Reading between the lines, and thinking outside the box . . .
The mission of Peter, and of his successors, is precisely to serve this unity of the one Church of God made up of pagans and Jews; his indispensable ministry is to make sure that the Church never identifies herself with any particular nation or culture, but that she be the Church of all peoples.
Recent tensions on the international scene are a cause for lively concern, says Benedict XVI. "We must note, with bitterness, the threat of a progressive deterioration in the climate of confidence and cooperation that should characterize relations between nations. The recent events have weakened the confidence in many that such experiences had been consigned to the past."
Thousands of Germans will take to the streets on Saturday, to call for the removal of all US nuclear warheads based in the country. At least 20 US nuclear warheads are reportedly still stored at a German air base in the southwestern town of Buechel where they can be mounted on German Tornado fighter jets. And there are currently 23 US military bases across Germany, hosting around 45,000 troops.
[WAR: So the question is: Will Germany be using 1 of these 20 to launch an EMP attack on the US, or will it be a loose one (Broken Arrow) from somewhere else? I'm thinking it'll be 1 of the 20, so we'll be EMP'ed by our own nuke -- hung by our own rope; shot by our own gun!! They'll fly it right into the country, saying that they're heading to their Air Force base in New Mexico.]
Chancellor Merkel seems to have changed her position on Georgia. Her intense skepticism of Georgian President Saakashvili has been replaced by a sense of solidarity, and she is speaking more positively about Tbilisi's desire to join NATO.
Germany is in a key position because it remains virtually the last large country in the West to maintain somewhat close ties to Russia. Suddenly, the thoughts and actions pursued by the German Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry have taken on a global political dimension -- one that could be potentially explosive.
Currently, the entire world is sending its emissaries to the Caucasus, transforming Tbilisi into the global capital of international politics. Negotiations are conducted round-the-clock behind closed doors to decide what will happen.
The geopolitical situation in Europe has changed fundamentally over the past 2 weeks. Sixty-three years after the end of a world war that claimed 60 million victims, Europe has once again become the focus of a struggle between the great powers.
In the event of a conflict between the US and Russia, the German ruling class is unsure how it should align itself. A break with Moscow would have devastating economic and political consequences, as would any open conflict with Washington. Therefore, it reacts by playing down the consequences of the conflict and appealing for reconciliation.
The events of the past few days have made absolutely clear that the conflicts between the great powers cannot be solved peacefully. German policy, which had even occasionally swallowed its own propaganda about "overcoming imperialist politics" and a "peaceful organisation of international relations," has been suddenly brought up against reality.
All of the unresolved problems that in the past century led to 2 world wars have re-emerged and are increasingly determining German policy.
Europe's attempts to keep religion away from the public domain was one of the reasons the Irish rejected the EU's new Lisbon treaty, the country's top Catholic church figure has suggested. He said the EU's prevailing culture and social agenda seems to be driven by the secular tradition "rather than by the Christian memory and heritage of the vast majority of member states."
French President Sarkozy wants to present a united Europe at an upcoming summit on Georgia but risks inflaming differences between members. Warsaw, in particular, wants the EU to take a hard line in EU-Russia relations.
The Caucasus conflict was brought about at least in part by the West's decision to recognize Kosovo's independence 6 months ago. Experts say this sparked a chain reaction in the region, which only Moscow can now halt.
(And: The Kosovo precedent)
(And: Regions hail recognition)
(Hypocrit: Bush presses Russia not to recognize)
The US has continued to intensify its confrontation with Russia in the wake of Moscow's withdrawal of troops from most of the Georgian territory it held following the 5-day war.
(Uh-oh!: Cheney to visit region)
The of potential Western sanctions pales in comparison with what Moscow could do in response. A former National Security Council senior director and CIA senior analyst said that Moscow was becoming a very important buyer of US Treasury bonds and US government agency issues.
He believes that those officials, who urge Washington to put forward various ultimatums to Russia, would hardly prefer Moscow disposing of its dollar assets. He wrote for The National Interest that Moscow was sounding out opportunities of selling Russian crude for roubles, which would obviously affect long-term dollar positions
Is the world drifting towards a new global war? From this week the dominant super-power, America, will for three months pass through the valley of the shadow of democracy, a presidential election. This is always a moment of self-absorption and paranoia.
Meanwhile, along history's fault line of conflict from Russia's European border to the Caucasus and on to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, diplomats are shifting uneasily in their seats, drums are sounding and harsh words are spoken. The world is now run by a generation of leaders who have never known global war. Has this dulled their senses?
Either there is an immediate halt to the imperial geopolitics-driven provocations against Russia—such as the attack on South Ossetia by the British puppet-regime in Georgia, and the US-Polish agreement to station anti-ballistic missile defense systems and a US base in Poland—or the strategic situation could very quickly escalate into a Third World War.
Driven by the progressive meltdown of the world financial system, the British Empire faction's drive to encircle Russia and China and force them to capitulate, is playing with fire.
Condoleezza Rice, completing a visit to the region today, has been pressing Israel to sign a document by the end of the year that would divide Jerusalem by offering the Palestinians a state in Israel's capital city as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to top diplomatic sources involved in the talks.
The diplomatic sources said the plan is that once an Israeli-Palestinian deal is reached on paper by January, Bush would issue an official letter guaranteeing that the US supports the conclusions of the document.
Pakistan's former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, withdrew his party from the coalition government, raising the stakes in a bitter political confrontation as the country struggles to combat pro-Taliban militancy.
A lack of political leadership threatens to allow seething Hindu-Muslim tensions and separatist anger in revolt-hit Indian-held Kashmir to spiral out of control, analysts say.
Iran's official news agency says the country has begun designing its 2nd light-water nuclear power plant, a 360-megawatt facility in the southwest. Iran is still finishing building its first nuclear power plant, a 1,000-megawatt reactor in the southern city of Bushehr being constructed with Russian help. It is to begin operations early next year.
Iran warned the US over interfering in the Caucasus crisis, ISNA news agency reported Monday. "Powers outside the (Caucasus) region should not seek excuses for tensions and instability in the crisis area."
A recent report suggests that the US and Israel had plans to use Georgia as a launchpad for aerial strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Close military ties can be beneficial to Israel as its warplanes are able to carry out strikes against Iran from Georgia without having to refuel. And a number of Georgian government officials similar to many American politicians, who are pushing for a war against Iran, hold Israeli citizenships.
Obama said Monday sanctions and diplomacy must be made to bite against Iran so that Israel does not feel its "back is against the wall" and stages an attack.
A senior Iranian commander says the successful simulation of the US Army's combat style has enabled the IRGC to find their weaknesses.
Although we are not likely to ever know whether accused anthrax terrorist Bruce Ivins really committed suicide, one particularly interesting aspect of the case has been buried by the mass media in America.
Although page after page of excruciatingly detailed information about Ivins' personal life and career appeared in the major newspapers, the "big secret" about Ivins has been blacked out: he was a virulent Muslim-bashing supporter of Israel, a Christian by faith who trumpeted the mantra that the Jews are "God's Chosen People."
FSB reports to Prime Minister Putin circulating in the Kremlin today are stating that an Israeli based plot to assassinate Barack Obama has been foiled due to information relayed to American Intelligence Officials from Russian Military Forces who are still decrypting secret documents captured in Georgia from retreating Georgian special forces troops trained in Israel.
Contained in these captured documents, these reports continue, was one titled "Operation Drago" which detailed the assassination plot in 'great detail', including its 'main objective' to foist blame for the killing of Barack Obama on Neo-Nazi connected White Supremacist groups based in the US.
To anyone who really believed Barack Obama's candidacy represented "hope" and "change," the selection of Joe Biden as his running mate should put that illusion to rest. Biden has been one of the War Party's most reliable servants. No, he's not Cheney, but that doesn't mean he won't be Cheney-esque.
(And: The Biden betrayal)
The selection of Senator Joseph Biden as the vice-presidential candidate of the Democratic Party underscores the fraudulent character of the Democratic primary campaign and the undemocratic character of the entire 2-party electoral system.
Barack Obama, the supposed protagonist of "change," has picked as his running-mate a fixture of the Washington establishment, a 6-term US senator who is a proven defender of American imperialism and the interests of big business.
(Cartoons: Pickin' Biden)
It was when "official government-approved" inflation figures were released that I really lost it last week, as that particular rate of inflation is now a staggering 5.6%. This is - as you can probably tell by the look of panic and terror on my face - Terrible, Terrible News (TTN).
And when you look at what John Williams at shadowstats.com calculates as inflation, according to the time-honored method of actually looking at real prices instead of the "qualified estimates" that are used today, you will see that annual inflation in consumer prices is actually running at over 13%! Some of the worst in American history! We're freaking doomed!
US house prices were down a record 15.4% in the April to June quarter compared with a year ago, according to a closely-watched report. "The key point is we are a long way from bottoming out."
(And: Wall Street fears the worst)
(And: Peering into the darkness)
China has resorted to stealth intervention in the currency markets to amass US dollars, using indirect means to hold down the yuan and ease the pain for its struggling exporters as the global slowdown engulfs the economy.
Given the sheer scale of China's foreign reserves - now $1,800bn - any shift in its exchange policy now ripples around the globe. The covert buying may help to explain at least part of the explosive dollar rebound over recent weeks.
Millions of families will be put under severe strain by the worst economic crisis since the 1970s, one of Britain's most powerful bankers warned yesterday. The deputy governor of the Bank of England said families are facing 'difficult social issues'.
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A small earthquake in Lee County last Wednesday was a rarity for the region. According to Dr. Haydar Al-Shukri with the Applied Science Department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the earthquake was both small and uncommon and occurred along a fault line that has yet to found.
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