000 were catapulted into the streets in the last month alone.

“Most experts are now convinced that Germany will follow the United States along this downward trajectory… Unemployment will rise sharply. It is expected to exceed 4 million by this fall and hit 5 million by next year. By then, at the latest, the crisis will have become reality for millions of people, as it reaches private households, forces more companies into bankruptcy and pushes countless loans into default, only making things worse for the country’s already ailing banks…

“In the wake of the economic crisis, Germany fell into the hands of the Nazis. The slogan, ‘Hitler – Our Last Hope,’ was plastered on campaign posters in the 1930s. Many agreed with the sentiment at the time… On May 2, 1930, Hitler, a man who had been ridiculed until then, was suddenly speaking to a packed house at Berlin’s Sportpalast hall. Now the people, or at least a significant portion of the people, were eager to hear Hitler speak.

“After the Reichstag election in the late summer of 1930, a splinter group had suddenly become a force to be reckoned with. The Nazi Party won 18.3 percent of the vote and 107 seats in the Reichstag, making it the country’s second-most powerful party. The economic crisis had catapulted the party to power within just a short space of time.

“Berlin is not Weimar. And the current economic crisis has not produced any noticeable political changes — at least not yet… This could change if the crisis worsens and unemployment rises significantly…”

Latin American Summit in Trinidad

The Los Angeles Times wrote on April 20:

“Rebuffing criticism of the warm greetings he exchanged with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, President Obama said Sunday that the United States, with its overwhelming military superiority and need to improve its global image, could afford to extend such diplomatic ‘courtesy’… A running theme of the summit was Obama’s cordial dealings with Chavez, who once called former President George W. Bush the ‘devil’ and who last month dismissed Obama as an ‘ignoramus.’ The two were photographed smiling and clasping hands.

“At one meeting, Chavez made a show of walking around the table as the cameras rolled and handing Obama a copy of ‘Open Veins of Latin America,’ a 1971 book by Eduardo Galeano chronicling U.S. and European imperialism in the region. Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, appearing on CNN on Sunday, said it was ‘irresponsible’ for Obama to be seen ‘laughing and joking’ with the Venezuelan president.

“Obama… said it ‘was a nice gesture to give me a book. I’m a reader’ [The book was in Portuguese, a language that Mr. Obama does not understand.]… The U.S. has nothing to fear from Venezuela, a large supplier of crude oil to the country, Obama said…

“Obama aides were not so charitable toward Chavez. In a background briefing earlier, one senior official accused Chavez of performing for the cameras… Apparently impressed with Obama, Chavez seemed ready to reevaluate relations with the United States. He announced that he was considering appointing an ambassador to Washington…

“Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua’s leader, gave a 50-minute speech at the opening ceremony Friday in which he denounced capitalism. At a news conference, Bolivian President Evo Morales alleged that the U.S. had been complicit in attempts to overthrow him. Morales also wanted Obama to repudiate an alleged attempt to assassinate him last week. In response, Obama said he wanted to ‘condemn any efforts at violent overthrows of democratically elected governments, wherever it happens in the hemisphere. That is not the policy of our government.'”

Latin American Leaders Derail USA in Mr. Obama’s Presence

Bloomberg wrote on April 18:

“Latin American leaders railed against the U.S. during President Barack Obama’s first trip to the region, turning what was intended to mark a new direction in relations into a history lesson that chastised ‘Yankee troop’ interventions and U.S.-dictated economic policies. Obama arrived at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday promising to ‘listen and learn’ from regional leaders. He got an earful.

“In the weekend’s first speeches, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner voiced grievances on issues ranging from the U.S. drug war to American support for counterinsurgency movements of the 1980s. Both urged Obama to end the 47-year-old trade embargo against Cuba, the only country in the Americas excluded from the 34-nation summit…

“Nicaragua’s president said he was ‘ashamed’ Cuba wasn’t invited to participate in the summit and called Obama’s lifting last week of travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban- Americans ‘insufficient and unacceptable… Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told Obama during a meeting today with leaders from the Union of South American Nations that another Summit of the Americas without Cuba was unacceptable.”

Gingrich: Obama’s Conduct Unacceptable

The Associated Press wrote on April 20:

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich charged Monday that President Barack Obama’s cordial greeting with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez sends a poor message to enemies of America. In a nationally broadcast interview, the Georgia Republican also accused the administration of being too slow to react to North Korea’s launching of a rocket test and said it has reached out too much to ease relations with Cuba… Gingrich complained that the simple act of a smiling Obama shaking Chavez’s hand caused a book Chavez has written to skyrocket on the best-seller lists in the United States.

“‘What I find distressing,’ he said, ‘is that the administration opposes opening up oil exploration,’ but yet Obama has ‘bowed to the king of Saudi Arabia’ and now reached out to Chavez, whom Gingrich said has been conducting ‘a vicious anti-American campaign.’ Gingrich… said, ‘How do you mend relationships with someone who actively hates your country… Cuba releases zero prisoners,’ he said, ‘yet we make nice with Cuba… I’m not for deluding myself about smiles and words.'”

Is the West Finally Waking Up to Iran?

Times on Line wrote on April 20:

“British delegates joined a dramatic diplomatic walkout today when President Ahmadinejad of Iran told a major UN conference against racism that the state of Israel had been founded ‘on the pretext of Jewish suffering’ during the Second World War. Around 20 delegates, including envoys from the UK, France, and Finland stood up and left the room at what was considered an anti-Semitic remark by the Iranian leader… Nine Western countries… had already decided to boycott the conference entirely…

“Earlier today, Israel recalled its ambassador to Switzerland in protest at a brief meeting yesterday between Mr Ahmadinejad and his Swiss counterpart, Hans-Rudolf Merz.

“The conference opened as Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day – which falls this year on the 120th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s birth. This morning the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, told his Cabinet that while Israel commemorates the six million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis, ‘in Switzerland, the guest of honour is a racist and a Holocaust-denier who doesn’t conceal his intention to wipe Israel off the face of this earth…’

“The Obama administration announced at the weekend that it would boycott the meeting because its draft declaration makes reference to the text agreed in 2001 at the UN’s first anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa. That document was agreed after the United States and Israel walked out over attempts to liken Zionism – the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Holy Land – to racism. Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Poland joined the boycott…

“The major sticking points in the draft final declaration prepared for the current meeting concern its implied criticism of Israel and an attempt by Muslim governments to remove all criticism of Islam, Sharia law, the Prophet Muhammad and other tenets of their faith. The American decision to boycott the meeting has been given extra weight by the fact that it was taken by the country’s first black president.

“Speaking in Trinidad yesterday after attending the Summit of the Americas, Mr Obama said that he would love to be ‘involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe’ but wanted to avoid a reprise of the Durban conference during which ‘folks expressed antagonism toward Israel in ways that were oftentimes completely hypocritical and counterproductive.'”

Is the UN Doomed?

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 21 about President Ahmadinejad’s hateful speech and the West’s decision to boycott the UN summit:

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predictably lambasted Israel at the UN anti-racism conference, prompting a mass walk-out by Western diplomats. German newspapers on Tuesday praise Berlin for deciding to boycott the meeting… Over 40 diplomats representing Western nations walked out of the hall as soon as Ahmadinjad began to attack Israel… Meanwhile the Iranian delegates applauded their hard-line leader.

“Several Western countries, including the United States and Germany, had boycotted the conference before the event out of fear that it could become a platform for anti-Semitic sentiments and would be dominated by unfair criticism of Israel. The previous UN anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa in 2001 descended into chaos when the US and Israel walked out after some Arab states sought to equate Zionism with racism…

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘… Germany, along with a number of other nations, was criticized yesterday for not sending delegates to the UN anti-racism conference in Geneva. Why should one listen to a man who has denied the Holocaust repeatedly, at an anti-racism conference of all places, and on the very day that Israel commemorates the victims of the mass murder and on the 120th birthday of (Adolf Hitler), the man who was responsible for the crime?… The German government should be praised for its clarity and constancy’…

“In an op-ed piece for SPIEGEL ONLINE, Henryk M. Broder writes: ‘… The appearance by the Iranian president made clear what kind of racism he and his allies want to protect under the umbrella of the UN and what kind they want to fight. It’s not only large companies such as Opel, Saab and GM that are struggling to stay in business. The United Nations could soon file for bankruptcy too.'”

Israel Prepares for War with Iran

Times On Line wrote on April 18:

“The Israeli military is preparing itself to launch a massive aerial assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities within days of being given the go-ahead by its new government. Among the steps taken to ready Israeli forces for what would be a risky raid requiring pinpoint aerial strikes are the acquisition of three Airborne Warning and Control… aircraft and regional missions to simulate the attack…

“Officials believe that Israel could be required to hit more than a dozen targets, including moving convoys. The sites include Natanz, where thousands of centrifuges produce enriched uranium; Esfahan, where 250 tonnes of gas is stored in tunnels; and Arak, where a heavy water reactor produces plutonium. The distance from Israel to at least one of the sites is more than 870 miles…

“The possible Israeli strike on Iran has drawn comparisons to its attack on the Osirak nuclear facility near Baghdad in 1981. That strike, which destroyed the facility in under 100 seconds, was completed without Israeli losses and checked Iraqi ambitions for a nuclear weapons programme. ‘We would not make the threat [against Iran] without the force to back it. There has been a recent move, a number of on-the-ground preparations, that indicate Israel’s willingness to act,’ said another official from Israel’s intelligence community… An Israeli attack on Iran would entail flying over Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, where US forces have a strong presence…

“Among recent preparations by the airforce was the Israeli attack of a weapons convoy in Sudan bound for militants in the Gaza Strip… Israel has made public its intention to hold the largest-ever nationwide drill next month… Israel will conduct an exercise with US forces to test the ability of Arrow, its US-funded missile defence system. The exercise would test whether the system could intercept missiles launched at Israel. ‘Israel has made it clear that it will not tolerate the threat of a nuclear Iran. According to Israeli Intelligence they will have the bomb within two years … Once they have a bomb it will be too late, and Israel will have no choice to strike — with or without America,’ an official from the Israeli Defence Ministry said.”

North Korea Declares War

CNN wrote on April 18:

“North Korea said Saturday any sanctions or pressure applied against it following its rocket launch earlier this month will be considered a ‘declaration of war.’ In an announcement on state-run television, the country said it was ready to step up efforts to develop nuclear weapons and poised for a military response to any moves against it… On Monday the United Nations condemned North Korea… for launching a rocket… The U.N. statement says the rocket launch was ‘in contravention’ to a 2006 Security Council resolution that demanded that North Korea not launch any ballistic missiles. The 15-member council also voted unanimously for a statement by the council’s president demanding the country make no more launches…

“‘Now that the group officially declared confrontation and war against [North Korea], its revolutionary armed forces will opt for increasing the nation’s defense capability including nuclear deterrent in every way, without being bound to the agreement adopted at the six-party talks,’ [the statement] continued… Referring to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, the statement added, ‘The Lee group of traitors should never forget that Seoul is just 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from the Military Demarcation Line.’ That line was established by the 1953 Armistice Agreement between the two Koreas — which are still technically at war… ‘When a nuclear war will break out due to the war chariot of the “South Korea-U.S. military alliance” is a matter of time,’ it said…”

Kerry Criticizes Obama Over Pakistan

USA Today wrote on April 21:

“Just back from a visit to Pakistan, Sen. John Kerry says the Obama administration’s plan for that volatile country, rolled out last month with great fanfare, ‘is not a real strategy.’ ‘Pakistan is in a moment of peril,’ Kerry, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during a session with USA TODAY reporters and editors. ‘And I believe there is not in place yet an adequate policy or plan to deal with it.’

“In an interview after the session, Kerry advised the Obama administration to stop using the term ‘Af-Pak,’ to describe a unified strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, because ‘I think it does a disservice to both countries and to the policy…’ Kerry’s comments amounted to one of the most serious criticisms leveled by a Democrat at Obama on foreign policy…”

Beware of the GIVE Act and Its “Relatives”

WorldNetDaily wrote on April 11:

“In an era in which Congress can approve thousands of pages of legislation spending hundreds of billions of dollars without reading the proposal… there is enough in the ‘GIVE Act,’ now awaiting a conference committee in Congress after being approved by both the U.S. House and Senate, to cause critics to shiver. For example, it certainly imposes a requirement for public service on some people, even though its original much-feared study on mandatory service for all was moved to another bill during congressional debate.

“The latest version includes a ‘National Service Reserve Corps’ whose members have completed a ‘term of national service,’ ‘[have] successfully completed training’ and ‘completed not less than 10 hours of volunteering each year.’ It also raises First Amendment issues over its limitations on what various corps participants are allowed to do.

“For example, it states those in an ‘approved national service position’ may not try to influence legislation, engage in protests or petitions, take positions on union organizing, engage in partisan political activities, or, among other issues, be ‘engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of proselytization.’

“But probably the biggest red flag for many is how the proposal fits into the overall picture painted by President Obama when he described to a Colorado Springs audience a ‘National Civilian Security Force’ that he wants as big and well-funded as the U.S. military – a staggering suggestion that would involve hundreds of billions of dollars a year… [The bill’s] original language called for a study of how best to implement a mandatory national service program for citizens of the United States. Later the language was dropped from that bill, only to appear at the same time in another legislative proposal.”

The Associated Press reported on April 21:

“Calling on Americans to volunteer, President Barack Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill Tuesday that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college… Congress passed the bill last month with largely bipartisan support and Obama is seeking $1.1 billion to fund it next year… AmeriCorps offers a range of volunteer opportunities including housing construction, youth outreach, disaster response and caring for the elderly. Most receive an annual stipend of slightly less than $12,000 for working 10 months to a year…

“People 55 and older could earn $1,000 education awards by getting involved in public service. Those awards can be transferred to a child, grandchild or even someone they mentored. Students from sixth grade through senior year of high school could earn a $500 education award for helping in their neighborhoods during a new summer program.”

Beware of “Hate Crimes”

WorldNetDaily wrote on April 20:

“Julio Severo, a prominent Brazilian pro-family activist, has been forced into exile because of the ‘hate crimes’ laws that are being implemented in his native land, perhaps providing a preview of what Christians can expect in the United States should similar ‘hate crimes’ proposals be implemented. And several organizations are reporting Congress could begin adopting measures similarly draconian to Brazil’s as early as this week.

“‘It is imperative that we contact all members of the House and demand that they vote against this bill as it will not protect a pastor, Bible teacher, Sunday School teacher, youth leader or anyone else from prosecution if he or she teaches against homosexuality if an individual who hears their message then goes out and commits a crime against a homosexual,’ wrote Pastor Rick Scarborough of Vision America Action…

“Severo reports he was forced to flee his homeland after federal prosecutors there recently charged him with ‘homophobia’ for his statements about the nation’s ‘Gay’ Parade in 2006. Severo told WND that while Brazil does not criminalize Christianity, it does regulate what biblical principles can and cannot be preached, and it bans biblical citations that disapprove of the homosexual lifestyle… He said, ‘Today it is risky to preach a complete Gospel in Brazil. Because of the diversity politics, you cannot say anything negative about witchcraft, especially when such practices are from Africa’…

“Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission was among those raising the warning of impending ‘hate crimes’ legislation in the United States… ‘In other countries where these types of laws have been implemented, pastors and Christians have been jailed and fined for their faithful adherence to the Scriptures,’ he said…

“Also raising the alarm was the Traditional Values Coalition, where Executive Director Andrea Lafferty said, ‘the so-called hate crimes bill will be used to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, Bible teachers, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, Christian counselors, religious broadcasters and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.’

“The organization warned based on a broad definition of ‘intimidation,’ even ‘a pastor’s sermon could be considered “hate speech” … if heard by an individual who then acts aggressively against persons based on any “sexual orientation.”‘ The organization noted during markup of the plan in a 2007 committee hearing, Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., admitted that the law would not protect a pastor from prosecution.”

John McCain’s Top Adviser For Gay Marriages and Against Bible

FoxNews.com wrote on April 17:

“John McCain’s top adviser from the presidential campaign [Steve Schmidt] urged fellow Republicans on Friday to warm up to gay rights and warned that the GOP risks becoming the ‘religious party’ with its opposition to same-sex marriage… He urged Republicans, in the near-term, to endorse civil unions and stop using the Bible as rationale for gay-marriage opposition…

“Schmidt, whose sister is a lesbian and who supports same-sex marriage, said he understands the Republican Party probably won’t reverse its resistance to same-sex marriage anytime soon… President Obama also stops short of supporting gay marriage — he supports civil unions — but states across the country are moving toward extending such rights to gay couples. Schmidt predicted gay marriage will create a bigger and bigger divide between the GOP and the electorate in the years ahead. He said that as young voters age, they may adopt conservative views on the economy and national security — but they will not abandon liberal, social beliefs.”

How Miss California Was “Set Up” by a Gay Judge

FoxNews reported on April 20:

“Miss California Carrie Prejean made her controversial comments on Sunday night’s show… When asked by judge Perez Hilton, an openly gay gossip blogger, whether she believed in gay marriage… Prejean, said ‘We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.’

“Keith Lewis, who runs the Miss California competition, tells FOXNews.com that he was ‘saddened’ by Prejean’s statement. ‘As co-director of the Miss California USA, I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss California believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman,’ said Lewis in a statement. ‘I believe all religions should be able to ordain what unions they see fit. I do not believe our government should be able to discriminate against anyone and religious beliefs have no politics in the Miss California family.'”

Religious beliefs have no politics–or did he mean, place–in the Miss California family??? Also, would the likes of Lewis and Hilton have been equally saddened if Carrie Prejean would have answered that marriage should NOT be limited to a man and a woman? Of course not! But Prejan’s answer did not fit into the gay-agenda and was therefore condemned. What a shame! What an abomination!

Mr. Obama and His Torture Memos…

Die Welt wrote on April 22:

“President Barack Obama opened the door on Tuesday to possible prosecutions of U.S. officials who laid the legal groundwork for the torture of terrorism suspects during the Bush administration. That marked a shift for the Obama administration, which has emphasized it does not want to dwell on the past with lengthy probes into policies put in place after 9/11. Obama did not rule out charges against those who wrote the opinions justifying the methods used on captured terrorism suspects. Obama also said he would not necessarily oppose an effort to pursue a ‘further accounting’ or investigation into the Bush-era interrogation program that included waterboarding, sleep deprivation, forced nudity, shoving people into walls and other methods. But pressure in the U.S. Congress is growing for a full-blown investigation of the CIA interrogation program.

“Controversy has erupted across the political spectrum over last week’s release by the Obama administration of classified memos detailing the program to question al Qaeda suspects. Human rights groups say tactics such as waterboarding — a form of simulated drowning — constituted torture and violated U.S. and international laws. Conservative critics contend Obama has endangered the country by releasing CIA secrets. The New York Times reported that Dennis Blair, Obama’s national intelligence director, told colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation techniques yielded ‘high-value information’ that ‘provided a deeper understanding’ of the al Qaeda organization.”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on April 22:

“President Obama on Monday paid his first formal visit to CIA headquarters, in order, as he put it, to ‘underscore the importance’ of the agency and let its staff ‘know that you’ve got my full support.’ Assuming he means it, the President should immediately declassify all memos concerning what intelligence was gleaned, and what plots foiled, by the interrogations of high-level al Qaeda detainees in the wake of September 11…

“One major concern here is what Mr. Obama’s decision to release these memos says about his own political leadership. He claims that one of his goals as President is to restore more comity to our politics, especially concerning national security. He also knows he needs a CIA willing to take risks to keep the country safe. Yet Mr. Obama seems more than willing to indulge the revenge fantasies of the left, as long as its potential victims served a different President. And while he is willing to release classified documents about interrogation techniques, Mr. Obama refuses to release documents that more fully discuss their results.”

The Wall Street Journal added on April 23:

“Mark down the date. Tuesday, April 21, 2009, is the moment that any chance of a new era of bipartisan respect in Washington ended. By inviting the prosecution of Bush officials for their antiterror legal advice, President Obama has injected a poison into our politics that he and the country will live to regret… until now, the U.S. political system has avoided the spectacle of a new Administration prosecuting its predecessor for policy disagreements. This is what happens in Argentina, Malaysia or Peru, countries where the law is treated merely as an extension of political power…

“Just as with the AIG bonuses, he is trying to co-opt his left-wing base by playing to it — only to encourage it more. Within hours of Mr. Obama’s Tuesday comments, Senator Carl Levin piled on with his own accusatory Intelligence Committee report… and both Europe’s left and the U.N. are signaling their desire to file their own charges against former U.S. officials.

“Those officials won’t be the only ones who suffer if all of this goes forward. Congress will face questions about what the Members knew and when, especially Nancy Pelosi when she was on the House Intelligence Committee in 2002. The Speaker now says she remembers hearing about waterboarding, though not that it would actually be used. Does anyone believe that? Porter Goss, her GOP counterpart at the time, says he knew exactly what he was hearing and that, if anything, Ms. Pelosi worried the CIA wasn’t doing enough to stop another attack. By all means, put her under oath.

“Mr. Obama may think he can soar above all of this, but he’ll soon learn otherwise… The CIA will have its reputation smeared, and its agents second-guessing themselves. And if there is another terror attack against Americans, Mr. Obama will have set himself up for the argument that his campaign against the Bush policies is partly to blame.

“Above all, the exercise will only embitter Republicans, including the moderates and national-security hawks Mr. Obama may need in the next four years… And speaking of which, when will the GOP Members of Congress begin to denounce this partisan scapegoating? Senior Republicans like Mitch McConnell, Richard Lugar, John McCain, Orrin Hatch, Pat Roberts and Arlen Specter have hardly been profiles in courage.

“Mr. Obama is more popular than his policies, due in part to his personal charm and his seeming goodwill. By indulging his party’s desire to criminalize policy advice, he has unleashed furies that will haunt his Presidency.”

Global Economy Will Decline Further

BBCNews reported on April 23:

“The global economy is set to decline by 1.3% in 2009, in the first global recession since World War II, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says… It now projects that the UK will see its economy shrink by 4.1% in 2009, and by a further 0.4% in 2010.

“But other major economies are predicted to shrink even more, with Germany declining by 5.6%, Japan by 6.2%, and Italy by 4.4% in 2009. The prospects for the advanced economies are not much brighter in 2010, with an overall forecast of zero growth. The IMF says this represents ‘by far the deepest post-World War II recession’ with an actual decline in output in countries making up 75% of the world economy…

“The prospects for world trade are even gloomier, with the IMF now forecasting world trade volumes to decline by 11% in 2009, and barely grow at all in 2010. After 60 years as the engine of world growth, the sharp fall in trade is now hitting many of the leading exporting nations, particularly in Asia.”

Bloomberg added on April 22:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel stood firm in rejecting any new German economic stimulus program even as the International Monetary Fund said the recession is worse than previously thought and called for measures to spur demand… The chancellor’s comments echo statements today by her finance and economy ministers underlining unity in the coalition over not stretching the budget more to pay for new stimulus steps.

“Still, the government may be forced to ease its purse strings as the recession becomes steeper, pushing up unemployment and company closures, as Sept. 27 national election approach. ‘Companies going belly up, unemployment worsening — these are set to become more and more manifest,’ Hans-Juergen Hoffmann, managing director of polling institute Psephos GmbH, said in an interview today.”

“The American Dream Has Become a Nightmare”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 23:

“Good news from six US banks has raised hopes that an end to the financial crisis might be in sight. But German experts think the euphoria is wishful thinking. As they see it, things are going to get worse soon — and banks will be forced to make billions more in write-downs.”

The magazine added in a related article, dated April 23:

“The financial crisis in the US has triggered a social crisis of historic dimensions… the country has not experienced since the Great Depression early in the 20th century. In addition to bringing down stock prices and corporate earnings, the current crisis has deprived millions of people of their livelihood.

“Poverty as a mass phenomenon is back. About 50 million Americans have no health insurance, and more people are added to their ranks every day. More than 32 million people receive food stamps, and 13 million are unemployed. The homeless population is growing in tandem with a rapid rise in the rate of foreclosures, which were 45 percent higher in March 2009 than they were in the same month of the previous year…

“The government’s social safety net is insufficient to allow people who have lost their jobs to continue living their lives as if little or nothing had happened… In a recent speech, Obama said that he envisions ‘a future where sustained economic growth creates good jobs and rising incomes.’ But these words seem empty in the current crisis. The president must now look on as the country comes apart at the seams…

“Many private corporations across America are withdrawing their funding for social welfare projects. Ironically, their generosity is ending just as mass poverty is returning to America. The government is also contributing to a worsening of the crisis…

“Criminologist James Alan Fox, who has long warned of a rise in crisis-related crime, says that more and more Americans are struggling today. ‘The American dream to them is a nightmare, and the land of opportunity is but a cruel joke,’ Fox recently told the Washington Post. Recent statistics confirm his predictions, as America begins to turn into a brutal place once again. April has already gone down as one of the bloodier months in American criminal history…

“‘This is the American way,’ New York Times columnist Bob Herbert writes cynically. He points out that Americans have killed about 120,000 of their fellow Americans since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — nearly 25 times the number of Americans killed to date in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“More and more experts attribute the rise in crime in recent months to the dire state of the economy. ‘I’ve never seen such a large number (of killings) over such a short period of time involving so many victims,’ Jack Levin, a professor of criminology at Northeastern University in Boston, told the Washington Post…

“The crisis can disrupt everything, including Americans’ faith in the beneficial actions of their own government. The Obama administration has already pumped billions into the banking system, and additional billions have been earmarked for road and bridge construction. Nevertheless, the social situation has steadily deteriorated.

“The euphoria over the country’s first black president… has ebbed away considerably… He continues to point his finger at his predecessor, the unpopular George W. Bush, to remind people how it all began. We have inherited a budget disaster, a real mess, he has said time and time again. But his words are no longer capable of igniting passions, because Bush is now history… The crisis has become Obama’s crisis.”

Vice President Biden–Less Than Truthful?

Fox News reported on April 9:

“Republican strategist Karl Rove called Vice President Biden a ‘liar’ on Thursday, dramatically escalating a feud between Biden and aides to former President George W. Bush over Biden’s claims to have rebuked Bush in private meetings.

“‘I hate to say this, but he’s a serial exaggerator,’ Rove told FOX News. ‘If I was being unkind I would say liar. But it is a habit he ought to drop.’ Rove added: ‘You should not exaggerate and lie like this when you are the Vice President of the United States.’

“Biden’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, although Biden spokesman Jay Carney told Fox on Wednesday: ‘The vice president stands by his remarks.’ Carney was referring to two controversial assertions by Biden, the latest coming Tuesday during an interview on CNN.

“‘I remember President Bush saying to me one time in the Oval Office,’ Biden began, “Well, Joe,” he said, “I’m a leader.” And I said: “Mr. President, turn… around [and] look behind you. No one is following.”‘

“The exchange is purely ‘fictional,’ said Rove, who was Bush’s top political adviser in the White House. ‘It didn’t happen,’ Rove [said]… Rove’s skepticism was echoed by a variety of other Bush aides, including former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, chief of staff Andy Card and legislative liaison Candida Wolff…

“Throughout his career, Biden has often been accused of boasting about his accomplishments, embellishing his credentials and even stealing the words of others. He dropped out of the 1988 presidential race after being accused of plagiarizing British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

“Last July, Biden came under fire for telling a questionable story about being ‘shot at’ in Iraq. When questioned by the Hill newspaper, Biden backpedaled by saying: ‘I was near where a shot landed’…

“In September, Biden again raised eyebrows with another story about his exploits in war zones — this time on ‘the superhighway of terror between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where my helicopter was forced down.’

“‘If you want to know where Al Qaeda lives, you want to know where bin Laden is, come back to Afghanistan with me,’ Biden bragged to the National Guard Association. ‘Come back to the area where my helicopter was forced down, with a three-star general and three senators at 10,500 feet in the middle of those mountains. I can tell you where they are.’ But it turns out that inclement weather, not terrorists, prompted the chopper to land in an open field during Biden’s visit to Afghanistan in February 2008…”

The White House–Less Than Truthful?

On April 8, 2009, the Politico reported about President Obama’s bow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, as follows:

“The White House is denying that the president bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting in London, a scene that drew criticism on the right and praise from some Arab outlets. ‘It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,’ said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“The Washington Times called the alleged bow a ‘shocking display of fealty to a foreign potentate’ and said it violated centuries of American tradition of not deferring to royalty. The Weekly Standard, meanwhile, noted that American protocol apparently rules out bowing, or at least it reportedly did on the occasion of a Clinton ‘near-bow’ to the emperor of Japan.

“Interestingly, a columnist in the Saudi-backed Arabic paper Asharq Alawsat also took the gesture as a bow and appreciated the move.”

Same Sex Marriage Bill in New York?

The Global News Coverage wrote on April 16:

“New York Governor David Paterson announced legislation this morning that would legalize same sex marriage in the state. The same bill passed the state Assembly, but was defeated in the state Senate in 2007… The New York state Senate is currently ruled by a slim 32 to 30 Democratic majority and many reports indicate that the bill’s passage in the Senate is unlikely. If the legislation is passed, New York would be the fifth state to permit same sex marriage in the United States after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont.”

More Bank Failures–And no End in Sight…

The Associated Press reported on April 10:

“Federal regulators shut down two more banks Friday, raising the number of bank failures so far this year to 23. The first bank was Cape Fear Bank in Wilmington, N.C., the first North Carolina bank to fail in nearly 16 years. The other bank was New Frontier Bank of Greeley, Colo., the second Colorado bank this year to collapse… This year’s tally of 23 bank failures is nearing the total for all of 2008, when 25 U.S. banks were seized by regulators…

“A growing number of banks are becoming insolvent as home prices fall and unemployment rises, causing more individuals and businesses to default on their debt.

“The FDIC estimated that the closure of Cape Fear Bank will reduce the federal deposit insurance fund by $131 million, and that the closure of New Frontier Bank will lower it by another $670 million. As of the end of 2008, the insurance fund stood at $18.9 billion – the lowest level in nearly a quarter-century, and down from $52.4 billion at the end of 2007. The FDIC expects that bank failures will cost the insurance fund about $65 billion through 2013… At the end of 2008, the FDIC had 252 banks and thrifts on its list of troubled institutions, up from 171 in the third quarter of last year.”

Military Blows Up Pigs and Rats To Test Armor

USA Today wrote on April 8:

“Military researchers have dressed live pigs in body armor and strapped them into Humvee simulators that were then blown up with explosives to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury. For an 11-month period that ended in December, researchers subjected pigs and rats to about 200 blasts, according to Pentagon documents and interviews. The explosions have ranged in intensity, wounding some of the pigs and killing others. Roadside bombs are the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The research on pigs has determined that body armor does not worsen brain injury, said Jan Walker, a spokeswoman for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which conducted the study. ‘If use of animal subjects in testing results in our ability to save lives or prevent injury to our troops, we’re confident this is the right thing to do,’ Walker said. Pigs without body armor died from blasts within 24 to 48 hours, while those with armor survived ‘significantly higher blasts,’ she said.

“Blasting pigs raises ‘red flags,’ said Martin Stephens, vice president for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States… ‘I think the relevance of this is highly questionable’…

“DARPA declined to say where the tests had taken place. The next round of the testing is scheduled for later this year. Stephens called on the Pentagon to end testing on pigs. ‘Is this the best they can do after several years of losing soldiers to roadside bombs?’ he said. U.S. car companies used live animals, including pigs, for crash tests until the early 1990s. They stopped after protests from animal rights groups…”

America’s Betrayal of Its Allies

The Jerusalem Post wrote on April 9:

“Like it or not, the United States of America is no longer the world’s policeman. This was the message of Barack Obama’s presidential journey to Britain, France, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Iraq this past week.

“Somewhere between apologizing for American history – both distant and recent; genuflecting before the unelected, bigoted king of Saudi Arabia; announcing that he will slash the US’s nuclear arsenal, scrap much of America’s missile defense programs and emasculate the US Navy; leaving Japan to face North Korea and China alone; telling the Czechs, Poles and their fellow former Soviet colonies, ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’ as he leaves them to Moscow’s tender mercies; humiliating Iraq’s leaders while kowtowing to Iran; preparing for an open confrontation with Israel; and thanking Islam for its great contribution to American history, President Obama made clear to the world’s aggressors that America will not be confronting them for the foreseeable future…

“This news is music to the ears of the American Left and their friends in Europe. Obama’s supporters like billionaire George Soros couldn’t be more excited at the self-induced demise of the American superpower. CNN’s former (anti-)Israel bureau chief Walter Rodgers wrote ecstatically in the Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday, ‘America’s… superpower status, is being downgraded as rapidly as its economy’…

“If Obama’s assertions that Israel must support the immediate establishment of a Palestinian state, his declarations of support for the so-called Saudi ‘peace plan,’ which requires Israel to commit national suicide in exchange for ‘peace’ with the Arab world, and his continuous and increasingly frantic appeals for Iran to ‘engage’ his administration weren’t enough to show Israel that Obama is sacrificing the US’s alliance with the Jewish state in a bid to appease the Arabs and Iran, on Tuesday Vice President Joseph Biden made this policy explicit.

“When Biden told CNN that Israel would be ‘ill-advised’ to attack Iran’s nuclear installations, he made clear that from the administration’s perspective, an Israeli strike that prevents Iran from becoming a nuclear power is less acceptable than a nuclear-armed Iran. That is, the Obama administration prefers to see Iran become a nuclear power than to see Israel secure its very existence.

“AMERICA’S BETRAYAL of its democratic allies makes each of them more vulnerable to aggression at the hands of their enemies – enemies the Obama administration is now actively attempting to appease…

“THE RISKS that the newly inaugurated post-American world pose for America’s threatened friends are clear. But viable opportunities for survival do exist, and Israel can and must play a central role in developing them. Specifically, Israel must move swiftly to develop active strategic alliances with Japan, Iraq, Poland, and the Czech Republic and it must expand its alliance with India…

“Obama’s similarly disastrous bid to denude the US of its military power under the naive assumption that it will be able to use its new stature as a morally pure strategic weakling to win its enemies over to its side will fail spectacularly…

“But to survive the current period of American strategic madness, Israel and the US’s other unwanted allies must build alliances with one another – covertly if need be – to contain their adversaries in the absence of America. If they do so successfully, then the damage to global security induced by Obama’s emasculation of his country will be limited. If on the other hand, they fail, then America’s eventual return to its senses will likely come too late for its allies – if not for America itself.”

France Unhappy with Obama

Times On Line wrote on April 15:

“Mr Sarkozy is pouring cold water on President Obama’s efforts to recast American leadership on the world stage, depicting them as unoriginal, unsubstantial and overrated… The American President’s call ‘to free the world of the menace of a nuclear nightmare’ was hot air, Mr Sarkozy’s diplomatic staff told him in a report. ‘It was rhetoric – not a speech on American security policy but an export model aimed at improving the image of the United States,’ they said… ‘The President [Sarkozy] is annoyed by what he sees as the naivety and the herd mentality of the media,’ said a journalist who is privy to Elysée thinking…

“Mr Sarkozy has put out a version of the proceedings at the London G20 economic summit which casts him as hero… This is to counter last week’s reports of Mr Obama saving the day by persuading President Hu of China to accept Mr Sarkozy’s demands for naming tax havens. According to the leaks, Mr Sarkozy shamed Mr Obama into intervening: ‘You were elected to build a new world. Tax havens are the embodiment of the old world,’ he is quoted as saying…

“Again, according to the Sarkozy version, at the Nato summit in Strasbourg, Mr Obama was meekly yielding to Turkey’s refusal to endorse Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the alliance’s new Secretary-General. It took pressure from Mr Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel of Germany to stiffen him up and change his mind, say the French…

“It sounded like old Franco-American business as usual this morning when Bruno Le Maire, Mr Sarkozy’s Europe Minister, accused Washington of backing the northern and eastern EU members by wanting to turn the union into a mere free-trade zone. France and Germany are sticking to their vision of the ‘political’ Europe that others do not want, he said.”

North Korea Plays Hardball

The Financial Times wrote on April 14:

“North Korea on Tuesday ordered international nuclear inspectors to leave the country as it vowed to restart its nuclear reactor in response to United Nations condemnation of its long-range missile launch. The Stalinist state threatened to reactivate its nuclear plant at Yongbyon and start reprocessing fuel rods, which would increase its stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium. It also declared that it would not return to the six-party talks aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula…

“‘In case anyone missed the Taepodong-2 shot, which they practically posted on YouTube, the North Koreans are reminding everyone that they can do nuclear weapons too,’ said James Shinn, a former top Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency official on Asia. ‘Pyongyang is announcing itself an officially declared nuclear state – this was the foreign ministry speaking, not some anonymous cadre on background. It is a mockery of all their previous commitments within the six-party talks.’

“Bruce Klingner, a former CIA expert on North Korea, said the situation was ‘a case of the UN dithering and North Korea blustering’, agreeing with critics who accuse the UN of failing to enforce sanctions imposed on North Korea after it tested a nuclear weapon in 2006. He said the latest North Korean moves underscored that relations would not improve just because the US has a new administration…

“North Korea has also expelled international food aid workers who were helping deliver 500,000 tonnes of food that the US agreed to provide last year.”

Are the USA and Europe Giving In to Iran?

Reuters reported on April 13:

“The Obama administration and its European allies are considering dropping a long-standing U.S. demand that Iran immediately shut down its nuclear facilities if it enters talks over its atomic program, The New York Times reported on Monday on its website. The proposal would also allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium for some period during the talks and would be a sharp break from the Bush administration, which had demanded that Iran halt its enrichment activities, the report said…

“The New York Times cited European officials as saying that in talks during Obama’s visit to Europe there was agreement that Iran would not accept the immediate shutdown of its facilities that the Bush administration had demanded.”

The Netherlands and Europe Threaten Israel

Haaretz reported on April 11:

“The Netherlands must impose economic sanctions against Israel if the new government in Jerusalem thwarts the peace process with the Palestinians, the Dutch Labor party said last week. Members of Labor, which is a member of government as the country’s second largest party, said they intended to write a manifesto on the matter to the foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, from the centrist ruling CDA party, who is largely seen as a staunch supporter of Israel.

“In an interview for Radio 1, Labor’s Martijn van Dam said his party insisted that Verhagen and the European Union take ‘concrete’ action that demands Israel accept Hamas as a partner for dialogue. Van Dam also lamented the Netherlands and the European Union’s decision to blacklist Hamas.

“Van Dam went on to call Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman ‘an extremist who is on the brink of racism,’ adding: ‘This is not a government with much prospect for peace.'”

In a related article, Haaretz wrote on April 14:

“Spain’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Europe would not accept the evasion by Israel of previous commitments made in peace negotiations… [These] comments came after Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said… last week that Western-backed peace efforts with the Palestinians had reached a ‘dead end’ and that Israel intended to present new ideas for diplomacy.”

Jews Bless the Sun at Sunrise Around the World

CNN reported on April 8:

“At dawn Wednesday, Jews around the world celebrated the Blessing of the Sun, an event that happens once every 28 years. Jews in Tiberias, Israel, participate in the Blessing of the Sun at sunrise Wednesday. According to Jewish tradition, the sun was at the same spot in the sky when it rose Wednesday as it was when the world was created…

“Jews first celebrated Wednesday in New Zealand — the first place the sun rises… In Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported 50,000 people celebrated the event at the Western Wall in Jerusalem…

“At Temple Beth Torah in Tamarac, Florida, Rabbi Michael Gold began his service by singing ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ by the Beatles… The middle-aged rabbi said he chose the song because it’s one his generation can relate to and it talks about the power of the sun… Wednesday’s blessing was rarer than most — it fell on the eve of Passover [actually, the first Day of Unleavened Bread], the Jewish holiday [actually, the Holy Day of God] commemorating the release of Jewish slaves [actually, Israelite slaves] from Egypt in Biblical times.

“Only a few times in history has the Blessing of the Sun coincided with the eve of Passover… The next Blessing of the Sun will occur in 2037…”

Is Catholic German Bishop Re-Writing History?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 13:

“A Catholic German bishop has come under fire for his remarks condemning atheists. In a sermon given on Easter Sunday, the bishop of Augsburg, Walter Mixa, warned of rising atheism in Germany… He also said that ‘a society without God is hell on earth’ and quoted the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky: ‘If God does not exist, everything is permitted.’

“Most controversially, he linked the Nazi and Communist crimes to atheism. ‘In the last century, the godless regimes of Nazism and Communism, with their penal camps, their secret police and their mass murder, proved in a terrible way the inhumanity of atheism in practice.’ Christians and the Church were always the subject of ‘special persecution’ under these systems, he said.

“However, critics accuse Mixa of rewriting history… Although the Nazi movement included a wide variety of currents of religious thought, ranging from nihilism to neo-paganism to Teutonic mythology to Hinduism, atheism played no significant political role for the Nazis. Avowed atheists were not welcome in the Nazi party or the SS.

“The relationship of the Catholic Church to the Nazis was also an ambivalent one. Individual members of the clergy openly confronted the regime, which in some cases resulted in their persecution and murder. Others voluntarily collaborated with the dictatorship, while most simply did nothing. A systematic persecution of Christians did not take place in the Third Reich — let alone the ‘special persecution of Christians and the Church’ which Mixa spoke of.”

Humorous Addendum on Easter

The Local.de wrote on April 9:

“It turns out the Easter Bunny is a German invention, just like everyone’s favourite mythical beast – Santa Claus… The story’s been the same for four centuries – a bunny sweeps through in the night, pumping out coloured eggs… His nocturnal emissions complete, the rabbit hooks up with the Tooth Fairy for a quick beer and a smoke before returning to wherever it is he came from (according to the myth, the Tooth Fairy makes a hasty retreat after a single beer since she has to work the next day).

“The symbolism and timing of the holiday are hard to ignore. For Christians, Easter is about the resurrection of the second of their three gods… The Easter Bunny and eggs were added later but keep with the renewal theme of a time of year when trees blossom, seeds sprout and everyone’s eyes begin itching with hay fever. Easter Bunnies are perfect symbols because – as we know – they mate like rabbits and eggs, well, eggs are what egg-laying creatures get from mating like rabbits. Really, it’s a fertility holiday.”

The Week in Review

Our lead article deals with this week’s powerful earthquake in Italy, 70 miles northeast of Rome–just a day before this year’s Feast of Passover. Sadly, the Bible reveals that a most powerful earthquake will strike and utterly devastate Rome in the not-too-distant future.

Powerful earthquakes also struck this week on the political scene, even though some of them were not that clearly recognized. The G-20 summit was not only an utter failure for the USA, but its decisions could have set in motion worse things to come. Turkey’s blackmail approach and President Obama’s meddling have angered Europeans, including Germany and France.

In addition, Mr. Obama’s non-committal towards a U.S. missile defense system in Europe; his acknowledgment of Europe’s leadership role in the world; his paralysis regarding the North-Korean launch of a rocket; his inability to convince Europeans to play a more active role in Afghanistan; his hint that he might give in to Iranian demands; his talks on nuclear disarmament; and his statement of appreciation for Islam have further raised not a few eyebrows abroad and in the USA.

A German law authorizing nationalization of banks brought back painful memories of the Nazi era, and both Tony Blair and Angela Merkel have shown strong interest in becoming the first permanent EU President.

Turning our attention to the USA, governmental “scrutiny” is now directed towards compensation of nonprofit organizations’ executives, while the U.S. Taxpayer cost for bailout is much larger than first announced. The Iowa Supreme Court reinterpreted the Iowa Constitution regarding marriage, and the US is warned not to repeat Argentina’s embrace of socialism, which, as a consequence, went from being one of the richest to one of the poorest countries under the Perons.

We conclude with revealing quotations from widely-accepted sources regarding the origins and customs of Easter.

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Central Italy

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 6:

“A powerful earthquake struck central Italy early Monday morning. At least 90 bodies [on Wednesday, April 8, the number was reported as at least 250] have been recovered from beneath the rubble and authorities are warning that at least 50,000 may have been left homeless. [This estimated number was later reduced to about 17,000.] Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has declared a state of emergency.

“A massive earthquake caught many in their sleep in Italy on Monday morning in the city of L’Aquila at 3:32 a.m. People scrambled in panic into the streets and buildings several stories tall toppled like houses of cards. Hours after the disaster, survivors wandered about in a trance-like state, covered in blankets as they made their way through streets that had been completely destroyed. Many have lost everything: relatives and friends, a roof over their head as well as their belongings…

“The earthquake hit around 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Rome, and the epicenter was reported to be near L’Aquila, a city in the mountainous Abruzzo region with a population of 70,000. The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 6.3 on the Richter scale, although Italian seismologists said it was 5.8.

“Thousands of buildings have been severely damaged or destroyed and many are believed to be at risk of collapsing… The earthquake didn’t last longer than 30 seconds, but it was still enough to completely destroy L’Aquila’s historic city center. Eyewitnesses said the sound of the buildings crumbling was like ‘a bomb exploding’… Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi… canceled a planned visit to Russia to focus on the crisis…

“The quake is Italy’s worst since a 1980 temblor in the south of the country which killed 2,735 people. Earthquakes in Italy often have particularly severe impacts due to the large numbers of centuries-old buildings.”

Several aftershocks occurred, including some with the magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter Scale.

Why the G-20 Summit Is Responsible for the Next Bigger Crisis

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 3:

“The G-20 has agreed on plans to fight the global downturn. But its approach will only lay the foundation for the next, bigger crisis. Instead of ‘stability, growth, jobs,’ the summit’s real slogan should have been ‘debt, unemployment, inflation.’ Now they’re celebrating again. An ‘historic compromise’ had been reached, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the conclusion of the G-20 summit in London, while US President Barack Obama spoke of a ‘turning point’ in the fight against the global downturn…

“When the celebrations have died down, it will be easier to look at what actually happened in London with a cool eye. The summit participants took the easy way out. Their decision to pump a further $5 trillion (€3.72 trillion) into the collapsing world economy within the foreseeable future, could indeed prove to be a historical turning point — but a turning point downwards. In combating this crisis, the international community is in fact laying the foundation for the next crisis, which will be larger. It would probably have been more honest if the summit participants had written ‘debt, unemployment, inflation’ on the wall.

“The crucial questions went unanswered because they weren’t even asked. Why are we in the current situation anyway? Who or what has got us into this mess?…

“There are — even in the modern world — two things that no private company can do on its own: wage war and print money. Both of those things, however, formed Bush’s response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Many column inches have already been devoted to Bush’s first mistake, the invasion of Baghdad. But his second error — flooding the global economy with trillions of dollars of cheap money — has barely been acknowledged. No other president has ever printed money and expanded the money supply with such abandon as Bush. This new money — and therein lies its danger — was not backed by real value in the form of goods or services…The US had begun to hallucinate…

“The addiction to new cash injections was chronic. The US had allowed itself to sink into an abject lifestyle. It sold more and more billions in new government bonds in order to preserve the appearance of a prosperous nation. To make matters worse, private households copied the example of the state. The average American now lives from hand to mouth and has 15 credit cards. The savings rate is almost zero…

“The president and the head of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, knew about the problem very well. Perhaps the Americans even knew just how irresponsible their actions were — at any rate, they did everything they could to hide them from the world. Since 2006, figures for the money supply — in other words, the total number of dollars in circulation — have no longer been published in the US…

“Only on the basis of independent estimates can the outside world get a sense of the internal erosion of what was once the strongest currency in the world. These estimates report a steep rise in the amount of money in circulation. Since the decision to keep the figures confidential, the growth rate for the expansion of the money supply has tripled. Last year alone, the money supply increased by 17 percent… Barack Obama has continued the course towards greater and greater state debt — and increased the pace. One-third of his budget is no longer covered by revenues. The only things which are currently running at full production in the US are the printing presses at the Treasury.

“At the summit in London, delegates talked about everything — except this issue. As a result, no attention was given to the fact that the crisis is being fought with the same instrument that caused it in the first place. The acreage for cheap dollars will now be extended once again…

“The International Money Fund was authorized to double, and later triple, its assistance funds — by borrowing more. The World Bank is also being authorized to increase its borrowing. All the participating countries want to help their economies through state guarantees, which, should they be made use of, would result in a huge increase in the national debt.”

“With Obama’s Approval, Europe Has Done It”

On his Website, DickMorris.com, Dick Morris wrote on April 6:

“On April 2, 2009, the work of July 4, 1776 was nullified at the meeting of the G-20 in London. The joint communiqué essentially announces a global economic union with uniform regulations and bylaws for all nations, including the United States. Henceforth, our SEC, Commodities Trading Commission, Federal Reserve Board and other regulators will have to march to the beat of drums pounded by the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a body of central bankers from each of the G-20 states and the European Union…

“The FSB is… charged with ‘implementing…tough new principles on pay and compensation and to support sustainable compensation schemes and the corporate social responsibility of all firms.’ That means that the FSB will regulate how much executives are to be paid and will enforce its idea of corporate social responsibility at ‘all firms’…

“Obama, perhaps feeling guilty for the US role in triggering the international crisis, has, indeed, given away the store. Now we may no longer look to presidential appointees, confirmed by the Senate, to make policy for our economy. These decisions will be made internationally.

“And Europe will dominate them. The FSF [“Financial Stability Forum”] and, presumably, the FSB, is now composed of the central bankers of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States plus representatives of the World Bank, the European Union, the IMF, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“Europe, in other words, has six of the twelve national members. The G-20 will enlarge the FSB to include all its member nations, but the pro-European bias will be clear. The United States, with a GDP three times that of the next largest G-20 member (Japan), will have one vote. So will Italy.

“The Europeans have been trying to get their hands on our financial system for decades. It is essential to them that they rein in American free enterprise so that their socialist heaven will not be polluted by vices such as the profit motive. Now, with President Obama’s approval, they have done it.”

Obama Acknowledges Europe’s Leading Role in the World

USA Today reported on April 3:

“In office just over two months, Obama was in the midst of his first European trip as president as he sought to strengthen the United States’ standing in the world while working with foreign counterparts to right the troubled global economy. Obama said the United States shares blame for the crisis, but that ‘every nation bears responsibility for what lies ahead — especially now.’

“Back home, his administration was trying to weather the fallout of another dismal monthly jobs report that was announced as Obama spoke in France. The jobless rate jumped to 8.5%, the highest since late 1983, as a wide range of employers eliminated a net total of 663,000 jobs in March…

“Obama bluntly said the relationship between the United States and Europe has gone adrift, with blame on both sides. In America, he said, ‘there’s a failure to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world. There have been times when America’s shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive,’ Obama said. Yet in Europe, he said, there is an anti-America attitude that seems casual but can also be insidious. He said America can be unfairly blamed for many problems.”

“Obama Fails to Win NATO Troops He Wants for Afghanistan”

The Times wrote on April 4:

“Barack Obama made an impassioned plea to America’s allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, warning that failure to do so would leave Europe vulnerable to more terrorist atrocities. But though he continued to dazzle Europeans on his debut international tour, the Continent’s leaders turned their backs on the US President.

“Gordon Brown was the only one to offer substantial help. He offered to send several hundred extra British soldiers to provide security during the August election, but even that fell short of the thousands of combat troops that the US was hoping to prise from the Prime Minister. Just two other allies made firm offers of troops. Belgium offered to send 35 military trainers and Spain offered 12. Mr Obama’s host, Nicolas Sarkozy, refused his request.”

Obama Intervenes at NATO’s 60th-Anniversary Summit–but at What Cost?

The Associated Press reported on April 4:

“The alliance risked arousing hostility in the Muslim world by choosing the prime minister of Denmark as secretary-general after overcoming Turkish objections over Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s support of a Danish newspaper’s right to publish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad…

“Turkey said Obama was essential to negotiations that overcame its objections to Fogh Rasmussen and ended with all 28 NATO leaders unanimously approving the Danish Prime Minister as the new civilian leader of the alliance.

“Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government’s requests had included the closure of a Kurdish satellite television broadcaster based in Denmark; the establishment of contacts between NATO and Islamic countries; appointment of a Turk as an aide to Fogh Rasmussen and senior NATO command positions for Turkish generals.”

The EUObserver added on April 4:

“NATO on Saturday (4 April) named Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as its new secretary general, overcoming Turkish opposition during difficult talks which caused fresh tension in EU-Turkey relations… The stalemate saw EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn suggest to Finnish state broadcaster YLE that Ankara may be unfit to join the EU because it does not respect freedom of speech… Politicians in the circle of German Chancellor Angela Merkel also attacked Turkey. ‘Whoever puts Islamic propaganda above the future of NATO and our European system of values, has nothing to look for in the EU,’ Alexander Dobrint, the secretary general of Ms Merkel’s sister party, the Christian-Social Union, told German press.

“Turkish President Abdullah Gul did not take kindly to the remarks, calling the EU commissioner’s intervention ‘unfortunate’ and ‘unpleasant’ and warning that it would increase anti-EU sentiment in Turkey… The Turkish president explained that promises made by US President Barack Obama, rather than the veiled threats on EU accession, finally secured Ankara’s approval for the Danish appointment…”

Obama Angers Europeans By Pushing for Turkey Membership in EU

The Wall Street Journal wrote on April 5:

“President Barack Obama arrived in Turkey late Sunday, after riling the European Union by urging its leaders to accept the large and mainly Muslim nation as a member. Washington has long supported EU membership for Turkey, a prickly yet strategic U.S. ally. Mr. Obama said Sunday at an EU-U.S. summit in Prague that pushing forward with membership would ‘ensure we continue to anchor Turkey firmly in Europe.’

“But coming just a day after Turkey forced a series of concessions from fellow members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization before accepting their choice of a Dane to head the alliance, Mr. Obama’s appeal drew a sharp response from French President Nicolas Sarkozy. ‘I have been working hand in hand with President Obama, but when it comes to the European Union it’s up to member states of the European Union to decide’ on membership, Mr. Sarkozy told French television from Prague. ‘I have always been opposed to this entry, and I remain opposed.’

“Turkey has started membership talks with the EU, but the process has been partially frozen because of opposition from members including France, Germany and Cyprus. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, otherwise effusive about Mr. Obama’s performance in Prague on Sunday, also said coolly that there were ‘different opinions’ on how to strengthen the relationship between Turkey, a nation of 70 million, and the EU…

“A European Union diplomat familiar with the talks said the attitude of EU members toward Turkish membership had darkened noticeably after the NATO dispute. Some EU countries’ leaders saw that as confirmation of their suspicion that Turkey wouldn’t act as a team player once inside the EU. ‘More and more EU countries have doubts about Turkish accession,’ said the diplomat. ‘The mood at the table was grumpy.'”

Deutsche Welle added on April 5 that “Obama hits French and German nerves over Turkey’s EU bid.” It continued: “The US stance that Turkey belongs firmly in the EU took some of the gloss off a largely harmonious EU-US summit in Prague with France flatly rejecting the idea and Germany voicing reservations about it.”

Germany Unhappy With Obama Over Turkey

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 7:

“US President Barack Obama says Turkey’s future is in the European Union. Not everyone agrees. Numerous politicians in Germany have gone on the attack, and even French President Sarkozy is unimpressed. Turkey’s role at the NATO summit has soured the mood…

“On Monday, a number of politicians, particularly in Germany, went on the offensive. ‘It is a meddling in the internal affairs of Europe,’ Bernd Posselt, a member of the European Parliament from Bavarian’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), blustered in an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE. ‘The EU is not Obama’s plaything. … He should accept Turkey as America’s 51st state instead,’ he continued.

“Markus Ferber, the CSU’s lead candidate in European Parliament elections set for early June, echoed his party colleague. ‘There is no question that the US has a voice in NATO. But when it comes to membership in its own club, the EU decides by itself,’ he said. ‘We don’t need any tutoring from abroad.’

“Party head Horst Seehofer said that Europe’s ‘internal harmony’ is dependent on ‘common cultural and spiritual roots.’ He went on to say that ‘Turkey, as self-proclaimed representative of the Muslim world, clearly doesn’t fit in’…”

Obama’s “Turkey” in Turkey

The New York Post wrote on April 8:

“The real climax of President Obama’s Spring Apologies Tour wasn’t his photo op with our troops in Baghdad or even his ‘American Guilt’ concerts in Western Europe. While fans in the press cheered wildly at every venue, the real performance came in Turkey. And it was a turkey… the road to embassy takeovers and strategic humiliation is paved with good intentions — coupled with distressing naivete.

“On every stage, Obama draped Lady Liberty in sackcloth and ashes, drawing plentiful applause but no serious economic or security cooperation in return. Then, in Turkey, he surrendered our national pride, undercut our interests and interfered in matters that aren’t his business. On the latter point: Suppose the European Union president went to Cuba and insisted that the world’s sunniest concentration camp should be welcomed into NAFTA? That’s the equivalent of what our president did in Ankara on Monday when he declared that he supports Turkey’s bid for EU membership.

“The Europeans don’t want Turkey in their club. Because Turkey isn’t a European state, nor is its culture European. And it isn’t our business to press Europe to embrace a huge, truculent Muslim country suffering a creeping Islamist coup. The Europeans were appalled by Turkey’s neo-Taliban tantrum on-stage at last week’s NATO summit. The Turks fought to derail the appointment of a great Dane, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as the new NATO secretary general. Why? Because he didn’t stone to death the Danish cartoonist who caricatured Mohammed.

“Which brings us to the even bigger problem: Obama has no idea what’s going on in Turkey. By going to Ankara on his knees, he gave his seal of approval to a pungently anti-American Islamist government bent on overturning Mustapha Kemal’s legacy of the separation of mosque and state.

“Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, the AKP, means headscarves, Korans, censorship and stacked elections. The country’s alarmed middle class opposes the effort to turn the country into an Islamic state. Obama’s gushing praise for the AKP’s bosses left them aghast. Obama’s embrace of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (now orchestrating show trials of his opponents) was one step short of going to Tehran and smooching President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“What was Obama thinking? He wasn’t. He relied on advice from State Department appeasement artists who understand neither Turkey, Islam nor the crises raging between the Bosporus and the Indus… Insisting that America’s always guilty, Obama omitted any mention of Turkey’s wartime betrayals of our troops, its continuing oppression of its Kurd minority or the AKP’s determination to turn a state with a secular constitution into a Wahhabi playground. When it came to the Armenian genocide, Obama bravely ducked…”

Obama Appreciates Islamic Faith

On April 6, The Associated Press reported the following:

“Barack Obama, making his first visit to a Muslim nation as president, declared Monday the United States ‘is not and will never be at war with Islam.’

“Calling for a greater partnership with the Islamic world in an address to the Turkish parliament, Obama called the country an important U.S. ally in many areas, including the fight against terrorism. He devoted much of his speech to urging a greater bond between Americans and Muslims, portraying terrorist groups such as al Qaida as extremists who did not represent the vast majority of Muslims… ‘America’s relationship with the Muslim world cannot and will not be based on opposition to al Qaida,’ he said. ‘… We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better, including my own country,’ Obama said.”

Obama Might Give in to Iran

The Financial Times wrote on April 3:

“US officials are considering whether to accept Iran’s pursuit of uranium enrichment, which has been outlawed by the United Nations and remains at the heart of fears that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons capability. As part of a policy review commissioned by President Barack Obama, diplomats are discussing whether the US will eventually have to accept Iran’s insistence on carrying out the process, which can produce both nuclear fuel and weapons- grade material.

“’There’s a fundamental impasse between the western demand for no enrichment and the Iranian dem­and to continue enrichment,’ says Mark Fitzpat­rick, a former state depart­ment expert now at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. ‘There’s no obvious compromise bet­ween those two positions’…

“’There is a growing recognition in [Washington] that the zero [enrichment] solution, though still favoured, simply is unfeasible,’ says Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council. ‘The US may still have zero as its opening position, while recognising it may not be where things stand at the end of a potential agreement.'”

Nuclear Disarmament?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on April 6:

“What Mr. Obama wants to kill specifically is the Reliable Replacement Warhead, which the Bush Administration supported over Congressional opposition, and which Mr. Obama now opposes despite the support of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the military… The irony is that Mr. Obama’s opposition is making substantial reductions in the total U.S. arsenal that much riskier…

“The thinking here is that somehow the American example will get Russia, as well as North Korea, Pakistan and perhaps Iran, to reject nuclear weapons. In fact, a U.S. nuclear arsenal that is diminished in both quantity and quality would be an incentive for these countries to increase their nuclear inventories, since the door would suddenly be opened to reach strategic parity with the last superpower. Mr. Medvedev, for one, recently announced Russia would pursue ‘large-scale rearmament’ of its army and navy, including nuclear arsenals. France also plans to deploy new sea-based nuclear missiles next year, even as it reduces the overall size of its arsenal.”

USA and EU Condemn North Korea’s “Provocative Act”

Deutsche Welle reported on April 6:

“North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket has drawn a ‘strong condemnation’ from the European Union. The UN Security Council ended an emergency session without agreeing to an immediate response to the missile launch… The EU called on Korea to ‘immediately suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program and abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner…’

“The North Korean rocket launch will test US President Barack Obama, who announced soon after his arrival in France on Friday that he wanted to move towards ‘a world without nuclear weapons’… Obama blasted the rocket launch on Sunday morning and promised he would push for action at the upcoming Security Council meeting. ‘With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations,’ Obama said.”

Russia and China Prevent Sanctions Against North Korea

On April 8, RIA reported:

“Moscow is concerned by Pyongyang’s recent rocket launch, but believes that imposing sanctions against North Korea would be counterproductive, the Russian foreign minister said on Wednesday.

“North Korea launched a multistage rocket that it said was carrying a communications satellite on Sunday morning, defying pressure from the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries, which suspect the launch was a cover for a test of a Taepodong-2 long-range missile…

“The 15-member Security Council convened for an emergency meeting late on Sunday at Japan’s request, to discuss sanctions against Pyongyang following the launch, but strong opposition from Russia and China prevented the adoption of even a preliminary statement of condemnation…

“The U.S. and other countries argued for sanctions against Pyongyang, saying that the launch violated Security Council Resolution 1718, which was passed after North Korea’s 2006 nuclear test, but Russia and China called for restraint on the grounds that the resolution does not prohibit the launch of satellites.”

No Clear U.S. Commitment for Missile Defense System in Europe

The EUObserver reported on April 5:

“US President Barack Obama gave no clear commitment to building missile defence bases in Europe… The US leader thanked a ‘courageous’ Poland and Czech Republic for agreeing with the previous White House administration to host US anti-missile facilities despite Russian opposition. But he repeated doubts over the value of the multi-billion dollar scheme and linked construction to the evolution of a ballistic threat from Iran.

“‘As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defence system that is cost effective and proven,’ Mr Obama said. ‘If the Iranian threat is eliminated …the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe at this time will be removed.'”

Why Obama’s Policies Won’t Work

The Guardian wrote on April 6:

“History may one day record it as a stark irony… that on the very day that Barack Obama was sketching out to an adoring throng in Prague his vision of a post-nuclear world, North Korea launched a rocket that may one day give it the capacity to fire a nuclear warhead as far as 3,700 miles. This means, to get down to brass tacks, that it could hit Alaska…

“Many people want to believe… that Obama can change the world dramatically in the next four years. It’s been a long time since a US president has been so admired. And it’s never been the case that a president so admired has directly succeeded a president so reviled. So the idea has taken root, in America and to a considerable extent elsewhere, that the rest of the world should be so grateful to be dealing with Obama and not Bush that they’ll at least come to the table and see reason…

“North Korea, like any state, has national interests… the North Koreans are going to do what they think they need to do… they couldn’t care less who the American president is.

“Neither could the Iranians, and neither, probably, could the Syrians… Neither [could] the Pakistanis and the Indians. Nor [could] Likud and Hamas. And we learned last week that adoration has its limits even among the closest of friends. Europe is not helping out much militarily on Afghanistan. This isn’t because Obama wasn’t persuasive enough. It’s because nations have interests as they perceive them, and they will act to protect those interests (and because democratic societies have public opinion, which is strongly against such assistance across Europe)…”

Tony Blair–the Next European President?

The Independent wrote on April 5:

“Tony Blair has emerged as the leading candidate to become the first permanent president of the European Union after Gordon Brown gave his grudging blessing to the plan. The former prime minister has stepped up his campaign for the job, which he wants to use to build a bridge between Europe and the new Obama administration. His return to the global stage would be a shock to his critics over the Iraq war and dismay many in Europe… Other European leaders are also broadly supportive because they want a high-profile figure to represent the 27-nation bloc in the new alliance with the US administration. Mr Blair remains a popular figure in the US.

“After initially trying to block Mr Blair as a possible candidate last year, the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has thrown his weight behind the former prime minister. As the eyes of the world were on London’s G20 summit last Wednesday, Mr Blair held private talks with the European Commission President José Manuel Barroso in Brussels. The talks focused on his work as Middle East envoy to the quartet of world powers, but it is almost certain that the two men discussed his candidacy. The former premier also visited Sweden last week, where he shared a platform with Bill Clinton at a climate change conference.

“The presidency job is dependant on Ireland voting ‘yes’ to the Lisbon Treaty, which creates the position. The Irish referendum will take place in the autumn. But Mr Blair’s plans could still be scuppered if Angela Merkel loses the German general election in September. She is thought to have a strong desire for the job in the event of defeat.”

Painful Memories of Nazi Seizures

Thelocal.de reported on April 3:

“Germany adopted a highly controversial emergency law on Friday allowing the government to nationalise stricken banks by seizing investors’ shares if necessary. It was passed by the Bundesrat, the country’s upper house of parliament after being passed last month by the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house…

“Berlin has stressed it would only forcibly seize… shares ‘as a last resort’ and would compensate investors based on the share’s stock market value, but some critics say the legislation has stoked painful memories of Nazi seizures of Jewish property in the 1930s and communist moves following World War II.”

And Now–Compensation of U.S. Nonprofit Executives Under Scrutiny

The Wall Street Journal wrote on April 6:

“An Internal Revenue Service official warned nonprofits to be mindful of executive-compensation practices amid public ire over large bonuses at insurer American International Group Inc. and other Wall Street firms that have received federal aid.

“Lois Lerner, the IRS’s director of tax-exempt organizations, told a gathering of lawyers representing charities Monday that scrutiny of nonprofits’ pay practices is likely to increase. Nonprofit leaders should be sure to practice due diligence in making sure their executive pay can be justified through data on comparable practices at similar organizations, she said…

“Nonprofit pay packages pale in comparison to some of those doled out to Wall Street executives. But a series of charity scandals in the past few years has focused attention on executive pay… Ms. Lerner of the IRS said the agency’s redesign of charities’ annual tax form – known as Form 990 – will make it easier for people to find information on executive pay… The new form, redesigned for the first time in some 20 years, triggers detailed disclosures of various compensation perks under certain circumstances, such as when an employee makes more than $150,000. Among the compulsory disclosures: First-class air travel, expense accounts, housing allowances and the use of bodyguards, chauffeurs and personal lawyers.

“Ms. Lerner urged charities to make certain governance practices public, to assure Americans they’re using their tax-exempt money appropriately. Ms. Lerner added that the IRS’s exempt organizations division is about to get more staff, who will provide guidance to nonprofits on complying with new regulations, among other things. The staff… also decides whether to grant tax-exempt status to organizations. Critics have long pointed to staff shortages at the IRS as one reason some charities fail to comply with various rules.”

“Estimated U.S. Taxpayer Cost for Bailout Jumps”

Reuters wrote on April 4:

“U.S. congressional budget analysts have raised their estimate of the net cost to taxpayers for the government’s financial rescue program to $356 billion, an increase of $167 billion from earlier estimates… The additional cost, which applies to TARP spending for fiscal years 2009 and 2010, was included in the CBO’s March projection of a $1.8 trillion deficit for fiscal 2009, which ends September 30.”

Marriage Not Limited to One Man and One Woman in Iowa

The Des Moines Register reported on April 3:

“The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld gays’ right to marry. ‘The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,’ the justices said in a summary of their decision. The court rules that gay marriage would be legal in three weeks, starting April 24… The decision makes Iowa the first Midwestern state, and the fourth nationwide, to allow same-sex marriages.”

Is America Copying Argentina’s “Disastrous Path”?

The Washington Times wrote on April 4:

“The disastrous path on which America is currently embarked was tried in another country. A fact not well known is that Argentina, prior to World War II, was an economic powerhouse. Beginning in the 1880s and continuing through the 1920s and 1930s, it was regarded as one of the most prosperous and advanced nations in the world. Then Juan Peron and his wife, Eva, took control in the 1940s until a coup in 1955 ousted them from power.

“Argentina had a strong industrial base, thriving agricultural exports, huge cattle ranches, and a broad and expanding middle class. Like America, it served as a magnet for immigrants from all over the world, especially Italians. Within 15 years under the Perons, Argentina, however, went from being one of the richest to one of the poorest countries. To date, it has never fully recovered.

“Upon coming to office, Peron, along with his popular beautiful wife, Eva, created a state characterized by lavish social spending, elaborate welfare programs, protectionism, confiscatory taxation, and runaway deficits. Juan Peron used class warfare rhetoric. He attacked big business, the banks, the private corporations, and the propertied class. He gave the labor unions power and made them pivotal allies of his regime. Then Peron expanded the bloated government bureaucracy to intervene in every aspect of business and life, which led to internal corruption.

“Peron’s central socialist economic planning destroyed industrial productivity and growth. The world’s investment capital fled. Taxes, inflation, unemployment, and interest rates soared and the middle class was wiped out. Finally, an independent judiciary and media ceased to exist. Eva’s cult of supporters fostered a climate of violence and political enemies of the regime were exterminated. Argentina degenerated into the typical debt-ridden Latin American country that it still is today.

“The failure of Argentina under Peron should serve as a warning to us. Socialism and a sky-rocketing debt can permanently impoverish even the  wealthiest of nations and America is not immune from the laws of economics. Obama is taking the first dangerous steps toward an American version of Peronism. His followers see him as a political messiah and a revolutionary change agent. He and the Democrats are plundering the country, using it as a vehicle to reward supporters and punish foes. They plan to confiscate wealth by taxing the rich and successful business class. Obama’s plan to do away with secret ballets will strengthen the labor unions. His wife, Michelle, is the Eva Peron of our time, a glamorous, chic, socialist fashion trend-setter who is beloved by the media.

“Just remember, ‘Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.'”

Interesting Facts on Easter and Its Customs

The Encyclopedia Britannica wrote in its 27th edition, 1959, volume 7, about Easter:

“The English word, ‘Easter’… corresponding to the German Ostern, reveals Christianity’s indebtedness to the Teutonic tribes of central Europe. Christianity, when it reached the Teutons, incorporated in its celebrations of the great Christian feast many of the heathen rites and customs which accompanied their observance of the spring festival… The customs and symbols associated with the observance of Easter have ancient origins, not only in the Teutonic rites of spring but also far back in antiquity… the conception of the egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who also had the custom of colouring and eating eggs during their spring festival… Like the Easter egg, the Easter hare… came to Christianity from antiquity… 

“And those families who, by custom, eat ham on Easter Sunday are unwittingly following an old practice of the Roman Catholics of England, who ate a gammon of bacon on Easter to show their contempt for the Jews, to whom pork is forbidden…

“In England… the Puritans… refused to celebrate Easter. Thus at first in the U.S… Easter was not observed. It was not until the latter part of the 19th century, particularly during the Civil War, that the Protestant churches, other than the Lutheran and the Episcopalian, began to mark this day by special services… The Protestant churches also followed the [pagan] custom of holding sunrise services on Easter morning.”

The Reader’s Digest Publication, “Why in the World,” copyright 1994, states the following about Easter and its customs, on pages 199-201:

“Originally, Easter had nothing to do with the Christian calendar. Our word for the festival comes from Eastre or Ostara, the goddess of spring among Germanic tribes of northern Europe. Pagan tribes rejoiced at the coming of spring, which is why many of our Easter customs, such as the giving of eggs, have pagan not Christian origins…

“Hares are born with their eyes open and are nocturnal. Because of this, the Egyptians made them sacred to the Moon. Later, ancient Britons gave the hare magical powers, using it in rites such as fortune-telling. Some villagers in Ireland refused to kill or eat hares, believing that they carried the souls of their grandparents. Later, Germanic tribes who worshipped Eastre (or Ostara), associated the fecund hare with her, their goddess of life and spring…

“Just as pagan customs figure in our Christmas festival, so too they have become associated inextricably with Easter. Long before the beginnings of Christianity, Egyptians and Romans gave gifts of eggs as symbols of life. Easter was originally a pagan festival to celebrate the coming of spring, which marked the rebirth of life in plants, a time when many birds mated and produced young. The hen’s egg, from which new life could spring, was a potent sign of regeneration. Often its shell was decorated with colours representing certain flowers and aimed at encouraging their regrowth…

“Traditionally, hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday, but their origins, like many Eastertide and Christmas customs, go back to pagan times… The baking of special bread, flavoured with spices, was part of pagan celebrations to greet the spring and worship the sun. The ancient Greeks stamped their festival bread with a horned emblem in honour of Astarte, their goddess of love and fertility. The word ‘bun’ comes from ‘boun,’ an ancient word for a sacred ox. Cakes stamped with horns became buns marked with a cross.”

The Week in Review

The Bible has prophesied thousands of years ago that in these last days, the United States of America will be utterly defeated in war and that it will be totally destroyed. It is remarkable that more and more voices in the political field are being heard these days warning that this distinct possibility exists NOW. For one example, please read our lead article excerpting statements from Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The Bible has also prophesied that America would lose its willingness to fight in war and to represent its own interests. The incredible interview with Defense Secretary Robert Gates regarding North Korea exemplifies the utter helplessness and paralysis of America in the face of a potentially volatile situation. (Mr. Gates made equally problematic comments regarding Israel and Iran.)

In addition, President Obama’s strategy in Pakistan and Afghanistan does not seem to show any improvement to the failed policies of the Bush Administration. Mr. Obama’s popularity is definitely diminishing both in this country and abroad. As we have stated from the outset, Mr. Obama is not the “savior” the media has made him out to be, and this country will wake up to this fact with bitter disappointment. However, as one article shows, it has become dangerous to criticize Mr. Obama’s policies, as many supporters respond to such criticism with damnable charges of being a racist.

President Obama traveled to Europe to join the G20 gatherings. But Germany and France have shown their disagreement with Britain and the USA and are blaming the Anglo-Saxons for the worldwide recession. And while all the G20 summit leaders claimed success, they “papered over divisions between Europe and the USA” and “offered little new on monetary policy action” (Financial Times, April 2). In the end, the French and the Germans got basically everything they asked for, and the USA just gave in. In other news, it was reported that Italy and Israel are moving to the far right, and Iran continues with its war-mongering activities in the Middle East.

For more information about what is prophesied for the USA, Britain, continental Europe and the Middle East, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

We end with a piece of good news: There is an increasing number of Germans who begin to express doubts about the ungodly concept of Darwin’s Evolution Theory. One interesting project in the making is a Bible-themed fun park in Germany, including a replica of Noah’s Ark. Scientists and even mainstream Christianity have opposed this endeavor–shame on them–but it is hoped that in spite of this ungodly opposition, it may still materialize. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–A Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Total Destruction of America

On March 29, Newsmax.com published an intriguing and eye-opening article by Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, titled, “A Single Nuke Could Destroy America.” In the article, it was pointed out:

“A sword of Damocles hangs over our heads. It is a real threat that has been all but ignored. On Feb. 3, Iran launched a ‘communications satellite’ into orbit. At this very moment, North Korea is threatening to do the same. The ability to launch an alleged communications satellite belies a far more frightening truth. A rocket that can carry a satellite into orbit also can drop a nuclear warhead over any location on the planet in less than 45 minutes.

“Far too many timid or uninformed sources maintain that a single launch of a missile poses no true threat to the United States, given our retaliatory power. A reality check is in order and must be discussed in response to such an absurd claim: In fact, one small nuclear weapon, delivered by an ICBM can destroy the United States by maximizing the effect of the resultant electromagnetic pulse upon detonation.

“An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a byproduct of detonating an atomic bomb above the Earth’s atmosphere. When a nuclear weapon is detonated in space, the gamma rays emitted trigger a massive electrical disturbance in the upper atmosphere. Moving at the speed of light, this overload will short out all electrical equipment, power grids and delicate electronics on the Earth’s surface. In fact, it would take only one to three weapons exploding above the continental United States to wipe out our entire grid and transportation network…

“One to three missiles tipped with nuclear weapons and armed to detonate at a high altitude… would create an EMP ‘overlay’ that triggers a continent-wide collapse of our entire electrical, transportation, and communications infrastructure.

“Within weeks after such an attack, tens of millions of Americans would perish. The impact has been likened to a nationwide Hurricane Katrina. Some studies estimate that 90 percent of all Americans might very well die in the year after such an attack as our transportation, food distribution, communications, public safety, law enforcement, and medical infrastructures collapse.”

America–The Helpless Sleeping Giant?

Fox News reported on March 29 about a ridiculous interview with Defense Secretary Robert Gates about the situation with North Korea. While America is trying to present a nice front to show their worries about North Korean warlike tendencies–even sending warships in the region–Gates let the cat out of the bag when stating that America can and will do nothing to stop North Korea. The great sleeping giant–helpless and paralyzed? What a picture of confusing, disillusioning and contradictory messages.

The article stated:

“The United States can do nothing to stop North Korea from breaking international law in the next 10 days by firing a missile that is unlikely to be shot down by the U.S. or its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday. Appearing on ‘FOX News Sunday,’ Gates said North Korea ‘probably will’ fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: ‘And there’s nothing we can do about it?’ ‘No,’ Gates answered, adding, ‘I would say we’re not prepared to do anything about it.’

“Last week, Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said the U.S. is ‘fully prepared’ to shoot down the missile. But Gates said such a response is unlikely. ‘I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it,’ Gates said. ‘But I don’t think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point.'”

Obama Is Repeating Bush Mistakes

In its March online edition, Foreign Policy wrote the following:

“President Barack Obama’s sobering speech on Afghanistan and Pakistan has been well, if cautiously, received by commentators so far… But amid all of the commentary on the depth and wisdom of the new proposed strategy, it is important to consider some facts and recent history from the ground that should elicit caution and concern for the would-be optimists.

“… the United States is not putting any troops on the ground in Pakistan. The U.S. military will continue to rely on drones, even though their use has led to politically damaging civilian casualties and very little in the way of top al Qaeda leader ‘kills.’ Obama spoke of the $1.5 billion proposed in aid each year over the next five years… That amount is certainly not more than Bush spent on Pakistan; it may even be less, as funding during the previous administration averaged $1.6 billion per year. Comments that Obama is now ‘fully resourcing’ the war in South Asia are completely ungrounded.

“But the biggest flaw in Obama’s strategy for Pakistan is not funding; it is the complete misportrayal of Pakistani politics. Obama denies a fundamental and inescapable choice that he will have to face: the trade-off between Pakistani ‘democracy’ and Pakistani government cooperation in fighting the Taliban and al Qaeda. Pakistani government action against al Qaeda and the Taliban is and will remain inherently unpopular with a significant proportion of the population. If this or any Pakistani government takes serious action against al Qaeda or the Taliban, it will be doing so in the face of significant domestic opposition. It would be difficult enough for a pro-American autocrat with robust financial and military backing to do what the United States is asking. It is a fantasy to think that a democratic government — one that is dependent on popular support — could ever move decisively against the militants. And certainly, $1.5 billion a year is not enough to motivate either type of regime toward much of anything…

 “Likewise, when Obama turns from Pakistan to Afghanistan, he takes on the wrong problem. Obama describes Afghanistan — nearly eight years after the overthrow of the Taliban — as a largely failed state… The Taliban gains support as a direct result of the central government’s failure to provide a minimal level of physical security… Until Obama and his advisors come up with a strategy that will improve security conditions for everyday Afghans, the Taliban will continue to gain ground…

“To be sure, one of former President George W. Bush’s biggest post-September 11 mistakes was to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan before they were able to finish destroying al Qaeda. But Obama’s ‘new’ stabilization plan is not fundamentally different from Bush’s ‘democracy as panacea.’ Now, just as Bush had to do, Obama will be forced to decide whether he is really prepared to embrace a security strategy that relies on regional warlords rather than the central government. The Bush administration never resolved this question in its own policies, and the consequence was incoherence and ineffectiveness.

‘”Obama stands to suffer the same fate. Relying on local warlords is extremely problematic in terms of promoting national cohesion, human rights, and other issues of concern to the United States…

“Facing a daunting task, Obama wants to draw on the expertise of an international contact group that includes the United States’ ‘NATO allies and other partners, but also the Central Asian states, the Gulf nations and Iran; Russia, India and China.’ This idea is good only in principle. It is hard to see how such an internally conflicted assembly — including India, Pakistan, Gulf Arab states, and Iran — could accomplish very much…

“The bottom line: The Obama administration’s much-anticipated strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan offers little that is really new or that squarely addresses the long-standing contradictions and deficits in U.S. policy.”

“FROM MANIA TO MISTRUST– Europe’s Obama Euphoria Wanes”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 30:

“Europe was ecstatic when Barack Obama got elected, but the enthusiasm has dampened since he took office in January. On the eve of his first visit to Europe as president, some here are wondering how seriously he takes the Continent…

“When Obama arrives in London on Tuesday for the start of his one-week visit to Europe, he’ll come as a friend, but as one who is still in some ways a stranger. Europe backed his election campaign more enthusiastically than most other parts of the world. But the White House has been too preoccupied coping with domestic crises to devote much attention to this region in the first two months of Obama’s presidency.

“… it has become clear that the most contentious issues have been shelved… it’s plain to see that Obama’s team has yet to become accustomed to dealing with Europe. And a worry voiced during the campaign has returned: that Obama — who spent his childhood years in Indonesia and who has shown a lot of interest in Africa — knows little about Europe.

“Even the British, proud of their ‘special relationship’ with Washington, have been wondering why Gordon Brown was handed nothing more than a box of DVDs as a present during his recent visit. Brussels was pleased that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton devoted so much time to her recent trip there, but the fact that she chose to visit Asia first has been noted…”

Anger Against Obama Within the USA

The Associated Press reported on March 30:

“Many assembly line autoworkers reacted with skepticism and anger Monday to the Obama administration’s tough tactics, which stoked long-simmering feelings that the people who put the country on wheels get treated differently than the wizards of Wall Street… Many workers — not generally known for their affection toward executives — even sympathized with Rick Wagoner, who was forced to step down as chief executive of General Motors Corp. He was by turns called a ‘sacrificial lamb,’ ‘scapegoat’ and ‘fall guy.’

“‘We knew someone was going to have to take the proverbial ‘bullet,’ and it would have made it a lot easier to accept that had the CEOs of the banks also been required to give up their jobs,’ said Jim Graham, president of a union local in Lordstown, Ohio…

“Obama said the administration will offer GM ‘adequate working capital’ during the next 60 days to produce an acceptable reorganization plan. The government gave Chrysler LLC 30 days to overcome hurdles to a merger with Fiat SpA, the Italian automaker. Many workers say the government hasn’t dictated such terms to insurance giant AIG or the banks in which it’s taken an ownership stake. Obama’s actions come amid public outrage over bonuses paid to business leaders and American International Group executives.”

Is Anti-Obamaism Being Racist?

On March 30, Fox News published an interesting piece about a Hollywood actress who is labeled as a racist because she does not agree with President Obama’s policies. Sadly, these prejudicial accusations have become more common in the “land of the free,” which prides itself of granting the right of free expression to its citizens. The article pointed out:

“Angie Harmon (“Law and Order”) is not afraid to come out and say she doesn’t like how President Obama is handling the job — but she’s sick of having to defend herself from being deemed a racist.

“Here’s my problem with this, I’m just going to come out and say it. If I have anything to say against Obama it’s not because I’m a racist, it’s because I don’t like what he’s doing as President and anybody should be able to feel that way, but what I find now is that if you say anything against him you’re called a racist,’ Harmon [said]…’But it has nothing to do with it, I don’t care what color he is. I’m just not crazy about what he’s doing… If I’m going to disagree with my President, that doesn’t make me a racist… it is ridiculous.'”

Germany Stops Britain and Opposes USA

The Telegraph wrote on March 29:

“GORDON BROWN’S carefully laid plans for a G20 deal on worldwide tax cuts have been scuppered by an eve-of-summit ambush by European leaders. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, last night led the assault on the prime minister’s ‘global new deal’ for a $2 trillion-plus fiscal stimulus to end the recession. ‘I will not let anyone tell me that we must spend more money,’ she said.

“The Spanish finance minister, Pedro Solbes, also dismissed new cash being pledged at Thursday’s London summit…

“The attacks on Brown’s ambitions for the G20 to inject more money into the world economy come at the end of a week where the prime minister has travelled to three continents to build support for his proposals… The assault by European Union leaders also represents a defeat for President Barack Obama, who is desperate for other big economies to copy his $800 billion stimulus plan… Adding to the disarray, a draft of the agreement Brown hopes to secure was leaked to a German news magazine…

“George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, yesterday warned Brown against further tax cuts in the budget. ‘When it comes to your plans for a second fiscal stimulus, I say this Gordon Brown: enough is enough,’ he said in a speech. ‘We will not let you play roulette with the public finances yet again’…

“Merkel’s criticism drew an angry response from Labour MPs. Denis MacShane, the former Europe minister, said: ‘Who does Mrs Merkel think is going to buy Mercedes and BMWs if she . . . says putting demand into the economy is a bad thing?’ Another Labour MP said: ‘One has to ask who had something to gain from the leak of [Brown’s] communiqué. This feels like a dirty trick.'”

France Threatens Britain, Blames USA

On March 31, The Times reported the following:

“President Sarkozy yesterday threatened to wreck the London summit if France’s demands for tougher financial regulation are not met. France will not accept a G20 that produces a ‘false success with language that sounds good but contains no commitments’, his advisers said… The French threat dramatically raised the temperature hours before President Obama arrives in London today. If carried through, it would ruin a summit for which Mr Brown and Mr Obama have high ambitions, believing it vital to international recovery…

“Mr Sarkozy, who blames the ‘Anglo-Saxons’ for causing the economic crisis, told his ministers last week that he would leave Mr Brown’s summit ‘if it does not work out’… France wants a global financial regulator, an idea fiercely opposed by the United States and Britain. Mr Brown has described the notion as ridiculous.

“Germany and other nations are reported to be against a global regulator and sources said that President Sarkozy must know that the proposal would not make progress… British officials said it looked as if Mr Sarkozy was picking a fight he could present as a victory back home.”

France and Germany vs. GB and USA

Times On Line wrote on April 2:

“France and Germany delivered a late threat to derail Gordon Brown’s efforts to secure a global recovery deal last night by demanding new concessions from the United States on financial regulation.

“In a classic show of eve-of-summit brinkmanship, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy joined forces to give warning that they would refuse to sign any agreement that did not meet their ‘red lines’ on tax havens, hedge fund regulation, tracing ‘securitised’ assets sold around the world and capping bankers’ remuneration. They also wanted the ‘naming and shaming’ of tax havens that refused to go along with tougher regulatory rules, which is being opposed by the United States.

“In a reminder of former confrontations between America and the countries of Old Europe, Mr Sarkozy suggested that Europe would not take economic direction from the US. He appeared to suggest that America would have to compromise, adding pointedly: ‘The crisis didn’t spontaneously erupt in Europe, did it?’

“The firm stance of Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel and the language used in a joint press conference took negotiators by surprise as they prepared to work through the night on the communiqué to be released today. Although Mr Brown and President Obama appeared confident of an agreement throughout yesterday’s talks in London, it was clear last night that Mr Obama would have to make more concessions if differences were to be smoothed over…

“Mr Sarkozy… said last night that the German-Franco demands on regulation were ‘non-negotiable’… he indicated that France and Germany would be ready to discuss other issues only if they felt that their priority of tougher regulation was being adequately dealt with…

“The tone of the two leaders differed sharply from that adopted by Mr Brown and Mr Obama earlier in the day. Mr Brown spoke of leaders being ‘within a few hours’ of agreeing a global plan for economic recovery…”

“G20 Leaders Claim Summit Success”

The Financial Times reported on April 2:

“World leaders on Thursday heralded the G20 summit as the day the world ‘fought back against the recession’ as they put on a show of unity that lifted global markets and mapped out a new future for financial regulation

“Gordon Brown, host of the summit, said the meeting marked the emergence of a ‘new world order’, as he unveiled what leaders claimed was a $1,100bn package of measures to tackle the global downturn, including support for lower income countries and a $250bn plan to boost the international money supply.

“Close inspection showed some of the $1,100bn pledged included reannouncements and half-done deals. However, even before the summit ended, equity markets rose sharply around the world on hopes that the global economy was stabilising…

“The leaders papered over divisions between the US and Europe over whether the world could afford a new fiscal stimulus, with US president Barack Obama describing the summit’s measures as ‘bolder and more rapid than any international response that we’ve seen to a financial crisis in memory’ and predicted they would mark ‘a turning point in our pursuit of global economic recovery’.

“France’s president Nicolas Sarkozy, meanwhile, said the summit’s agreement on a new regulatory regime and crackdown on tax havens showed ‘a page has been turned’ on an era of post-war ‘Anglo Saxon’ capitalism.

“Although the summit ended with smiles, a row between China and France over the blacklisting of tax havens – including possibly Hong Kong and Macao – continued behind the scenes well into the day. US officials say that Barack Obama helped broker a compromise over offshore tax savings between Hu Jintao of China and Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who had threatened to walk away from the summit… In the end they agreed [to] a compromise in which the G20 would only ‘take note’ of the OECD’s list, rather than endorse it.

“The summit text included commitments to curb ‘risky’ bank pay and bonuses, but offered little new on monetary policy action or efforts to clean up bank balance sheets. Of the $500bn of money pledged to the IMF to bolster struggling economies, some had already been announced and $250bn was a pledge of future funds.”

“Merkel and Sarkozy Got Everything They Asked For”

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 2:

“On Wednesday, eyebrows were raised when German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy went before the press to demand in no uncertain terms that the G-20 do more to strengthen regulation of global financial markets. On Thursday, the two leaders appeared to be getting everything they asked for…

“Merkel and Sarkozy had rejected earlier drafts of the statement for lacking bite when it came to financial oversight. Now, the G-20 has agreed to the creation of blacklists of tax havens in addition to measures to tighten rules pertaining to hedge funds and credit rating agencies. An oversight body will also be created. Chancellor Merkel praised the outcome of the summit for reaching a ‘very, very good, almost historic compromise.’ She said ‘we have agreed on the development of a clear financial architecture.'”

Italy Moves to the Far Right

The EUObserver wrote on March 27:

“The populist right-wing party of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Friday officially merges with the post-fascist Alleanza Nazionale at the founding congress of Il Popolo della Liberta, the powerful new rightist bloc that is not only set to dominate Italian politics for the foreseeable future, but will also wield considerable power in the European Parliament after the June elections…

“The Alleanza Nazionale was formed by Mr Fini out of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the former neo-fascist party, together with a handful of conservative ex-Christian Democrats and Liberals. Despite once having called Italy’s fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, the greatest statesman of the 20th century, Mr Fini has since tried to distance himself from his far right past, making numerous trips to Israel and even criticising elements of the recent hardline security package that targets immigrants and minorities.”

Of course, even Adolf Hitler backed down from persecuting Jews openly, when he ran for power. He showed his true colors, however, when he WAS in power.

Iran’s Warmongering in the Middle East

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 30:

“Iran is reportedly increasing its military aid to both Hezbollah and Hamas, according to Israeli intelligence sources…

“The findings of other intelligence agencies in the Middle East also indicate that Iran is sending weapons and explosives to Hezbollah in Lebanon and to the Palestinian radical group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip…

“Meanwhile, the Israelis have carried out aerial attacks in Sudan in an attempt to halt the delivery of weapons to Hamas — including rockets with a range of 70 kilometers, far enough to reach Tel Aviv from the Gaza Strip…

“The level to which Iran is intervening politically in the region is made evident by the failure of attempts so far to achieve reconciliation between the rival Palestinian factions. The moderate Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas, which controls the West Bank, is locked in a bitter conflict with the radical Islamist group Hamas, which forced Fatah out of the Gaza Strip in June 2007… even the veteran Egyptian mediators had underestimated Iran’s influence.”

Israel Moves to the Right

The Financial Times wrote on March 30:

“Benjamin Netanyahu will be sworn in as Israel’s prime minister, marking a decisive shift to a more rightwing, hawkish government, just as the country is facing mounting international criticism.

“The Likud party leader, prime minister between 1996 and 1999, will preside over a broad but potentially fractious coalition. Mr Netanyahu’s alliance includes the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu party, the centre-left Labour party and the ultra-orthodox religious Shas group. His government may eventually comprise six parties with strongly diverging policies on issues from foreign policy to Israel’s religious-secular divide. The new prime minister faces discontent within his own party over the number of senior cabinet posts for his party affiliates…

“Mr Netanyahu has so far refused to back the idea of an independent Palestinian state – the cornerstone of all recent diplomatic efforts to end the 60-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Compounding the difficult international environment faced by the new government is the backlash over Israel’s recent assault on the Gaza Strip, which has sparked calls for a war crimes tribunal and strained relations with neighbouring Egypt. The Arab world, in particular, has been aghast at the appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as Israel’s foreign minister.

“Mr Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, is known for anti-Arab outbursts, and an election campaign this year that targeted Israel’s Palestinian minority. However, fears that Mr Netanyahu could become dependent on Mr Lieberman and other far-right groups have receded since last week, when he managed to bring the Labour party on board. The coalition agreement will allow Ehud Barak, the Labour leader and a former prime minister himself, to continue in his job as defence minister.

“It is unclear, however, to what degree Labour will be in a position to counterbalance the rightwing forces in the coalition. The party only controls five out of 30 cabinet posts and will have fewer deputies than either Likud or Yisrael Beiteinu. The decision to join a government dominated by rightwing and religious parties is likely to have antagonised many Labour voters, potentially reducing Mr Barak’s readiness to force an early election over policy disagreements.”

Israel Warns USA and Iran

The Jerusalem Post reported on April 1:

“The primary imperative for the United States and President Barack Obama is to put an end to Iran’s nuclear race, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said before his swearing-in Tuesday, adding that if the US failed to do so Israel might be forced to resort to a military strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear installations.

“‘The Obama presidency has two great missions: fixing the economy, and preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,’ Netanyahu told The Atlantic. The Iranian drive for a nuclear weapon was a ‘hinge of history,’ he said, emphasizing that all of ‘Western civilization’ was responsible for preventing an Iranian bomb.

“‘You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs,’ Netanyahu said of the Iranian regime. ‘When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran.'”

“Israel Might Attack Iran”

Press TV wrote on April 1:

“Top US commander in the Middle East, General David Petraeus says Israel might choose to attack Iran as a move to halt its nuclear program. ‘The Israeli government may ultimately see itself so threatened by the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon that it would take preemptive military action to derail or delay it,’ Petraeus told the US Congress on Wednesday.

“The head of the US Central Command also accused Iran of failing ‘to provide the assurances and transparency necessary for international acceptance and verification’ of the peaceful nature of its program. Tehran’s ‘obstinacy and obfuscation have forced Iran’s neighbors and the international community to conclude the worst about the regime’s intention,’ Bloomberg quoted Petraeus as telling the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Ken Katzman, a Middle East military analyst for the non- partisan Congressional Research Service in Washington, said Petraeus’ remarks about a prospective Israeli attack against Iran ‘was extremely significant, particularly for what he did not say — that the United States would act to restrain Israel or talk it out of conducting such a strike.’

“Israel, which is believed to possess the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenals, accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear arms. Tehran however says its nuclear program is only aimed at meeting the country’s energy needs.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ Ill-Advised Comments

According to Haaretz.com in an article, dated April 2, “U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Financial Times on Wednesday that Israel is unlikely to launch military operations against Iranian nuclear installations this year in a bid to derail the Islamic regime’s drive to attain atomic weapons.”

Again, as was the case with his previous comments regarding North Korea, Robert Gates’ new comments must also be viewed as ill-advised and politically dangerous.

The article continued:

“Upon taking office this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a strategic threat to Israel, and that neutralizing that threat is a top priority of his new administration… Gates said he believed that Iran would not cross the nuclear threshold, or ‘red line’, this year. He estimated that it would take Tehran between one to three years to reach the point it possessed enough know-how to produce nuclear weapons.

“Gates’ assessment is at odds with that offered by Israel’s defense establishment. Last month, Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told lawmakers that Iran has ‘crossed the technological threshold’ for making a nuclear bomb. He told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the Islamic Republic has developed surface-to-surface missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.”

Israel Opposes Annapolis

The Wall Street Journal wrote on April 2:

“Sounding a defiant tone on his first day as foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman said Israel wouldn’t abide by commitments it made to pursue Palestinian statehood at the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis peace summit in 2007.

“The comments suggested a potential early friction point between the newly sworn-in government of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Obama administration, and stood in sharp contrast to a more conciliatory tone struck by Mr. Netanyahu at his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday night.

“‘There is one document that obligates us — and that’s not the Annapolis conference, it has no validity,’ Mr. Lieberman said at a news conference Wednesday. He said Israel would instead abide by the so-called ‘road map’ for peace developed in 2002, which delays discussion of Palestinian statehood until after Palestinians clamp down on terror and meet other conditions. ‘Those who think that through concessions they will gain respect and peace are wrong,’ he added. ‘It’s the other way around; it will lead to more wars.’ Many in Mr. Netanyahu’s own party share Mr. Lieberman’s views, but Mr. Netanyahu has been trying to moderate his image…

“U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid avoided responding directly to Mr. Lieberman’s comments, instead telling reporters the White House is committed to the two-state solution and ‘moving forward’ from Annapolis, and is awaiting ‘the final position of the Israeli government.'”

Some Germans Are Questioning Evolution Theory

Netzeitung wrote on March 26:

“Many Evangelical Americans might consider Europe a godless place, but… questioning the theory of evolution and teaching Creationism is on the rise in Germany. Herald Janssen reckons that if people could only see a replica of Noah’s Ark, they might be swayed toward the Biblical story of creation. ‘It was as big as an oil-tanker,’ he says. ‘If you could see it, you’d start to think, “Wow, it might have fit all the animals in there.”‘

“Articulate and obviously well-read, Janssen… sits on the board of a Swiss non-profit group that wants to build a Bible-themed fun park in Germany… Creationism – the belief that Genesis and other books of the Bible explain life on Earth – is gaining strength in Germany.

“A recent survey at the University of Dortmund found that more than one-fifth of students who wanted to become teachers had misgivings about Darwin’s theory of evolution. Some 17 percent of students who’d studied basic biology doubted evolution, as did nearly eight percent who were studying a higher degree in biology…

“A real litmus test for the movement will be whether the Biblical theme park planned by the Swiss group Genesis Land gets off the ground. The original location near Heidelberg has been abandoned due to opposition from locals and mainstream Protestants. Genesis Land is now in talks with planning authorities in three other locations, though Herald Janssen won’t say where.

“They need about EUR 80 million to open the park and another EUR 120 million to complete it. So far, they have raised less than half a million, though Mr Janssen points out they are awaiting planning approval before they begin their proper fundraising drive. ‘Sure,’ he says. ‘We have a long way to go.'”

The Week in Review

In light of questionable U.S. lawmaking and financial politics, the National Post and the Financial Post ran a provocative article, titled, “Is This the End of America?” Questions are also justified in light of a perceived agenda by the Obama Administration to enact mandatory national service for all Americans (see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Beware of the GIVE Act,”) and to seize more powers from institutions other than banks.

There are also concerns that the hypocritical actions of Congress to impose a 90% tax on bonuses (even though the AIG bonuses were included in the stimulus package which Congress adopted without reading it) may lead to a mass exodus of American bankers to Europe. This new law might very well be unconstitutional, but it is felt that the courts would not rule this way, given their historical deference to the actions of Congress.

Recently, former Vice-President Dick Cheney stated in an interview that the USA accomplished everything in Iraq that they had intended to do. This is hardly the case. As Der Spiegel reported this week, religious persecution of Christians in Iraq and other minorities is on the rise. Afghanistan proves to be another debacle. Even though President Obama wants to continue the war in Afghanistan by sending more troops, that war has been an utter disaster, and additional troops won’t improve the situation.

Poland has voiced deep concerns about Mr. Obama’s decision to place the missile shield program on hold, stating that, “We hope we don’t regret our trust in the United States.” And a rift between Mexico and the USA, as well as a transatlantic rift between Washington and Brussels, are widening.

The world also watches with anxiety a real possibility of a war with North Korea, and the attempts of Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government in Israel, fearing for the continuation of the ill-fated “peace process” in the Middle East.

Turning to Germany, retailers made the correct decision to take violent video games off their shelves, following a horrific school shooting last week. And finally, we are told that Arabs are willing to invest heavily in Germany, which could lead to events described in Daniel 11. (For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”)

The End of America?

The National Post and the Financial Post ran a provocative article, titled, “Is This the End of America?” In the article, dated March 19, it was stated:

“Helicopter Ben Bernanke’s Federal Reserve is dropping trillions of fresh paper dollars on the world economy, the President of the United States is cracking jokes on late night comedy shows, his energy minister is threatening a trade war over carbon emissions, his treasury secretary is dithering over a banking reform program amid rising concerns over his competence and a monumentally dysfunctional U.S. Congress is launching another public jihad against corporations and bankers.

“As an aghast world — from China to Chicago and Chihuahua — watches, the circus-like U.S. political system seems to be declining into near chaos. Through it all, stock and financial markets are paralyzed. The more the policy regime does, the worse the outlook gets. The multi-ringed spectacle raises a disturbing question in many minds: Is this the end of America?

“Probably not, if only because there are good reasons for optimism… It’s happened many times before, except for once, when it took 20 years to rise out of the Great Depression.

“Past success, however, is no guarantee of future recovery, especially now when there are daily disasters and new indicators of political breakdown. All developments are not disasters in themselves. The AIG bonus firestorm is a diversion from real issues , but it puts the ghastly political classes who make U.S. law on display for what they are: ageing self-serving demagogues who have spent decades warping the U.S. political system for their own ends. We see the system up close, law-making that is riddled with slapdash, incompetence and gamesmanship.

“One test of whether we are witnessing the end of America is how many more times Americans put up with congressional show trials of individual business people and their employees, slandering and vilifying them for their actions and motives. And for how long will they tolerate a President who berates business and corporations as dens of crime and malfeasance? If the majority of Americans come to accept the caricatures of business as true, then America is closer to the end of its life as a global leader, as a champion of markets and individualism.

“But America is at risk in other ways, especially in the technical business of setting and executing policy. The presidency of Barack Obama has set out on a course that has no precedent in U.S. history…

“Reform of health care, environmental policy, education, energy, banking, regulation — every nook and cranny of the U.S. economy has been put on alert for major change. Expansion of government spending, plunging the U.S. into unprecedented deficits, is without parallel. In economic policy, through regulation and control of energy output, financial services and monetary expansion, the U.S. government has embarked on a fundamental reshaping of America. It is designed, in short, to bring on the end of America…

“Under the chairmanship of Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve is in the midst of a giant economic experiment, flooding the world with U.S. dollars, hoping that flood will stimulate economic activity… For the rest of the world, however, the worry is that America is at risk of becoming the fountainhead of a new inflationary outburst. The U.S. dollar is now in decline, gold is moving sharply higher, and new global currency turmoil is on the horizon.”

Mass Exodus of American Bankers to Europe?

The Financial Times wrote on March 20:

“Bankers on Wall Street and in Europe have struck back against moves by US lawmakers to slap punitive taxes on bonuses paid to high earners at bailed-out institutions. Senior executives on both sides of the Atlantic on Friday warned of an exodus of talent from some of the biggest names in US finance, saying the ‘anti-American’ measures smacked of ‘a McCarthy witch-hunt’ that would send the country ‘back to the stone age.’

“… ‘Finance is one of America’s great industries, and they’re destroying it,’ said one banker at a firm that has accepted public money. ‘This happened out of haste and anger over AIG, but we’re not like AIG…’ Bankers at Deutsche Bank said it could benefit from the proposed legislation by poaching its US rivals’ most talented employees.”

Bonus Law Probably Unconstitutional… But Do the Courts Care?

Bloomberg wrote on March 20:

“Courts probably will uphold Congress’s effort to tax employee bonuses at American International Group Inc. and other companies receiving federal bailout funds, several legal experts said… The measure raises a number of legal questions, and New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg yesterday [as well as former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney and former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee] said the legislation was unconstitutional. Still, any legal challenge will meet a significant obstacle: the historic reluctance of the Supreme Court to second-guess Congress on tax issues…

“The House took several steps to shield the measure from that argument, said Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School [and legal advisor to President Obama]… The measure doesn’t single out employees at AIG and instead uses general language affecting all companies receiving more than $5 billion in federal bailout money. Bonuses for employees at Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley would be affected.

“Tribe also pointed to a provision in the measure exempting executives at companies that repay enough bailout funds to reduce the government’s investment below $5 billion. That provision ‘makes it clear that the goal is not to punish corporate executives generally, but is simply to ensure the appropriate use of government funds,’ Tribe said in an e-mail…

“‘Courts have been fairly deferential to Congress if the language is written in sufficiently general terms,’ said Jonathan Adler, a law professor and director of the Center for Business Law and Regulation at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland.

“McCaffery, who teaches at USC’s Gould School of Law in Los Angeles, said opponents also would be able to press a legitimate — if not ultimately successful — argument against the measure based on the Constitution’s due-process clause… Opponents would have to show that Congress imposed punishment, bypassing the criminal court system… Even so [this might be the case], he said, ‘you’re swimming upstream because of the general tendency of the courts to stay out of tax legislation…'”

Beware of the GIVE Act

Fox.news reported on March 18:

“The House of Representatives passed a measure Wednesday that supporters are calling the most sweeping reform of nationally-backed volunteer programs since AmeriCorps. But some opponents are strongly criticizing the legislation, calling it expensive indoctrination and forced advocacy. The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, known as the GIVE Act… was approved by a 321-105 vote and now goes to the Senate.

“… the bill’s opponents — and there are only a few in Congress — say it could cram ideology down the throats of young ‘volunteers,’ many of whom could be forced into service since the bill creates a ‘Congressional Commission on Civic Service.’

“The bipartisan commission will be tasked with exploring a number of topics, including ‘whether a workable, fair and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the nation.’

“…some critics on the right suggest that the president’s push for national service goes too far, and the recent congressional steps toward expanding the federal role in volunteerism and ‘civilian service’ smacks of a larger agenda. They point to a campaign speech the president made last July in which he suggested national security could be entrusted to a civilian force.

“‘We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that is just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded,’ Obama… said during a Colorado Springs rally.”

Senate Rubberstamps the GIVE Act

In the meantime, the Senate approved this Act as well.

Note the following “enthusiastic” article by the New York Times, dated March 23:

“Following overwhelming House passage last week, the Senate tonight voted 74 to 14 on a procedural move that essentially guarantees a major expansion of a national service corps, a cornerstone of volunteerism that dates back to the era of President Kennedy. It’s akin to a call to arms by President Obama, who has harkened back to those early days to demand giving back by those who voted for him.

“In fact, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the senior Democrat from Massachusetts whose battle with brain cancer has oft kept him absent from the Senate these days, appeared on the floor to welcomes all around as he cast his approving vote as a co-sponsor. From President Kennedy’s days to the creation of Americorps by then President Bill Clinton, the notion of public service has become a rallying cry. Tonight’s vote, propelled by President Obama’s urging of an expansion, would mean a growth in such work from 75,000 community service jobs to 250,000.

“According to the Congressional Budget Office, the cost of the Senate bill at least would be an outlay for the fiscal year 2010 of $418 million to about $5.7 billion from 2010 through 2014. It’s an historic vote in the sense that a national service corps, an army dispersed to help with education, health services and the environment, would vastly enlarge the notion of ‘community organizing,’ and allow, as Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, said tonight, for about 7 million people to be engaged in such work.

“The bill enjoyed extraordinary bipartisan support, including namely the major co-sponsor, Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, who tonight even recommended reading the biography of R. Sargent Shriver, relative by marriage to the Kennedys and who directed the original Peace Corps from 1961 to 1966. In addition, Senator Hatch mentioned that the Rev. Rick Warren, the evangelical minister of Saddleback Church… was an enthusiastic supporter of this effort, as was Senator John McCain, the former Republican presidential nominee…

“Eleven senators did not cast a vote. The 14 Republicans, some of whom cited the cost in voting against the proposal, are: Senators Sam Brownback of Kansas, James Bunning of Kentucky, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Michael Crapo of Idaho, Jon Kyl of Arizona, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, John Ensign of Nevada, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Jim Risch of Idaho, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, both of Alabama, Tom DeMint of South Carolina and John Thune of South Dakota.”

However, there are DEEP concerns with this bill.

As Infowars.com reports on March 24:

“A passage contained in section 6104 of the original House version entitled ‘Duties,’ in subsection B6, states that a commission will be set up to investigate, ‘Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed.’ This language has been dropped from the version passed by the Senate.

“However, Section 120 of the bill discusses the ‘Youth Engagement Zone Program’ and states that ‘service learning’ will be ‘a mandatory part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.’ This part remains in the version passed by the Senate.

“Roles which will be staffed by members of the programs, labeled ‘Required National Service Corps,’ include ‘criminal justice,’ ‘environmental stewardship,’ and ‘public safety.’ Aside from the programs aimed at college students and young people, others will be specifically targeted towards, ‘Retired and other former law enforcement, fire, rescue, and emergency personnel, and other individuals with backgrounds in disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery.’”

Please make sure to watch Norbert Link’s new StandingWatch program, titled, “Beware of the GIVE Act.”

Sen. Judd Gregg–Hopelessly Confusing

The Associated Press reported on March 22 about a blatantly inconsistent statement by Republican Senator Judd Gregg, pertaining to the Obama financial policy. The article stated:

“The top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee says the Obama administration is on the right course to save the nation’s financial system. But Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire also says President Barack Obama’s massive budget proposal will bankrupt the country. Gregg says he has no regrets in withdrawing his nomination to become commerce secretary. He pulled out after deciding he could not fully back the administration’s economic policies. The senator said Obama’s spending plan in the midst of a prolonged recession would leave the next generation with a country too expensive to live in.”

Americans in Dire Financial Need

News Seattle Times reported on March 21:

“A MetLife study released last week found that 50 percent of Americans said they have only a one-month cushion — roughly two paychecks — or less before they would be unable to fully meet their financial obligations if they were to lose their jobs. More disturbing is that 28 percent said they could not make ends meet for longer than two weeks without their jobs…”

More Power to the Government?

The Washington Post wrote on March 24:

“The Obama administration is considering asking Congress to give the Treasury secretary unprecedented powers to initiate the seizure of non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy, according to an administration document. The government at present has the authority to seize only banks.”

“Washington-Brussels Divide”

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 24:

“As the G-20 club of the world’s wealthiest nations prepares to meet in London on Apr. 2, observers have focused increasingly on an alleged clash between the US and Europe about how to deal with the global financial crisis…

“US-style domestic stimulus would have only limited effect in export-oriented economies such as Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and many Eastern European countries…

“To be sure, [European Central Bank President Jean-Claude] Trichet fueled talk of a US-Europe rift when he seemed to tell the Wall Street Journal that American policymakers should put their money where their mouths are.”

America’s Stimulus Package a “Road to Hell”

The Associated Press reported on March 25:

“The president of the European Union slammed President Barack Obama’s plans to have the U.S. spend its way out of recession as ‘a road to hell,’ underscoring European differences with Washington ahead of a crucial summit next week on fixing the world economy. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told the European Parliament on Wednesday that Obama’s massive stimulus package and banking bailout ‘will undermine the liquidity of the global financial market.’

“Other European politicians kept their distance from the blunt remarks, with some reproaching the Czech leader for his strong language and others reaffirming their good diplomatic ties with the U.S. European governments, led by France and Germany, say the focus should be on tighter financial regulation, while the U.S. is pushing for larger economic stimulus plans — but nobody has so far escalated the rhetoric to such strident levels.

“Topolanek’s remarks are the strongest criticism so far from a European leader as the 27-nation bloc sticks to its position that its member countries are already spending enough to stimulate demand… Topolanek, whose government lost a vote of confidence Tuesday but who will remain EU president until a new Czech government is established, bluntly said that ‘the United States did not take the right path.'”

England Can’t Afford Another Stimulus Package

The Times wrote on March 25:

“The Governor of the Bank of England laid bare tensions between Gordon Brown and the Treasury yesterday by warning that Britain could not afford a second economic stimulus in the Budget.

“Mervyn King… spoke as the Prime Minister, beginning an international tour to co-ordinate measures for next week’s G20 gathering in London, called on leaders to do ‘whatever it takes to create growth and the jobs we need.’ President Obama, Mr Brown’s main stimulus ally, writes in the same vein in The Times today, saying that America is ready to lead the world out of recession, while calling for swift and robust action to stimulate growth ‘until growth is restored.'”

Strain in US-Mexico Relations

The Wall Street Journal wrote on March 25:

“Mexico’s economy is being dragged down by the recession to the north. American addicts have turned Mexico into a drug superhighway, and its police and soldiers are under assault from American guns. Nafta promised 15 years ago that Mexican trucks would be allowed on American roads, but Congress said they were unsafe.

“United States-Mexican relations are in the midst of what can be described as a neighborly feud, one that stretches along a lengthy shared fence. That border fence, which has become a wall in some places, is another irritant.

“Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives in Mexico on Wednesday for what will be the first in a parade of visits by top administration officials, including President Obama himself next month, to try to head off a major foreign policy crisis close to home. They will find a country mired in a deepening slump, miffed by signs of protectionism in its largest trading partner, and torn apart by a drug war for which many in Mexico blame customers in the United States…

“Mr. Obama, like President George W. Bush before him, is finding that these foreign challenges touch on some of the thorniest issues in domestic politics, including immigration, free trade and gun control. The Bush administration disturbed relations by failing to deliver on its promise of immigration reform. And the Obama administration, in its first weeks in office, has set off new tensions with a series of conflicting signals and false starts…

“The bloody drug war, which has caused 7,000 deaths in 16 months, has become the principal sore point between the countries… 90 percent of the guns used by Mexican drug cartels originated in the United States…

“The suggestion by Mr. Obama that American troops might be moved toward the border to combat drug cartels prompted Gen. Guillermo Galván, Mexico’s defense secretary, to assert that no deployment of foreign soldiers would be allowed on Mexican soil. History was at the root of the concern here, as even Mexican schoolchildren know of the war a century and a half ago in which the United States seized half of Mexico’s territory…”

Mission Accomplished in Iraq?

Der Spiegel wrote on March 20:

“Europe is opening its doors to the first of a 10,000-strong group of mostly Christian Iraqis… They’ve been chased and threatened, exiled and robbed… Many of the families are Christians for whom living in Iraq has become extremely dangerous. Churches have been bombed, bishops murdered and anyone wearing a cross can quickly become a target. The Christians are too small a minority in the Muslim country to protect themselves…

“The refugees include people like Rita, who once owned a hair salon but had to give it up after receiving death threats. She lived a life of fear until, like many other Christians, she fled the country with her family. Now she has nothing to return to — her house has been occupied and her neighborhood has been ‘ethnically cleansed.’ Rita’s father was kidnapped because he is a Christian. His wife searched for him for one month and then fled to Syria. Police freed him after eight weeks, but it took him nine months to find out where his family had gone.

“Indeed, many of the Iraqi refugees survived horrible events and are traumatized. Sixteen-year-old Muhanad, for example, was kidnapped on his way to school at the age of 14. His kidnappers held him captive until his parents were able to raise $10,000 in ransom by selling jewellery and getting help from other family members. They took the money and dumped the boy in the street with two broken legs. ‘I cried for two weeks, but now everything is okay,’ he says. Muhanad’s family belongs to a Mandaean minority group, which like Christians and Yazidis, became the target of terrorism early on…

“The persecution was far from limited to religious minorities — it was also perpetrated against Muslims like a young man named Mohamed, who was terrorized by the Sunni terror network al-Qaida on one side and the brutal Shiite Mahdi Army on the other… There were loud calls for heightened political pressure on Iraq to respect basic human rights…

“Even though the Americans and the Brits are not without guilt in this matter, Iraq was already a state which showed little respect for human rights. Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party were unpredictable in their treatment of minorities…”

The Afghan Disaster

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 20:

“Afghanistan is on the brink of chaos… The elected government… can no longer compete with the Taliban…

“Internal reports by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) paint grim pictures of the situation. US generals say that they are seeing a ‘significant challenge from insurgents’ in Wardak, and their commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama, recently responded with a simple ‘no’ to the question of whether the United States and its allies are currently winning the war in Afghanistan…

“Instead of progress, NATO is constantly forced to report setbacks, even in areas that seemed to have been turned around after the Taliban regime was toppled in the fall of 2001… Peace has proven elusive after the supposed military victory over the Taliban seven years ago. Officials in the world’s capitals must now contemplate the terrible possibility of failure, the likelihood of defeat for NATO, the UN, the European Union and the United States…

“Obama’s announcement of his intention to negotiate with the ‘moderate’ Taliban looks like the move of a commander-in-chief who no longer believes in victory. His words are those of a leader who sees his position as so weakened that he must make concessions to the enemy. And they demonstrate that the world was misled over the situation in Afghanistan for years…

“Day after day, foreign soldiers are killed and Afghan policemen are murdered… In the east, along the supply routes in the Afghan-Pakistani border region, bridges are constantly being blown up and roads covered in rubble. Convoys are attacked on the Afghan side or destroyed by the enemy in Pakistan before they can even reach the border.”

Will Poland Be Disappointed by the USA?

Deutsche Welle reported on March 22 about the intention by the USA to reconsider the planned deployment of a anti-missile shield in Poland:

“‘We hope we don’t regret our trust in the United States,’ Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said… Russia was enraged by the US missile plans — which the last administration under George W. Bush said was needed to counter a threat from Iran — but has welcomed the review ordered by President Barack Obama.

“I am afraid Russian generals and even the Russian president continue to threaten us with the deployment of medium-range missiles,” Sikorski said…

“Russia has been bitterly opposed to the deployment of a US anti-missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic ever since it was proposed by the former US President George W. Bush… But it was assuaged by Obama’s decision to order a review of the multi-billion dollar project…

“But Sikorski stressed that Poland had taken ‘something of a political risk’ in signing an agreement with the previous US administration. ‘When we started discussing this with the United States, the US assured us they would persuade the Russians that it was purely defensive and it would be a non-controversial decision,’ he said.”

North Korea Threatens War

The Associated Press reported on March 26:

“Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday warned North Korea that firing a missile for any purpose would be a ‘provocative act’ that would have consequences. North Korea is loading a rocket on a launch pad in anticipation of the launch of a communications satellite between April 4 and 8.”

The Telegraph added on March 26:

“The US has deployed two warships with anti-missile capabilities in the waters off Japan as tensions mount over North Korea’s plans to test-fire a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska… North Korea, which has informed international agencies of its plan to fire the missile between April 4 and 8, says the launch is a ‘satellite test’ which it is entitled to make under international law… Japan has threatened to shoot down the missile if it crosses over Japanese territory, a move which Pyongyang has already said it would consider an ‘act of war.'”

Reuters stated on March 26:

“North Korea said on Thursday that if the international community punishes it for next month’s planned missile launch it will restart a nuclear plant that makes weapons grade plutonium… The planned launch… is the first big test for U.S. President Barack Obama in dealing with the prickly North, whose efforts to build a nuclear arsenal have long plagued ties with Washington.”

Developments in Israel

Die Welt reported on March 24:

“Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu made a coalition agreement with Labour Chief Ehud Barak Tuesday… On Monday, Netanyahu sealed a coalition deal with the Orthodox Jewish Shas party. He had already signed up the Yisrael Beitenu party led by ultranationalist Avigdor Lieberman.

“But while enlisting those partners following Israel’s Feb. 10 election, Netanyahu made clear he preferred a broad-based coalition — a government of ‘national unity’. A sharp turn to the right within Israel’s government could raise international concern already heightened by Netanyahu’s promise to appoint Lieberman foreign minister.

“Lieberman has proposed transferring land where many of Israel’s 1.5 million Arab citizens live to a future Palestinian state in return for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, and wants all Israelis to take a loyalty oath.

“Netanyahy could significantly widen his parliamentary majority if the centrist Kadima party, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, changes its mind about going into the opposition. Netanyahu has not met her demand for a commitment to Palestinian statehood and a rotation agreement that would make her prime minister for part of the next government’s term.”

Arab Investments in Germany

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 25:

“Abu Dhabi’s stake in Daimler [secured by a payment of €1.95 billion] may herald a wave of Arab investments in German companies that are now available at bargain prices in the economic crisis. However, the new investors are likely to want a bigger say in corporate strategy than German executives have been used to.

“… there are strong signs that Arab investors will become increasingly active in Germany and Central Europe in the near future. Despite the financial crisis, they have ample cash. Besides, the stock value of major companies has nosedived and governments are so busy trying to rescue their economies that their resistance to supposedly dangerous foreign investors has evaporated…

“If the trend is confirmed, the times when Arab investors simply nodded through decisions by German management boards will be over… Arab investors will continue to focus on Europe and Germany, analysts say. In Europe, investors are interested in a broad range of industries, from machine production to carmaking.

“Another European advantage is the euro. ‘Many funds try to prevent the dollar share of their portfolios from getting too big,’ said Deutsche Bank’s Kern…

“The German government last year introduced legislation to give it the power to block major acquisitions of German firms by foreign investors from outside the EU… But the new rule, which allows the government to prevent foreign purchases of more than 25 percent of a firm’s voting rights if it deems the investment ‘a threat to public order and security,’ is unlikely to be used in these times of crisis. Given that many companies are badly in need of capital, authorities are unlikely to throw up any hurdles to acquisitions.”

Violent Video Games Off the Shelve

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 20:

“Following a horrific school shooting, German retailer Galeria Kaufhof has decided to pull violent video games from its shelves. A political debate on instituting an outright ban has also erupted… Beginning in April, the company announced this week, games with 18-plus ratings will no longer be sold in its department stores…

“On March 11, 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer shot 12 people to death at the Albertville secondary school — including nine pupils — before killing three more during his escape attempt. Investigators say the teenager was fond of playing ‘Counter Strike’ and had played ‘Far Cry 2’ on the night before his brutal rampage. Both games are considered excessively violent and cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 18… [He also possessed a huge collection of violent Horror movies.]

“‘It’s well known that, in every case of school shootings, the perpetrator has exhibited a pronounced proclivity towards playing violent videogames,’ Heini Schmitt, the head of the police federation of Hessen told a regional radio station. ‘The means and ways in which these people commit crimes sometimes bares a striking resemblance to those of their virtual role models.’

“Germany already has one of the strictest ratings systems for violent games in Europe. The video game company Sega hasn’t even applied in Germany to sell its recently released ‘fight to the death’ Wii game Mad World, which requires players to mimic physically violent motions like carving out an opponent’s heart with a chainsaw.”

The Week in Review

Our lead articles deal this week with the growing discontent of the American public with their new governmental leadership and an increasing fear of another Great Depression. The original Obama enthusiasm has declined sharply–and that even BEFORE the most recent scandal pertaining to the AIG bonuses. The Obama Administration’s bumbling attempts to claim ignorance and deny any responsibilities did not appease the American public–and the hypocritical outrage of politicians–who did or should have known better–only exaggerated public distrust and condemnation.

Alarming is also the fact that the Obama Administration seems to be willing to severely limit the constitutional freedoms of Americans and deny rights stemming from their personal conscience. Observers are further worried by a written US commitment to share highly sensitive information with Germany, and by President Obama’s intention to abandon the European Missile Defense Shield, while at the same time Russia announced its goal to rearm against “threats” from NATO. And while Mr. Obama seems to be in support of a European superstate under German and French leadership, many in Britain are concerned.

The western world views with dismay developments in Israel and Iran, pointing at a possible military conflict, and Germany and Austria see themselves confronted with domestic violent developments and a resurgence of Neo-Nazism in the light of a worldwide recession. Finally, the pope spoke out in Africa against pre-marital sex and the use of condoms to protect the partners from HIV and AIDS–and even though his position on this matter is absolutely correct, most liberal commentators condemned him for his stance.

Americans Lose Confidence in President Obama and His Administration

The Wall Street Journal wrote on March 13:

“It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama’s high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration. Indeed, a detailed look at recent survey data shows that the opposite is most likely true. The American people are coming to express increasingly significant doubts about his initiatives, and most likely support a different agenda and different policies from those that the Obama administration has advanced.

“Polling data show that Mr. Obama’s approval rating is dropping and is below where George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001… Mr. Obama has lost virtually all of his Republican support and a good part of his Independent support, and the trend is decidedly negative…

“There is also a clear sense in the polling that taxes will increase for all Americans because of the stimulus, notwithstanding what the president has said about taxes going down for 95% of Americans. Close to three-quarters expect that government spending will grow under this administration.

“Recent Gallup data echo these concerns. That polling shows that there are deep-seated, underlying economic concerns. Eighty-three percent say they are worried that the steps Mr. Obama is taking to fix the economy may not work and the economy will get worse. Eighty-two percent say they are worried about the amount of money being added to the deficit. Seventy-eight percent are worried about inflation growing, and 69% say they are worried about the increasing role of the government in the U.S. economy…

“Support for the stimulus package is dropping from narrow majority support to below that. There is no sense that the stimulus package itself will work quickly, and according to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, close to 60% said it would make only a marginal difference in the next two to four years… And by 2-to-1, voters reject House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s call for a second stimulus package.

“While over two-thirds support the plan to help homeowners refinance their mortgage, a 48%-36% plurality said that it will unfairly benefit those who have been irresponsible… There is no real appetite for increasing taxes to pay for an expanded health-insurance program. Less than half would support such an idea, which is 17% less than the percentage that supported government health insurance when Bill Clinton first considered it in March of 1993…

“Fifty-six percent of Americans oppose giving bankers any additional government money or any guarantees backed by the government… Only less than a quarter of Americans believe that the federal government truly reflects the will of the people… When it comes to the nation’s economic issues, two-thirds of voters have more confidence in their own judgment than they do in the average member of Congress.

“Finally, what probably accounts for a good measure of the confidence and support the Obama administration has enjoyed is the fact that they are not Republicans. Virtually all Americans, more than eight in 10, blame Republicans for the current economic woes, and the only two leaders with lower approval ratings than Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner.”

Many Americans Very Pessimistic About the Economic Future

The Boston Globe reported on March 17:

“While it’s no shocker that nearly 9 in 10 Americans rate the economy as somewhat or very poor, it is noteworthy that poll findings released today show they are more pessimistic about a recovery… only 10 percent of respondents believe the economy will bounce back within the next year, while 32 percent say it will take as long as two years… Even more worrisome, while only a minority of economists are talking about the possibility, 45 percent believe another Great Depression is somewhat or very likely within the next year…”

Risky Conduct of the Federal Reserve

The International Herald Tribune reported on March 18:

“The Federal Reserve sharply stepped up its efforts to bolster the economy on Wednesday, announcing that it would pump an extra $1 trillion into the financial system by purchasing Treasury bonds and mortgage securities… the central bank has increasingly turned to alternatives… as a way of getting more dollars into the economy, a tactic that amounts to creating vast new sums of money out of thin air.

“… there were… clear indications that the Fed was taking risks that could dilute the value of the dollar and set the stage for future inflation… In its announcement, the central bank said that the United States remained in a severe recession and listed its continuing woes, from job losses and lost housing wealth to falling exports as a result of the worldwide economic slowdown.”

Unprecedented National Debt

Politico wrote on March 17:

“The eye-popping national debt surpassed $11 trillion Monday, the largest in U.S. history… The new Treasury Department figures on the national debt… is expected to project that the annual budget deficit will be higher than previously estimated by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget… The whopping number has major ramifications for President Barack Obama, who is trying to push through a raft of big-ticket bills on health care, energy, education and climate change — while also attempting to stabilize the swooning economy.”

President Obama’s Attack on Freedom of Conscience

On March 15, Newsmax printed the following comments by Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich:

“Earlier this month, the President took the first step in rescinding a Bush administration moral conscience regulation which enforces existing legal protections against discrimination and intimidation for doctors and other healthcare professionals who invoke conscience by refusing to participate in medical procedures they believe immoral… Efforts to roll back freedom of conscience protections are only the latest in a series of aggressive actions that demonstrate intolerance for those whose conscience is convicted in support of a culture of life:

“… In the first month of his presidency, Obama reversed the established Mexico City policy that kept taxpayer money from being used by international organizations for abortions as a method of family planning protecting millions of Americans from paying for a procedure that they find morally objectionable. Last week, the President unilaterally lifted embryonic-stem-cell research restrictions. In the President’s recent healthcare summit, groups that support abortion were invited but pro-life groups with a stake in healthcare were excluded. With the President’s support, Congress recently approved $50 million in funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UNFPA is complicit in China’s unspeakably cruel one-child enforcement policy, which employs forced abortion and sterilization… In February, the Administration decided that it would no longer extend hiring protections to faith-based organizations but would instead review on a case-by-case basis…

“Yet, the most hostile assault against the civil liberties in the medical profession may be yet to come.

“In 2007, Obama promised a Planned Parenthood gathering on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade that, as president, he would sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). If enacted, FOCA would repeal all federal and state restrictions on abortion including the ban on partial-birth abortion. FOCA would force all public hospitals and health programs offering maternity services to provide abortions. Moreover, provisions in state constitutions that protect speech and the free exercise of religion of those whose conscience is opposed to abortion could be invalidated.

“Having no reason to believe that President Obama will not fulfill this radical campaign pledge, some Catholic bishops are talking openly about engaging in civil disobedience to protect Catholic hospitals and their doctors from being forced to perform abortions. The chilling effect of the Obama administration forcing doctors and nurses to choose between their losing their careers and being compelled to participate in abortions against their moral and religious belief is incalculable.”

Hard To Believe–Obama Administration Did Not Know About AIG Bonuses?

ABC News reported on March 17:

“Sources in the Obama administration Tuesday said that despite previous media reports administration officials did not know until a couple weeks ago that the officials of the controversial AIG Financial Product Division were set to receive $165 million in bonuses on March 13.

“It was just this month, administration sources told ABC News, that officials of the New York Federal Reserve Bank — after studying AIG’s more than 100 compensation policies for more than 116,000 employees throughout the world — informed the Treasury Department of the $165 million in bonuses pending for the controversial Financial Products Subsidiary…

“How the Obama administration was caught flat-footed by this controversy dates back to last Fall, when the New York Federal Reserve Bank — then run by Geithner — stepped in to give AIG a high-interest loan to help prevent the company from going under, as Lehman Brothers was doing at the time.

“In late October, the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program passed Congress, which includes rules about executive compensation but nothing about retention bonuses… AIG provided information about the company’s myriad compensation packages to the New York Fed, but officials described the information as extremely complex and not easily understood.”

This hard-to-believe version of the Obama Administration did nothing to appease the anger of the American public over the Bonus scandal. The Washington Post reported on March 17:

“President Obama’s apparent inability to block executive bonuses at insurance giant AIG has dealt a sharp blow to his young administration and is threatening to derail both public and congressional support for his ambitious political agenda. Politicians in both parties flocked to express outrage over $165 million in bonuses paid out to executives at the company… The populist anger at the executives who ran their firms into the ground is increasingly blowing back on Obama, whom aides yesterday described as having little recourse in the face of legal contracts that guaranteed those bonuses… Obama himself sought to channel the public’s sense of disbelief yesterday…

“But the damage control did not seem to satisfy incredulous lawmakers in both parties, who said the image of financial executives taking huge bonuses from a taxpayer-funded rescue puts the president in a politically impossible position… More than 80 House Democrats signed a letter demanding that the money used to pay the bonuses be recouped from AIG.”

Costly U.S. Missile Defense System Might Be Discontinued

USA Today reported on March 16:

“President Obama recently suggested he would consider scrapping the Europe [missile defense] system in exchange for Russia’s help in thwarting Iran’s nuclear ambitions… The type of ground-based interceptors that would be deployed in Europe failed to hit targets in five of 13 tests, according to the Pentagon… The system, planned as a potential defense should Iran develop a nuclear capability, would cost $9 billion to $13 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office, and would leave parts of Europe unprotected from an Iranian missile. All told, the government has spent $144 billion on missile defense since 1985, according to the CBO… Independent technical analysis has shown that Iran and North Korea, which has a nuclear program, could fool the system using simple countermeasures such as balloons…

“Charles McQueary, who directs testing for the missile agency, told a congressional committee last month that the U.S.-based system ‘has demonstrated a limited capability to defend against a simple long-range ballistic missile threat launched from North Korea,’ but ‘we still have a long way to go.’ Physicist Richard Garwin, who helped design the hydrogen bomb and served recently on a commission to assess the ballistic missile threat, said in an email that because it can be so easily defeated by decoys, the ‘system is not worth deploying, because it will be useless.'”

Major Military Rearmament in Russia in Light of Risk of “Significant Conflict” with NATO

Times Online reported on March 17:

“President Medvedev ordered a major military rearmament today, warning that Russia faced the risk of ‘significant conflict’… In a stark assessment, Mr Medvedev said that Nato was still intent on expanding closer to Russia’s borders and told military chiefs to raise the combat readiness of the country’s armed forces. Russia’s Defence Minister also lashed out at the United States, accusing it of plotting to take control of energy and mineral resources in states bordering Russia. Mr Medvedev called for modernisation of Russia’s nuclear forces and said that ‘large-scale rearmament’ of the army and navy would commence in 2011…

“The conflict with Georgia over South Ossetia last August had exposed weaknesses in Russia’s weaponry and communications systems that had to be rectified quickly. Mr Medvedev has stationed more than 7,000 troops in South Ossetia and Georgia’s other breakaway region of Abkhazia. He recognised them as independent after the war, a move condemned by Nato, the US and the European Union. The previous Republican administration under President Bush pushed hard for Nato to offer Membership Action Plans to Georgia and Ukraine, a move fiercely opposed by Moscow. Mr Obama has given no indication so far that he is as enthusiastic about Nato expansion.”

Europe, USA and Egypt Concerned Over Developments in Israel

Haaretz.com reported on March 16:

“Ties between the European Union and Israel depend on the Israeli government’s commitment to a two-state solution in the peace process with Palestinians, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday. Asked to comment on Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu’s preliminary coalition pact with the ultra-right Yisrael Beiteinu party [of Avigdor Lieberman], Solana told reporters: ‘We will be ready to do business as usual, normally with a government in Israel that is prepared to continue talking and working for a two-state solution. If that is not the case, the situation would be different.'”

AFP reported on March 16:

“Egypt’s Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul Gheit voiced concern Monday for Middle East peace hopes after an ultra-nationalist party signed up to be part of Israel’s new government. ‘We have a negative, possibly damaging factor, which is the emergence of an extreme right government in Israel,’ he told members of the European Parliament in Brussels… Lieberman, a controversial firebrand slammed as a ‘racist’ by critics, is due to become the foreign minister in the new government.

“Gheit expressed fears about the new government, saying that ‘if they would implement what they’ve been talking about over the last few years, we would all of us face dire difficulties and face the most extreme of situations.’… A narrow right-wing government is likely to put Israel at odds with its main ally the United States because it would probably put the brakes on the already hobbled peace negotiations with the Palestinians…”

In an article dated March 17, Der Spiegel Online reported about the German press reaction to the most recent developments in Israel:

“With Likud and Yisrael Beitenu having signed a coalition agreement, it looks increasingly likely that far-right politician Avigdor Lieberman will be the next Israeli foreign minister. German newspapers are concerned that such an appointment would signal the end of the peace process… Netanyahu still needs other coalition partners to form a majority government…

“On Tuesday, German commentators are gloomy about the prospects for peace in the Middle East, arguing that Netanyahu and Lieberman represent a step backwards.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘… Netanyahu associates politics with fear, not hope… Netanyahu is only going to administer the conflict, not solve it. He and Lieberman are the gravediggers of the Middle East peace process. They want to maintain the occupation and expand the settlements… Hamas needs Netanyahu, because the confrontation with Israel legitimizes its very existence.’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… Lieberman is a persona non grata for Israel’s neighbors — even for states like Jordan and Egypt who see themselves as Jerusalem’s partners…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Whoever had believed that after the short but brutal war in the Gaza Strip and the inauguration of President Obama… the relations between Israel and the Palestinians could experience a new beginning has been disappointed…'”

Has Iran BECOME a Nuclear Power?

On March 13, RIA reported:

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that pressure from Western powers trying to keep Iran in economic isolation have in fact spurred the country to become a space and nuclear power. ”

In fact, Ahamadinejad said more than that. As RIA clarified:

“‘Had you not been bad-tempered and blocked the way, the Iranian nation would not have been present in space, and WOULD HAVE NOT BECOME a nuclear power,” Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad…”

Israel Ready to Strike Iran?

On March 16, ynetnews.com reported:

“IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, who is on an official visit to the United States, told his American colleagues Monday that the Iranian threat could still be handled via sanctions, but stressed that an Israeli military strike was a ‘serious’ option.

“Ashkenazi reportedly stressed that any final decision pertaining to a possible Israeli course of action against Iran would be made by the government and not by him, adding that as head of the Israeli Defense Forces he has been asked to come up with various contingencies and that a military operation was a concrete possibility… Israel has repeatedly stated that it… would prefer to apply economic sanctions to military ones, but that all options remain viable.”

According to an article in Newsmax, dated March 17, “The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this month that Israeli leaders are ‘seriously considering’ a unilateral strike on Iran, likely to occur this year, to destroy its nuclear weapons facilities. And former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nancy Soderberg, said the timetable for an Israeli strike might be moved up if Israel believed Russia was going to follow through on its pledge to supply Iran with a surface-to-air missile system that would greatly complicate an Israeli attack.”

Mr. Obama Supports European Superstate

The Telegraph wrote on March 18:

“Barack Obama heads to Britain and Europe in two weeks’ time as the leader of the first U.S. Administration to wholeheartedly back the creation of a federal Europe. In contrast to earlier U.S. administrations, including those of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the Obama administration is avowedly Euro-federalist in outlook, and is keen to help build a European Union defense identity as well as support the foundations of a European superstate in Brussels.

“This dangerous shift in U.S. policy is a betrayal of both U.S. and British interests that will threaten the long-term future of the Anglo-American Special Relationship, weaken the NATO alliance, and undermine the defence of British sovereignty in Europe. It will also undercut opposition across the EU to the Treaty of Lisbon, including in countries such as Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic, and may set the scene for a major confrontation between the Obama White House and a future Conservative administration in London…

“President Obama’s government will strongly back the European Security and Defence Policy, the Lisbon Treaty and the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and will seek to strengthen French and German leadership at the heart of a united European Union… Significantly, while wooing both continental Europe and Russia, the new U.S. administration has been largely indifferent to the Anglo-American alliance, with an appallingly handled reception for the British Prime Minister when he visited the White House earlier this month…

“There is a chance the Obama Administration will eventually wake up to the reality that American support for a federal Europe will backfire… Under a unified EU foreign policy, U.S. allies would lose the freedom to decide where and when they can fight alongside America.

“As they approach the transatlantic alliance, President Obama and his aides should heed the advice of a former prime minister and great friend of the United States who fought to defend the Special Relationship and maintain British sovereignty in Europe. As Margaret Thatcher put it, ‘that such an unnecessary and irrational project as building a European superstate was ever embarked upon will seem in future years to be perhaps the greatest folly of the modern era.”

USA Shares Top Secret Research with Germany

NetZeitung reported on March 16:

“Germany and the United States signed a new government accord… to develop better protection from terror attacks, natural disasters, large-scale accidents and organised crime… the accord is the first such agreement between the two countries and marks a new step in sharing details of previously top secret US research that began after September 11, 2001… German scientists will now take part in research programmes that find vaccines for biological weapons in high-security laboratories…”

Germany Tries to Cope with Teenage Shooting

NetZeitung reported on March 16:

“Police on Monday said they were investigating the father of the teenage gunman who murdered 15 people last week in southwestern Germany for negligent homicide. Tim Kretschmer’s father kept a dozen weapons at his home and his son is thought to have found the nine-millimetre pistol he used in the massacre in the town of Winnenden outside Stuttgart in his parent’s bedroom. The 17-year-old also apparently knew the code to the weapons safe where his father kept thousands of rounds of ammunition.

“‘There are concrete indications that the parents were aware of their son’s health problems,’ prosecutors said in a statement, referring to reports Kretschmer suffered from depression. New details also emerged earlier on Monday about Tim’s activities at his father’s shooting club… there were credible witnesses who saw the 17-year-old shooting a large-calibre weapon at the range only three weeks before he would kill 15 people in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Kretschmer then turned his father’s nine-millimetre pistol on himself during a shoot-out with police…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel… has avoided making rash demands or suggestions for new laws following the massacre in Winnenden, but spoke on Deutschlandfunk radio on Sunday calling for more attention to be given to young people. ‘We must do everything to see that children do not get weapons, and certainly that they are not encouraged to violence. We have to pay attention to all young people. That goes for parents, and it goes for teachers,’ she said. She added that authorities should consider surprise visits to gun owners to see that they have their firearms locked away as prescribed by the law.”

Germany Under Attack

Haaretz.com reported on March 19:

“German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck hit back on Thursday at Swiss comments comparing him to a Nazi and said he had received threatening letters from the Alpine country. A growing war of words between Switzerland and Germany over banking secrecy intensified on Wednesday when a Swiss politician said Steinbrueck reminded him of the Nazis…

“‘This is completely out of proportion and unacceptable,’ [Steinbrueck] added, saying the dispute arose because of a realisation in Switzerland that the country was violating international norms. Thomas Mueller, a Swiss member of parliament, compared the minister to a ‘generation of Germans…who went through the streets wearing leather coats, boots and [Nazi] arm-bands’… He was speaking during a heated debate in the Swiss parliament after Switzerland, the world’s biggest offshore center, offered to relax bank secrecy in the face of a global crackdown on tax havens led by Germany.

“Steinbrueck, who angered Switzerland last year by calling for a ‘carrot and stick’ approach on the tax issue, prompted new outrage on Saturday when he compared Germany’s southern neighbour to ‘Indians’ running scared from the cavalry.

“It was not the first time Germans [have] been compared to Nazis for campaigning against tax havens. In September, Liechtenstein’s Prince Hans-Adam II dubbed Germany a ‘Fourth Reich’ after Berlin launched a probe into rich citizens who parked savings in the miniature state.”

Neo-Nazism on the Rise

The Daily Mail wrote on March 14:

“In Austria’s recent general election [in September], nearly 30 per cent of voters backed extremist right-wing parties. Some 70 years on from that infamous pogrom, the world faces a similar financial crisis to the one that precipitated the rise of Hitler and, in chilling echoes of Thirties Europe, support for far-right groups is exploding. Hitler’s birthplace has become the focus for neo-Nazis across the world.”

Reuters reported on March 17:

“Roughly one in twenty 15-year-old German males is a member of a neo-Nazi group, a higher proportion than are involved in mainstream politics, according to a study released on Tuesday. Many politicians fear a resurgence of right-wing extremism as unemployment creeps higher in Germany, which is facing its deepest recession since World War Two. Government figures have shown anti-Semitic crimes rose at the end of last year.

“‘It is shocking that right-wing groups have more success recruiting male youths than the established political parties,’ said Christian Pfeiffer, author of the report issued by Lower Saxony’s criminal research [institute]. Pfeiffer said fewer than 2 percent of young men were active in mainstream politics, compared to the 5 percent involved in far-right groups.”

UK’s Recession Worst in the World?

The Daily Mail reported on March 18:

“Gordon Brown’s economic credibility suffered another blow last night following a warning that Britain’s recession will be the worst in the world. The International Monetary Fund said the downturn in the UK would be deeper than anyone previously feared – and it would last through 2010…

“A slump of 3.8 per cent, economists say, would mean tens of thousands of businesses going to the wall and unemployment rising above 3million… Only Japan is now forecast to suffer a worse slump than the UK this year, with a 5 per cent contraction – sharply down from the last forecast of a 2.6 per cent.”

The Pope–Condoms Help to Spread AIDS

Times Online reported on March 17:

“The Pope courted further controversy on his first trip to Africa today by declaring that condoms were not a solution to the Aids epidemic – but were instead part of the problem… the pontiff told reporters… that Aids ‘is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems’…

“The Vatican encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease… He said the ‘traditional teaching of the Church’ on chastity outside marriage and fidelity within it had proved to be ‘the only sure way of preventing the spread of HIV and Aids.'”

Murders Upon Murders!

Illinois:

Another shocking murder took place this past Sunday in an Illinois church.

The AP reported about the incident on March 9, 2009:

“The gunman, identified by authorities only as a 27-year-old from Troy, strode toward the Rev. Fred Winters shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, exchanged words with him, then fired a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol until it jammed. Winters, 45, died of a single shot to the heart, the coroner said Monday.”

While others were wounded, had not this man’s gun jammed, many more of those in the church would have fallen victim to his murderous rampage.

Germany:

Deutsche Welle, March 12, 2009, reported on another school-related mass murder. Pointing to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s televised address to the nation and her description of this horrific event “…as a day of sorrow for the entire country,” the article also gave this summary of the tragedy:

“A 17-year-old gunman entered a school in the town of Winnenden shortly after nine in the morning and opened fire, killing students and teachers. He then left the school, shooting dead more people as he fled. The assailant killed 15 people in total. He commandeered a vehicle and traveled to a town around 40 kilometres from Winnenden, where police cornered him. The gun battle that ensued left two police officers seriously injured and the attacker dead. Police say he turned his weapon on himself. The gunman is believed to have been a former student of the school.”

German commentators pointed out that no country seems to be safe from these horrendous acts. Early reports stated that the murderer targeted mainly young female students and that he suffered from depression. There has been no evidence so far that he was in any way connected to terrorists or neo-Nazis.

Alabama:

From Reuters, March 11, 2009:

“U.S. authorities trying to piece together why a man killed 10 people in the worst rampage in Alabama’s history focused on Wednesday on the grudges that he bore.”

USA, March 11, 2009, adds these details of the murderous crimes:

“Alabama authorities say the gunman who killed 10 people, including five members of this family, was armed with two assault rifles and a .38-caliber pistol. They say he fired more than 200 rounds in his crime spree Tuesday afternoon.

“According to authorities, the suspect, Michael McLendon, killed his mother in Kinston, Ala., then drove to the town of Samson and killed four more relatives and two others. Finally, he went on a general shooting spree in the town, the Associated Press reports. The victims included the wife and child of a local sheriff’s deputy. McLendon then killed himself.”

Northern Ireland Sees Return to Sectarian Violence!

From the Christian Science Monitor, March 8, 2009:

“Police believe dissident Irish nationalists attempting to smash the decade-old peace in Northern Ireland might have been behind the shooting deaths Saturday night of two British soldiers.

“The soldiers were killed in a drive-by shooting at Massereene Army base in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Four others, including two pizza delivery men, were injured when gunmen opened fire. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police are blaming dissident Irish republicans.”

Grim Financial News!

On March 8, 2009, a World Bank report was summarized in the Washington Post:

“Developing nations are facing a massive financing shortfall of up to $700 billion this year as private investment evaporates and global trade collapses, threatening to return many countries to the days of heavy reliance on foreign aid, the World Bank warned yesterday…

“The World Bank predicted that the global economy will shrink this year for the first time since World War II, a prognosis more dire than that of almost any private investment house. Its report underscored what many are calling a mounting crisis within a crisis, as the downturn that started in the wealthy nations of the West washes over developing countries through a pullback in investment, trade and credit…

“Falling demand in the West is sparking the sharpest drop in world trade in 80 years, sending sales of the products and commodities of poorer nations spiraling down, the report said.”

Also reporting on the World Bank assessment, CNNMoney.com (March 9, 2009) stated:

“The world economy is on track to post its worst performance since the Great Depression, with developing countries bearing much of the economic pain, the World Bank said Monday.”

Bloomberg added on March 10:

“Billionaire Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway Inc. posted its worst results ever in 2008, said the economy ‘has fallen off a cliff’ and that efforts to stimulate recovery may lead to inflation higher than the 1970s.”

Mr. Obama to “Restore Scientific INTEGRITY”???

MSNBC on March 9, 2009, wrote the following in its coverage of President Obama’s signing of a Presidential executive order:

“Before an East Room audience of doctors, scientists, lawmakers and religious leaders President Obama signed an executive order Monday lifting the ban on federal funding for stem cell research, fulfilling a promise he made on the campaign trail.

“The order overturns the Bush policy that said no government money could be used for research on stem cell lines created after Aug. 9, 2001.”

While only those opposed to the new directive took strong ethical and moral positions decrying both the destruction of human life and the potential for more and more erosion in anything based on religious views, the President seems ready to justify much in the name of science. The article adds these comments:

“The president also signed a memorandum that directs the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making. Obama spoke frequently on the campaign trail of the need to make sure public policy was based on sound science.

“’It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda,’” Obama said, “’and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.’”

Reuters added on March 10:

“After Obama signed the order on Monday, the Vatican and U.S. Church leaders condemned the move… Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on pro-life activities, called Obama’s decision ‘a sad victory of politics over science and ethics… This action is morally wrong because it encourages the destruction of innocent human life, treating vulnerable human beings as mere products to be harvested,’ he added.

“The Catholic Church, other religious groups and pro-life advocates oppose such research — which scientists hope can lead to cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s — because it involves the destruction of embryos. The Catholic Church supports adult stem cell research, which has made advances in recent years, because it does not involve the destruction of embryos.”

Jerusalem Stays Center Stage!

The Guardian reported on March 7:

“A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolitions, discriminatory housing policies and the West Bank barrier as a way of ‘actively pursuing the illegal annexation’ of East Jerusalem.

“The document says Israel has accelerated its plans for East Jerusalem, and is undermining the Palestinian Authority’s credibility and weakening support for peace talks. ‘Israel’s actions in and around Jerusalem constitute one of the most acute challenges to Israeli-Palestinian peace-making,’ says the document, EU Heads of Mission Report on East Jerusalem.”

The Guardian article added this comment about the European Union’s view:

“The EU report goes further, saying that the demolitions are ‘illegal under international law, serve no obvious purpose, have severe humanitarian effects, and fuel bitterness and extremism.’ The EU raised its concern in a formal diplomatic representation on December 1, it says…

“However, the EU says the fourth Geneva convention prevents an occupying power extending its jurisdiction to occupied territory. Israel occupied the east of the city in the 1967 six day war and later annexed it. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.”

This report comes as the new American Administration has called for a two-state solution for the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Pope to Visit Israel

As reported in the Jerusalem Post on May 8, 2009, “Pope Benedict XVI will visit Israel between May 8 and 15, the leader of the Catholic church confirmed in Sunday’s mass at St. Peter’s in the Vatican.”

Israeli president Shimon Peres was quoted in the article:

“’I am delighted that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has responded positively and accepted my invitation to visit the Holy Land. The pope will be a most honored guest, welcomed and respected by people from all walks of life. His visit will be a moving and important event bringing the spirit of peace and hope. Welcome to Israel.’”

Beyond the historic significance of such a papal visit at this time of turmoil in the Middle East, the specific sites chosen for the Pope’s tour hold prophetic overtones, and the article states:

“The pope is expected to tour sites in Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, and in the Center and North. Large numbers of police will be assigned to secure these areas. He will also visit sites in the Palestinian Authority.”

Iran’s Military Threat Grows!

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 8, 2009, about the successful test-firing of a new generation of long range missiles.

“Last Wednesday, a senior Teheran official announced that Iranian missiles can reach Israeli nuclear sites.

“’All the nuclear facilities in different parts of the land under the occupation of the Zionist regime are in the reach of Iran’s missile defenses,’ Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic republic’s Revolutionary Guards, was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying.”

Also reporting about this latest development, Fox News on March 8, stated:

“Iran’s Shahab-3 missiles have a range of up to 1,250 miles, putting Israel within striking distance.”

“This Is Change!”

USA Today reported on February 27:
 
“This is change, whether you believe in it or not. And not just pocket change. Following through on many of his campaign promises, President Obama wants to spend about $3.6 trillion next year to pull the nation out of recession and begin major new initiatives in health care, energy and education. All that and more is contained in a 134-page budget request for 2010 and beyond that is unprecedented in size, breathtaking in scope and sure to have a major impact on millions of Americans — if he can get much of it through Congress.

“It’s a budget plan that would help the young by increasing their chances of getting a college education and the poor by providing funds for health insurance. It seeks to clean the air and reduce the USA’s dependence on foreign oil. It would cut taxes on low- and middle-income Americans while raising them, starting in 2011, on couples who make at least $250,000 a year.

“All this would come at a price to be paid by in the future: annual deficits of at least $500 billion, and a federal debt that would reach $23 trillion in a decade…

“In little more than five weeks, Obama has shown he intends to think big and act quickly. He’s already agreed to spend nearly $800 billion over two years to try to jump-start the economy. He’s not only pressed Congress for the second half of a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, he’s reserving the option for another $750 billion on top of that…”

But USA Today has to admit the incredible “risks” involved with this proposed budget. It states:

“Even groups aligned with Obama express concern that tax increases at the end of this recession could trigger another one — a situation Franklin Roosevelt faced in the 1930s. ‘The Great Depression was really two big recessions with a recovery in the middle,’ says Bill Gale of the Brookings Institution. ‘There’s potential to do real damage.'”

Mr. Obama’s Proposed Budget–The Big Gamble

Reuters added on February 27:

“President Barack Obama forecast the biggest U.S. deficit since World War Two in a budget on Thursday that urges a costly overhaul of the healthcare system and would spend billions to arrest the economy’s freefall. An eye-popping $1.75 trillion deficit for the 2009 fiscal year underlined the heavy blow the deep recession has dealt to the country’s finances as Obama unveiled his first budget. That is the highest ever in dollar terms, and amounts to a 12.3 percent share of the economy — the largest since 1945. In 2010, the deficit would dip to a still-huge $1.17 trillion, Obama predicted.

“With that backdrop, his budget represents a gamble that Americans are ready for the sort of change they embraced by electing him in November… The cost of extra borrowing to pay for the record budget deficit pushed U.S. stocks and government debt prices down on Thursday. The budget’s healthcare plans delivered a hit to shares in health insurers and drugmakers

“… some analysts questioned whether Obama’s goals were realistic at a time when the economy is still in crisis and the surging deficits threaten to burden a future recovery… While Obama is still basking in high approval ratings from the U.S. public, his stimulus package and other efforts to revitalize the economy have done little to win over Wall Street. U.S. stocks prices hit 12-year lows this week.”

Mr. Obama’s Proposed Budget–“The Great Illusion”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on February 26:

“President Obama has laid out the most ambitious and expensive domestic agenda since LBJ, and now all he has to do is figure out how to pay for it. On Tuesday, he left the impression that we need merely end ‘tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans,’ and he promised that households earning less than $250,000 won’t see their taxes increased by ‘one single dime.’

“This is going to be some trick. Even the most basic inspection of the IRS income tax statistics shows that raising taxes on the salaries, dividends and capital gains of those making more than $250,000 can’t possibly raise enough revenue to fund Mr. Obama’s new spending ambitions…

“Mr. Obama is of course counting on an economic recovery. And he’s also assuming along with the new liberal economic consensus that taxes don’t matter to growth or job creation. The truth, though, is that they do. Small- and medium-sized businesses are the nation’s primary employers… The bottom line is that Mr. Obama is selling the country on a 2% illusion. Unwinding the U.S. commitment in Iraq and allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire can’t possibly pay for his agenda. Taxes on the not-so-rich will need to rise as well.

“On that point, by the way, it’s unclear why Mr. Obama thinks his climate-change scheme won’t hit all Americans with higher taxes. Selling the right to emit greenhouse gases amounts to a steep new tax on most types of energy and, therefore, on all Americans who use energy… Mr. Obama is very good at portraying his agenda as nothing more than center-left pragmatism. But pragmatists don’t ignore the data. And the reality is that the only way to pay for Mr. Obama’s ambitions is to reach ever deeper into the pockets of the American middle class.”

Germany to the Rescue

The EUObserver wrote on February 27:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel has given the strongest signal to date that her country may come to the rescue of embattled eurozone economies… Certain conditions are likely to be attached to any support plan offered by Berlin. While Ms Merkel refused to be drawn on the exact nature of financial support, she made it clear that action to tackle excessive budget deficits would be a stipulation for receiving aid.

“She indicated such action could be carried out under Article 100 of the Maastricht Treaty that allows financial assistance to be given to countries experiencing ‘difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control’… German officials hinted support for Ireland could be dependent on the country increasing its low corporate tax…

“Germany [is] seen as the safest EU economy by investors…”

German Neo-Nazi’s Dream of a Fourth Reich

The Daily Mail reported on February 26:

“Neo-Nazis are on the rise in Germany and are planning to exploit the economic crisis to build a Fourth Reich, a defector from their ranks warned yesterday. Uwe Luthardt painted a chilling picture of the far-Right trying to recruit the record number of young Germans facing a bleak future as the country’s economy contracts and unemployment mounts. Experts fear that the worsening conditions are worryingly similar to those of the late 1920s and early 1930s which propelled Hitler’s Nazi regime – the Third Reich – to power…

“German unemployment has climbed by 63,000 this month to 3,552,000, or 8.5 per cent. Its economy – the world’s third largest – is predicted to shrink by 5 per cent this year.

“A sign of resurgent extreme Right came earlier this month in Dresden where nearly 7,000 neo-Nazis turned up to ‘honour German patriots’ on the anniversary of the Allied bombing in 1945 which killed 25,000 residents. It was nearly double the turnout of last year…

“Mr Luthardt described an organisation that preys on the gullible and the weak who seek, as he did, to restore some mythical glory to Germany while finding scapegoats for the economic misery. He told of weapons stores, how members greet each other with Heil Hitler! salutes, sing the banned songs of the Third Reich, relish the idea of a new Holocaust against the Jews and plot to bring hard-core Nazism back with a vengeance.

“Luthardt was in the NPD for only four months, but quickly rose to become a member of the ruling board. He told Der Spiegel magazine that old Nazis living in South America donate to the party via shell companies. Other funds come from the staging of skinhead-music concerts. He went on: ‘The simple aim is the restoration of the Reich in which a new stormtrooper organisation takes revenge on anyone who disagrees with them… The basic concept the NPD talks about is, “Let’s kick out all the foreigners, then the Germans will have jobs again.”‘”

Israel Moves to the Right

Deutsche Welle reported on February 27:

“Last ditch talks to form a broad coalition government in Israel have failed after Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni from the Kadima party were unable to reach agreement. Netanyahu said a coalition with Foreign Minister Livni’s centrist Kadima party was impossible.

“This increases the possibility that Israel’s next government will be an alliance of hawks and hard-line religious parties opposed to substantial concessions for peace. After the talks in Tel Aviv, Livni said the meeting ended without agreements on some substantial issues, like support for the formation of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which Netanyahu opposes.”

More Attacks on Israel

Haaretz reported on March 1:

“A Qassam launched from the Gaza Strip exploded off the coast of Ashkelon on Sunday, just hours after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised a ‘painful, uncompromising response’ to Palestinian rocket fire… Olmert’s vow came a day after ten rockets were fired at Israel from the coastal territory, bringing the number of projectiles launched from Gaza since the truce to more than 60…  Olmert said that Israel would respond to rocket fire…”

Jewish Leaders “Furious” With Hillary Clinton

On February 27, wcbstv.com and CBS wrote the following:
 
“In a swift about face from her views as New York’s senator, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now hammering Israel over its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza… On Thursday… she [delivered] angry messages demanding Israel speed up aid to Gaza. Jewish leaders are furious…
 
“Clinton’s decision to hammer Israel comes as the Clintons and President Barack Obama are planning to give the Palestinians $900 million toward the rebuilding of Gaza in the wake of the Israeli offensive that was sparked by Hamas rocket fire…”

Nuclear War at Sea

On February 26, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“The collision of two strategic nuclear submarines [owned by the French and the British] earlier this month shows that the Cold War is still being fought every day in the Atlantic — with the world’s most powerful weapons… It quickly became clear that a nuclear catastrophe had almost occurred out at sea — and that it could happen at any time…

“Vanguard and Le Triomphant aren’t ordinary attack submarines — they’re rare and extremely expensive ballistic missile submarines. The British have four, as do the French, the Americans have 14, the Russians 15, and the Chinese are believed to have three. The hull of the Vanguard, as tall as a four-story building and roughly 150 meters (492 feet) long, contains a nuclear reactor and 16 ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads with a combined power more than 300 times greater than that of the atom bomb that destroyed Hiroshima…

“Neither the British nor the French are willing to reveal when, where and exactly how it happened… Strategic submarines are high-tech weapons with an archaic mission: to exact revenge. And they are built for the day the world comes to an end…The submarines… are designed to retaliate with such force that there can be no winners in a nuclear war…

“That leaves the Russians. The 173-meter (567-foot) Dimitry Donskoy, for example, is the world’s largest strategic submarine… According to the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, the Donskoy could ‘simultaneously destroy dozens of cities like New York, or level half of Afghanistan.'”

Left-Liberal Propaganda for Darwin’s Evolution Theory

On February 25, Der Spiegel Online published the following “masterpiece” about brainwashed evolution-worshipping scientists (and other “intellectuals”):
 
“The US isn’t the only place with heated debates about Darwin’s theory of evolution: Europe has its own hardcore creationists and intelligent design backers, too… Fundamentalist Christians who believe in creationism — which holds that God created the world and humanity in the manner described in the Bible — reject the principle of evolution and are striking back. They are pushing for the use of school texts that vilify the theory of evolution as a mere ideology. They have sued to have the theory of intelligent design — a water-down version of creationism — taught in biology courses at the same time as evolution, as both an equally valid scientific theory and alternative to evolution.

“‘It would be like claiming a right to teach astrology in a physics course,’ said James Williams, a lecturer in science education at the University of Sussex…

“According to a survey conducted in 2006, the majority of British have their doubts about evolution, and 40 percent want creationism taught in biology classes.

“Scientists agree that the overwhelming mass of evidence supports the theory of evolution. ‘No serious scientist questions the theory of evolution,’ says Ralf Sommer, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Tübingen…

“The guerrilla tactics used against evolution continue to be the same: Evolution’s opponents try to discredit Darwin’s broader theory by looking for gaps and narrower scientific issues that remain answered… Scientists today also know that evolution is verifiable because you don’t have to wait millions of years to see it in action. ‘Evolution can sometimes happen very quickly,’ says Claus Wedekind, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Lausanne — so quickly, in fact, that scientists can sometimes observe it within the space of one human generation.

“Intelligent design and creationism, on the other hand, are not scientific theories because they aren’t falsifiable: They postulate the existence of a deity, a divine creation and guided evolution — all things that can never be empirically proved or disproved… This type of reasoning hasn’t stopped people from doubting the theory of evolution. In Germany, 20 percent of the population doesn’t believe in the theory; in the US, it’s closer to one-third…

“In June 2007, the Council of Europe’s Committee on Culture, Science and Education released a report entitled “The Dangers of Creationism in Education.” According to Anne Brasseur, a member of the council who collaborated on the report, its goal was to firmly anchor the theory of evolution in school curricula.

“The report was prompted by resistance to teaching Darwin’s theory in some European countries. ‘For example,’ Brasseur explains, ‘the former deputy education minister of Poland called the theory of evolution a lie.’

“She went on to list a number of other negative examples:

“In Russia, many parents are strongly opposed to the teaching of evolution in grade schools. In Italy in 2004, there was a proposed decree against the theory of evolution. In Switzerland, the ProGenesis group has a tentative project called ‘Genesis-Land’ that envisions a leisure park on the model of the Creation Museum in the US state of Kentucky… In Germany, the Ministry of Education for the state of Hesse saw no infringement of the curriculum when teachers at a number of schools were found to be teaching the Biblical theory of creation in biology class. The publishing house ‘Studiengemeinschaft Wort und Wissen’ is now publishing the sixth edition of a grade school textbook that includes the theory of intelligent design.

“The Catholic Church’s position on evolution is unclear. Pope Benedict XVI has stated that the theories of evolution and creation are not mutually exclusive and, in July 2007, that ‘there is much scientific proof in favor of evolution.’ Still, in April 2007, he wrote in a theological book published in Germany that the existence of evolution was ‘not ultimately provable.’ In 2005, Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn published an opinion piece in the New York Times entitled ‘Finding Design in Evolution,’ in which he discussed a theory of creation that included the theory of a guided evolution — in short, intelligent design… At previous times in history, the Catholic Church has espoused different positions on evolution. John Paul II, for example, the predecessor of the current pope, apparently gave some recognition to Darwin’s theory when he said in 1996 that: ‘The theory of evolution is more than a hypothesis’…

“According to Brasseur, however, Pope Benedict XVI’s Vatican criticized the Council of Europe’s report — without success. The council ultimately approved the report’s recommendations, with 48 votes in favor and 25 against. As for Germany’s five representatives on the council, three voted against the report, one voted for it and one abstained.”

Ebola Virus Found in Pigs

Reuters reported on February 23:

“The Philippines will slaughter 6,000 pigs at a hog farm north of the capital Manila to prevent the spread of the Ebola-Reston virus, health and farm officials said on Monday… The country has more than 13 million heads of swine… The government said 6,000 pigs would be killed, burned and buried as experts sought to determine the source of Ebola-Reston in pigs as well as pig-to-pig and from pig-to-human transmission…

“It is the first time the virus has been found outside monkeys and the first time it has been found in pigs. The virus had previously jumped from monkeys to humans but this was the first case of a jump from hogs.”

Former Chancellor Schroeder Meets with President Ahmadinejad

Deutsche Welle reported on February 22:

“Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after delivering a speech in Tehran criticizing the Iranian leader’s stance against Israel and his denial of the Holocaust.

“The meeting took place on Saturday, Feb. 21, behind closed doors in the president’s offices. A brief statement afterwards said the two had exchanged ideas about regional and international issues. Ahmadinejad also urged global cooperation to solve the world’s problems…

“In Tehran, Schroeder commented that Iran appeared to have good intentions for a new beginning in relations to the West, but developments had not gone as one had hoped…

“Eyewitnesses said the meeting took place in a tense and cool atmosphere… Schroeder, in Iran on a private visit, also met with Parliament President Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. In contrast to the tense meeting with Ahmadinejad, Schroeder’s meeting with former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami — who plans to run against Ahmadinejad in the June elections — was congenial.

“The two politicians spoke German, which Khatami learned when he lived in Hamburg as a moderate cleric before the Islamic revolution in 1979. ‘We are good and old friends and when we were both in office, the countries had the best relations,’ Khatami told DPA news service after the meeting.

“Khatami said efforts were in gear to find a diplomatic solution in the conflict over Iran’s uranium enrichment program, which has produced more than 1,000 kilograms of low-enriched uranium… The amount, if subjected to further processing, would be enough to create an atomic weapon…

“In Germany, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews Stephan Kramer criticized the Schroeder-Ahmadinejad meeting in an interview with the Hanover daily Neue Presse: ‘Mr. Schroeder is greatly damaging the reputation of Germany and the German government…’

“Iran’s ambassador in Berlin, Aliresa Sheikh-Attar, didn’t think Schroeder’s criticism of Ahmadinejad would damage ties between the two countries. ‘The relations between Teheran and Berlin are too important to be overshadowed by a subject such as the Holocaust,’ Attar said. During his time in office (1998-2005), Schroeder never visited Iran…”

Muslim Anti-Semitism in Germany

Netzeitung wrote on February 23:

“Germany should take anti-Semitic tendencies among its Muslim population seriously, Turkish-German Green party leader Cem Özdemir warned in an interview with daily Frankfurter Rundschau on Monday.

“‘We must unfortunately acknowledge that there are anti-Semitic mindsets not only in the right-wing or among the so-called left-wing anti-imperialists, but also in the Muslim community – particularly among male Arabic, Turkish and Kurdish youths,’ Özdemir, the country’s first leader of a major political party with Turkish roots, told the paper…

“A 2007 study by the Interior Ministry found that Muslim students were far more anti-Semitic than other students, the paper reported…”

A New Plan for a European Army

The Telegraph wrote on February 18:

“A security blueprint charting a path to a European Union army [was] agreed by Euro-MPs on Thursday. The plan, which has influential support in Germany and France, proposes to set up a ‘Synchronised Armed Forces Europe’, or Safe, as a first step towards a true European military force…

“Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, the Conservative European defence spokesman, warned that British ministers are ‘in denial’. He said: ‘They are sleepwalking towards a European army and seem to have little awareness of what is going on’…”

Dire Warning of Deutsche Bank

Netzeitung wrote on February 23:

“Germany’s gross domestic product will likely shrink by more than five percent in 2009, chief economist for Deutsche Bank Norbert Walter told daily Bild on Monday…

“Companies and politicians have sugarcoated the country’s economic situation, the head economist of Germany’s largest private bank said, adding that they are ‘ignoring the truth.'”

U.S. Economy Continues to Go Downward

On February 24, The New York Times published an article with the headline, “Fed Chief Says Recovery May Wait Until 2010 or Later.” In the article, it was pointed out:

“On Tuesday, two barometers of the housing market and consumer attitudes underscored the economy’s downward trajectory. Home prices in the United States plunged at the fastest pace on record in December… signaling that housing was likely to continue declining.

“Consumer confidence also… dropped to a new low of 25 in February, from 37.4 a month earlier, as people fretted about losing their jobs or earning less, and worsening prospects over the next six months.”

President Obama–“The Day of Reckoning Has Arrived… America at the Crossroads”

Bild Online wrote on February 25:

“Barack Obama insisted the ‘day of reckoning has arrived’ when he addressed Congress for the first time yesterday… Obama acknowledged the need for America to take charge on the issue of the global financial crisis: ‘As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us – watching to see what we do with this moment, waiting for us to lead’…

“Obama promised support to the floundering American car industry, saying that the ‘nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it’… Leading US car manufacturers such as Chrysler and General Motors have already asked the government for billions of dollars in aid.

“Obama also offered help to the banking and finance sectors, warning that a rescue programme could cost more than expected. He stressed that the aim was to support the people not the banks…

“The US government is working on reducing the burden of financial debt that the country has found itself in, Obama insisted. He said that the budget deficit will be halved in the coming year. In order to save the money, he said he would ‘eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq and reform our defence budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use’…

“And Obama referred to a new era in international politics: ‘… we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America.’”

Who Says the War in Gaza Is Over?

AFP reported on February 25:

“Israeli warplanes launched two air strikes along the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt on Wednesday as delegates from three Palestinian factions were crossing at a nearby terminal, witnesses said. They said the two air strikes left large craters and caused damage to surrounding homes near the border, where smugglers operate a massive underground network of tunnels to supply goods to the besieged territory…

“An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed that two air strikes had been carried out in the area. Palestinian militants had earlier fired two crude homemade rockets into southern Israel without causing any casualties, according to the military.”