While the scene remains to be played out, apparently Milosevic, the President of what now constitutes Yugoslavia, was ousted from office yesterday as all of his 'backers' backed away. He was the last Communist dictator in Europe and is largely attributed for being responsible for most of the bloodshed of the past years in the former, intact, Yugoslavic Republic.

The USSR has discinerated and both sides are working on greatly reducing the nuclear stockpile of weapons. North and South Korea are at least talking to each other. After getting their butts kicked Kadaffi and Hussan are keeping a low profile. Iran is become at least a bit pro-Western. Taiwan and China seem to be in a state of armed truce. Central and Latin America seems to be stable. While he has fustrated a number of Americn presidents, Castro is growing old and who knows what will happen when he leaves the scene.

Perhaps we are looking at a period of relatively peaceful world peace.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 06, 2000

Answers

It seems that the "bad old" nations of the world are finally learning the lesson that America has known for a long time... Making money is a heck of a lot more fun than making war. (:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), October 06, 2000.

China is still a force to be wary of. They own or lease property on both sides of the Panama Canal, and have set up shop on the coast of California. The government still imprisons butchers those who seek to worship as they please (mainly Christians). Not to mention their horrible forced abortion (like up to the 9th month) policy. And yet Congress is stupid enough to grant full trade status with China, assuming human rights conditions will improve!

-- Christina W. (introibo@address.com), October 06, 2000.

Might want to take a look at the 'Vietnam 2000' post. Looks like some excitment brewing in South America..

J

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), October 06, 2000.

However, back on the ranch ? The good ole USA is in turmoil. We have a plastic or paper economy. Our "property" is highly over inflated. We are 8 years overdue for recession. Half of our workforce is apathetic and the other half is incompetent. Our leaders are theives and murderers. Our Army cannot find anyone to enlist. Their equipment old and falling out of the sky. Our peace is maintained by goon squads that are unequaled since the Gestapo of Hitler's Germany. Our highway and electrical systems are delapidated and failing. We pay sports heroes millions and starve children yet we won't give a farmer ten cents on a dollar for his goods ! World Peace, you say ? You and I have much different opinion what of peace is !!!

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), October 06, 2000.

Ken, It seems to me that China is looking for trouble, and it is only a matter of time. Russia simply has no more economy and an ex? head of the KGB as its chief. Putin will be hard pressed to do what Yeltsin could not before him. He is riding a surge of nationalism that will wane as winter approaches. He will need to get the people's minds off the problems at home and affix them elsewhere. Where have I heard that before? And there is that matter of all those ex soviet states and the lost glory... I look for one or two to reunify, Bylerus especially. This may be coercive or by consent but will be the last brief respite before he is forced to dabble along the border. (Like 1930s Germany). Whether he gets caught in over his head or buys the time he needs is yet to be seen. The IMF knows all this too, obviously, and I expect them to toss a few hundred mil his way to avoid conflict. Don't know where that one will go either. Columbia could very well be the next test ground for new US weapons and the Middle East is always a lit powder keg. I miss the cold war. (Spent 4 years in West Germany defending our NATO allies, in a unit that had a life expectancy of 45 seconds.) At least then there were definate sides. Who do you trust now? Can't even keep our own government out of our personal affairs. Do you have faith in a United Europe to do the right thing?

-- Ed Weaver (edzreal@postmaster.co.uk), October 06, 2000.

wee-hew! You GO Joel!!!! If "ALL" of the communist dictators have left Europe, it is most likely because "they" have all come over here! I wouldn't count on Kadaffi and Hussein keeping such a low profile! Never underestimate fundamental fervor and/or the mind set of these folks concerning USA and Israel. China is an arrogant beast that forces its unborn to be slaughtered, persecutes those who worship at "churches" not registered with the atheistic government as "subversive enemies of the state," sends their president over to our universities to say, "We are not your adversary, we are your trusted ally". Hmmpphh. Guess we must have different news sources. The established media is a blatantly biased propaganda machine, but yet some of the alternative news sources are really crackpots as well. Check out this site for good news stories: www.americanfreedomnews.com

-- Beth Weber (talmidim88@hotmail.com), October 06, 2000.

Well let's see;

Palistine and Isreal are about to explode. The leader of Iran is calling on all Muslims to kill Jews worldwide. Saddam is running military "exercises" close to Kuwait again. Russia is renewing nuclear ties with India and Iran. China now has Ballistic missile capabilities "Thanks to Clinton and Gore". and South American is quickly shaping up for a serious civial war involving God knows how many countries. And here in the good ol USA we have the makings for our own civil war and a major fuel crisis because our government would rather squabble amongst themselves instead of promoting alternative engery sources. And a Military that is so understrength we do not have the ability to handle more than a small confrontation let alone numerous ones.

The old cold war may be gone but what we face today is just as bad if not worse.

Jim T

-- Jim Tanner (tanner_jim@hotmail.com), October 06, 2000.

The "Cold Wargames" will always exist, just some different players on the scorecards.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 07, 2000.

Ken, don't kid yourself, world peace? Perhaps you should read the last chapter in the Bible. Besides, the way the human animal is, it won't be happy until everything is dead - including itself! I hate to say it, but I just don't think it will ever happen until after the Lord comes.

-- Michael W. Smith (kirklbb@penn.com), October 08, 2000.

Hey! Are you Michael W. Smith the contemporary Christian music artist?

-- Beth Weber (talmidim88@hotmail.com), October 08, 2000.