Mario Draghi:

More Dangerous Than

Kim Jong Il
One in three American
teens and young adults
get arrested by age 23.
Europes extremist
parties have entered into
a disturbing marriage
of convenience with
sections of the
Israeli right.
It seems that
Latin America ends up
with all the deaths
and guns, and others
end up with the drugs
and the money.
the
TRUMPETWEEKLY
PACT PAGE 4 DICTATOR PAGE5 DRUG PAGE 6 CHURCH PAGE 6 THIRD PAGE 9
A DIGEST OF SIGNIFICANT WORLD NEWS FROM THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET STAFF FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 18-24, 2011
K
IM JONG Il is dead. One of the
planets most cold-hearted dicta-
tors, a man who had a vice-like
grip on his people, a virulent hatred for
the United States and a rogue nuclear
weapons program, is gone. Moreover,
he left behind an inexperienced heir,
potentially debilitating political uncer-
tainty, and a deprived, dejected and
desperate nation.
In geopolitics, this is called opportu-
nity.
Sure, exploiting Pyongyangs leadership crisis to usher
in a more moderate, pro-Western government would not be
easy. It would take courage and hard work, barrows of cash,
and endless hours of strategizing followed up with deft
politicking. But if ever there was an opportunity for regime
change, this is it. Kims son, 27-year-old Kim Jong Un, is
inexperienced and untested, and nowhere near the cult-like
fgure his father was. North Korea, a nation with millions of
impoverished citizens, hasnt been this vulnerable since the
Korean War.
But dont expect Washington to act on this.
When news broke of Kims death, White House Press
Secretary Jay Carney stated that the U.S. was monitoring
the situation. We remain committed to stability on the Ko-
rean Peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our al-
lies, he stated. Since then, Americas president has spoken
with the leaders of Japan and North Korea and reiterated
Washingtons goal of preserving peace and stability on the
Korean Peninsula.
So far, there has been nothing to indicate the White
House might seize the opportunity to create a friendlier
North Korea. Why the reticence?
In a word: China.
Its hard to exaggerate how much China has at stake in
North Korea. Geographically, it shares almost 900 miles
of border with the impoverished state, which makes north
China the default refugee camp for tens of thousands of
North Koreans in the event of any humanitarian crisis.
Strategically, North Koreas nuclear launch sites are closer
to Beijing than to Tokyo. Moreover, hundreds of millions of
Chinese live well within range of Pyongyangs short-range
missiles, while Chinas entire population is in striking dis-
tance of its long-range Taepodong-2 missile. Additionally,
North Korea provides a territorial buffer between South
Korea and Japan (and the U.S.).
All this partially explains Chinas extensive, pivotal sup-
port of North Korea. Why it supplies Pyongyang with about
90 percent of its oil, 80 percent of its consumer goods and
roughly 40 percent of its food. And why it is North Koreas
largest military supplier, its closest friend and strongest
defender in the United Nations Security Council and other
international organizations.
China has deep concerns over the kind of chaos in
North Korea that could send a surge of starving, desper-
ate refugees across its border, reported Associated Press
yesterday. But it also fears any eventual Korean unifcation
dominated by South Korea, which would put a pro-Western
government on Chinas northeast border, and end its near-
total dominance of the North Korean economy.
Doesnt Chinas concern scream opportunity for the West?
Not to simply salvage North Korea from its status as a politi-
cal pariah, and possibly improve the livelihood of millions
of North Koreans. But for Americain concert with South
Korea, Japan, the Philippines and othersit is also an op-
portunity to improve its strategic position relative to China.
Theres another reason China deeply values North Korea:
Being on good terms with a widely maligned, intensely
anti-American nuclear rogue is powerful leverage.
Chinas modern relationship with North Korea began at
the beginning of the Cold War, when, in 1950, Communist
China dispatched soldiers to the Korean Peninsula to fght
alongside their North Korean comrades against South Ko-
rea and its ally America. Ever since, Beijing has maintained
its Cold War policy of defending North Korea from the U.S.
and the international community. The Beijing-Pyongyang
relationship was conceived in mutual opposition to America.
The existence of an unpredictable, highly volatile nuclear
power is a distraction to Chinas competitors in the region.
China employs North Korea in Asia in much the same way
Iran employs Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon: as an instru-
ment to push, pry and distract Western-aligned governments,
thereby undermining and countering U.S. interests in Asia.
Perhaps the primary reason Beijing keeps North Korea afoat
is that the ideologies and ambitions Kim Jong Il held align
perfectly with Chinas goal of UNDERMINING THE UNITED STATES!
A lot of people can see that China is increasingly compet-
ing with the U.S. Its evident that Beijing is eviscerating the
It is not for the
shepherds of the church
to help re-create the
empire of Charlemagne.
see NORTH KOREA page 10
BRAD MACDONALD
COLUMNIST
Who Will Reshape North Korea?
MIDDLE EAST
nLast U.S. troops depart Iraq: The last convoy of U.S. troops left
Iraq on December 18, formally concluding nearly nine years of war. The
column of armored vehicles crossed the border into Kuwait early Sunday
morning. It is telling of the condition America is leaving the country in
that U.S. forces had been paying off tribal sheikhs$100,000 a month
to secure stretches of highway leading south into Kuwait in order to
reduce the threat of roadside bombings and attacks on convoys as they
departed. America leaves the fedgling Iraqi democracy with an unstable
government under the heavy infuence of neighboring Iran. Since U.S.
forces toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has moved into Irans
sphere of infuence, and in just the few days since American forces left
the country, a sectarian crisis has erupted, with the Shiites wasting no
time in throwing their weight around. Iraqs Sunnis rejected a call for
all-party talks on Wednesday after vowing to try to unseat Shiite Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The Sunnis are furious over the Shiite-controlled
authorities leveling terrorism charges against Sunni Vice President Tareq
al-Hashemi, putting an arrest warrant out for him, on the very day the
Americans left. The Sunni deputy prime minister, the next-most-senior
Sunni politician, is also being targeted by Maliki, who has asked the par-
liament to remove him from offce. Hashemi claims the charges against
him are a fabrication, and Washington appears to agree. The Sunnis,
outnumbered about two to one by Shiites, reports Reuters, see it as
proof that Maliki, now freed of the trammels of U.S. occupation, is deter-
mined to tighten his personal grip on government and to marginalize the
Sunnis (December 21). Meanwhile, a series of bombings killed at least 72
people in mainly Shiite areas of Baghdad on Thursday, seen as a response
to Malikis efforts to sideline the two Sunni leaders. Watch for Iranpo-
litically and otherwiseto further cement its hold on Iraq as it takes
advantage of the power and security vacuum America has left behind.
nIslamists extend lead in second round of Egyptian elections:
Unsurprisingly, Egypts two largest Islamist parties came out on top in
the countrys second round of multi-stage legislative elections, held De-
cember 14 and 15. The elections, covering nine provinces, gave the Mus-
lim Brotherhoods Freedom and Justice Party 36 percent of the vote, and
the hard-line Salifst Al-Nour party 28 percent. A run-off election was
held Wednesday and Thursday, with the two main Islamist parties com-
peting for 59 seats in the lower house of parliament. Final second-round
results show the Muslim Brotherhood-led Democratic Alliance has picked
up 40 percent of the seats reserved for party lists, the Salifst Al-Nour
party 24.4 percent, and the liberal parties combined just 29.3 percent of
contested seats. Election procedures to vote in a full assembly will end
in March. Meanwhile, violent clashes raged through the week as security
forces clamped down on protesters demanding that the ruling military
step down. The fve days of protest rallies began Friday of last week, with
a reported 10,000 women marching on Tuesday in protest of the treat-
ment of female protesters by troops, after graphic images of abuse were
circulated widely in the media. This public display of dissatisfaction
with military rule is going to put added pressure on the military to hand
over more power to a civilian government, sooner. Some political groups
have been pressuring the military to hand over power in February rather
than in June, when presidential elections are due to be held. The Islamist
parties appear to be staying out of the protestsbut they will be the ones
who receive the beneft. A hastened move to civilian rule will only further
empower the Islamists, who are winning hands-down at the polls.
nFatah and Hamas agree to form central elections com-
mission: Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed Tuesday to
form a central elections commission in preparation for presidential
and parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The two
groups failed to agree on the establishment of a new interim Palestin-
ian government, however, and have postponed talks on this till the end
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 2
Syrian Bloodbath
A TEAM from the Arab League arrived in
Syria yesterday amid an international
outcry over a bloodbath that saw more
than 200 people killed by President Bashar
al-Assads regime in just two days.
Activists have accused government
forces of a major escalation in violence
ahead of arrival of foreign observers. The
advance delegation is tasked with arrang-
ing for the arrival of 20 foreign monitors at
the weekend and eventually increasing the
numbers to 500.
They are trying to buy time, one hour
after another, hoping to gain the upper
hand on the ground, said an activist from
the village of Kfar Owaid, the scene of one
of the most brutal acts in the uprising so far
with more than 100 people slaughtered in
the village on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses said troops surrounded
residents and activists in a valley and
unleashed a barrage of rockets, tank shells,
bombs and gunfre in an assault that one
witness described as an organized massa-
cre. At least another 19 people were killed
yesterday as government troops in the city
of Homs, says the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights. Up to 70 deserting soldiers
were reportedly gunned down on Monday
as they tried to fee their positions. Since
the protests erupted in March, more than
5,000 people have been killed, according to
the UN.
Burhan Ghalioun, leader of the Syrian
National Council yesterday called on the
UN to urgently intervene. Turkey, once a
close ally of Damascus, warned the violence
was in stark contrast to the spirit of the
Arab League deal Syria signed up to and
is raising doubts about the regimes true
intentions.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said yes-
terday: We strongly condemn the Syrian
leaderships policies of oppression against
its own people, which are turning the coun-
try into a bloodbath. The U.S. toughened
its rhetoric after the attack on Kfar Owaid,
accusing Syria of trying to mow down its
own people. In the Syrian city of Aleppo,
activists tweeted yesterday videos and pho-
tographs of thousands of government troops
storming the campus fring tear gas on the
fourth day of a student sit-down protest.
Elsewhere, independent news channels
posted videos of Syrian soldiers who they
said had defected to the anti-government
side, suggesting Assad is fast losing his grip
on his security forces who are transferring
their weapons and expertise to the opposi-
tion.
THE INDEPENDENT | December 23
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 3
of next month. The two sides have been holding discussions in Cairo on
how to implement the Egyptian-brokered reconciliation agreement that
was reached earlier this year. Palestinian Authority President Mah-
moud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal met on Wednesday to
discuss ways of removing obstacles to that process. Meanwhile, Hamas
is gaining confdence as its parent organization in Egypt, the Muslim
Brotherhood, comes closer to gaining parliamentary control through
the current elections. An Islamist Egypt would be quick to actively ally
with Hamas, allowing Hamas to undermine Israels security blockade,
as Right Side News writes. Cairo will also bestow diplomatic legiti-
macy to Hamas (as Turkey has begun to do), formally ending the Gaza
regimes isolation. Such a development would signifcantly weaken Fa-
tah, which in the past saw Egypt as a prime secular nationalist ally and
an insurance policy against Hamas during the Mubarak era (Decem-
ber 21). The only thing now standing between Israel and a dangerous
Hamas-Egypt alliance is the Egyptian militarywhich is rapidly losing
its grip on power.
nPakistani jihadists rally against restoration of Pakistan-
U.S. ties: Sources in Pakistan report that jihadist groups are trying to
prevent a rapprochement between Pakistan the United States and the re-
opening of NATO supply routes into Afghanistan following the NATO bomb-
ing raid late last month that killed several Pakistani soldiers, according
to Courcys Intelligence Brief. A rally led by Jamaat-ud-Daawa was
held on December 18 in Lahore, and the group promised a huge protest
campaign if the NATO lines of supply are reopened. Jamaat-i-Islami held a
rally in Peshawar, and the more moderate Minhjul Quran held a public
awareness event in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, Courcys Intelligence Brief
reports, The U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, has been in
full damage-limitation mode, attending an inter-faith dialogue in Islam-
abad on December 19, joining prayers for the dead soldiers, and meeting
with Imran Khan, the charismatic former cricketer who heads Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Insaf, to ask his help in improving ties between Pakistan and the
U.S. In another sign of the U.S.s desperation to restore ties, the CIA has
suspended the fring of missiles from drones at suspected militant tar-
gets in Pakistani tribal areas (December 21 and 28). The rapid decline
of Americas power is on clear display as it desperately seeks Pakistans
cooperation with the war in Afghanistan. Anti-U.S. sentiment runs high
among the Pakistani populace as well as within the intelligence service
and government. We can expect relations between America and Pakistan
to remain strained, whatever short-term reconciliation may be achieved.
YNET | December 22
Iran to Hold Naval
Maneuvers in Persian Gulf
T
HE IRANIAN Navy will hold a 10-day exercise in the Persian Gulf,
Tehrans naval commander said Thursday. Admiral Amir-Habi-
bollah Sayari said that the exercise, dubbed Velayat-90, would
be launched on Saturday and will span a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer)
stretch of sea off the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula and into
the Gulf of Aden, near the entrance to the Red Sea.
The maneuvers will be carried out with the intention of display-
ing the determination, defensive and deterrent power of the Iranian
armed forces as well as relaying a message of peace and friendship in
the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the free waters of the Indian
Ocean, Sayari said.
Iran has increased its military maneuvers following renewed specu-
lation about a possible strike against its nuclear sites.
MORE THAN fve years have passed since Saudi
Arabias King Abdullah last received Iraqs
prime minister, Nouri al Maliki. The Saudi mon-
arch views Maliki as untrustworthy and, even
worse, an Iranian agent. Saudi Arabia doesnt
allow direct fights between its capital, Riyadh,
and Baghdad, and it doesnt permit direct trade
between the two countries. The kingdom is
building a fence along the closed 500-mile bor-
der. This, too, is a legacy of the U.S. invasion of
Iraq as U.S. troops complete their withdrawal: a
bitter enmity between two close U.S. allies, with
an underlay of sectarian animosity, that the
United States cannot seem to ameliorate.
The Saudis charge that Iraq has come
under the sway of Saudi archrival Iran. But
they themselves have also tried to affect Iraqi
internal politics: Theyve thrown their support
and funds behind Ayad Allawi, Malikis main
political rival, whos blocked the appointment
of top security offcials in the Iraqi government.
Were trying to contain them its a sectar-
ian government, said an adviser to the Saudi
government who agreed to discuss the delicate
Saudi-Iraqi relations anonymously because he
wasnt authorized to speak to the media.
For its part, Iraq charges that insurgents
are still infltrating from Saudi Arabia. There
are a lot clerics and religious organizations
that encourage and incite people to go to Iraq
and fght in a so-called jihad, Labeed Abbawi,
Iraqs deputy foreign minister, told McClatchy
in Baghdad .
The enmity between Saudi Arabia and Iraq
is just one of the many fssures in the Middle
East that have widened in the almost nine years
since the U.S. toppled Saddam. The biggest
fssure is the division between Sunni-led Saudi
Arabia and Shiite-led Iran. The two countries
have been at loggerheads for centuries, in large
part over whose branch of Islam should lead
the Muslim world. But the replacement of Sad-
dam Husseins Sunni-led regime with Malikis
Shiite-led government unsettled the playing
feld for the two countries. The current revolts
in Syria and Bahrain offer new venues for Iran
and Saudi Arabia to battle for infuence.
One well-informed observer here put the
chances that Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Gulf
allies could stumble into war against Iran in
the next three to fve years at better than 50-
50. Losing its close ally, Syria, and with it, the
Shiite crescent, would back Iran into a corner,
and Iran might well lash out, according to this
assessment.
No one wants war in a region that produces
16 percent of the worlds oil.
As U.S. Departs Iraq,
It Leaves Two Allies
That Arent Speaking
MCCLATCHY | December 18
EUROPE
n The Netherlands shocked by Catholic child abuse: Details
from yet another shocking Catholic child abuse scandal emerged as
a commission investigating abuse published its report December 16.
Church offcials knew about the rampant abuse suffered by thousands
of children over 65 years but did nothing because they did not want to
create a scandal. Between 10,000 and 20,000 children were abused in
church institutions since 1945, the commission found. It found that one
in 10 Dutch children suffer some kind of sexual abuse in general society.
But that number doubled, to one in fve, for children who spent part
of their time in either an orphanage or boarding schoolregardless of
whether the institution was Catholic or not. Abuse victim Bert Smeets
said the report did not investigate in enough detail. What was happen-
ing was sexual abuse, violence, spiritual terror, and that should have
been investigated, he said. It remains vague. All sorts of things hap-
pened, but nobody knows exactly what or by whom. This way they avoid
responsibility. An America group, the Center for Constitutional Rights,
said this was yet another example of the widespread and systematic
nature of the problem of child sex crimes in the Catholic Church. The
report is just more evidence of the evil endemic to the Catholic Church,
and how offcials wont confront it because the reputation of their
church is too important to them.
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS | December 15
Germany Rises
as Europe Declines
S
AY WHAT you will about the Germans, but theyre nothing if not
persistent. They tried conquering Europe by armed force, but the
Panzer approach backfred badly. So this time they plan to take
over by means of the euro.
It might just work, at least for a while. But conquest by currency is
unlikely to prove any more enduring than conquest by force of arms, if
only because voters in poorer eurozone countries will sooner or later
rebelif we even get that far. Theres still a good chance the euro will
fall to pieces before the Germans get to put their latest plans for conti-
nental hegemony in place.
If youre not a currency trader or an economist, you may be wonder-
ing what all the fuss is about, so heres the short version. So far, the
single European currencythe euro, launched in 1999has been quite
a boon to Germany, making its exports cheaper for other euro countries
to buy.
At the same time, adopting a single respectable currency lowered the
cost of borrowing for the eurozones less industrious and creditworthy
nations, which previously shuffed through life with their own fimsy
drachmas and lira. The availability of low-cost euro loans enabled
Greece, Italy and some others to do two things. First, residents could
uphold their great national tradition of not paying taxes, since their
governments could borrow to cover defcit spending. And second, cheap
euros could be used to buy more German stuff.
Germany could push for a massive central bank bailoutat this
point, possibly the only thing that might work but it opposes any
such effort. It also opposes any plan to put the fnancial backing of the
entire eurozone behind the debts of member states. Instead it pushed
out governments in Greece and Italy in favor of leaders who would
impose strict austerity that, unfortunately, will make their debts even
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 4
Devilish Pact With
Europes Right Wing
ECONOMIC UPHEAVAL and strife in Europe have
historically begat ferce nationalism, xenopho-
bia and anti-Semitism. Faced with a serious
debt crisis, severe budget cuts, grim austerity,
rising unemployment and creeping infation,
the current depression is no exception. Since
the fall of 2008, reported incidents of anti-
Semitism have risen across the Continent.
What is fundamentally different about
Europes current condition, however, is that
anti-Semitism has been largely superseded in
the organized far right by suspicion at best, and
hatred at worst, of the continents growing Mus-
lim community. As Australian writer Antony
Loewenstein puts it: Yesterdays anti-Semites
have reformed themselves as todays crusading
heroes against an unstoppable Muslim birth
rate on a continent that now sees Islam as an
intolerant and ghettoized religion.
More curious still is that via this Islamopho-
bia (for lack of a better term), Europes extremist
parties have entered into a disturbing marriage
of convenience with sections of the Israeli right.
In December 2010, politicians including Heinz-
Christian Strache of Austrias Freiheitliche
Partei and Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang in
Flemish Belgium, visited Israel and signed the
Jerusalem Declaration, guaranteeing Israels
right to defend itself against terror.
The number of Muslims in Europe has
grown, from 29.6 million in 1990 to 44.1 mil-
lion in 2010. Muslims now represent 10 percent
of the overall population in France. The fear, as
expressed here by the British National Party
(BNP), is that because the Muslim worlds excess
population is currently colonizing the con-
tinent, the indigenous British people will be-
come an ethnic minority in [their] own country
well within 60 yearsand most likely sooner.
Rightist factions thus demonize Muslim
immigrants as the inculcators of any national
maladies. The religious right in Israel also
has courted the European fringe . This would
certainly explain the recent photo op of Ron
Prosor, Israels ambassador to the United Na-
tions, with Marine Le Pen, leader of Frances
Front National. Given Le Pens fathers propen-
sity for Holocaust minimalization, the grubby
axiom the enemy of my enemy is my friend
has rarely been more apt.
Speaking in general terms, this might be a
fair assessment, but it also is evident that for
certain members of the Knesset, something
altogether more sinister is at work. These rep-
resentatives have entered into a Faustian pact
with the dregs of Europe in hopes of eliciting
support for a Jewish state . It is a deal out of
which no good can possibly come.
JEWISH DAILY FORWARD | December 23
more unpayable. Then, on Friday, Germany pushed through a plan that
will supposedly impose stricter fscal discipline on European nations.
Britain, with nothing to offer but blood, sweat and relatively unfettered
fnancial services, stood alone in opposition.
Lets be realistic. Europe needs more fscal discipline, just as we
do. But Europe is probably already in recession, which austerity will
worsen. And its future cannot be secured by reducing some member
states to permanent economic vassalage.
Worse yet, the dubious plan announced Friday still leaves the euro
teetering on the brink of gotterdammerung. Then again, phrases like
European crisis and German dominance just seem to go together,
dont they?
EU Observer | December 16
New Treaty in Force
When Nine Countries
Have Ratifed
T
HE FIRST draft of a new treaty meant to tighten economic gover-
nance in eurozone countries was circulated Friday (December 16)
with the aim to have the text fnalized by January and coming into
force once nine countries have ratifed it.
The ratifcation threshold would allow the treaty to go into place
even if some euro statessuch as Ireland, which may have to hold a
referendumare having problems getting domestic approval. A euro
country that rejected the treaty after it had already come into place
will not be bound by it. Non-euro countries, who agree to sign up to
the treaty, will be bound by the agreement as soon as they take on the
single currency, but can put in place some of the details immediately.
Containing just 14 articles, the text obliges those that have ratifed
it to introduce into their constitutions a balanced-budget rule. The
treaty also says that those countries that are in excessive defcit will
have to submit economic partnership plans to the Commission and
Council.
It also makes what is seen as an oblique reference to tax harmoniza-
tiona bug bear of countries such as Slovakiaby saying that countries
where appropriate and necessary will use a fast-track integration
process known as enhanced cooperation.
Following the UKs refusal to allow full-blown treaty change, the
pact is an intergovernmental treaty for the 17 euro states plus up to nine
of the non-euro countries who have all indicated they will attempt to
come on board. But in a bid to draw a line under the potentially damag-
ing rift between London and the rest of member states, all 27 countries
will be at the negotiation table, although London will only have ob-
server status.
ASIA
nChinese hackers infltrate U.S. Chamber of Commerce:
Hackers in China infltrated the U.S. Chamber of Commerces computer
systems, undetected for at least six months, the Wall Street Journal
reported Wednesday. The break-in at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is
one of the boldest known infltrations in what has become a regular con-
frontation between U.S. companies and Chinese hacks, it wrote. The
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 5
MONDAYS EDITION of the Telegraph newspa-
per carried a headline, Mario Draghi: More
Dangerous Than Kim Jong Il. The compar-
ison is an interesting one from one singular
perspectivethe late president of North Ko-
rea was a dictator having supreme author-
ity, accountable to no one. Mario Draghi,
president of the bank that is dictating fscal
policy to the worlds largest trading bloc, the
European Union, is accountable to no other
authority other than himself.
As an extension of this comparison,
Kim Jong Il virtually held the world to ran-
som with the threat of nuclear war. Draghi
currently holds the world to ransom with
the threat of the collapse of the means of
exchange with which much of the EU enacts
its global tradethe euro.
The former Oriental chap rattled his
nuclear sabers to scare off the world. The
latter, a son of Rome, is scaring the world
into a fear of a global fnancial collapse of
nuclear proportions.
Its an interesting comparison. Largely
an unknown till he assumed control of the
worlds largest central bank on November 1,
Draghi has been developing a more public
persona of recent date. His most recent
interview was with the Financial Times. It
contains some interesting vignettes that
somewhat explain Draghis intransigent
stand on the euro crisis.
It is a sometimes legalisticat times,
even theologicaldebate, the FT writes
(emphasis added). That is a point not
yet seen by the vast majority. There is a
theological entity at the root of all this,
playing its hand extremely carefully, given
its almost-2,000-year history. The impor-
tant thing, Mr. Draghi says, is to restore
the trust of the peoplecitizens as well as
investorsin our continent.
It is just possible that this Jesuit-educat-
ed son of Rome is in tune with the Vaticans
plan for a new evangelization of Europe,
to restore the trust of the people, the true
undertone behind German elites leading
the conversation behind closed doors
in Rome, Berlin and Brussels. Either way,
the Financial Times interviewer did sound
a realistic warning: 2012 may well mark
the moment when the euros fate is settled.
The time is fast approaching when Mario
Draghi, unfettered president of the most
powerful bank in the worldthe Euro-
pean Central Bankwill prove whether or
not he is, indeed, more dangerous than
Kim Jong Il!
Mario Draghi:
Dangerous Dictator?
RON FRASER, THETRUMPET.COM | December 23
attack was thwarted in May 2010, but the hackers may have had access
to the Chambers systems for up to a year before that. Chamber offcials
investigating the attack say hackers focused on Chamber employees that
dealt with Asian policy. What was unusual about it was that this was
clearly somebody very sophisticated, who knew exactly who we are, and
who targeted specifc people and used sophisticated tools to try to gather
intelligence, said David Chavern, chief operating offcer of the Chamber
of Commerce. One source said U.S. offcials suspect the group behind
the hack has ties to the Chinese government. The Chinese government
claims the allegation is false. However, as an intelligence report to Con-
gress published last month said: Chinese actors are the worlds most ac-
tive and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage. This provides
another sobering example of how vulnerable the U.S. is to hacking.
nChinese gunboats on the Mekong: A new multilateral deal
allows Chinese police to conduct joint patrols along the Mekong River
with Lao, Myanmar and Thai security forces, signifcantly altering the
regions strategic dynamic and bolstering Beijings power, Asia Times re-
ported on December 16. Chinas moves to boost security were prompted
by a spate of drug traffc-related killings in the region and recognition
that an absence of central governance in the area has harmed trade
fows there. In addition to the joint patrols, the four nations will share
intelligence, establish a multinational headquarters and conduct joint
security training under the direction of Chinese forces. While Chinas
security offcials have plied the Mekong River before this marks the
frst time that Chinese security forces will carry out sustained opera-
tions in another country without a United Nations mandate, the Times
wrote, explaining that the unprecedented move highlights Beijings
desire to protect its rapidly expanding trade links with Southeast Asian
nations. This is a signifcant step for China, which so far has been
reluctant to play a larger role in regional security. There is a growing
perception in Beijing that it must take measures to protect its economic
interests abroad. As [Chinas] regional trade networks expand, the
necessity of making sure they remain open and undisturbed will make
it increasingly necessary for China to take a more forward-looking
security stance through greater participation in regional security issues,
the Asia Times said. Smaller Asian nations will continue to rally behind
Beijing, as China solidifes its position as the regional hegemon.
AFRICA/ LATIN AMERICA
nDeadly foods hit Tanzanian city: Business activities have come
to a standstill and at least 20 people have died as torrential downpours
hit the Tanzanian city Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Meteorological
Agency has warned that the downpours are set to continue and advised
those living in the citys valleys to move to higher ground. These are the
heaviest rains to hit Tanzania since its independence in 1961. Weather-
related disasters around the globe are continuously being labeled as the
worst ever. This worsening weather trend is a warning from God that
we need to turn away from materialism, false religion and sin, and turn
to Him and the only way of life that will bring true abundance.
nLatin American leaders lash out at U.S. drug consumption:
For years, the Western Hemisphere has been plagued by violent Latin
American cartels that move dangerous drugs northward into the United
States in return for cash profts and military-style weapons. Now Latin
American leaders are lashing out at Washington for not doing enough to
curb American drug consumption. Our region is seriously threatened
by organized crime, but there is very little responsibility taken by the
drug-consuming countries, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said
during a meeting of Latin American leaders this month in Caracas, Ven-
ezuela. Colom further stated that the entire hemisphere was paying the
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 6
THERE IS more than a little tension at the mo-
ment between Lambeth Palace and No. 10. So
when the Church of Englands Europe spokes-
man in the House of Lords is critical of the
prime ministers negotiating style in the Euro-
pean Council, its a fair bet that the archbishop
of Canterbury has given the nod. The bishop
of Guildford, the Rt. Revd. Christopher Hill,
who chairs the House of Bishops Europe Panel,
said: In the long term, it will be disastrous if
we were actually isolated from the rest of Eu-
rope, economically and in terms of internation-
al relations . We are part of Europe, culturally
and historically.
Perhaps Bishop Christopher has forgot-
ten his history, not least because in the long
term it was very much in Britains interest
to be isolated from the rest of Europe. Our
economic might and global infuence came as a
direct consequence of the Reformation: It was
the Protestant faith and a Reformed Church
which permitted England to run her affairs,
without recourse to Rome. Thomas Cromwell
drafted the fairly decisive Statute of Appeals
which established this: An act that the appeals
in such cases as have been used to be pursued
to the See of Rome shall not be from henceforth
had nor used but within this realm.
We are certainly part of Europe, cultur-
ally and historically, and yet we are apart.
Of course, by virtue of her EU citizenship, she
is subject to foreign courts and so no longer
sovereign. But what Parliament can give away,
it can reassert.
The bishop said that the European structures
had been created for peace after the major
wars in the 20th century. He acknowledged:
The structures need reform and accountability,
but you dont do that by stepping out; you do
that by keeping in step with Europe.
There is something spiritually, economi-
cally and politically nave about this keeping
in step with Europe. It is as though Europe is
the way, the truth and the life: All things were
made by it, and without it was not anything
made which was made.
Both the Church of England and the Roman
Catholic Church are pathologically predisposed
to bouts of Europhilia .
It is time for lay members of both churches
to object to this obsessive Europhiliac non-
sense. Britain is not isolated: It would not be
disastrous if we were to leave the EU alto-
gether. It is not for the shepherds of the church
to instill fear into their focks. And neither is it
their task to help recreate the empire of Char-
lemagne.
Church of England
Warns of Disastrous
EU Policy
CRANMER | DECEMBER 19
price for drug consumption in the U.S. At another regional summit, held
this week, Latin American leaders from 11 nations convened in Mexico
City and issued a formal statement accusing the U.S. of being the num-
ber one consumer of illicit drugs in the world and calling on Washington
to revise its current drug policies. It seems that Latin America ends
up with all the deaths and guns, and others end up with the drugs and
the money, stated Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Referring to the almost $700 million of aid that the U.S. has invested
in Mexico to fght drug traffckers, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
said: All the money, regardless of by how much its multiplied, and all
the blood, no matter how much is spilled, would not curtail the drug
trade as long as the north continues consuming. On this issue, Presi-
dent Ortega is right. America is hooked. Its ravenous appetite for deadly
drugscocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and othersis fueling what
the United Nations estimates is a $142 billion-a-year business.
DAILY MAIL | December 21
Blockade Falklands
A
FORMER head of the British Navy has said aggressive demands
by Argentina over the Falkland Islands should be countered by
sending a nuclear submarine to the region. Lord West has also
suggested staging an exercise demonstrating Britains ability to rein-
force the South Atlantic islands would leave Buenos Aires in no doubt
the country would defend them in case of confict.
The peer slammed a new agreement by Argentina, Brazil and Uru-
guay to ban ships that fy the Falklands fag from their ports as outra-
geous. Speaking to Londons Evening Standard, he said: They are
basically becoming more and more aggressive. I fnd that worrying. Far
from trying to settle in a grown-up way and having better and better
relations with the Falkland islanders, they are upping the ante and
becoming confrontational.
He added that he did not believe Argentina would launch another
invasion, but that sending a nuclear submarine to stick its mast up as
it patrolled the area would signal Britains intent.
The Foreign Offce has condemned the decision to ban vessels fying
the Falklands fag from entering ports in the three countries. Ten-
sions were already high in the region after Argentina intensifed its
campaign of intimidation against fshing boats operating with UK
licenses. In the latest breach of international law earlier this month,
Spanish vessels bound for the islands were intercepted and boarded by
troops.
Today Uruguayan President Jose Mujica said at a summit for the
Mercosur trading blocwhich also includes landlocked Paraguayin the
capital Montevideo that solidarity among South Americas neighbors was
key to his countrys foreign policy. He said: For the moment, this means
accepting that this territory is a colonial British position in our America.
Roger Spink, president of the Falklands Chamber of Commerce, said
they were a small community and felt increasingly under blockade. He
told the BBC: If we were Palestine, the European Union would be up in
arms.
Former military chiefs said in September the dwindling budget left
the islands ripe for picking if Buenos Aires invaded with support from
its allies. The United Kingdom National Defense Association report
urged ministers to boost military spending from 2 to 3 percent of GDP,
and warned Britain would struggle to repel Argentine forces if they
were supported by China, for example.
It said: Once lost, the islands would be very diffcult to retake, par-
ticularly with no air cover over a task force. Our assessment is that cur-
rent force levels are inadequate to hold off even a small-size invasion.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 7
THERE ARE clear signs of a liquidity
crunch in the asset markets right now,
and the question I keep hearing is,
Is this 2008 all over again? No, its
worse. Much worse.
In 2008 there was a lot more faith
and optimism upon which to draw. But
both have been squandered to signif-
cant degrees by feckless regulators and
authorities who failed to properly ad-
dress any of the root causes of the frst
crisis even as they slathered layer after
layer of thin-air money over many of
the symptoms.
Anyone who has paid attention
knows that those magic potions
proved to be anything but. Not only are
the root causes still with us (too much
debt, vast regional fnancial imbalances,
and high energy prices), but they have
actually grown worse the entire time.
As always, we have no idea exactly
what is going to happen and when, but
we can track the various stresses and
strains, noting that more and wider
fngers of instability increase the risk
of a major event. Heading into 2012,
theres enough data to warrant main-
taining an extremely cautious stance
regarding holding onto ones wealth and
increasing ones preparations towards
resilience.
Heres the evidence: Oil prices higher
now than in 2009; derivatives up more
than $100 trillion since 2009; govern-
ment debts exploding; weak GDP growth;
Europe in trouble; small investors leav-
ing the market; China hitting a wall.
One of the most important things we
need to track is simply untrackable, and
that is market perception. When faith in
a faith-based money system vanishes,
the game is pretty much over.
If you have been reading my work (or
anyone elses) with a decent macro view,
you likely lost your faith in the system
a while ago and marvel that it can
continue along for another moment, let
alone all the years it has been creaking
towards its eventual date with reality.
But along it creaks, day after day, week
after week, and month after month,
threatening to wear down the observant
and vigilant before fnally letting go.
2012 promises to be an interesting
year, with more than $10 trillion in
funding and rollover fnancing required
to keep the developed world foating
along. But where will that funding come
from?
Worse Than 2008

CHRIS MARTENSON | December 21
ANGLO-AMERICA
nUK refuses to fund IMF euro bailout: Britain refused to fund
a 200 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for the euro-
zone December 19, taking a further step away from the EU. The 17 eu-
rozone nations have agreed to contribute 150 billion, Agence France-
Presse reports, but are short of their 200 billion target after Britain
refused to join in. Britain had been asked to loan 30 billion. The re-
fusal shows how far Britain has slid toward euroskepticism within a few
years. In 2010, the Labor government committed Britain to contribute
to eurozone bailouts until 2013. This time, during a conference call held
Monday, British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made it
clear that Britain will not contribute to anything that is only available
to eurozone countries. AFP reports that a British government source
added: Nor will we participate in an increase in IMF resources that
only comes from EU countries without the participation of other G-20
countries outside the EU. The Telegraphs international business edi-
tor, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, writes that Euro rage is reaching new
heights over Britains refusal. It is obvious that Britain and Europe are
heading in two different directions.
nBritish military must rely on allies: Harsh economic condi-
tions mean that British defense forces will have to rely on allies, Gen.
Sir David Richards, British chief of the Defense Staff, said in a lec-
ture December 14. I am clear that the single biggest strategic risk
facing the UK today is economic rather than military, he said. Britain
may have to prioritize more ruthlessly now that we have fewer ships,
men and planes. The UK will require other carefully chosen alliances
over the coming decade through which to infuence the strategic
landscape and help determine the outcome of fast-moving crises, all
at minimum cost. The economic reality will require us to accept
that some capabilities will be kept at a lower readiness or, (horror of
horrors!) provided by others, he said. General Richards praised the
Anglo-French alliance. He also talked about the intervention in Libya,
where ground forces were provided by our Arab partners, as a model
of this type of cooperation. Bible prophecy shows that reliance on for-
eign allies is a crucial weakness for Britain.
WALL STREET JOURNAL | December 16
Stressful Times for
Australias Banks
A
USTRALIAS MAJOR banks did well to avoid the worst of the fnancial
crisis; they may fnd it harder to escape the shadow of the Euro-
pean debt woes. Last time around, the Big FourCommonwealth
Bank of Australia, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, National
Australia Bank and Westpac Banking Corp.were shielded by the
strength of the domestic economy and the fact that they werent heavily
exposed to toxic U.S. subprime mortgage debt.
But the second leg of the fnancial crisis is different.
This week, executives from the major banks warned funding costs
are set to increase because of the volatility in global markets. Westpac
Chief Executive Gail Kelly said the long-term debt the banks need to
fund their operations could end up costing more than it did at any point
during the global fnancial crisis. ANZ said the uncertainty could linger
for years.
House prices in some cities are falling, and the government recently
cut its GDP forecasts on concerns about Europe. The banks are already
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 8
ARE GREEDY rich people
destroying the economy?
According to Bloombergs
Jeffrey Goldberg, the six
members of the Walton
family (the heirs of the
founder of Wal-Mart) have
as much wealth as the bot-
tom 30 percent of Americans.
Outrageous! Six people have almost
as much wealth as the combined poor-
est 100 million Americans! Surely this
economic inequality is not good for the
nation. They need to be taxed more and
the money given to the poor to create
fairness, the argument goes.
Lets take a closer look at the numbers.
But frst, in the interest of full disclosure,
I have to tell you that my own net worth
is greater than the bottom 25 percent of
Americansthat is, more than the com-
bined net assets of the poorest 76 million
Americans. That might sound like a lot,
but it really isnt.
You might be shocked to learn that
the typical homeless person standing
on a street corner begging for money in
Los Angeles is richer than the bottom 25
percent of Americans too. In fact, anyone
who has a couple of dollars in his pocket
and no debt has a greater net worth than
one quarter of all Americans. Thats
pretty sad.
Tens of millions of Americans have
borrowed and spent money they do not
haveand now they are paying the price.
Debt is the biggest reason there are so
many poor people. Time after time, stud-
ies have shown that it is not how much
money you make, but how much money
you spend that determines your sus-
tainable standard of living. People with
bigger salaries just tend to fnance bigger
cars, bigger homes and bigger vacations
with bigger credit cardsand end up in
bigger bankruptcies.
No wonder the economy is failing.
Taking money from the rich and
simply handing it to others will do noth-
ing to help fx the underlying debt and
spending problems of many of Americas
poor. In many cases, probably the
majority of cases, economic problems
are simply the result of wrong choices.
On a national, state and personal level,
Americans are addicted to debtand
when you boil that down, much of it is re-
ally a character issue. To change America,
to fx its debt problems, people need to
change.
Eat the Rich
ROBERT MORLEY | Columnist
looking at ways to cut costs and jobs, and theyre likely to pass on high-
er funding costs to borrowers, which would only serve to keep shoppers
from spending money and prolong the pain in the broader economy.
Bell Potter analyst T.S. Lim said National Australia Bank, Westpac
and Commonwealth Bank need to raise money in March according
to their debt funding schedule. If the European crisis is still dragging
on, that could be a costly and diffcult process. Australias banks are in
better shape than many of their global peers, but they will surely fnd
contagion from Europe washing up on their distant shores.
REUTERS | December 16
One Third of Young U.S.
Adults Have Been Arrested
C
LOSE TO one in three American teens and young adults get ar-
rested by age 23, according to a new study that fnds more of
them are being booked now than in the 1960s. Those arrests are
for everything from underage drinking and petty theft to violent crime,
researchers said.
Though violent crimes might be on the rarer end of the spectrum of
offenses, the studys lead author pointed to the importance of catch-
ing early warning signs of criminal behavior in adolescents and young
adults, saying that pediatricians and parents can both play a role in
turning those youngsters around. Robert Brame of the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte and his colleagues analyzed data from a na-
tionally-representative youth survey conducted between 1997 and 2008.
A group of more than 7,000 adolescents age 12 to 16 in the studys frst
year flled out the annual surveys with questions including if and when
they had ever been arrested.
At age 12, less than 1 percent of participants who responded had
been arrested. By the time they were 23, that climbed to 30 percent
with a history of arrest. That compares to an estimated 22 percent of
young adults who had been arrested in 1965, from a past study.
It was certainly higher than we expected based on what we saw in
the 1960s said Brame. Arrests in adolescents are especially worri-
some, he told Reuters Health, because many repeat offenders start their
criminal career at a young age.
THETRUMPET.COM | December 22
Occupy Costs Millions
O
VER THE past three months, the nationwide Occupy protests
that have sprung up in most major U.S. cities have cost local
taxpayers at least $13 million, according to a survey by the As-
sociated Press.
Actually, the total cost of the protests is likely much higher than this
fgure due to the fact that the AP only surveyed the cost of police over-
time and other municipal services in 18 major cities. The survey did
not even attempt to tally the cost of lost business revenue or the cost of
property damage due to the protests.
After Occupy protesters shut down the Port of Oakland on Decem-
ber 12, city offcials estimated the total economic damage to their city
alone was about $2.4 million. Much of this economic damage affected
the very workers whom the protesters claim to be helping. In my 11
months in offce, I have worked to bring jobs and investment to the Port
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 9
THOUGH AUSTRALIA lies
10,000 air miles from the
heartland of Europe, its eco-
nomic destiny is still closely
tied to that continent.
Last week, three of
Australias leading banks
Westpac, ANZ and the nations central bank, the
Reserve Bank of Australiaeach warned of the
nation becoming hard hit by the systemic euro
crisis.
Meanwhile, in the face of rising concerns
expressed by both corporate CEOs and bankers,
the popularity of the nations Labor govern-
ment is at a record low.
Longtime Australian political commentator
Paul Kelly observes of Australia that The 2011
year inaugurated what is best called the New
Australian Stressthe nation is trapped in a
domestic political mire that threatens to drown
Gillard Labor (The Australian, December 17).
This is a reference to the perceived weakness
of Prime Minister Julia Gillards Labor gov-
ernment in failing to step up to the plate with
aggressive, workable government policies that
address the challenges that todays market con-
ditions are imposing on the land Down Under.
Kelly refers to two endemic problems in
Australia, which as an ex-pat Aussie from that
sun-drenched land I can certainly identify
with: the nations prosperity and complacency.
The two normally go hand in hand. Its a fact
of human nature. But add to those the impact
of a shell be right, mate culturewhich,
though happily optimistic, can also bespeak a
head-in-the-sand approach to problemsand
you have a national character mix that is just
not sharpened to deal with the level of todays
global crises.
As the biblical saying goes, Where there is
no vision the people perish. Australia is suffer-
ing from a dearth of strong, effective, visionary
leadership.
Few Australians would today recognize that
the national blessings that are now being threat-
ened by eurozone contagion were actually gifted
to them by Almighty God due to the obedience
of one manthe ancient patriarch Abraham.
Few indeed there be whodespite the sig-
nifcant impact that his broadcasts and the dis-
tribution of his printed works had on Australia
during his lifetimewould remember Herbert
Armstrongs warning of the future effects that
a 10-nation European power would have on the
whole worldincluding Australia!
Yet warn he did. Now the prophecies he
pointed to are becoming a daily reality!
AustraliaEuro
Crisis Hits Down
Under
RON FRASER | Columnist
U.S. fnancial system; that it is expanding its military capacities, espe-
cially its navy, and solidifying military and strategic partnerships to
counter America; that it is competing with the U.S. in space, as well as
in cyberspace. We all see that China has forged relationships with anti-
American regimes in Africa and Latin America, and how it consistently
handicaps Americas diplomatic ventures around the world, particularly
in sensitive places like Iran.
North Korea is another instrument with which China opposes
America!
Heres another question more people should be asking amid the un-
certainty in the wake of Kim Jong Ils death: What will happen to North
Koreas nuclear weapons program?
For years, Pyongyang has been developing a surprisingly advanced
nuclear program and has acquired a growing arsenal of nuclear weap-
ons. Worse still, it has made itself the nucleus of the global black market
trade in nuclear technology. North Koreas fngerprints were all over
the nuclear facility in Syria bombed by Israel in September 2007, and
strong evidence indicates that it has been connected to nuclear activi-
ties in Pakistan and Iran. And remember, all this has happened with
Chinas blessing.
Will China exploit the fedgling government in Pyongyang and use
its leverage over North Korea to gain infuence over its nuclear program,
effectively incorporating North Koreas nuclear program into its own?
Whatever happens, China will not easily relinquish its leverage over
North Korea to anyone, especially the U.S.! This doesnt mean America
is without options, or power. If it had the willpower and the political
acumen, Kim Jong Ils death could be a prime opportunity. But Amer-
icas willpower, its resolve, its ability to act with decisive power, has
been taken away. God says in Leviticus 26:19, I will break the pride of
your powerAND HE HAS! Just look at Americas weak response to the
opportunity created by Kim Jong Ils death.
of Oakland, said Oakland Mayor Jean Quan. Thousands of people
work at the Port of Oakland every day. Thousands more in agriculture
and other industries also depend on the Port of Oakland for their daily
wages. We urge the demonstrators to respect the rights of the 99 per-
cent working at the Port and to keep their protests peaceful.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this week called for bud-
get cuts to offset the cost of the damage done to his city by the Occupy
protesters. According to city agencies, the total cost to the city will
exceed $1 million. Approximately $400,000 will be needed to cover
damage done to the city park where the protesters camped and another
$700,000 will be needed to cover the cost of police action. Additional
expenses are attributed to hauling away debris and cleaning up graffti.
A report sent to Vancouver City Council Monday by city manager
Penny Ballem and her deputy, Sadhu Johnston, puts the cost of the Van-
couver, Canada, protest at almost $1 million. The report compares this
expenditure with other North American cities, including a $1.4 million
price tag in Portland and a $625,000 price tag in Seattle.
Ironically, a protest movement that sprung up to demonstrate
against joblessness and poverty is only making matters worse. Last
November, protest organizers tried to arrange a boycott against all pub-
licly traded retailers on Black Friday. Then, earlier this month, protest-
ers tried to shut down ports along the entire West Coast.
The goal of both antics was to impact the profts of major corpora-
tions during the holiday season. Such methods are not just anti-Wall
Street; they are anti-trade and anti-business. In the end, such a strategy
of shutting down businesses and harming profts will harm the average
American worker far more than it will harm Wall Street bigwigs.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY December 24, 2011 10
NORTH KOREA from page 1
ITS HARD to imagine a so-
ciety without loan offcers,
interest rates and monthly
payments. The increasing
ease with which we can
purchase on credit has led
to Americas $2.4 trillion
consumer debt and a nation-destroying $15
trillion in national debt.
Notice what Exodus 22:25 says about bor-
rowing and lending in ancient Israel: If you
lend money to any of my people with you who
is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor,
and you shall not exact interest from him
(Revised Standard Version). It was permissible
to offer loans, but creditors were commanded
to be generous yet prudent. Secondly, if a poor
(meaning humble and needy) Israelite had
genuine needsnot wantshe could ask for a
loan. And fnally, the loan was interest-free!
God also told able lenders to give freely to the
needy even if they might not be able to repay!
God said He would repay the lender if the poor
borrower couldnt (Deuteronomy 15:10; Prov-
erbs 19:17). Christ taught this same principle in
the New Testament (Luke 6:34-36). God expects
both lenders and borrowers to give unselfshly.
In Deuteronomy 15, God inserted a safety
valve called the Sabbath year of release, in
which all short-term debts were canceled every
seventh year. The Sabbath release was instilled
to prevent poverty, not to allow free-spending.
Additionally, if an Israelite came upon hard
times and had to sell his land and work as a
servant for another, he could rejoice in the 50th
year when his debts would be freed, called the
year of the jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-17). On that
year, the creditor returned his property to him,
protecting generations from the mistakes and
mismanagement of their fathers.
The ancient Israelites agreed to abide by and
obey all of Gods commandments, yet hundreds
of years later, we fnd the Israelites again in
captivitythe worst poverty imaginablebe-
cause they failed to obey these commands.
Every nation since has also disobeyed. Thus, we
live in a society where national economies are
going bankrupt, worldwide poverty is on the
increase and the gap between the rich and poor
is widening.
Yet soon Jesus Christ will return and restore
Gods government to this Earth, built on the
foundation of the same laws He revealed thou-
sands of years ago. Everyone will have a clean
slate fnanciallyall debts will be canceled. All
citizens will own property (Micah 4:4). And as
God always intended for ancient Israel, all laws,
including fnancial laws, will be based upon the
supreme law of lovethe way of give.
A Better Economy Is
Coming!

STEPHEN FLURRY | Columnist