CrewDog: I believe that all these things will happen. I'm just not convinced that they will happen in the very near future. I agree with DeGaulle that today's young people, although better educated, don't possess the kind of skills or resilience that would see them through such catastrophes. While they think they know so much and anything they need to know can be learned from the internet (useless in a disaster), most of them will have older relatives who could pass on skills they absorbed in their childhood. You could say the same for much of Europe, Asia and Africa, which is one of the reasons I don't think we are ready yet for the prophesied Correction. Parts of Asia and Africa would see it as nothing new, yet the Correction is supposed to be world-wide. Also, short of some whistleblower producing irrefutable evidence that Obama has committed an impeachable offence, I can't see how he won't see out his term of office. Even were he to succumb to a heart attack or stroke (God forbid because I wouldn't wish that on him or anyone), I don't see how that would cause the collapse of the US Government. That said, the economic outlook is not good. There have been a succession of pundits on the financial programmes giving reasons why the world is not about to go into recession and any market or currency jitters will be short lived, yet I get the impression that they aren't very confident in their predictions. There are also reports that France has declared some kind of economic emergency (whatever that means), and there could be a problem with banks in some European countries - I think Italy and Portugal were mentioned. While there is nothing about Germany, I read something a while ago that Deutschebank could be hit hard by the VW emissions debacle which could in turn impact the Bundesbank. The Americans say that China and the slump in oil prices shouldn't have a major impact on the US economy, but they don't say much about what would be the consequences for America if China's problems had a major effect on Europe, especially Germany. The house of cards could be about to collapse. We'll find out soon enough.
That's a very good point about urbanisation. Many of these are completely spoon-fed and with only a tenuous grasp of reality. God help them all if the supermarket shelves become empty or if the taps don't flow. It was one of the major social consequences of the fall of Rome that the cities declined drastically, with many moving to the countryside. This will happen again, both to feed all these people and also to provide the necessary labour to farm the land in the event of the demise of mechanisation. The death toll and suffering will be unimaginable. A very high proportion of urbanites could not stick such hardship, not even the thoughts of it.
Europe seems the most vulnerable. The financial buck stops with Germany. If a major nation such as France or Italy goes, more will look to the life-boats and Germany will not be able to hold the line. Greece and Ireland are one thing, and the former has caused considerable strain, but France, Italy, Spain et al... The migrant crisis is another catalyst, something that wouldn't have been planned for nor therefore budgeted. The strain on social welfare, the added costs of increased security and lost economic activity due to terrorism and threats of it must be considerable. Certainly, there were recent reports of the Swedish economy coming under pressure. The elites will deny everything until the last, no doubt filling their pockets in the process, but there appear to be so many trends in only the one direction, apart from the price of oil (and that may well cause desperate reaction in the Middle East and economic collapse of other oil-producers) that the situation is beginning to look like destiny.
You sound like me a year ago, but then I realized what Jesus told us: “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
If France or Italy goes, the EU goes because there aren't enough Detuschmarks to save France or Italy and the French won't lie down under austerity, not even for their socialist government. Can't remember the details, but didn't we all get a bit of a reprieve when it looked like Spain was going the way of Ireland, Greece and Portugal? If they were that scared about Spain going under, the thought of Italy or France going under must make the smoked salmon and champagne taste like sawdust. Then there's talk of debt forgiveness for Greece. We'll be looking for a piece of that. Merkel should have sent German planes to collect the cheap immigrant labour. That would have been the humanitarian thing to do rather than letting so many drown in the Med. If her economy collapses, the German taxpayers won't be too happy footing the bill for them to "further their studies" which is the reason so many of them give for undertaking the journey. Serves her right if she's ousted. Nevertheless, they could pull a rabbit out of the hat in Davos this week......look at the timing of the Iran deal. That cake will be divvied up between NATO stalwarts, US, UK, France, Italy and Germany. The news for the great unwashed should start tricking down within a few weeks. It might take a wikileaks for us to find out the real truth of it all. Fatima Pilgrim: For all my cynicism, I'm looking into buying beeswax candles for Candlemas Day. Who was it said that we should hope for the best but prepare for the worst?
If by the Iran deal you mean their flooding the market with oil, consequently dropping the price to the floor, this could also go sour. Already, the Saudis are near economic collapse with their public spending and welfare commitments combined with a disastrous war in Yemen. A Saudi 'Arab Spring' would be one possible result, perhaps stemming the oil output of the world's biggest producer. Perhaps it is the prime motive of the Iranians-they would just love to bring down the House of Saud (wouldn't cry after them myself). Nor would I shed any tears for the EU.
Cheap oil is only part of it. In the programmes I watched they were talking about all the money Iran will have to spend on building up their infrastructure and their consumer market opening to Western companies with the lifting of sanctions. The business men are lining up to do deals, with Renault and Fiat favourites for supplying cars. It's a win-win for Rouhani. We'll find out soon enough who the losers are. I hope things improve in Italy because if they turn against the migrants the Pope won't be flavour of the month. The Vatican could be very vulnerable in an unstable Italy.
Cheap oil is only part of it. In the programmes I watched they were talking about all the money Iran will have to spend on building up their infrastructure and their consumer market opening to Western companies with the lifting of sanctions. The business men are lining up to do deals, with Renault and Fiat favourites for supplying cars. It's a win-win for Rouhani. We'll find out soon enough who the losers are. .[/quote] Iran is also buying Airbus passenger planes, not boeing.Analysts yesterday and this morning on FOX were saying Iran is laying the ground work for a wedge between the US and Europe. They believe Iran will act up soon and Europe will go soft on Iran due to these new contracts...I can see this happening, ....since the US just put new sanctions on Iran over missle tests last month or so... don't know why they lift sanctions on Saturday to impose new ones now
The new sanctions are probably just window dressing. There'll be something in it for every country whose agreement was essential to closing the deal. There was talk of renewable energy, which should suit some of Obama's friends. Then there's the tech industry, music streaming, etc. I expect there will also be more visas for Iranians wanting to try the American experience for study, internship, etc. I wonder whether anyone close to the Administration has acquaintances who might benefit from that. Maybe I can guess.
Yes, the rapture will happen just as you say, when the soul leaves the body; but on one condition 'that we are in a state of grace' otherwise it will be a rUpture and we would end up in the firey pit. Poor proddys they are in for a surprise. And then if our Lord saves them from the pit, they discover Purgatory. God does have a prison where every last cent gets paid. God have Mercy on the poor souls in Purgatory.
Dolours, I live in the UK. I think you live in UK too. I agree it can do our head in thinking how could one survive if everything went ass over tut. I have a couple of battery torches as well as spare batteries, and good supply of candles put by now. With the intention of obliging neighbours if they came and asked. I am planning on getting a Calor Gas heater with a spare gas bottle for emergency warmth. I buy a few extra long dated preserved goods to store, and think to oblige a neighbour if emergency occurs. I also buy some extra goods and place them in the containers we see in shops nowadays for those who are in crisis even now in our cities. Hoping God understands I am trying to share and get the habit of not just thinking of ourselves; practising for the real thing with God's help. I think if we just prepare for an emergency, like the floods recently or a bad winter weather situation, we would not be going over the top. Just being prudent. This is a new way of thinking. But in the old days I think people did this. I think people underestimate how brutal starvation could make those who have no Faith or morals should hunger stalk the land, and at 68 years of age and ill health. Fighting in self defence is not an option. That would be in God's hands. The important prep is sacramental, Confession, Holy Eucharist. Devotions and this year of Mercy thanks be to God. We should all make the journey and pilgrimage through the Holy Doors at least once. I have made two so far, and hope to make more for others who are not aware of the deadly difference between entering through Mercy gladly or entering through Justice. Because I am convinced God means to save us with or without our co operation.
I'm in Ireland, Julia, where stocking up enough for relatives within an hour's drive would require a small supermarket and that doesn't include the "weddings and funerals" relatives. Irish people didn't resort to brutality during the Famine, but they had faith so I take your point about what those lacking faith or morals would be capable of. I suppose it's no harm to buy extra non-perishables and stash them away. It should be easy enough, also, to get a gas heater and a couple of spare cylinders of gas, although I think that with our insulated houses, duvets, warm clothing, etc., heating wouldn't be as essential as food. All these warnings suggest that emergencies could last for anything from 3 days to 6 months. Some of them sound rooted in Protestant bible alone faith and talk about a thousand year peace after the Correction. I believe that we had our thousand years of peace from the resurrection to the Great Schism and that it has been mostly downhill since then, with intermittent success and failure in terms of spreading the true faith. When challenged, some of the adherents to new prophesies point to Old Testament examples such as Noah. It's hard to say this without sounding disrespectful, but didn't Noah have some pedigree? He wasn't some random believer chosen out of the blue. That's the main reason I believe that any warning to prepare for an imminent catastrophe will be conveyed via someone that all Catholics are obliged to heed, such as the Pope or the Magisterium. Maybe that's why the Pope is telling us to welcome refugees because we could be answerable for our lack of charity towards them. What I see around me here and across the Western world is an acceleration of the Great Apostasy leading to the end times but I think it has a while to go before we are back to the days of the catacombs - maybe another generation. If it is the end times, then the persecution will last three and a half years and I don't know how anyone could hoard enough supplies for that length of time. It's all very confusing. Back to the title of this thread, I don't think that Obama is intentionally taking America down. I think that he's just an angry man, brainwashed first by his family and then by his educators and those he associated with. He is the perfect tool for something more evil but he isn't the first and won't be the last. We are well on track to the one world government driven by greed. It didn't start with Obama and will likely end with someone we all trust at the outset of his reign. I don't agree with the suggestion that there is an attempt to drive a wedge between Europe and America. It looks more like an attempt to isolate Israel and Israel is not blameless. Although the Israelis did well to resist Obama's attempt at regime change, they need to pay more heed to God who promised them their land. As far as I can see, the only time they remember God is when they remind the world that they are the Chosen People, ignoring any obligations that came with God's convenant.
The Saudi flooding of the Oil Market and now Obama's Iran Nuke/"Peace" Deal will not only destabilize and already unstable ME but pour more Oil in the market. Great for gas prices but it has all but shut down the USA Oil production in the Shale Fields. The USA and I expect most of the EU has "surrendered" to China. Allowing her to manipulate the currency, employ slave labor and flood the market with cheap everyday items as well as industrial goods ............ thus destroying the manufacturers/jobs that once made us self-sufficient. Even in my semi-rural area, I can't believe the amount of foreign food that is on the shelves .... and all based on restocking by "Just In Time Delivery Systems"! Those that think we can bumble along for another decade before The Big One had better Wake the %$@# Up 'cause it's past time to Pay the Piper!! GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
Sen John McCann just made a statement per fox business... Obama and democrats are responsible for the market collapse, watch for the drum beat against Obama. Obama took credit for all the gains these last 7 years so lets see who he blames now for the downfall...Charlies words ring truer by the minute !
Who is responsible for globalisation? Didn't we all grow up believing that both Russia and China were evil communist regimes that threatened our very existence; clamped down on civil rights and freedom of religion; declared that all people were equal while treating some more equal than others; they treated their workers badly and paid them poorly; and abolished the free market economy? For all its faults, Russia is no longer communist, but what about China? What changed there? It still has a communist regime, clamps down on civil rights and religious freedom, declares all people equal while treating some more equal than others. The only change I can see is the part about the free market economy. Whose idea was it to lift all trade restrictions on such a country? I think it pre-dates Bush, and the germ of the idea probably pre-dates all the usual suspects. Meanwhile, who are the winners as everything falls apart? I don't know. Does anyone here know? None of us are winners and I don't know anyone who knows anyone who is a winner.
One could say that many have been winners in recent years by living off the future. Now, the future has arrived and is looking for payback.
Sorry. I was making fun of the liberals always blaming Bush for everything. Naturally I chose the wrong emoticon to convey that.
I realised that, and the conservatives will blame the liberals when in truth both sides are equally responsible. None of them cared about slave labour and the lack of freedom in China or depressed wages and job losses in developed countries. It was all about profit and power. Remember what the bible says about the love of money.
