World News and Trends: Germany debates the American missile shield

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A proposed American missile shield to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic is designed as a radar system and missile battery to counter projectiles from rogue countries like North Korea and Iran.

A proposed American missile shield to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic is designed as a radar system and missile battery to counter projectiles from rogue countries like North Korea and Iran.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in a Dresden speech: "The missile defence system which is to be installed in Eastern Europe is politically extremely dangerous. It is viewed, rightly in Russia, and not only there, as an attempt to establish an absurd encirclement policy, a policy which is everything but in the interest of Europe" (International Herald Tribune, March 12, 2007).

Of course, Schroeder is on the Russian-owned Gazprom's payroll, acting as an advocate of Russian policy.

Current German Chancellor Angela Merkel walks a fine line on the issue. Publicly she has adopted a different view from Schroeder's, previously calling it a European and NATO matter. "Merkel's private position on the shield, as it is described within the party, is that it's a good idea that would protect Germany against Iran."

But politically Merkel cannot afford to altogether ignore the rampant anti-Americanism now afflicting Germany, of which the former chancellor is the main spokesman. (Source: International Herald Tribune.)

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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.