Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Yaalon: the Damage Done to Hamas is Unprecedented in Its Scope
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Thursday that the damage done to Hamas by the IDF in Operation Protective Edge is "unprecedented in its scope."

Speaking at the opening of a security cabinet meeting, Ya'alon said that Israel would not compromise on the security of its citizens in any truce to end fighting.

UNRWA Head to UN Security Council: Parties in Gaza Must Respect Sanctity of UN Premises
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

UNRWA head Pierre Krahenbuhl called on the sides in the fighting in Gaza to respect the sanctity of UN premises in a message that he delivered to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

Krahenbuhl said eight of his colleagues lost their lives in Gaza since the conflict began twenty-four days ago.  

"If we are not safe in an UNRWA school we are not safe anywhere," Krahenbuhl said Palestinians in Gaza have told him over the past days.

Krahenbuhl strongly condemned armed groups for putting weapons in UNRWA facilities but said that this did not justify Israeli attacks on the schools.

Universalism is Next for the Soft Love Crowd
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

Demi Lovato is the latest professing Christian (and celebrity) to declare that, "The LOVING God that I believe in, would never condemn anyone for loving another human of the same sex."

What's the next step on this slippery theological slope?

I predict it will be: "The LOVING God that I believe in would never condemn anyone." Just watch and see.

We know that one of the greatest strengths of the "gay Christian" movement is that there are lots of really nice people who are same-sex attracted, and some of them profess deep faith in Jesus and are active in compassionate and sacrificial service to the poor and needy.

How could a loving God condemn people like them?

I personally find that to be a very powerful question—one that I have agonized over before my heavenly Father many times. In fact, I honestly believe that if questions like this don't cause us some level of pain then we don't really have the heart of the Lord.

But here's the problem: It's not just same-sex attracted people we're talking about.

I personally know many fine individuals who are ultra-Orthodox Jews. In fact, as human beings go (meaning, we're all flawed and lacking), some of them are exceptional people, fearing God, seeking to keep His commandments, willing to give their lives for their faith, pouring into their families, studying the Scriptures and their traditional writings, and praying for hours every day.

How could a loving God send people like that to hell?

But it's not just Orthodox Jews. Some Muslims are exceptional human beings (most Muslims are not suicide bombers), as are some Hindus and Buddhists and atheists and others, including secular Jews and Mormons and people of all kinds of faiths and non-faiths.

Some are extremely kind and generous. Some are very patient and long-suffering. Some will give you the proverbial shirt off their backs.

How could a loving God send people like that to hell?

It was not that long ago that Steve Chalke, then recognized as a top evangelical leader in England, came out against the concept of substitutionary atonement (the idea that Jesus took the penalty for our sins on the cross), declaring it to be "cosmic child abuse." (Chalke also had a big problem with the idea that God actually required blood to appease His wrath, basically rejecting inspired teachings of the Torah as accommodations to pagan religion.)

Last year, he declared his support for committed, same-sex relationships within the church, calling on other believers to stand with these same-sex couples.

Is that really such a big surprise? And where will Chalke eventually land on the subject of future punishment for the lost, given his current stands? (I understand that Chalke has done a tremendous amount of good over the years in the U.K., with some even calling him the "Billy Graham of the U.K.," which makes his theological backsliding even more painful.)

A breakdown in one area of theology leads to a breakdown in another area of theology, and over time, these kinds of breakdowns—specifically, minimizing aspects of God's wrath, failing to grasp the depth of human sin, affirming committed homosexual relationships—will lead to universalism (or, at least universal reconciliation, a related but slightly different concept).

Rob Bell is another example of this, although proceeding in a little different order, first questioning concepts of future punishment in his Love Wins book and then affirming his support for same-sex couples in the church.

But this is just a variation of the same theme, one that allows us to sit in judgment of God, and, based on our standards of right and wrong, determine what His standards should be. The biblical way, of course, is the exact opposite.

According to Steve Chalke, the traditional teaching of God's wrath being poured out on His Son on the cross "stands in total contradiction to the statement 'God is love.'"

But couldn't it be just as easily argued that any type of future punishment for the lost, especially if it does not result in their ultimate salvation, "stands in total contradiction to the statement 'God is love'"?

After all, why would a loving God punish someone or judge someone when there's no hope of their redemption? Wouldn't that be utterly cruel?

And what about all the nice people who don't believe just as we do? Are they eternally lost? And let's not forget all the "gay Christians" (by which I mean those who claim to follow Jesus and practice homosexuality at the same time). Surely a loving God would not condemn nice people like them.

Do you see the pattern?

In a previous article, I pointed out that, although not an absolute rule, "with consistency, you'll see that as a church group gets more liberal, they become pro-abortion, pro-gay activism, and pro-Palestinian (at the expense of Israel)."

In the same way, as churches and church leaders become more embracing of committed, homosexual couples, they will move further and further away from the preaching of future wrath and divine judgment, ultimately embracing universalism in one form or another.

As I said, watch and see. And don't forget to pray that our loving God would deliver them from error and bring them back to the truth as it is found in Jesus.

Russian, Indian Central Banks Could Use National Currencies in Payments
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsRia Novosti
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) – The Bank of Russia and the Reserve Bank of India have agreed to set up a working group to devise tools to use national currencies in bilateral payments, the Russian regulator said Wednesday.

The group, that may involve representatives of banks and also ministries and agencies of both countries, will be controlled by the central banks of Russia and India.

The decision was announced at the meeting of a group overseeing banking and financial issues at the Russian-Indian commission on trade and economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation.

The Russian Finance Ministry is currently working on transferring to ruble payments for certain types of exports against the backdrop of Western sanctions against Russia over its position on Ukraine.

In early June, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the central banks of Russia and China could agree to currency swaps for export payments in their respective national currencies. While many of Russia’s partners already use the ruble to trade with Russia, most export contracts are still settled in dollars.

Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov said in early July that the idea of Russia and China transferring to payments in both rubles and yuan is realistic but cannot be done in a single step.

New Sanctions Placed on Russia By EU, U.S.
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Russia has been slapped with a new round of sanctions by the European Union and the United States, in light of its involvement with the crisis in the Ukraine.

This time, sanctions target the country’s energy, banking and defense divisions, and come following the tragic downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over the Ukraine by a reportedly Russian-supplied missile.

Netanyahu: No Ceasefire Without Soldiers Dealing With Terror Tunnels
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsDebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

IIsrael will not accept a halt in Gaza warfare without Israeli troops being able to finish destroying Hamas' terror tunnels, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated Thursday at a special full cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. He commended the spontaneous manifestations of national unity and solidarity with the fighting forces, but also reprimanded certain unnamed cabinet ministers for failing to show a good example. Defense minister Moshe Ya’alon said the tempo of combat met all expectations. Hamas was in a bad way and reeling from the blows it had suffered. Both lauded the courage and competence of Israeli forces and also cited the Shin Bet’s exemplary performance. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz praised the close integration of the different units fighting in Gaza, saying that the true heroes of this war were the men in the field.

Netanyahu: Israel Wont Agree to a Truce That Doesnt Allow IDF to Destroy All Gaza Tunnels
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he would not allow to any cease-fire that did not allow the IDF to destroy all of the infiltration tunnels in Gaza.

Speaking prior to a security cabinet meeting, the prime minister stated that IDF soldiers are currently finishing off the job of destroying tunnels.

"We have destroyed dozens of tunnels and we will finish the rest with or without a cease-fire," Netanyahu vowed.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Peru Earthquake Today 2014: Terremoto Strikes West of Bolivia
A 5.0 magnitude Peru earthquake today 2014 has just struck the country. The Peru earthquake today July 31, 2014 began moment ago, west of Bolivia. Damage assessment is pending.  

Quake hits Andaman Sea, tsunami ruled out
An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit the Andaman Sea today but the Met department ruled out tsunami.  

Catholic League slams Obama: ‘Do Christian lives mean so little to you?’
The head of the Catholic League issued a scathing criticism at President Obama, posting on his group’s website an essay that pointed to all the Christians being beheaded by Muslim terrorists and asking: Doesn’t that matter to you?  

Troops told to refrain from eating, drinking in front of Muslims
Do not eat or drink in front of Muslims, and learn more about their religion. That’s the directive that has gone out to active duty military personnel at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a Department of Defense medical and graduate school in Bethesda, Md.  

Congressman Massie: There Will Be ‘Anger, Frustration and Embarrassment’ When Redacted Pages of 9/11 Report Come Out
Massie said at a press conference earlier this month that when he read the redacted pages of the report, titled “Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001,” he had to stop “every couple pages” to try to rearrange his “understanding of history.” “It challenges you to rethink everything,” he said. “if we’re going to use 9/11 as a motivation to get involved in these civil wars in the Middle East,” the American public and the lawmakers in Washington “need to read these pages and understand what truly caused 9/11 and who our friends are and who our enemies are.”  

Sharansky: Jewish history in Europe is at the beginning of its end
Sharansky joins a number of European figures, including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, to warn about the alarming rise of anti-Semitism on the continent since the beginning of Israel's military operation in Gaza on July 8.  

Iran's Quds Force to Hamas: Turn Israeli land and sky into hell
Suleimani "underlined that confronting the Zionist enemy is a necessity and the Palestinian resistance movement will turn the land and sky into hell for the Zionists." "Disarmament of resistance is a daydream that will only come true in the graveyard" for Israel, said the rarely quoted senior figure.  

House Republicans vote to sue Obama over healthcare law
The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday cleared the way for the launch of a lawsuit accusing President Barack Obama of overstepping his authority in carrying out his signature healthcare law. The 225-201 vote, along party lines, to authorize the suit will allow House lawyers to draft legal documents over a five-week summer recess starting on Friday.  

Sierra Leone declares state of emergency over Ebola
Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency and called in troops to quarantine epicentres of Ebola on Thursday, joining Liberia in imposing tough controls to curb the worst ever outbreak of the virus amid fears it could spread beyond West Africa.  

Taxis, planes and viruses: How deadly Ebola can spread
For scientists tracking the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, it's not about complex virology and genotyping, but about how contagious microbes - like humans - use planes, bikes and taxis to spread. So far, authorities have taken no action to limit international travel in the region. The airlines association IATA said on Thursday that the World Health Organisation is not recommending any such restrictions or frontier closures.  

Poll of Americans: 59%:17% There is global conflict between Muslim world and Western civilization
Fifty-nine percent (59%) believe there is a global conflict between the Muslim world and Western civilization. Seventeen percent (17%) disagree, but 24% are not sure. These findings are consistent with earlier surveying. But just 44% now think the United States is too involved in the Middle East, down from 54% last October.  

Radical action required’: Drug-resistant malaria spreads in Asia, Africa
"It's worse than we expected. We have to act quickly if we are going to do anything," he added. Conventional malaria-control approaches would not be enough, Professor White stated. "We will need to take more radical action and make this a global public health priority, without delay," he said.  

US to sell largest ever Hellfire missile cache to Iraq
The United States is preparing to sell the Iraqi government 5,000 Hellfire missiles through a proposed $700 million deal intended to equip Baghdad with additional power as militants from the Islamic State continue to wage a campaign across the region.  

INCOMING STORM CLOUD
Yesterday, July 30th, a dark magnetic filament on the sun erupted and hurled part of itself into space. Although the CME is not coming straight for Earth, it does have an Earth-directed component. Computer models suggest it will deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on August 2nd.  

Emails show ex-IRS official Lerner using derogatory terms for Republicans
House Republicans have dug up emails from Lois Lerner in which the former IRS official refers to some in the Republican Party as “---holes” and "crazies" – an exchange they say shows her “animus” toward conservatives.  

Los Angeles Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Manhattan Beach
A Los Angeles earthquake today 2014 has struck Manhattan Beach. The Los Angeles earthquake today July 30, 2014 began moments ago and was located near Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Redondo Beach and Torrance. Damage assessment is pending. Officials tell news that a 3.0 magnitude Los Angeles earthquake today struck just after 12:23 pm PST.  

5.6 magnitude earthquake off Iran's Kish Island jolts buildings in the UAE
A magnitude-5.6 tremor struck 48 kilometres off the coast of Kish Island early in the morning on Wednesday. The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported the mild quake hit close to the Iranian island at around 05:00 Oman time.  

Call for 'radical action' on drug-resistant malaria
Drug-resistant malaria is spreading in South East Asia, and has now reached the Cambodia-Thailand border, according to a study. "Radical action" is needed to prevent further spread of malaria parasites resistant to key drugs, say scientists. The spread could undermine recent gains in malaria control, they report in the New England Journal of Medicine.  

Nato 'unprepared' for Russia threat, say MPs
Nato is poorly prepared for an attack on a member state from Russia... The Commons Defence Committee said the recent Ukraine conflict showed "serious deficiencies" in Nato's preparedness to counter threats - and "radical reform" was needed. The MPs said the risk of a conventional assault remained low - but warned over methods such as cyber-attacks and the use of irregular militias.  

House Republicans vote to sue President Obama
The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution to sue President Barack Obama for allegedly exceeding his constitutional powers. The 225-201 vote along party lines means House lawyers will now draft legal documents to launch a lawsuit. Its supporters say Mr Obama exceeded his powers when he delayed an insurance deadline in his healthcare law.  

Russia threatens Europe with higher energy prices
Russia on Wednesday (30 July) reacted angrily to the EU economic sanctions, threatening to increase energy prices. “Obsessed with sanctions, Brussels is itself creating barriers for further cooperation in such a key sector as energy industry,” the Russian foreign ministry said in statement.  

Netanyahu: Israel won't agree to a truce that doesn't allow IDF to destroy all Gaza tunnels
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he would not agree to any cease-fire that did not allow the IDF to destroy all of the infiltration tunnels in Gaza. Speaking prior to a security cabinet meeting, the prime minister stated that IDF soldiers are currently finishing off the job of destroying tunnels.  

Palestinian delegation arrives in Cairo for cease-fire talks
...Palestinian delegation, comprised of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives, arrived on Thursday morning in Cairo to discuss a potential cease-fire agreement with Israel. ...according to...Palestinian sources, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spoke with the Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad, Ramadan Salah, and told him that the groups were willing to "participate in the Egyptian discussions, as one united government."

Despite concerns, US restocks Israel with ammunition
The United States confirmed it had restocked Israel's supplies of ammunition, hours after finally sharpening its tone to condemn an attack on a United Nations school in Gaza.  

Hezbollah commander killed in Iraq: sources
A Hezbollah commander has died during a mission in Iraq, sources familiar with the incident said on Wednesday, indicating the Lebanese group that is already fighting in Syria's civil war may be involved in a second conflict in the region.  

Argentina Defaulted
Argentina has defaulted. Argentine Finance Minister Axel Kicillof delivered the news to the world from Argentina's consulate in New York City on Wednesday.  

'Dozens of bodies' at captured base in Benghazi, Libya
At least 35 bodies have been recovered from a Libyan military base that was overrun by Islamist-led militias, the Libyan Red Crescent says. The special forces base in Benghazi was captured on Tuesday, after two days of intense fighting.  

The Trigger Points For World War III Are In Place
Pessimism is a useful prism through which to view the affairs of states. Their ambition to gain, retain, and project power is never sated. Optimism, toward which Americans are generally inclined, leads to rash predictions of history’s ending in global consensus and the banishment of war. Such rosy views accompanied the end of the Cold War.  

Putin's Next Move Could Involve Gas
The next move for Russian President Vladimir Putin could be to block the transit of gas through Ukraine to Europe, write Morgan Stanley analysts. This could cause energy prices to spike in Putin's effort to retaliate against the world for imposing economic sanctions on Russia.  

Israel and Hamas Are Both Winning and Both Losing in Gaza
The war in Gaza is characterized by two sides that, for reasons of domestic and external politics, define victory very differently. Israel employs a reasonably conventional military notion of victory, measuring their success in by their ability to keep their own people safe and destroy Hamas' ability to make war on them. Hamas, for its, part defines victory largely by driving up hatred for Israel both inside and outside of Gaza. These two visions are not only different, but exist on largely different planes, making it possible for both sides to simultaneously view themselves as winning this conflict based on their own criteria.  

Kerry: Israel and Hamas Agreed to 72 - Hour Ceasefire
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday night, according to AFP.

Kerry said that the two sides would begin the truce at 8:00 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and that Israelis and Palestinian Arabs would enter talks in Cairo.

"This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence," Kerry said in a hastily arranged mid-morning statement on a visit to New Delhi.

"During this period, civilians in Gaza will receive urgently needed humanitarian relief, and the opportunity to carry out vital functions, including burying the dead, taking care of the injured, and restocking food supplies," he added.

"Overdue repairs on essential water and energy infrastructure could also continue during this period," said Kerry, who noted he was announcing the truce jointly with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has also invested intense efforts in brokering an end to the bloody conflict.

According to a statement posted on the UN website, “the forces on the ground will remain in place” during the 72-hour ceasefire.

“We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire,” it said.

Kerry, who aides said has held some 100 phone calls on the crisis in the past week despite a trip to India, warned that the ceasefire was not final.

"I want to emphasize -- this is not a time for congratulations and joy, or anything except a serious determination, a focus by everybody to try to figure out the road ahead," he was quoted by AFP as having said.

"This is a respite, a moment of opportunity -- not an end. It's not a solution. It's the opportunity to find a solution," Kerry added.

The statement comes just hours after the State Department said that Kerry had "made some progress" in talks to try to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

Kerry said earlier on Thursday that he remained hopeful for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict but declined to predict when.

IDF to Enlist 16,000 More Reservists As Israel Presses on With Gaza Operation
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The IDF was permitted to mobilize 16,000 additional reserve forces as the Israel pushed forward with its campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas Planned War for Months in Advance, Says IDF
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Gaza terror tunnel

Flash 90

A senior source in the IDF's Southern Command says the IDF was not surprised by the Hamas tunnel network, and seeks to dispel the widely held notion that the flareup in fighting in Gaza was an unintended result of the large-scale arrests of Hamas terrorists carried out by the IDF after the abduction and murder of three yeshiva boys.

Hamas began preparations for the “July War,” as he put it, in February of this year, and the date of July 15 was set for its launching four months ahead of time.

Contrary to most reports, the officer says that the tunnel threat was something “everyone” knew about, both inside and outside the military. However, he explained, “on a national level, no one wanted to hear about the tunnel issue.”

In February, he added, Hamas tripled the pace of the tunnel digging, especially in the southern Gaza Strip, and the IDF knew this. The tunnel diggers had previously worked one eight-hour shift per day, and began working three eight-hour shifts, around the clock.

"We watched them, we heard the work being done and we saw it advancing at a pace of 150 meters (500 feet) per month,” said the the senior officer, who added that the IDF prepared for a scenario in which dozens of terrorists would emerge from a tunnel shaft and attack communities or IDF forces.

"We put a company of soldiers in each community, we reinforced the units and we took down outposts so as not to endanger soldiers. We were ready for any situation and the fact is that in the infiltration near Sufa two weeks ago, the IDF was prepared, it stopped the vehicles that were on the route and attacked the terrorists from different angles.”

"Hamas, which built all of its expectations on the tunnels for four years, has some residual ability left and we will neutralize that, too, in the coming days,” he added. As he looked at the fields next to the border fence, he said: “No field was damaged here. We take the agriculturalists in our tanks to open the irrigation sprinklers, just so the field can continue to give fruit.

Government Demolishes Homes of IDF Soldiers Fighting in Gaza
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Soldiers deploy near Gaza

Flash 90

IDF troops on Wednesday destroyed several structures and a stone house on a hilltop next to the central Samaria town of Kfar Tapuach – at the same time as the residents of those homes were serving in the IDF, with at least one fighting in Gaza. The Honenu civil rights organization called the demolitions “a sad travesty” that “damages the unity of Israelis at this critical time.”

The hilltop in question is on state land and not owned by Arabs, but is considered an “unauthorized outpost” by the government. Honenu has filed several injunctions in the past to save the houses, but on Wednesday morning, as fighting raged in Gaza, army tractors climbed up the hill and demolished several wooden structures, as well as a stone house that was in the final stages of construction.

The buildings were constructed by several current and former IDF soldiers, residents of Kfar Tapuach who had to fight the IDF establishment for the privilege of serving in the army. The Shabak (Israel Security Service) had recommended against drafting them because of their political views, but the youths were finally allowed to serve, with help from Honenu.

Currently, one of the group is serving in Jenin, another in Hevron, and a third is flying missions for the Israeli Air Force. At least one is on the ground in Gaza, and has not yet been informed that his home has been destroyed.

The group had planned to build a new community, called Mitzpeh Nachshon, which would provide security for other Jewish communities in the region. One of the soldiers, upon hearing of the demolitions, wrote on his Facebook page “thanks to you, our dear government, for destroying my house while I am fighting to defend it.” He added that despite the damage to the structures, the group intended to continue with the project.

IDF troops were accompanied by police, who cleared the area of protestors who had come to protest the actions. At least one youth was arrested. Witnesses said that police hit and injured several protesters, who required medical attention.

In a statement, Honenu said that “It is sad that during a period when Israelis are unified in backing the IDF against terrorism from Gaza and other parts of the country, the army and police would use precious resources to act against residents. The absurdity is even greater when the houses being destroyed belong to soldiers who are fighting Israel's enemies. This is not the treatment they deserve,” the group said.

Economist: Social Security in Worse Shape Than Detroit Pension Fund
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsCNS News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff (Wikipedia)

“Social Security is insolvent,” Boston University economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff told the House Subcommittee on Social Security at a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday. “And it’s not bankrupt in 30 years, or 20 years, or 10 years. It’s bankrupt today.”

“This is not my opinion. This is the only conclusion one can draw from Table IVB6 of the 2013 Social Security Trustee’s Report."

"This table reports that Social Security has a $23 trillion fiscal gap measured over the infinite horizon,” noted Kotlikoff, who also served as a senior economist on President Ronald Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers.

“Twenty-three trillion dollars is 32 percent of the present value, also measured over the infinite horizon, of Social Security’s future revenues. Hence, Social Security is 32 percent underfinanced, which means it is in significantly worse financial shape than Detroit’s two pension funds taken together.”

Social Security’s debt also “swamps the $13 trillion of official debt in the hands of the public,” Kotlikoff testified.

And “the system’s off-the-books debt is growing at leaps and bounds – by $1.6 trillion between 2012 and 2013 – thanks to the approaching retirement of vast numbers of baby boomers.”

While “the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Fund fails the long-range test of close actuarial balance, it does satisfy the test for short-range (10-year) financial adequacy,” the 2014 Trustee's Report states.

The “combined trust fund asset reserves at the beginning of each year will exceed that year’s projected cost through 2027,” it continues. However, “depletion of combined trust funds reserves” will occur in 2033.

According to Table VI.FI “Unfunded OASDI Obligations Through the Infinite Horizon” in the 2014 report, Social Security’s fiscal gap has increased to $24.9 trillion.

Social Security cannot “sustain projected long-run program costs in full under currently scheduled financing, and legislative changes are necessary to avoid disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers,” the trustees state.

Kotlikoff also told House members that Social Security is now in “worse financial shape today than when the Greenspan Commission ‘fixed’ it” 31 years ago.

“Today, we are looking, in the current 75-year projection widow, at 31 years of negative cash flows, which the Greenspan Commission knew were coming and willfully ignored,” he said.

The economist also accused the system’s trustees of a “disinformation” campaign to keep Americans from finding out that “Social Security is in dire financial shape.”

“To their great credit, Social Security’s actuaries have been reporting the system’s infinite horizon fiscal gap every year since 2002. And to their great shame, Social Security’s Trustees have been ignoring this comprehensive measure of the system’s insolvency every year since 2002.”

“Unfortunately, those who proclaim the strongest desire to preserve and protect Social Security, particularly its Trustees, are doing their level best to destroy the system by ignoring or substantially understating its financial problems,” he said.

Although he praised Social Security for being a “lifeline for generations of Americans who would otherwise have spent their retirements in abject poverty,” Kotlikoff testified that “nothing short of a fundamental reform of the system” will save it.

“To pay its scheduled benefits in full through time, the Social Security system needs a 32 percent immediate and permanent increase in the future path of payroll tax revenues,” Kotlikoff noted. “Alternately, to prevent having to raise its FICA payroll tax rate, the system needs to immediately and permanently cut all benefits payments by 22 percent.”

He also pointed out that Social Security, which is 32 percent underfinanced compared to its obligations, “cannot be bailed out by the rest of our fiscal system,” which is 58 percent underfinanced. In April, Kotlikoff told CNSNews.com that “the nation’s true fiscal gap is $205 trillion. The nation is completely broke.”

Kotlikoff urged House members to support The Inform Act (H.R. 2967 and S. 1351), which has been endorsed by 17 Nobel Laureates in economics. The bill would require federal accounting agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, and the Office of Management and Budget to do “infinite horizon fiscal gap” accounting for every major fiscal bill introduced in Congress.

That would require them to calculate “the present value lifetime net Federal tax burdens facing each current generation of children 18 years of age and under, as well as each future generation.”

Chinese Missile Forces Pose Threat to U.S. in Future Conflict
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

China’s advanced cruise and ballistic missiles pose a significant threat in future conflict with the United States, the chief of naval operations (CNO) warned last week.

Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the CNO, also said during a security conference Friday that China is building a second aircraft carrier that could be deployed in the not too distant future.

However, China’s current single carrier force is still under development and the Chinese are incapable of conducting aircraft strike operations from the refurbished Soviet-era carrier now called the Liaoning, Greenert said following a recent visit to China, where he toured the carrier.

Asked what Chinese weapons systems he is most concerned about if the United States went to war with China, Greenert noted Beijing’s growing arsenal of cruise and ballistic missiles.

“They have an extraordinary selection of cruise missiles, and a ballistic missile force that they developed,” Greenert told the Aspen Security Forum.

If the conflict were close to China, the missile forces would pose the most serious threat, he said.

“If it’s in their backyard, I’m a little worried about their ballistic missile [force] because of its reach,” Greenert said.

China has developed several types of advanced missile systems, including a unique DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile that is intended to strike U.S. aircraft carriers hundreds of miles from China’s coast.

The DF-21D has been described as a “carrier killer” for which the U.S. Navy has few defenses. Greenert has said earlier that U.S. defenses against the DF-21D would involve breaking the weapons’ “kill chain—the network of sensors and communications links used to guide the missile to its target.

The Pentagon stated in its latest annual report to Congress that the DF-21D “gives the [People’s Liberation Army] the capability to attack large ships, including aircraft carriers, in the western Pacific Ocean.

The missile has a range of more than 930 miles and is armed with a maneuverable warhead.

Another major threat in a future conflict is China’s new guided missile destroyer, the Type 052D that the Pentagon says has deployed the PLA’s first multipurpose vertical launch system that is believed “capable of launching [anti-ship cruise missiles], land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and anti-submarine missiles.” More than a dozen Type 052 destroyers are planned.

China’s H-6 bomber also has been upgraded to carry six land-attack cruise missiles with precision guidance capabilities.

“The development of China’s conventionally armed missiles has been rapid, even in the context of overall Chinese military modernization,” the Pentagon report said, noting that as recently as 10 years ago China could not strike targets far from coasts.

“Today, however, China has more than 1,000 conventionally armed ballistic missiles,” the report said. “U.S. bases on Okinawa are in range of a growing number of Chinese [medium-range ballistic missiles], and Guam could potentially be reached by air-launched cruise missiles.”

Chinese missiles also have grown more accurate and “are now better suited to strike regional air bases, logistics facilities, and other ground-based infrastructure, which Chinese military analysts have concluded are vulnerabilities in modern warfare,” the report said.

The combination of ballistic, ground- and air-launched land attack cruise missiles, and other forces threaten targets throughout the region, the report said.

China’s first threatening cruise missiles were purchased from Russia in the 1990s aboard Sovremenny-class guided missile warships that are equipped with high-speed SSN-22 Sunburn anti-ship missiles.

The National Air and Space Intelligence Center lists 14 types of Chinese short-range ballistic missiles, five types of medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles and two types of land-attack cruise missiles.

Earlier this month, Greenert met in China with PLA Navy chief Adm. Wu Shengli, and the two admirals sought to improve cooperation and coordination.

Greenert said that Wu asked that Chinese naval experts be permitted to visit U.S. aircraft carriers as part of China’s carrier development program, but the request was rejected.

“They want to learn a lot more about our carriers by coming aboard our carriers with experts, and we said ‘well we’re not ready for that,’” Greenert said.

U.S. law passed in 1999 currently prohibits the Pentagon from sharing details of U.S. power projection capabilities with China during military exchanges. The law was passed to prevent the Chinese from exploiting U.S.-China military exchanges to bolster their large-scale military build up.

Greenert described the Chinese carrier as “very Russian.”

“It’s big, it’s heavy, it’s onerous,” he said, adding that the refurbishment includes advanced Chinese military gear.

“They will build another carrier, probably relatively soon,” he said. “It’ll look just like this one, they said. Ski ramp. About the same tonnage, 65,000, 70,000 tons.”

While U.S. carrier operations can include the launch and recovery of 100 aircraft routinely, China currently is limited to launching and landing 10 jets at a time, and test pilots are involved in takeoffs and landings.

“But they are moving at a pace that is extraordinary,” Greenert said of the carrier development.

Currently, the Chinese have operated the carrier in the South China Sea, but without aircraft, and in the Yellow sea with carrier-based jets.

Greenert said he is not overly concerned by the Chinese carrier development because the PLA needs more work before the warship can conduct military operations.

Greenert defended allowing the Chinese navy to take part in the recent international military exercises known as Rim of the Pacific. He noted that the Russians had taken part in RIMPAC in the past and there were few protests.

Some in Congress opposed the Chinese navy involvement in RIMPAC because it appeared the United States was rewarding China by allowing Beijing’s participation at a time when China is engaged in bullying most of its maritime neighbors in Asia.

Asked about China’s use of advanced weapons that are designed to allow a weaker power to defeat a stronger foe, Greenert defended the Navy’s development of high tech arms. He highlighted several new Navy weapons programs, including a laser weapon that can shoot down drones

“Number one, we’re looking at lasers,” Greenert said. “And as we speak we have a laser gun in the Arabian Gulf on a ship that we are testing. It’s been demonstrated. It’s shooting down a drone and, if you will, ‘overheating’ a fast craft at this level of power.”

Other advanced systems include unmanned aerial vehicles that can be launched from carriers, and autonomous underwater vehicles that can conduct searches and pass the information to surface vessels.

“We’re into cyber in many ways beyond the classification that we’re talking here,” he said.

“So I too agree just more kinetic [weapons], more missiles that’s not the way ahead,” Greenert said. “The way is the electro magnetic spectrum to get in to spoof, to jam, to fry, if you will, microwave, and that’s the way of the future for us as well.”

Calls Grow to Upgrade Operation Protective Edge to War Status
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines

Rocket damage in Eilat

Magen David Adom

MK Nachman Shai on Thursday urged the Prime Minister to officially “upgrade” the status Operation Protective Edge from an IDF operation to a “war.” The government has been under pressure to do so, political and economic experts say, but has been reluctant to do so, because it will require greater outlays in compensation for those damaged by the war - precisely the reason why many are calling for the change in status.

With the fighting moving into its third week, an additional 16,000 soldiers are being called up for reserve duty, bringing the total of active reservists to over 85,000. The reservists, mostly of working age, are having their salaries covered by the National Insurance Institute, while individuals and businesses suffering from property damage due to rocket attacks are being compensated by the Mas Rechush (Property Tax) division of the Finance Ministry.

In addition, the government last week voted to provide funds to compensate businesses for loss of income in front-line communities near the Gaza border.

However, businesses in other areas that have been experiencing losses due to the war – because of a lack of manpower to fulfill contracts and obligations, or because shoppers fear to make purchases – are not being compensated.

A declaration of war, however, would open up the door for them, and many others, to file claims seeking reimbursement for damages they suffered.

Failure to do so is unjust, said Shai. “A declaration of war is the right thing to do, given the length of the war, for residents of the entire country who have been damaged by the rocket fire. Such a declaration will enable them to be appropriately compensated,” he added.

Brussels Airport Starts Facial Recognition Trials
Jul 31st, 2014
Flounders Today
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Six of the so-called e-gates that use facial recognition software will be introduced in a pilot project for citizens of EU member states travelling from outside the Schengen area, which consists of 22 of the 28 EU member states, as well as EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Facial recognition systems use “landmarks” on faces such as size and place of significant features, which can then be compared in photo and real-time versions. So, while a passenger growing a beard may confuse the system, if enough identifying landmarks are still visible, recognition is still possible. A more modern system turns the texture of the skin of the face into a mathematical model that is virtually impossible to disguise, as the texture of the facial skin is as individual as a fingerprint.

The system is intended to combat fraud associated with false documents. The photo originally approved for use in the passport is compared with a photo taken on the spot as the traveller passes through the system, and anomalies are signalled to airport security officers. The pilot project will be evaluated later with a view to extending the system.

Britain Launches Battle to Keep Out Deadly Ebola Virus As It Poses 'Serious Threat' to Uk
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsExpress
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

And Now... Europe's Kristallnacht
Jul 31st, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Commentary

The backlash in Europe against Israel has been underway since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. In each country the protests have similarities. And in each they are spear-headed by the same motives and often by the same people.

In London the protests have been dominated young Muslims with the usual smattering of far-left fellow-travellers. They have carried Socialist Worker Party banners saying "Stop Israeli State Terror." But some went off-message, apparently deciding it did not matter if their targets were Israeli or "just" Jews. There have also been the predictable banners comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Adolf Hitler. 

Others have a more confused relationship with this sinister conflation. One young protestor was photographed at a demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy in London with a poster saying, "Hitler you were right!" Elsewhere the protests have spilled over into occasional outbursts of violence.

People who are "visibly Jewish," people wearing identifiably Jewish dress, have found themselves targeted for abuse. Demonstrators at the biggest central London march assaulted and verbally abused a Jewish woman who had expressed her support for Israel, calling her a "Jew Zionist" among other things, before stealing her mobile phone. In North London, a rabbi was abused by a group of 'youths' who shouted "F*** the Zionists," "F*** the Jews" and "Allah Akhbar."

All of this is mild compared to what has been going on across the English Channel in France. In suburbs and parts of central Paris the violence being perpetrated against the Jewish community culminated in the disturbing spectacle of Parisian Jews barricaded in a synagogue by a crowd of young North Africans seemingly intent on violence. When the police failed to turn up in any numbers, the Jews fought for themselves. These were not all "Jewish vigilantes" as some of the press disturbingly reported -- Jews in their 40s and 50s fighting their way through a mob.

Since then, the French authorities have banned -- as French authorities have the right to do -- some other planned "pro-Palestinian" protests. But the bans seem not to have worked. "Youths," as the media are prone to title the rioters, who mainly come from the suburbs of Paris and other cities, have taken to the streets, anyhow. 

There are videos of them smashing up pavements in order to get chunks of asphalt to hurl at police. A Paris suburb with a large Jewish -- not Israeli, just Jewish -- population has been a particular focus of protestors. In some video footage, protestors have been shown attacking police cars and assaulting public and private property. The French authorities are clearly trying to get a handle on the protests, but to a considerable extent, events have slipped from their control.

Similar scenes have been seen across the continent. In the Netherlands -- fresh from witnessing a pro-ISIS rally in Amsterdam -- there have been serious incidents at protests. There have been anti-Semitic chants, and the home of the Chief Rabbi in the Netherlands has been attacked twice in one week. In Austria, a soccer game involving an Israeli team had to be called off after Palestinian demonstrators broke onto the pitch. 

The stands had people waving anti-Israel banners and Turkish flags. But once they were on the pitch, the protestors assaulted the Israeli players, doing flying kicks at them and then further kicking and punching them. Some of the Israeli players fought back and the game was halted.

Most disturbing of all, perhaps, have been events in Germany. During pro-Palestinian protests in Berlin and other German cities, there were chants of "Death to the Jews" and "Gas the Jews." The president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Dieter Graumann, described some of the demonstrations as "an explosion of evil and violence-prone hatred of Jews. Never in our lives did we believe it possible that antisemitism of the nastiest and most primitive kind would be chanted on the streets of Germany."

And it is in Germany that such sentiments have met their most appropriate public and political opposition. There, at least, the nature of these protests has not been glossed over. On the contrary there has been a suitable soul-racking over this. How could such a cry have gone up in this country, of all countries? 

The major German magazine, Bild, has run a cover with the headline, "Raise your voice: Never again Jew Hatred!" The cover is dotted with famous figures in German public life from the President and Chancellor Merkel to other political and public figures. The montage sends out a powerful message. The question is, of course, whether that is enough.

Certainly, across Europe there is a new hatred in the air -- but this hatred is also the old one. The people on the streets of Paris, Berlin, London, Amsterdam and other cities across Europe include the descendants of some of those who fought against, fought for, allied or collaborated with the evil regime which spurred this hatred on last time. 

But most of the perpetrators are not those people. Most of them are of immigrant backgrounds. In Britain, these are mainly from the Indian sub-continent (with a smaller group from the Gulf countries); in France and the Netherlands, they are from North Africa; in Germany and Austria, largely from Turkey.

All the peoples of Europe can see this but none of them want to identify it. We live so in terror of being politically incorrect. We live in a rightful disgust for racism of any kind. And yet here we see -- and nowhere more clearly than in Germany -- the new racist nightmare for Europe. We thought we had abolished the beast of anti-Semitism from our shores and had made it totally unacceptable. 

And yet here are people Europe has imported in their millions, failed in varying degrees to assimilate and who now (in considerable numbers) look as if they have taken up precisely the hatred we had all hoped to have left behind. These are dark days in the Middle East. But they are darker days in Europe. Whether we deal with this returned evil or not will be the challenge of this generation.