Proposed Jamaica Coalition Not Popular in Germany
Express wrote on November 10:
“ANGELA Merkel is facing a domestic crisis after a poll suggested most Germans do not want the three-party coalition she is desperately trying to form. Following her election disaster, the German Chancellor is attempting to form a partnership with the Greens and pro-business FDP. But a poll published this week showed 52 per cent of Germans think the so-called Jamaica coalition would be bad for the country. Just 45 per cent thought it would be a good thing, a fall in support of 12 per cent from a previous survey last month. Three per cent were unsure. The poll, published yesterday, was commissioned by huge public service broadcaster ARD and surveyed 1,005 people…
“A piece published in the Die Zeit newspaper this week accused Mrs Merkel of ‘fidgeting’, lacking leadership and failing to grapple with policies to shape the nation’s future. The column contrasted the French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent speech on EU reform at the Sorbonne with ‘the almost complete absence of Angela Merkel in public’.”
Even if a Jamaica coalition comes into effect, it won’t last very long.
Showdown in Jamaica Coalition Talks
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 16:
“For over a month, four of Germany’s most unlikely political partners have been trying to decide whether they can form a viable coalition government. Their deadline to end exploratory talks — a precursor to formal negotiations — is early Friday morning.
“Before Thursday’s talks began, Merkel said ‘serious differences’ remain among the parties, but she also said she was confident an agreement could be reached.
“If the talks fail, Chancellor Merkel faces the prospect of wooing the Social Democratic Party (SPD) into another grand coalition government or possibly calling for new elections.”
EU Tightens the Screws Further on Britain
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 9, 2017:
“Britain on Friday was reminded once more that time is running out to advance Brexit negotiations as both London and Brussels remain in dispute over the final cost of the divorce. Chief European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters that the bloc would need UK clarifications in two weeks to prepare for a December 14-15 summit. He said progress in negotiations on how much money Britain will owe the EU when it leaves the bloc in March 2019 was imperative if EU leaders were to allow discussions on future trade ties with Britain in December…
“Barnier’s remarks seem to tighten the screws still further on Britain after The Financial Times earlier cited an unnamed EU diplomat as saying the issue needed to be settled within two to three weeks. The Brexit bill is estimated by the EU at around €60 billion ($70 billion). But the UK has insisted that it should be more like €25 billion… the [British] government [made] clear late on Thursday that the country’s exit from the bloc would occur at exactly 2300 GMT on March 29, 2019… Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority Conservative government remains deeply divided over what kind of deal it is seeking with the EU…”
Britain will leave the EU, as prophesied, and the exit will NOT be advantageous for the country.
EU Signs Defense Pact
The EUreporter wrote on November 14:
“Foreign and defence ministers gathered at a signing ceremony in Brussels to represent 23 EU governments joining the pact, paving the way for EU leaders to sign it in December. Those governments will for the first time legally bind themselves into joint projects as well as pledging to increase defence spending and contribute to rapid deployments. ‘Today we are taking a historic step,’ Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters. ‘… it’s really a milestone in European development,’ he said.
“The pact includes all EU governments except Britain, which is leaving the bloc, Denmark, which has opted out of defence matters, Ireland, Portugal and Malta. Traditionally neutral Austria was a late addition to the pact… The club will be backed by a 5-billion-euro defence fund for buying weapons, a special fund to finance operations and money from the EU’s common budget for defence research…
“Despite an Anglo-French-led EU defence integration effort in 1998, Britain blocked formal collaboration on military matters, wary of the creation of an EU army. Defence integration was revived by France and Germany, with support from Italy and Spain, in a show of unity after Britons voted to leave the EU in June 2016.”
Quartz added on November 13:
“It took 70 years… US president’s Donald Trump’s frequent accusations that EU countries do not pay enough into NATO has been one catalyst for them move forward… The other is that it could legitimately diminish the bloc’s dependence on US military support…”
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 13:
“With 23 of the EU’s current 28 member states joining the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), there seems to be a great deal of consensus among member states… The new defense union is expected to address immediate threats without having to rely on NATO for all of the EU’s defense needs… Those who didn’t sign initially can still join at a later date and countries not living up to their expected commitments could be kicked out of the group…
“German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said it was important for Europe to stand on its own feet when it comes to security and defense – ‘especially after the election of the US President’…”
On November 13, Reuters ran an article about PESCO with the following headline: “EU countries agree to create a European mega-army.”
European Banks Might Freeze Customers’ Money
Express wrote on November 14:
“The European Central Bank has outlined plans to freeze cash deposits of customers at failing banks in order to halt collapses… The move could mean people with money in their bank accounts could not withdraw anything while the bank was in crisis talks…
“Most EU member states are behind the ECB’s new proposals…”
Military Coup in Zimbabwe
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 15:
“Longtime Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was arrested along with other senior officials early Wednesday morning in what appeared to be a military seizure of power… Hours earlier, Major General SB Moyo had said on state television that the army’s takeover of state offices, the parliament, the airport and state broadcaster was ‘not a military takeover.’…
“Armored vehicles and soldiers were seen throughout the capital city, Harare, Wednesday morning as many people rushed to withdraw money from banks…
“Grace Mugabe — who reportedly fled to Namibia early Wednesday morning — had been publically positioning herself to succeed her husband as president. That ambition led to a public feud with former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who had been seen as Mugabe’s likely successor before the president fired him in early November. Mnangagwa — nicknamed ‘Crocodile’ — is… popular with the country’s military…
“South African President Zuma urged the Zimbabwean government and army to resolve their differences amicably… The European Union and Britain also expressed concern and called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.”
This seems to be a usual power struggle which is not uncommon in many non-democratic countries.
War Between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon?
The New York Times wrote on November 9:
“Saudi Arabia ordered its citizens to leave Lebanon on Thursday, escalating a bewildering crisis between the two Arab nations and raising fears that it could lead to an economic crisis or even war. The order came after Saudi Arabia had stepped up its condemnations of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia that is the most powerful political and military force in Lebanon, and asserted that Lebanon had effectively declared war on Saudi Arabia.
“The developments plunged Lebanon into a state of national anxiety, with politicians, journalists and even parents picking up their children at school consumed with the question of what could come next. While analysts said a war was unlikely — because Saudi Arabia was not capable of waging one and Israel did not want one now — they worried that with so many active conflicts in the region, any Saudi actions that raised the temperature increased the risk of an accidental conflagration…
“But even before the current crisis, fears were building in Lebanon that Israel… would instigate another war against Hezbollah…”
The Fight Between Iran and Saudi Arabia
The Guardian wrote on November 11:
“The fall of Kurdish-held Kirkuk in northern Iraq to the Iraqi government, backed by Iran’s most prominent general, in October, starvation among the population of war-torn Yemen, a ballistic missile over Riyadh, and the apparently forced exit of the premier in Lebanon are all part of the same machinations – a great strategic power play between two regional heavyweights… Now, more than at any point in modern history, Iran and Saudi Arabia are squared off against each other as a race to consolidate influence nears a climax from Sana’a to Beirut and the tens of thousands of miles in between…
“The foundational split between the two main sects of Islam, over whether followers or descendants should succeed the Prophet Mohammed, has long been a starting point for attempts to explain the contemporary rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh…
“Iran now all but controls a land corridor that runs from Tehran to Tartous in Syria, on the Mediterranean coast, giving it access to a seaport a long way to its west… Among all its proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon has been the most valuable – and potent. Hezbollah is the arrowhead of Iran’s projection against Israel…”
All of this shows that it is extremely unlikely that a king of the South will still arise in the Middle East, leading all Arab nations against Europe. Those who preach such an arrival of an end-time king of the South grossly misinterpret the Bible and seem to lack the spirit of prophecy, as Scripture, correctly understood, does NOT necessitate a future king of the South.
Iran-Iraq Quake
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 14:
“Iranian authorities on Tuesday scrambled to bring relief aid to thousands of people left homeless by an earthquake that killed at least 432 people and injured nearly 5,000 more. The national rescue service called off most searches for bodies trapped under rubble, saying it was unlikely survivors would be found.
“President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday arrived in Kermanshah province, a mostly Kurdish area hit hardest by the 7.3-magnitude tremor that struck the mountainous border region between Iran and Iraq Sunday… Around 15,500 homes were destroyed and another 15,000 damaged in Kermanshah province… Seven towns and nearly 2,000 villages were damaged… and several villages were completely destroyed…
“The earthquake has led to an outpouring of solidarity from Iranians across the country and millions more in the diaspora… Dozens of countries including Arab states, as well as Iran’s enemies the US and Israel, extended their sympathies to the Iranian people. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif thanked the international community for messages of sympathy and offers of assistance…”
Trump Meets Putin… Sort of…
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:
“US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin assured him that Moscow did not interfere in the 2016 US election during their discussions on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Danang, Vietnam. ‘Every time he sees me, he said: “I didn’t do that.” And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that he means it,’ Trump told reporters… He also noted that Putin is ‘very insulted’ by the accusation…
“Trump and Putin did not have a formal meeting at the APEC summit, but the two leaders met unofficially several times since late Friday and have even posed for a side-by-side photo… US officials may well be anxious to avoid any encounter between the two men that could be seen to reinforce the notion that they are in cahoots in any way…
“Trump and Putin did issue a statement [saying] that the two leaders… confirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity…
Deutsche Welle added on November 12:
“Trump tried to distance himself from remarks suggesting he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin… ‘I believe that he feels that he and Russia did not meddle in the election,’ Trump said… ‘As to whether I believe it, I’m with our agencies.’”
It’s always better to think first before speaking.
Putin and Trump Invite Hezbollah and Iran to Stay in Syria
The Jewish Press wrote on November 11:
“According to their joint statement, President Trump and President Putin on Saturday met on the margins of the APEC conference in Da Nang, Vietnam, to confirm their determination to defeat ISIS in Syria. Meanwhile, the two presidents also agreed to let Iran and its two satellite terrorist groups, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, to roam free in parts of Syria, including up against Israel’s northern border.
“Naturally, ISIS is far from being the only player in the Syrian civil war, nor is it a major player, at this stage… The two presidents also engaged in creative fantasy…
“That bit of newspeak coming from President Trump, after months and months of warnings from Prime Minister Netanyahu, is outright frightening… In the end, President Trump who has been so adamant about the folly of Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, is signing off on allowing the Iranian threat against the Jewish State to come in a thousand miles closer.”
Amazing what ill-advised politicians are able to “accomplish.”
Trump vs. Xi Jinping
The Guardian wrote on November 10:
“Donald Trump has abruptly ended the diplomatic streak he displayed on his 12-day tour of Asia by launching a tirade against ‘violations, cheating or economic aggression’ in the region, just hours after heaping lavish praise on China… The speech was clearly, sometimes explicitly, focused on China and other countries he blamed for predatory economic policies…
“Trump addressed a largely mute and visibly stunned audience that included ministers from countries he accused of not ‘playing by the rules’… ‘The United States will no longer turn a blind eye to violations, cheating or economic aggression. Those days are over,’ he added. Previous US administrations had not done anything about the trade deficit, he said, ‘but I will … I am always going to put America first.’
“… The speech was markedly different from the reserved tone of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who spoke directly after Trump, although to much louder applause and cheers from the audience… Xi did not directly respond to Trump’s challenge on trade but sought to paint himself as a champion of economic openness, globalisation and the fight against climate change, in contrast to the isolationist US president…”
Trump in the Philippines
The Week wrote on November 12:
“President Trump arrived in the Philippines from Vietnam on Sunday, where he was greeted by controversial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte [The international press refers to Duterte as the “Trump of the East”], who has been accused of human rights abuses including the promotion of extrajudicial killings.
“Trump offered Duterte mediation assistance in his country’s dispute with China over the South China Sea, calling himself ‘a very good mediator and arbitrator.’ Duterte declined the offer, saying the issue ‘is better left untouched’ because ‘nobody can afford to go to war.’”
Newsmax added on November 12:
“The Philippines has for decades been a key U.S. defence ally and although the base was closed in 1992, Subic [once home to one of the biggest U.S. naval facilities in the world] has since received a regular flow of retirees and visits by U.S. warships for repairs, resupply and exercises. About 220,000 Americans, many of them military veterans, live in the Philippines. An additional 650,000 visit each year…”
Trump’s Asia Tour Receives Mixed Reviews
The Week wrote on November 15:
“President Trump spent Wednesday morning tweeting about his ‘successful trip to Asia,’ although many regional experts were reluctant to share his characterization. ‘The principal takeaway from Trump’s big Asia trip: virtually zero progress on any issue that matters to the Americans,’ wrote Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group consultancy… ultimately no new measures were forged regarding North Korea, and Asian countries pressed ahead with the Trans-Pacific Partnership without the U.S.
“‘While Trump announced billions in new business deals, ‘most of those agreements were older, already agreed-upon, or only promises,’ The Associated Press writes. Additionally, Trump broke with his predecessors, avoiding confrontation with leaders on human rights records.”
It seems to be a common feature in President Trump’s attempts to take credit for something which was already decided before. The highly praised decision by car manufacturing company FORD to keep jobs in the USA was apparently not reached due to President Trump’s negotiations and persuasion powers, but to FORD’s prior decision.
“Polish PM Calls for an EU Where Christianity Is Not Censored’
Reuters wrote on November 9:
“Poland wants to be sure that Christian traditions are not subject to ‘ideological censorship’ in the European Union, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on Thursday, emphasizing her party’s opposition to Muslim immigration. Along with Hungary, Poland has refused to take in any of its quota of the wave of refugees from Syria and elsewhere who have come to Europe since 2015, on the grounds that Muslim immigrants are a threat to their national security and stability.
“Szydlo’s eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party appeals directly to the more socially conservative sections of Poland’s overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population… Szydlo said Christians in Europe should not need to feel uncomfortable or ashamed about their faith and traditions…”
60,000 Nationalists March in Poland
The Week wrote on November 12:
“An estimated 60,000 nationalists marched in Warsaw to celebrate Poland’s 99 years of independence on Saturday. While many simply waved Polish flags, some demonstrators threw red smoke bombs and carried signs with slogans like, ‘Europe must be white,’ ‘white Europe of brotherly nations,’ and ‘pray for an Islamic Holocaust.’
“They shouted chants including, ‘glory to our heroes,’ ‘pure Poland, white Poland,’ ‘refugees get out,’ and ‘death to enemies of the homeland.’ Among the marchers were supporters of Poland’s governing party, Law and Justice (PiS). Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak downplayed the racist elements in comments praising the ‘beautiful sight’ of Poles celebrating independence.”
JTA wrote on November 13:
“The sight of far-right activists… shouting anti-Semitic slogans during a nationalist march in the capital of Poland over the weekend shocked many around the world. It was an understandable reaction to witnessing tens of thousands in Warsaw marching near what used to be the largest Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust amid shouts of ‘Jews out’ and ‘Remove Jewry from power.’
“… on Monday, a spokesman for [Israel’s] Foreign Ministry called the Warsaw event ‘a dangerous march of extreme and racist elements,’ and urged Polish authorities to act against the organizers…”
These radical elements in Poland do not necessarily represent just a negligible portion of the population.
Pope Francis and the European Power Bloc
The website of cruxnow.com wrote on October 30:
“From Brexit to Catalonia, as well as the rise of far-right parties in central Europe, the Catholic reaction has been almost uniformly to sound the alarm… On a dramatic weekend in which the Catalan regional government declared independence and the national government moved to restore direct rule, the archbishops of Barcelona and Madrid, as well as the president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, made clear their sadness at the independence bid…
“Pope Francis backed that message on Saturday… warning against building trenches… [and] against ‘particular and nationalist agendas’ that threaten ‘the courageous dreams of the founders of Europe.’”
Uproar in the Catholic Church
The Associated Press wrote on November 11:
“Pope Francis on Saturday reaffirmed the ‘primacy’ of using one’s conscience to navigate tough moral questions in his first comments since he was publicly accused of spreading heresy by emphasizing conscience over hard and fast Catholic rules. Francis issued a video message to a conference organized by Italian bishops on his controversial 2016 document on family life, ‘The Joy of Love.’
“The document has badly divided the Catholic Church, with some commentators warning that it risked creating a schism given its opening to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics… Conservatives accused the pope of sowing confusion and undermining the church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage…”
The Wall Street Journal added on November 14:
“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops chose a conservative archbishop for a key post Tuesday, signaling resistance to Pope Francis’s vision for the church among the Catholic hierarchy in the U.S… ‘It is clear since 2013 that a majority of them (the bishops) sees the message of Francis’ pontificate, esp. on life and marriage, as not adequate for the Catholic Church in the U.S.A.,’ Massimo Faggioli, a theologian at Villanova, said on Twitter after the vote…
“However, Catholic leaders are hardly in lockstep with the Trump administration on immigration, and made a point of echoing the pope on the issue of welcoming migrants…”
Germany’s Supreme Court Accepts Intersex People as Third Gender
AFP wrote on November 8:
“Germany’s top court Wednesday required parliament to legally recognise a ‘third gender’ from birth. Current regulations on civil status are discriminatory against intersex people, the Federal Constitutional Court said. Legislators must by the end of 2018 pass a new regulation to offer a third gender option in birth registers, added the court, ruling in favour of an appeal brought by an intersex person…
“The intersex person was registered as female, but a chromosome analysis found the plaintiff to be neither male nor female. Intersex is a broad term encompassing people who have sex traits, such as genitals or chromosomes, that do not entirely fit with typical binary notion of male and female. Intersex people can have features that are neither wholly female nor wholly male, or a combination or neither. People who identify as intersex are recognised on official documents in some countries including Australia, India, New Zealand and Nepal.”
Bild Online commented on November 8:
“About 160,000 people live in Germany who have male and female characteristics. Until now, the parents determine at the time of birth the designation of the child’s gender. The WHO [World Health Organization] considers Intersex people as suffering from a sickness or a birth defect… In the future, the government will not be allowed to send out letters anymore, addressing the recipients as “Ladies and Gentlemen.” Another designation will have to be found… Intersex people are different from transgender people. While the first category describes people who are not clearly male or female, transgender people clearly belong to one particular gender, but are ‘unsatisfied’ with it…”
Bild Online also wrote that sometimes, young intersex people are being operated on or receive hormones. In quoting an expert, the paper wrote that this is a wrong, harmful and traumatizing procedure.
In a follow-up article, Bild Online wrote on November 11 that the Duden, the standard dictionary of the German language, is unable to use a word (like “he” or “she”) describing intersex people. The designation of “it” has been rejected by the organization for intersex people. A spokesperson for the Duden explained that the publication can only include words which are spoken or written in colloquial usage, and there is no word at this point describing intersex people. It has also been discussed whether or not to omit any reference to gender in birth certificates.
It seems to us that the WHO is correct in its evaluation of intersex people as suffering from a sickness or a birth defect, and that an official designation as “third gender” is just ridiculous, as would be the omission of gender for everyone in birth certificates.
Transgender Service Members
The Washington Post wrote on November 11:
“Anastasia Biefang… joined the German army as a man more than 23 years ago. Two years ago… she came out to her superiors and eventually to her entire unit… the Bundeswehr, Germany’s military, heralds her as a national role model. She is the first transgender commander in a force headed by a defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, who has made support for transsexual and homosexual personnel a top priority…
“Trump… argued that ‘tremendous medical costs and disruption’ were behind his decision to reinstitute the ban on transgender service members… Trump’s battle to ban transgender servicemen and women is also feeding into a growing perception in Germany that Europe can no longer trust the United States as a reliable partner that shares its values…”
The word “value” is a strange choice in the context of the topic.
Dangers of Transgenderism
Christian Headlines wrote on November 10:
“A 14-year-old girl who began a transition to become a boy is speaking out about the dangers of transgenderism, particularly for young people. Noor Jontry… shares that her exploration of her gender began when she encountered young people online who were transitioning to another gender. She says she realized she wanted to be a boy because she wanted to be ‘masculine.’ ‘[B]eing masculine was about feeling safe,’ she said…
“Noor has come to believe that… most teens and young people who think they are trans are simply confused or going through a time of transition in life.
“When asked what she would say to other girls who think they are boys, she replied, ‘There’s nothing wrong with your body. To be straightforward, you will never be male… Stop hurting yourself. Not wanting to be female doesn’t mean you’re really male…’”
The entire transgender philosophy is not only ridiculous from a medical and biological standpoint; it is also abhorrent in the eyes of God.
Australians for Gay Marriage
The Washington Post wrote on November 14:
“Australians supported gay marriage in a postal survey that ensures Parliament will consider legalizing same-sex weddings this year… 62 percent of registered voters who responded in the unprecedented survey favored reform… A ‘no’ vote in the survey would have put marriage equality off the political agenda, perhaps for years…
“Ireland is the only other country to put same-sex marriage to a popular vote, but that referendum was binding. Irish voters in 2015 changed their constitution to allow marriage equality.
“In Australia, voting in elections and referenda is compulsory…
“Lawmakers opposed to gay marriage are already moving to wind back anti-discrimination laws, with debate in Australia intensifying over the possibility of gay wedding boycotts and refusals to provide a celebrant, venue, flowers or a cake…”
Australia is another Israelite country which continues to turn its back on God and His clear teachings.
Senate Republicans to Include Individual Mandate Repeal in Tax Plan
The Week wrote on November 14:
“Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they will be including a repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate in their tax plan.
“‘Repealing the mandate pays for more tax cuts for working families,’ wrote Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in a statement. President Trump has put heavy pressure on Republicans to repeal the ‘very unfair’ individual mandate, which is the portion of ObamaCare that requires individuals to purchase health care or face a fine.
“Its elimination would free up more than $300 billion over a decade, The New York Times reports, ‘because … a decline in the number of people with health coverage’ means ‘the government would spend less money on subsidized health plans.’”
Senate Democrats are of course opposed to this move; but they are opposed to the entire tax plan anyway.
House Passed Trump’s Tax Bill
CNBC wrote on November 16:
“House Republicans on Thursday passed a monumental bill to cut taxes on businesses and individuals, the biggest step yet in the GOP’s once-in-a-generation effort to overhaul the American tax system. The tax reform plan passed the chamber with 227 votes in favor and 205 against.
“To pass the bill, the House GOP had to overcome opposition from several of its members who live in high-tax blue states. Those lawmakers objected to the proposal’s curb on popular state and local tax deductions.
“The House plan would permanently chop the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent… It would reduce individual tax brackets to four from seven and make changes to several tax breaks. Among them, the bill would limit state and local deductions and the mortgage interest deduction, eliminate the personal exemption and nearly double the standard deduction…
“Despite passage of the bill Thursday, pitfalls await the party. Senate Republicans hope to pass their own bill as soon as the week after Thanksgiving… Several other Republicans in the Senate, where the GOP holds a slim two-seat majority, have expressed doubts about the upper chamber’s version…
“Should the Senate GOP pass its bill, the two chambers will have to craft a joint plan before Congress can pass final legislation… The Republican plan is expected to get no Democratic support throughout the process…
“Republicans say their plan will trim the tax burden on the middle class and push businesses to create jobs and boost wages. The message, so far, has not resonated with voters, according to a recent public opinion poll. Most Americans disapprove of the Republican tax plan…”
Missile Renaissance Blooms in the USA
CNBC wrote on November 11:
“Raytheon is building missiles that may feature prominently in the effort to repel a possible attack from North Korea. Tucked into next year’s $700 billion Defense authorization is a request for $4 billion, [still to be approved by both houses of Congress] which will go to missile defense… destined for U.S. and Japanese warships in the Pacific… Soon, the facility will start producing a next-generation version of the SM-3… capable of traveling even farther and higher to better intercept an intermediate-range ballistic missile…
“In addition to more funding at home, the makers of American missile defense systems are racking up big-ticket international orders. This week, Sweden said it wants to buy a $1 billion-plus Raytheon-made Patriot system. Other allies that have missile defense orders moving through negotiations and approvals include Japan, Poland and Saudi Arabia…
“Raytheon… also makes… the exo-atmospheric kill vehicles [which] sit inside interceptors positioned in underground fields in Alaska and California. When an interceptor launches, the kill vehicle uses ‘hit-to-kill’ technology to target a warhead in space — then smashing into it at more than 10,000 miles per hour, pulverizing the threat upon impact.”
The business with weapon production blooms. Where will it end? Note the next article.
Bringing Weapons to Church Services
Newsmax wrote on November 10:
“A church in central New York has made it perfectly clear it allows its parishioners to carry weapons… The Lighthouse Mexico Church of God in Mexico, New York, posted a message on a sign outside the building that reads: ‘We say it again. We are not a gun-free zone.’…
“Pastor Ronald Russell has extended the invitation to those who attend his church that they are welcome to carry while worshipping… ‘People say “well, pastor, you’re talking about killing some,” and I say “well, if I don’t protect my people, I’m being complicit.”’…”
Apart from the unbiblical stance of the pastor, his faulty reasoning, and his obvious lack of trust in God’s protection; what if a potential perpetrator sneaks into his church with a weapon, determined to kill all the parishioners? To allow all in attendance to carry weapons would make the perpetrator’s job so much easier, as her or she would just blend in with the rest of the attendees,
The History of Veterans Day
Fox News wrote on November 10:
“‘While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime,’ the Department of Veterans Affair says…
“The roots of Veterans Day go back nearly 100 years. Fighting during WWI stopped on Nov. 11, 1918 due to an armistice between the Germans and the Allies… Nov. 11 was commemorated as Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919…
“A resolution passed by Congress in 1926, according to the federal agency, called for Nov. 11 to be remembered every year ‘with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.’ In 1938, Armistice Day was officially made a legal public holiday…
“Many American soldiers lost their lives during WWII and the Korean War. In the wake of these wars, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. In 1968, a bill was passed which called for Veterans Day to be observed on the fourth Monday in October starting in 1971… President Gerald Ford signed a bill in 1975 which pushed Veterans Day back to Nov. 11, with the changes taking place in 1978.
“Ford said in a statement that he felt ‘restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 will help preserve in the hearts and lives of all Americans the spirit of patriotism, the love of country, and the willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good symbolized by this very special day.’”
The Washington Post wrote on November 11:
“The original intent, established in the wake of World War I, was to celebrate world peace. Then the wars never ended, so Veterans Day changed…
“Much has changed in the 98 years since Armistice Day was first observed. Now we honor not just servicemen, but servicewomen. Our wars are not fought with cannons, but with drones. The war to end all wars didn’t end war at all. Soldiers have fought and died all over the globe…”
November 11 is still being celebrated as Armistice Day in Europe, including in France. Fox News reported on November 11:
“Emmanuel Macron… commemorated his first Armistice Day as French president — marking the end of combat during World War I. During Saturday’s events, Macron paid homage to the wartime French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau by laying a wreath at his statue on the famed avenue. Clemenceau was a key architect of peace between the great powers… Next year France will host a grand Armistice centenary, marking 100 years since the war’s end in 1918 with envoys from 80 nations.”
The change from Congress’s declared purpose of Armistice Day to President Ford’s stated purpose of Veterans Day is both sad and unbiblical. God does not support the vain and futile attempts of man to bring peace through war and the taking of human lives. Please view Norbert Link’s sermonette, “Did Jesus Resort to Violence?”
The Return of the Black Death
Daily Mail wrote on November 12:
“A strain of plague… could mutate and become untreatable, an expert has warned. There are fears the disease could spread to Europe and America via plane travel as Ebola did in 2014, with ten African nations already put on alert for signs of infection…
“In total 2,000 people have been affected and 143 killed by the pneumonic plague in Madagascar’s worst outbreak in 50 years… The pneumonic plague [is] a more-deadly form of the bubonic plague which devastated Europe’s population in the 1300s. While the bubonic plague is spread through the bites of infected fleas, pneumonic plague is spread through the air, usually by coughing. Symptoms include severe fever, headaches and coughing, with patients often coughing up blood… It can be fatal within 72 hours of infection…
“The current outbreak is unusual as it has affected urban areas increasing the risk of transmission…”
Daily Star wrote on November 14:
“Infection and immunity expert Dr Matthew Avison, of University of Bristol, has revealed the outbreak in east Africa is likely to become more serious before the ‘crisis’ ends… Dr Avison said because the disease is ‘extremely rare’ it has been ‘resilient’ to antibiotics… However, he said if antibiotics are handed out quickly then the disease ‘can still be treated’. Failure to do so could result in the outbreak – the ‘worst in 50 years’ – spreading to other continents, including Europe and the US, he warned.”
We hear more and more about the resurfacing of disease epidemics which our advanced scientific “wonders” thought of having eradicated a long time ago.
Man Playing God
The website of inverse.com wrote on November 8:
“Stem cell technology has advanced so much that scientists can grow miniature versions of human brains… called organoids… in the lab, but medical ethicists are concerned about recent developments in this field involving the growth of these tiny brains in other animals…
“Scientists have debated whether these brains are ‘conscious,’ but the fact that they could be successfully implanted in lab animals raises a whole new set of ethical concerns for the researchers who work with them. One of the major concerns in the mini-brain scenario is that these organoids could grow to more advanced levels within lab animals, making the debate about mini-brain consciousness much more urgent…
“Putting human brain structures into non-human animals creates a thorny ethical area that raises people’s fears about medical research going too far into unfamiliar territory — and too quickly… In January, Salk Institute researchers developed human-pig chimeras, creating the possibility that pigs with human brain cells might also develop human consciousness…”
When is man’s scientific madness ever going to end?
Asteroid Hit the Earth at Precisely the “Right” Location and Time
Deutsche Welle wrote on November 9:
“The asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs should have had a very low chance of triggering mass extinction, scientists say. Had it struck most other spots on the Earth’s surface, the world could have been a different place. Dinosaurs might still be roaming the Earth if the celestial object that smashed into the present-day Gulf of Mexico had hit almost anywhere else on the planet. By hitting the rocky terrain of the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago, however, the impact sent the soot into the air that would trigger a chain reaction and lead to mass extinction…
“Impacts on this scale are rare enough, but the object that initiated what scientists call the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event happened to also hit an area rich in hydrocarbon and sulfate. The force of the impact heated the materials, ‘forming stratospheric soot and sulfate aerosols and causing extreme global cooling and drought…”
“In 2014, the Edinburgh University paleontologist Steve Brusatte said dinosaurs might have survived the impact ‘if it had hit a few million years earlier or later… The asteroid hit at a particularly bad time,’ he wrote in the journal Nature… The impact might have been a stroke of bad luck for dinosaurs…”
Our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution” and, “Heavens and Earth…” explain in detail as to what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
