Welcome to the Apocalypse Watch.
Periodically I will choose several headlines from the news that have one thing in common: apocalypse. If all stories take a turn for the worst, you can damn well bet we're doomed.
That's my opinion, of course.
In this report: War in Ukraine, Coming Storm in Gaza, and Economic Ruin.
BORDER INCIDENT SPARKS WAR IN UKRAINE
Things in Eastern Ukraine are disintegrating rapidly--again. A recent Russian military build-up follows reports of equipment and fighters supporting the Ukrainian rebels and accusations of Russian artillery firing on Ukraine troops. Now, after once withdrawing, Russian troops and equipment pour into the bordering areas. Some reports mentioned they could be inside Ukraine in one hour. That is rapid response.
We're faced with deciding if the western media reports are accurate or slanted against Russia (i.e. war-mongering), or if Russia has no intention of negotiating if they feel justified. Their actions, if true, are provocative and certainly they know what they're doing. If the mainstream media lies to the public, to us, then we're forcing a conflict that could end up sparking a apocalyptic war.
At some point, Russia may invade Ukraine under some pretense, or to defend citizens but be portrayed as devils in western media; when that happens, the West will act via NATO to stop the takeover, much as the U.S. attempted to do in Kuwait when Hussein rolled in and set up shop. A conflict in that region of the world will involve China, Korea, and whoever else sides with Russia or NATO. I'd be surprised if Turkey, Iran, and the rest of the Islamic countries didn't consider fighting NATO at that point.
Resources are poured into the conflict, economies disintegrate, and the first nuclear weapons are used in an effort to stop the war. Humans don't learn from their mistakes, so we'll think a sudden and shocking devastation will end the conflict, just like it did in World War 2. It won't work. We all lose.
ISRAEL AND GAZA: IT'S THE EYE OF THE STORM
When a hurricane passes overhead, there's an odd calm around the "eye", or so the legends say. Once the eye passes, the storm resumes and the damage will be worse, exploiting the weakness caused by the other side. The latest conflict in Gaza passed the first side of the storm and is experiencing a temporary calm.
At the start of the conflict, kids were abducted and murdered; during the conflict, civilian casualties on the Palestinian side were unfortunately high; and then cease-fire attempts failed, violated by desperate or disobedient elements of Hamas. There has been a lot of bad blood and it's not even close to finished.
A senior member of the Israeli government advocated forcible removing Palestinians from Gaza, relocating them to different places in the world, internment camps for uncooperative elements, and complete eradication of all armed resistance. As extreme as it sounds, the idea has support. Check out the original article for more information. If this attitude is prevalent in Israel, the current cease-fire is pointless as any provocation at all will likely ignite a fervor and push public opinion into a realm where Israel takes stronger action.
More fuel is on the fire as the West Bank quietly burns. Rioting resulted in the shooting of Palestinian civilians; the incident is being pinned on the IDF for the time being. The cease-fire in Gaza is a lull, but where's all the coverage on the West Bank? If that place starts going up and the IDF has to intervene there, the situation is now twice as shitty. Imagine the casualties?
TAKE ANY EXIT TO ECONOMIC RUIN
The WTO is throwing a hissy-fit over India's refusal to play ball on global trade agreements. Their argument boils down to an analogy of the League of Nations vs. The United Nations, and they fear the WTO will soon be the League of Nations. If successful, the WTO hopes to weave a web of regulations, controls, and guarantees to ensure that capital, goods, and services flow easily and evenly. That's complete nonsense, of course, when 1% of the world owns 90% of the wealth--just being rational here.
It certainly seems as if the WTO intends to form a powerful, single body to regulate world trade and financial affairs. Why would they want such control? A single body controlling trade and money among the world nations means that any misbehaving country, regardless of justification, could suffer economic ruin if a majority decides they want to spank the delinquent.
The pressure on India to conform may be part of a larger move to get the economic pieces in place for a global financial system to replace regional money or physical money. The subsequent warnings of how global trade and finance will be disrupted, stalled, or prevented from growing properly sounds too much like fear-mongering. If the already unstable economic systems of many countries goes under, will there be some mention of how they could have received aid if they were part of the WTO?
Perhaps we'll see pressure on India in other ways. Will the world suddenly learn of humanitarian violations? How about a guerrilla uprising or Islamic Jihad? Maybe the terrorists will be fighting for free trade! At some point, India will suffer and be indirectly forced into the trade agreements. There will be economic pressure and hardship, combined with wars and increasing financial instability, and the system goes down into a quiet sort of anarchy.
THE APOCALYPTIC STORM
Growing conflict with Russia turns into a new Cold War, as U.S.-backed Ukrainian forces fight a bitter civil war against Russian-backed Separatists. Elements from Iran, China, Korea, and other countries provide support and stir up trouble in more regions, attempting to drive all Western influence from the region.
Israel is engaged in a drawn-out, bloody struggle against insurgency in Gaza and the West Bank, while Islamic State fighters launch raids against Israeli border posts. A larger conflict in the Middle East appears inevitable and western governments have no choice but to activate the draft.
The staggering world economy falls farther behind and the have-nots start to take from the haves, often violently. Unrest reaches dangerous levels and martial law is declared. The world is thrust in a hellish police state where constant war is the rule.
Wait. That sounds Orwellian.
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