January 2001 Vol.4, No. 1

Contents European Union: An Idea Whose Time Has Come    by Melvin Rhodes The Best Government In Existence?    by Cecil Maranville Book Review: Euro Crash 2007    by Cecil Maranville Chaotic Start to a New Century: What's It Mean?    by John Ross Schroeder In Brief...World News Review    by Cecil E. Maranville This is the Way...The Power Of Chad    by Robin Webber In Brief... World News Review Will Germany take reins of European Leadership? Long perceived to be a leading European nation, is Germany poised to become the EU's undisputed leader? The intelligence group Stratfor reported a significant development in its December 18, 2000, briefing that, in their words, "may shift the European balance of power." It's no revelation that Russia is heavily in debt to many European nations, Germany included. With no hope of repayment in the foreseeable future, Germany has proposed to accept most of its compensation in shares of Russian companies. Russia and Germany have already agreed in principle to the pact, which is worth several billion dollars. The climate for forging a fiscal alliance is enhanced by the fact that President Putin speaks German. Russia is disaffected with how it believes its relationship with the U.S. has gone-many cheers from the U.S. about the end to communist rule, but no real economic help. It's not in the interest of the EU or Germany for Russia to fail. Beyond economic concerns, the EU views Russian strength and viability as added security on the EU's eastern border at a time of increasing power among Islamic radicals. A German-Russian economic "marriage" would benefit the EU in another way. Russia affords the EU with a Euro-Asian commerce corridor, cheaper and faster than any other. Russia has few options. China can't afford to help, even if it was so inclined, and Japan won't in the face of unresolved territorial disputes with Russia. How significant might this developing agreement between Russia and Germany be? Once in a great while, a single pact is so significant it has the potential to alter history's course. This might be such a time. Stratfor summarizes, "Assisting in Russia's integration into Europe would result in Germany's emergence as the larder of a united Europe with Russia on its side. Such a development would significantly weaken the U.S. influence in Europe. On the other hand, Chinese positions will be weakened as well, with Russia drifting away from it and toward Germany and Europe" ("Shifting Europe's Power Balance," December 18, 2000, Stratfor, Inc., emphasis added). Brits give Nod to Stem Cell Research By more than a 2-to-1 margin, Britain's Parliament voted December 19, 2000, to amend an existing law to allow stem cell research to go ahead. Stem cells can be engineered to become any kind of cell and are touted as providing a potential quantum leap forward in the treatment of such terribly debilitating diseases as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0101/inbrief0101.htm Related Information on UCG Sites: Table of Contents that includes "World News Review January 2001" Science and ethics: _Cloning: Is Man About to Make Himself In His Own Image? _Atheistic Scientists Who Play God - Where It Might Lead _World News Review April/May 2000 _Making Sense of the Cloning Claims _Where Will the Genetics Revolution Lead? _A Gory Harvest _Why the Human Genome Project? _Cloning: A Dangerous Journey Into Uncharted Waters? _Did God Give Animals Rights? Pope: _Man of the Century: The Life and Times of Pope John Paul II _Papal Power in Perspective _Religious Deception in the Post Modern World _World News Review Jan. 1999 _The Message of Mitch _World News Review June 1999 _Pope John Paul II Advocates Sunday Keeping _Hitler's Pope: The Roman Church and the Third Reich _Pope's Spiritual Journey Very Political _World News Review Nov 2001 _Beware of Prophecies! _World News Review Jan 2002 _World News Review Feb 2002 _The Man Who Would Be Pope _A Celebrity Pope _Which Way Europe? _A Page on the World: The Rise of Benedict XVI _European Demographics and Bible Prophecy _Pope Benedict XVI Puts His Church "on Edge" _Papal Authority, Protestants and Prophecy _The "Christian Caesar" _Europe and the Church, Part 7: Charlemagne, Father of Modern Europe _The Making of Emperor and Empire _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - Jan/Feb 1997 _World News and Trends - Nov/Dec 1997 _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - Jan/Feb 1999 _The Papacy: Growing Role in the Coming Years? _Papal Visit Highlights Middle East Problems _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - Jul/Aug 2001 _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - Sep/Oct 2002 _World News and Trends - Jan/Feb 2005 _Pope Benedict XVI Faces Major Challenges _Death of a Titan: John Paul II's Impact on Europe and the World _World News and Trends - January/February 2007 _World News and Trends - September/October 2007 _Europe and the Church, Part 8...Otto the Great, Founder of the First Reich _The Uneasy Relationship Between Church and State _Rome's "Right Face" _Europe and the Church, Part 9: Charles V's Empire Upon Which the Sun Never Set _Pope Calls for New "World Political Authority" _Europe and the Church, Part 12: A Period of Change for the Papacy Germany: _Fascism Returns to Europe _Oskar Lafontaine _World News Review February 1999 _So, Who Goes First? _World News Review August 1999 _Never on Sunday? _Ten Years After the Wall Came Tumbling Down _Building Walls or Building Bridges? _World News Review January 2000 _Deutschland AG Versus Corporate America _Five Trends to Watch in Europe _Germany and Russia-Shifting Balance of Power _French Intellectuals see Germany as Potential Threat _Reflections From Rotunda _The Coming Clash Between Europe and America _From Kosovo to Conflict? _Who Will Lead the New Europe? _Germany's Record Unemployment and Political Change _The World's Number One Exporting Nation _What Is Germany's Destiny? _Is the EU an Attempt to Revive the Holy Roman Empire? _Terror Alarm in Germany _A Pan-German Plan _Germany's Rising Economic and Political Power _From Berlin to Brussels _Should the West Encourage German Military Expansion? _Financial Crisis Crushing Britain _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - May/Jun 1997 _The Marshall Plan Revisited _After Kosovo: Power Shift Taking Place? _What Is Berlin's Destiny? _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - Nov/Dec 2002 _World News and Trends - Jul/Aug 2003 _World News and Trends - Nov/Dec 2003 _World News and Trends - Mar/Apr 2004 _World News and Trends - Mar/Apr 2005 _World News and Trends - Nov/Dec 2005 _World News and Trends - November/December 2006 _World News & Trends Jan 2009 _Europe and the Church, Part 11: Germany's Dream of Conquest _History's Twists and Turns _Why Is Europe So Important? _Could a Greek Tragedy Bring Down the Euro? Israel, modern: _World News Review November 1998 _World News Review Nov 2000 _Dancing With Death _Next on the Agenda: Mideast Peace _A Covenant of Life _The Rising Specter of Anti-Semitism _Palestine/Israel -- Whose Land Is It, Really? _When The Walls Come Tumbling Down _Getting Underneath the Skin _Palestine/Israel -- Whose Land Is It, Really? Part 2 _Middle East Amnesty Produces Chaos _"Cold" Peace or Real Peace? _World News Review Nov 2004 _Retreat From Gaza _Will Iran Provoke Nuclear War in 2006? _An Incendiary Arc of Instability _Return to Jerusalem _Five Significant Trends of 2006 _Will Iran Be Stopped by Diplomacy? _Demographic Trends: A Warning to the Western World _Who Will Restore Israel? _God Save Jerusalem! _Intifada of the Crossings _Will Israel Attack Iran? _Will New Leadership at Home and Abroad Bring Israel Unacceptable Security Risks? _The Jews: From the Dispersion to the Modern Israeli State _A Rising Tide of Arab Nationalism _The Middle East: Worlds in Collision _What Is the Church? _Jerusalem 3000: An Uncertain Celebration _Israel: Small but Significant _Israel at 50: A Saga of War and Peace _What Prevents Peace in the Middle East? _A Different World _An Overview of Conditions Around the World - May/Jun 2002 _2003: The Storm Clouds Gather _Iraq and the Middle East: A Century of Turmoil Continues _The 'Road Map' to Peace: Doomed From the Start? _The New (Anti-Semitic) World Order _2004: The World's Superpower Faces Powerful Challenges _World News and Trends - Jan/Feb 2004 _Israel's Amazing Story: Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy _World News and Trends - Nov/Dec 2004 _Major International Challenges Confront President Bush's Second Term _Has World War III Already Begun? (1/2006) _Media Blitz Against Israel _World News and Trends - September/October 2006 _The Six-Day War--40 Years Later _Israel -- Hope Beyond Today _Can Israel Survive? _Golda Meir and Deborah the Judge _Springtime in Israel Search Our Site Key Subjects Index General Topics Index Biblical References Index Good News Magazine Index Booklets and All Literature Index Home Page of this site