Hitler’s Law Enforced

A law introduced in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1938 banning home schooling and mandating that children in Germany be educated by the state is being rigidly enforced in Germany. The Washington Times reported, “The fierceness of the authorities’ reaction is telling. The dispute is about the hearts and minds of the children. In Germany, schools have become vehicles of indoctrination, where children are brought up to unquestioningly accept the authority of the state in all areas of life.” Déjà vu?

Iranian Rocket Reveals Military Goals

In a move that revealed both the pace and the motives behind Iran’s missile development program, Iran successfully launched a test rocket last week. Coupled with its aggressive pursuit of a nuclear capability, Iran’s latest move will put increased pressure on the European Union to become more directly involved in Middle Eastern affairs as U.S. influence wanes.

Speculative End-Game in Sight

The stock market correction that occurred last week as a result of China threatening a new capital-gains tax tested the nerve of speculators around the world. Although many pundits saw this as an overdue correction of pumped up world markets, more serious analysts detected a deeper cause. The clearest thinkers see the impending demise of the “post-war, post-Bretton Woods experiment with asset inflation as a means to personal wealth-building” (Daily Reckoning, March 1). In other words, the days of the fiat money system, with paper money having no real attachment to a tangible asset, are numbered. The same source warned, “The real liquidity crisis, when it comes (18 to 26 months down the road, we reckon) will be much larger, much more destructive, and impossible to contain.”

EU and Russia Mop Up Border

With it becoming apparent that the European Union has pushed as far east as it dare without antagonizing Russia, the time has come for both to cooperate on securing themselves from further incursion by the Islamic hordes. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is pushing for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the prospect of joint peacekeeping missions. There are a number of “frozen conflicts” at Russia’s borders that need resolution. Solving them is in the best interest of the two developing empires and is being considered within the context of a new treaty, negotiations for which are expected to begin soon. It’s a far cry from the days of nato versus the Warsaw Pact … but a great reminder of the old Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact!