USA: Absolute Power?

Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George Bush at Camp David - March 2003

There's a useful question. Where is the balance of power
(political, economic and influential) in the world today?

It goes without saying -– there is only one superpower in
the earth at this time. The United States of America is the undisputed supreme
power! George Bush is therefore seen as the most powerful man on the planet, at
least at a surface level.

The issue we are raising is the question of 'for how much
longer?'

It has been a most interesting few weeks watching events from
the Gulf unfold from New Zealand, where the 'debate' (not that anyone
outside of NZ cares) over Iraq has revealed a popular 'anti-American'
sentiment. Let me state, we at the Omega Times are not 'anti-American'. We
will continue to raise important issues of significance in the light of Bible
prophecy -– around the emergence of a One World Government -– based in
Europe, and the charismatic leader of this United States of Europe, who will
bring peace in the Middle East. How will it come about?

As stated in the March Omega Times -– this war is not about
Iraq. The picture is much bigger.

Many questions have risen out of the US's 'lack of regard'
for the UN's Security Council stance over the Iraqi question. One interviewer
recently asked UN communications representative Shashi Tharoor whether "I"
stands for irrelevant or indispensable?

Comparisons have been drawn between the UN (established
following WW2) and the deceased League of Nations (established following WW1).
The US certainly belongs to the UN -– as does every eligible Nation on earth,
and as Shashi Tharoor was quick to point out, "No club that attracts every
eligible member can easily be described as irrelevant." It has also been said
that, "The authorisation (or not) of war in Iraq is not the only gauge of the
Security Council's relevance."

Secretary General Koffi Annan

Secretary General Koffi Annan has stated that the Iraqi issue
is but one crisis that the UN is dealing with. It's true: there are other
nations with weapons of mass destruction, plenty of issues around the
sustainability of our environment, disease and starvation, human rights issues,
along with the responsibility for the development of all global people groups
-– particularly in areas of education and sustainability.

The central question remains -– does the UN hold any power
over the decision makers of the superpower, the USA?

According to Shashi Tharoor "There are problems that no one
country, no matter how powerful, can solve on its own, and which are yet our
shared responsibility. They cry out for solutions that, like the problems
themselves, also cross frontiers. The United Nations exists to find these
solutions through the common endeavour of all states. It is the one
indispensable global organisation in our globalising world."

Is there a precedent to the current situation?

Four years ago, Nato bombed Yugoslavia without any reference
to the Security Council... and only after the war was the Security
Council called upon, to help administrate international support for, and the
establishment of, a new Civilian Government. Already discussion has been held
with regard to the UN's role in the post Iraqi war mop up and rebuilding of
the nation's governance infrastructures.

Critics of the Security Council have raised the issue of 'time'.
It can take months to get action from such a large body of representatives. In
situations like that of Iraq, the tyrant Saddam Hussein had enough time on his
hands to play hide and seek with UN Weapons inspectors so that the chances of
ever finding his weapons of mass destruction were zilch. Bush knew that, Saddam
knew that and I wonder who else knew that...

So, for some the issue could be seen to be a media
short-coming, where the general public are not briefed as to the real purpose of
the UN, and specifically the Security Council - this leading to failed
expectation.

My summation? The UN has power geopolitically, but in areas
like international and national security: only if the US agrees with their
resolutions, leading to compliance.

I believe it took this international crisis to reveal the
true extent of US global supremacy, and now we will watch as 'the other world
powers' come to terms with collectively being number two. It could be
that we see deliberate strategies emerge, revealing efforts to destabilise the
US administration. Economically, this war has cost billions... possibly too much
for the US economy to carry. Terrorism will most certainly play a horrendous
part in our present and future.

The pressure is now on pro-European Tony Blair -– caught
between a rock and a hard place, holding fast to his pro-US stance in the Iraqi
situation. Whether he likes it or not, he has become the catalyst for the
biggest rifts in the European Union since its establishment. We will watch with
great interest, developments from here -– knowing that it will take a 'miracle
worker' to unite the future European Super State.

In Bible prophecy, I see no continuance of a superpower like
the USA.

1 John 5:19: "We know (positively) that we are of God, and
the whole world (around us) is under the power of the evil one". It is
imperative that believers of God know who they are in Christ, because
there is no sure foundation to be found anywhere else. If your identity is based
in any man-made system here on earth, you will soon be very disappointed. May we
all become patriotic over the Kingdom of God.

Power Corrupts

"I awoke one morning knowing the truth. Knowing the truth
led to inner peace. Inner peace led to self assurance. Self assurance led to
authority. Authority led to power. The thirst for more power led to compromise.
Compromise led to selling out. Selling out led to riches beyond my wildest
dreams. Riches beyond my wildest dreams led to enemies around every corner.
Enemies around every corner led to sleepless nights. Sleepless nights led to not
waking up any more knowing the truth"

Jules Feiffer