Europe’s Finances Are a Mess

Over the years, I’ve paid heavy attention to the US economy because the vast majority of RR’s readers are from North America. The financial situation in Europe is so dire, I think it needs special attention. The COVID-19 virus has generated massive budget shortfalls among EU members.

From 2000, Eurozone debt has risen from €5.2 trillion to €12.04 trillion in the third quarter of 2020, representing 97.3% of the euro area GDP.

Over the last year, the greatest debt to GDP increases were in Cyprus at 22.9%, Italy at 17.4%, Greece at 17.3%, Spain at 16.6%, and France at 16.5%. The EU economy is drifting into a deepening slump, so there is no way for it to grow out of these ever-expanding debt loads.

Europe is now back into its third lockdown, and it appears that 2021 will be no better than 2020 as central governments print vast amounts of money to provide stimulus checks to unemployed Europeans.

The EU vaccine program has been an absolute disaster. It is a classic example of how socialism gums up the workings of the capitalist economic system. While the US has 38% of its people vaccinated, the EU has only 12% of its citizens vaccinated.

On 27 January, officials raided AstraZeneca’s facility in Brussels, following production problems that had reduced the amount of its yet-to-be-approved supply to the EU. The Commission’s president threatened to invoke Article 122, allowing the EU to seize AstraZeneca’s factories and ban vaccine exports to the UK. Because AstraZeneca is a British firm, the concern about the safety of the vaccine seems to be more the result of political infighting than pure science.

Germany’s decision to hit the brakes on AstraZeneca’s vaccine came at a terrible time, setting back the vaccine rollout just as Europe confronts a new wave of infections that have led countries to reimpose or extend the restrictions.

All the nations that needed a bailout following the Great Recession are back into hot water: Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, and Ireland. Greece has had three official bailouts since 2010, but it has credit extended to it at least eight times. With Greece’s debt at 200% of GDP, a fourth bailout is only a matter of time.

The Greeks have no incentive to balance their budget. The European Central Bank is so sensitive to rising bond yields that it is determined that they are kept as low as possible. The degree of suppression is illustrated by a Greek 30-year bond selling at a yield of 1.93% — half a percent less than the US Treasury equivalent. It is plainly wrong for a country with a deteriorating government debt to GDP ratio of 200% and an appalling track record.

What’s different this time around is that Italy, Spain, and France have joined the list. These three nations are massively larger than the four other countries, and they have total debts equal to $7.5 trillion. Italy’s national debt equals $3.1 trillion, which is 154% of its GDP.

The Germans are going to be the ones who will need to approve this new credit. The strong work ethic has made Germany Europe’s financial powerhouse. After endless rounds of bailouts to its fellow EU members, the Germans are probably starting to feel like someone who has a joint bank account with a heroin addict.

The German government may not be able to play Santa Claus much longer. Germany had seen its national debt declined as a percent of GDP for nearly a decade. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Germany’s debt has soared from 60% to 83% of GDP.

Since many European nations owe Germany trillions of dollars from all the products they’ve purchased from their neighbor, Berlin may have no choice in voting for more bailouts. France alone owes Germany $1 trillion.

I think it’s by design that every major economic power on planet Earth has a major problem with too much debt. The day will come when central banks will lose control and panic will sweep the globe as it did in 1929. Then will come a man who has all the answers to the world’s financial woes.

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” (Revelation 13:16-18).

.– Todd

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A Most Intriguing Pair…

In observing all the many indicators that the Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week) might be about to begin, we can, with reasonable certainty, speculate that the evil dictator of that prophesied era might be almost in view. “Is the Antichrist alive today?” is the question that is asked, right up there with, “Is America in Bible prophecy?”

The question about who this terrible tyrant will be has preoccupied many students of Bible prophecy for centuries. But it is the past few decades, with the movement into ever-increasing rebelliousness against the God of Heaven, that have been an incubator for giving the question immediately crucial importance. That is, everything is now almost in place for birthing that Beast system of control upon planet earth.

For example, society and culture have become so debased as to demand that earth’s inhabitants believe and accept that God’s way for humanity is wrong and man’s own way is how things should be. We’ve looked at this many times. Men can be in sexual relationships with other men and women with other women and we must accept it as legal, moral, and normal in every way. Marriage can be between men and men and women and women, not only relationships exclusively involving one man and one woman in the marital union for life.

A person can be the gender they want to be, not what their birth certificates indicate they are biologically. God is wrong and man is right. It is what God’s Word says is mankind “doing what is right in their own eyes.”

Antichrist’s regime of terror can be seen developing in the area of economics. Fiscal equilibrium is so out of balance nationally and worldwide as to require, as it is called, a “reset.”

This includes the globalists elite manipulating sovereign nations into a one world order of economy. It’s all moving toward the prophesied Antichrist numbers-and-mark system of Revelation 13:16–18. This is largely what the entire period of hatred for Donald J. Trump has been about. America’s dollar, thus it’s hegemony over other economies of the world, must be destroyed and US assets brought under the auspices of a central banking system. It is all to prepare for the institution of the 666 regime of economic control—over which Antichrist will be master.

In religion, the trajectory cannot be missed. Satan’s propaganda machine, the worldwide news and entertainment media, have been complicit in convincing that all religions of the world are portals to achieving godhood. Only true Christianity is equated to a hate-centered system of religion. It is called bigoted and narrow-minded to the exclusion of all of humanity who don’t adhere to Christ as the only way to salvation.

But now a man, the Roman Catholic Pope Francis, the so-called Vicar of Christ, has declared on many occasions that there are many ways to God, not just the way given in the Bible. As pontiff and acknowledged by most religious observers as head of all Christendom, this pope’s apostate view validates for the world that Christ as the only way to salvation is a lie. This, too, is a bomb-burst notice against the black skies of end-times evil that the platform for Antichrist is almost complete in its construction.

Antichrist in view?

All seems set for Antichrist to take the stage for the wind-up of human history leading to Christ’s return. Should we expect that that entity be on the scene today?

I will say here that I don’t know, but that it’s not only possible, but probable that he is somewhere on planet earth today and that he could be thrust into his blasphemous limelight at any moment. That moment would be when the Rapture happens in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Some believe strongly that that man is in view. As a matter of fact, those who hold to this belief say both the first and second beasts of Revelation 13 might be even now consulting with each other.

I’m not saying that I accept this. I’m just saying that there are many who do see that pair as already making themselves known in today’s headlines. A news item frames the scene some see as Antichrist and the False Prophet to come making their presence known.

FROM VATICAN NEWS: Pope Francis and France’s President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone on Sunday, according to a press release from the President’s Office at Élysée Palace. The call, which was requested by the Pope, marks the fifth time the two world leaders have spoken since Macron’s election in 2017.

Their conversation reportedly lasted around 40 minutes, and came after President Macron sent the Pope a message on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of his election to the papacy.

The last time they spoke was October 30th of last year, after the attacks on the Cathedral of Nice, which killed 3 people.

Iraq visit “a turning point”

The Élysée press office said that during their Sunday conversation the two spoke at length about Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Journey to Iraq. Macron said the visit marked “a true turning point” for the Middle Eastern region. The pair also dwelt on their “thoughts and concerns” about several crises affecting various parts of the globe…

According to the Élysée press statement, President Macron also spoke to the Pope about the “challenges of a post-Covid world”. Pope Francis published a book with British journalist Austen Ivereigh on the subject, in which he said humanity has been given the opportunity to build a better world after the pandemic.  (“Pope Francis speaks to French President Emmanuel Macron by phone, discussing his recent visit to Iraq and the challenges of a post-Covid world,” by Vatican News staff writer, Vatican News, Rapture Ready News March 25, 2021)

Again, I don’t know—nor does anyone else—who Antichrist and his False Prophet will be. This pair does, however, make for intriguing speculation. In the final analysis, we have only God’s Word in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 to tell us about the timing of Antichrist’s coming onto the world scene as that “man of sin.”

If you’re a true believer in Jesus Christ—that He is the only way to salvation—not one who believes the way this pope promotes, you will never know for sure who this “son of perdition” is—at least not this side of your heavenly home.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he [God the Holy Spirit resident within true believers, the Church] who now [restrains evil]will [restrain,] until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked [Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. (2 Thessalonians 2:7–9)

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

 

–Terry

Why Won’t Most Americans Defend Themselves Against the Left’s Agenda?

As the ‘Social Justice’ Warriors and Cancel culture activists run roughshod over our nation, the average American does nothing to defend their personal liberty. Every time a book, movie, or TV show is added to the banned list, there is no blowback from the public.

The reason why most people sit idly by while things we treasure are taken to the slaughter is because helplessness has been ingrained into society. Once it became perceived that nothing could be done to combat the left’s agenda, people quit trying to resist.

When the Black Lives Matter movement became dominant in the culture, some people tried to counteract it by saying “all lives matter.” Many of these people lost their jobs for making what was a perfectly reasonable remark. Black Lives Matter is not about race; it’s about being relevant to a leftist ideology.

You have to be very guarded about allowing people to have authority over you. Once they gain power, they are unwilling to surrender it. The COVID-19 mask mandate is a good example. Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has recently said that people fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask in public. In fact, he said that people should wear two masks.

Senator Rand Paul rightly called him out for not having any scientific evidence to back up his recommendations:

“There’s virtually 0% chance you’re going to get it, and you’re telling people that have had the vaccine who have immunity — you’re defying everything we know about immunity by telling people to wear masks who have been vaccinated,” said Paul.

Fauci justifies the need to continue wearing a mask based solely on the possibility of contracting a variant of the COVID-19 virus. There is no indication that any variant can infect a person who has been fully vaccinated. Fauci Keeps moving goalposts because he wants to maintain his position of authority.

Many people on the right wasted a lot of valuable time by mocking the action of the left. Ridicule is a useful tool in combating your enemy, but it should be accompanied by stronger action. Many people have mocked the banning of Pepe Le Pew with T-shirts that proclaimed Pepe’s innocence. I have not found anyone who went after Warner Brothers for making this dumb decision. If Pepe had been given the ax in the 90s, people would threaten to boycott Warner Brothers’ movies.

What makes it so difficult to turn the tide is the reality that the left has almost completely taken over this nation. The LGBTQ is one good example. Many years ago, one of the first companies to have a positive policy toward homosexuality was AT&T. Today, the vast majority of companies fly the rainbow flag of this aggregation of sexual perversions.

A key reason why the left has been able to take over our nation is the failure to realize Satan’s win by being persistent. We won many battles against various vices, but in the end, we lost the war. Pro gambling groups tried for decades to allow for Casinos to be legal here in Arkansas. About three years ago, voters finally gave in and passed a measure that let five cities build their own gambling dens.

Now that the left controls nearly every school, business, and government, no amount of resistance will be tolerated. One of the last uncensored corners of the internet is a site called Substack. The liberal media is trying to get the platform shut down. The press has invented the idea that Substack promotes violence and harassment by simply disagreeing with the general view of the leftist media. They think they have a monopoly on the dissemination of news, and anyone who tries to compete with them is violating their patent.

The people who fight back are often doing so because they have no other option. The left is taking away their business or their freedom. By allowing the left to get so powerful before acting, there is little chance of defeating them.

Because of my belief that we are in the last days, I see it as very unlikely that America could ever return to Godly values. Revival is not possible because most Christians think it means getting a blessing from the good Lord. What they fail to understand is that humble repentance must come first.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

.– Todd

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Father of Fake News

Realizing not all who read this commentary will agree, I preface my thoughts with the obvious. Yours truly is ideologically (politically and socially speaking) quite conservative. Many can’t, or won’t, agree with my thinking here—nor will most who think in liberal (so-called progressive) terms even care to read what I have to say here. Nonetheless, what we have witnessed and written about over the past months and years is part of the factual historical record, and is, therefore, fair fodder for examination.

Former President Donald Trump labeled mainstream news media “fake news,” as we heard day after day of his administration. As it turned out, everything they accused him of did, in fact, for the most part, turn out to be totally fake. Two impeachment attempts were proven full of distortions and prevarications that to this day have never been corrected by any of the mainstream news outlets—at least, none I’ve read or heard.

As a matter of fact, some of the lies are being reprised to fit the evil the minions wish to perpetrate in order to establish their desired global order.

The Russia collusion hoax, the alleged illegal dealings with the Ukrainian government, and myriad other such falsehoods all proved to be without any supporting evidence whatsoever.

Those from politics, government, and the so-called deep state, who opposed and hated Donald Trump, when called before congressional committees, said under oath that they found no evidence of what they accused him of doing. However, when they went before news cameras and microphones throughout mainstream news outlets, they claimed furiously that there was overwhelming evidence of Trump’s wrongdoing. This they did while not under oath. They knew that their friends in the mainstream news wouldn’t hold them accountable for truth-telling. That was the true collusion over the past five years while Trump was lambasted from every angle.

Now, this is in no way to say that one party is totally innocent of lying to us and the other is totally guilty of lying to us. There is enough truth about the lying to go around in regard to applying that accusation to all governmental and political entities in this nation and around the world.

However, there can be little doubt that the deliberate deception being foisted within the last decade by those who would rule over us rather than serve us has ramped up exponentially. And, this is prophetically in line with Jesus’ own words in foretelling that there will be great deception as the time of His Second Coming nears. The Apostle Paul forewarned that evil men and seducers would get worse and worse, didn’t he? Deception and lies are synonymous, aren’t they?

One judge seems to be almost a lone voice in pointing out the danger of this deception and lies that permeate every facet of life in America—particularly regarding the media-political colluding going on. Here are some excerpts of what is reported in that regard.

A federal judge this week said that the Democrat Party is close to controlling the press as he detailed what he described as shocking bias against Republicans.

D.C. Circuit Court Judge Laurence Silberman outlined his opposition to the Supreme Court’s key decision in 1964 in New York Times v. Sullivan, which has since protected many media outlets from lawsuits.

Silberman, a Reagan appointee, wrote that the ruling is “a threat to American Democracy” and must be overturned.

“The increased power of the press is so dangerous today because we are very close to one-party control of these institutions. Our court was once concerned about the institutional consolidation of the press leading to a ‘bland and homogenous’ marketplace of ideas. It turns out that ideological consolidation of the press (helped along by economic consolidation) is the far greater threat,” he continued.…

Two of the three most influential papers (at least historically), The New York Times and The Washington Post, are virtually Democratic Party broadsheets. And the news section of The Wall Street Journal leans in the same direction. The orientation of these three papers is followed by the Associated Press and most large papers across the country (such as the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, and Boston Globe).

Nearly all television—network and cable—is a Democratic Party trumpet. Even the government-supported National Public Radio follows along,” he added.…“It should be borne in mind that the first step taken by any potential authoritarian or dictatorial regime is to gain control of communications, particularly the delivery of news. It is fair to conclude, therefore, that one-party control of the press and media is a threat to a viable democracy. It may even give rise to countervailing extremism,” Silberman concluded. (Tyler Durdan and Zachary Stieber, “A Threat to American Democracy,” Zero Hedge, March 20, 2021)

It continues to be demonstrated that we’re given daily doses of fake news by a colluding mainstream news-political power center. The danger in this all-out inculcation to convince us to accept the lies and distortions goes far beyond what Judge Silverman proposes. It is a profound spiritual danger far beyond a mere political or cultural, societal, danger.

The nation and world are being conditioned to accept the suggestions, edicts, and commands of the greatest liar of all times, for when he steps onto the stage of history, Antichrist will regurgitate the words of Satan, whom Jesus called the “father of lies.”

The Lord, in rebuking those who would not recognize the truth He spoke to them, said:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he spiked a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Satan is the father of fake news. He puts forth distortions and lies diametrically opposite of God, who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:17).

The overtly observable truth that these darkening times are filled with satanic inculcation involving deception is proof that the time of Christ’s call to the Church must indeed be near.

–Terry