BPR Mailing List Digest: 09/05/00

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
September 5, 2000

Digest Home | 2000 | September, 2000

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Calif. quake reveals unknown fault line
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:39:00 -0400

Calif. quake reveals unknown fault line

ŠNew York Times, published September 4, 2000

SAN FRANCISCO -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 rattled Northern California's wine country early Sunday, taking place along a previously undiscovered fault line and catching seismologists by surprise.

Two people were hospitalized, one a 5-year-old boy in critical condition.

The epicenter of the earthquake was 3 miles southwest of Yountville, Calif., under Mount Veeders, the most prominent peak in the area.

"This does not put it on any known fault, making it a totally new event," said Pat Jorgenson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.

"It's unusual because with all today's technology we really feel we have most of the faults located," Jorgenson said. "But then something like this happens and we go, "Oops, I'll be darned.' "

The agency will analyze the fault line, add it to maps and eventually name it, she said.

The earthquake occurred at 4:36 a.m. Eastern and lasted 18 seconds. Two aftershocks, of magnitude 1.5 and 1.8, were reported later Sunday. A magnitude 5 earthquake is felt by everyone in the immediate area, moves heavy furniture and can slightly damage some buildings, according to the Geological Survey. An earthquake of magnitude 6 can cause severe damage.

At least 25 people were treated for injuries, mostly minor cuts, said Denise Mace, spokeswoman for Queen of the Valley Hospital.

"When the quake hit, it dumped everything on the floor. There was glass everywhere," said Jerry Marquez, 33, who was being treated for cuts on his feet.

One man was in serious condition at the hospital and a 5-year-old boy was in critical condition because of head injuries caused by falling objects, Mace said. The boy underwent surgery at Oakland Children's Hospital.

About 10,000 residents lost power and 500 lost gas service, according to Pacific Gas and Electric, which expected all service to be restored by today. Many homes had damaged chimneys.

"We shook twice, back to back, with everything swaying, like a water bed," said dispatcher Rick Wallace of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department in Santa Rosa, about 30 miles northwest of the quake's epicenter.

While most restaurants and wineries seem to have been spared major damage, Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa, about 6 miles from Yountville, lost about 60 percent of its wine.

"Everything in our bar came down, everything in our wine room came down, everything in our kitchen all came crashing down," said Bettina Rouas, the restaurant's general manager. "The walls in the office are all cracked. We were hit directly, very hard."

Many residents who had experienced earthquakes described Sunday morning's episode as a sudden, violent shock, compared with the fluid rolling action they had felt in other quakes.

"This was by far the most severe I've ever felt," said California Highway Patrol spokesman Mark Bunger, who said he has lived in the Napa area his whole life. "Usually it's a rolling, but this was more of a real jolting. My wife and kids were screaming. It was quite upsetting."

He said his house in nearby Browns Valley had cracked plaster but no major damage.

"For me it was a big one," said Mimi Ramirez, a 27-year-old cashier at a 7-Eleven, who was sleeping when the earthquake hit.

"When I opened my eyes, it was like a shock, like thunder storming. And I felt like the ground was opening," Ramirez said. "It sounded, felt like construction, those big machines or something."

Although the ground shook most severely near Napa, lighter tremors were felt from San Francisco to Sacramento.

"My husband and I heard it and thought someone was trying to open our garage," said Arnita Leneir, 34, of Sacramento. "Then after a while we both just kind of sat up in bed and said, "Oh my God, that was an earthquake.' "

Earthquake or no earthquake, the crowds flocking to wine country this holiday weekend for its culinary and scenic diversions were not changing their plans.

Crowded as ever, the Napa Valley wine train chugged out for its three-hour gourmet run around the region on schedule. And hot air balloons floating over the vineyards touched down right on time for the champagne brunch.

- Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

http://www.sptimes.com/News/090400/Worldandnation/Calif_quake_reveals_u
shtml

Link via:
http://www.newsviewtoday.com

From: moza@butterfly.mv.com

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Missing From New York: America's Influence
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:42:53 -0400

Missing From New York: America's Influence
5 September 2000

Summary

This week in New York, leaders from across the globe gather. But
the most telling details are not in New York - but in the myriad
meetings that have unfolded in different corners of the world in
recent days. Increasingly, world leaders are trying to find ways to
work around Washington as U.S. foreign policy increasingly drifts.
The only thing missing from New York, it seems, will be the
presence of the United States.

Analysis

An extraordinary gathering of world leaders takes place in New York
this week, at what has been called a millennial town meeting, to
help mark the opening of the next General Assembly of the United
Nations.

But the real significance is found not in the photo opportunities
or the speeches - but in the run-up to the summit itself. A wave of
significant meetings has built across the globe as major world
leaders slowly make their way to New York. These dialogues indicate
the importance of contacts at the regional levels, in working out
problems that Washington once sought to influence. These dialogues,
however, suggest that much of the world is tuning Washington out.

In the last few days, there has been a flurry of bilateral contact.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Japan, the Israeli foreign
minister visited Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, more than a
dozen African leaders met in Libya, South American leaders attended
a summit in Brazil, and the Yugoslav foreign minister dropped in on
Fidel Castro in Havana.

Each of these is interesting in itself. Putin showed the Japanese
that he did not intend to be flexible on returning the Kuril
Islands, taken by Moscow in 1945. The meeting between the Israelis
and Egyptians suggest that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is
trying to broker a deal over Jerusalem. The gathering in Libya
indicates the continued and growing influence of Libya in sub-
Saharan Africa. South American leaders are focused on the
continuing crisis in Colombia. The Havana gathering indicates that
Belgrade is trying to break out of its diplomatic isolation, while
the Castro government delights in irritating Washington.

But the most striking theme is the absence of any overriding,
globally significant themes. In part, this is good news. Riveting,
overarching issues tend to indicate crises of global proportions.
When the world's leaders gathered at the United Nations in 1960,
for example, there were overarching issues-namely the threat of a
global war involving the United States and Soviet Union.

But there is a pattern. Consider the meeting in Cairo. The failed
Camp David talks left Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat strengthened
against hard-liners who wanted to reject a formal agreement anyway,
while weakening Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak's claim to
power is partly rooted in his close relations with the United
States. But the Clinton administration chose to put him in the
position of blowing up his ties with Washington - or his coalition
back home. Barak's foreign minister went to Cairo to search for an
unlikely way out.

In Libya, the summit represents a new high point for Moammar
Gadhafi, who has been assiduously building his influence in sub-
Saharan Africa. In spite of a generation-old attempt to isolate
him, American policy in Africa - despite sporadic interventions and
periodic visits by President Clinton - has not stemmed the Libyan
leader's influence. Similarly, neither Cuban President Fidel Castro
nor the regime in Belgrade is deterred from exploring common
interests.

Significantly, the summit in Brazil has focused on an American
concern: Colombia. There is an underlying theme here, expressed at
the Latin American summit, a fear that U.S. policy in Colombia
might lead to an explosion that could spread to neighboring
countries. Like the gathering between leaders of North and South
Korea on the far side of the globe, these gatherings are as much
about taking control away as much as working with the United
States.

While there is no common text to these, there is a common subtext.
These dialogues are taking place at the regional level either
because American actions have created unintended consequences that
others are scrambling to contain, or because the United States has
allowed situations to drift without control.

In fact, there is an overarching theme: the global attempt, taken
by different actors in different ways, to manage around the
Americans, instead of letting the Americans manage the world. The
United States is the center of gravity of the international system.
But that is not to say that Washington is in control of the system.

http://www.stratfor.com
via: Third_Watch@egroups.com

From: moza@butterfly.mv.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Herodian aqueduct uncovered in Old City
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:47:43 -0400

Tuesday, September 5, 2000

Herodian aqueduct uncovered in Old City

By Nadav Shragai
Ha'aretz Correspondent

A 200-meter-long tunnel dating back to the time of Herod the Great and
running under the Western Wall has recently been rediscovered during
excavations carried out in the area by the Religious Affairs Ministry and the
Foundation for the Heritage of the Western Wall.

The southern section of the tunnel was originally exposed by the biblical
archaeologist Professor Benjamin Mazar in the early 1970s. The Religious
Affairs Ministry team has now exposed additional sections of the tunnel
which are located further north and pass under the Western Wall area. These
sections link up to the southern part, located near the site of archaeological
digs in the south eastern corner of the Temple Mount.

The tunnel was used as an aqueduct and the recent discovery effectively
creates a subterranean connection between the Western Wall tunnels
(where the two wells that tourists throw coins into are located) and the area
of southern Temple Mount excavations.

The existence of the aqueduct was first revealed by the British archaeologist
Charles Warren 130-years ago. Warren excavated a number of points along
the 200 meter tunnel, though he never discovered the full extent of the
aqueduct.

Around 1,900 years ago, the tunnel drained off rain water, supplying water to
the Temple Mount, cutting through the foot of the mountain on which the
Jewish Quarter is now located, entering the Temple Mount through the
Wilson Bridge. It was built under a Herodian street, 75 meters of which were
found during excavation work on the southern side of the Western Wall.

The depth of the aqueduct varies. Its northern section, near the Western Wall
tunnel, is 8.5 meters deep, gradually dipping and reaching a depth of 11
meters at the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount.

Archaeologist Dr. Gideon Avni who heads the Antiquities Authority's
excavation and research department told Ha'aretz he had learned about the
aqueduct from a number of sources. "The most dramatic description of the
tunnel is found in the works of Josephus Flavius who tells of how after the
conquest of the upper city, some Jews fled to this aqueduct and how the
Romans lit fires at both ends of the tunnel, killing the Jews by suffocation.

http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=09/05/00&
id=91531

From: moza@butterfly.mv.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - 'Weeping' goddess draws crowds in southern India
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:53:17 -0400

Monday, September 4 5:11 PM SGT

'Weeping' goddess draws crowds in southern India

HYDERABAD, India, Sept 4 (AFP) -

Thousands of devotees of the Hindu goddess Durga flocked to temples in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad for the third straight day Monday, amid claims that statues of the deity were shedding tears.

The crowds snarled traffic around many temples as they wrestled with each other to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.

The "miracle" was first noticed around noon on Saturday at a temple in Dhoolpet in the old quarter of the city. In a few hours, reports of weeping Durga statues in other temples were flying in thick and fast.

"The right eye of the goddess moved like a real human eye and I saw water on her cheeks," said Yerramma, a 45-year-old housewife who was among the first to arrive at the Dhoolpet temple.

"The goddess is crying because she is sad about recent floods and political disturbances in the state," she said.

Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh state, where devastating flooding over the past three weeks has claimed 160 lives and left tens of thousands homeless.

Others saw the tears as a warning for the future.

"The tears could mean something tragic is going to happen in the coming days," Maharaj Tulsiram Pujari, head priest at one of the city's Durga temples told AFP.

By Monday, the tears seemed to have dried up, although late arrivals did not leave disappointed.

"I didn't see the tears myself but the goddess is shining and looking very different," said devotee Vasudev Raju.

Local police were more sceptical, pointing out that all the temples had been washed on Friday at the start of a nine-day religious festival.

"Some of the idols may have been shining and looking new because of the clean-up," said sub-inspector Sudharak Rao as he tried to control traffic outside the Dhoolpet Durgar temple.

"People's imagination can be quite powerful sometimes," Rao said

http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/asia/article.html?s=singapore/he adli nes/000904/asia/afp/_Weeping__goddess_draws_crowds_in_southern_India. html

via: Third_Watch@egroups.com

From: moza@butterfly.mv.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - EU uses summer break to slip in new secrecy laws
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 09:04:02 -0400

Monday, September 4, 2000

EU uses summer break to slip in new secrecy laws
By Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor

EU chief reprimanded for expansion gaffe

DURING the summer the EU has introduced sweeping new secrecy laws
that will restrict the public's right to know details of discussions of security,
military and foreign policy matters.

Immigration and drugs could also be covered by the restriction, according to
freedom of information campaigners, and even the fact that certain
documents exist will not be disclosed to inquirers. The new code of access
to documents, which became law last week, was rushed through while the
European political establishment was on holiday under the so-called "written
procedure", which prevents debate by MEPs.

It was agreed by EU ambassadors - including Britain - at the behest of Javier
Solana, formerly Nato secretary-general and now first EU foreign policy
supremo. Four of the 15 EU member states voted against.

Information may be withheld on "public security, the security and defence of
the Union or one of its member states, military or non-military crisis
management, international relations, monetary stability, court proceedings,
inspections and investigations".

New rules run counter to a commitment in the Amsterdam Treaty to enshrine
the public's right of access to EU documents and counter to repeated
promises of greater "transparency" in decision-making. Newspapers were
accused by Keith Vaz, minister for Europe, last week of "xenophobia" and
failing to report "positive"' news about the EU even as the Government joined
others in curtailing the availability of information.

The EU secretariat said the new rules were needed to back the moves
towards a common foreign and defence policy. The rules will also cover
proposals to set up a 5,000-strong EU paramilitary police force and plans for
a rapid reaction force, which could be used to quell "violence, armed conflicts
and massive population movements".

The controls were rushed through despite opposition from Jacob Soderman,
the European ombudsman, who said they could be applied to areas now
open to public scrutiny. Statewatch, the British civil liberties group, said the
rules would "impinge in a major way on the EU civil as distinct from the
military practices. The decision was rushed through when the institutions in
Brussels were half-empty."

The rules have caused consternation in EU countries, especially in
Scandinavia, which have more liberal freedom of information laws than
Britain.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000163167039689&rtmo=a2xaeeaL&atmo=
99999999&pg=/et/00/9/4/weu104.html

From: moza@butterfly.mv.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - China Arrests 24 Catholics from Underground Church
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:13:57 -0500

China Arrests 24 Catholics from Underground Church

http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=195060

BEIJING, Sep 1, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) China has arrested a priest,
20 nuns and three others from an underground Catholic church in southern
Fujian province, in an ongoing crackdown on religious groups refusing to
adhere to communist party ideology, a rights group said Friday.

Police arrested Father Liu Shao-zhang Wednesday and beat him severely,
causing him to vomit blood, the U.S.-based Cardinal Kung Foundation said in
a statement sent to Beijing.

Also arrested were 20 nuns, one seminarian and two laypersons who belong to
the same church, an underground Roman Catholic Church in Gongtou village in
Fujian's capital, Fuzhou, the foundation said.

A police official on Friday told AFP the group was arrested when police
found them using a mushroom processing factory for church services.

He said police confiscated religious articles from the group and turned them
over to county police.

County police declined to comment.

Two of the nuns were released Thursday after a group of parishioners paid a
large sum of money to the police bureau, the foundation said. They were
ordered not to leave their house unless they received permission from the
police.

The remaining 22 people are still detained and their whereabouts are
unknown, the foundation said.

The arrests come less than two weeks after another priest was detained in
Fujian. Father Gao Yihua was detained on August 19 and released on August
29, the foundation said.

An archbishop in Fuzhou, Yang Shudao, who was arrested on February 10 and
released shortly afterwards, remains under heavy surveillance with several
guards staying in his house 24 hours a day, the foundation said.

The foundation said China has recently begun a new crackdown to force
members of the underground Roman Catholic Church to register with the
Chinese government and join the Patriotic Association, which was set up to
monitor and force religious groups to conform to communist party ideology.

Two Catholic churches co-exist in China. The official one pledging
allegiance to the communist party and rejecting the authority of the pope
has between four and five million members, according to Beijing.

The other clandestine church is loyal to the pope and is said to count
around 10 million followers.

Because of stiff resistance from the underground church, the government has
intensified its persecution in the past few years by arresting hundreds of
underground bishops, priests and believers, many of whom are still in prison
or labor camps, said the foundation.

Other religious groups have also come under pressure in recent weeks.

Fifty underground Protestants have been detained in three provinces in the
past month and another 130 Protestants from an underground church in central
Henan province were detained last week. ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Satan worship worries Christians in northeast India
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:56:50 -0500

Satan worship worries Christians in northeast India

http://www.newsroom.org/

AIZAWL, India, 1 September 2000 (Newsroom) -- Religious leaders in the
predominantly Christian state of Mizoram have asked police to investigate
recent incidents of Satan worship involving teenagers, a trend that some
officials blame on television shows about the paranormal and the occult.

"This is not good for our society or any society," said the Reverend
Vanalalrhuajwa of the Presbyterian Church Synod in Mizoram.

The sudden rise in popularity of devil worship in the last three months so
alarmed parents and teenagers that Presbyterian elders asked four faculty
members at Aizawl Theological College to study the problem. Their report
appeared to confirm the fears of church leaders, who then asked police to
intervene.

One church elder who asked not to be named described an incident where high
school boys and girls formed a circle in a cemetery late at night, chanting
invocations to Satan. In the center of the circle was a monkey skull with
the inscription ``Natas Si Dog'' -- ``God is Satan," in reverse. Police said
the students then slashed their wrists in a ritual offering of blood.

Aizawl police Superintendent Zorammawaaia said the phenomenon has taken
authorities by surprise because the population in this tiny, northeastern
state is about 90 percent Christian, primarily Presbyterian. Like many
Indians, the police superintendent goes by a single name.

Police do not know how many students may be involved, but Zorammawaaia
suggested that the Satan worshipers probably are influenced by television
shows about witchcraft and other black magic.

About 25 million homes in India have cable television, which gives them
access to programs such as "The X Files," the American show about FBI agents
who investigate paranormal and unexplained incidents, and Indian programs
such as "Aahat," "Anhonee" and "Woh."

Producers of programs such as "Aahat," for example, say they are emphasizing
the supernatural over more traditional horror themes because that is what
audiences want. They also are targeting younger children. For example, in
one episode of "Aahat" a doll that is possessed by an evil spirit persuades
a young girl to trade places, then refuses to relinquish the girl's body.
The show received the highest ratings ever for a television show in India
and was the topic of conversation in schools for days afterward.

"We are just entertaining the people for 25 minutes," "Aahat" producer
Pradeep Upoor said in defense of the show. "Once you tune in to our program
it won't let you go. Just like the doll."

In a Hindu culture that believes in reincarnation, shows that depict people
who come back to life to exact revenge have great appeal, according to
psychiatrist Harish Shetty.

"When horror shows show the victim wreaking vengeance after he/she dies, it
appeals to the primitive emotions of human beings," he said. "The children
enjoy it. They are scared but, like their parents, they are excited by life
after life."

Not everyone shares that excitement, however. One 7-year-old girl wrote to
the High Court describing how "Aahat" scared her. In Delhi, a city court
observed that some "horror serials" were detrimental to the mental health of
children.

"We need to teach these young people and ensure they do not indulge in these
kinds of weird religious practices," the Reverend Vanalalrhuajwa insisted.

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Why No Leader? by Prof. Paul Eidelberg
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2000 09:12:21 -0500

--- Forwarded Message ---

From: BSaphir@aol.com
Date sent: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 14:44:52 EDT
Subject: WHY NO LEADER BY PROF. PAUL EIDELBERG
To: freemanlist@lists.io.com

WHY NO LEADER?

BY PROF. PAUL EIDELBERG

Even before the reign of the Rabin Government [in July 1992], most
Jews in Israel deplored the absence of any national leader. Lacking
is a statesman capable of uniting this faction-ridden society, of
inspiring the Jewish people with national pride and purpose.

Secularists as well as religionists are divided. Neither possess a
charismatic personality who can overcome the partisan or sectarian
rivalries of his own camp, let alone of the nation as a whole.
Strange, in country whose existence is threatened by a hostile Arab
world.

Why is Israel lacking a man of sufficient wisdom, virtue, and grace
to win the confidence of the nation, halt its retreat, and restore
its ancient glory? I believe the answer to this question can be found
in HaGaon HaRav Chaim Zimmerman's -- TORAH AND EXISTENCE. Thus, in
his commentary on various sources related to Isaiah 60:22 and
SANHEDRIN 98a, we learn that Israel's restoration can occur by two
different historical processes, which depending on the existential
character of the Jewish people.

One is termed ACHISHENA, meaning "ahead of time," a "hastened"
historical process. The other is termed B'ETO, literally, "in its
time," signifying a natural historical process. (The B'ETO process
may be called "political" in contradistrinction to the ACHISHENA
process which may be deemed "metapolitical.")

Now, if the Jewish people as a whole do TESHUVA [BPR note:
"repentance"], they will merit immediate restoration. Having done
TESHUVA they will be receptive to the leadership of a man of
superlative character who will complete Israel's restoration as a
Torah nation. But even if the Jewish people as a whole do not do
TESHUVA, there is a fixed or determinate time in history when
Israel's restoration as a Torah nation will perforce take place.

Since most of the Jewish people have not done TESHUVA--most are
assimilated, and most are living in Galut [BPR note: "exile"]--they do not merit
immediate restoration as a Torah nation. Instead, Israel's
restoration is enfolding by a natural, developmental process, in
stages determined by what may be called the infinite computational
system by which God rules history.

Consistent with this B'ETO process of Israel's restoration, consider
the following incomplete stages. First, most Jews are no longer
subjected to gentile rule. Second, Jews have regained control of a
major part of the Land of Israel (the retention of which is
endangered, however, by post-Zionists). Third, a Jewish Government
(admittedly most imperfect, whether headed by Labor or the Likud)
rules over the land. Fourth, in small and in large numbers, Jews are
immigrating to Israel. Fifth, and most significant, not only are
more and more Jews doing TESHUVA, but because of the high birthrate
of religious Jews, the proportion of the latter to secular Jews is
increasing.

Now, so long as the number of Torah Jews do not exceed the number of
secular Jews, the Government of Israel will be fractionated and
inept. It will limp from crisis to crisis, reacting to Israel's
enemies. In other words, Israel will have no leader of commanding
ability. Lacking such a leader, the Government will be incapable of
uniting the Jewish people, of taking the initiative in foreign
affairs, of pursuing a national strategy designed to restore Israel's
former grandeur as a Torah nation.

Israel today is in a stage of the B'ETO process of restoration. This
stage is dominated by politics, by the egotistical struggle for
power. However, as explained in my book DEMOPHRENIA: ISRAEL AND THE
MALAISE OF DEMOCRACY, politics, as a method of solving basic human
problems, is becoming obsolete. This is especially true in Israel.

Politics in the form of secular Zionism was necessary to reestablish
the state. But it is becoming increasingly obvious that secular
Zionism is dead. Evidence is accumulating that more and more Jews in
Israel are becoming aware of the bankruptcy of their political
institutions, hence the increasing support for a constitution.
Meanwhile, more and more Jews are turning to the Torah. Which means
that the anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish character of the Barak
Government--it will soon disappear--is contributing to the eventual
ascendancy of the Torah in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people.
Eventually, therefore, the Jewish people will merit and be receptive
to a leader of sterling character who will galvanize the nation,
overawe its enemies, and complete Israel's restoration as a light
unto mankind.

--- End Forwarded Message ---

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Re: Russian children to train for war
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Stephen")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 10:13:22 -0400 (EDT)

This is in regard to the newsletter about the Russian children training
for arm services. We in the U.S. tend to criticize other countries for
doing such a thing to their youth. Do we not do it here? Take for
example here one sees ads with the Army---" Be all you can be" They
show the soldiers training for comupter hi-tech. But read the small
prints they have " if you qualify". They decieve young people to join
only to find themselves as foot soldiers in the battlefields. So what is
the difference between here and these other countries? None! I hate to
admit it at least these countries come right out with saying the youth
are going to the arm services and not being decieved like here. I had
alot of friends who felt they had no choice but to join one of the
services because they were not intellctual enough or wealthy enough to
attend colleges. It's ahame we all can't turn our weapons into plows.
Steven:)

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Carey rebukes Vatican over 'improper' slur
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 11:45:53 -0500

September 5 2000 BRITAIN
http://www.the-times.co.uk/

Carey rebukes Vatican over 'improper' slur
BY RUTH GLEDHILL, RELIGION CORRESPONDENT

THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, rebuked the Roman Catholic
Church yesterday over its assertion that the Church of England is not a
"proper" Church.

Dr Carey said that the Vatican declaration, to be published in Rome today,
failed to "fully reflect the deeper understanding that has been achieved
through ecumenical dialogue and co-operation during the past 30 years".

The declaration, approved by the Pope, effectively condemns all
post-Reformation Churches. It says: "Ecclesial communities that have not
preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the
eucharistic mystery are not Churches in the proper sense."

Dr Carey said: "Of course, the Church of England, and the worldwide Anglican
Communion, does not for one moment accept that its orders of ministry and
Eucharist are deficient in any way. It believes itself to be a part of the
one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ."

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Cormac Murphy-
O'Connor, insisted that no slight had been intended against the Church of
England. The document is particularly embarrassing for Archbishop
Murphy-O'Connor, who has dedicated his life to ecumenism. He was previously
a co-chairman of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission
(Arcic).

The Vatican document, Declaration Dominus Iesus, also states that the
followers of non-Christian religions are "gravely deficient" and their
rituals "an obstacle to salvation".

Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor said that the main purpose of the declaration was
to give warning against a tendency to regard all religions as equivalent. He
said that the declaration did not attempt to change the Catholic Church's
teaching regarding ecumenism.

The declaration comes from the hardline, conservative-dominated Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly the Inquisition. Although written by
its Prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, it has the specific authority of
Pope John Paul II.

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - MIDEAST PACT MAY HINGE ON A SINGLE WORD
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 12:10:59 -0500

MIDEAST PACT MAY HINGE ON A SINGLE WORD

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-0009050130,FF.html

By Hugh Dellios
Tribune Foreign Correspondent
September 5, 2000

JERUSALEM -- To deal with the most disputed 36 acres on the planet, those
trying to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are looking for answers in
unexpected places, such as a frozen ice cap, a secessionist Canadian
province and a Caribbean naval base.

Others are appealing to the Almighty, essentially asking God to take the
problem off their hands.

The issue is control over the walled complex in Jerusalem's Old City that is
known to Jews as Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram ash-Sharif.

The disputed area will be the primary topic when President Clinton meets
separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat at the United Nations Millennium Summit in New York on
Wednesday.

The site holds two important mosques, Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock, making
it the third holiest place in Islam. It is also the center of Jewish
history, the site of the ancient Jewish temples, the last destroyed by the
Romans in the year 70.

With each side demanding control over the sacred ground, negotiators, U.S.
mediators and legal scholars are not only entertaining ideas on how to divvy
up the land, they also are focusing on how to restructure the emotionally
charged concept of sovereignty so that each side may be able to claim
victory in any Mideast peace treaty.

The quest has spawned mind-boggling proposals for apportioning control of
the complex. They include: divided sovereignty, joint sovereignty, shared
sovereignty, delayed sovereignty, suspended sovereignty, functional
sovereignty, custodial sovereignty, extraterritorial sovereignty and even
subterranean sovereignty.

It has led to an intellectual search around the globe to study creative
arrangements such as the international Law of the Sea, the division of
powers in Canada's Quebec province and a 30-year treaty that neutralizes
territorial claims to Antarctica.

Chief Israeli negotiator Shlomo Ben Ami at one point wondered if the U.S.
Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, might serve as a model, reportedly
jotting the name down in his diary from the Camp David summit in July.

Most recently, some have embraced the idea of "divine sovereignty," in which
God symbolically would be given title to the land, so the two sides can get
down to more immediate matters such as who will police the area, collect
garbage and approve renovations to the holy sites.

"It's an abstract notion--sovereignty--and it would be a shame if we give up
this opportunity for peace because of it," said Ruth Lapidoth, an
international law scholar at Hebrew University and an adviser to Barak. "In
many countries, sovereignty is not important anymore."
...more...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-000905013
0,FF.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - I need to be reminded why public prayer is bad
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 12:16:53 -0500

Tuesday, September 5, 2000, 12:00 a.m. Pacific

William Raspberry / Syndicated columnist
I need to be reminded why public prayer is bad

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/editorial/html98/raspberry05_20000905.html

WASHINGTON - A long time ago, a city editor at The Washington Post tapped me
to be his assignment editor, explaining to me how what I did virtually
shaped the next day's paper (or at least his section of it).

As it turned out, I hated the job. But whenever I went to the boss to ask to
be returned to reporting, he'd paint an impressive picture of the critical
importance of my job, and I'd be talked into staying on awhile longer. It
got to be a little joke between us when, every month or so, I'd turn up at
his office saying: "Tell me again how wonderful and important this job is."

I need my civil-liberties friends to tell me again the mortal danger of
prayer - of religion generally - in public places. I keep forgetting it.

I do understand the need to respect the Constitution, but it always seems to
me - at least between their explanations - that they are reading an awful
lot into the requirement that Congress "make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."

How do they get from that commendable premise to a conclusion that kids
can't pray before football games or at commencement exercises or even have a
moment of silence during which they might pray, if so inclined?

It seems obvious that the Framers meant to keep government from having a
Church of America, or from favoring Baptists over Catholics, or Christians
over Muslims or Jews.

But somehow, we've come to the point where my friends seem to think
government is required to be subtly against religion - to do what it can to
keep it out of places where other controversial doctrines are perfectly
welcome. And I don't get it.

Classroom prayers written (or sanctioned) by school authorities could
(though not always would, in my view) breach the establishment prohibition.
But thanks for food at lunchtime? Prayers for fair play and safety before
ballgames? References to the Creator at graduation? The Constitution
prohibits these?

If I remember correctly, the usual response of my friends involves the
"coercive" nature of such gestures - or their tendency to set others apart
as different. I always nod my head as though agreeing but usually end up
wondering just how coercive it can be to hear someone - even lots of
someones - give expression to a different religious view.

As for being set apart - the argument usually invoked to disallow prayers,
Christmas displays or even moments of silence - I acknowledge that being
marked as different can be embarrassing. But what of the non-American kids
who have to just stand there while their classmates repeat the Pledge of
Allegiance? What of the uncoordinated kids who are marked as different
during every recess, because they never get chosen for anybody's team?

You want embarrassment, just have the teacher call on the kid who didn't
study his biology assignment the night before, or who just can't seem to
make sense out of geometry, or who stammers or speaks with a strange accent.
I remember two brothers in my fifth grade class who were absolutely
humiliated every spelling period. They always missed every word, and both
dropped out before junior high.

The memory saddens me, and I wish our teachers had been bright enough and
caring enough to teach these boys rather than merely mortify them. But I
can't believe the Framers intended to mandate a kinder pedagogy.

If it's only religion-based embarrassment that is unconstitutional, maybe my
friends will take me into the explaining room and remind me why.

And when they've done that, perhaps they'll tell me again why it's OK for
Planned Parenthood or abstinence advocates or environmentalists or
creationists to make their literature available to public school students
but not for Gideons International to give them Bibles.

I'm willing to concede some aspects of the argument, including those that
involve common courtesy and civility. I'll agree right away that religious
advocates ought not be allowed to disrupt classrooms, and that adherents of
majority religions ought to deal respectfully with those of a different - or
no - religion. But courtesy and civility ought to apply in all aspects of
our lives. Maybe my pals could explain what I'm missing.

Oh, yes, and maybe they'll explain why they can read the "establishment"
phrase of the First Amendment so expansively and give such short shrift to
the "free exercise" part.

I promise to try to remember it this time.

William Raspberry's e-mail address is willrasp@washpost.com.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/editorial/html98/raspberry05_20000905.
html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - The Daily World Affairs Report
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 13:29:53 -0400

September 5, 2000

The Daily
WORLD AFFAIRS REPORT
ISSUE #294

THE HOLY ROMAN . . .
CHURCHES STUNNED BY POPE'S ATTACK ON "DEFECTS"

The Church of England and all other Protestant churches are not "proper"
churches because they suffer from "defects", according to the Roman
Catholic Church. In a declaration approved by the Pope, the Vatican will
also state that followers of all non-Christian religions are "gravely
deficient" and their rituals constitute "an obstacle to salvation". The
statements are contained in Declaration Dominus Iesus, to be published in
Rome tomorrow. Although not in the name of the Pope, it was approved by
him and "reflects his thinking".

The declaration, which has been received with "stunned horror" by bishops
and Roman Catholic theologians throughout the world, threatens to undo
decades of inter-faith bridge-building. The Church of England called it
disappointing and negotiations have taken place between Catholic officials
and Lambeth Palace, the London headquarters of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, in an attempt to limit damage. With the Pope and the Queen due
to meet in Rome next month, the document will also threaten relations
between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which the
Queen is the Supreme Governor.

Although written by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body formerly known as the
Inquisition, the declaration has the authority of Pope John Paul II. It
was ratified and confirmed by him "with sure knowledge and by his
apostolic authority". The declaration is merciless in its cutting through
of the diplomatic language of ecumenism and inter-faith relations of
recent decades. It is also an attack on a number of priests and
theologians, in particular in India and South-East Asia, as well as a
warning to other Roman Catholics to stay in line.

Churches such as the Church of England, where the apostolic succession of
bishops from the time of St Peter is disputed by Rome, and Churches
without bishops, are not considered "proper" Churches. The declaration
concedes that some Churches - this would include the Eastern Orthodox -
are "true particular Churches" because they have preserved the "apostolic
succession" of bishops from the time of the Apostles.

John Fitzsimmons, former Rector of the Scots College in Rome who
currently chairs the faith and order commission of ACTS, the churches'
ecumenical body in Scotland, said: "The tenor of this document gives me a
sense of disappointment and dismay. It is a return to the idea that the
Catholic Church is the embodiment of the truth and anything that falls
short of the Catholic Church is not the fullness of the truth. It is
terrible."

The Catholic Media Office in London said it was important to distinguish
between the "theological" and "common" uses of terms such as "proper
Church". A spokesman said: "In common usage, of course the Church of
England is a proper Church. But if you ask me whether the Church of
England is a Church in the specific, theological sense, then we have to
say 'no', and that is nothing new. But we are not going to stop calling
the Church of England the Church of England." (The London Times)

POPE: PIUS IX FELT CLOSE TO THE HOLY LAND

Reacting to Israeli criticism of his beatification of controversial
19th-century pope Pius IX, John Paul II said Monday his predecessor had
been particularly attentive to the Holy Land. "Pius IX maintained special
ties with the Holy Land where he wanted to re-establish the Latin
patriarchship of Jerusalem," the pontiff said a day after Israel's
minister for the diaspora, Michael Melchior, voiced regret over his
decision. "The world did not always understand him; early hosannas were
rapidly followed by accusations, attacks and defamations," said John Paul,
but added that his predecessor "never failed to show indulgence for his
very enemies." Pius IX "was well received by the people for his fatherly
kindness." (Agence France-Presse)

* Hamburg's Die Welt says that Pope John Paul II has cast a shadow over
his Pontificate by beatifying Pope Pius IX. While the paper calls John
Paul "a pope of human rights, the ecumenical movement and dialogue", it
says Pius IX was "the embodiment of the authoritarian church leader who
quashed theological discussions, treated other confessions with
contempt... and was guilty of anti-Semitic attacks". However, the paper
adds that despite the deserved criticism, it should be mentioned that it
was not the politician Pius IX who was beatified on Sunday, but the devout
Christian who strengthened the Church in the aftermath of the 19th century
national revolutions.

"Pope John Paul II yesterday took a dangerous step... for the credibility
of the Pontificate", comments the Spanish daily Diario 16. "Amid all the
nice words, 'urbi et orbi' trips and wishes for peace and unity, the reign
of the millennium's last Pope has been marked in its final stretch by
intense social conservatism." (BBC)

. . EMPIRE OF THE GERMAN NATION
"CURSE OF THE EURO" HITS GERMANS IN POCKET

Germany's growing anxiety about the sickly European single currency was
highlighted at the weekend by a banner headline in Bild newspaper: "The
Curse of the Euro." The 24 signatories of the 1992 Maastricht treaty, the
tabloid newspaper said on its front page, were dropping like flies: four
were already dead, while many others have withdrawn from public life. The
logic of the article was dubious, but the fear that Germany was betrayed
[!!!] by the architects of the euro hits a popular nerve.

The German tourist to Britain or America, who could once swagger down Bond
Street or Fifth Avenue, now lives like a grocer, calculator in hand. The
full spectrum of the euro's fall became clear to me recently when a former
German diplomat, active in Anglo-German good works, confessed that he now
took a Tauchsiedler - an electric kettle - with him to the English
capital. No longer able to afford hotel breakfasts, he made coffee in his
room and cooked up instant soup for lunches.

Similar stories can be heard from across the spectrum: a German business
couple, staying in Oxfordshire, who have been living on bread and
tomatoes, and German students in London who seem to be growing thinner by
the day. Even celebrities and the relatively wealthy are feeling the pinch
of the pound worth DM3.20. The television presenter Cherno Jobatey, a
committed London fan stays in 2-star hotels. A lifestyle magazine
complains: "The pound has become so strong that tears come to the eyes."
Count Patrick von Faber- Castell complains that for his cottage in Notting
Hill he is shelling out "four times what I would be paying in Munich."

Scepticism about the euro in Germany has a stable majority, around 55% who
believe that the currency will never be as strong as the mark. "Because of
the daily reports about the weakness of the euro," says Klaus Tigges, of
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, "citizens of the eurozone are plagued by
the creeping suspicion that they traded their trusted currencies for a
lame duck." (The London Times)

* Nearly two-thirds of Germans would prefer to keep the Deutsche mark
rather than adopting euro notes and coins in 2002, according to poll
released Sunday. In one of their bluntest rejections of the single
currency yet, 63% of Germans polled by the Forsa Institute said they could
do without the new currency, while just 34% welcomed it. Forsa, which
conducted the poll for RTL television, said the Euroskeptism was spread
equally among supporters of the country's two main political parties, the
left-leaning Social Democrats and the right-leaning Christian Democrats.
Only supporters of the ecologist Greens and the pro-free-market Free
Democrats were enthusiastic advocates, it said.

Germans frequently complain the euro has been foisted on them without
consultation, first by Helmut Kohl and now by Gerhard Schroeder. Its
weakness since introduction as an exchange currency last year has only
confirmed many Germans' suspicions that they are trading a hard currency
for a weak one. Fifty-six percent of those polled said the euro's fall
against the dollar would lead to inflation. That concern was much stronger
in economically weaker Eastern Germany (71%) than in the West (52%), and
was voiced more often by partisans of the renovated Communist Party (79%)
than by those of other major parties. (Int'l Herald Tribune)

BERLIN IS COOL ON REFENDUM CALL

A European Commissioner is urging Germany to hold a referendum on the
eastward enlargement of the EU, one of the most contentious issues in
German politics. The initiative, launched by Guenter Verheugen, the
commissioner in charge of preparing enlargement, has thrown the Government
into confusion, since there is no constitutional provisions for holding a
referendum on any topic. Diplomats close to Joschka Fischer, the Foreign
Minister, describe the proposal as interesting but unwelcome.

Herr Verheugen, a Social Democrat, said that the German political class
had mishandled the euro which "had been introduced behind the backs of
voters". Enlargement was an equally serious issue and this time
politicians should not repeat the mistakes of the euro. He conceded that a
referendum was not yet legally feasible in Germany. "The constitution will
have to be changed." The point, he said, would be to force the Government
to explain more clearly its policy of enlargement. Germans, once the
champions of expanding eastwards, are losing their enthusiasm for the
project. (The London Times)

* German Foreign Minister Joseph Fischer rejects the demands of Günter
Verheugen that the German government hold a referendum on eastward
expansion of the union. "This is not the position of the German
government," Mr. Fischer said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in the
French spa of Evian over the weekend. Comments by Mr. Verheugen led to a
row with EU foreign ministers and were strongly rejected by European
Commission President Romano Prodi. Mr. Prodi spoke to the commissioner on
Saturday evening and urged him to refrain from causing discord among
member states. Mr. Prodi made it clear in Evian that Mr. Verheugen was not
speaking on behalf of the Commission, adding that clarification was
needed.

Mr. Verheugen had not informed the Commission president of the interview
he gave to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. In the interview, Mr.
Verheugen said, "When it comes to enlargement of the EU, we must not make
decisions above the heads of the people again." With his call for a
referendum, he is adopting a position held by populist opponents of the EU
in France and Austria, such as Jean-Marie Le Pen, Charles Pasqua and Jörg
Haider.

Speaking in Evian, Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner
categorically ruled out any referendum on eastward enlargement in Austria.
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, who currently chairs the Council
of Ministers, warned against providing excuses for negotiations dragging
on with accession candidates. Mr. Fischer urged Mr. Prodi to take his own
advice and "keep cool." Mr. Fischer assured him that a referendum was out
of the question in Germany for constitutional reasons, emphasizing the
need for "realism" and tangible progress in the accession negotiations.
"We have already lost too much time." (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)

CREDIBILITY GAP

The enlargement of the EU is proving such a difficult endeavour that
possible accession dates are being constantly postponed. Privately, the
talk now is of the year 2005 at the earliest. This is also making it
difficult for the EU commissioner in charge of ensuring the smooth
admission of new members to remain credible as he makes one reassuring
trip after another to would-be members. Now, it is that very member of the
Commission, namely Germany's Günter Verheugen, who has shaken his own
credibility. His suggestion that EU enlargement should be put to a
referendum in Germany may warm the hearts of Euroskeptics from Bavaria and
elsewhere.

Mr. Verheugen's latest wheeze not only runs counter to German
constitutional realities, but will also come as a slap in the face to
candidates for EU membership. The EU foreign ministers who met in Evian
over the weekend could only shake their heads in dismay, especially Joseph
Fischer. Though none of them can say it out loud, Mr. Verheugen has proved
himself to be the wrong man for the job. (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung -
Opinion)

* A proposal to let Germans vote in a referendum on the bloc's expansion
received a good deal of comment in Monday's press. The "Hannoversche
Allgemeine Zeitung" newspaper writes that whatever Mr Verheugen's
intention was, his suggestion places yet more hurdles in the EU's path and
can only further frustrate the candidates waiting to be admitted. The
paper says that with his strange interview Verheugen not only stabbed his
EU Commission President in the back but also aroused doubts about his own
suitability as EU Commissioner for accession negotiations.

The "Westfälischer Anzeiger" newspaper in Hamm takes a more positive view.
It says Verheugen has certainly broken the taboo that said a continuing
unification of Europe must on no account be questioned. A number of people
in Brussels think Chancellor Schröder sent Verheugen on in advance to give
Joschka Fischer a severe blow on the head because of his starry-eyed views
of the EU. That cannot be ruled out. A more serious aspect is that
Verheugen was nearer to the truth than many a Euro enthusiast is prepared
to accept.

* Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau has its doubts about the sincerity of
the proposal that the admission of new member states be put to a
referendum in Germany. Since the EU's negotiations with its membership
candidates to the east are proving increasingly problematic, the paper
wonders whether Verheugen is not trying to lay the groundwork to excuse
their possible failure.

The paper's suspicions are aroused by the fact that, as it says, Verheugen
has been aware about opposition to expansion among the EU's population for
the past 2 years but has never before raised the alarm. Also, it says, it
was Verheugen who warned against a referendum on accepting Turkey as a
candidate for EU membership, in case this was rejected by the EU's
citizens.

The Paris-based Liberation says that Verheugen's referendum proposal
disrupted the EU's informal council in Evian this weekend. "The 15
scarcely appreciated this outburst," is how the paper describes the
reaction among the EU foreign ministers. The paper says that Joschka
Fischer criticised his countryman for his comments and asserted that
enlargement would go ahead. (BBC)

1ST CONFERENCE OF GERMAN AMBASSADORS

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer called for reform of Germany's
foreign service in a speech to the country's top diplomats in Berlin
Monday. "The foreign ministry must urgently be modernized," he told
Germany's ambassadors who were meeting in Berlin for the first time for a
discussion of how to better sell Germany abroad. A total of 197 of
Germany's 212 ambassadors were at the meeting, which was attended by
Gerhard Schroeder. French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine was also present
for the 3-day meeting, which is modeled on similar sessions France has
held for its diplomatic corps. Germany had only previously held such
reviews at the regional level. (Agence France-Presse)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- --

ECONOMY

CITING PRICES, E.C.B. SIGNALS RATE INCREASE IS ON HORIZON

Days after raising interest rates for the 5th time this year, European
Central Bank officials signaled they might need to lift them again, saying
inflation was unlikely to slow anytime soon. Wim Duisenberg, president of
the ECB, and Ernst Welteke, a member of its governing council, delivered a
hawkish message over the weekend to a closed-door conference on global
economic strategy. They said that rising oil prices and the drop in the
euro's value meant that inflation probably would remain above the bank's
2% ceiling in the short run.

Mr. Welteke stressed the importance of guarding ''price stability against
emerging inflationary tendencies,'' according to excerpts of his speech
that were released later. ''The euro is at present undervalued against the
dollar.'' Mr. Duisenberg said that oil and the euro threatened to push up
prices across the board and lift wage expectations, according to analysts
present. Asked to confirm reports that he had predicted inflation would
stay above 2% in the next 6-9 months, Mr. Duisenberg told reporters that
those were ''approximately'' his words but refused to elaborate. (Int'l
Herald Tribune)

BRITAIN

COMMON CURRENCY

The campaign launched today by an alliance of New Europe and Business for
Sterling is wonderful news for euro-sceptics. The constant attempts by the
single currency's supporters to portray their opponents as "xenophobic"
and "anti-European" - as the minister for Europe, Keith Vaz, did last week
- can now be clearly rebutted. The campaign may be called, simply, "no";
but its slogan "europe yes. euro no" makes it clear that there is nothing
inconsistent about opposing the single currency, while remaining within
the EU. It also offers a widely based, non-party movement which can
mobilise support from what polls suggest are the majority of ordinary
Britons.

The Government's favoured tactic is to portray that broad group as Little
Englanders hell-bent on withdrawing from Europe. It is reminiscent of the
1975 referendum's "yes" campaign's scare stories and attempts to discredit
opponents. In fact, many - probably the majority - of those opposed to
monetary union do not necessarily wish to withdraw from the EU. As Lord
Owen points out: "Britain has the constitutional right and the economic
and political clout to stay in the EU but say 'no' to the euro."

Indeed, polls published today find that 58% of Labour supporters oppose
the euro, as do two-thirds of Liberal Democrats and 84% of Tories. The
Prime Minister, whose rhetoric presents vague appeals to "the future", and
plays on fears of being "left behind" and "lacking influence" in Brussels,
should note that those most sceptical about monetary union are aged 18-24,
of whom 80% are opposed.

But despite this support, the "no" campaign must be ready to stand up
against the resources of the Government and the Commission, whose war
chests - drawn from your taxes - are being deployed promoting the single
currency (the Government has spent more than Ł30mn already). There is, too
- despite Mr Vaz's accusations about the media - the boundless enthusiasm
of the BBC and half of our national newspapers.

Memories of the ERM fiasco, when 100,000 businesses went under,
unemployment doubled, and 1.75mn people were forced into negative equity,
have made us more sceptical than other European nations, although there is
also strong opposition in Denmark and Germany (where EMU has been
economically damaging). Business for Sterling has done well to make clear
the economic threat the euro poses: Britain has more invested in pensions
than all the EU countries combined; Euroland's unemployment is double
ours, and overall taxation a sixth higher. Three quarters of British
businesses have taken note, and oppose the euro.

But economic and monetary union is also, in the words of the German
foreign minister Joschka Fischer, "a profoundly political act", and one
which the Commission's president, Romano Prodi, claims "demands that
member states give up more sovereignty". The new campaign offers the first
real forum for the many people whose primary concern is not economic, but
who question the "inevitability" of wholescale European integration and
pooled sovereignty.

In February last year, Tony Blair airily maintained that the
constitutional and political issues surrounding EMU had been "resolved".
The "no" campaign offers a lever to press for an explanation of how the
disappearance of the pound, economic autonomy and national sovereignty
have become uncontentious. And no stretch of the imagination, or fantasy
of ministers, could characterise it as extremist, xenophobic, unreasonable
or Tory. The "no" campaign offers more than the first national opportunity
to even up a debate which has been dodged, disguised and distorted by EU
and government funding: it offers, reasonably, and from a broad background
of political opinion, the chance to preserve our own currency, and our
control over it. (The London Telegraph - Editorial)

EUROPE

AUSTRIA WANTS E.U. SANCTIONS LIFTED BY E.U. SUMMIT

Austria expects its EU partners to lift diplomatic sanctions, imposed over
its inclusion of the far-right in government, before a EU summit next
month, Vienna's foreign minister said Monday. Benita Ferrero-Waldner said
she hopes a report by 3 EU "wise men" will pave the way for the sanctions
to be lifted at the summit in Biarritz, France, in mid-October. "We are
expecting that a positive report will be produced before the end of
September at the latest and that the sanctions will be lifted before the
meeting of the European council in Biarritz at the latest," she said at
the opening of an Austrian ambassadors' conference in Vienna.

Ferrero-Waldner said Sunday at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Evian,
France, that an EU trio examining Austria would produce a positive report,
which would be a "good basis" for the partners to abandon the sanctions.
According to a magazine report Monday, the 3 wise men's report backs
Vienna's argument that sanctions against it are unfair, but still attacks
the far- right Freedom Party. The report says the EU partners'
unprecedented isolation of Austria has "no legitimate foundation" in EU
law, but does not urge the immediate lifting of the measures, the weekly
magazine Format said.

Nonetheless, the Freedom Party itself, which has been charged with being
anti-Europe and has used Nazi terminology in the past, is sharply
criticized, Format said, without specifying where it obtained details of
the report. FPO leader Susanne Riess-Passer said Sunday that a
continuation of the sanctions would be "absolutely unacceptable", and
urged the EU partners to compare standards in Austria with examples of
racist behaviour in Belgium, Germany and Spain. (Agence France-Presse)

via: origin@egroups.com

From: moza@butterfly.mv.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

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