World News and Trends: British Royal Navy could be cut by half
Although the decision is not yet final, the British government apparently plans to mothball up to half of the royal fleet.
Although the decision is not yet final, the British government apparently plans to mothball up to half of the royal fleet. Also plans to build two new giant aircraft carriers may be scuttled. Recently retired First Sea Lord Sir Alan West "told The Daily Telegraph that the government was turning the armed forces into a 'tin-pot' gendarmerie, good only for scuffling with terrorists" (Jan. 5, 2007).
The overall problem runs throughout the armed forces. Noted author and defense commentator Max Hastings stated: "Like eruptions from an overstrained water main, revelations about the problems of Britain's armed forces burst forth daily. The word 'crisis' is often abused, but it is justified here. Programmes are being slashed, training curtailed and capabilities cut as the Ministry of Defence struggles to control runaway spending" (The Guardian, Jan. 8, 2007).
The article goes on to show that the size of the defense forces is becoming so small that they are losing critical mass and the military's credibility as a British institution is now at stake. One point to note is that "the army is facing a recruitment crisis as frontline troops quit" (Daily Mail, Jan. 5, 2007).
Columnist Gerald Warner of Scotland on Sunday probably had the most biting reactive remarks in the media. He wrote: "'When a strong man armed keepeth his house, his goods are in peace' (Luke 11:21). This axiom does not seem to have penetrated the minds of our rulers, Labour and Tory [the British political parties], over the past 15 years. This period has seen the progressive dismantling of the United Kingdom 's armed services on a scale it would be inadequate to describe as reckless."
He further stated: "Anyone who thinks this is a time for Britain to disarm is several kilotons short of a fission." This veteran journalist concluded his article with the warning words: "Pax Britannica? Be very afraid . . ." (Jan. 28, 2007).
Meanwhile the International Herald Tribune reported that "President Hu Jintao has called on China's military commanders to build a powerful navy, the state media reported Thursday as the country continues to spend heavily on a modern blue-water fleet" (Dec. 29, 2006).
The Chinese president is effectively commander-in-chief of the armed forces. China wants to counter the growing naval fleets of Japan , India and other Asian nations. Also, "Vladimir Putin claimed Russia was developing a new breed of nuclear missiles, superior to any existing" (Scotland on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007).
Britannia once ruled the waves of the entire world! It is all too easy to forget that "at the summit of its extraordinary dominance of the world's oceans, the Royal Navy has been bigger than the next seven national fleets combined" (Daily Telegraph, Jan. 5, 2007). The New York Post talked about "a 400-year epoch of world history" drawing to a close (Jan. 14, 2007).
The Post interpreted the present crisis in the overall context of what it terms "Britain's decades-long decline as a world power." This American newspaper also asked two crucial questions: "Is Britain part of an English-speaking, Atlantic-based strategic alliance that includes the United States and Canada? Or is it part of Europe as envisioned by technocrats in Paris, Brussels and Berlin?"
One cannot comprehend the current difficulties besetting the major powers of the English-speaking world today without the basic knowledge and understanding of its prophetic origins. To understand more, request or download our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. (Sources: The New York Post, International Herald Tribune, Scotland on Sunday, Daily Mail [London], The Daily Telegraph [London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: March - April 2007
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
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.
