UFO Folks Going Wild About Mars Photos

I'm not saying anything about anything....but still think it's interesting how many headlines are talking "strange things" being seen by the Mars rover which is sending back photos from the red planet.

Since NASA's Curiosity rover touched down on the Red Planet two weeks ago and powered up its cameras, it has already managed to photograph several alleged UFOs and other "anomalies" in the surrounding landscape.

From classic flying saucers to an absurdly out-of-place fossilized human finger, here's a rundown of what UFO believers claim to have found in Curiosity photos so far.

"Four objects caught by Mars Curiosity, very difficult to make out on original image so I have used a few filters to highlight," he said in the video description. "What are these four objects? UFOs, Dust particles, or something else? As always you decide."

Experts say the four "objects" are actually just dead pixels in the rover's CCD camera — single points in the camera's imager that have lost functionality and register as white. Marc D'Antonio, a photo and video analyst for MUFON [Mutual UFO Network], told Huffington Post, "I fully concur at this point that these are dead pixels on the imager. All CCD [cameras] have them, and in a bland atmosphere like that at Mars, they would be very obvious as opposed to an active atmosphere like Earth, where they could end up hidden for a long time before anyone noticed them."

Here;  http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0824/Martians-flying-saucers-discovered-on-Mars-report-extremely-unreliable-sources-video

So it sounds like NASA has some good answers for what the UFO hunters claim are alien activity.  I just think it's interesting that there is one more headline on Google news talking about other forms of intelligent life in the universe.

Syrian Violence Begins to Spill Into Lebanon

We continue to watch Syria trying to figure out how this whole thing may end.  Today we have news that the civil-war mess of Syria is spilling into Lebanon.

Remember that Lebanon is already headquarters of a whole bunch of Hezbollah fighters.

Also remember that these Muslim sects are constantly in conflict....the only thing they agree on is the hatred of Israel.

TRIPOLI, Beirut — Fresh clashes broke out Friday in northern Lebanon between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime, killing two people and wounding 17 others, Lebanese security officials said.

The fighting in the port city of Tripoli was the latest instance of the Syrian civil war causing unrest next door in Lebanon, a country long under Syrian influence.

The bloodshed in Syria has drawn neighboring Lebanon deeper into the unrest — a troubling sign for a country that suffered its own 15-year civil war from 1975 to 1990 and has an explosive sectarian mix of Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Christians and Palestinian refugees, as well as deep divisions between pro- and anti-Syrian factions.

Syria was in virtual control of its smaller neighbor for many years, posting tens of thousands of troops in Lebanon, before withdrawing under pressure in 2005. Even without soldiers on the ground, Syria remains influential, and its civil war has stirred longstanding tensions that have lain under Lebanon’s surface.

The clashes of the past few days in Tripoli represent some of the most serious fighting in Lebanon in several months.

Here;  http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/france-signals-support-for-partial-no-fly-zone-in-syria-fighting-rages-in-damascus/2012/08/23/9d287cce-ed96-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html

Cities in Lebanon are some of the named players in Psalm 83.  So we can look for Lebanon to continue moving in the direction of those who wish to destroy Israel.

If Syria falls, one can almost bet it will be taking over by the Muslim Brotherhood or some other Islamic terror group.  And if Lebanon starts into another civil war, they already have Hezbollah with a large presence there...who would love to rule that country.

What REALLY Happened at the Olympics?

The Olympic games in London just finished up.  According to the world it was a smashing success.  The USA won the medal count and numerous world records were broken.  It is truly amazing to watch what the human body is capable of...as demonstrated by the best athletes in the world.

But since the games have finished, I have had a few phone calls from folks who ask me, "Did you sense something really strange at the closing ceremonies?  I don't know what it was but something bizarre was happening there."

And yes, I read some things from some prophecy watchers immediately following the opening ceremony that something Satanic was being announced because the symbolism was everywhere...according to them.

Now let's look at what one 'Watcher' had to say about the Olympics and Satanic symbols...and he has a lot to say.

During the recent Olympics in Great Britain, the Illuminati communicated, through Satanic rituals and symbols, an occult message to a global audience. According to Nielsen Media Research, 4.7 billion viewers worldwide (approximately 70% of the global population) viewed it. Although, the vast majority of the audience did not consciously understand the symbols and rituals, many sensed something ominous, disturbing and dark. Once people are informed as to what the symbolism and rituals were all about, they were both scared and horrified that these powerful and elite groups exist and the dark plans they have for mankind.

A growing number of people are starting to understand that there is a Satanic and global secretive global elite who are in control of global finance, culture, science and politics. The door to this higher level understanding can begin with something as simple as explaining who the Illuminati are and their symbolism on the back of the U.S. dollar. The occult pyramid with the all-seeing eye of Lucifer which has the actual words “Novus Ordo Seclorum,” which means New Order of the Ages, or New World Order. The light bulb goes on and they begin to see through the doorway of ever increasing understanding. People seem to sense that the global financial system is being manipulated. Due to the internet, millions of people are beginning to understand the relationship between the Illuminati and the international banking families who control the Federal Reserve.

The blatant occult symbols used in the Olympics in Great Britain this past week sent out the message that the elite (and that means the financial elite inside the City of London, which is a city within a city, like the Vatican City in Rome) are now tightening the noose on America by deliberately destroying the dollar and the net worth of the American middle class, as they are in Europe and other nations of the world, in order to usher in the one world economic system, one world government and one world religion the global elites have been planning for centuries. Ironically, all of this was predicted by the prophet Daniel, the Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ and the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.

The occult-elite who rule our world, under the power of Lucifer, have sent out coded messages through the symbols that dominate America’s architecture, media, art, film, science and politics. For those who understand the teachings of Bible prophecy, those symbols of the mystery religions have now converged to give mankind a final warning of what is about to come and what our response should be.

Here;  http://www.newswithviews.com/McGuire/paul138.htm

Holy massive Satanic Plan!!  This stuff is incredible!...and it is sounding more and more like this is NOT some conspiracy theory made up in some comic book...but is the actual stuff the Bible warned us to watch for. (turn over your one dollar bill and look at the all seeing eye on top of the pyramid and read the Latin underneath, "New world order")

Apostle Paul clearly told us that our battle, while on earth, will not be against other men...but against the demonic forces of Satan.  Apostle John went on to warn us that the whole world is under the control of the Evil One.  The entire Gospel message is telling the Church that we are to be Christ's army and also to house the Holy Spirit with the specific purpose of RESTRAINING EVIL until Christ returns to swing the final ax and reclaim the title deed of earth from that ancient serpent.

So how are we doing??  Are the churches of America preaching about Satan and his plans?  Are people who claim to be Christians vigorously reading their Bibles and meditating on God's word as they attempt to discern the movement and battle plans of their enemy?  Are we making disciples, and fellow soldiers, of our neighbors, friends and co-workers?  Are we thinking often about how we are to advance the God's kingdom?  Are we acting as prayer warriors to pray against the Satanic armies currently rising on earth?  Are we praying for God's will to be done?

Of course we all know the answers to most of these questions....the Church is NOT DOING WELL on most of these fronts. 

Most churches don't preach about Satan and hell because most pastors don't believe he exists.  Most Christians aren't advancing the kingdom of God by making disciples of Christ because THEY THEMSELVES aren't yet disciples of Christ.  Most Christians aren't spending time in the Word of God so aren't capable of defending themselves against even a minor attack on their faith. 

The Bride of Christ has become the whore.  She has gone chasing after every other god who promises her what she wants to hear...exactly as the Bible said would happen.

While I clearly understand the the Church is NOT ISRAEL...I want to leave you with a passage from Hosea.  Hosea the prophet wrote to ancient Israel and warned them about their sin.  See if the Word of God shows us some similarities between ancient Israel and the Church of today.

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
² There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
³ Because of this the land dries up,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.

⁴ “But let no one bring a charge,
let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.
⁵ You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother —
⁶ my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
⁷ The more priests there were,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.
⁸ They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.
⁹ And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰ “They will eat but not have enough;
they will engage in prostitution but not flourish,
because they have deserted the Lord
to give themselves ¹¹ to prostitution;
old wine and new wine
take away their understanding.
¹² My people consult a wooden idol,
and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.      Hosea 4:1-12

 

Wow...it sounds familiar to what we are seeing today.  Isn't it interesting that fish by the millions are washing up on shore...and that birds have been falling the sky in unexplainable ways?

 

Lord, have mercy.

Obama Issues 'Red Line' Warning to Syria

Syria continues to make the top headline news.  Assad is on the ropes, The West says he has to go, Obama says he has to go,the Arab Union says he has to go, the United Nations says he has to go, and Al Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood also say he has to go.

Wait a second....if the Muslim Brotherhood is in agreement with The West...what does that mean? 

It means they smell blood in the water and they hope to rush in there and take control of Syria just like they did in Lebanon and just like they are doing in Egypt and Tunisia.

But fear not....Obama has come forward and drawn a red line.  If the Syrian regime crosses it...if ANYONE crosses it (even if rebels, like Al Qaida crosses it) there will be hell to pay in that the U.S. Military and all it's powers will be released.

Mr Obama said that Bashar al-Assad would face “enormous consequences” if he deployed chemical weapons as he battles to put quell the 17-month uprising against his regime.

The threat of chemical weapons could “change the calculus” on the need to intervene, Mr Obama warned.

“We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people,” he said. “We’ve been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is if we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised.”

Last month, Mr Assad’s government shocked the West by openly threatening to use its significant chemical weapons stockpiles, although it insisted they would only be deployed against foreign troops and would not be used in Syria’s internal conflict.

Mr Obama said that given the volatile situation on the ground he could not be “absolutely confident” that Syria’s weapons were still secure but said the US and its allies were closely watching sites where they are known to be stored.

Here;  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9488314/Barack-Obama-red-line-warning-over-chemical-weapons-in-Syria.html

Now let's imagine that the rapture of the church happened tomorrow.  America suffers the loss of 30,000,000 people in the twinkling of an eye.  Her financial sector, her military, her manufacturing, her transportation, and a whole host of other sectors just come to an end.  America is gone and it's power has vanished. 

Obama might still be here on earth, but he won't be the leader of the free world anymore.  He will be in crisis mode trying to get the National Guard to show up to restore order and put out literal fires burning all over the country.  He will no longer be in ANY POSITION to issue any more 'red lines' to anyone.

Very soon after this, the Israel haters of the world will really smell blood in the water. America is gone....just like Ahmadinejad said it would be...and is no longer here to protect Israel. Russia, Iran, and all the Arab Muslim states will gather.  A peace agreement will be signed, granting a huge sigh of relief by the Jewish State and thereby revealing the Antichrist, and the 70th Week of Daniel will commence.

Some time after this, someone in Damascus gets hold of some chemical weapons and releases them on Israel.  Damascus is destroyed overnight by a nuclear blast handed to them by Israel, thereby fulfilling Isaiah 17.

Damascus and Israel are in the news every single day folks.  You think God is trying to point something out to us? 

Farm Labor Shortage Worst EVER!

In our never ending zeal to bring you stories with the words 'ever' and 'never'....we have a new headline coming out of CA today;

California Farm Labor Shortage 'Worst It's Been, Ever'

There's a different sort of drought plaguing California, the nation's largest farm state. It's $38 billion agricultural sector is facing a scarcity of labor.

"This year is the worst it's been, ever," said Craig Underwood, who farms everything from strawberries to lemons to peppers, carrots, and turnips in Ventura County.

Some crops aren't get picked this season due to a lack of workers.

"We just left them in the field," he said.

The lack of workers is forcing farmers to pay more. In one of Underwood's fields, pickers are harvesting peppers for $9.25 a hour, or $5 a bucket, whichever is more. Craig Underwood said his workforce is aging and starting to retire, and no one is coming in to replace them.

When asked if any local residents have come out to apply to work in the fields, Craig Underwood replied, "None. Absolutely none." He is even having trouble finding truck drivers and other semi-skilled labor for jobs that pay $12-$18 an hour.

He wishes the labor dilemma, which extends beyond California, would get the attention of the presidential campaign, but it hasn't.

While standing in a field of peppers, Underwood realizes even if he doesn't have enough labor to pick his crop, Americans will still have food.

"It'll just be grown in Mexico," he said. "Or China."

Here;  http://www.cnbc.com/id/48725145

So I'm not really sure how this article relates to Bible prophecy...but let's take a shot.

Apostle Paul said that “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)  I put a paragraph in bold above that NONE of the locals have showed up to fill any of the job openings....and yet CA claims to have over 8% unemployment?

Why would the locals show up to apply for a job working in a hot field, picking peppers for $10 per hour when they can sit at home in the AC, sipping a Coke and watching Oprah while they await the government to credit their Food Stamp card, pay their rent with Section 8, and wait for the unemployment check to show up?

Why?  Because they aren't hungry.

"Who needs God?....we have the government to care for us!  That's why we elected them in the first place!"

As the farmer quoted above realizes, even if no one shows up to pick his crops and they rot in the field, Americans will still have food.  It will just be grown in Mexico or China and shipped over here.

Can you sense an epic disaster brewing here?  Can you sense that something is dreadfully wrong?

"Hey Dennis!  Why don't you quit all the belly aching and negative thinking?  Don't you know this is 'stinkin' thinkin'?  Don't you realize this is America and we will always be wealthy, well fed and buy whatever we want whenever we want it??  Dude...you sound like my great grandpa!"

The United States of Dependency

Congressman Allen West is a Republican from Florida.  He happens to be black.  He also happens to be VERY anti-Obama. 

Recently he sent out an email with some pretty shocking statements about the direction of our country and asserts that President Obama wants to gut our military and turn us into a society that is dependent on the government.

He appears to be sounding the alarm.  Will anyone listen?  Or will he simply be ignored and called an alarmist...or worse?

(bold is mine)

Dear Patriot,

Greetings to our constituents, fellow Floridians, and all Americans. It is time for another weekly update.

The great philosopher Plato once stated, “Those who refuse to participate in politics shall be governed by their inferiors.” America has fallen prey to individuals who truly are not the best and brightest amongst us. They seek political office not to serve but as a stepping-stone for power and control. Indeed, they want not to serve, but to be served.

At this time, our President has better things to do than address the looming issue of sequestration, also known as the hollowing out of our military. Thanks to the idea of the "Super Committee," an idea courtesy of United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Americans are now facing a specter that will surely reduce the greatest military in the world to a shell of itself.

Although I've only been in Washington, D.C. for 18 months, I quickly learned that as a leader, you will not always get 100 percent of what you seek. At times, you must go with a 75 percent solution, knowing that much of what you want for your country will still be accomplished in the negotiation. This is the very reason why I voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011. Pragmatism was essential to move forward.

Since then, the United States House of Representatives has approved legislation to stave off sequestration, however, it sits on Majority Leader Reid’s desk. The “Commander-in-Chief” has remained virtually silent on the issue. One has to ask, what President would want the decimation of our Armed Forces on his watch? Unfortunately, this issue is being virtually ignored by the media.
The ever-growing American welfare-state also continues to be of little concern to the mainstream news pundits. One of the tenets of socialism is the creation and expansion of the welfare-state, which is key to promoting a dependency class. In his essay, “The Law”, Frederic Bastiat talked about how government enacts legal plunder based upon greed and misconceived philanthropy. Such is the case with the leading liberal progressive in America, whom I believe is President Barack Obama. I caught a lot of flak recently when I stated that I believe President Obama wants economic dependency. I said that I believe the President's kind of democracy is a form of enslavement. Harsh words perhaps. But the truth hurts, and facts are a killer. The question is, will the American people accept the truth or just march forward as mindless lemmings to the death of our constitutional republic? Click here for the August 10th OP-ED from Investor’s Business Daily titled, "The United States of Dependency."

There is a clear choice America, economic freedom and liberty, or economic dependence and obedient servitude to the nanny-state. It’s your choice.

Steadfast and Loyal,

Allen West

Could it be true?  Are we being dragged to a place where everyone is dependent on the government?  Or have we been running to that place all along by being promised more and more benefits that the government provides...while not really caring how they were going to be paid for. 

As we have said many times, the Bible tells us that "The whole world is under the control of the evil one."  That certainly includes America. 

One day we may all look back and say, "How could we, a church going, Christian nation have fallen so easily under the spell of the Evil One?"

Of course the answer will be really quite simple....because most Americans don't read and have never read and studied the Bible.  There can be no discernment if we don't know the Word of God.

Hat tip to Wilson R.

Government Will Destroy Our Economy

When a government gets to the place where they forced to borrow .40 cents on every $1 that they spend....common sense just tells you that it won't end well.

Now what happens when a government has to start borrowing money simply to pay the interest on the money they already borrowed....a first grader without common sense can tell you that it can't end well.

When you reach a certain point....it can become the 'point of no return'.

Most people don't understand the unsolvable problem the U.S. government has created for itself and its citizens. Sovereign default is beyond a likelihood; it is inevitable.

When and which (possibly all) obligations are defaulted on will be determined by panicked politicians under duress. A complete financial and economic collapse appears unavoidable. I hope that is the worst that will occur.

Conclusion
The claimed debt of the federal government ($16 trillion) is enough to threaten its viability and that of the U.S. economy. The current glide path of spending and revenues ensures that debt will increase.

  Explicit and implicit Treasury guarantees will require additional debt to bail out failing public and private agencies. The situation becomes hopeless when the unfunded liabilities are taken into account.

Buckle up for a very scary ride.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/the_government_is_bankrupt_and_will_destroy_the_economy.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz2478EZvJr

Yes, a very scary ride indeed.

When lawlessness breaks out and the demons of anarchy are released....we very quickly will see how wicked the human heart truly is.

I wonder if articles like this are behind the millions upon millions of gun purchases in America over the past three years?

Conflict Grows Over Pacific Islands

Have you noticed there have been quite a few headlines in the past month about conflict arising between Japan and Russia, Japan and China, and South Korea and Japan?

You may want to spend a few minutes, (as I recently have) figuring out what is happening here.  Why?  Because it is more 'rumors of war' that Jesus told us to watch for.  Also the players mentioned most likely are the 'Kings of the East'...which have a part to play when they march across the dried up Euphrates river on their way to Israel during the VERY Last Days.

Remember, the Japanese have been ruthless folks to their neighbors over the centuries, and as recently as 1937.  If you have never read about the 'Rape of Nanking' (China)....here is an excerpt and link;

The International Military Tribunal for the Far East estimated that 20,000 women were raped, including infants and the elderly.^[40] A large portion of these rapes were systematized in a process where soldiers would search door-to-door for young girls, with many women taken captive and gang raped.^[41] The women were often killed immediately after being raped, often through explicit mutilation^[42] or by stabbing a bayonet, long stick of bamboo,^[43] or other objects into the vagina. Young children were not exempt from these atrocities, and were cut open to allow Japanese soldiers to rape them.

There are also accounts of Japanese troops forcing families to commit acts of incest.^[48] Sons were forced to rape their mothers, fathers were forced to rape daughters. One pregnant woman who was gang-raped by Japanese soldiers gave birth only a few hours later; although the baby appeared to be physically unharmed (Robert B. Edgerton, Warriors of the Rising Sun). Monks who had declared a life of celibacy were also forced to rape women.

Here;  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre#Rape

Yes, this is incredible.  The article goes on to say that somewhere around 300,000 non-combatants were killed during this period.  No doubt the human heart is so wicked that no one can understand it.

So the Chinese have no love for the Japanese and I'm betting that many haven't forgotten the treatment their parents and grandparents received at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army.

The Koreans also had a bad experience with the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII.

During World War II, many Korean men were taken for forced labor, and about 450,000 forced laborers were sent to Japan.^[94] Korean women also became victims of the Japanese; such as the so-called comfort women who served in Japanese military brothels. Historians estimate the number of comfort women between 10,000 and 200,000, a figure which also includes Japanese women.^[95][96] According to testimonies, cases included that of Japanese officials and local collaborators kidnapping or recruiting poor rural women from Korea and other nations for sexual slavery under the guise of offering factory employment. There is evidence that the Japanese government intentionally destroyed official records regarding Comfort Women.^[97][98] Japanese inventory logs and employee sheets on the battlefield show some documentation of government-sponsored sexual slavery. In one instance, names of known Comfort Women were traced to Japanese employment records under sub contracted Korean business owners. One such woman was falsely classified as a nurse along with at least a dozen other verified comfort women who were not nurses or secretaries. Currently, the South Korean government is investigating hundreds of cases on these lists.

Here;  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_under_Japanese_rule

And finally, we have the Japanese Imperial Army kicking Russia's butt just over 100 years ago.  You can read about the Russo-Japanese War here;  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War

Of course it was America that put an end to the Japanese rule of the region.  We ultimately dropped two nuclear weapons on them and vaporized a few hundred thousand people and promised to drop more if Japan didn't surrender.  Had we not done that, who knows how many U.S. soldiers would have died using a traditional military invasion of mainland Japan.

Here's the deal....humans are nasty, period!  And when you release the demons of war...things can go from bad to worse pretty darn fast.

Now back to our original story about the current headlines regarding Japan, Korea, China and Russia and the growing tensions between them.

The Pacific Ocean is peppered with hundreds of islands — most small and uninhabited — that are claimed by more than one country. Here's a look at some of the main territorial disputes that are causing tensions among Asian nations.

— Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands. Located in the East China Sea near Taiwan and the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, these remote uninhabited isles have been under Japanese control since 1895. They are seen as important because of their strategic location, and are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and may be near underwater resources such as natural gas. China claims it discovered them in the 14th century. Claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

— Dokdo, or Takeshima. Administered by South Korea since the 1950s, these outcroppings in the Sea of Japan, called the East Sea in Korea, are inhabited only by a contingent of South Korean police. Claimed by South Korea and Japan.

— Kuril Islands. Located off the Russian Far East and Japan's northernmost main island, the southern Kurils were occupied by the Soviets in the closing days of World War II, and Japan before that. Four of the Russian-controlled islands, which have small military and civilian populations, are in dispute and have kept Japan and Russia from signing a formal treaty ending their wartime hostilities. They are a base for fishing operations and a rich source of crab. Claimed by Russia and Japan.

— Spratly Islands. A flashpoint in the South China Sea, they are comprised of hundreds of coral reefs, islets and atolls claimed entirely or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines.

— Paracel Islands. About halfway between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea, they are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. They are called Xisha in Chinese and Hoang Sa in Vietnamese. China and Vietnam had a conflict over them in the 1970s, and China has controlled them since then.

Here;  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4r9oru1sscZwtBYFS-VacKRhMKQ?docId=b54f8b4c4cdc43cea36c0dd6eeaaab38

I'm guessing that there are some serious grievances and vengeance that have never been satisfied by China, Korea and Russia when it comes to Japan.  Since Japan was utterly destroyed, it has risen from the ashes of nuclear bomb blasts to become the 2nd largest economy in the world and in the process has become wildly wealthy.  They haven't had a standing army since they surrendered and really haven't needed one since America served as their protectorate.

But China is rising, so is Russia and so is Korea.  I would be nervous if I were Japan.  70-100 years is simply not that long of time to erase the memory of Japanese atrocities....and these little islands that these nations are now bickering over could very well be the flash point that ignites these old memories...and maybe will lead to the releasing of the demons of war once more.

"There will be wars....", said Jesus.

Israel is a 'Tumor' Says Iran

The serious name calling continues.  Almost every day now we hear Iran's top leaders saying Israel needs to be removed from the face of the earth.

TEHRAN — The "cancerous tumour" of Israel is the biggest problem confronting Muslim countries today, Iran's supreme leader said on Sunday, repeating an epithet slammed just days earlier by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US and EU officials.

In a speech marking Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said "the big powers have dominated the destiny of the Islamic countries for years and... installed the Zionist cancerous tumour in the heart of the Islamic world," according to the official IRNA news agency.

"Many of the Islamic world's problems come from the existence of the sham Zionist regime," he was quoted as saying.

Tensions between Israel and Iran are taut because of threats by the Jewish state to attack nuclear facilities in the Islamic republic to prevent it reaching the capability to produce nuclear weapons.
Israel and its ally, the United States, accuse Iran of seeking to develop an atomic arsenal.

Tehran denies that, and says its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Its military chiefs warn they will destroy Israel if it attacks.

On Saturday, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the aerospatial division of the Revolutionary Guards that is in charge of Iran's missiles, said: "Iran's response to any aggression will be rapid, firm, destructive and broad."

He said he welcomed Israel making such a move, as "that would be a good occasion and good pretext to put an end to the shameful existence of the sham, occupying and usurping regime and save humanity from this cancerous tumour."

Here;  http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igi1kFsEWreK5_1Zr9qsMgtQXj4g?docId=CNG.cafbe52bbca7884e2da59bc42b7f0fc8.3d1

Isn't that almost funny that these Iranians could dare say that many of the Muslim world's problems are caused by Israel?  Really??  You mean it has nothing to do with the fact that many Muslim nations don't teach their people to read, don't allow girls to read, are worshipping some lunatic god named Allah, have corrupt governments that keep the oil money for themselves while letting their people starve, have constant fighting going on between Shia and Sunni, have perversion at the center of many Islamic cultures, and have to send their kids to The West to get a 21st century education since they offer little?  You mean those aren't the reasons that every Muslim nation pretty much sucks??

You mean all that perversion and ignorance would simply vanish if those dang Jews left Palestine?  You mean the Palestinian Arabs would magically transform their poverty stricken nation into a 21st century source of wealth and human rights and join all the other wonderful Muslim nations that so many people are waiting in line to immigrate to?

Yes...massive amounts of sarcasm.  However, the rhetoric between Israel and Iran is growing on a daily basis.  The name calling is in full swing.

On the playground at grade school, fights don't just erupt out of nothing.  It starts with name calling, then verbal threats, then pushing and shoving and if it doesn't get dispersed...a full on fist fight will result until either broken up by teachers...or someone gets the crap beat out of them.