Reading between the lines, and thinking outside the box . . .
This morning the Pope received 33 new recruits to the Pontifical Swiss Guard accompanied by their families and by other members of the Corps. In keeping with tradition, the new recruits will swear their oath of allegiance tomorrow, 6 May, in a ceremony to be held in the Vatican.
Faith in the Trinity enlightens the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity proposed by Catholic social doctrine, says Benedict XVI. The Pope affirmed this Saturday when he addressed participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Their meeting is focused on "Pursuing the Common Good: How Solidarity and Subsidiarity Can Work Together."
"My friends, I invite you to allow this fundamental truth to permeate your reflections: not only in the sense that the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity are undoubtedly enriched by our belief in the Trinity, but particularly in the sense that these principles have the potential to place men and women on the path to discovering their definitive, supernatural destiny."
He further noted that the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity are not simply "horizontal." "Ssubsidiarity insofar as it encourages men and women to enter freely into life-giving relationships with those to whom they are most closely connected and upon whom they most immediately depend, and demands of higher authorities respect for these relationships -- manifests a 'vertical' dimension pointing toward the Creator of the social order."
(And: Full text of address)
It is not a lack of capacity to produce food, but a lack of will that is causing an increase in hunger after a rise in food prices, says a Vatican spokesman.
"Food is not physically lacking in the world, nor is the capacity to produce it. Rather, what is lacking is the will to, first of all, resolve the most grave problem, namely, providing the poor with enough to eat. Other things, other concerns take its place."
The Christian Social Union pledged to cut taxes nationally through 2012, a move aimed at clawing back support before a state election in September. German business lobbies welcomed the CSU's proposals, saying lower taxes would help strengthen private consumption and protect people against poverty.
Plans from Germany's conservative Christian parties to create a national security council based on the US model have met with opposition. Some fear a new council would have too large an influence on foreign policy.
"The threat of global terrorism makes it important that we get past the traditional division of domestic and foreign security. Ensuring the supply of energy and raw materials is another important security policy point."
According to a McKinsey study, Germany's middle classes are headed for terminal decline, unless there is a fundamental change in economic policy. The reason is that too many middle class Germans make a living in old and decaying industry.
Silvio Berlusconi is facing a row with the Muslim world over his plans to appoint a member of the far-Right to his cabinet. Saif Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader, said the appointment would have "catastrophic consequences" for trade between Italy and Libya. Italy is Libya's largest European trading partner, and an importer of Libyan oil.
The European Commission is this week to present an overview of the eurozone as it approaches its tenth anniversary amid strong differences between member states on the role of the European Central Bank.
The report is to look into ways of improving the economic functioning of economic and monetary union in response to growing pressures such as globalisation and an ageing EU population.
(And: This week in the EU)
Abkhazian authorities say 2 unmanned Georgian spy planes have been shot down over the breakaway republic's airspace on Sunday. Russia's Foreign Ministry says this latest incident indicates Georgian authorities are intentionally trying to make the current situation in the region even worse.
The incident comes straight after a statement from the Abkhazian government claming that Georgia could launch a military operation against its breakaway republic in the next few days. Earlier in the week the Russian Foreign Ministry stated Georgia was increasing its military presence on the border of Abkhazia in preparation for an offensive.
May 14 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. While Arabs call the day "the catastrophe," many Israelis aren't in the mood to celebrate. A look back on 6 decades of dreams and nightmares.
Envoys on drugs...
Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, insisted yesterday that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians was still attainable this year, despite growing Palestinian frustration and a police inquiry threatening the future of the Israeli Prime Minister.
"We continue to believe it is an achievable goal to have an agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis by the end of the year." But diplomatic sources in Jerusalem were sceptical.
A top Iraqi official said Sunday there was no conclusive evidence that Shiite extremists have been directly supplied with some Iranian arms as alleged by the US.
Israeli President Shimon Peres warned on Monday that if Iran becomes a nuclear power it will create a "nightmare" for the whole world and not just the Jewish state. "Iran is a danger not only for Israel but also for the rest of the world. A nuclear Iran will be a nightmare for the world."
Hillary Clinton said Sunday she had no regrets about vowing to obliterate Iran if it used a nuclear bomb on Israel. Clinton was asked on ABC News whether she had any regrets about threatening to "totally obliterate" Iran if it used nuclear weapons against Israel, which prompted Tehran to complain to the UN.
"Why would I have any regrets? I am asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for.
The US government and its major functionaries keep threatening to entirely destroy Iran -- which has done precisely nothing of a threatening nature. Nothing.
(And: Selling the war with Iran)
As President Bush's final term in office will soon come to an end, many around the world are wondering what his next move will be with regard to Iran and its controversial nuclear program.
A worldwide campaign to fund the "good" terrorists
As we count the days to the end of the Bush II era, the likelihood that the worst president in our history will go out with a bang increases on a daily basis. Bush has signed a presidential finding that greatly increases both the scope and seriousness of covert attempts to destabilize Iran and pave the way for war.
A US strike at Iran is clearly in the cards. The only question is when.
When President Bush appointed General David Petraeus Commander (head) of the Multinational Forces in Iraq, his appointment was hailed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post as a brilliant decision.
In the first instance Petraeus was a political appointment. He was one of the few high military officials who shared Bush and the Zioncons' assessment that the 'war could be won'.
In pointing to Iran, Petraeus played the dangerous game of echoing the Israeli line and providing support for a military attack on Iran promoted by the leadership of the Major American Jewish Organizations. The advance of Petraeus is a victory of the Zionist Power Configuration in its quest for American military leaders willing to pursue Israel's agenda of sanctions and war against Iran.
The US has degenerated into a sorry state of affairs when its future course depends on the political calculus of a reckless General, a failed counter-insurgency 'expert' and ambitious politician pandering to billionaire political contributors working for a foreign colonial power.
In dueling television appearances Sunday morning, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton declared their determination to escalate US military action in the Middle East, disagreeing mainly over which country should be targeted first.
The Democratic candidates launched a whole series of largely demagogic sallies against John McCain in the course of their hour-long interviews. But they declined to bring up his inadvertent admission of a central reason for the US invasion and occupation of Iraq, because they are equally committed to maintaining US control of the oil resources of the Middle East.
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign claims to have a secret weapon up their sleeve. According to a report Sunday, Clinton's campaign could force the Democratic National Committee to seat Florida and Michigan, thereby potentially giving her the votes she needs to secure the Democratic nomination.
This "nuclear option" -- the same term applied to a Republican effort in the Senate to destroy the chamber's filibuster -- would likely cause chaos among the party, particularly among activists.
Barack Obama lumped all of Wright's views into one basket and denounced them as being offensive, but he should have taken a second look at Wright's analysis of terrorism. What about Wright's implication that US foreign policy causes blowback terrorism against the US?
Again, the facts are on his side. Poll after poll in the Arab/Islamic world indicates that US political and economic freedoms, technology, and even culture are popular in these countries, but US interventionist foreign policy toward the Middle East is not.
The US political system is, at best, "a work in progress" according to an evaluation from the pro-democracy group Freedom House, which finds significant flaws in the US criminal justice system, counterterrorism strategies and the treatment of minorities and immigrants.
The study expresses "grave concern" about the Bush administration's attempt to extend the White House's power without congressional or judicial review. "Generally speaking, the controversies over counterterrorism policies can be traced to the Bush administration's assertion of a degree of executive authority that is extraordinary even in wartime."
Cabinet ministers are privately plotting to replace Gordon Brown as Labour leader, according to a senior Labour MP who has slammed the troubled Premier as a "moody, disloyal personality".
"Conversations between Cabinet ministers and backbenchers are going on in private. If anyone thinks that MPs are not obsessed with talking about whether Gordon should be leader they are sadly mistaken. They are talking about nothing else."
(And: Brown fights for future)
Oil prices rose today, supported by weekend news of an attack on a Nigerian oil installation, but with gains limited by the strengthening of the US dollar.
In short, there can be little doubt that America is in a recession now and that this recession probably began in November 2007. The supply-siders that deny this must resort to using the absurd logic that it is irrelevant for your living standard if you must pay more for the things you buy, or get paid less for the things you sell.
Somehow, I doubt that they are willing to apply this logic in their personal life and accept a lower pay for their propaganda pieces.
Globalization was supposed to lift all boats, some faster than others. And the proliferation of democracies around the world would put the seal of good government on this peaceful process.
But globalization has also spawned multiple uncertainties. Players improvise the rules as they go along. Hedge funds and derivatives have left government regulators in the dust. And the middle classes see their standard of living heading south.
A plethora of books by geopolitical heavyweights is now ringing alarm bells. In "The Return of History and the End of Dreams," Robert Kagan says we are now back in a world of clashing national ambitions and interests, closer to the 19th century than to the 1990s.
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On today's radio show, we learn that it's possible to see the youngest of young moons from North America at evening dusk today. In eastern Canada, observers might even see a young moon less than 12 hours after new moon. Anyone spotting the crescent before the moon turns 11 hours and 40 minutes old will set a young moon sighting record.
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