Disasters—Why So Many?

DISASTERS seem to be very much in the news. More people than ever before are the victims of one calamity or another.

The number of reported disasters has also climbed noticeably over the past several decades. For example, between 1975 and 1999, well under 300 disasters were recorded each year. However, between 2000 and 2010, the average was close to 400 per year. Perhaps you are among those who wonder, ‘Why are there so many disasters now?’

Although people often label such disasters as “acts of God,” this is really a misnomer. God is not behind the calamities that affect so many people today. Nevertheless, the Bible did foretell that there would be disasters in our time. For example, at Matthew 24:7, 8, we read Jesus’ words: “There will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” Why did Jesus foretell these events, and what meaning do they have for us?

God’s Son, Jesus, was speaking in answer to the question posed to him: “What will be the sign . . . of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3) He told of various things that would happen, including calamities like those mentioned above. He then went on to make this significant statement: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:31) Those natural disasters, therefore, have great significance for us. They point to a time of momentous changes just ahead.

 

Forces Contributing to Disasters

Nevertheless, many people still ask, If God is not responsible for the disasters, who or what is? We can understand the answer only if we recognize an important truth mentioned in the Bible: “The whole world is lying  in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) This verse reveals that it is not God who is behind the distressing conditions in the world, but in many cases, it is his enemy, “the wicked one”​—otherwise referred to in the Bible as “the Devil.”​—Revelation 12:9, 12.

Guided by his own self-serving objective, this enemy of God views people as disposable. Since he has the whole world under his control, he has promoted that same spirit among mankind. Indeed, the Bible points to this by foretelling that in “the last days,” people will be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 2) Hence, it is no surprise that the Devil has created a global system that thrives on those and other ungodly traits. He encourages selfish and greedy exploitation that often puts people in harm’s way.

In what way does today’s greedy system promote disasters? A United Nations report on global disasters states: “Populations are too often being concentrated in risky areas such as flood plains. In addition, the destruction of forests and wetlands is harming the capacity of the environment to withstand hazards. Looming above all this is the threat of global climate change and rising sea levels as a result of increased greenhouse gas concentrations . . . caused by human activity.” Though much of this “human activity” is said to be for economic progress, it is in reality the work of the selfish and greedy spirit that permeates the world.

Consequently, many experts now recognize that indiscriminate human activity has intensified the devastating effects of the disasters that occur. In reality, humans have played into the Devil’s hands by supporting a system that exacerbates disasters.

We see, then, that many disasters are the result of careless human activity. Some disasters would not have been as devastating were it not for where they occurred. In many parts of the world, the effects of natural disasters have been greatly aggravated by the underhanded dealings of unscrupulous individuals or by the fact that masses of people have been forced to live in hazardous areas as a result of the economic or social inequalities inherent in the world today. Of course, some people suffer in disasters, not because of any particular person’s fault or negligence, but because “time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.”​—Ecclesiastes 9:11.

Whatever the reason, should you be the victim of a natural disaster, how can you cope? We will now take a look at what can be done to lessen the impact when calamities occur.

 

In view of the increase in both the frequency and the destructiveness of natural disasters, what can a person do to cope? Let us take a look at several practical steps that can be taken.

Keep out of the path of calamity

“Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty,” says the Bible. (Proverbs 22:3) This is wise counsel that can apply to disasters. If a warning is given about an impending volcanic eruption, probable flooding, or an approaching hurricane or typhoon, wisdom dictates that those in the affected area evacuate and get to safer ground. Life is more valuable than a house or other material things.

For some, it might be possible to choose not to live in an area of high risk. One authority says: “Disaster risk is geographically highly concentrated. A very small portion of the Earth’s surface contains most of the risk and most future large-scale disasters will occur in these areas.” This may be true, for example, in low-lying coastal regions or in areas near fault lines in the earth. If you can avoid living in such high-risk areas or can move to a safer location, you may greatly reduce your risk of suffering from disasters.

Have a plan of action

In spite of all precautions taken, you may still find yourself a victim of an unexpected tragedy. Coping with it will be much easier if you have planned in advance. This is also in harmony with the advice at Proverbs 22:3, quoted earlier. Do you have an emergency kit prepared and ready to go? The publication 1-2-3 of Disaster Education recommends including the following items: First-aid supplies, bottled water, nonperishable food, and important documents. It would also be wise to review with your family the types of disasters that could take place and what could be done in each case.

 
Maintain a close relationship with God

This can help in any circumstance. The Bible speaks of God as “the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation.” Another verse describes him as the God “who comforts those laid low.”​—2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; 7:6.

Yes, God is keenly aware of the circumstances coming upon those who put faith in him. He is a God of love and provides uplifting encouragement in various ways. (1 John 4:8) Prayers, not for miracles but for God’s powerful holy spirit, can provide help in any situation. The holy spirit can bring to mind Bible  passages that can be comforting and soothing to those experiencing adversities. Truly, God’s faithful servants can feel as did David, a king of ancient Israel, who said: “Even though I walk in the valley of deep shadow, I fear nothing bad, for you are with me; your rod and your staff are the things that comfort me.”​—Psalm 23:4.

 

 No More Disasters!


IF SOMEONE told you, “There will soon be no more disasters,” how would you react? You might reply, “You must be dreaming. Disasters are just a fact of life.” Or you might just think to yourself, ‘Whom does he think he’s kidding?’

Even though natural disasters seem to be here to stay, there is a basis for real hope that this will change. The change, however, will not come through human efforts. Humans are not able to understand fully how and why things happen in nature, much less control or change them. King Solomon of ancient Israel, noted for his wisdom and keen observation, wrote: “Mankind are not able to find out the work that has been done under the sun; however much mankind keep working hard to seek, yet they do not find out. And even if they should say they are wise enough to know, they would be unable to find out.”​—Ecclesiastes 8:17.

If humans cannot control natural disasters, who can? The Bible identifies our Creator as the one to make this change. He is the One who put the earth’s ecological systems, such as the water cycle, in place. (Ecclesiastes 1:7) And in sharp contrast with humans, God has unlimited power at his disposal. Testifying to this fact, the prophet Jeremiah said: “O Sovereign Lord Jehovah! Here you yourself have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. The whole matter is not too wonderful for you yourself.” (Jeremiah 32:17) Since God made the earth and all its elements, logically he knows how to manage things so that people can dwell on it in peace and security.​—Psalm 37:11; 115:16.

How, then, will God bring about the needed change? You will recall that the second of this series of articles mentioned that the many terrifying things taking place on the earth today make up a “sign” marking “the conclusion of the system of things.” Jesus said: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.” (Matthew 24:3; Luke 21:31)

The Kingdom of God, a heavenly government of God’s making, will bring about big changes on the earth, even bringing natural elements under control. Though Jehovah God has the power to do this himself, he has chosen to delegate the task to his Son. Speaking of this one, the prophet Daniel said: “To him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and  languages should all serve even him.”​—Daniel 7:14.

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has been given the power necessary to bring about all the changes needed to make the earth a delightful place. Two thousand years ago, when Jesus was on earth, he demonstrated on a small scale his ability to control the natural elements. On one occasion, when he and his disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, “a great violent windstorm broke out, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was close to being swamped.” His disciples panicked.

Fearing for their lives, they turned to Jesus. What did Jesus do? He simply “rebuked the wind and said to the sea: ‘Hush! Be quiet!’ And the wind abated, and a great calm set in.” His disciples were amazed and asked: “Who really is this, because even the wind and the sea obey him? ”​—Mark 4:37-41.

Since then, Jesus has been elevated to the spirit realm and has been given even greater power and authority. As the King of God’s Kingdom, he has the responsibility as well as the ability to administer all the changes necessary to give people a peaceful and secure life on earth.

However, as we have seen, many of the problems and disasters are man-made, caused or made worse by the exploits of selfish and greedy individuals. What will the Kingdom do about those who persist in such ways and refuse to change? The Bible speaks of the Lord Jesus coming “from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” Yes, he will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”​—2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8; Revelation 11:18.

Afterward, this “King of kings,” Jesus Christ, will assert full control of earth’s elements. (Revelation 19:16) He will make sure that the subjects of the Kingdom no longer suffer any calamities. He will use his power to regulate the meteorological elements so that the weather and seasonal cycles will work to the benefit of mankind. The result will be the realization of what Jehovah God long ago promised to his people: “I shall also certainly give your showers of rain at their proper time, and the land will indeed give its yield, and the tree of the field will give its fruit.” (Leviticus 26:4) People will be able to build houses without fear of losing them in some calamity: “They will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage.”​—Isaiah 65:21.

What Must You Do?

No doubt you, like many others, are attracted to the idea of living in a world with no more devastating disasters. What, though, do you have to do to be there? Since “those who do not know God” and “those who do not obey the good news” will not qualify to live in the disaster-free world to come, it is clear that one must now learn about God and support his arrangement for rulership of the earth. God requires that we come to know him and obey the good news of the Kingdom that he has set up through his Son.

The best way to learn to do this is through a careful study of the Bible. It contains the instructions for qualifying to live in the secure environment that will exist under Kingdom rulership.

What is the nature of lust?

 By Paul Kokoski

Today we are living in an extremely sexually permissive society. Temptations to sins of the flesh are everywhere - from billboards, art, advertising, newspapers, television, music and the internet to the way people dress.

Even human law encourages sexual depravity and lust by its legalization of contraceptives, prostitution, swingers clubs, homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Apart from abortion, pornography is perhaps the most pressing issue of our age. It is a big business that victimizes everyone including those who market and sell it.

The internet especially makes it possible for pornography to enter every home with the potential of corrupting whole families, including children. It is degrading, ruins family relations and leads to everything from incest, adultery, prostitution and violence to human trafficking and murder.

Many have thus fallen victim to the onslaught of this hedonism. In order to conquer these temptations we must be constantly on guard to repel and overcome our tendencies toward lust.

What is the nature of lust? Just as God has willed to attach pleasure to our nutritive appetites for the purpose of man's self-preservation so He has attached a special pleasure to the act of sex for the propagation of the human species. This pleasure, though, is only permissible within the confines of marriage.

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to abuse this desire. This tendency - which is more violent in some than others - is called lust and is condemned by both the 6^th and 9^th commandments: "Though shall not commit adultery" and "Thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife".

These commandments not only prohibit external actions but internal, fancies, thoughts and desires. Why? When we dwell on impure thoughts and desires the senses become excited and can be a prelude to actions against purity. Christ warned: "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."(Matt. 5:28).

Sins against impurity are often grave. To seek and to directly will evil pleasure is a mortal sin.

Acts that are unnecessary and which give rise to pleasure such as dangerous readings, shows, conversations, lewd dancing etc. are considered sins of imprudence. They are more or less grave according to the gravity of the disorder produced and of the danger of consent to the evil pleasure.

If, on the other hand, this pleasure indirectly follows from certain actions that are good or at least indifferent, and one does not give their consent to them, there is no guilt.

We are all called to perfection. Impure acts lead to tyrannical habits and incline the will further toward debasing pleasure. They dry up one's love for prayer and virtue and make one prey to selfishness. The mind becomes dull and weak because the vital forces are used up by the senses.

Soon, a taste for serious studies is lost; the imagination gravitates toward lower things; the heart gradually withers, hardens, and is attracted only by degrading pleasures. Even the physical frame like the nervous system is affected.

To withstand the dangerous passion of lust we need deep conviction, protection against dangerous occasions, mortification and prayer.

Deep convictions about the risk of punishment to one self are necessary to combat this vice. We are must, honor our body. Should we profane our body it would be a kind of sacrilege lowering us to the level of animals.

The world tells us today that continence is impossible and that it is detrimental to our health. On the contrary nothing is impossible if we know how to pray and fight. Further, not only are chastity and continence not harmful, they are commendable, even from a purely medical and hygenic point of view. As a matter of fact, there is no known disease resulting from the practice of continence, whilst many are found to originate in the opposite vice.

In light of our own frailty, we also need to avoid the occasions of lust. This is especially true with unnecessary occasions. When these occasions cannot be avoided, we must strengthen the will by interior dispositions that make the danger more remote. Someone once declared: if dances cannot be avoided they should at least be indulged in with modesty, self-respect, and good intentions. How much more necessary is this today, when so many indecent dances are in vogue!

Occasions that we cannot avoid in our daily encounters can be overcome only by mortification. The eyes, for example, should be especially guarded, for imprudent glances enkindle desires and these in turn entice the will. Hence Our Lord declared: "If your right eyes is an occasion of sin it must be plucked out" (Matt. 5:29), which is to say, forcefully withdrawn from the object that scandalizes us.

Modesty of the eyes is imperative today more than ever, since one is more liable to meet almost everywhere with persons and things apt to be a source of temptation.

The sense of touch is fraught with even more danger. Hence, one should abstain from any bodily contact or caress that cannot but excite the passions.

The heart also must be mortified by struggling against whatever may be sentimental, sensual or dangerous in the domain of friendship. Love must remain chaste and supernatural.

Another form of mortification concerns the fulfillment of our duties of state. The various states of Christian life are the lay state (single or married), spiritual state, and the priesthood. Work and the avoidance of idleness keeps our imagination, mind and heart away from dangerous objects.

Most everyone, even those in the holy state of marriage, experience special difficulties in regards to chastity and purity. To overcome these, frequent prayer or oft-repeated elevations of the soul toward God, and the consideration of the great truths of Scriptures are necessary. To these must be joined the frequent reception of confession.

In confession we receive counsel and the grace of absolution to strengthen the will against temptation. With confession one cools the fires of concupiscence, awakens the soul to the reality of spiritual goods, and thus withdraws it from attachments to degrading pleasures.

Getting in to Gods paradise is not easy today due to the onslaught of sexual permissiveness. The defenses against this requires courage, earnestness and repeated effort, but with prayer and a determined will we can surmount all obstacles.

Holland promises paradise to all gays of Russia

by Lyuba Lulko

 

Dutch authorities have officially declared that their country was ready to accept all Russian gays and lesbians who are allegedly suffering at home. All of them were promised political refugees the status. However, many observers believe that Amsterdam needs to slow down with such initiatives as they will not do the country any good.

 

Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans said that given the plight of gays and lesbians in Russia, the Dutch government was ready to grant them political asylum. On Tuesday Frans Timmermans sent a letter to the parliament where he again condemned the Russian law banning the propaganda of homosexuality among minors.

"The anti-homosexuality propaganda law has a stigmatizing and discriminatory effect and contributes to a climate of homophobia," Reuters quoted the Minister. He added that inhumane treatment or violation of the fundamental rights of Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people could be grounds for asylum.

One can see two aspects in the Minister's demarche, political and moral. The Western media wrote that this was a continuation of the last month scandal that began after the detainment of the Greenpeace vessel under the Dutch flag when trying to assault a Gazprom drilling platform in the Arctic. Then there were the attacks on diplomats in The Hague and Moscow, and in the Moscow attack the unknown left an inscription LGBT on the mirror.

 

A Reuters correspondent said that the Minister wrote the letter at the wrong time, a few days before the visit of the Dutch King Willem - Alexander to Russia. The King will meet with President Vladimir Putin to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

 

"From the point of view of Western elites - Dutch, German, French, English (the countries with equal marriage rights for traditional and non-traditional couples), the Russian law banning the promotion of homosexuality was perceived as a departure to the Middle Ages," told Pravda.Ru scientific director of German-Russian Forum Alexander Rahr.

 

"This is a topic that has been much exaggerated in the West, and Timmermans' statement does not surprise me. I heard similar statements (about political asylum for gays) from many NGOs protecting human rights in Europe. This means that we can expect the development of the topic at the EU level, and the trend will be getting stronger up to the Olympic Games in Sochi." The expert does not think that Timmermans' statement is associated with the visit of the royal couple and the latest scandals.

        

"Timmermans did what he had to do. This is a discriminatory law, and if the Netherlands can grant political asylum to the discriminated minorities, this is great," told Pravda.Ru Nikolai Bayev, an activist of the Russian LGBT movement. "The law creates the environment of intolerance, hatred, for example, now gay teachers are forced to resign," the activist said. "This is another slap on the face to the Putin's regime. But this is no one's fault but ours. Had we not adopted this law, no one would slap us on the face," the activist argued. 

 

The Netherlands takes an aggressive stance choosing Russia and not Saudi Arabia as the addressee of its "humanitarian" attack. Throughout the year, the Year of Russia- the Netherlands relations, the Dutch consul in Moscow Yenes de Mol led discussions with the Russian government explaining the inappropriateness of oppressing sexual minorities.

The dialogue was conducted at a high level. Russian President Vladimir Putin had the following response to the persistent attempts: "In Moscow, there are certain attitudes, but I can hardly imagine that a court in Moscow would allow an organization promoting pedophilia to function. I think that in some regions of the Russian Federation people would take up arms.

 

This applies to sexual minorities: I can hardly imagine that in Chechnya same-sex marriages would be allowed. Can you imagine that? There would be victims," Vladimir Putin said at a press conference after a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

 

Now let's talk about the moral aspect. Who wants to corrupt the Russian people, taking orders from the strong master? The Netherlands is among the ten most atheistic countries in the world, with 39 - 44 percent of non-believers. The Netherlands has legalized prostitution (2000) and the use of recreational drugs (1976), which led to an increase in crime and the decline of morality.

 

Sale and use of marijuana and hashish are out of control of the government, and addicts from all over the world are drawn to the country. This was recognized by local experts who are sounding the alarm saying that the Netherlands has become a drug trafficking transit point. According to the law enforcement agencies of France and the United Kingdom, approximately 80 percent of the heroin trafficked into these countries comes through the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

 

In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriages and allowed same-sex couples to adopt children. While the West is confidently following along the beaten path, the Dutch went ahead and officially registered the party of pedophiles "Charity, Freedom and Diversity" (PNVD). Among its demands is the reduction of the age limit for entry into sexual relationships (from 16 to 12 years old) and legalization of child porn.

 

The Netherlands allows euthanasia and incest for people over the age of 18, and bestiality became illegal only in 2010 (however, the study of the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad revealed that Dutch distributors are responsible for 80 percent of the global share of videos with scenes of bestiality.

 

Answering the question whether a mass exodus of Russian gays to the Netherlands at the invitation of Timmermans should be expected, Alexander Rahr said that it depends on whether they would feel persecuted. "I don't think so, and we all know that the law is not aimed at prosecuting them, it simply prohibits gay pride parades and propaganda.

 

I think that the Russian gay minority understands this," Alexander Rahr told Pravda.ru. According to the LGBT activist Nikolai Bayev, emigration has been ongoing for a long time. "People leave not only for the Netherlands but also the U.S., other European Union countries. It's hard to talk about mass nature of immigration because people simply do not have the money, especially in the provinces, where homophobia is much stronger."

 

The moral values ​​of civilization were formed over the centuries. If they are not followed, then people get killed in disasters or dye out. Today, under the banner of liberalism and tolerance perverts are legalized in the Western society. The Netherlands acts as the flagship. What do you call a society that decriminalizes abortion at late terms, legalizes euthanasia, bestiality, incest, prostitution, and drugs?

 

What do you call the country that is ready to declare a man and a cow a "married couple" and entrust them with raising children? Perhaps it is not an accident that in all the apocalyptic predictions the Netherlands is the first on the list to disappear.

Europe tries to exterminate obesity

 

by Ksenia Obraztsova

 

The population of our planet grows speedily. Many scientists say that soon people will have big problems with fresh water and food.

 

At the same time, people get fatter and fatter every year. The USA is no longer referred to as the fattest nation in the world. Russia and Europe put on weight very fast.

 

Indeed, obesity has become a serious problem for many developed countries of the world. It was generally believed seven or eight years ago that obesity was mainly a problem of the United States.

 

However, the epidemic has now struck Europe and Russia. Approximately 60 percent of the Russian population suffer from obesity.

 

A recent research conducted by specialists of the European Commission revealed that British females and Maltese males suffer from obesity in Europe most. It turns out that nearly a quarter of British women (23.9%) have problems with excessive weight. Citizens of Malta and Latvia take the second and the third place on the list.

 

According to the World Health Organization, 25-70 percent of the adult population of Europe suffers from excessive weight and obesity. More than a third of Europeans lead sedentary lifestyle. As we mentioned above, Britain is the fattest country in Europe. The list continues with Ireland and Malta.

 

The problem of obesity also touches upon Romania (7.9%), Switzerland (8.1%) and Italy (9.9%).

 

More than 1.3 billion people living on Earth suffer from excessive weight and/or obesity, UN experts said. This seems to be quite a paradox because every seventh human being in the world suffers from undernourishment. The diseases caused by obesity kill nearly 3 million people every year, which is comparable to the death rate caused by undernourishment.

 

The governments of many European countries realized that it would be much easier to simply make people eat healthy food. Danish lawmakers introduced a tax for the content of fats in butter and vegetable oil. The tax is calculated from the weight of fats in products and makes up 16 Danish crowns ($2.9) per one kilo of saturated fat.

        

The "fat tax" will raise the prices on hamburgers by 15 percent, whereas butter will become 40 cents more expensive.

 

Igor Orlov, a medical specialist from the Acupuncture Center, said in an interview with Pravda.Ru that measures like those taken by the authorities of Denmark would be good in Russia too. "We must realize that fatty food raise the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cause a whole bouquet of other problems. If we eat less fat food, we will live longer. Restricting the consumption of fat can do only good to the health of the nation. This can be incredibly beneficial," the expert said.

 

The French authorities taxed sodas at the end of 2011. The tax on refreshing fruit drinks was raised by 25 percent. The tax on sodas was raised by 35 percent.

 

Many news agencies reported in October 2011 that adding ketchup in the meals served at school cafeterias was forbidden in France. The measure was taken for the sake of healthy food propaganda.

 

Ketchup and French fries can nowadays be served only once a week. The document also stipulated the increase of vegetable dishes on the menus.

 

Interestingly, a high level of economic development of the country does not make people's menus healthier. Quite on the contrary, food becomes fatter. In the past, excessive weight used to be a sign of financial security of people. Nowadays, healthy food and fitness centers are expensive and are not affordable to all. The majority of people prefer simple food - burgers, microwave stuff and pasta, in which they add anything that they can find in their fridge.

 

UN specialists believe that high taxes will save mankind from fat. According to them, introducing nine-percent taxes on harmful foodstuffs may reduce their consumption by 5-9 percent. However, what will common people have to eat when fast food becomes the food of the rich?

 

Vegetarians vs. meat-eaters: Standoff is over

 

by Vadim Kirillov

 

Until recently, due to the lack of quality statistical studies, too great of a role in the great debate between vegetarians and meat eaters was played by a rhetorical component. A large-scale study involving 120,000 people showed that consumption of red meat significantly reduces life expectancy.

The position of vegetarians, due to the lack of data on long-term effects of meat diet on health, often boiled down to not always scientifically sound and ethical reasoning. The meat eaters recognized the proven harm of pre-processed (smoked, canned, freeze dried, etc.) meat and large amounts of animal fats. However, they stood their ground, indicating that the nutrient properties of freshly prepared meats (also unproven scientifically) are more important than hypothetical long-term risk of meat diet.

 

A large study conducted by a group of doctors from the Harvard School of Public Health, who worked under the guidance of Doctor of Medicine An Pan, revealed that fears of vegetarians are absolutely justified. Consumption of red meat is clearly correlated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and metabolic diseases, while the replacement of meat from mammals with fish and poultry greatly reduces this risk.

 

The findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine - the journal of the American Medical Association.

 

In the analysis of long-term effects on meat diet, An Pan and his colleagues relied on a statistical study of an impressive scale. A total of 37,698 men and 83,644 women participated in the study. Their health, along with the diet, was tracked for 28 years in the second group, and for 22 years in the first group. During this time, 23,926 deaths were recorded in the two groups surveyed, of which 5,910 - from cardiovascular disease and 9,464 - from cancer.

 

"We found that higher consumption of red meat is associated with a significant increase in mortality from these diseases, and this relationship can be traced in the case of pre-processed and freshly prepared meats, with higher correlations for the pre-processed. When replacing red meat with fish, vegetables and poultry, there was an inverse relationship - reduced mortality," the authors commented on the results of the study.

The study revealed that in total life expectancy falls by 13% in case of daily consumption of freshly prepared meat the size of a palm, and a whopping 20% ​​of the daily consumption of portions of pre-processed meats - a hot dog or two strips of bacon. For the disease that became the cause of death in both groups, the dependence of risks from the consumption of red meat was as follows: the risk of cardiovascular disease increased by 18% and 21% for fresh and processed meat, respectively, and cancer - by 10% and 16%.

         

These numbers can be considered statistically neutral, that is, free from those observed during the variables such as age, body mass index, physical activity and family history of cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is also important that all the observed members of the group were physically healthy at the start of the study.

In the second part of the analysis, the authors assessed the combined effect of replacing red meat with other foodstuffs. It was found that the risk of death in case of the exclusion of red meat from the diet is lowered if the daily portion of meat is replaced by a portion of fish (by 7%), poultry (by 14%), nuts (by 19%), vegetables (by 10%) and cereals (by 14%).

 

"We also found that 9.3% of deaths among men and 7.6% among women could be prevented in the observed period of time if all participants reduced their daily consumption of red meat by 50%," summarized the researchers.

 

In other words, three and a half thousand men and six thousand women who participated in the study would have survived if they had cut their meat consumption by at least in half.

Saving the elephant: International ban on ivory

 

by Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

 

IFAW is an international organization which has animal rights as its core business, which fights a global battle for the protection of animals, whether they are badly treated or are in danger of extinction. Its success stories are amazing...here is the latest, the war against ivory poachers.

 

In the latest issue of IFAW's magazine, World of Animals, the special feature is "To the Rescue: Saving animals in danger" and among those mentioned in this copy is the elephant.

 

As IFAW points out, "every piece of ivory means an elephant has died". In 2011, over 5,000 elephant tusks were confiscated, and 27,445 pounds of ivory were impounded.

 

Organised crime syndicates cover Africa looking for the raw material - living animals - to massacre, hack off their tusks and ship the ivory to the main market these days - the PR China. To help save the elephant, IFAW is working closely with INTERPOL to bring the culprits to task, while reinforcing work with national and regional animal welfare agencies in terms of information sharing and training of rangers on reserves.

 

IFAW trains and equips rangers with cutting edge communications equipment - the latest training action has encompassed eleven southern African countries, including 11 law enforcement officials, three eco-guards and 35 wildlife and security officials, along with information sharing schemes with port, customs, airport and judiciary officials.

 

The war is ongoing and the stakes are rising. In the words of IFAW's East Africa Director James Isiche, "As long as demand for ivory in China continues to increase, elephants in Africa and Asia will be under increasing pressure from poaching".

 

The solution? "We know what the solution is," continues Isiche. "A full and complete international ban on all sales of ivory".

        

Launched in 1969, US-based IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) is a non-profit-making organization which sends professionals to help animal welfare around the world, entering disaster areas, saving livestock and working to stamp out cruelty. From saving dogs in Bali, cattle in Pakistan, IFAW worked around the globe, fighting seal clubbing, whaling and raising awareness into animal suffering.

 

How you can help:

 

www.ifaw.org

 

Can anyone regulate women's decision to abort babies?

by Yuri Nosovsky

 

Is it possible to impose morality by force? Is human nature such that even under the most severe "pressure" it is willing and able to sin? In early March, the Ukrainian Catholic and Greek Catholic communities appealed to the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament) with a sudden and radical proposal - to ban abortions in Ukraine.

However, were are not talking about the absolute ban on abortion - there are some exceptions in the form of "medically necessity" when continuing the pregnancy could endanger the life or health of the woman. Potential underage "moms" also fall into this category - of course, if they want the procedure.

 

Bishops cited horrendous numbers in support of their position - two million abortions a year in Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian Health Ministry quickly denied this information, stating that even in the dashing 1990's with their continuous crisis and impoverishment of the population maximum of one million Ukrainian women terminated their pregnancies. Now, however, these figures had fallen six-fold - up to 153 thousand procedures a year, which is three and a half times fewer than the annual number of births.

 

Nevertheless, 150 thousand abortions is a significant number. If the prevention of pregnancy is disputed by theologians, with respect to a fetus already developed in the womb all Christian denominations are clear - it is a real human being with a God-given soul, and to take away this life is no less sinful than doing it to the child that has been born.

 

The initiative of the Catholic flock was coolly met by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate.  

 

The range of issues related to abortion is much broader than just its authorization or prohibition. Let's be realistic - the Church understanding of abortion as murder is not rooted in the minds of most of Ukrainians. Nearly 100 years ago the abortion legally ceased to be a crime, becoming only a private medical matter.

        

On the one hand, in the words of the Apostle Paul, childbirth is a woman's main mission in life. A normal pregnancy prevents malignant tumors and an abortion could make a woman infertile, forever depriving her of the possibility of maternal and family happiness.

 

On the other hand, bearing and giving birth to a chils is a very hard work. Not only has a woman to carry extra weight (while still working), there are such complications as morning sickness and mental changes. If a child is desired, the vast majority of women tolerate these difficulties with patience and understanding. It is a different situation if it is a single mother who was left by the father of the child.

 

In this respect the authors of the anti-abortion campaign say that if a woman does not want to have a child she can give birth and then leave it in the hospital.  The government, concerned with "low demographic indicators," is not going to offset the cost of even normal diet and medication for pregnant women. The sum of the benefits for a single mother is four times lower than the funds spent on one child in an orphanage and twice as low as the official poverty line.

 

According to statistics, after the release of orphans from state orphanages they are not provided with social housing and any other significant prospects, such as education and employment. Therefore, 70 percent of the orphan boys join criminal gangs, 60 percent of girls become prostitutes, and 10 percent in both categories commit suicide.

 

Needless to explain why, under such circumstances, many women prefer to take the life of their unborn child by abortion rather than entrusting their fate to the "caring" state.

 

The ban on legal abortion immediately provokes the growth of "abortion tourism." The latter is clearly seen in the example of Poland where the Catholic Church lobbied the law that has led only to the fact that Polish women choosing to terminate a pregnancy go to clinics in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. It is easy to guess that Ukrainians would do the same provided they have funds.  

 

Those who do not have sufficient funds will create the market of consumers of illegal abortions. We would be lucky if the "services" in this market are provided by doctors, and not some "grandmothers" in unsanitary conditions with potential life-threatening complications.

 

It is clear that the Catholic Church has solved the problem of abortion through the method proven many centuries ago. They have shifted the problem concerning the spiritual crisis of their flock to the state with its restrictive measures and the avenging hand of the law. Any ban is evidence of a very low moral status of the people. For example, there is no official ban on eating dog meat, but in the Christian culture it is simply not acceptable.  

 

The right of women to abortion is a completely different situation. Some consider a new man or career, or a prospect to get a good husband to be more appealing than having a baby; some are afraid of financial difficulties. This is because all the above "values" are the foundation of the modern consumer society that recalls Christ only on the most important religious holidays. One hundred and fifty thousand unborn children killed in Ukrainian clinics is just the tip of the iceberg of the enormous lack of spirituality.

 

The problem of abortion has a simple and complicated at the same time solution. We need to "only" overcome the lack of spirituality. People (who are also citizens and voters) will then review their own values ​​and change behavior patterns - so that, perhaps, banning the abortion would not be necessary.

 

But for make this happen, the representatives of the Church have to make a great daily effort. It is much easier to request "a hand" of the state.

 

However, it seems that the initiative of the Roman Catholic hierarchy will not get much movement.

 

The reasons are many. Politicians are not excited about a prospect of getting 150,000 new orphans a year. The most conservative estimate shows that this would absorb 10-12 percent of the Ukrainian state budget - a figure very deadly for the official Kiev that is humbly begging the International Monetary Fund for smaller amounts.

 

Serious politicians from the opposition are also not too keen on this idea. The actual leader of the Yulia Tymoshenko Block Alexander Turchinov very clearly stated his position: "As a Christian, I am totally against abortion, but this decision should be made solely at a referendum." Most likely, the noise will soon subside.

 

Yet, this is not a reason to give up. We should always be aware that there is no "revolutionary" legislation that would solve the problem of killing unborn children. This requires a long and painstaking work of the Church on education and revival of the human soul by the grace of God.

 

Deadly disease: Worst fears confirmed

For years, growing evidence has been presented about the possibility of a new deadly virus being transmitted from human to human, a virus with a mortality rate of 42.6%. 

Questions have been raised as to what the world health authorities have been doing to protect us, and now the chilling truth: it is transmitted from human to human

 

The new virus is called Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). 

It appeared in 2012 and its incidence has been focused principally around the Gulf States.

 

In January (1), I raised the alarm, presenting my first fears about how the WHO would handle what was then a new and deadly virus with an unknown transmission mechanism.

 

In February (2), I warned: "The scientific community is facing its worst nightmare: a pathogenic virus with the capacity to make a species jump and then become transmissible from human to human.

 

It is called NCoV, or Novel coronavirus", in an article which posed the question as to whether all cases were being reported, and whether or not human to human transmission had occurred.

 

The World Health Organization, the same organism that stood back and watched as Influenza A H1N1 became a pandemic, informing us of the different phases the disease was passing through, without imposing any restrictive measures on movement of people or goods, yet again reduced its activities to saying "be vigilant" and not advising any travel restrictions.

 

In May (3), I asked about the "confirmed cases in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, Tunisia and the United Kingdom" and again questioned how the statistics were drawn up and whether or not there were cases outside the loop that were not being considered.

 

In September (4), I referred to "the latest four laboratory-confirmed cases were reported by the World Health Organization on August 30, a 55-year-old man from Medina, Saudi Arabia who is hospitalized and another man, 38, from Hafar-al-Batin, Saudi Arabia, who died nine days after contracting the disease", raising the issue that "Two of his family members are also infected (a 16-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl)".

        

And now, the latest bulletin from the World Health Organization, dated November 4, states that the latest patient to die of the disease, a 56-year-old woman who became ill on October 26 and died on October 30, "had no contact with animals, but had contact with a previously laboratory confirmed case".

 

The report continues: "Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 150 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 64 deaths". 

That is a death rate of 42.6%, making it one of the most deadly viruses ever to have appeared. Spanish Influenza (1918-1920), which killed between 3 and 5 per cent of the world's population, had a mortality rate of 20 per cent at worst.

 

Yet what does the WHO recommend? It encourages member states to continue surveillance (i.e. sit back and watch), test recent travelers who develop SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infections) for MERS-CoV (while allowing them to make the Hajj instead of prohibiting it). 

The WHO, in stating "Health care facilities that provide care for patients suspected or confirmed with MERS-CoV infection should take appropriate measures to decrease the risk of transmission of the virus to other patients, health care workers and visitors" is admitting that human to human transmission exists.

 

However, the cherry on the cake: "WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it currently recommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions". 

Yet the issue is serious enough for an Emergency Committee to have been set up.

 

With friends like this to protect us, who needs enemies?  

Could it be that the way is being paved for the Pharmaceutical lobby to swing into action once enough patients have fallen ill with this new disease? 

And could it be that one journalist with zero background in medical sciences is doing far more to protect the world population from a potential killer than the army of experts employed and paid by the WHO?

 

 

The cat-and-dog life of the Vatican

 

by Lyuba Lulko

 

The arrest of Paolo Gabriele, a Butler of Pope Benedict XVI, did not stop the leaks into the media of documents from the private correspondence of the pontiff. Some anonymous "friends of Paoletti" published hundreds of letters threatening to expose the "crow's nest" of the Vatican, allegedly tasked with killing the Pope and the subsequent transfer of an Italian cardinal to the rank.

 

One of the first letters leaked into the media exposed the plot to kill the Pope. It is a letter of Colombian Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos in which he reported that the Italian Cardinal Paolo Romeo, Archbishop of Palermo (Sicily), has just completed a trip to China, during which he allegedly said: "The Pope will die within 12 months." Castiglione wrote that Cardinal Bertone would be killed as well, and Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, would be elected a successor as head of the Church.

 

From the outset it was clear that the Vatileaks were not the work of a butler but much more high-ranking officials. Who is at the helm of the whistleblowers? There are two theories. One was voiced by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that suggested that the leak of information was the result of collusion between the private secretary of Pope, Father Georg Gänswein, and Vatican secretary of state Tarcisio Bertone.

 

The paper stated that there was a constant stream of confidential correspondence from the personal archive of Monsignor Georg Gänswein, addressed to Cardinal Bertone. However, the paper provided no evidence of the tandem's actions. This is supposedly a theory of a "friend of Paoletti" who told La Repubblica that the letter of Bertone to Gänswein, was signed, but the actual letters were missing.

 

Spanish El Pais has quite a different opinion that suggested that Padre Georg was innocent and fell victim of the clever butler who stole the archive containing letters and faxes from the personal correspondence of Benedict XVI. A customer was the abovementioned cardinal, an Italian Tarcisio Bertone.

         

The first person in this story is the pontiff's personal secretary and confidant - 57-year-old German priest Georg Gänswein, who was called "George Clooney" by Vanity Fair for his resemblance to a "true Aryan". He receives and reads letters and faxes addressed to Benedict XVI. Monsignor Georg has been with the pontiff since 1996, when then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the former Inquisition), called him into his service. In recent years his influence on the Pope has increased dramatically, possibly due to frailty of the latter.

 

It was he who initiated the arrest of the butler who was accused of stealing mail from the archive.

 

In the immediate vicinity of Benedict XVI, in addition to Gänswein, there is one more secretary for domestic issues, a Maltese priest Alfred Xuereb, four nuns, Sister Birgit who helps to deal with letters, and the abovementioned butler - Paolo Gabriele, who served and helped with household problems and accompanied the pontiff in all public and private visits. Of course, Paolo with dual Italian and German citizenship was an obvious candidate for a "scapegoat." He was arrested on May 22 "for the theft and publication of classified documents."

 

Finally, the third suspect in the intrigue is an old friend of the Pope and his right hand, the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. However, in recent years, according to Italian press, he distanced himself from the Pope and even became a target for criticism from the rest of the Cardinals.

 

He was accused of ambition, dangerous relationship with the Italian authorities and even for getting under the influence of the Masonic circles. To the advice to replace Cardinal Bertone the Pope sadly replied:" I am an old Pope ...,"wrote ElPais. He tried to reconcile the Cardinals but in vain. The struggle became fiercer.

 

Do any of these individuals have grounds for the removal of the Pope? Not Paoletti, whose ancestors served in the Vatican, whose post will be inherited by his children, and whose family has a great deal of material privileges. Why would he risk his well-being and reputation? Another thing is power struggles and financial flows. Some media outlets wrote that it was a "typical Italian game." Indeed, the Italian cardinals have been out of work since 1978.

 

The Polish Pope (John Paul II) was the head of the Church from 1978 to 2005, and then he was replaced by a German pope (Benedict XVI). From this perspective, the Italian Bertone is a prime candidate for the role of the customer, and the German Gänswein is above suspicion. Even the letters condemning Bertoni fit this theory, for example, a letter of Cardinals Ruini, Scola, and Bagnasco.

 

They were published in order to divert suspicion from him.

 

Today is indeed an opportune moment to raise an Italian into the ranks. Among the 122 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave 67 are Europeans, 30 of which are Italians, and only six are Germans.

 

It should be noted that the influence of the European cardinals is overwhelming. At the last consistory on February18, there were no African cardinals and only one of Latin America, although it accounts for 47 percent of Catholics around the world. In addition, virtually all positions of responsibility related to finances are in Italian hands. But what happens if the rank is given to an able-bodied ambitious non-Italian?

 

Pope Benedict XVI is hunted on all fronts. A more significant event was the dismissal of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, president of the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), known as the Vatican Bank. Tedeschi was prosecuted for "suspicion of violating rules against money laundering", and he remains one of the few faithful to the Pope. What about the Pope? After several days of silence, he commented on Vatileaks. First, he reminded of the betrayal of Jesus 20 centuries ago, and then accused the media of exaggerating non-existent problem and confirmed that all his employees, including Cardinal Bertone, will continue to work at their posts.

 

In matters related to the Vatican, we may never know the truth. The Catholic Church for centuries has been developing methods of behind the scenes struggle and feels comfortable in the dark. Recently one of the cardinals said on the issue of conflict within the Church: "We had the same problem in the thirteenth century ..." 

 

International relations

by Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

 

Many are the references in the speeches of US Presidents about the need to "lead the world", an arrogant and intrusive approach from those elected by a percentage of their own people and nobody else. Yet today, what has America's "leadership" led to, where has it led the USA and its allies, what is its standing in the hearts and minds of the international community?

 

The Helsinki Final Act, or Helsinki Declaration, of 1975, was perhaps the visible face of the stance of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, looking for friendly relations with the West while it brought generations and millions of oppressed persons education, healthcare and decent public services, freeing them from the yoke of imperialist tyranny.

 

By 1989, the USSR was spending on average 250 billion dollars - a quarter of a trillion USD - on development projects overseas, implementing policies which guaranteed the right to basic services in countries where imperialism and colonialist policies had syphoned off the resources, placing corrupt political figures in power so as to guarantee the one-way direction of resource flow - outwards.

 

Scroll back seventy years, when the Russian Revolution was for the first time bringing backward societies into the front line of industrial development, guaranteeing housing, for free, free public utilities, free or heavily subsidized communications, subsidized public transportation, free primary and secondary education, free higher education, free healthcare, free dental treatment, zero unemployment, safety on the streets, security of the State, social mobility, indexed pensions, guaranteed basic foodstuffs, leisure time activities, free sports facilities, free cultural facilities... and back then we could already see the true mettle of the west.

 

The psyche of the United States of America, its poodle-in-chief, the UK and in turn the ex-colonies of London, principally Australia and the sickening clique of sycophants which crawl around, licking Washington's legs and feet - namely France and to varying degrees the NATO pack - is in essence Anglo-Saxonic, is based upon wanderlust, imposition of cultural values in a top-down, holier-than-thou approach which saw the same nations drawing lines on maps.

        

No sooner had the Soviet Revolution taken shape than there they were, interfering in the Russian Civil War, arming White Russians, fomenting bloodshed, in the most shocking act of intrusion. They lost because the Soviet peoples wanted the Revolution. Nobody asked them in 1989-1991 if they wanted to action the clause in the Soviet Constitution which gave the nations the option to withdraw voluntarily from the Union as the political leadership unilaterally tried an experiment - monetarist market economics.

 

With this experiment came calls to break up the Warsaw Pact, promises being delivered in a cynical fashion by NATO member state leaders that NATO would not encroach eastwards if the Warsaw Pact was folded. It was, and NATO did. To Poland, to the Czech Republic, to Slovakia, to Romania, to Bulgaria, to the Baltic States, forming a ring around Russian territory, a vice around Russia's throat. True, any concentration of NATO troops would be obliterated by a salvo of missiles so thick that it would blot out the Sun and a further salvo would send the States allowing such troops to build up on its territory back to the Paleolithic Era. However, the point is that NATO lied.

 

Like all liars, NATO has something to hide. It was patently obvious back in 1919, it has been patently obvious since then with its numerous imperialistic ventures, installation of Fascist repressive regimes, labeling progressive policies as dangerous when we see today that a "dangerous" label from NATO is in fact a humanitarian medal because those it derides have the best social political records.

 

With the USSR, there was a counter-weight to NATO's evil; after 1989-1991, there was a twenty-year gap while Russia found its feet. Now with Vladimir Putin back at the helm, we see Russia today is calling the shots, while Washington flounders in the excrement of its own policy-making - Iraq, today a failed state and far worse off than it was under President Hussein, ditto Libya, where Muammar al-Qathafi was to receive a UN prize in 2011 and which was leading the human development indices for Africa.

 

The Taleban was to all intents and purposes a failed CIA experiment, Operation Condor turned Latin America against the United States of America, Cuba comes across as the poor little good guy, successfully implementing socially progressive policies and even exporting excellent education and healthcare policies abroad despite an inhumane economic blockade imposed by the worst perpetrator of human rights records on the island - the USA and its Guantanamo Bay torture camp.

 

Yet this comes after the CIA torture flights, it comes after Abu Ghraib and it comes with Syria, where the west's support for terrorists has destabilized vast swathes of territory, where the west's darling "rebels" have committed the most shocking human rights abuses, including decapitation of children and where the west's darling terrorists have used chemical weaponry, trying to blame this on president Assad.

 

The fact that the FUKUS Axis (France-UK-US) jumped to conclusions so early after months of trying to incriminate President Assad, and the fact that Russia so masterfully managed to stop NATO's next little war, speaks volumes about where Washington and its poodles, and Moscow, stand today in the hearts and minds of the international community.

 

The former come across as greedy, interfering warmongers without one iota of moral values, underlining their collective history of massacres of innocent people striving only to preserve their freedom, and the latter comes across as a balanced and responsible member of the international community, backed up by the BRIC block and countless other member states of the UNO increasingly sick and tired of Paris, London and Washington, the FUKUS Axis.

 

Today we can understand that the Cold War was about the West trying to paint a grey picture of the USSR, yet in this the West has failed miserably. Soviet values and ideals - fraternity, peace, respect for sovereignty, development over deployment - live on and the social and economic system which was successfully implemented over seventy years shines like a beacon for today's repressed societies, struggling to put food on the table, struggling to pay energy bills, struggling to find a house, struggling to maintain a job, while the super-rich clique of corporate elitists rub their hands in glee at their ever-increasing profit margins.

 

This was predicted, seventy years ago. How long will it take for the people of the world to discover than an alternative exists, one that has been tried and tested and one which, by and large, can work?

 

 

Business center instead of Cathedral of Christ the Savior

 

 

Russia's Association for the Protection of Consumers' Rights filed a lawsuit against JSC Russian Orthodox Church. The compound of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior acts as the defendant on the case, Interfax reports.

 

"The move to take a legal action against the Church was based on regular violations of consumer rights legislation, which the Church committed in its commercial activities," the press release from the Association said.

 

Specialists of the Association carried out an inspection of commercial activities in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The work was conducted as a response to numerous complaints from consumers.

 

As a result, the specialists determined that there were the following enterprises operating on the territory of the Cathedral: car washing and tire fitting shops, a car service station, a paid parking area, a canteen, dry cleaning and commercial kiosks selling jewelry, souvenirs, kitchenware, wearing apparel and other goods. Separate facilities of the Cathedral can be rented for various events.

 

"As a matter of fact, there is a whole business center operating on the territory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and this center provides a variety of commercial offers to consumers. However, there is no sign on the building of the business center that would display the information about the seller, its name, location and work hours. The sign that they have - "Cathedral of Christ the Savior" - does not meet the requirements of the law for commercial facilities," the press release said.

 

"It is obvious that car washing services that presumably employ natives of Asian republics can not be referred to as religious rituals, just like other similar services. Therefore, they should be regulated by secular laws, rather than the charter of a religious organization," the press release said.

        

The inspection also revealed other violations. There is no information about the rules of the sale of goods; no price tags on the goods indicating their name, sort and price; no signature of materially responsible individuals. No company seals are used, no price tag registration dates are provided, there is no mandatory information for certain goods, review and suggestion books are not provided.

 

Consumers do not receive sales receipts and other documents confirming the fact and terms of purchase.

 

The lawsuit from the Association for the Protection of Consumers' Rights claims that the Cathedral of Christ the Savior should stop taking illegal actions that violate the rights of the indefinite range of consumers.

 

The activities of the Cathedral are maintained owing to the Foundation of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Foundation administers the bakery, the canteen, the dry cleaning, the car wash station and the parking area. It also organizes excursions and rents vacant facilities of the Cathedral.

 

"In spite of the that that the Russian Orthodox Church and other religious organizations are separated from the state, their activities, including commercial activities, are regulated by the Russian legislation. The legal relationship that arises from the acquisition of goods in a church shop shall be regulated by the law "About the Protection of Consumers' Rights," the press release from the Association said. 

Living in brave new Sweden, recalling the 1930s

By Ritt Goldstein

Photo by: Vadim Savitsky

  Throughout much of Europe, economic reforms have brought human hardship, many blaming such hardship on other than the political leadership whose decisions brought it. Reports by the Swedish government have revealed pervasive 'structural discrimination' against both those of foreign origins and other minorities, discrimination from official sources posing a particularly difficult threat.  Of course, history demonstrates too well what may occur when xenophobia enters the official structures of a state, the worst kinds of discriminatory acts finding a seldom questioned legitimacy.  

FALUN, Sweden - There are no gas chambers or concentration camps here, though a Falun politician, Daniel Riazat of the Left Party, did make March headlines when he charged that what's ongoing in Sweden can be compared with "politics in Nazi Germany".   Perhaps more telling, he was not without supporters for his statement.

Norway's ongoing Breivik trial emphasizes a disturbing perspective some today have.  The fact that Sweden's Expressen reported Breivik formed a "large part of his political opinions" (translated) here, does serve to underscore some unsettling changes.  That's further emphasized by the fact that on 14 May Swedish prosecutors began the trial of a 40 year old man charged with three murders and the random shooting of immigrants, a dozen being shot in the southern city of Malmö.  These attacks were also recently saluted by Breivik.

 

Helping to cultivate nightmarish changes here, the increasing impact of what might be termed Swedish 'Social Darwinism' has been substantive.  Many Swedes are unquestionably experiencing socioeconomic pain, Swedish xenophobia seeming to explode with the 'economic reforms' of recent years.  And, perhaps this can be seen as part of a wider pattern.

        

Providing a notable parallel to Sweden's rightward drift, Reuters reported Francois Hollande, France's newly elected president, describing the roots of his nation's far-right leanings as "economic despair among 'a suffering electorate'".  The fact of 'austerity' stricken Greece's neo-Nazis winning about 7% of the vote in its election, rising from the .23% they had received in the previous vote, does make a further statement.   Of course, if one ties the development of far-right feelings to economic privation, it would seem there's ample room to argue that a 'poison fruit' has grown from the branches of economic reform, and in Sweden 'the reforms' have proved particularly noteworthy.  

 

Turning social democracy into a museum-piece

 

Like much of the West, Sweden has embraced neoliberalism, but done so with extraordinary speed.  Only the US's conservative Heritage Foundation happily intoned that Sweden has privatized and deregulated itself faster than any other advanced economy on the planet.  And as the right wing US magazine American Spectator gleefully reported in September, "Sweden has been quietly turning social democracy into a museum-piece".

 

For many in Sweden, the changes have not been cause for celebration - they have only been quick and painful.  This once egalitarian country now has "the steepest increase in inequality over 15 years amongst the 34 OECD nations", Reuters reported, adding that the financial gap between Swedes is "rising at four times the pace of the United States".  

 

For tourists coming to Stockholm, a new bus to take is one which offers the so-called 'class war safari', affording visitors a view of the truly 'New Sweden', a Sweden increasingly of the rich and the poor.

 

Tax-reforms substantively aiding the wealthy and business (ie, Sweden ended inheritance taxes in 2005), plus 'corporate welfare', have effectively meant devastating cuts to social programs.  But many Swedes mistakenly turn their wrath upon societal minorities instead of the political leadership responsible for present policies, immigrants being a particular target, but not the only one.  

 

The blue-yellow glass house

 

A 2005 governmental report on the widespread structural discrimination here, "Det blågula glashuset" (The blue-yellow glass house), observed that 'blaming the victim' is common, as is 'widespread denial' of the xenophobic prejudices feeding such conduct.  Providing an indicator of the consequences, The Local (a leading English-language Swedish news outlet) reported that the "number of xenophobic web sites have almost doubled since 2007 and Jews and Muslims wearing apparent religious symbols are subjected to significant discrimination in Sweden today".  The article added that when "American research centre Pew recently investigated the development of religious conflicts and oppression worldwide between 2006 and 2009, Sweden distinguished itself as a country where hostilities related to religion are increasing the most."    

 

Addressing Swedish Anti-Semitism, Swedish media widely reported that the chief of the Obama Administration's Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Hannah Rosenthal, had met with Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu (Social Democrat), with the fact of such a meeting being a statement in itself.  Emphasizing the nature of this encounter, repeated statements by Reepalu have been characterized as "Anti-Semitic".

 

Sweden's Dagen quoted Rosenthal as summing up her Reepalu meeting with the words, "His (Ilmar Reepalu's) use of language is unacceptable."   Media also widely reported that Sweden's Integration Minister charged Reepalu has made "recurring ignorant and bigoted statements". 

 

Further highlighting Sweden's increasingly harsh environment, the titles of two articles provide glaring statement upon the living conditions some face here, the levels of societal 'inclusion' currently in play.  

 

A newspaper from Southeast Sweden, Barometern-OT, headlined this February "Vi är inte djur, vi är människor" (We are not animals, we are people).  And in January 2011 Svenska Dagbladet (SvD), Sweden's leading conservative paper, headlined, "Vi bor sämre än djur här" ("We live worse than animals here"), a title describing housing circumstances even I now experience.

 

The SvD article also observed that the tenants were "afraid" to complain.  And in Falun, where I write this, I personally have found that such complaints do virtually nothing to provide redress, but instead result in ones circumstances becoming ever more severe.  

 

In an admission that surprises even me, it's apparent that this journalist's own life is actually in jeopardy.  Providing an added indicator of the current environment, I have reported three incidents of severe vandalism at my home to police.

 

To be clear, many of the issues I've personally observed seem to originate with both official misconduct and the xenophobia that's long existed, but has explosively grown.  Structural discrimination by Swedish authorities and courts was documented by "Det blågula glashuset" and later reports, with it perhaps being the worst aspect of the problem here, and arguably its most dangerous.   

 

Local threats, Central Government passivity

 

In 2010, an article from The Guardian was titled "The new Swedish xenophobia", its Swedish author forecasting xenophobia would "gain new strength, new strongholds, new legitimacy."  For obvious reasons, should xenophobia take root within a state's official structures, the outcome for those not of 'majority heritage' is devastating.  

 

In 2008, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) did a report titled "Diskriminering i rättsprocessen" (Discrimination in legal proceedings), its subtitle being "On the disadvantages suffered by individuals of foreign origins (translated)".  The report details Justice System discrimination based upon foreign origins or minority community membership, and for the same reasons that a party with neo-Nazi roots was elected to Sweden's parliament in 2010, the Sweden Democrats, already disturbing circumstances have only appeared to deteriorate significantly further.  

 

To my eyes, the most severe threats one faces come not from Sweden Democrats or neo-Nazis, but rather from official actions undertaken by local Swedish authorities.  Meanwhile, the central government seems to typically adopt a posture of passivity towards this, including as regards the enforcement of laws precluding such acts.

 

Photo of protest against court discrimination in front of Sweden's Parliament. The Swedish portions of the sign read: Cronyism in Uppsala. Nonsense in law; Nonsense in justice; Who cares about minorities in Uppsala District Court; To lie under oath is risk free in Uppsala District Court. I will have Justice. While some of the picket sign's English-language words are misspelled, the Swedish is entirely correct.  Photo by 'A Concerned Swede'

 

There has come to be a perceived acceptability many seem to feel in viewing foreigners and minorities as a 'lesser species', as essentially what Nazi Germany had termed 'subhuman', indeed lending a perverse sense of legitimacy to whatever abuse misguided individuals are inclined towards.  Perhaps worse still, it often seems that the more blatant and severe abuse becomes, the more likely it is to be widely accepted instead of challenged, with fear likely playing a role in this.  But, there are yet Swedes of the sort that there are no people better, and one can but hope that the truths you are reading will become sufficiently evident for many to both awaken and act.

 

Two headlines over the last year here serve to highlight ongoing events, both appearing in The Local.  The first was "Swedish society forcing 'immigrants' to emigrate", the second being "Most Swedish emigrants ever in 2011: report".

 

Being Jewish and having lost the European side of my family in the Holocaust, I have often considered how such horror could occur.  Germany of that time was not a nation populated solely by madmen and monsters, so how could such a nightmare become real?   Watching ongoing events in Sweden, I believe I have come to appreciate how the German people could let the horror of Nazism rise, and my belief is that a gradual 'normalization' of unspeakable acts can occur, 'blaming the victims' and 'widespread denial' obscuring the reality of increasingly nightmarish conduct.  

 

It would seem that many individuals are capable of developing a particularly disturbing flaw, one leaving them unable to grasp horror committed by state structures until and unless it personally affects them, an unconscious fear of the potential consequences of facing such conduct seeming to aid in the widespread denial of wrongdoing.  Of course, given the purely emotional basis for such denial, any evidence that reality provides is simply discounted.

 

Again, as I write this I find my own life in jeopardy.  And while I believe I indeed understand what is occurring, it remains startling how so many here are aware of the circumstances I'm enduring, but yet simply seem to accept it as a normal part of local life.  What had once been unthinkable perversely becoming 'normalized'.  

 

When I first came to Sweden, to Falun, it was fifteen years ago, and I truly found it 'the closest place on earth to heaven'.  Today, my feelings are obviously quite different, events of the last years being genuinely impossible to even conceive of in earlier times.    

 

The Guardian article ends by observing that the "Sweden you know has now changed forever" ... the question now being what it's become.