Home >> United States & Canada >> Foreign Policy & Military

     Email   Print 

Russia and Europe want a multi-polar world

Lorna Thomas - 12/9/2008

1. REINS OF POWER SLIPPING FROM U.S. ARE BEING TAKEN UP BY EUROPE WHICH INCLUDES RUSSIA

“We are facing the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime, and we're going to have to act swiftly to resolve it," President Elect Barack Obama said during his first public address after election.

On 24 November, he said, "We are going to do what is required to jolt this economy back into shape." "We are facing an economic crisis of historic proportions. Our financial markets are under stress. While we can't underestimate the challenges we face, we also can't underestimate our capacity to overcome them."

At a time when U.S. prestige and power in the world is low and it faces numerous challenges, many have looked to the promise of change associated with the Obama campaign with high expectations, hoping he would help save the U.S. from its troubles and restore U.S. standing in the world.

But unless the people of the U.S. do make certain changes, the U.S. is heading into far greater trouble and a change they may not like.

Over the last decade I have written that unless the U.S. and Britain made the right changes, their power and prestige in the world would decline as Europe grew in strength and unity eventually coming under dominant German and Russian leadership with Latin/Latin American influence.

The fact that Russia IS part of Europe and wants to play a leading role in Europe is increasingly being voiced by both Russian and European leaders including President Dmitry Medvedev and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who says:

"I feel that Russia is a Western nation. My project is that, in the coming years, the Russian Federation can become a member of the EU."

Russia will indeed play a leading role in Europe and it has already begun to demonstrate this as it repeats calls for a new global economic and security structure to replace what President Medvedev terms the “unipolar” structures dominated by the U.S.

This global system will come to not only economic and security systems but extend to politics, law and justice and even religion.


2. PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV: ”WE NEED TO RADICALLY REFORM THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS. RUSSIA, IN ANY EVENT, WILL INSIST ON THIS”

President Medvedev twice postponed a scheduled annual address to the Russian Federal Assembly finally giving it on 5 November, the day Barack Obama was announced as U.S. President Elect.

During the speech Mr Medvedev announced the Iskander missile system will be deployed in the Kalingrad region to neutralize, when necessary, the proposed U.S. missile shield and Russia would deploy equipment in its western region to electronically jam the U.S. system.

In his message, President Medvedev emphasized the need for a new economic and security system, claiming the so-called “unipolar” world dominated by the US was no longer acceptable or effective.

While both he and Vladimir Putin have made such assertions before – Mr Putin even proposing a common defense system with Europe and the U.S. as far back as 2000 - Mr Medvedev again sent a clear message to the U.S. of the direction Russia is taking.
“We need to radically reform the political and economic systems. Russia, in any event, will insist on this. “

He said “the world should be multipolar. A single-pole world is unacceptable. Domination is something we cannot allow. We cannot accept a world order in which one country makes all the decisions, even as serious and influential a country as the United States of America. Such a world is unstable and threatened by conflict.”

Yet, as the world moves towards global governance, the danger exists that the replacement may not bring true peace to the world, but usher in a system which enforces draconian laws and introduces a period of great suffering.

Earlier, during opening remarks at a meeting on 31 October, 2008 in Gorki Mr Medvedev said Russia needs to “reinforce the international financial system’s overall stability by developing a system of multiple world financial centres and reserve currencies. This is also something we have talked about on many occasions now.”

Ahead of the G20 summit, President Sarkozy said on 13th November at a prizegiving, “I am leaving tomorrow for Washington to explain that the dollar cannot claim to be the only currency in the world … that what was true in 1945 can no longer be true today.”

According to Reuters, French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has suggested the euro, the world's second reserve currency, could replace the dollar.

"The stronger the euro, the more attractive it will be in many ways." She said the change “should be as gradual as possible because we don't want at this very moment of high volatility on many markets, a major shift that would clearly induce yet more difficulties and volatility."

In a speech in New York on the same day, at the Federal Hall National Memorial, President Bush discussed the financial markets and world economy saying he was confident about the future - “it's easy to be confident when you're a city like New York City.....This is a city that has been and will always be the financial capital of the world.”

However, by calling for multiple world financial centres and reserve currencies, Russia and Europe have essentially called for a lowered dependence on the dollar which will further reduce U.S. influence on the world economy and increase its own economic problems.

The call by Russia for a move away from a US “unipolar” system is an important step towards a future global system in which both German and Russian leadership will play dominant roles.

If, motivated by fears of economic meltdown, national leaders agree to accepting proposals for global governance, the world could find itself coming closer to a globally enforced system of strict laws governing much more than fiscal policies and far removed from concepts of democratic governance.


3. U.S. FINANCIAL CRISIS AND CONFLICT IN GEORGIA BEING USED BY RUSSIA AS JUSTIFICATION FOR NEW GLOBAL ORDER

While Russia's exact role in the Georgia conflict, including in its early stages has been questioned, Russia blames the U.S. for the war in Georgia as well as for the financial crisis.

In his address to the Federal Assembly, President Medvedev referred to them as “ two very different problems which have some common features and, one could say, have a common cause.”

Russia enjoyed the benefits of high oil prices, widely seen as a major reason for it's reserves, renewed confidence and ability to assert itself on the world's stage. (It seemed to be weathering the financial crisis, until affected by the war with Georgia, withdrawal by foreign investors and plunging commodities prices.)

Again referring to the U.S. in his address to the Federal Assembly, President Medvedev said: “Having gained some considerable advantages during the period of active global economic growth, Russia is ready now to stand together with other countries to address the difficulties that have slowed this growth down. But we need to put in place mechanisms that can block the mistaken, selfish and at times simply dangerous decisions made by some members of the international community. It makes no sense to hide the fact that the tragedy of Tskhinvali was made possible in part by the conceit of an American administration that closed its ears to criticism and preferred the road of unilateral decisions.”

Mr Medvedev said “Tbilisi’s adventure in its own backyard has had repercussions that go far beyond the region, have increased tension across Europe and throughout the whole world, cast doubts on the effectiveness of the international security institutions and destabilised the foundations of the world order.”

While Russia has blamed the U.S. and Georgia for the war, casting itself as the peacekeeper saving lives by its intervention, Russia's forceful initial and subsequent actions, including lack of troop withdrawal from Georgia, were seen as increasing tensions.

Punitive action against Russia was scant, amounting to the EU briefly postponing talks in September on a long-term partnership accord because of Russia’s invasion of Georgia and its subsequent recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a decision Mr Medvedev says is irrevocable.

At the EU-Russia summit on 14 November, 2008 in Nice Mr Sarkozy said he had the chance to tell President Medvedev that there will have to be more progress regarding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia, but the EU stance towards Russia has been seen as more conciliatory than punitive. The EU has seemed unwilling to provoke Russia, a major energy supplier and trade partner and a potential security and military partner in a strong Europe.

Mr Sarkozy defended his diplomatic efforts towards Russia at the Nice summit press conference by saying: “Those who sit down and talk are not the weakest, but the strongest.”

Negotiations conducted over the Georgia conflict and financial crisis may in reality have even helped create closer ties between Europe and Russia and Mr Sarkozy and Mr Medvedev made it clear that the EU and Russia would resume talks on a long-term partnership accord, possibly taking place in December, 2008.

Citing the financial crisis and the Georgia conflict (which began exactly a year later), Russia claims that the systems associated with unipolar U.S. leadership (which includes NATO, the IMF and World Bank) are no longer effective and should be reformed or replaced.

In his speech on 13 November 2008 in New York, prior to the G20 summit, President Bush defended the free market system, saying:
“This is a decisive moment for the global economy. In the wake of the financial crisis, voices from the left and right are equating the free enterprise system with greed and exploitation and failure. It's true this crisis included failures - by lenders and borrowers and by financial firms and by governments and independent regulators.
“But the crisis was not a failure of the free market system. And the answer is not to try to reinvent that system. It is to fix the problems we face, make the reforms we need, and move forward with the free market principles that have delivered prosperity and hope to people all across the globe.”

Mr Medvedev has said. "We will not give up our role in the Caucasus. We will overcome the global financial crisis and emerge from it stronger."

If a new global security and financial system is agreed on by leaders, with a reduced U.S. security role and dependence on the dollar, Russia will indeed emerge in a much stronger leadership position in the world.

Mr Medvedev has said that “protecting the lives and dignity of our citizens, wherever they may be, is an unquestionable priority for our country” and that Russia's foreign policy decisions will be based on this need. “ We will also protect the interests of our business community abroad. It should be clear to all that we will respond to any aggressive acts committed against us.”

As in the case of Georgia when Russia “protected” its peacekeepers and citizens with overwhelming force, in the process defying the sovereignty of another country, this can be viewed as a potentially dangerous foreign policy which allows Russia the right to forcibly step in anywhere it deems its citizens or their rights are threatened.
In a statement following a meeting in Brussels on 3 December, 2008, NATO foreign ministers said:
"We call upon Russia to refrain from confrontational statements, including assertions of a sphere of influence, and from threats to the security of Allies and Partners, such as the one concerning the possible deployment of short-range missiles in the Kaliningrad region." It said that "recent Russian actions and statements have seriously diminished our confidence in Moscow's continuing commitment to the founding values and principles of the NATO-Russia relations."
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said of NATO, "I think it's a good security structure and it is also crystal clear that the present security structure should remain intact, that NATO is NATO and there is not a glimmer of chance that in whatever discussion NATO could or would be negotiated away. That is totally out of the question."

2009 and beyond will see a marked increase in European – and Russian – involvement around the world in terms of policing, justice and military, and a diminished role of the U.S.

In November 2008, EULEX, the largest EU mission takes over from UNMIK, the United Nations Mission which is pulling out of Kosovo, in advising on the administration of policing and justice, NATO is due to hand over to a larger EU force dealing with Somali pirates in December.

NATO consists of the majority of EU countries and once the EU begins to function under a formal security structure, membership of NATO as well would seem superfluous.

An area of the world where the EU will seek to play an increasing role is the Middle East and Israel.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner whose country holds the EU presidency till the end of 2008, told reporters in the French city of Marseille that "It's not to take advantage (of the change of administration), but knowing that our American friends ... also wish that the EU should be politically present in the world's problems, and take its political place, not just as a fund-raiser but a player in its matters of peace, and sometimes of war."

Not only will the U.S. lose its leading economic status to Europe, but the U.S. will come to deeply regret its military super-power status being relinquished to Europe.


4. PRESIDENT SARKOZY PUSHING FOR COMMON ECONOMIC GOVERNMENT IN EUROPE AND GLOBALLY

Following a visit by Nicholas Sarkozy and Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commision, and at Europe's insistence, President Bush announced he would host the summit of the 20 leading industrial nations on 15 November, 2008 to discuss the financial crisis.

After the G20 meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the summit 'historic', while EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said “This is indeed a historic moment.
“We have begun laying the foundations for a new global governance: for a global social market economy, with the European Union acting as its precursor.”

Some hailed the “financial rescue plan” announced earlier as Gordon Brown's but in reality the plan for more government involvement is Europe's own goal.

According to a Reuters report Chairman of the Eurogroup finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker told the European Parliament on the 17 November, 2008 following the G20 meeting:

"Two years ago at the G7 meeting under the German presidency of the G7 we were fairly blunt in calling for more elaborate rules for the financial markets."

Mr Juncker, who has been supported by Nicholas Sarkozy for the future post of EU President said: "Those who refused to play ball just a little while ago cannot now pretend to be the trailblazers dictating Europe's reaction."

"The Americans and the British had all the time they needed to accept the Eurogroup's proposals for better regulation of the financial markets."

"That is something they specifically didn't want, and so now it is not appropriate for them to pretend to lead others."

Nicolas Sarkozy, like Russia's leadership has pushed for a global financial system. (He also promotes closer ties between Church and State, which will further extend powers to the state.)

Yet Sarkozy's efforts to promote a common economic government even in the Eurozone have been slammed in some German publications quoted in Die Spiegel (22 October, 2008) for their emphasis on state involvement.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said:

"History teaches us that financial crises tend to cause only a limited period of weak growth, and are usually followed by a brisk recovery. As long as there aren't any signs of a deep recession on the horizon, debt-financed stimulus programs are more damaging than they are useful. In addition to a stimulus package, Sarkozy is proposing that governments take ownership stakes in so-called key industries, a policy which has no rational justification and which could only be financed through debt or higher taxes.”

Die Welt stated: "What, exactly, a common economic government would bring when we're still light-years away from a common financial policy, remains (Sarkozy's) own secret. His suggestions are as dangerous as they are quixotic. Behind them is the illusion that the state can do anything if it wants to. Forgotten is the fact that hardly two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall more than a billion people have managed, through the power of the market, to achieve a standard of living that before they could only dream of."

Alistair Darling made his Pre-Budget statement to the House of Commons on 24 November, 2008 against what he called "a background of economic uncertainty not seen for generations”, announcing a 2.5 percent point cut in VAT and a fiscal stimulus of 20 billion.

In his reply, shadow chancellor George Osborne, dismissing Britain's financial crisis was “all America's fault”, said that the Chancellor thought he could borrow his way out of debt and that Mr Darling had placed "a huge unexploded tax bombshell" to pay for the borrowing, the largest amount ever undertaken by a British government in the country's history. Mr Osborne said the national debt accumulated over centuries would be doubled to one trillion pounds in just 5 years.

He stated that some monetary heads including the Head of the IMF believe fiscal stimulus is only an option for countries with strong public finances. Britain has the highest personal debt of any country in history and the largest budget deficit of any developed country.

The IMF according to Mr Osborne says Britain's recession “will be more severe than: America, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain and every other major economy in the world.”

A major problem of the economic stimulus plans in Britain and the U.S. has been that while the banks were bailed out, they have not passed the benefits on by making credit available to small businesses and individuals.

On 25th November, speaking to the Select Committee Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England said 'I am in no doubt that the single most pressing challenge to domestic economic policy is to get the banking system to get lending in any normal sense. That is more important than anything else at present.'

Speaking during an emergency meeting called for by the Conservatives on 26 November, 2008, George Osborne said that “the Chancellor told us that the purpose of the bank recapitalisation was to restart lending to the real economy. On that test, even he must agree that the bank recapitalisation has failed. It may have rescued the banks and the bankers, but it has not rescued the economy.
“The country has lost count of the number of times we've been told that the Government was summoning the banks to a crisis summit, or ordering them to lend to small businesses, or forcing them to pass on rate cuts.
“Well it may have secured newspaper headlines, but it hasn't helped businesses get the credit they need and now is the time for more direct action.
“The Government should establish a new state institution that will directly underwrite lending from the banks to British businesses.
“It should do so for a commercial insurance fee, passed on by the banks, that would fully protect the taxpayer.” “Government should underwrite business loans”, George Osborne MP, November 26 2008.

Just ahead of the G20 summit, Germany announced it was in recession on 13 November, 2008 as did the Euro zone the next day. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso proposed an EU-wide fiscal stimulus package worth 200 billion euros on 26 November, 2008.
On 25 November, 2008 U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the injection by the Federal Reserve of another $800bn into the U.S. economy (additional to the $700 billion earlier funded by taxpayers) was aimed at making lending available to consumers - $200 billion will be aimed at unfreezing the consumer credit market. As in Britain, U.S. banks have been reluctant to lend, exacerbating the slowdown. ($600bn will be used to buy up mortgage-backed securities.)

President-elect Barack Obama says “we will need to reach out to countries around the world to craft a global response". Referring to the lesson of history, in his address in November 2008 in New York, President George Bush said: “History has shown that the greater threat to economic prosperity is not too little government involvement in the market, it is too much government involvement in the market.... Our aim should not be more government - it should be smarter government.”
“All this leads to the most important principle that should guide our work: While reforms in the financial sector are essential, the long-term solution to today's problems is sustained economic growth. And the surest path to that growth is free markets and free people.”

Acceptance of a global governance, as proposed by the EU and Russia, is certain to lead to loss of freedom in areas other than finances.


5. WILL THE ROUBLE SPELL “TROUBLE” FOR THE DOLLAR AS RUSSIA WORKS FOR LOWERED DEPENDENCY ON THE DOLLAR?

Aside from its financial woes of the past year, a switch away from dollars to an alternative currency such as the euro or rouble is another very real threat to the faltering U.S. economy.

According to Ria Novosti, Vladimir Putin in his state of the nation speech in May 2006 had called for “work on making the national currency convertible to be completed, oil and gas to be traded in rubles on a domestic exchange, and an innovation-based economy.” ...

"The ruble must become a more widespread means of international transactions. To this end, we need to open a stock exchange in Russia to trade in oil, gas, and other goods to be paid for in rubles," he said.
“Putin pushes for convertible ruble, innovation economy,” Ria Novosti , 10/5/2006

In February 2008, Dmitry Medvedev said: "Today, the global economy is going through uneasy times," he said. "The role of the key reserve currencies is under review. And we must take advantage of it." He asserted that "the ruble will de facto become one of the regional reserve currencies."
“Russia quietly prepares to switch some oil trading from dollars to rubles,” International Herald Tribune, Andrew E. Kramer, February 25, 2008

In July 2008 President Medvedev called on the Group of Eight leaders to develop "a new international financial system", and in his address to the Federal Assembly on 5 November, 2008 he said “Already before the end of this year we must adopt a package of laws that creates a foundation for turning Russia into one of the world's leading financial centers. And such a centre should act as the nucleus of an independent and competitive Russian financial system. Mr Medvedev referred to the“ need to take practical steps to boost the rouble’s role as one of the currencies involved in international payments.”

He said Russia needs “to move over to settlements in roubles – that we have unfortunately delayed – for raw materials exports, and above all oil and gas exports.”

Russia Today's 'Media Mirror', 23 June, 2007, said the Russian newspaper "Profile" commented that the only country possessing a nuclear deterrent capable of nullifying the nuclear threat of the U.S. is Russia, but that Russia could instead opt for “an absolutely non-nuclear, and even non-military pre-emptive strike in the sphere of finance: Russia may attack the dollar instead of the missile silos. In that case the money that hadn’t been wasted on an arms race will become a mighty weapon in its own right."

On 05/22/06 "Information Clearing House" quoted Bill O’ Grady, A.G. Edwards “If one day the world’s largest oil producers demanded euros for their barrels, it would be the financial equivalent of a nuclear strike”.

In 2007 some nations like China and Japan began viewing the Euro as an alternative and the dollar tumbled against the euro after Chinese officials, believing the dollar was losing its status as the world currency, proposed slashing the dollar component of their reserves.

Charles Herman in an article entitled “Why is the Dollar Losing Value?” (ABC Business News Unit) on 27 February, 2008 wrote that “If China were to dump its reserves of dollars into currency markets, that would dramatically lower the value of the dollar....If Saudi Arabia were to call for oil to be traded in euros, "that announcement would be the end of the U.S. dollar," said Ashraf Laidi, chief currency analyst at CMC Markets.

A switch to the rouble or alternative would have a similar effect.

Putin has urged Chinese leader, Wen Jiabao, to stop using U.S. dollars in Russian-Chinese settlements.

Russian newspaper, Komersant, says that oil is already traded in roubles on the St. Petersburg International Commodities and Raw Materials Exchange, and international contracts with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia, are often made in roubles.

In October 2008, Vladimir Putin urged Belarus, the ex-Soviet neighbor to move toward adopting the Russian rouble as a single currency and that as an initial step both Russia and Belarus should phase out the use of dollars in their energy trade.
During a phone-in question and answer session with the public on 3 December, 2008 in which he stated that the U.S. had "contaminated all leading economies of the world with this crisis”, Prime Minister Putin said Russia's reserves would help cushion the effects of the financial crisis.

"We won't allow any sharp fluctuations in the rate of our national currency," he said. "We will carefully use our reserves. If we conduct a well-balanced and responsible policy, these funds will be sufficient."

Within Russia the economy and church are becoming increasingly linked. The Russian Orthodox Church has been involved in drawing a "new path" for Russia including economics.

"'The Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper presents “The Russian Doctrine”. The document is an attempt at a national program by the Russian Orthodox Church, says the paper.

It continues by saying that the author of the doctrine, Metropolitan Archbishop Kirill, has drawn a new path for this country. The way suggested by the Church has more to do with economics than with spiritual matters: the document speaks of Russia’s own logic in the financial relations with foreign countries. It also says that oil, gas, weapons and all exports must be in the hands of the state."
"The Media Mirror – Brief review of today's Russian press", Russia Today, 22 August, 2007

According to The Independent, after a meeting of European Union heads of state and government in Brussels on 7 November, 2008, President Sarkozy referred to the text of four principles or "terms of reference" for world financial reform, drawn up by the French government as a charter for new "global governance" but this phrase had been removed from the formal wording at Berlin's request. Yet this was precisely the term used by Jose Manuel Barroso when he said after the G20 meeting: “We have begun laying the foundations for a new global governance.”

Europe – with Russia - is moving towards a system where the state assumes control, aside from security and military, of both economy and religion. And with a system of global governance, Europe's influence and dominion will extend far beyond its own borders.


6. INTERNATIONAL LAW AND A NEW GLOBAL SYSTEM

President Medvedev, a lawyer, has repeatedly expressed the role of the rule of law, including the concept of international law.

In his speech to the Federal Assembly, he said that “the Constitution also plays its part in bolstering international law. International law, as we know, is made up of states’ observance of their national constitutions and their commitments under international agreements and treaties. Therefore, the better states coordinate their actions on the international stage with the provisions of international law, the greater the level of security in our world.”

Mr Medvedev has stated “Russia recognizes the primacy of the fundamental principles of international law, which define the relations between civilized peoples” - yet Russia's own interpretation of the existing internationally recognized rule of sovereign integrity in the Georgia conflict has been brought into question.

In his address to the Federal Assembly. President Medvedev called for both a new global financial and security system and adherence to international law.

"Together with all concerned parties, we will create a truly democratic model of relations, without letting anyone dominate in any area," Medvedev said in his address to the Federal Assembly. "The world cannot be ruled from one capital. Those who do not want to understand this will only create new problems for themselves and others." ...

"If everyone gets into the habit of correlating his acts with international law, this will help reduce the violent factor and establish a collective way of doing things. Otherwise, we will face international chaos and the actual failure to maintain international law and order," he said.

"The idea of forming a polycentric international system is now more important than ever."

While initial promises that a collective way of doing things will maintain international law and order and be democratic, the danger exists that once part of a global system, principles and ideals which previously comfortably existed within the national legal and justice framework could be compromised or negated.

Certain groups may be excluded from benefits. Any resistance or opposition to global laws may be heavily penalised.

Political promises made now of worldwide democracy and peace or financial security mean little or nothing. Once a legal system is in place which all countries have agreed to, binding them on economy, security, politics, law and justice and even religion, it is much easier for a global dictatorship to operate with little resistance.

From 2009 Europe plans to speak with one voice on the world's stage under its powerful new positions of President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Mr Medvedev refers to Russia as part of Europe and Russia will increasingly align itself with Europe as it readies itself to play a prominent and forceful role in Europe including in the financial, political, legal and justice, military and religious spheres.

Russia's call for a change from the so-called 'unipolar' leadership of the U.S. may simply herald the emergence of a vast new superpower, which will come under a future dominant leadership, demanding strict conformity to its rules as the voice of democracy is snuffed out. A global financial system with increased state control is an important step in that direction.

In his speech in New York prior to the G20 summit, President Bush defended the free market, saying, “ The free market system provides the incentives that lead to prosperity -- the incentive to work, to innovate, to save, to invest wisely, and to create jobs for others. And as millions of people pursue these incentives together, whole societies benefit.”
“....Today, the success of the world's largest economies comes from their embrace of free markets.
“Meanwhile, nations that have pursued other models have experienced devastating results. Soviet communism starved millions, bankrupted an empire, and collapsed as decisively as the Berlin Wall.
“....The record is unmistakable: If you seek economic growth, if you seek opportunity, if you seek social justice and human dignity, the free market system is the way to go.
“And it would be a terrible mistake to allow a few months of crisis to undermine 60 years of success.”

While President Bush favours the free market system, Europe is interested in reform and change.

With regard to their collective stance at the G20 summit in Washington, speaking earlier at the EU-Russia summit in Nice, Mr Medvedev said that 'the positions that I have and Nicolas has pretty much coincide.'

'We need an appropriate and adequate response: not just a list of declarations, handshakes and photo shoots but an action plan. We need to insist on having a fully-fledged agenda on reaching very serious decisions,' he said.

President Sarkozy said “We have to change things at a structural level – dramatically. Things have calmed down but that shouldn't make us think we can go on as before.”

"I remain convinced that we all - the Russian Federation and Europe - have an interest in working toward a common economic space, which would allow the creation of interdependencies, and would definitively rule out all forms of confrontation - because they would undermine common interests," Mr Sarkozy said.

After the meeting with European Union leaders on 14 November, Dmitry Medvedev said “I am very supportive of the idea of holding a new summit after Washington without delay. We are ready to communicate with Europe on these issues in advance.”

The Washington summit which Europe insisted President Bush convene, formally established Europe's insistence on a reformed global financial order and it is in future meetings between Russia and Europe that the details will be defined and the real changes occur. The next meeting of the G20 is scheduled for 2 April, 2009.


7. PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV SPEAKS OF RUSSIA'S LONG HISTORY OF GOVERNANCE – THE CULT OF THE STATE vs THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL

President Medvedev told the Russian Federal Assembly that “The Constitution paves the way for Russia’s renewal as a free nation and a society that holds law and the dignity of each individual as its highest values.”

However, by his own admission democracy has played little part in Russia's history and over many centuries the state has been seen as more important than the individual.
“The cult of the state and the illusory wisdom of the administrative apparatus have prevailed in Russia over many centuries. Individuals with their rights and freedoms, personal interests and problems, have been seen as at best a means and at worst an obstacle for strengthening the state’s might.
“This view endured throughout many centuries. I would like to quote Pyotr Stolypin, who said, “What we need to do first is create citizens, and once this has been achieved civic spirit will prevail of its own accord in Russia. First comes the citizen and then the civic spirit, but we have usually preached the other way round”.
“This is why the adoption in 1993 of a Constitution proclaiming the individual, their life, rights and property as the highest value was an unprecedented event in Russia’s history, and we should thank all those who took part in drafting and adopting this document.”

Russia's past format of governance, including after 1933, is a factor for any country to consider before giving support to Russia's call for a change of global systems, beginning with a global financial system and security system, systems in which it has already shown its willingness to play a leading role.

Because, if according to Mr Medvedev, Russia has little background of democracy and human rights and freedom, Russia's past history may well predict the future style of governance of a global system, as once more the cult of state over individual is instituted, with resultant loss of individual rights and freedoms – this time globally.

A future strong military leader could take Russia and the world along a path that has little or no semblance of democracy, human rights and freedom.


8. WHAT IS THE CHANGE THE U.S. REALLY NEEDS?

President Elect Barack Obama's campaign focused on “Change.”

But the change the U.S. most desperately needs may be largely overlooked.

The U.S. is a nation which has professed to worship the God of the Bible and yet is forgetting and forsaking Him.

History does repeat itself and unless the U.S. learns the lesson of history and understands that what is happening to it today parallels ancient Israel's experience, it is destined to repeat its history.

Ancient Israel was warned that if it forgot and forsook God, they would experience troubles including wars, economic problems including becoming a debtor nation needing to borrow rather than to lend, its enemies rising above it militarily.

They would experience famine and pestilence, death by beasts, finally being delivered into captivity to their enemies when they still refused to return to God.

Though God used ancient Israel's enemies to punish them when they still refused to hear the warnings, after they turned to Him whilst in captivity, He delivered them, punishing their captors for their own sins.

Ancient Israel too often failed to heed the warnings of what would happen to them if they forgot and forsook God and His Laws based on the Ten Commandments including laws against idolatry, murder, theft, covetousness, adultery, suffering the consequences.

While Deut 27:19 states "Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow."
amongst the purposes of the tithe was for keeping God's Feasts and caring for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow (Deut 26:13)). Malachi 3:6-12 speaks of the promises God made regarding tithing in terms of being blessed or cursed as a nation for either keeping or refusing to keep this law, equating not keeping it with robbing Him.

"For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.")

Lev 26, Deut 28, Deut 32 are some chapters which show in detail what is happening and what will continue to happen, including the loss of financial and military prestige, if these warnings are not heeded.

Unless the U.S. understands the lesson of ancient Israel's past has relevance for it as a nation and that because God does not change His standard of right and wrong, the warnings in Lev 26 and Deut 28 pertain to modern day nations as much as ancient, they will not understand why its strength is being sapped financially, militarily, politically as other nations rise above it.

Neither will the U.S. understand the REAL change it needs to make - to turn back to God - in order to prevent further and even worse troubles coming upon it.