Current Event & Trends: Severe economic uncertainty and anxiety
In another Financial Times article a year ago, Gideon Rachman predicted: "Efforts to rescue the world economy in 2012 will be afflicted by a perilous political paradox. The more that international co-operation is needed, the harder it will be to achieve" ("The Big Questions for 2012," Jan. 2, 2012). Again, this prophecy could easily extend into 2013 and well beyond.
Other concerned voices described the widespread fiscal uncertainty. An Oct. 14 headline in The Observer read, "Economists in Dismal Failure to Get to Grips With a World Changed by Meltdown." Michael Medved lamented "The Cracking of America’s Optimism," with many citizens trapped and stalled by desperate debt and job dilemmas (USA Today, Oct. 29, 2012). "Hopes Turn to Fear and Uncertainty," stated the Financial Times in a major, multipage separate section (Oct. 11, 2012).
How long can America continue to break basic fiscal laws without risking devastating economic consequences? Fundamental financial principles such as "The borrower is servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7) remain true and in effect.
The catastrophic impact of broken economic laws will not be staved off forever. After all, the Republic of China still holds 3 trillion U.S. dollars in its treasury. The drophead of a Wall Street Journal article asked, "How long can the laws of fiscal—and political—gravity be suspended?" (Bret Stephens, "Liberal Exceptionalism," Nov. 5, 2012).
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: January - February 2013
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.
