Boris Yeltsin will be remembered for orchestrating Russia’s transition from communism, but his fondness of vodka will forever be a part of his legacy. While Yeltsin’s admitted alcohol problems provided plenty of comedic opportunities, his impact on the Russian vodka industry has created a crisis in Russia that continues to cripple the country today. A crisis that started with Yeltsin selling the Russian soul to Pernod-Ricard, one of a few company that continue to collect independent spirit producers like Soviet paraphernalia. Yeltsin died of heart failure, but his elixir of choice continues to devastate the people of his country daily.

To begin, Yeltsin’s favorite vodka was reportedly Stolichnaya, but Yeltsin chose to share his preferred vodka and 42 other brands. In 1992, Yeltsin led a governmental effort which freed the vodka industry from state distribution restrictions. Unfortunately, this early act against communist ideology led to skyrocketing consumption because of the availability of numerous affordable vodkas. Amid decreased regulation, thousands of Russians died from inferior, formerly bootleg, vodkas, and the looming problem of alcoholism threatened the fragile economy.

Recognizing this problem, the Russian government was forced to begin regulating vodka production and importation. Unfortunately, the bootleg market emerged greater than ever, creating a wave of health risks that has poisoned the Russian populace since the mid-1990s. Last November, the Russian government was even forced to declare a state of emergency in several regions because of hospitals inability to handle the large waves of individuals consuming contaminated vodka. To quantify the problem, the Russian government estimates that 42,000 Russian die from inferior vodkas every year! This situation represents the greatest threat to Russia’s future at a time when the country is expected to lose nearly a third of its population by 2050. While part of this problem is related to the fact that abortions exceed births 13 to 10, the leading cause of death in Russia remains alcohol poisoning.

So why don’t Russians just stop drinking vodka right? Uhm…because they’re Russians.

Russians drink vodka like Italians drink wine. Even the Russian military is given a ration of two shots of vodka a day. Stopping the consumption of vodka simply isn’t a possibility; unfortunately, Russia cannot simply reverse the 1992 disaster of vodka deregulation. This unexpected development occurred because during the reforms, the Russian government sold Stoli along with over 40 other companies to SPI, a partner to the massive corporation Pernod-Ricard. The price was only $300,000, less than the combined cost that Stoli spent on its Blueberry Vodka ad campaign! Russia tried to stake claim to the companies, but has been unable to find any loopholes in the legal agreements. Instead, Stoli and other companies are allowed to distill their product in Russia, but internationally distributed bottles must bottle outside of the country (now Latvia), a sort of punishment for disloyalty.

Other companies have begun to produce vodka in Russia with government support, but they are focused on the international market, not domestic consumers. These companies include Russian Standard, who produces Imperia. Vodka companies that do focus on the Russian market can be found mostly in Ukraine, and these companies frequently confront poor cooperation from the Russian government and still do not represent a cost-effective alternative to the bootleg vodkas being consumed by the poorer citizens of Russia.

Normally, I would begin discussing some activist solution to help save the Russian people from these horrible vodkas, but to be honest, no solution appears in sight. Contaminated vodkas killed thousands of Russians during the period of deregulation and through bootlegging so potential government regulation shifts seem hopeless. We could blame Pernod-Ricard for taking the only affordable vodka sources from Russian, but $300,000 for Stoli and 42 other companies was a steal anybody would have taken. Additionally, the Russian government continues to disrupt any attempts made by these companies to return vodkas like Stoli to the everyday Russian.

Instead, the Russian government needs to promote cheap, domestic production to ensure the safety of its citizens. Russian governmental support has focused on companies like Russian Standard, but their focus on the international market does nothing for Russians. Assistance to Russian companies focused on international distribution and those that would be targeting a domestic consumer are not mutually exclusive, a fact that needs to be realized by the Russian government.

Reflecting on these issues, I feel almost compelled to purchase alternative vodkas with less deadly histories, but doing so would only further harm the Russian populace by adversely affecting Russian jobs at companies like Stoli. Remember, even though these companies no longer target the Russian populace as a customer base, the citizenry remains as a valuable source of employees. In a country with already low job potential, disrupting even the smallest sources for employment is anything but beneficial.

Mankind’s greatest tragedies are the most incomprehensible. The vodka epidemic devastating Russia is one of the saddest because of the complex oppositions between monetary pursuits and human life or culture and the risks of vodka consumption. In such situations, the most viable alternative for those of us fortunate enough to be outside of the crisis is to gather what lessons exist.

This situation serves as warning about the effects that large corporations can have on the alcohol industry. Pernod-Ricard could not have predicted the implications of its takeover, and future purchases are unlikely to have any remotely similar results. But, there is something to be said for supporting the smaller, independent company to avoid disrupting the demand and cultural practices of where our spirits come from. One needs to only look south of the border (or south in this blog if you want to read my article on the tequila industry) to find other examples of how corporate takeovers and American demand can have detrimental results.

Also, the next time you drink your Russian vodka, consider the privileged opportunity that rests in your glass. Unlike those focused on smoothness through repetitive distillation, Russia vodka has always carried a certain burn and harshness, which while providing a preferable, distinct flavor, now exhibits a symbolic memorial. Yeltsin always appreciated his.

http://explorethepour.blogspot.com

There have been other major political upheavals before the Russian October, 1917, revolution. The French revolution may have been more colourful and more romantic. But no other revolution can match that of the Russians in the nobility of its conception, in the brilliance of its ideals, in its violence, and in its tragedy,

It is a mystery to the ordinary mind, though academics will continue to speculate, how a movement once just a dream of political outcasts became such a giant as to contest the mastery of the world. Was it due to the revolutionary rhetoric: ‘workers of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains. You have a world to gain.’? Was it its ‘vision of man’s mind displacing God as the creative intelligence of the world‘? Whatever the reasons were, the communist party became the most revolutionary movement in the history of man.

It was in the heart of the gigantic political body that Sergei Mironovich Kirov lived, flourished and perished. Like many of his contemporaries his life is typical rags to hero fairy tale. He was born on the 27th of March, 1886, to a peasant family. His father abandoned his family when Kirov was five years old. His mother soon died of tuberculosis. He had to rely on the largesse of others to receive an education. He was soon ensnared in the political ferment of in Russia that heralded the Revolution in 1905.

He joined the workers’ demonstrations that followed Bloody Sunday in January 1905, when tsarist troops mowed down a demonstrating crowd killing about 200 people. He was jailed several times before the October revolution of 1917. With the communists in power he served the Bolshevik army that brutally crushed all resistance. He rose within the party until he became a member of the politburo, and later the secretary of the Central Committee.

He therefore shared the stage with some of the most fabled figures of the Russian revolution. He worked with Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin, the three who embodied the essence of the revolution. He served with the other architects of the Russian state Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin. He was acquainted with one of the most eminent Russian writers, Emil Gorky. He knew the great General Zhukov. There are few to match these great men on the Russian pantheon. Thus to dig into the murder of Kirov is to cast a light into the lives and intrigue of very powerful men.

Sergei Kirov was shot in the neck on the 1 December, 1934, as he walked into his offices in Leningrad by Leonid Nikolaev. Kirov’s bodyguard, Borisov, who had been walking ‘too far behind’ his master, a grave breach of discipline, to even see the shooting, died a day after the crime. Did Nikolaev have a personal motive or did he have accomplices? Was Kirov’s murder an attack on Stalin and communism? Or did Stalin have Kirov killed because of his rising popularity in the party, and later used his murder as a pretext to wipe out his party enemies,

Interestingly, Nikolaev never tried to escape after the shooting: instead he was found next to his victim unconscious. The assassination of the Kirov triggered a catalogue of repressive measures. Nikolaev, after several months of torture confessed to a litany of crimes against the state and was shot. His mother, wife and siblings were also arrested and executed.

This was followed by a series of show trials in which many with even the flimsiest of connections with Nikolaev were arrested, charged and shot. Many of the old Bolsheviks were imprisoned, and the common charge was complicity in the murder of Kirov. The old guard of Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin after being charged ‘with having a moral responsibility’ in Kirov’s murder met with the same fate. Others committed suicide in despair. Even the exiled Trotsky was charged with Kirov’s murder, and sentenced to death in-abstentia. Trotsky was later killed in Mexico by a Soviet agent, and most of his family members were murdered.

The executions slowly gathered force like an avalanche, and were a prelude to the Great Purge. The latter according to Whitaker Chambers in his book ‘Witness‘ ‘was in the most literal sense a massacre. It was like one of those western jack-rabbit hunts in which a whole countryside forming a vast circle that finally closes in on its victims, and then clubs them to death. The purgees, like the rabbits, had no possible chance of escape’.

The reader initially flinches from the violence and the brutality in Stalin’s Russia. It precedes the murder of Kirov, and continues without respite after it. The book fails to resolve the mystery that it set out to answer. Despite pointing a finger at Josef Stalin for the murder and even arguing compellingly about his culpability, it does not provide conclusive evidence to support its thesis.

Yet it raises a few interesting issues, and answers an even broader question. It points the finger at the powerful men who were part of the Soviet leadership and were themselves later purged. In other words the writer is saying that Kirov was not just a victim but he was also a culprit.

‘He had after all been an accomplice in the crimes that the young Bolshevik regime perpetrated upon its people, and he had contributed to Stalin’s rise to power‘. The author asks therefore if the communist old guard with their unquestioning and mindless support of Stalin create a cult around his leadership, and thus generously feed the monster that destroyed them, and later soaked the entire Russian landscape in blood.

Who killed Kirov is a well written historical novel, and is a compelling narrative of the Kirov murder. It is also a well-researched analysis of the psychology of the Stalin years. There are no heroes in the story, but only villains and their victims. The writer portrays Stalin as the predecessor to the brutal autocrats who continue to haunt and hound humanity to this day. The book transcends the goriness of the violence by posing questions that the entire world should be asking itself. What it depicts seethes on in both rich and poor countries even in the 21st century.

As a former flight attendant, I've visited all European countries except Albania and Poland. Poland is Europe's 5th largest country. Aside for Lech Walesa, Copernicus, the Pope and a decade of Polish jokes I never understood, I knew nothing of this land. However, my interest peaked because it will soon be hot on the tourist trail and because my Chicago husband's family is from here. He accompanied me with a sense of delight in discovering his roots. I went to become educated and enriched by something new. We flew from Atlanta via JFK and Warsaw to Krakow for a mere 4 days. No rest for the weary with a head spinning itinerary. I prefer to visit cities in the off season to mingle with the locals. It provides a more authentic and intimate atmosphere.

On airport arrival, we're cheerfully greeted by Pavel who will be our driver throughout. He holds a welcome sign "Suza Davis". I say, "Hi, I'm Suzy from Atlanta." I chuckled when he responded, "Yes, downstairs of USA." We checked into Hotel Amadeus, a 16th century posh inn in the heart throb of town center. Prince Charles once bedded in our room, I'm told.

We set out to hunt for dinner. The illuminated Old Town was stunning and filled with so many young people, it made me feel elderly. 150,000 students reside in this university town. Krakow is Europe's premier party scene where they stay out until the birds sing. This historic district holds highest concentration of bars and restaurants in the world. We suddenly discovered Pierogi Garden, home of the freshest Polish dumplings. They were stuffed with sauerkraut, lamb, beef, berries, chocolate and even peanut butter. There were 6 types of soups, all with beets which I abhor. After a dozen dumplings, I had a melted ewe's milk cheese pancake which was beyond delicious.

Poland experienced countless invasions throughout its history. After being ravaged by the Germans and then the Russians, it finally achieved independence in 1989 with the collapse of Soviet communism. Krakow was wired for destruction near the end of WWII by the Germans. They planned to blow it up once the Russians took over, fortunately the war ended hours before the plan was carried out.

Today it remains one of the few cities remaining in its original form. With a population now of 780,000, it has morphed into a trendy international capital. Vibrant and modern yet somehow retains its traditional culture with regal architecture. It is in Krakow where one finds the spirit of the new Poland.

On day 2, we were greeted by Anna who was strikingly beautiful. We began in the web of cobbled streets in Old Town that was meant for walking. It was a maze of museums, chapels, galleries, cafes and hole in the wall pubs. Even in winter there was entertainment with street dancers, mimes, accordion players and on one corner, I watched a knight in armor break-dancing.

We entered Market Square, Europe's largest medieval square where little has changed since 1257. It is crowned by the Bell Tower where a bugler plays at the top of the hour. It drives the residents crazy at night. A must see is Cloth Hall where fishmongers, cloth merchants and bakers have sold their wares since the 14th century. Now it's a fabulous arcade of handicraft stalls.

We walked to the well preserved Jewish Quarter which is now edgy with artistic character. Poland once held Europe's largest concentration of Jews at 3.5 million. Poland's kings during the middle ages noted they were being expelled elsewhere and invited them in to augment the economy. Here they thrived until the holocaust and forced communism after WWII. There are now only 180 left. We viewed the ghettos where Spielberg's famed movie was filmed and looked across the river to see Schindler's factory.

Rick Steves writes that one must visit a milk bar here. Anna escorts us to one of these government subsidized cafes for the working class. They are a holdover from Poland's communist past. Everything is astonishingly cheap. I ordered a bowl of homemade soup and cheesecake for $ 2.

We then visited Wawel Castle, a 12th century masterpiece and defining icon of the city's pride. There were no queues as we walked its corridors of history. This was the residence of kings for 500 years. Anna explains its legend of the fire breathing dragon named Smok here who ate virgins for breakfast.

This was bolstered by the discovery of strange large bones in the 1400's. (The bones are actually whale bones as this area on Europe was once under water eons ago.) The dragon thus became the symbol of the city and is omnipresent in souvenir shops. Anna then nudges us inside various beautiful churches, for me always as boring as paint by numbers, however they were exquisite. I ask if there are any Protestants here. She replied matter of factly, "Yes, one."

The afternoon was spent on restaurant and hotel inspections. I loved the formal greetings and it's always educational. I learn about local cuisine and accommodations in the best location for the best price. All hotels were fully booked. Jews and Catholics visit year round on religious pilgrimages or come for roots tours.

Krakow was recently rated in the top 10 European destinations. I now see why. Americans continue to rave over Prague which I now find passe with inflated prices and lower standards of service. It's become as expensive as Rome. Eventually, Krakow may do the same once Poland converts to the Euro in 2012. For now one can splurge with affordable prices. Europeans flock here for 50-70% savings. Germans and Danes in particular come for dental and optometry needs. Medical tourism including plastic surgery is booming. I met an Austrian flight attendant who fly's in monthly for spa treatments at half cost.

At night we dined at Wierzynek Restaurant, the world's oldest that has served princes to tourists since 1364. It was delicious peasant cuisine (organic) of wild boar, roast ribs and heaping mounds of potatoes. I ask them to teach me some Polish, a Slavic language that is as impossible as a mouthful of alphabet soup. The word toilet has 5 syllables.

On the third day, we awoke to a gray, cold and wet day which gave us the appropriate ambiance for what we would see. Pavel drove us 60 km to Auschwitz. We were greeted by Yuri, our brilliant personal guide whose sole passion was to enlighten us on the unthinkable tragedies that took place here from 1940-45. I once visited Dachau, but this was the largest of concentration camps. This death factory killed 1.4 million people of 27 nationalities. Most were Jews. The others were gypsies, Soviets, Poles, gays, political dissidents and more.

We entered the gate reading, "Work will set you free." Inside was a powerful reminder as we viewed the crematoriums, starvation cells, kilos of hair, endless eye glasses and a pond still gray from ashes 60 years ago. Most sobering to me was the children's section. It held a sea of ​​tiny shoes, dolls and meticulous German documentation of 230,000 little ones who suffered and died here.

We were driven to the extended camp of Birkenau (Auschwitz II), with its wooden barracks built to house 100,000 but eventually held 200,000+. Together in silence, the three of us walked a half mile to see the ruins of the gas chambers and memorial monument. At the end of our tour, Yuri said goodbye to us with this profound statement, "I've guided several holocaust survivors who visited here like tourists. They told me at the end that I am not able to present 1% of how bad it really was. " This was the most emotional touching site my eyes ever beheld.

Late afternoon we visited the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine. This mysterious and vast underground city 3 miles long has extracted salt for 800 years. The World Heritage Site draws a million visitors per year and it looks as though they all arrived today.

Our guide Justina seemed to have an obsession with salt, but it was merely the love of her job as guide. She said to follow her down 836 steps which was a better work out than a Stairmaster. Caves bore me, but this site will remain etched in my mind forever. Imagine underground chapels, ornate sculptures, chandleries and life size figures carved entirely from salt or a restaurant and a post office 380 'below street level. It was spectacular. For centuries miners and horses spent their lives here. They remained healthy in this rich micro-climate. It has to do with magnesium ions, whatever those are? Today people come to the healing chambers of the treatment complex for isolation in natural air purity.

Day 4. I continually search the globe for unique things or places to present to fellow travelers. Today I found it in Zakapane. For years now, a friend of mine insisted I visit this mountain resort with the funny name I could never remember. We drove to the pure air of the Tatra Mountains with Eva, our expert guide that day. She said this adventure destination of 60,000 residents swells to 200,000 nearly year round. In summer they come for mineral spas and Alpine hiking. In winter they come to ski. That week Zakapane hosted the International Ski Jumping Competition.

Here was a charming town of artists and Giorake, an ethnic group of mountain highlanders. These wandering shepherds trace back to the 15th century. They love to dress in their colorful clothes for tourists. They live on cheese or anything smothered in cheese. We visited a cheese market the size of Switzerland. As far as my eyes could see, there were sheep and goat cheeses artistically sculpted into every shape conceivable. We also toured the Aqua Park with an Olympic sized mineral hot spring mineral pool and rode cable cars high into the mountains for breathtaking scenery.

It was a most productive and enjoyable day tour. I found a local tour company that arranges fun activities for groups such as horse sledding through the forest, dog sledding and the new "snow rafting" in rubber rafts sloshing toboggan-style down the mountain. At the huge outdoor market with countless ethnic stalls, I purchased a striking leather and fur coat for $ 260 that fashionably looked 6 times its price.

There's so much I didn't get to see on this short visit. On my next return, I'll do the new "Crazy Communism Tour." Outside Krakow is Nowa Huta, once a severe socialist suburb of forced industrialization. Massive steelworks factories overtook the rich farm land. Doctor and professors were sent here to work. Miles of concrete tenement blocks were erected to house them.

On tour you can discover experience firsthand Stalin's gift to Krakow by riding in a classic East German Trabant car out to Nowa Huta. A dinner of salted bread, pickles and vodka is included, followed by dancing at a retro 70's era disco.

Under the yoke of communism, the Poles refused to give up their religion. Stalin said, "Implementing communism here is like saddling a bull." Faced against such a determined spirit in the people, he gave up. I "m amazed at all the obstacles this stoic country has overcome.

If you've been there and bought the t-shirt of London, Paris, Madrid or Athens, I encourage you to visit undiscovered parts of Europe. Krakow is destined to become the next Prague. It oozes with history, friendly faces, hearty cuisine, and it won't break your pocketbook. If you can visit the new Poland, please don't tell anyone about Zakapane, one of the world's best kept secrets.

Recently a gentleman stated to me that he believed that the essence of Democracy and Freedom of Speech was disagreement, protest, debate and counter arguments to a point of contention. Well, maybe Democracy and Freedom of Speech has turned into that. But if it has then is it indeed the best method to run a Great Nation like the United States?

Is it best for all concerned for everyone to run around and complain, without a viable solution to the points of contention that they are protesting? For instance during the last election in the United States the self-proclaimed Blue Party, which really should have been reversed as Communism stands for Red and the Liberals are socialists waiting for a disaster to happen and would love to turn the greatest nation in the History of Mankind into a communist (government does everything) socialist Beehive of humanity.

As this debate and discussion continued apparently this liberal never had this pointed out to him in a meaningful way and thus he stated; So, first off, thank you. Very seriously, thank you for taking all the time you did to respond to me in such detail. As your goal was to open my eyes, you certainly did that. You and I disagree on some points, but isn’t that the essence of democracy and freedom of speech?

So, I ask YOU, the reader of this article, is disagreeing the essence of democracy? If so, Democracy should render itself short lived amongst the human race in the next millennium. If the entire population runs around disagreeing and attacking, may I please ask how any of YOU humans plan to get anything done of value or propel the human species forward? Because seriously, I am having my doubts about YOUR abilities and the forward progression of mankind. Consider all this in 2006.

As Evo Morales claims the ills of the Global Economic Crisis on neo-liberal capitalism, he is finding that he can no longer get funding from the Global Banks even for his most productive sectors. All he is asking for is 100-200 Billion and normally an emerging nation in good economic standing would have no problem achieving such a loan.

Unfortunately, after nationalizing so many industries and throwing out the capitalists, there are no takers. Or are there, as Hugo Chavez, the Communist Leader of Venezuela has promised that he will invest 100s of millions of dollars in a Coca Plant, something that the rest of the world cringes on, considering the cocaine drug exports from Venezuela. But can Hugo Chavez make good on his promises?

Apparently, with the world price of oil down, Hugo Chavez has other issues in his own nation to deal with, both economically and politically, as well as his deals with nearby nations to sell them oil for half price now, with the remainder due in 20-years to assist in his Geo-Political exploits. Looks like his attempt to build a communist block of countries in South and Central America is crumbling.

Will Russia come to Hugo Chavez’s aid? How about China, what about Cuba; all doubtful and where does all this leave Bolivia’s Aymara Indian leader Evo Morales and his more radical supporters, the Red Ponchos? Well, basically they are on their own, with a crumbling economy, no more loans, insufficient nationalized industry, weakened global demand and storm season coming. Let’s face it, whether it is tortilla wars or imploding economies with breadlines; Communism does not work. Think on this.

Michel Foucault, (born October fifteen, 1926, Poitiers, France – died June twenty five, 1984, Paris), French philosopher as well as historian, one of probably the most important and debatable scholars of the post World War II period.

The son as well as grandson of a doctor, Michel Foucault was created to a solidly bourgeois household. He resisted what he regarded as the provincialism of the upbringing of his and the native country of his, and the career of his was marked by regular sojourns abroad. A notable but at times erratic pupil, Foucault received entry at the age of twenty to the École Normale Superieure (ENS) in Paris in 1946. There he studied philosophy and psychology, adopted and then abandoned communism, as well as established a good reputation as a sedulous, amazing, and eccentric pupil.

After graduating in 1952, Foucault started a career marked by continual movement, both professionally and intellectually. He taught at the Faculty of Lille, then wasted 5 years (1955 60) working as a cultural attache at Uppsala, Sweden; Warsaw, Poland; and Hamburg, West Germany (now Germany). Foucault defended the doctoral dissertation of his at the ENS in 1961. Circulated under the title Folie et deraison: histoire de la folie à l’âge classique (“Madness and Unreason: A History of Madness in the Classical Age”). It won critical praise but had a limited audience. (An abridged version was translated into English and published in 1965 as Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason.)

His other early monographs, written while he taught at the University of Clermont-Ferrand in France (1960-66), had much the same fate. Not until the look of Les Mots et les choses (Things” and “words; Eng. trans. The Order of Things) in 1966 did Foucault start attracting large notice as one of probably the most unique and debatable thinkers of his days. He decided to view his developing ideas from a distance – at the Faculty of Tunis in Tunisia (1966-68) – and was still in Tunis when student riots erupted in Paris of the spring of 1968.

In 1969 he published L’Archeologie du savoir (The Archaeology of Knowledge). In 1970, after a short tenure as director of the philosophy department at the Faculty of Paris, Vincennes, he was given a chair in the history of systems of thought at the Collège de France, France’s most prestigious post secondary institution. The appointment granted Foucault the chance to conduct intense research.

Between 1971 as well as 1984 Foucault wrote a few works, like Surveiller et punir: naissance de la prison (1975; Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison), a monograph on the growth of the contemporary prison; 3 volumes of a record of Western sexuality; in addition to countless essays. Foucault continued traveling widely, and also as his status grew he spent lengthy periods in Brazil, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

He became especially connected to Berkeley, California, and the San Francisco Bay area and became a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of California at Berkeley for a few years. Foucault died of a septicemia typical of Aids in 1984, the fourth volume of the history of sexuality however incomplete.

I grew up in a conservative political household.

My parents met as members of an early '60s organization called Young Americans for Freedom. They went on to have careers in politics and government service.

The high point of their political lives was the Reagan administration of the 1980s … the culmination of decades of effort to put a "true" conservative in the White House.

The core beliefs that defined their version of conservatism included anti-Communism, right to life for the unborn and a limited role for government.

Those were long-term goals. The issue that dominated their day-to-day political activities – and our dinner-table discussions, as I recall – was the federal government fiscal policy … above all, debt.

Given the behavior of congressional Republicans in recent months, it's clear that my parents' brand of conservatism has disappeared. The combination of unfunded tax cuts and last week's deficit-busting budget deal worries them greatly.

It should worry you too … in fact, our irresponsible representatives in Washington are creating a perfect economic storm.

Just When Things Were Looking Better

Thanks to our representatives in Washington, we face a future of higher interest rates, a falling dollar and falling stock prices.

Over the last six weeks, Congress has added trillions of dollars to future federal budget deficits.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed at the end of December added an estimated $ 1.5 trillion to 10-year deficit projections. Last week, Congress and President Donald Trump added another $ 300 billion to that figure with a budget deal lasting until 2019.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget forecasts that the federal deficit could hit $ 1.2 trillion next year.

The Congressional Budget Office forecasts a doubling of federal deficits as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in the next few years, reaching as high as 7% to 8% in some estimates.

Long-term data suggests a 1% increase in the debt-to-GDP ratio corresponds to a 3 to 5 basis point rise in the 10-year Treasury yield.

How can we be so sure of this? After all, the government has run deficits over the last decade, and we haven't seen a rise in bond yields, right? What's different now?

The answer is something the central bank mandarins blithely call "extraordinary monetary policy."

In the wake of the 2008 financial collapse, the world's major central banks stepped in to purchase US Treasurys and other government debt as part of a deliberate strategy to keep interest rates low. The Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank now hold more than $ 14 trillion of securities in their portfolios.

But the Fed has largely stopped buying those securities. Starting late last year, it initiated a so-called "orderly wind-down" of its Treasury position.

So, unless another source of demand for Treasurys emerges, the influx of fresh supplies of Treasury bills to finance rising deficits will create a buyer's market. That will drive down the prices of Treasurys and drive up yields.

Projections suggest the Treasury Department will sell more than $ 1 trillion of debt in 2018 alone.

Th-Th-That's Not All, Folks

Washington's fiscal irresponsibility will work through the economy in other ways, too.

The president continually reminds us that the US economy is in growth mode. Employment is rising and so are wages.

In that context, a massive economic stimulus in the form of deficit spending – larger even than the emergency stimulus package of 2009 – will rapidly turn growth into inflation. Inflation will lead to higher bond yields as buyers of Treasurys factor it into their future returns.

Those higher interest rates will force the government to funnel more of its funds into ever-growing interest payments. That will leave the economy with a smaller share of federal spending, depressing growth.

Complicating matters is a weakening dollar. The dollar has weakened sharply, shedding about 10% of its value in 2017.

The combination of a weaker dollar and higher US deficits will lure overseas investors looking to add to their stockpile of Treasurys. Those buyers will want bigger yields to compensate for inflation and the risk of higher US debt. That will further drive down bond prices … raising US government interest payments even more.

Finally, rising bond yields and inflation will lower the future value of anticipated corporate earnings and stock dividends. Lower future income streams mean lower prices for stocks. In that way, US government deficits will deflate the US stock market.

Give Me That Old-Time Conservatism

Vice President Dick Cheney famously said that the Reagan presidency proved that "deficits don't matter."

But he was talking about politics – voters of the day simply didn't punish the Republicans for running up deficits.

The US government deficits of the Reagan era were the largest since World War II, save for the immediate aftermath of the 2008 crisis.

But the current crop of Republicans who claim to venerate Reagan are on track to create the biggest deficits this country has ever seen. In the eight years since they won control of the House, the national debt has skyrocketed from $ 13.5 trillion to $ 20.4 trillion today.

Here's the future they're creating: rising inflation. A declining stock market. Oh, and one other thing … your taxes will inevitably have to go up to pay for it.

President Trump calls himself the "king of debt." His courtiers in Congress certainly seem to agree.

While the Games create revenue for advertisers, media promoters, and games organisers they often result in poverty for many and worsening physical and mental conditions for some athletes. In recent weeks many past athletes have blown the whistle on doping by government induced coaches and doctors. Countries like Germany and the old Soviet Union were among the worst offenders.

While the Russian and some African athletes are highlighted as dope users there is so much hidden behind the scenes that one should not be taken in by pleas of innocence. In some countries it was normal practice for 8 year olds to be given drugs to enhance their performances but they were unaware that what they were forced to consume was harmful.

As their bodies developed some parts of it did not. In girls the uterus may have failed to develop properly and the end result was that later pregnancies produced undersized and often handicapped babies. Many other problems also resulted in later life.

Is winning a medal so important that lives have to be interfered with to this extent? In countries where politics is based on performance and strength it would appear that they are willing to gain it at any cost. The Soviet Union was one such nation as it showed how strong people were under communism.

In Brazil where the last Olympics has now ended the poverty among a huge majority of its citizens is outstanding. The city of Rio has no infrastructure to deal with human waste, slums pulled down to build stadiums left many homeless, crime is rampant, and while the country is bankrupt billions were poured into the construction of facilities for the Games.

How crazy is it when such things happen and the world tethers on the brink of destruction that the Olympic Games should happen at all? How sad is it that people have to turn to crime to earn a living? How pathetic that a few athletes are made more of than a country’s own people?

In four years’ time it will start all over again and where will the world be then? There is little doubt that we are in the end time with the last days looming. Major conflicts are already brewing, the people are fed up with crooked politicians, and the general unrest in every major country is swelling out into rebellions.

The prophecies in the Old Testament states that there will be signs of the approaching end and one of those is the Internet (Micah 4:1). My reincarnation proves how wrong religions are and the people who run governments are besotted with false images and man-made gods, just as in Rio where the huge monument to Christ the Redeemer throws its shadow over the city.

Such a creature never existed but it is promoted as the Savour while the real God, the Spirit of the Universe, is taking its revenge. That’s the cost of the idolatry and sun-worship behind the Games and all religions.

On this date twenty years ago, November 9, 1989, the 28-mile Berlin Wall falls as jubilant crowds gathered, some climbing on top of the wall to break off large pieces. Just two years before in West Berlin, then President Ronald Reagan stated in a speech, "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. " More than two more years after this speech, the Berlin Wall would be no more.

The Inglorious History of the "Iron Curtain"

On August 13, 1961 barbed wire fencing is built along with concrete barriers and the border between East and West Berlin is closed. The Berlin Wall ultimately became a 96-mile long barrier positioned around West Berlin. Just two days later, the first recorded breach is attempted as 19-year-old border guard Conrad Schumann successfully escapes to West Germany. Gunter Litfin a young tailor's apprentice is the first person to be shot and killed in an escape attempt on August 24, 1961. During the following years, over 10,000 people attempted escapes with about 5,000 of those succeeding.

In a speech presented at the Berlin Wall on June 26, 1962, President John F. Kennedy says, "There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the greatest issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. " In this same speech he declares, "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner). Finally after months of lengthy negotiations, both sides reach an agreement that allow West Berliners to visit relatives in east Berlin. Three years later, negotiations for more access between the two sides of the city fail as East German officials order stricter control on the border and build additional sections to the wall.

In the seventies and eighties, several important events occur that will ultimately bring an end to the Berlin Wall and Communism. In 1977, three teens are killed during a clash between protesters and East German police. Reform escalates throughout the seventies and culminate in an agreement between the Communist government and striking shipyard workers in Poland. The strike is led by Lech Walesa who helps to bring about the formation of trade unions, ultimately leading to the anti-Communist Solidarity movement.

In early 1989, the last remaining sections of the "Iron Curtain" are dismantled as Hungary disables their electric alarm system, cuts through the barbed wire on the Hungarian-Austrian border, and finally reopens the border with East Germany. Three weeks later, 13,000 East Germans escape to the West through Austria. East Germany's leader, Erich Honecker is forced from office just 38 days later. On November 4, after weeks of demonstrations, one million people gather at a rally in East Berlin. Five days later the Berlin Wall came down.

On December 3, 1989, George HW Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev conduct a shipboard summit at Malta. Afterward, at the press conference, Soviet spokesman Gennady Gerasimov states, "From Yalta to Malta, the cold war ended at 12:45 pm today." In the following years, Communists in Prague step down, Hungary elects a non-Communist government, Germany unifies, Lech Walesa is elected president in Poland, and the Soviet Union dissolves. Because of the events and efforts of so many people dedicated to liberty, the Berlin Wall is no more and millions are now able to live free.

Arnold Toynbee is a world famous historian known for his penetrating insight into civilizations of the world. In his epoch making work: A study of World History, he does not consider civilization as discrete entities but views them as a continuum. In his analysis of civilizations he has bifurcated them into Egyptian, Hellenic, Chinese and contemporary civilizations.

The Egyptian civilization was marked by the emergence of Kingship and large class of serfs. It was basically an agrarian civilization. The most significant contribution of the Egyptians was the invention of writing. Religion in ancient Egypt was polytheistic. The systematic idea of a state evolved in ancient Egypt. Another significant contribution of the Egyptians was the Pyramids. Culturally and anthropologically speaking the Egyptians were an ethnic bourgeoisie, a ruling aristocracy embedded in cultic rituals, exploiting the weaker sections of the society. The Egyptian civilization also saw the Diaspora of the Jews into Egypt. Looking at Egyptian civilization we can interpret that it was civilization canonized by monarchs, satiated in excess catharsis and stimulated by the ecumenism of a cosmopolitan culture. The Egyptian civilization is noted for its architecture. Ancient Egypt bore the semblances of a religious and cultural syncretism.

The Hellenic culture on the other side saw the emergence of art, literature, philosophy and above all democracy. The great Philosophers of Greece were Plato Socrates and Aristotle. The Hellenic gift to the contemporary world was the gift of democracy. The Iliad and the Odyssey were epic poems written by the Greek poet Homer. In ancient Greece there was a shift from a religious attitude to a philosophical speculation. Ancient Greece also laid the foundations of modern science. Athens flourished because it was democracy. Philosophically speaking Greek civilization is marked by a mental Diaspora of historicity caught up in the eclectic balance of pristine culture in the throes of evolution.

Next I would like to analyze the modern world. The modern world went through a series of world wars. The modern world also saw the emergence of two contrasting isms Communism and Capitalism. It was during this time that large parts of Africa and Asia were colonies. The modern world also saw the rise of dictatorships which paved the way for the horrendous holocaust. The modern world also saw the rise of the press. Then there developed the rise of the Cold War. There was also the development of space journeys and nuclear missiles. The television became a personalized czar at home. Artistic movements like impressionism and surrealism gave a new lease of life to individuality.

The postmodern society is quite different from earlier civilizations. It was marked by the evolution of the internet. Media became a personalized entity. There was also the emergence of multinational corporations and patent rights. There was also the rise of gay culture. The postmodern society saw the demise of communism and the bipolarization of the world. The postmodern era is also characterized by the emergence of Islamic fundamentalism. Many of the colonies of Africa and Asia were decolonized. The postmodern society also saw the breakup of the nuclear family and the rise of gay marriages. Philosophy was characterized by disintegration and fragmentation. Postmodernism promoted nihilism and anarchy. The idea of what constitutes individuality became a question mark.