Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion with 350 million adherents. And like other religions, Buddhism has within it different groups. A few times this past year there have been reported self-immolation by Buddhist monks and nuns. Such dramatic self-sacrifices raise questions about this fascinating and often mysterious belief system. It has been estimated between 1960 to 2002 more than 500 self-immolations occurred. Westerners find this an abhorrence. It is only tolerated by some elements in Mahayana Buddhism and is used as a way to make a declaration of protest or to commit suicide. A new wave of self-immolation protests is currently ongoing in the Middle East and North Africa, with at least 14 recorded incidents. Tibetans have resorted to self-immolation to protest Chinese rule. Twenty-one Tibetans died in a series of immolating protests beginning in 2011. The Dalai Lama has officially condemned such extreme measures.

1. What is the Buddhist attitude about violence? Most Buddhist practice and adhere to the idea of nonviolence. However, that does not mean the practitioner is submissive-a wimp or coward. For the practicing Buddhist, the basic cause of violence is the entanglement of extreme ideas. Generally, this happens when one gets tangled in the issues of good/bad, moral/immoral, or ugly/beautiful. This dualism often takes on the posture of inflexible self-righteousness.

2. Can anyone become a Buddhist or does one have to become a monk or nun? Anyone may become a Buddhist. It is not necessary to be a monk or nun. One needs to live and follow the Eight-fold Path as taught in the Fourth of the Noble Truths of Buddhism. That’s all it really takes. Generally, this is a journey you must go alone because it involves you; no one else can become a Buddhist for you. Your journey will be made easier if you find fellow human beings that share your aspirations. There is strength in numbers. Visit the local Buddhist temple or center. Though the traditions vary, there may be some sort of a formal ceremony to confirm your commitment to be a Buddhist. Such a ritual can be a very powerful personal experience and can be most helpful in bonding with a local Sangha, a Buddhist community.

3. If you become a Buddhist, do you have to give up sex? If you become a monk or nun, some Buddhist groups require abstinence; others do not. If you do not become a monk or nun, there is no requirement for abstinence.

4. Is there a hell in Buddhism as there is in Christianity? There are levels of hell in Buddhism but not the ever-lasting eternal condemnation as found in Christianity. Such condemnation does not exist in Buddhism. In Buddhism, every being is destined for nirvana, even the most vile of individuals are not eternally condemned. You should not interpret this to mean that you are free to do anything you wish. There is a high moral standard of behavior in Buddhism.

5. Which Buddhist tradition is more popular in the United States and Why? Historically, it was the Zen tradition that first entered the United States having been introduced in California by such famous masters as Shunryu Suzuki and Yasutani Roshi. As the first American students of Zen Buddhism were acknowledged by these masters as Dharma Heir, Roshi Philip Kapleau, for example, Zen centers sprouted up in California and eventually spread to the east coast and are now located throughout the United States. With the ever-growing Tibetan refugees fleeing Chinese Communist domination and with their great desire to preserve the Vajrayana traditions of Tibet, the number of Lamas who taught this unique form of Buddhism also increased. Because of its seemingly esoteric and exotic nature, Tibetan Buddhism attracted many westerners. It too has now spread throughout the North American Continent and winged its way to Europe. With the interest in Buddhism sparked by Zen, the Hinayana tradition with its more conservative approach has taken hold in the United States.

Throughout history, protest songs have galvanized the oppressed into resisting their oppressors. Martin Luther King Jr said, 'freedom songs serve to give unity to a movement.' The revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East have been inspired by rap music, which the authorities tried to ban, pointing again to the potential of political music to effect social change. However, the inevitable question that comes up when considering protest music is whether it really matters – does it make a difference? Or do the commoditization of music and the banality of TV talent shows devalue its political potential?

Steve Biko, a leading anti-apartheid activist and founder of the Black Consciousness Movement who was tortured and murdered in custody by the South African police wrote that, 'The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed'. When government, media, and education is largely in the hands of the oppressor, whether that be overtly in authoritarian regimes or more covertly in a democracy, the protest song becomes one of the only ways to foster resistance as it speaks to the head as well as the heart. The singer songwriter Phil Ochs wrote 'One good song with a message can bring a point more deeply to more people than a thousand rallies.' Likewise, the Swedish-American Labor activist Joe Hill, who was controversially executed in 1915, wrote that, 'A pamphlet, no matter how good, is never read more than once, but a song is learned by heart and repeated over and over. ''

Jimi Hendrix goes further and claims that, 'If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.' And there is a lot of evidence for how political music has made a difference. As Martin Luther king Jr claims, music was a key component of the American civil rights movement. Pete Seeger – known as the father of American folk music – introduced 'We shall overcome' to King and it became an anthem for those resisting racist oppression in America in the 1960′s. The title of the song also became a theme for one of King's major speeches. There is no doubt that songs such as this galvanized people to bravely face the brutal racial cruelty of the American south – often non-violently. See the film 'Let Freedom Sing' for an excellent depiction of the civil rights struggle.

In Estonia, one-third of the population gathered to sing songs banned by the Soviet regime and this contributed greatly to the country gaining independence through a bloodless revolution. This is well documented in the film, 'The Singing Revolution – a single nation, a million voices, the fall of an empire'. And as Joan Baez claims, the Vietnam War was stopped due to increasing popular opposition in the USA – the government had wanted to continue the war – the people were informed and enlivened by protest songs.

In South Africa, the connection between protest songs and social change is perhaps even clearer. The Apartheid regime in South Africa was supported by America, the UK and other European allies. This was despite the whites making up only 8% of the population, holding almost all the wealth and the government brutally suppressing any opposition – blacks were not allowed to vote. The British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, even claimed that Nelson Mandela was a 'terrorist'. Particularly in the 1980′s, western populations were informed of the plight of the South African people by musicians such as Eddie Grant, Labi Siffri and The Special AKA and this led to increasing pressure on the Apartheid regime with boycotts of South African goods and penalties imposed on the country. The external pressure coupled with brave internal resistance eventually led to the downfall of Apartheid. The Special AKA's song 'Free Nelson Mandela' was at the forefront of this wave of influential political music.

Music has played a powerful role in other areas of oppression. 'Glad to be Gay' by Tom Robinson was written for the 1976 London Gay Pride parade and pointed out the hypocrisy and cruelty of the 'straight' establishment – especially the police. At one stage banned by the BBC, it became an anthem of the gay rights movement and played its part in the increasingly widespread acceptance of homosexuality in the UK.

The powerful are fully aware of the power of protest songs, even though they rarely acknowledge it. In our opinion, the greatest protest singer songwriter of the twentieth century was Pete Seeger. Yet, he was indicted for Contempt of Congress in 1957 after refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) about his socialist political opinions on the grounds that this would violate his First Amendment rights. He argued that "I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially under such compulsion as this. " He was blacklisted for 17 years as a result. Likewise, the Soviets and Chinese clamped down heavily on any music that seemed to oppose the party. But such censorship is not just historical. As the Americans prepared to invade Iraq in 2003 with the 'coalition of the willing' (mostly blackmailed and threatened! '), The most successful female group of all time, The Dixie Chicks, appeared on stage in London and said that they were ashamed that President Bush was a fellow Texan. The outcry in America led to them being blacklisted by many radio stations with DJs sacked if they played Dixie Chicks' music.

As we face the many challenges of the 21st century with environmental destruction, rising population, diminishing resources, ongoing regional wars and the rising gap between the 'haves and have nots' or has George Bush put it the 'have mores and the have nots' , we trust that an uprising of popular resistance will find solutions. This is already happening in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011 but seems some way off in the more comfortable West. If solutions are to be found it will likely be artists and musicians who will lead the change as once again protest songs and political music galvanize public opinion in the direction of freedom.

In light of the assassination of the man who would likely become the next President of the United States, the man in the Oval Office declared a national day of mourning on the ninth of June. Because of the sadness, and to share their respect for the slain senator, a group of players decided to boycott their games scheduled for that day.

Although such a situation sounds like something that could be happening in the current world of sports, when protests are frequently in the headlines, this case happened exactly fifty years ago today. Robert Kennedy, the leading candidate to be voted in as the next President in the upcoming election, was assassinated on June 9, 1968.

When Johnson announced a national day or mourning, members of the Cincinnati Reds urged baseball officials to postpone the double header scheduled for that day. Because their words fell on deaf ears, the players decided that they were going to boycott the games.

The protest was led by a multiracial tandem, white pitcher Milt Pappas and African-American All-Star outfielder Vada Pinson. The two managed to get just enough votes from their teammates to approve their idea to stay in the clubhouse rather than go onto the baseball field, as a statement about the assassination of the important Democratic candidate for President.

Just like the front offices in the sports world of today, the executives of Cincinnati expressed wrath at the players' refusal to participate in the games. General Manager Bob Howsam was especially peeved, and he requested skipper Dave Bristol to find nine volunteers to play.

Future batting king Pete Rose soon left the clubhouse with glove in hand, along with Rookie of the Year Tommy Helms and ace starting pitcher Jim Maloney. Not long after that, the rest of the team reported to the field and the games were played.

However hesitant those players might have been, the Reds jumped out to an eight to nothing lead by the fourth inning. St. Louis rebounded in the fifth, compiling ten runs of their own to win game one 10-8.

The Cardinals rode that momentum into the second game, charging out to a six to one lead. Cincinnati, as the Cardinals had done in the opener, rallied in the fifth to tie the game.

Deadlocked for the next six frames, the score finally changed in a twelfth inning that involved three future Hall of Famers. Left hander Steve Carlton, in his third inning of relief for the Cardinals, gave up a lead off single to Cincinnati first baseman Lee May.

Third baseman Tony Perez reached on a fielder's choice, but would have to wait to advance because Carlton struck out catcher Johnny Bench. Perez did make it to second, and the all the way to the plate, after shortstop Leo Cardenas doubled him home with the winning run.

Although the Reds managed a split, Pete Rose may have wished he had stayed in the clubhouse that day. The perennial .300 hitter managed just one hit in times at the plate.

Vada Pinson, on the other hand, was probably glad his boycott had been averted. He went a combined four for ten with a home run and five runs batted in during the twin bill.

While most people think of Halloween when they think of October 31st, it is actually a day that notes the anniversary of an event that changed world history 500 years ago. It was October 31, 1517 when a monk named Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses, or protests, to the door of Wittenberg Castle church.

Fed up with corruption of religious leaders, especially at the expense of God's grace, Luther would start a revolution that would ignite fires around the world. His protest of greed and idolatry and bondage found in the Roman Catholic church of his day would mark the birth of the Reformation.

At stake was the debate about forgiveness. Was it something that could be bought, was it something that could be earned, or was it something else entirely? Luther knew the debate well, it had haunted him for years.

Indeed, his deathly fear of God is legendary. Caught one night in a storm he prayed that if he survived the thunder and lightning he would become a monk. True to his word he joined a monastery, but found little relief in his prayer and study. His sin always laid heavily upon him.

There is a story of a minister who was irritated with a woman who claimed to be so close to God she would know his will through visions. Skeptical, the minister had a secret sin that had enslaved him to guilt for years. One day he approached the woman and said, "So you hear from God do you?" She replied he spoke to her in visions. "Then if you are able to hear from him then tonight ask him what secret sin I have carried all these years."

Anxious to hear her reply the next week the minister approached her again, "Did you pray and ask God what my sin was?" "Yes", she replied. "Well", said the minister, "Did he answer you?" "Yes," she stated again. "What did he say my sin was?" asked the minister. She answered, "He said he didn't remember."

This was at the heart of Luther's revelation. Reading the book of Romans his heart was lit afire when he read, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law" (Romans 3:28).

Luther finally found what he had been looking for all his life. His faith, not his good or bad actions, was what mattered. His faith that a person is forgiven by grace when they believe the gospel of Christ. He realized he would never be holy on his own, and that the gospel is the account of Jesus' holiness becoming our holiness, so much so that our sins are remembered no more.

McHenry County Sheriff Nygren’s decision to publicly humiliate deadbeat parents, who according to the courts owe between $5,346 and $41,192 in child support payments, is alarming. It seems odd that only fathers are posted when non-custodial mothers are 20% more likely to default on their childsupport obligations according to US Census Data.

The deadbeat dad stereotype is a distortion and it perpetuates the many myths surrounding child support. The vast majority of men who fail to pay their child support do so because of unemployment or poverty. Fathers who have in the past paid child support promptly are now faced with a chilling question: “Do I pay childsupport, or do I eat?” Since Illinois law requires parents to pay between 20 to 50 percent of their income, how much is left to survive after a $650 unemployment check?

It’s no surprise that “deadbeat dads” have been the headliner of multiple stories across the country for decades. We’re often reminded by the media’s highlights of the few fathers who don’t pay versus the many who struggle to support their children. These stereotypes shouldn’t be highlighted or ignored, they should be eliminated.

The facts show that fathers in financial peril are far from “deadbeat”. In fact, the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement data shows that two-thirds of those behind on child support nationwide earn poverty level wages; less than four percent of the national childsupport debt is owed by those earning $40,000 or more a year. According to the largest federally-funded study of divorced dads ever conducted, unemployment, not willful neglect, is the largest cause of failure to pay child support. As Illinois surpasses the 10.5 percent unemployment rate, these facts cannot be ignored.

While the label of “deadbeat parents” does apply to some parents who willfully dodge their responsibility of support, it is not gender specific. The larger problem lies not with non-custodial parents, but instead with the child support system. Arresting low-income parents or parading their names and faces in highly publicized media blitzes is neither fair nor useful. What’s needed instead is an overhaul of the system, so that unemployed and underemployed workers aren’t turned into criminals because they’ve failed to pay obligations which are beyond their reach. Especially now, the system should work to help fathers support their children so they still have the means to support themselves. We must eliminate the need of focusing on “deadbeat” and help “dead-broke” parents and fathers in caring for what they love most – their children.

Nirad C Chaudhri lived during the time of India's freedom struggle and he had recorded his experiences in the book: Thy Hand Great Anarch. He was a polished man supportive of the British regime and he was highly critical of the freedom struggle.

He begins his memoir by recording his life as a clerk. Having failed his MA he could get no other job. He rails at the Non Cooperation Movement stating that it was a mass brainwashing of the people. The non cooperation movement was a civil disobedience movement started by Mahatma Gandhi to eject the British from India. The non cooperation movement included withdrawal of Indians from work areas and civil protest. The aim of the non cooperation movement was to paralyze the British government. The agitating masses were illiterate and Chaudhri records an instance where he was physically harassed by the non cooperation agitators.

After the Non Cooperation Movement came the Chauri Cahuri incident when an irate mob torched a police station and burnt to death British policemen. Then Gandhi withdrew the non cooperation movement. This was followed by the massacre at Jalian Wallah Bagh incident where peaceful protesters gathered and they were shot to death under the orders of Colonel Dyer. This brutal assassination was met with a storm of protests from the country.

Then came the Simon Commission to placate the Indians and to offer partial autonomy to India. The Simon Commission was met with hostile resistance. People waved placards saying: 'Simon go back' and burnt effigies. After the Simon Commission, Gandhi adopted the Salt Satyagraha at Dandi where people marched to the shores of sea to make salt. This was done in protest against the harsh taxes imposed on commodities by the British. For Chaudhri: Gandhi was no apostle of peace and he indulged in moral and psychological violence.

The times leading to the independence were severe for India. There was much causality. The British were fed up of ruling India so they decided to leave. Lord Mount Batten was appointed as the British representative in India. Along with India the Muslims in Pakistan wanted a separate nation. Jinnah was vociferous in the creation of Pakistan. Gandhi was very disturbed Independent India was besieged with many problems. They were unemployment, poverty, death and starvation. Nehru decided to make India a socialist country.

Chaudhri's struggle is so poignantly portrayed in a pristine language. For the average India life was queasy. The British exploited India's economy by taking away its resources and bringing in finished goods. Cottage and handicraft industries the backbone of the Indian economy was severely in a ditch. A positive development of the British rule in India was the spread of the vernacular press the development of the railways. Railways united the country. Post independent India was one quarrelsome princely states. It was the iron man of India Sardar Vallabhai Patel who united India and made it into a single country. The press played an important role in spreading the gospel of freedom. Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan created a lot of problems. There was a mass exodus of refugees from Pakistan to India and from India to Pakistan.

Chaudhri's work is highly philosophical and literary synthesizing India and its turmoil into a political catharsis. Nehru remarked in his opening speech that we have made a tryst with destiny. When the world sleeps India will awake to freedom. Chaudhri marvelous rendition of India's political and cultural landscape is an essential reading.

The TEXAS Montgomery Central Appraisal District [MCAD] appraises homes and other real estate; this value determines your property tax amount. Reducing your property taxes involves some knowledge and a modest commitment of time, although you do have the option to hire a professional property tax consultant. Basic steps to reducing the taxable value set by the appraisal district include annually protesting market value and / or unequal appraisal annually, reviewing the appraisal district evidence, preparing your case for presentation, attending the informal conference with a staff appraiser, and appearing at a formal appraisal review board (ARB) hearing if necessary.

Note: Most people are not aware that the Texas property tax code makes provision for the property owner to obtain the appraisal district evidence. This information, sometimes called the House Bill 201 package, can be very useful in preparing the case for your reduction.

The administrative appeal process at the appraisal district office usually involves two steps: 1) an informal conference and 2) a formal ARB hearing. Although the property owner is not required to attend an informal hearing, most property tax protests are resolved by agreement between the property owner (or property tax consultant) and a county appraiser at these meetings. County appraisers are supposed to make changes if there is evidence to support the change, but they are typically reluctant to reduce the taxable value for home by significant amounts. The next level of meeting, which can occur if you are not able to reach an agreement one-on-one with the county appraiser, is a formal ARB hearing. Property owners who were not able to settle through an informal conference have a second opportunity to present their case, and are sometimes able to receive resolution at a formal ARB hearing.

It is important to arrive early for your appraisal district meetings and make an effort to have a polite, pleasant, and calm disposition, even if you are feeling anxious. After you check-in with the clerk at the front desk, be ready to wait 30 to 60 minutes. Maybe bring a book or some work to pass the time. Greet the appraisal staff kindly and graciously. At this level, their goal is like yours, to reach a settlement expediently. After you discuss evidence with a county appraiser, they will sometimes make an offer to settle your property tax protest. You can either accept the offer or continue your appeal with the ARB hearing. In most cases, the value offered informally will also be recommended by the county appraiser at the ARB hearing. The appraisal district knows that most property owners are often reluctant to attend the ARB hearing because of the additional time involved and the process of a formal presentation can feel intimidating for some people.

Formal hearings typically consist panels of three or more ARB representatives, the property owner (or property tax consultant ), and the county appraiser. After introductions and a short explanation of the process, the county appraiser will describe the subject property. The property owner presents opening evidence and responds to any questions from ARB representatives. Next, the staff appraiser presents evidence on behalf of the appraisal district and responds to any questions from the ARB panel. The property owner has an opportunity for rebuttal and to respond to any further questions from the ARB panel for clarification of the facts presented. Finally, the ARB panel deliberates and announces a decision. The decision is not subject to further negotiation at the hearing. You should politely thank the ARB members for their consideration. If you are not satisfied with their decision, you may be able to pursue binding arbitration or a judicial appeal.

Do you believe your computer’s email program which says “delivery complete” a few seconds after you hit the “send” button? If you do, you have made the classic email mistake. Your computer may think it has been “sent,” but that isn’t the real question. The real question is whether or not the email has been received.

Let’s examine the rules from two forums: First, the appeal rules from the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Office of Hearings and Appeals (“OHA”), which adjudicates appeals from size protests. Second, the bid protest rules of the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”), which adjudicates most bid protests:

OHA: (a) Methods of filing and service. E-mail, mail, delivery and facsimile are all permitted unless a Judge orders otherwise…

Here’s what happens when you fail to confirm the forum’s receipt of your email. In Size Appeal of Supplies, Now, SBA No. Siz-5655, 2015 WL 2149481 (April 20, 2015), Supplies Now attempted to appeal a size determination that they believed was wrong (it had been dismissed as untimely because it was filed more than five business days after award notification). Supplies Now received the size determination on February 3, 2015. On February 18, 2015, Supplies Now filed its appeal by email, and obtained an acknowledgement from its email account that said “Delivery to recipients or groups is complete, but no delivery notification was sent by the destination server. [OHA’s email address is listed among those in the acknowledgement].” After about six weeks, and hearing nothing from OHA, Supplies Now called OHA and was advised that the appeal had not been received. Supplies now retransmitted its appeal petition on April 9, 2015.

In dismissing the appeal as untimely, OHA noted that, in accordance with 13 C.F.R. § 134.304(a), a size appeal must be filed at OHA within 15 days of receipt of the size determination, and Supplies Now had failed to do so, since nothing had been received within 15 days. “[H]aving chosen to submit its appeal by email, Appellant was responsible for ensuring that the email successfully reached OHA. Nor could Appellant reasonably rely solely upon the acknowledgement from its email system, particularly given that Appellant received no response, over a period of several weeks from OHA or other intended recipients of the appeal.”

Note that the GAO rules (set forth above) similarly stress that a document is not filed until it is received by the GAO, including emailed documents.

The lesson is simple-if you email something to OHA or the GAO, always confirm by telephone that it has been received. Do not trust a computer generated confirmation, or even a “return receipt” sent by an email program. Telephone the forum, get the name and phone number of the person at GAO or OHA, and be sure all pages were received. Federal officials are unlikely to falsely deny receipt after they have specifically acknowledged it.

Copyright 2017 Richard D. Lieberman

All around the country, disgruntled Americans are hosting rallies and protests about their favorite cause.

These events are, by nature, controversial. If they weren't, no one would feel a need to take part! Because they inspire emotion by both the sympathetic and the opposition, it can be tricky to promote the event. However, even if you get bad press about your rally, this may further your cause. In fact, if an anti-rally forms near your rally, you have news! Call the tv crews because controversy is hot!

Of course, that would happen on the day of the rally, and you want to be sure you have the kind of attendance that will interest the media and passerby. How can you effectively market your rally?

1. Fliers: These are the most fundamental piece of your rally. Local political events are pretty grassroots, and there is nothing cheaper or more effective at getting the word out quickly that fliers. They don't need to be fancy, though an eye-catching flier will be better of course. Some experts recommend all fliers be printed on goldenrod paper, because these attract the most attention. List all the vital information – cause, time, place, what they should bring, age limits, etc.

2. Facebook: Create a Facebook Event for your protest and send it to all of your sympathetic friends. Ask them to pass it along, too. If your cause has enough support, then your event could spread like wildfire.

3. Twitter: Create a special Twitter profile just for supporters of your event. Post updates about preparations for the event, links to news coverage of your event in specific and the issue in general, and ideas for supporters to help prepare (sign slogans, for example).

4. Local media calendars: Contact your local newspapers, magazines, tv stations, radio stations, and anyone else in town with a community calendar with the details about your protest.

5: Team up with local organizations. Find any local organizations that may be sympathetic to your cause and look to team up with them and get your event posted in their newsletter. Also team up with businesses that might provide food or entertainment.

Bonus tip: Create an alternative method of protest for people who can't make it but want to show support. Give away an image that supporters to post on their Facebook and supportive tweets.

All the data that we have right now indicate a big jump of the oil price. First of all, we saw recently Middle east protests had an impact oil prices. Those protests have spread in many countries including Libya and Bahrein. Barhein is close to Saudi Arabia and every event in one of that country will have consequences on the other. Since Saudia Arabia is one of the largest oil exporter in the world, a rise of prices seem inevitable.

But another phenomenon will make the price soar.

There is a shortage of food in the world right now. It means that the price of the food is also higher. Big oil exporters are not big food producers and, consequently, need to import most of their food. But with the prices rising they will need more money. To obtain this money they will probably reduce the supply of oil. If they manage do that they will be able to sell oil at a higher price.

It’s very likely they will do that because food shortage is historically one of the leading causes of revolution. With the recent events in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia officials cannot take the risk of having not enough money to supply their people with food.

And with big Middle East countries buying more, the prices of food will go also higher. However, not all countries can sell natural resources to buy food. So we may see protests in a lot of countries, not only in the Middle East, but also in Africa and even East Asia.

Make sure to be ready for the events to come. Revolutions in the Middle East and Africa, high oil and food prices will have important consequences on every country. It’s very likely that we’re going to see a worldwide crisis and political changes in almost every continent in the following months.

The question is will it spread to America? First of all, 40 to 50 millions Americans are receiving food stamps right now because of high unemployment rates. If the price of food rise in the next months more and more and people will need food stamps. And, as we said, food shortage is one of the leading causes of revolution. With the Tea Party movement, we saw a lot of angry people going in the streets to protest. And that’s was just because of government’s overspending. Imagine how many people could join this kind of protests if they don’t have enough to eat.

Maybe the current administration will be able to handle that by giving away more food stamps. However, they will probably not be able to provide all American citizens with oil. And, with not enough oil, people cannot go to work. It will obviously be a major cause of public discontent.

Let’s hope all of this will not happen. Let’s hope that the American economy will recover and that the situation in the Middle East will stabilize. However, the more I talk to managers the less I believe the American government will be able to handle the situation.