What Would Jesus Say (W.W.J.S.), about the End of Days?

End times, there are so many different theological interpretations included in books, articles, debates, concordances spanning over thousands of years. Who's right, who's wrong?

This series of articles is not intended to dwell on doomsday prophecies, nor theological debate. It is designed to remind us what Jesus, himself, says in His own words in the Bible about the coming end of days. This article is to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ found in His Word. Even though this topic strikes both fear and curiosity at the hearts of men, Christ gives us comfort and strength in his words.

As time progresses, more people will need to know the Truth that can only be found in Jesus Christ. His Word will become most important as we walk through the coming days. To begin on this path we must first find out what Christ says about the coming end times. Know that he is our comforter, our counselor and our guide. There is no other way to Truth.

As you read the following excerpts in this article and the coming articles, picture yourself in Jesus' day. You are in the crowd at the Mount of Olives sitting on the grass or on a large rock. The sun is shining down on you and the wind gently brushes your skin. Maybe your friends or family members are sitting around you poised to listen to the most amazing Truth you have ever heard.

You have heard rumors of this man, they call Jesus, the messiah, and came to see and hear for yourself. You begin to listen to his words, your mind races with curiosity at every breath. Your flesh begins questioning the validity of the words and even the man, Jesus Himself. Ah, but your heart knows something that the rest of you wants to resist. This man speaks the Truth.

Something has brought you here, something beyond yourself, something that speaks through your heart. Its' more than just believing, it is a simple deep down knowing that you were chosen to hear these words.

Before you read, ask God for the gift of discernment. This is the ability to know the truth from a lie. Ask Jesus to teach you as though you were there, right this moment. And ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in applying these words to what you are experiencing in your life today.

Jesus Teaches on the Mount of Olives

"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 'Do you see all these things?' he asked. 'I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'

Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

'Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

'So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." Matthew 24:1-25. NIV

This is the first of a series of articles that will be addressing end times. This is not meant to frighten, but to inform, to guide, to help as Christians come together in unity. Feel free to share your comments at http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com.

As we go through this series, get your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you the gift of Discernment and the Kingdom of Heaven will be open to you.

You can visit this Blog at:

http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com

Article written by: A fellow Disciple of Christ

Series I, Article 1.

What Would Jesus Say (W.W.J.S.), about the End of Days?

End times, there are so many different theological interpretations included in books, articles, debates, concordances spanning over thousands of years. Who's right, who's wrong?

This series of articles is not intended to dwell on doomsday prophecies, nor theological debate. It is designed to remind us what Jesus, himself, says in His own words in the Bible about the coming end of days. This article is to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ found in His Word. Even though this topic strikes both fear and curiosity at the hearts of men, Christ gives us comfort and strength in his words.

As time progresses, more people will need to know the Truth that can only be found in Jesus Christ. His Word will become most important as we walk through the coming days. To begin on this path we must first find out what Christ says about the coming end times. Know that he is our comforter, our counselor and our guide. There is no other way to Truth.

As you read the following excerpts in this article and the coming articles, picture yourself in Jesus' day. You are in the crowd at the Mount of Olives sitting on the grass or on a large rock. The sun is shining down on you and the wind gently brushes your skin. Maybe your friends or family members are sitting around you poised to listen to the most amazing Truth you have ever heard.

You have heard rumors of this man, they call Jesus, the messiah, and came to see and hear for yourself. You begin to listen to his words, your mind races with curiosity at every breath. Your flesh begins questioning the validity of the words and even the man, Jesus Himself. Ah, but your heart knows something that the rest of you wants to resist. This man speaks the Truth.

Something has brought you here, something beyond yourself, something that speaks through your heart. Its' more than just believing, it is a simple deep down knowing that you were chosen to hear these words.

Before you read, ask God for the gift of discernment. This is the ability to know the truth from a lie. Ask Jesus to teach you as though you were there, right this moment. And ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in applying these words to what you are experiencing in your life today.

Jesus Teaches on the Mount of Olives

"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 'Do you see all these things?' he asked. 'I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'

Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

'Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

'So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." Matthew 24:1-25. NIV

This is the first of a series of articles that will be addressing end times. This is not meant to frighten, but to inform, to guide, to help as Christians come together in unity. Feel free to share your comments at http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com.

As we go through this series, get your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you the gift of Discernment and the Kingdom of Heaven will be open to you.

You can visit this Blog at:

http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com

Article written by: A fellow Disciple of Christ

Series I, Article 1.

What Would Jesus Say (W.W.J.S.), about the End of Days?

End times, there are so many different theological interpretations included in books, articles, debates, concordances spanning over thousands of years. Who's right, who's wrong?

This series of articles is not intended to dwell on doomsday prophecies, nor theological debate. It is designed to remind us what Jesus, himself, says in His own words in the Bible about the coming end of days. This article is to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ found in His Word. Even though this topic strikes both fear and curiosity at the hearts of men, Christ gives us comfort and strength in his words.

As time progresses, more people will need to know the Truth that can only be found in Jesus Christ. His Word will become most important as we walk through the coming days. To begin on this path we must first find out what Christ says about the coming end times. Know that he is our comforter, our counselor and our guide. There is no other way to Truth.

As you read the following excerpts in this article and the coming articles, picture yourself in Jesus' day. You are in the crowd at the Mount of Olives sitting on the grass or on a large rock. The sun is shining down on you and the wind gently brushes your skin. Maybe your friends or family members are sitting around you poised to listen to the most amazing Truth you have ever heard.

You have heard rumors of this man, they call Jesus, the messiah, and came to see and hear for yourself. You begin to listen to his words, your mind races with curiosity at every breath. Your flesh begins questioning the validity of the words and even the man, Jesus Himself. Ah, but your heart knows something that the rest of you wants to resist. This man speaks the Truth.

Something has brought you here, something beyond yourself, something that speaks through your heart. Its' more than just believing, it is a simple deep down knowing that you were chosen to hear these words.

Before you read, ask God for the gift of discernment. This is the ability to know the truth from a lie. Ask Jesus to teach you as though you were there, right this moment. And ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in applying these words to what you are experiencing in your life today.

Jesus Teaches on the Mount of Olives

"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 'Do you see all these things?' he asked. 'I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'

Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

'Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

'So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." Matthew 24:1-25. NIV

This is the first of a series of articles that will be addressing end times. This is not meant to frighten, but to inform, to guide, to help as Christians come together in unity. Feel free to share your comments at http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com.

As we go through this series, get your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you the gift of Discernment and the Kingdom of Heaven will be open to you.

You can visit this Blog at:

http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com

Article written by: A fellow Disciple of Christ

Series I, Article 1.

What Would Jesus Say (W.W.J.S.), about the End of Days?

End times, there are so many different theological interpretations included in books, articles, debates, concordances spanning over thousands of years. Who's right, who's wrong?
This series of articles is not intended to dwell on doomsday prophecies, nor theological debate. It is designed to remind us what Jesus, himself, says in His own words in the Bible about the coming end of days. This article is to proclaim the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ found in His Word. Even though this topic strikes both fear and curiosity at the hearts of men, Christ gives us comfort and strength in his words.
As time progresses, more people will need to know the Truth that can only be found in Jesus Christ. His Word will become most important as we walk through the coming days. To begin on this path we must first find out what Christ says about the coming end times. Know that he is our comforter, our counselor and our guide. There is no other way to Truth.
As you read the following excerpts in this article and the coming articles, picture yourself in Jesus' day. You are in the crowd at the Mount of Olives sitting on the grass or on a large rock. The sun is shining down on you and the wind gently brushes your skin. Maybe your friends or family members are sitting around you poised to listen to the most amazing Truth you have ever heard.
You have heard rumors of this man, they call Jesus, the messiah, and came to see and hear for yourself. You begin to listen to his words, your mind races with curiosity at every breath. Your flesh begins questioning the validity of the words and even the man, Jesus Himself. Ah, but your heart knows something that the rest of you wants to resist. This man speaks the Truth.
Something has brought you here, something beyond yourself, something that speaks through your heart. Its' more than just believing, it is a simple deep down knowing that you were chosen to hear these words.
Before you read, ask God for the gift of discernment. This is the ability to know the truth from a lie. Ask Jesus to teach you as though you were there, right this moment. And ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in applying these words to what you are experiencing in your life today.
Jesus Teaches on the Mount of Olives
"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 'Do you see all these things?' he asked. 'I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'
Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
'Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
'So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." Matthew 24:1-25. NIV
This is the first of a series of articles that will be addressing end times. This is not meant to frighten, but to inform, to guide, to help as Christians come together in unity. Feel free to share your comments at http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com/.
As we go through this series, get your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you the gift of Discernment and the Kingdom of Heaven will be open to you.
You can visit this Blog at:

http://www.endofdaysjesus.blogspot.com/
Article written by: A fellow Disciple of Christ

Series I, Article 1.

would a 5 watt cb with a dipole be very effective in the field..

Hi,

CB is great technology and has real advantages to other modes of communication - but reliable comms between two parties is a definite weak area. So it really depends on what you want to do.

The biggest problem with CB is the antenna. If you are running a well-placed dipole, it won't be your antenna, but the other guy's. If they are mobile, you might get a few miles range typically. The main reason is that mobile antennas have so much loading coil that doesn't really add to the ability of the antenna to radiate/receive a signal. The wavelength of CB is roughly 11m, making the ideal antenna about 18ft long - a short mobile antenna is going to be a compromise no matter what. The other problem is most mobile CBers don't tune their antennas and that further reduces the performance. Communicating from base station to base station (say via two dipoles) is going to get you a longer range- but it does vary a lot depending on weather conditions, sun activity etc.

That said, a proper 18ft dipole is going to pull in some great signals when conditions are right- its really one of the best all-around antennas. You will receive, and probably be able to transmit to stations around North America. But exactly who you can talk to won't be reliable. Around sundown conditions are typically best for comms along the daylight/nighttime line. One thing I like to do when camping is string my wire dipole between a couple of trees and see who I can hear. I can normally receive stations up and down the west coast. Equally typical however, is that conditions "aren't right" and I hear nothing at all.

There are a lot of options with CB as well - the best is to get something SSB capable. Single-sideband will give you a lot more range and the receivers in SSB radios tend to be much more sensitive. But the "new" price gets into the territory of Ham radios, and Ham gives you a lot more options for reliable and semi-reliable comms if you're willing to invest the time to get your license.

In summary though, the most important thing is your antenna. A good antenna will provide orders of magnitude better performance. There are guys running amps on their CBs illegally, but a decent antenna will normally provide just as much "performance" without the cost. If you are going to spend a bunch of money on a CB and an amp though, I'd recommend getting a ham license as your equipment costs will be in the same price range.

View the original article here

would a 5 watt cb with a dipole be very effective in the field..

Hi,

CB is great technology and has real advantages to other modes of communication - but reliable comms between two parties is a definite weak area. So it really depends on what you want to do.

The biggest problem with CB is the antenna. If you are running a well-placed dipole, it won't be your antenna, but the other guy's. If they are mobile, you might get a few miles range typically. The main reason is that mobile antennas have so much loading coil that doesn't really add to the ability of the antenna to radiate/receive a signal. The wavelength of CB is roughly 11m, making the ideal antenna about 18ft long - a short mobile antenna is going to be a compromise no matter what. The other problem is most mobile CBers don't tune their antennas and that further reduces the performance. Communicating from base station to base station (say via two dipoles) is going to get you a longer range- but it does vary a lot depending on weather conditions, sun activity etc.

That said, a proper 18ft dipole is going to pull in some great signals when conditions are right- its really one of the best all-around antennas. You will receive, and probably be able to transmit to stations around North America. But exactly who you can talk to won't be reliable. Around sundown conditions are typically best for comms along the daylight/nighttime line. One thing I like to do when camping is string my wire dipole between a couple of trees and see who I can hear. I can normally receive stations up and down the west coast. Equally typical however, is that conditions "aren't right" and I hear nothing at all.

There are a lot of options with CB as well - the best is to get something SSB capable. Single-sideband will give you a lot more range and the receivers in SSB radios tend to be much more sensitive. But the "new" price gets into the territory of Ham radios, and Ham gives you a lot more options for reliable and semi-reliable comms if you're willing to invest the time to get your license.

In summary though, the most important thing is your antenna. A good antenna will provide orders of magnitude better performance. There are guys running amps on their CBs illegally, but a decent antenna will normally provide just as much "performance" without the cost. If you are going to spend a bunch of money on a CB and an amp though, I'd recommend getting a ham license as your equipment costs will be in the same price range.

View the original article here

Would the US Military Stand Down and ‘Empower a Revolution’ If Faced With Riots and Civil Unrest?

In recent comments during a trip to Israel, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates discussed the escalating situation in Syria saying:

I’ve just come from Egypt, where the Egyptian army stood on the sidelines and allowed people to demonstrate and in fact empowered a revolution. The Syrians might take a lesson from that.

…

I would say that what the Syrian government is confronting is in fact the same challenge that faces so many governments across the region, and that is the unmet political and economic grievances of their people.

On the heels of the Libyan invasion, it’s becoming clear that events transpiring in the middle east for the last three months may not be as they seem in the mainstream. Rising food prices and a hungry populace have been suggested as one of the key triggers for what was followed by several incidents of self immolation and then wide-spread civil unrest. The state sponsored media has provided ample reason for the protests and riots breaking out in a dozen countries, focusing on the peoples’ yearning for democracy and change as the primary motivator.

It’s been parroted for weeks that mid-east leaders in countries like Egypt, Yemen, Libya and now Syria, are dictators and a threat to their people, as well as the United States. On February 4th, 2011, President Obama, speaking on the protests in Egypt, essentially gave a public , but cloaked decree to President Mubarak, recommending he resign:

“What I recommend to him is, he needs to consult with the people around him in his administration. He needs to listen to what was voiced by the Egyptian people and make judgments about the way forward that is orderly, but it must be meaningful and serious.”

…

“The key question that he must ask for himself is, ‘How do I leave a legacy in which Egypt is able through this transformative period?’ My hope is that he eventually will make the right decision.”

While not aggressively calling for Mubarak’s resignation, Mr. Obama’s words were interpreted by US and Egyptian media as exactly that. Even President Mubarak understood what was happening, and began a partial hand over of power to his newly appointed Vice President. A few days later, Mubarak declared his refusal to resign. When the riots broke out, he likely believed that the US would fully support the Egyptian government. After all, they had been our “friends” for decades. The official policy and attitude of the United States towards Egypt was clearly defined by President Bush in January of 2008, when the President visited with Mr. Mubarak in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt:

It’s an important stop for me because the United States has a longstanding friendship with Egypt. It’s important for the people of Egypt to understand our nation respects you, respects your history, respects your traditions and respects your culture. Our friendship is strong. It’s a cornerstone of — one of the main cornerstones of our policy in this region, and it’s based on our shared commitment to peace, security and prosperity.

…

I appreciate very much the long and proud tradition that you’ve had for a vibrant civil society. I appreciate the fact that women play an important role in your society, Mr. President. I do so because not only I’m a proud father of two young professional women, I also know how important it is for any vibrant society to have women involved in constructive and powerful ways. And I appreciate the example that your nation is setting.

Progress toward greater political openness is being led by the Egyptians themselves, by pioneering journalists — some of whom even may be here — bloggers, or judges insisting on independence, or other strong civic and religious leaders who love their country and are determined to build a democratic future.

Here’s a nation once described by President Bush as a longstanding friend and an example of political openness, women’s rights, and vibrant civil society, only to be declared a dictatorship by Western media almost literally overnight.

Similar themes have been playing out throughout the middle east, including Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Syria.

With the exception of Iran, no one in the White House or mainstream media really had any derogatory assessments of these other countries. And now, without warning, their people desire democratic governments? To be sure, the people of these countries have every right to protest, but something just isn’t right when you consider how the storyline has been developed.

After the perceptive buildup of dictatorial, power hungry leadership in the middle east, it was only a matter of time before an example needed to be set. Enter Gaddafi.

Libya, undergoing protests, riots and near civil war, seemed to be headed in the direction of Egypt, with an eventual voluntary transfer of power. Unlike Mubarak, however, Gaddafi rejected the West’s call for his military to stand down and pursued would-be rebels, going so far as to say they would be given “no mercy” if they continued their revolution.

What happened next makes inquiring minds wonder if Egypt’s President Mubarak wasn’t privately “asked” by elements of Western governments that he should pull back his military and resign, or end up hiding in a hole like Saddam Hussein.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates may have just given the Syrians the same option. If the Syrians don’t take it seriously, or come to the conclusion that Mr. Gates is bluffing, they may very well host the next Libya-style no fly zone.

Reasons provided by the US and coalition forces for the incursion into Libya is that the West is protecting innocent people from slaughter – a storyline that only sheep of state sponsored television could believe considering that the government of Bahrain allowed hundreds of Saudi troops to help quell the rebellion that threatened their monarchy. Government sponsored police forces are authorized to eliminate anyone who threatens the government, including unarmed protesters, many of who were shot in drive by executions:

The US and Western coalitions pick and choose which innocent civilians are worthy of saving, and many have suggested that this is due to one specific reason. If you haven’t guessed, it’s closely related to the oil and gas reserves in the region, but according to Conn Hallinan, it’s a much broader strategy that boils down to regional energy control. The Saudis, being close allies of the US (for today, at least) have a pass to cleanse protesters who would threaten stability. Libya, of course, is lead by a dictator, thus he has to go – just like the Syrian leadership.

Among the many inconsistencies with what’s playing out in the middle east is the question of what our President and Secretary of Defense would ask our own military to do if political protests, riots and violence erupted here in the US. Both seem to suggest that the leaders of these middle eastern countries, as well as their law enforcement and military apparatuses, should stand aside. Would the President of the United States, if faced with riots, molotov cocktails, and gun fire outside of the Capitol building or White House allow the military to “empower a revolution driven by unmet political and economic grievances” of the people?

Estimates suggest that Mubarak resigned amid as many as 2 million protesters in the streets. This is about 3% of Egypt’s population.

If the United States saw similar turnouts at Federal and State government buildings, would our leadership resign without a fight as well? Are we to believe that the same logic being used to compel dictators in the middle east to step down would be applied domestically if the people, in a public show of protest, deemed our government to be tyrannical and it’s leaders dictators? Moreover, does this mean that any such civil disobedience, riots, and gunfire would be ignored by military and law enforcement, who would be ordered to, as Mr. Gates suggested to Syria, stand on the sidelines?

We’d like to believe it is that easy, except we live in a little place we like to call reality.

View the original article here

Yemen's President Warns Coup Would Lead to Civil War

 

Edward Yeranian | Cairo March 22, 2011

Amid defections by military commanders and former political allies, Yemen's president is warning that any attempt to stage a coup against him will lead to civil war. But he also says he is willing to hold early elections and leave office by January in an orderly transition of power, as protests intensify against his 32-year rule.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis are occupying central squares in cities and towns across the country, as former allies of President Ali Abdullah Saleh move to pledge allegiance to a popular uprising against him.

Lashing back at the growing rebellion, President Saleh told a group of army commanders Tuesday that he is holding firm and that any sort of coup would lead to civil war:

He says no one should expect to come to power through a coup. Everyone must stop and realize that people are armed, and no one can defeat anyone. The time of coups, he insists, has ended. He says if someone wants to come to power, that person must follow a democratic and civilized path.

The president’s insistence that he will not step down immediately followed reports that the key presidential guard, commanded by his son, and special forces units under his nephew, continue to defend the presidential palace.

Tank crews loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who pledged allegiance to the rebel movement Monday, control the central bank and other key government buildings in Sana'a. Most of Saleh’s Cabinet has resigned or been dismissed, although Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed remains loyal to the president.

Saleh alleged in his speech that Yemen's "youth revolution" is being manipulated by veteran politicians with an agenda.

He asserts that the young people supporting the youth revolution are victims of old politicians whose goal is to gain power and who won’t stop at anything to reach that goal. He complains that the country is torn by numerous conflicts and that his rivals are vying with one another to revolt.

Princeton University Yemen scholar Gregory Johnsen argues that President Saleh is losing support quickly and that it is unlikely that he will be able to win back those who have defected:

"The army officers who have announced their support for the protesters aren't going to rejoin the president,” Johnsen said. “They are not going to come back into the fold. But a lot is going to depend on how loyal units of the Republic Guard are to the president's son as well as how loyal members of the central security forces are to his nephew."

Johnsen says the outcome may rest on a last-ditch round of mediation by Saudi Arabia. President Saleh dispatched Prime Minister Abu Bakr al Qurbi to Riyadh Monday evening to enlist Saudi help in brokering a solution to the nearly five-week-old crisis.

View the original article here

Yemen's President Warns Coup Would Lead to Civil War

 

Edward Yeranian | Cairo March 22, 2011

Amid defections by military commanders and former political allies, Yemen's president is warning that any attempt to stage a coup against him will lead to civil war. But he also says he is willing to hold early elections and leave office by January in an orderly transition of power, as protests intensify against his 32-year rule.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis are occupying central squares in cities and towns across the country, as former allies of President Ali Abdullah Saleh move to pledge allegiance to a popular uprising against him.

Lashing back at the growing rebellion, President Saleh told a group of army commanders Tuesday that he is holding firm and that any sort of coup would lead to civil war:

He says no one should expect to come to power through a coup. Everyone must stop and realize that people are armed, and no one can defeat anyone. The time of coups, he insists, has ended. He says if someone wants to come to power, that person must follow a democratic and civilized path.

The president’s insistence that he will not step down immediately followed reports that the key presidential guard, commanded by his son, and special forces units under his nephew, continue to defend the presidential palace.

Tank crews loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who pledged allegiance to the rebel movement Monday, control the central bank and other key government buildings in Sana'a. Most of Saleh’s Cabinet has resigned or been dismissed, although Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed remains loyal to the president.

Saleh alleged in his speech that Yemen's "youth revolution" is being manipulated by veteran politicians with an agenda.

He asserts that the young people supporting the youth revolution are victims of old politicians whose goal is to gain power and who won’t stop at anything to reach that goal. He complains that the country is torn by numerous conflicts and that his rivals are vying with one another to revolt.

Princeton University Yemen scholar Gregory Johnsen argues that President Saleh is losing support quickly and that it is unlikely that he will be able to win back those who have defected:

"The army officers who have announced their support for the protesters aren't going to rejoin the president,” Johnsen said. “They are not going to come back into the fold. But a lot is going to depend on how loyal units of the Republic Guard are to the president's son as well as how loyal members of the central security forces are to his nephew."

Johnsen says the outcome may rest on a last-ditch round of mediation by Saudi Arabia. President Saleh dispatched Prime Minister Abu Bakr al Qurbi to Riyadh Monday evening to enlist Saudi help in brokering a solution to the nearly five-week-old crisis.

View the original article here

What would you do if rebels attacked US cities, Gaddafi asks Obama

Home » Middle East, Politics » What would you do if rebels attacked US cities, Gaddafi asks Obama

Muammar Gaddafi says the UN resolution authorising international military intervention in Libya is “invalid”.

The Libyan leader says he sent a message to US President Barack Obama defending his decision to attack rebel cities: “If you found them taking over American cities by the force of arms, tell me what you would do.”

The statement came from the government spokesman at a news conference in Tripoli.

Mr Gaddafi also sent a letter to the French and British leaders, and the UN secretary general, saying the resolution violates the UN charter and saying they would “regret” any intervention.

“Libya is not for you, Libya is for the Libyans,” he said.

Source

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What Would Prompt a Military Intervention in Libya?

The tide of Libya’s revolt-turned-civil-war has turned against the rebels. Internationally-isolated dictator Moammar Gaddafi’s forces are retaking town after town in rebel-held areas of Libya and are now advancing on Benghazi, the country’s second largest city, where the youth-led rebellion began last month.

Badly outgunned and facing possible defeat, the rebels are asking, “Where is the West? How are they helping? What are they doing?” In Benghazi, the rebels’ newly-formed National Council has repeatedly called on the international community to enforce a no-fly zone to limit the regime’s ability to assault rebel positions from the air and slow the flow of pro-Gaddafi foreign mercenaries into Libya.

The United States and its NATO allies are weighing their options. While NATO has deployed spy planes to monitor the violence in Libya, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has stressed the limits of what a no-fly zone could achieve (protection against jets, but not against equally if not more lethal helicopters and tanks) and what it would actually entail on the part of the intervening parties (destroying Gaddafi’s air defenses; in other words, fighting an air war).

The European Union has been equally cautious so far. Its 27 member states are divided on what, if anything, to do about the violence in Libya. Powerful member states such as Germany have expressed intense skepticism about the wisdom of any military action against Gaddafi, but have stopped short of ruling out the possibility.

At what point might the US or NATO decide to carry out a military intervention in Libya? My guess is, when we see a combination of at least two of the following conditions:

– Gaddafi’s forces carry out a massacre large enough to shock the global conscience –something akin to a Libyan Srebrenica, or a re-enactment of the fall of Mazar Sharif to the Taliban in 1998.– The Arab League endorses outside military intervention.– The UN Security Council authorizes an intervention.– The Europeans agree to participate in a multilateral effort against the Libyan regime.

Libya’s rebels want Western air power on their side, but the US and its allies, bruised by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, are in no hurry to join another war.

View the original article here

Proposed Legislation Would Make Most Gardens and Farms Illegal (Australia)

This proposed legislation would make most permaculturists, farmers, gardeners and bush regenerators criminals. Many native wattles (Acacia spp), an extensive list of legumes including the Leopard tree, Honey Locust, wisteria and cattle forage plants like Desmodium, wetland plants such as the Common Rush (Phragmites), and common pasture grasses (Phalaris spp), even the iceplants in your Granny's rock garden would be effected by the legislation. Having 10 of any of these plants would be considered a trafficable quantity and cause you to be charged and convicted with a federal drugs conviction and criminal record. Submissions need to be sent in before 11 March 2011 to stop this absurd legislation.

Please visit http://www.gardenfreedom.com/ for detailed information about the diverse range of plants effected by this legislation and information to help you prepare a submission. The site also has links to the proposed legislation and where to send your submission.

What on earth????

Here are some extracts from the Garden Freedom website:

The Federal Attorney General wants to expand the list of federally prohibited plants. The list currently has 5 types of plants in which can be used as drugs. This is to be expanded to include hundreds (possibly thousands) of other species that are common garden plants and include a significant number of common native plants including our national flower, the wattle (Acacia spp).

The purpose of this new legislation is supposedly to stop major drug trafficking, yet many of the targeted plants have never been traded for drugs and have no value as drug plants, because they only contain traces of the compounds.

The proposed laws will make hundreds or possibly thousands of plants illegal. Many of these are common garden plants that honest, law abiding citizens have legally grown for as long as they remember. The laws will affect the commercial propagators, nurseries, farmers, collectors, botanic gardens, seed merchants, landcare groups and most gardeners.

Farmers may need to change their pasture grasses and legumes.

Gardeners, collectors, and botanic gardens will have to remove precious plants from their collections.

Landcare and dunecare groups may no longer work with the species they are used to and that are native to their region.

Nurseries may no longer propagate many of the plants they normally propagate.

Botanists may no longer collect samples from many plants.

Seedbanks will need to destroy many of their precious seeds.

Plants containing DMT - just one of the many substances in the schedule that occurs in miniscule amounts in thousands of plants.

All plants that contain any amount of DMT [dimethyltryptamine] will be prohibited, even if this is just in traces. The list of confirmed species is huge, but the number of potential DMT carriers is even bigger. DMT is extremely prevalent in nature and is likely to be present in thousands of species.

If DMT is found in one species within a genus then it is likely to be found in other species of that genus. Below is a list of genera where DMT has been found, followed by a PARTIAL list of confirmed DMT carriers. The number of plants already confirmed to contain DMT is too large to list here in its entirety. For example, only about 20 species of Acacia (wattle) have had their analysis published, however unpublished research has already established the presence of DMT in over 150 wattle species.

Any number of species within these genera may turn out to contain DMT. You won’t know until the government seizes your plants and analyses them.

Acanthaceae

Justicia – Justicia pectoralis

Aizoaceae (Ice Plants)

Delosperma – D.acuminatum, D.cooperi, D.ecklonis, D.hirtum, D.tradescantioides & 5 others.

Graminae (Grasses)

Arundo donax (Giant Reed)

Bromus sp (Lawn winter grass)

Digitaria sp

Hierochloe sp (Vanilla Grass)

Phalaris – P.aquatica, P.arundinacea, P.canariensis, P.minor, P.paradoxa, P.stenoptera, P.truncata, P.tuberosa

Phragmites – P.australis (Common Reed)

Leguminosae (Wattles & Peas)

Acacia – A.angustissima, A.baileyana, A.longifolia, A.maidenii, A.obtusifolia, A.phlebophylla, A.sophorae, A.victoriae, & 15 others

Anadenanthera – A.colubrina, excelsa peregrina

Caesalpina – C.pulcherrima (Leopard Tree)

Calliandra – C.pentandra (Powderpuff)

Desmanthus -D.cooleyi, D.illinoensis, D.leptolobus, D.velutinus (Grazing legumes)

Desmodium – D.caudatum, D.gangeticum, D.gyrans, D.pulchellum. (Grazing legumes)

Gleditsia – G.triacanthos

Lespedeza – L.bicolor

Mimosa – M.nigra, M.pudica, M.scabrella, M.verrucosa & 5 others. (Sensitive Plants)

Mucuna – M.pruriens

Petalostylus – P.labicheoides

Swainsona – S.galegifolia

Wisteria sp

Malphigiaceae

Myristicaceae (Nutmeg family)

Osteophleum – O.platyspermum

Virola – V.calophylla, V.carinata, V.peruviana, plus 8 other species

Ochnaceae

Pandanaceae (Screwpines)

Pandanus – P.utilis, P.odoratissima

Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)

Rubiaceae (Coffee family)

Antirhea – A.lucida

Psychotria – P.alba, P.viridis

Rutaceae (Citrus Trees)

Evodia – E.rutaecarpa

Limonia – L.acidissima

Vepris ampody
Zanthoxylum – Z.arborescens, Z.procerum

Violacea (Violet family)

February 19, 2011 - Permaculture.com.au

Submitted by Jonathan on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 10:30am.

View the original article here

Proposed Legislation Would Make Most Gardens and Farms Illegal (Australia)

This proposed legislation would make most permaculturists, farmers, gardeners and bush regenerators criminals. Many native wattles (Acacia spp), an extensive list of legumes including the Leopard tree, Honey Locust, wisteria and cattle forage plants like Desmodium, wetland plants such as the Common Rush (Phragmites), and common pasture grasses (Phalaris spp), even the iceplants in your Granny's rock garden would be effected by the legislation. Having 10 of any of these plants would be considered a trafficable quantity and cause you to be charged and convicted with a federal drugs conviction and criminal record. Submissions need to be sent in before 11 March 2011 to stop this absurd legislation.

Please visit http://www.gardenfreedom.com/ for detailed information about the diverse range of plants effected by this legislation and information to help you prepare a submission. The site also has links to the proposed legislation and where to send your submission.

What on earth????

Here are some extracts from the Garden Freedom website:

The Federal Attorney General wants to expand the list of federally prohibited plants. The list currently has 5 types of plants in which can be used as drugs. This is to be expanded to include hundreds (possibly thousands) of other species that are common garden plants and include a significant number of common native plants including our national flower, the wattle (Acacia spp).

The purpose of this new legislation is supposedly to stop major drug trafficking, yet many of the targeted plants have never been traded for drugs and have no value as drug plants, because they only contain traces of the compounds.

The proposed laws will make hundreds or possibly thousands of plants illegal. Many of these are common garden plants that honest, law abiding citizens have legally grown for as long as they remember. The laws will affect the commercial propagators, nurseries, farmers, collectors, botanic gardens, seed merchants, landcare groups and most gardeners.

Farmers may need to change their pasture grasses and legumes.

Gardeners, collectors, and botanic gardens will have to remove precious plants from their collections.

Landcare and dunecare groups may no longer work with the species they are used to and that are native to their region.

Nurseries may no longer propagate many of the plants they normally propagate.

Botanists may no longer collect samples from many plants.

Seedbanks will need to destroy many of their precious seeds.

Plants containing DMT - just one of the many substances in the schedule that occurs in miniscule amounts in thousands of plants.

All plants that contain any amount of DMT [dimethyltryptamine] will be prohibited, even if this is just in traces. The list of confirmed species is huge, but the number of potential DMT carriers is even bigger. DMT is extremely prevalent in nature and is likely to be present in thousands of species.

If DMT is found in one species within a genus then it is likely to be found in other species of that genus. Below is a list of genera where DMT has been found, followed by a PARTIAL list of confirmed DMT carriers. The number of plants already confirmed to contain DMT is too large to list here in its entirety. For example, only about 20 species of Acacia (wattle) have had their analysis published, however unpublished research has already established the presence of DMT in over 150 wattle species.

Any number of species within these genera may turn out to contain DMT. You won’t know until the government seizes your plants and analyses them.

Acanthaceae

Justicia – Justicia pectoralis

Aizoaceae (Ice Plants)

Delosperma – D.acuminatum, D.cooperi, D.ecklonis, D.hirtum, D.tradescantioides & 5 others.

Graminae (Grasses)

Arundo donax (Giant Reed)

Bromus sp (Lawn winter grass)

Digitaria sp

Hierochloe sp (Vanilla Grass)

Phalaris – P.aquatica, P.arundinacea, P.canariensis, P.minor, P.paradoxa, P.stenoptera, P.truncata, P.tuberosa

Phragmites – P.australis (Common Reed)

Leguminosae (Wattles & Peas)

Acacia – A.angustissima, A.baileyana, A.longifolia, A.maidenii, A.obtusifolia, A.phlebophylla, A.sophorae, A.victoriae, & 15 others

Anadenanthera – A.colubrina, excelsa peregrina

Caesalpina – C.pulcherrima (Leopard Tree)

Calliandra – C.pentandra (Powderpuff)

Desmanthus -D.cooleyi, D.illinoensis, D.leptolobus, D.velutinus (Grazing legumes)

Desmodium – D.caudatum, D.gangeticum, D.gyrans, D.pulchellum. (Grazing legumes)

Gleditsia – G.triacanthos

Lespedeza – L.bicolor

Mimosa – M.nigra, M.pudica, M.scabrella, M.verrucosa & 5 others. (Sensitive Plants)

Mucuna – M.pruriens

Petalostylus – P.labicheoides

Swainsona – S.galegifolia

Wisteria sp

Malphigiaceae

Myristicaceae (Nutmeg family)

Osteophleum – O.platyspermum

Virola – V.calophylla, V.carinata, V.peruviana, plus 8 other species

Ochnaceae

Pandanaceae (Screwpines)

Pandanus – P.utilis, P.odoratissima

Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)

Rubiaceae (Coffee family)

Antirhea – A.lucida

Psychotria – P.alba, P.viridis

Rutaceae (Citrus Trees)

Evodia – E.rutaecarpa

Limonia – L.acidissima

Vepris ampody
Zanthoxylum – Z.arborescens, Z.procerum

Violacea (Violet family)

February 19, 2011 - Permaculture.com.au

Submitted by Jonathan on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 10:30am.

View the original article here

Italy: Interior Minister says US military intervention would be WW III

Roberto Maroni, Italy's Minister of Interior, said that "military intervention in Libya would mean a Third World War," apparently alluding to reports of posturing by the the United States, Great Britain, and NATO. Interviewed by the La Padania newspaper, Maroni spoke in the March 8 report on policy towards the simmering rebellions in the Maghreb region, including Libya and Tunisia. Said the minister, "A strong military action, in particular on the part of the US, would do nothing more than coalesce the other Arab states and the consequences would be devastating."
Continues here

View the original article here