Recently, a radical Muslim preacher told thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Egypt, “We can see how the dream of the Islamic caliphate is being realized, God willing, by Dr. Mohamed Mursi [the movement’s presidential candidate]... The capital of the caliphate—the capital of the United States of the Arabs—will be Jerusalem, God willing… Our capital shall not be in Cairo, Mecca or Medina… Yes, Jerusalem is our goal. We shall pray in Jerusalem, or die as martyrs on its threshold.”

In the days before modern mass communications, it was the church building or the schoolhouse where most would go to find out the news of what was happening in their communities. News from farther away would come when travelers passed through. It took time for news to travel, so most people were either out of date or entirely ignorant of what was going on in the rest of the world.

One way we learn is by imitating someone. Children, especially, are imitators. But adults also learn by imitating others, particularly those they admire. Who do you imitate?

The mounting debt crisis in Greece is again prompting talk that Greece will or should depart from the Eurozone!  Respected columnist Roger Bootle writes in London’s Telegraph newspaper that Greece’s departure from the Eurozone and its return to the drachma may be the only way for Greece to recover from its insurmountable debt.  Returning to the drachma will allow it to print enough money to continue functioning.  European and U.S.

Several years ago, there was a terrible accident on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. A popular attraction on the lakes in this tourist area was a land tour and lake cruise in amphibious (operating on land and water) vehicles. These craft were WWII vintage, and were called “Ducks” because of the acronym “DUKW” for the vehicles’ military designation.