Swine Fever
China has been working to combat an outbreak of swine fever for more than a year now. While not a danger to humans, the disease has reduced the world’s largest herd of pigs by more than 40% with over 100 million deaths. Its spread is not limited to China. It has become a problem throughout Asia, Indonesia, and cases have even been reported in Eastern Europe.
Swine fever has been found in food products brought by travelers in Australia, the Philippines, South Korea, and even as far away as Northern Ireland. The danger is that the disease will pass into foreign swine herds through what is called “garbage feeding,” which means exactly what you think it does and is used even in the United States. As supply struggles to keep up with demand, pork prices have doubled in China. All meat prices have risen worldwide as Chinese consumers seek less expensive alternatives.
Plague of Locusts
The Desert Locust is considered the most dangerous type of locust due to its ability to travel great distances. East Africa has been devastated by the swarming Desert Locust before, but the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) fears the massive swarms currently sweeping through the continent may only be the beginning of a plague of Biblical proportions. Countries affected at this writing include Sardinia, Egypt, Eritrea, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and Nepal.
In late summer of 2019, droughts followed by catastrophic flooding throughout the region created an ideal environment for rapid breeding and growth of these winged destroyers. As a result, many countries are facing the most devastating swarms they’ve seen in a lifetime. One is now estimated to be about the size of London and is able to consume enough food to feed 35,000 people daily.
Those affected have been able to catch and eat the locusts but the damage done to their crops will result in an irreplaceable loss of money and food. The locusts can destroy 80% to 100% of crops in areas they invade. When food becomes scarce they become cannibalistic, turning on each other. Once the swarms die out, all that’s left is desolation.
“We must act immediately and at a scale to combat and contain this invasion,” said FAO’s sub-regional coordinator for Eastern Africa, David Phiri. “As the rains start in March there will be a new wave of locusts breeding. Now is therefore the best time to control the swarms and safeguard people’s livelihoods and food security.” Estimates suggest the swarms could increase up to 500 times by June 2020. Naturally, climate change is cited as the cause.
Greek Tragedy
It has been 5 years since the beginning of the migrant crisis in Europe. From the beginning, Greece has been one of the primary pathways into the European Union, and three islands have borne the brunt of the influx. Lesbos, Chios, and Samos are located in the eastern Aegean, far from the Greek mainland but right up against the coast of Turkey. Of the 60,000 migrants to enter Greece last year nearly 80% passed through one of these islands. Many of the refugee camps on the islands are operating at over ten times capacity with populations larger than the towns they neighbor. Conditions are said to be so squalid and depressing that suicide is common among the inmates.
Having declared the crisis over almost a year ago, the EU has turned over responsibility for migrant transfers to national governments. Greek Islanders feel abandoned as they struggle to deal with an unexpected surge in new arrivals. Many businesses and services have closed, with thousands of Greeks taking to the streets in protest. They are fed up with the situation, the terrible conditions of the camps, the increase in crime and violence, and the damaging effect on tourism. Even the sympathetic want the migrants to “go somewhere else.” Whatever the EU may declare, this crisis is far from over.
Au Revoir to Foreign Influence
Since 1977, France has allowed teachers from certain foreign countries to provide foreign language and culture classes completely without supervision from any French authorities. Algeria, Morocco, Turkey and Tunisia––all Muslim-majority countries––have long been involved in the program which reaches nearly 80,000 students a year. France has received nearly 300 imams each year from participating countries.
Nearly all of France’s terror attacks in recent history have been perpetrated by Islamists. Now, in an effort to curb dangerous ideology, French President Macron has announced an end to this program. “The problem is when in the name of a religion, some want to separate themselves from the Republic and therefore not respect its laws,” he said.
New agreements with the previously participating nations aim to ensure that the French government has oversight over the courses and curriculum. The only country which has not agreed on these new measures is Turkey. “We cannot have Turkish law on French soil. No way,” Macron stated.
Lebanon: Money doesn’t grow on Cedars
After nearly four months of flux and turmoil, a government was formed in Lebanon near the end of January. The majority party that finally managed to put together a coalition was none other than Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and much of the world. The Iranian backed Shi’ite terrorists-turned-politicians have taken the reigns of one of the worlds most indebted countries. The previous government fell before a citizenry enraged by waste, corruption, and a dire economic outlook. The protests have not stopped and the path forward for Lebanon is anything but clear.
Their economy is shrinking and major payments, particularly to the EU, are due in coming months. The 2020 budget projects a 7% deficit but public debt already exceeds 150% of GDP. The value of the Lebanese pound has also been decimated. A $1.2 billion Eurobond payment is due in March. According to Reuters it is currently “trading at 84.6 cents to the dollar” while “Lebanon’s longer dated bonds are trading at 50 cents to the dollar or lower.” Some form of default seems inevitable. The international community is not exactly eager to intervene since Hezbollah has taken the reigns. However, some expedient may be deemed necessary considering the exposure of Europe’s own shaky financial institutions.
Pope Calls For Globalism Yet Again
Last September Pope Francis announced his new initiative, entitled Reinventing the Global Educational Alliance, in order to “educate us in universal solidarity and a new humanism.”
In the Vatican’s own words: “Pope Francis has invited to the Vatican the proponents of the main religions, the spokespeople of international organizations and various humanitarian institutions, of the academic, economic, political and cultural world. Together, representing the inhabitants of the Earth, they will sign the Global Compact on Education which each one will undertake to implement in their area and disseminate as much as possible.”
A series of seminars detailing the objectives will culminate in signing on to the compact on May 14th, 2020. So far the events have focused on multiculturalism, climate change, fostering brotherhood between different religions, and directing “globalization towards relationality.”
