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Zimbabwe's Empty Streets

  by Darris McNeely Estimated reading time: 1 minute

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Zimbabwe was once the economic powerhouse and breadbasket of southern Africa. Its rich lands allowed the nation to be self sufficient in virtually everything during the days when it was the pariah among nations. Today its economy is in shambles, inflation is in triple digits and starvation and AIDS has sapped the strength and will of its people.

In 2000 I spent several days in the country visiting with some of the people and seeing the remains of a once vital country. There was still some hope that life would get better, but in the four years since more have fled and, worse yet, it seems the will to rise up and push for reforms has all but gone. This article in the Christian Science Monitor has one paragraph that explains why the citizens have not yet appeared in the streets of Harare or Bulawayo…
Nor does it have a figure like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a unifying moral force in the anti-apartheid struggle. Zimbabwe's churches are divided, as is civil society and the political opposition.
New elections are coming on March 31. Will another sham election arouse the indignation of capable people? We'll see.

http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/zimbabwes-empty-streets

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Crisis in Ukraine: Why It Matters

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 (All day)

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Most Americans have little understanding of the critical importance of Ukraine in the balance of power in Europe.

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[Darris McNeely] The news right now is transfixed with news out of the Ukraine because of the revolutions that has been going on there in recent weeks, and now the vote in Crimea to separate from Ukraine and to realign itself with the Russian republic. Many people are watching and trying to understand what's taking place, but I think that the biggest question that we should understand and focus on is why Ukraine matters within the context of a massive geopolitical fight between Russia, Europe, and America's posturing and roles that it's taking right now with the threat of sanctions. Why does this matter? What's taking place?
These three maps on the board here help us to at least begin to understand that. At least geographically, it's important to understand that Ukraine borders Russia, Poland, some of the Baltic states, and Western Europe. Ukraine has recently wanted to become a part of the European Union, but that was blocked last fall, and now with the overthrow of the government there, and the redistribution that's taking place, Russia has now moved in and a vote has taken place in Crimea to realign itself with Russia. What this means is that there is a major shake-up taking place within this very critical country. These other maps show, again, a little bit more of the agricultural and industrial importance of Ukraine to Europe, Russia especially. It's interesting to note that agriculturally, western Ukraine represents some of the richest, most productive soil in the world – probably within the top three agricultural areas in terms of the value of the land to agricultural production in all of the world. This is important to Russia as well as to Europe.
This other map shows the crossing of energy pipelines from Russia, across Ukraine, into Western Europe. Western Europe gains the majority of its natural gas and petroleum from Russia. And the lines, the pipelines that carry that petroleum and that natural gas go through Ukraine. Who controls Ukraine is going to control the heat in Germany, in Poland, and other parts of Western Europe. So you see the stranglehold that is there. And of course, with Russia involved in this right now, it's impacting its relationship with other European nations and the United States – financial ties, political ties, especially with the role that Russia is playing with the other great powers in the Middle East, Syria in particular – the relationships between all of these nations – the United States, Europe, and Russia – is very, very critical and very important. That's why it matters.
There's a couple of – there's a few other issues for us to consider as to why this matters, as well. What is taking place in front of us, really, is the biggest crisis since the end of the Cold War over twenty

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World News and Trends: China breaks Hong Kong agreement

article by Jerold Aust, John Ross Schroeder

A foreign affairs journalist, John Simpson, wrote: "Last Monday the convenient fiction on which Britain handed over Hong Kong to China ('one country, two systems') came to an end.

The Standing

Committee of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, declared that the inhabitants of Hong Kong could not elect their chief executive in 2007 [clearly allowed in Hong Kong's current constitution], nor vote for more than half the seats in the territory's legislature in 2008."
This decision came in spite of assurances in the original 1997 agreement and the fact that opinion polls show that two thirds of Hong Kong's population wants to elect their own leader.
The Hong Kong situation is closely related to the dangers facing Taiwan. Mr. Simpson reported that "the commander of the flotilla in the Hong Kong harbour, Vice Admiral Yao Xingyuan, was straight-spoken when someone asked him about Taiwan. 'We are ready for the call from our country,' he snapped, 'We have the capability to maintain the political stability of Taiwan.'
"In other words, China is showing that it exerts a potential control over Taiwan to match its actual control over Hong Kong. If the United States and Britain don't like it, too bad; China has the military strength to do the job if necessary."
What surprised Mr. Simpson was the almost total lack of British and Western outrage about China ripping up the Hong Kong agreement. This shows that many do not really comprehend the historic significance of former British control of this key outpost and the prophetic legacy underlying it. To understand more about this, request our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. (Sources: The Daily Telegraph, The Independent [both London].)

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Vertical News: Coffee Crop in Peril from Rust Fungus

article by Amanda Stiver

Life without coffee? Rust causing fungus threatens coffee crops around the world.

Source: freeimages.com/eziquelzic

Some headlines hit closer to home than others, and this one threatens to affect the cherished morning routine of millions of coffee drinkers. Coffee rust, a fungus, Hemileia vastatrix , that attacks Arabica coffee trees has already destroyed the varietal in Java, Indonesia and threatens more crops worldwide. Arabica beans are used for high-end coffee such as espresso and other drinks. It has reached Central America and is causing alarming damage there.
The fungus has been known of since the 1800s, and destroyed coffee production in Asia, an area which no longer produces significant coffee crops. However, its recent spread and difficult containment when it becomes airborne, threatens anew. Once it affects a coffee tree, and without fungicide treatment, it will kill the plant in several years.
Experts estimate that coffee production from Central America may fall by 15 to 40 percent in coming years, severely impacting a $100 billion industry with 25 million workers. The concern is that once coffee is no longer an active crop, desperate farmers may turn to drug production (Marc Lallanilla, “Trouble Brewing for Coffee Crop, Thanks to Fungus,” LiveScience at News.Yahoo.com, May 19, 2014).
Just like the weather, a seemingly small event can trigger a cataclysm. Who would think that a tiny spore of fungus could reshape an entire economic system, but the potential is there. We live in a tenuous world, much of our perceived stability depends on God’s mercy. 

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Extraterrestrial Life: What Does the Bible Say?

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article by David Treybig

Humans have long searched the heavens for signs of other life. Is there life out there? Is there a way to know for sure?

Most of the world is markedly ignorant of the extraterrestrial life to which the pages of the Bible so abundantly testify.

Source: Photos.com

Humanity is fascinated with the concept of extraterrestrial life. Many wonder if intelligent life residing somewhere else in the universe is busy watching us develop. We want to know who we are and if there is anything (or anyone) else out there that resembles us.
Interest in contact with aliens is not just the grist of science fiction but a real-life passion for many devoted to the search for other life forms. When a job transfer put me near Roswell, New Mexico, I soon learned of July 4, 1947, the date of an alleged crash landing of an alien ship a few miles northwest of the city. The next day's newspaper reported that the commander of the nearby U.S. Army base confirmed that a "flying saucer" had indeed crashed into the desert the previous evening.
Rumors circulated that on board the craft had been aliens who had died in the crash. On the second day, however, the commander said the crash was simply a downed weather balloon.
Another report, released in June 1997, just days before the 50th-anniversary extravaganza staged by local residents, said that what some thought had been dead aliens were only test dummies.

The search for life

Of course, man's curiosity has not been limited to stories about flying saucers. Reporting on a radio-telescope project, an article in U.S. News & World Report said recently: "In 1960, Project Ozma in West Virginia began its quest to detect alien radio signals. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration committed $100 million to a formal mission-the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence-but so far, no word has come from out there" (Victoria Pope, "Is There Life on Other Planets?," August 25, 1997).
The article also stated: "Space exploration hasn't turned up life, either. When NASA's Viking landers examined Mars two decades ago, they found a dry, sterile environment. Venus was a blazing inferno. It was only the images from the Galileo spacecraft that raised a slight hope of finding suitable conditions for life elsewhere in our solar system: Jupiter's moon Europa appeared to have an ocean of liquid water covered with pack ice."
More recently NASA's Pathfinder has sent back pictures of Mars that show a rocky desert terrain devoid of any surface vegetation or other signs of life. Now attention is turning to what might be below the surface of the red planet. Scientists wonder whether they should be looking for types of microbes similar to ones on earth that can live in extreme conditions such as searing heat, salt and high pressure.
An alleged martian meteorite recovered in Antarctica containing microscopic wormlike structures generates more questions. Are these structures fossils of earthlike bacteria? Are they just the result of mineral or geologic processes that didn't involve life-forms? Is it possible that life like ours once began on Mars, only to die out later?
Although new possibilities and questions continue to arise as quickly as old ones are rejected, one simple fact remains: We have no scientific evidence of intelligent life beyond this planet.

Comparing science and the Bible

Missing in this discussion is information that has been disallowed by the scientific method, which discards any information that cannot be verified or disproved by observation or experimentation.
That missing information is found in the Bible. The scientific approach generally leads to rejection of biblical facts and statements about other intelligent life, because science cannot prove those statements. This isn't necessarily the fault of science; it simply is the way the scientific discipline was established and functions. Of course, we can rely on something science has proven. But, like most things, even science has its limitations.
When the Bible reveals something of a spiritual nature, such information is often beyond the level of science. Science is often incapable of proving or disproving what is stated. The Bible describes this kind of information as revealed knowledge, or knowledge we cannot discover through human effort alone.
An interesting example of this is found in Matthew 16. Here, Jesus asked His disciples what people were saying about Him. The answers varied. Then He asked: "'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven'" (Matthew:16:15-17 [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
[16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
[17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.).
Understanding Jesus Christ's identity as the Son of God is not scientific; it is not in the flesh-and-blood realm, proven through a microscope or telescope. This kind of knowledge is beyond science. In His conversation with Peter, Jesus affirmed that only God reveals this kind of knowledge. This revealed knowledge is the missing component in man's desire to understand his place in the universe. Without it, man will forever be left with a string of unanswered questions and endless possibilities.
Of course, not all who claim revealed knowledge actually have it. Occasionally we learn of cultlike small groups that claim to have secret knowledge of the unknown. When tragedy results, like the recent mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate group near San Diego, many are inclined to dismiss all revealed knowledge.
The difference between these groups and the Bible is the source of their information. Even large, long-established religious assemblies have shown their inadequacies in interpreting and explaining the Bible and attempting to represent God's revealed will. All groups have fallible human leaders, while the Bible contains the very words of God Himself. As 2 Timothy:3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: tells us, "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." Its authority is unassailable, whereas speculation of individuals remains just that-speculation.

The Bible has answers

So what can we learn from Scripture about extraterrestrial life and man's place in the universe? The Bible reveals that there is extraterrestrial intelligent life, but not as many suppose. The Bible does not speak of aliens who live on other planets, but it does speak of a Spirit Being who "inhabits eternity" (Isaiah:57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.).
The Bible is silent about extraterrestrial life-forms as popularized in science fiction and the entertainment media, yet it is by no means silent about real extraterrestrial life in all its great abundance. The beings spoken of in the Bible are real. They have appeared and spoken directly to humans (Genesis:3:9-10 [9] And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
[10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.; 4:9; 16:9). The Bible records the existence of many millions of angelic beings (Revelation:5:11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;) who are "ministering spirits" to mankind in fulfillment of God's purpose (Hebrews:1:13-14 [13] But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
[14] Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?).
The first verse of the Bible introduces us to the ultimate Spirit Being: God. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis:1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.). It presents two pieces of revealed knowledge beyond the realm of science. The first is the existence of God. The second is found in the word created, a translation of the Hebrew word bara.
"This verb is of profound theological significance, since it has only God as its subject. Only God can 'create' in the sense implied by bara. The verb expresses creation out of nothing, an idea seen clearly in passages having to do with creation on a cosmic scale..." ( Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, "Create").
The concept of bringing the universe into existence from nothing is completely outside the parameters of scientific observation and experimentation. Science tells us a great deal about matter that already exists. It tells us that matter can change shapes and form. But science cannot account for the appearance of something that previously did not exist. It can only theorize about possible explanations for how everything we see around us came to exist from nothing.
We see this even in the various theories for the evolution of life into the myriad forms we see today-all start by assuming that matter already existed.

The Bible vs. evolution

In the face of this fundamental deficiency, some have tried to blend revealed knowledge with scientific theory in what is known as theistic evolution, or a belief that God made matter and then allowed evolution to shape life. In a monumental announcement the Roman Catholic Church recently agreed that life as we know it may have come about in this way.
Theistic evolution, however, is not the simple bridge between the spiritual and the physical worlds many would like. There are simply too many conflicts. The Bible, for example, reveals that God formed Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis:2:7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.), not by evolutionary happenstance.
Scientific limitations aside, the apostle Paul said, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans:1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:, New International Version).
Science acknowledges that we live on planet Earth, but in rejecting revealed knowledge it can provide no absolutes about how our world came to be. In contrast, Paul said this beautiful planet, with its many sophisticated, interwoven relationships among its intricate array of life-forms, is testimony to God's existence.
The Bible further says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm:14:1(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.; 53:1). Why would anyone reject revealed knowledge simply because it did not meet humanly imposed limitations? Paul, speaking of man's moral decline, explains: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans:1:21-22 [21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,, NIV).
Mankind desperately needs the revealed knowledge that only the Bible can provide. Through the pages of this divinely inspired book, we learn not only about extraterrestrial intelligent life (God and the angelic realm), but how this planet and we humans came to be-and what God has in store as our ultimate destiny.

A scientist's last words

The late Carl Sagan was respected worldwide as one of this century's greatest scientists. His many credentials included his tenure as the David Duncan professor of astronomy and space sciences and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He also wrote 30 books and served as an adviser to NASA on the Mariner , Voyager and Viking unmanned space missions.
Before dying from a rare disease in December 1996, he penned these words: "Six times now have I looked Death in the face. And six times Death has averted his gaze and let me pass. Eventually, of course, Death will claim me-as he does each of us. It's only a question of when. And how.
"I've learned much from our confrontations-especially about the beauty and sweet poignancy of life, about the preciousness of friends and family, and about the transforming power of love...
"I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But as much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking" ( Billions & Billions, Random House, New York, 1997, p. 214).
Although he excelled in scientific endeavors as few others have ever done, Sagan's otherwise expansive outlook was in many ways shackled by the scientific method to which he had devoted his life. This remarkable man had not come to trust in the revealed knowledge of the Bible-promises that human beings can eventually "be like" their Creator (1 John:3:1-2 [1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.) and take on His "divine nature" (2 Peter:1:2-4 [2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
[3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
[4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.).
From the outset the Bible describes man as created "in the image of God" (Genesis:1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.). The profound ramifications of this concept are discussed and described throughout the rest of the Bible.
Whether human beings understand these things or not, the Bible promises that "the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah:40:5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it., NIV). In due time this will come to pass. The Good News is dedicated to sharing this revealed knowledge found within the Bible.
The Bible is silent about extraterrestrial life, as it is popularly conceived, in other parts of the universe. At the same time, most of the world is markedly ignorant of the extraterrestrial life to which the pages of the Bible so abundantly testify. Mankind is also largely ignorant of the incredible future potential God has in store for human beings "out there."
There is indeed life out there-and your destiny is to become part of it if you so choose! GN

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Missing Plane Underscores Culture of Fear

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by Milan Bizic 

Source: Laurent Errera/Wikimedia Commons

After a long, arduous search, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is still missing. After its communications went silent and its tracking systems were turned off, the Malaysian flight baffled investigators by its apparent disappearance "out of thin air."
The missing airliner and the subsequent search generated a variety of response. Many observers were rightly concerned for the safety of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Their friends and family members endured long hours of uncertainty. CNN drew interest and criticism for its airing of various theories of the plane’s fate—some sensible and some not.
Maybe most notable in the situation was the level of fear and uncertainty the announcement and search caused worldwide. News outlets widely theorized the plane was hijacked, with possible destinations being Pakistan, Kazakhstan or Iran.
This story was a breeding ground of uncertainty, doubt and fear.
We live in a world of terror, and a glance at the newspaper confirms it. But you don’t have to live in fear of the unknown dangers of the world. The cure for fear and doubt is trust in God.
Those who fear and seek God have no need to live in terror, however. Of those who trust in Him Psalm 91 says, "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night" (Psalm:91:5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;). Trust in God, and leave the fear and uncertainty beyond the headlines behind.

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America and Britain Cut Defense: What Does It Mean for the Future?

article by John Ross Schroeder

Faced with exploding government debt, America will likely soon see massive defense cuts. Britain has already made severe cutbacks in military spending. What is the inevitable long-term outcome?

Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal was decommisioned in March 2011 due to budget cutbacks in the British military.

Source: Wikimedia

British naval power dominated the world's oceans during the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th. Then the American colossus boldly stepped into the gap for the balance of the 20th century. But just as Britain's dominance at sea rapidly declined due to new fiscal realities after World War II, so does American military power face a new and dismal economic reality.
If wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and military intervention in Libya and Yemen weren't enough, the United States faces serious challenges from Chinese military ambitions in the Pacific. Previously some deemed this vast ocean as practically an American lake. Yet recently a Chinese official suggested that China should control the Pacific west of Hawaii.
China is also making rapid gains in advanced military technology. Several years ago it showed it could shoot down satellites orbiting the earth. It has recently conducted test flights of its first stealth fighter jet and is launching its first aircraft carrier this summer. It's building new submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles. China's advanced anti-ship missiles are a clear threat to U.S. naval forces in the Pacific, including aircraft carriers.
Why has the Republic of China found it necessary to increase its missiles targeted at Taiwan from 1,328 to 1,410, as recently reported? What is the mentality at work here? War with China may never happen, but hostility clearly remains and even increases.
Ironically, Americans are themselves financing these threats through massive imports of Chinese-made goods and staggering deficit spending made possible by the Chinese buying American debt!

U.S. military spending under threat

As these threats grow, what is happening to the U.S. military?
The British newsmagazine The Economist recently observed: "Amid all the agonising over America's ballooning debt, the once sacrosanct defence budget, which represents half of all discretionary federal spending, is no longer off limits. Even some Republicans . . . concede that defence has to be 'on the table' if a serious assault on trillion-dollar annual deficits is to be launched" ("Threatening a Sacred Cow," Feb. 12, 2011).
In May, outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a warning about coming cuts. The Associated Press reported from Washington, "In a parting shot by one of the longest serving Pentagon chiefs, Robert Gates on Tuesday warned that shrinking defense budgets will mean a smaller military and a diminished American role in the world" ("Gates: Big Cuts Will Shrink U.S. Influence," May 25, 2011).
Secretary Gates noted that "a smaller military, no matter how superb, will be able to go fewer places and be able to do fewer things" (ibid.).
Severe cuts in U.S. military spending will not make Chinese and Iranian challenges go away—not to mention the still-simmering Iraqi conflict, the hot war in Afghanistan, the uncertain Libyan dilemma and our ongoing worries about Pakistan.

America and Britain reaching a crossroads

Financially both Britain and America find themselves at a disturbing crossroads.
Throughout much of the 20th century Britain was able to aid and abet American efforts to face down the world-ruling ambitions of powerful dictators like Hitler, Stalin and Tojo. More recently Anglo-American joint efforts have concentrated on coping with conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya.
Repeatedly Britain has been the United States' strongest ally. However, recent developments have called into question the ability of the United Kingdom to continue in that role indefinitely.
The UK's military cuts have been severe. Yet British Defence Secretary Dr. Liam Fox notes that "it is easy to forget that Britain remains the world's fifth biggest economy, with the world's fourth biggest defence budget . . . An island nation like Britain, with so many interests in so many parts of the world—92 per cent of trade moving by sea, [with] around 10 per cent of our citizens living abroad—is inevitably going to be affected by global instability" ("Holding the Line Against a Future Full of Uncertainties," The Sunday Telegraph, Feb. 27, 2011).
Still the severity of these cuts must be addressed. Wrote Daily Mail defense columnist Ian Drury: "Scrapping the RAF's [Royal Air Force's] £4.1 billion fleet of new Nimrod spy planes will weaken Britain's defences by leaving a 'massive' security gap, leading military figures and MPs have warned . . . Defence Secretary Liam Fox admitted in November [2010] that getting rid of the Nimrods was a 'calculated risk.' But ministers were determined to press on, claiming it will save the cash-strapped MoD [Ministry of Defence] £2 billion over the next ten years" ("Axing New Nimrods Is a Huge Risk Say Top Brass," Jan. 23, 2011).
When sheer lack of funds dictates military preparedness, American and British defenses will be gravely compromised.

Armaments are only part of the American picture

World and national affairs magazines are currently debating the question of American decline. Is it an uncomfortable reality or only a temporary mirage? Observers seem to be divided about 50-50. Yet all freely acknowledge the serious nature of national challenges on both domestic and foreign fronts.
America cannot effectively separate the prospect of serious military cuts with the general decline of its national condition. Ultimately, everything stands or falls together.
As it stands today, American military strength still dominates every other nation by large margins. But if—as recent trends indicate—that military gap were substantially bridged in the future, we would have a far different story on our hands. America's vulnerability to enemies would become painfully apparent.
By then it may be too late to turn to God and seek the help of our Creator. Remember the words of God through the prophet Ezekiel: "'When a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,' says the Lord God" (Ezekiel:14:14Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.; compare Jeremiah:15:1Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.).
There will come a point of no return. Inevitably a tipping point will arrive.

The all-important biblical background

The United States and Britain cannot escape history. Surprisingly, the Bible and history reveal that their respective national DNAs reach back to the patriarch Joseph in the book of Genesis.
The God of Israel marked off a special responsibility for the British and American peoples toward the time of the end. Their military and economic might was foretold in Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33. Their cultural influence enabled the two nations to take the message of the Bible to the entire world.
But overall, how have they performed? Have they fulfilled what God wanted them to do? The enormous material gifts bestowed on the two nations by the Creator puts them in a position of great responsibility, requiring a very high standard of moral conduct. Yet the last 50 years have seen ever-increasing degrees of moral failure.
In just the last 10 years the United States has witnessed a 25 percent hike in unmarried couples living together. People no longer honor the God-given marriage institution. Instead we carelessly tolerate "alternative lifestyles," including homosexual marriage, contrary to clear biblical teaching.
The Ten Commandments are going out of style in America and Britain. A recent survey published by USA Today shows that nearly half the American populace hardly ever even opens a Bible. The current situation in Britain and its partner countries in the Commonwealth of Nations reflects similar symptoms of serious national decline.
A proverb of King Solomon states, "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord" (Proverbs:21:31The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.). Cut off from the help of our Creator whom we have rejected, even military strength cannot and will not save us.
If we continue to allow our morals to drift into the proverbial cesspit, our national downfall is certain. It was Thomas Jefferson who said, "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."