Understand The Times, International

Comment from UTT:

Leaders of the nations of the world are facing a number of crisis situations. This is exactly the scenario that we would expect to develop in the last days. Global problems will require global solutions that will require a global government.

Years ago, when I was a new Christian, my mentors in the Christian faith taught that this would be the very scenario that would unfold that would prepare the way for a man who would provide the answers - the antichrist. Do articles like the one below, indicate we are living at a period of time when this is a possibility?

July 6 - On eve of summit, G-8's relevance is unclear

Article: One World Government

SHANGHAI -- As leaders of the world's major developed nations meet this week in a tranquil mountain resort in Japan, their gathering probably will be overshadowed by the turbulent global economy and deepening unrest over soaring oil and food prices. And the question on many minds is whether the Group of 8 leaders will be able to do anything about it.

"This is going to be one of those events that shift people's thinking about the world," said Tim Condon, chief Asia economist for ING Financial Markets in Singapore.

For the G-8 and other groups led by traditional Western powers, he said, "their relative position is shrinking to the rest of the world. . . . The relevance of this meeting is questionable. It's not clear what they can do."

Shi Yinghong, director of American Studies at People's University in Beijing, said, "Honestly, there's no one who can give a global solution. Many countries don't even have a solution for their own domestic problems." Even G-8 members have downplayed expectations of breakthroughs or agreements on major issues.

In a letter last week to the G-8, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick called on leaders to act immediately to deal with surging energy and food prices, which he said threatened to push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty and reverse gains made in previous years. The world is "entering a danger zone," he said.

The G-8 will probably have even less ability to bring about significant relief from global oil prices, which have doubled in the last year.

Part of the G-8's weakness is that the members are themselves struggling economically. The United States is showing little or no growth, joblessness is rising and stock markets are falling. Japan and most of the other G-8 members aren't faring much better.