News

Is Great Britain about to leave the European Union (EU)? Most pundits would say that it is unlikely. However, in the wake of recent events, it could happen—with or without Britain’s initiation.

Some have said, "Greed is good!" Others protest "Wall Street greed." What does God's own character teach us about good business?

The Twilight of the Gods—heralded as Götterdämmerung in the opera by composer Richard Wagner—is a medieval story from pagan Norse mythology. It describes a series of natural disasters and a great battle that results in the death of several gods and brings the end of the world—after which the earth is reborn anew.

Planned austerity measures and "anger at Wall Street elite" have triggered protests throughout Europe and the United States. In America, the "Occupy Wall Street" movement quickly grew into rage against what is seen as corrupt capitalism, called by some "a foul stench in our society" (Reuters, November 18, 2011). Much  as  European austerity protests spread from nation to nation, the U.S. protests quickly spread from New York to other cities, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Portland, Oakland and Seattle. The disorder has forced already financially hard-pressed city governments to pay over ten million dollars in police overtime, and city services (ABC News, November 17, 2011).

As 2012 gets under way, the European Union is facing unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval. The governments and peoples of Europe have become mired in social, political and economic distress that is throwing the future of the EU into crisis. Already the world outside Europe is feeling the effects, as national banks have flooded world markets with dollar liquidity, hoping to stave off global economic collapse.