Reading between the lines, and thinking outside the box . . .
Long years of communist rule left people unable to trust, says Benedict XVI, who urged Hungarian prelates to show the faithful that the Church is a mother. "The long period of communist rule left a deep mark on the Hungarian people, and even today its consequences are evident, particularly in the difficulty many find in trusting others, a typical trait of people who have long lived in an atmosphere of suspicion. The sense of insecurity is accentuated by the difficult economic situation, which thoughtless consumerism does nothing to improve."
"In such a situation," he said, "the Church must certainly be a teacher, but always and above all a mother, so as to favor the development of reciprocal trust and the promotion of hope."
[WAR: Yes, the church is a mother ... "This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Rev 17:5) ... the mother of Pagan Protestant Prostitutes!]
On Monday, the new ambassador from Israel to the Holy See presented his letters of credence to Pope Benedict. After congratulating Israel on its 60 years of statehood, the Pope surveyed the difficulties faced by Christians in the region and called for the Israelis to work for a peaceful resolution to the conflict with the Palestinians.
"I do realize that the difficulties experienced by Christians in the Holy Land are also related to the continuing tension between Jewish and Palestinian communities." While recognizing "Israel's legitimate need for security and self-defense" and strongly condemning "all forms of anti-Semitism," Pope Benedict XVI insisted that all people "be given equal opportunities to flourish."
"Accordingly, I would urge your government to make every effort to alleviate the hardship suffered by the Palestinian community, allowing them the freedom necessary to go about their legitimate business, including travel to places of worship, so that they too can enjoy greater peace and security."
(And: Full text of address)
A new socialist political party is successfully turning its populist message into votes. Kyle James examines the rise of The Left and its impact on German politics.
Germany's foreign minister called for a "partnership on eye level" with Latin America, ahead of Chancellor Merkel's visit to the continent whose economic growth continues to raise its political significance.
In what is turning into a diplomatic embarrassment, the president and foreign minister of Germany are refusing to meet the Dalai Lama, who will arrive here Friday as part of a tour of European capitals.
(German press: Leaders "lack backbone" for shunning DL)
[Europress] [Russopress]
The Etna volcano in Sicily rumbled back to life on Tuesday with a "seismic event" followed by a burst of ash, volcanologists said three days after minor eruptions shook the cone.
Today, eurozone ministers will meet in Brussels while all 27 finance ministers will get together on Wednesday. The state of the eurozone after 10 years will be high on the agenda of these meetings, as well as the Brussels economic forum later on in the week.
The EU-Latin America summit will take place on Thursday and Friday and is expected to be attended by over 50 leaders from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Serbia braced Monday for a protracted political showdown after a pro-Western coalition declared victory in parliamentary elections Sunday, but immediately faced a challenge from nationalist rivals who vowed to team up to form a government.
Besides Russia, the former Soviet republics that have hit the energy jackpot are all clustered around the Caspian Sea. While Azerbaijan, with the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, is already hardwired into the Western economy, Turkmenistan's potential has yet to be fully developed, and its natural gas exports have been locked in for the foreseeable future first by Russia and, to a lesser extent, by China.
Kazakhstan, while currently relying on the international joint venture Caspian Pipeline Corp. pipeline to Russia's Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea, nevertheless has plans to diversify its export routes to international markets and in this desire has no more ardent suitor than energy-poor Turkey, angling to position itself as the Caspian's premier energy hub.
In the end, Turkish interest in Caspian energy is a subset of the US-Russian struggle over Eurasian energy assets.
The curious irony of history is that while the Zionist movement managed to successfully create a nation state in the Middle East against considerable odds, that movement is dead — the majority of Jews quite simply don't want to be part of a Jewish nation-state in the Middle East.
And so the very purpose of Israel has come into question. It's certainly not the "national home of the Jews," as much as the Zionists huff and puff about this being the case. It is Jews, not Jihadists, that have consigned Zionism to the dustbin of history.
Prime Minister Olmert acknowledged that Israel is a major player in the illegal international trafficking of women for prostitution. International agencies regularly cite Israel for its relatively high involvement in the trafficking of women.
The pageantry of President Bush's trip to the Middle East this week is sure to be impressive. The substance of the journey, however, is unlikely to live up to the White House's once-high expectations. Today, there seems little chance that Bush will help deliver an outline for real Israeli-Palestinian peace before he leaves office.
Businesses shut down and traffic emptied in Lebanon's 2nd city on Monday when a street battle broke out between pro-government Sunni Muslim fighters and members of an Alawite minority loyal to Syria. Tripoli is predominantly Sunni with historic trading and family links to Syria.
Over the last few days, the world has discovered the hand that rocks the cradle in Lebanon. Whether Hezbollah is designated by the US and its allies as a terrorist organization or not, it has shown, without a shadow of a doubt, that it's in charge.
The Commonwealth has readmitted Pakistan as a full member after a six-month suspension triggered by a clampdown by President Musharraf. The suspension was lifted after a meeting of key ministers of the Commonwealth in London.
The Commonwealth brings together about 53 nations, including Britain and former colonies ranging from Canada to India to Vanuatu - about a third of the world's countries and a quarter of the world's population.
Hassan al-Turabi was taken into custody but then released without charge after 15 hours of questioning.
(And: Turabi "terrified" by arrest)
In a sharp reversal of its longstanding accusations against Iran arming militants in Iraq, the US military has made an unprecedented albeit quiet confession: the weapons they had recently found in Iraq were not made in Iran at all.
In another extraordinary event this week, the US spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, for the first time did not blame Iran for the violence in Iraq and in fact did not make any reference to Iran at all in his introductory remarks to the world media on Wednesday when he described the large arsenal of weapons found by Iraqi forces in Karbala.
Led by Dick Cheney, Bush administration neocons want war on Iran. So does the Israeli Lobby, but it doesn't mean they'll get it. Powerful forces in Washington and the Pentagon are opposed and so far have prevailed. Nonetheless, worrisome recent events increase the possibility and must be closely watched.
The Pentagon has dropped charges against a man alleged to have been the "20th hijacker" in the September 11 attacks.
It's a given in our democracy that laws should be a matter of public record. But the law in this country includes not just statutes and regulations, which the public can readily access. It also includes binding legal interpretations made by courts and the executive branch. These interpretations are increasingly being withheld from the public and Congress.
The chief executive of the United States is no longer a mere constitutional officer charged with faithful execution of the laws. He is a soul nourisher, a hope giver, a living American talisman against hurricanes, terrorism, economic downturns, and spiritual malaise.
He—or she—is the one who answers the phone at 3 a.m. to keep our children safe from harm. The modern president is America's shrink, a social worker, our very own national talk show host. He's also the Supreme Warlord of the Earth.
This messianic campaign rhetoric merely reflects what the office has evolved into after decades of public clamoring. The vision of the president as national guardian and spiritual redeemer is so ubiquitous it goes virtually unnoticed.
Americans, left, right, and other, think of the "commander in chief" as a superhero, responsible for swooping to the rescue when danger strikes. And with great responsibility comes great power. The US appears stuck with an imperial presidency.
There is a "good possibility" Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could be chosen as John McCain's presidential running mate, Palestinian officials here say they were told by US politicians in recent days. "We were told by US politicians there is a good possibility we may still be dealing with Rice in the future, but this time as vice president."
Mike Huckabee is currently at the top of John McCain's short list for a running mate. At least that's the word from a top McCain fundraiser and longtime Republican moneyman who has spoken to McCain's inner circle.
Americans who have lost their homes in the property crisis are starting to lose their possessions too as even the cost of storage proves too much for them.
JPMorgan Chase & Co's Chairman and CEO on Monday told bank investors that while the current credit market crunch may soon be over, the US economy could still face a deep and extended recession.
Hedge funds exploited the misfortunes of those caught beneath currency, housing and internet bubbles, and got paid by the boatload. So, how long do we have before the whole thing explodes into a global conflagration?
A group of key EU finance ministers will today launch an assault on the rewards earned by bankers and top managers in a move that poses a potential threat to the City of London. Today's meeting is being held under the auspices of the Eurogroup, the quasi-official club of eurozone finance ministers. The forum excludes Britain and free market allies from Eastern Europe.
A confidential document prepared for the gathering in Brussels finds the "short-term" pay structure of modern capitalism has become deformed, causing firms to take on "excessive risk" without regard to the interests of stakeholders or society.
The text for the meeting indicts the Anglo-Saxon market model as a danger to global financial stability and castigates firms for chasing "immediate profits at the cost of massive sackings".
All through oil's 5-year price surge, which has taken it from $25 a barrel to last week's close above $125, there have been many voices declaring that it's all a bubble, unsupported by the fundamentals of supply and demand.
So here are 2 questions: Are speculators mainly, or even largely, responsible for high oil prices? And if they aren't, why have so many commentators insisted, year after year, that there's an oil bubble?
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called Monday for global leadership against the global food crisis as a UN task force met for the first time to design an action plan to curb soaring prices. During the closed-door meeting, Ban said "tackling this issue will require international leadership and coordination at the highest level."
A survey of bee health released revealed a grim picture, with 36% of the nation's commercially managed hives lost since last year. Clearly bees are dying at unsustainable levels and the situation is not improving.
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The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. All men die; few men ever really live. Sure, you can create a safe life for yourself ... and end your days in a rest home babbling on about some forgotten misfortune. I'd rather go down swinging. Besides, the less we are trying to "save ourselves," the more effective a warrior we will be.
Listen to GK Chesterton on courage: "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. 'He that will lose his life, the same shall save it' is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book.
"The paradox is the whole principle of courage; even of quite earthly or quite brutal courage. A man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it.
"A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine." (Wild at Heart , p.169)
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