America Frozen Out of World Trade

 

Yet another trade agreement excludes the U.S.

A new trade agreement that covers more than 13 percent of the world economy, accounting for 15 percent of global trade, was ratified by its first six countries on December 30. The Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (cptpp) will cover 500 million people.

Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore will be joined by another four countries that have already signed but not yet ratified the agreement. Vietnam joins on January 14, while Brunei, Chile, Malaysia and Peru will join the deal 60 days after completing the ratification process.

Will Donald Trump Make Germany Great Again?

German ‘Bundeswehr’ army soldiers pictured at the training ground during the preparations of the ‘Landoperationen 2017’ military exercise in Munster, Germany, (Philipp Schulze/picture alliance via Getty Images)

 

The U.S. president wants Germany to be the world’s third-largest military spender.

United States President Donald Trump agrees a lot with the Trumpet when it comes to world news. Certainly not always. But consider his recent trip to Europe.

He warned that Germany was too close to Russia. Last year we called that alliance “The Russian Alliance You Really Have to Worry About.” He said that Europe is attacking America on trade. Ten years ago, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned that Europe was waging “a quiet but concerted war on American commerce.” President Trump complains that the U.S. spends billions defending Europe. In the 1950s, Herbert W. Armstrong warned that “in spending unprecedented billions of your dollars and mine—tax dollars—preparing Germany and Europe for defense,” America was making a huge mistake.

A few weeks ago, someone wrote in to ask me why I’m so pro-Trump. This is not about being pro-Trump or anti-Trump. We are saying what we have always said—he just happens to be saying it too.

So there was a lot to like about his Europe trip. But there is also a major danger.

Donald Trump’s Europe trip could be a milestone in making Germany great again, and in turning Germany against America.

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.

Canadian Government Welcomes Back Islamic State Jihadists

Still image from a video produced by The Islamic State featuring John Maguire, an Ottawa man who converted to Islam, and joined Islamic State.

 

Trudeau administration wages an aggressive campaign to ‘support’ and ‘open up dialogue’ with returning terrorists.

Around 190 Canadians have left their country to fight for the Islamic State and other Islamic terrorist groups. And they might receive a warm welcome if they get homesick. According to documents obtained by Global News in May, the administration of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believes these terrorists have a “right to return” to Canada.

What the Trump Victory Means

Donald Trump wins the 2016 presidential election. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

 

The surprises in America are just getting started.

In an election upset that shocked the media and mainstream analysts, Donald Trump garnered enough state victories to claim a convincing win in America’s presidential election.

If you know biblical prophecy, however, you know that the surprises in America are just getting started.

Consider the ramifications of the fact that, in several ways, this result represents the complete upending of American politics.

Mr. Trump snubbed the political establishment of both major parties and suffered no penalty. He rebuked and scorned the press and was rewarded for it. He repeatedly broke every rule that has applied to politicians for generations, and repeatedly defied forecasts, assumptions and expectations. Time after time he scoffed at those who wrote his epitaph. The prognostications were wrong; the analysts were wrong; the polls were wrong. Now everyone is trying to make sense of a reshaped political landscape.

Bible Prophecy Foretold a Brexit!

Due to the gravity and importance of the subject, the article in its entirety will remain archived here.

 

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who campaigned hard for the Remain campaign, suffered a stunning defeat in the June 23 referendum. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

 

Britain’s departure from Europe is a geopolitically significant event. But did you know Bible prophecy said it would happen?

Millions of people decided whether Britain would remain a member of the European Union on June 23. The British people have made their opinion clear.

Did you know that God had an opinion on this subject as well?

In choosing to leave the European Union, the Brits actually brought about an event Bible prophecy foretold was going to happen!

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.

Changing of the Guard

Caption: A cargo ship makes its way through the Miraflores locks as it crosses the Panama Canal. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

 

The decline of U.S.-British control over the world’s sea gates

You’re sitting inside a fenced courtyard where all the gates are locked. At each gate stands an armed guard who will not allow you to leave. You are where?

The correct answer is prison.

Now imagine those burly guards laying down their weapons and handing over their keys to the inmates. That’s essentially what the United States and Britain have done. Prior to World War ii, they controlled every major sea gate in the world. These “gates,” as they are called in the Bible, proved indispensable to Allied success during World War ii. Since that time, however, the U.S. and Britain have, without a fight, surrendered their control as gatekeepers.

The Rise and Fall of a Superpower

An article from 2000 with lessons for today:

 

(©iStock.com/Diane Labombarbe)

 

Building the Panama Canal was one of the greatest chapters in American history. It helps to reveal how America became a superpower, if we understand the complete history. Today we see an almost totally different spirit in our leaders. The meaning behind that change contains the strongest warning ever for America!

How much do Americans understand their own history? We are called the world’s greatest superpower ever! But how did we rise to such heights? Most Americans are ignorant of how it all happened. And that ignorance places us in grave danger!

Our building and now surrendering of the Panama Canal reveals a large part of the story. It gives a powerful insight into the rise and fall of the world’s greatest superpower.

President Theodore Roosevelt led our people to build the Panama Canal. He had a spirit and courage that I don’t see in our leaders today.

What Happens When You Take the UK out of the EU?

Britain is closer than ever to cutting ties with the European Union. What will Europe look like once the British are gone?

If the European Union wants to make British people angry, it’s doing a stellar job. In October, after revising how they calculate gross domestic product, EU officials determined that Britain was wealthier than they thought. They abruptly handed Britain an unexpected bill for $2.7 billion, including back payment, for the EU budget. Then other EU leaders publicly castigated London for noncompliance with the EU’s liberal immigration policies. And in November, Jean-Claude Juncker—a man who openly spurns democratic norms, saying, for example, in 2011, “I am for secret, dark debates”—was appointed president of the European Commission.

Britain’s simmering resentment of the EU boiled over.

A Nation Worth Applauding

Why Germany has such a promising future!

Germans make great pianos—the finest, actually, in my opinion. The name Steinway has been synonymous with excellence in piano construction for over a century and a half, starting with a German-born piano maker living in New York. When his son opened a plant in Hamburg, Germany, it wasn’t long before many regarded the Hamburg instruments as superior to those manufactured in the original New York factory.

…

German craftsmen have earned a reputation for excellence for more than just pianos. Whether it’s kitchen knives or convertibles, power tools or pistols, the “Made in Germany” mark is a testament to any product’s superiority. Olympic competitors seek German-made rowing shells; rock superstars look for German-made guitar amplifiers. Germany’s reputation in the auto industry is unmatched in both quantity and quality; the nation is the world’s third-largest car producer. German sports sedans outperform their peers; its luxury cars outclass their competition.

German workers have refined the ability to assimilate great innovations of other nations and improve upon them. Germany is also known for its creative geniuses—its composers, poets and scientists.

Little wonder, then, that Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe and the most stable economy in the Western world.

What Happens When You Take the UK out of the EU?

If the European Union wants to make British people angry, it’s doing a stellar job. In October, after revising how they calculate gross domestic product, EU officials determined that Britain was wealthier than they thought. They abruptly handed Britain an unexpected bill for $2.7 billion, including back payment, for the EU budget. Then other EU leaders publicly castigated London for noncompliance with the EU’s liberal immigration policies. And in November, Jean-Claude Juncker—a man who openly spurns democratic norms, saying, for example, in 2011, “I am for secret, dark debates”—was appointed president of the European Commission.

Britain’s simmering resentment of the EU boiled over.

Ever since Britain joined up with Europe in 1973, it has experienced rhetorical fights, political impasses and financial catastrophes. Rather than cohering and melding into Europe, its closeness with the Continent has only caused friction. Yet it has remained steadfastly part of the EU.

But signs are increasing that this relationship is at an impasse. These days, major problems with Europe seem to come every few months, each sparking a reaction more impassioned than the last. And in 2014, the British electorate sent a strong message that it is ready to end the status quo.