Britain’s Navy at Half Strength

iStock.com/Alan_Lagadu

 

Britain now has fewer than half of the naval vessels it had in 1990, the Telegraph reported on June 21. In that time, there has been a 60 percent decrease in the number of submarines, frigates and destroyers in the Royal Navy, according to a 2013 Ministry of Defense report. The service had two aircraft carriers in 1990: It currently has zero.

Britain’s defense budget has decreased dramatically. Today, Britain’s military spending is a little over half of what it was 25 years ago. Its defense spending has decreased from a Cold War high of 3.8 percent of its gross domestic product to only 2.2 percent, just above the nato minimum.

Despite keeping its nato commitment, Britain has lost its naval supremacy and is “at a historic ebb in firepower,” according to National Interest.

Britain does not recognize the need to maintain its defenses against military threats. Instead, it prioritized funding for foreign aid, the National Health Service and other domestic welfare programs. In the past, health, education and defense spending were equal. But expenditures in these non-defense areas have roughly doubled since 1990. Today, Britain spends almost six times more taxpayer cash on welfare than it does on defense.

In North Korea Crisis, Russia and China Hold the Cards

 

These two nations are the reason why North Korea is able to operate so freely and dangerously.

After the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on September 11 to increase sanctions on North Korea, the United States tried to portray it as a victory for the American-led efforts to neutralize the North Korean threat. But the UN’s move actually showcases the influence of Russia and China and shows that these two nations hold the cards on North Korea.

Ethiopia on the Brink?

Members of the Oromo, Ogaden and Amhara communities in South Africa demonstrate on August 18 against the ongoing crackdown in the Oromo and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. (GULSHAN KHAN/AFP/Getty Images)

 

 

Could ongoing protests lead to social breakdown?

Civil unrest is growing in Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation. Upset by inequality and systemic corruption, members of Ethiopia’s two largest districts have taken to the streets. Since November last year, the protesters have faced off against strong government crackdowns.

Eighty percent of the country lives in poverty. Famine threatens 15 million residents. Many are ready to take out their frustrations on the government. But instability fosters its own problems, and opportunists in the region are watching closely.

Why Britain’s Vote on EU Membership Is So Momentous

A European Union referendum postal voting form (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

 

Watch the Brexit vote today. Whichever way it goes, it could mark a turning point for Europe and the world.

Britain’s referendum on its membership in the European Union is its most important decision in a generation. But regardless of which option the Brits choose, June 23 could mark a major turning point, both for Britain and for the EU. The referendum is forecast to be close.

The Fate of Europe

Even if Britain votes to stay, it will not deepen its ties with the European Union. Britain has no appetite for handing over more power to Brussels.

IMF Warns Next Financial Crash Is Only a Matter of Time

With interest rates at a 5,000-year low, are we really surprised that a crash is coming?

The International Monetary Fund (imf) is warning that a financial crisis is practically guaranteed, and it’s just a matter of time before it strikes. The organization’s newly released Global Financial Stability report is sobering reading. The flaws in the global financial system have not been fixed, it says.

It highlights soaring global debt, particularly in emerging markets. The implication is that we could see a repeat of the 1997 currency crisis also known as the “Asian Flu,” which saw massive currency devaluations, contractions in global trade, economic turmoil, and social instability.

But conditions are much more dangerous today than back then. Virtually the whole world is teetering on recession, the West and Russia are back in Cold War mode, the Middle East is engaged in actual war in Syria, and the world is more interconnected than ever—potentially making the transmission of financial diseases much quicker.

Why the Euro Is Heading for an Earthshaking Crisis

Because the article has so many good points, a majority of it will be left up, as has been done here in rare cases.

Courtesy of The Trumpet:

 

And why the euro is incompatible with democracy

European leaders are in a panic. Greece’s banks are closed. Experts warn the global economy is under threat. And it all hinges on Greece’s place in the eurozone.

Fears of rioting and mass panic, dormant since the Greek fires of 2008, are rising again.

It shows just how fragile the eurozone is. In April 2014, the Greek government was able to borrow money on the normal financial markets at the relatively high, but not appalling, rate of 4.95 percent. As far as lenders were concerned, the euro crisis was over. Greece was no longer dangling over the edge of a precipice. Instead, it could borrow money just like any other normal nation.

Why Europe Won’t Let Greece Go

Everyone’s talking about Europe’s economy. But at the heart of the crisis is a very different problem.

Greece is on the brink yet again. It has to pay the International Monetary Fund (imf) us$1.7 billion by the end of the month. And that’s the start of a gauntlet of loan repayments—it owes €10 billion by the end of September. Meanwhile, it has not agreed to a deal to get that money. With time running out, European officials are reportedly preparing for a catastrophe. “The Greek saga is finally reaching its climax, we think,” said Morgan Stanley’s head of foreign exchange strategy.

What will happen? Will Greece leave the euro? Will it submit to Europe’s bailout conditions? Will it trigger a financial crisis? I don’t know. But I do know that in the long term Greece is going to remain under the European Union’s influence.

Iran Now Controls Four Middle Eastern Capitals

Some of the world’s most famous cities have become property of Iran. Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut—the list is growing.

Iran now controls the capital cities in four Middle Eastern nations. The Jerusalem Post reported February 8 that “Yemen falls to Iran in regional proxy war.” You will never guess who helped Iran take over this United States ally. From the Post (emphasis added throughout):

The toppling of the Yemeni government by Iranian backed Shiite Houthis has upped the ante in the regional sectarian Sunni-Shiite struggle.

Yemen is perfectly set to become a sectarian war that will see millions more in foreign funds transferred to various proxy forces in the country .…

Germany Wants European Army

Such an army would fulfill Bible prophecy

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But is having Germany in the driver’s seat of a European army cause for concern?

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On October 30, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen signed a declaration of intent on German-Polish cooperation with Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak. This declaration of intent is not limited to training drills but provides for “placing combat battalions under the other’s command.” After the agreement, von der Leyen’s ministry declared the “German-Polish cooperation is a trendsetting milestone for the development of European integrated military structures.”

Hans-Peter Bartels, the chairman of the German parliament’s defense committee, left no doubt as to the final destination of all these additions. “The hour has come, finally, for concrete steps towards a European army,” Bartels told Die Welt.

The signs are there for all to see: This will be an EU army under strong German control.

The Fight for Ukraine

If Ukraine is to still join the EU, expect it to after the cold winter subsides. This way, Russia can no longer blackmail the Ukranian leadership via energy supplies by shutting off the gas lines as it did a few years back — which also was a statement to Europe as it, too, was affected.

Every decent revolution produces an iconic scene. The 1989 Tiananmen protests had tank man; during Germany’s reunification it was a segment of the Berlin Wall swaying back and forth like a wiggly tooth before finally collapsing; in Baghdad in 2003, it was the slow-motion toppling of the giant statue of Saddam Hussein. On Sunday, the budding revolution in Ukraine got its iconic scene, when, amid protests of roughly 500,000 in Kiev’s Independence Square, angry marchers felled a Vladimir Lenin statue then slugged it to pieces with sledgehammers.

The protesters are upset with President Viktor Yanukovich, and specifically his November 29 decision to reject a free-trade deal with the EU. The decision was seen not only as a rejection of Europe, but an embrace of Russia. Many Ukrainians worry that Yanukovich, despite repeated denials, has struck a deal with Vladimir Putin to form a customs union with Russia.

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Whatever the outcome, events in Ukraine highlight three important geopolitical realities, each of which is also prophetically significant.

China, Europe Agree on Currency Deal

China entered into a sizable currency swap deal with the eurozone this month that represents a stride toward establishing the yuan and euro as key world currencies. The agreement also means fewer U.S. dollars will be used in commerce between China and Europe.

“The agreement is one of the largest currency deals between China and a non-Asian trading partner,” Alanna Petroff wrote for CNN Money on October 10.