In Brief... Will NATO Survive?
European unity looks to disolve dependence on the United States in order to promote peace in Europe
The NATO air effort over Yugoslavia has suffered a number of damaging "mistake bombings." Criticism in the press has been mounting steadily.
Some have even suggested scrapping NATO. Wrote journalist Robert Fisk: "As a citizen of the new, modern Europe...I don't want Europe to be 'protected' by the U.S. If that means the end of the Atlantic Alliance, so be it. Because an Atlantic Alliance that has brought us to this catastrophe should be wound up. Until it is, Europe will never-ever-take responsibility for itself or for the dictators that threaten our society.... Until NATO is dead, there will never be a real European defense force." Strong words those.
The drive for European unity appears to be relentless. While Romano Prodi spoke of achieving an army separate from NATO in years, "Germany's Rudolph Scharping gave a December 2000 deadline for the establishment of a rapid response infrastructure that will end dependence on the U.S."
A decent future for NATO certainly appears to demand at least a partial success in the Balkans. A failure or a poor compromise could spell the end. There are far too many voices demanding a "European-only" army.
Actually, NATO itself has already taken a significant step in the direction of such an army. According to a Daily Mail report from Washington, D.C., "NATO agreed to make a huge chunk of its military capability available to the European Union to use as it pleases when conflicts flare across the continent." This decision was made during NATO's 50th anniversary celebration in the United States.
The British are very nervous about these developments and feel themselves seriously threatened as the steady erosion of their national sovereignty continues unabated. Leaders in the highest echelons on the Continent have periodically spoken of a United States of Europe-eventually wielding enormous powers over member states. (The Times, May 10; The Daily Mail, April 26, May 10 and May 11; The Independent, May 13.)
An Article from:
World News and Prophecy: June 1999
Course Content
Darris McNeely
Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren.
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.
