“At a time when the EU looks to be on the brink of a break-up, the Nobel Committee has decided to remind people that the Union emerged from the Second World War and has successfully prevented new conflicts, especially between Germany and France over the last 60 years. ‘Today, war between Germany and France is unthinkable,’” noted the Nobel committee chairman (Telegraph, October 12, 2012).

Each day as I peruse the obituaries in our statewide newspaper, I am struck by the number of deaths of World War II veterans. These men are now in their eighties and nineties, so it is not unusual that they are reaching the end of their lives, but what is remarkable is how many lives were touched in that awful conflict. It was the “greatest generation,” as referred to by author and commentator Tom Brokaw in his book by that title. Each of these veterans has stories to tell of their experiences and of the impact the war had on their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Britain appears to be moving away from the EU.  The British now realize that their sovereignty is more important than political union with Europe.

Recessions, unemployment, mortgage defaults, bankruptcies, debt and poverty: these negative, economically-related terms appear in today’s headlines across the globe. Why? What’s wrong with the world’s economies?

Some years ago, I traveled to the Philippines, and there I witnessed much that I will never forget. One event, in particular, provoked me to think deeply about the issues it raised.

When my wife and I made our way to the roadside after eating at a restaurant, two young boys—no older than nine or ten—saw that we needed a taxi. Seeing that we were "Westerners," they then proceeded to hail a taxi for us, with the logical intent to receive a “tip” of a few dollars for their efforts.