World News and Trends: A troubled Russia struggles with an uncertain transition
The close of the Cold War period nearly 10 years ago was more than only a victory for the Western powers.
It brought the end of a political and economic way of life that had dominated Russia and the Soviet Union since 1917. Subsequently the far-from-smooth transition from communism to capitalism has been fraught with many pitfalls, and its eventual success is by no means sure.
Coming to terms with its loss of superpower status, coupled with the loss of satellite states and the Eastern European empire, has been no easy task. In fact, many things trouble the Russians: a beleaguered national government; NATO expansion; an economy in tatters; a culture suffering from severe social strains; the worst potato and grain harvest in years; and the threat of imminent starvation in the coming months.
This last prospect most concerns Western nations. After all, Russia still has the world's second-largest nuclear arsenal. As Michael Binyon and Charles Bremmer reported for The Times (of London), "Russia is on the brink of severe food shortages that could pose a security threat to the West, intelligence sources have concluded. The fears confirm Moscow's predictions that supplies could run out in weeks."
However, the security threat is not the only thing to be worried about. The Times continued: "The worry in Western capitals is that food shortages could lead to demonstrations and rioting that might topple the government. This could lead to unpredictable political consequences [including a potential return to communism] as well as the possible flight of thousands of refugees to the West."
To help meet this threat, the European Union has proposed an emergency food package of some 285 million British pounds to stave off potential starvation. But even this solution troubles Western observers. "EU officials have said that if aid found its way into the wrong hands, it could end up back on world markets, helping no one," continued The Times. "Russia must promise not to re-export the food."
Some 70 years of communist rule is not going to be overcome easily. The needed transitions have caused, and will continue to exact, much suffering. Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev wrote this year: "Russia's horizons stretch far beyond the desperate plans of those who see the year 2000 as a life-and-death political watershed." For everyone's sake, let us hope he is right. (Sources: The Times [London], International Herald Tribune [London], The Financial Times [London], The Houston Chronicle.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: January - February 1999
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
