World News and Trends- America and Europe
Beyond Today Magazine
Good News Magazine: November - December 2002
Course Content
The Aug. 24 edition of The Economist, based in Britain but published elsewhere as well, took a look at the remarkable demographic differences between the United States and Europe.
Said The Economist: "Forget transatlantic rifts about trade, Iraq, Kyoto, or the International Criminal Court. These have been thoroughly ventilated. One area of difference has not got the attention it deserves: demography. It may prove the most important of all."
According to this report, America will overtake Europe in population by 2040 if not sooner. While U.S. fertility rates suddenly began to reverse their decline in the 1980s, continuing low European levels did not even replace current populations. While immigration fosters even further American growth, immigrants to Europe are necessary just to stay even.
Spending on defense is another point to consider. The United States already spends roughly twice as much as the entire 15-nation European Union. How much more will this be in the future if growth projections are accurate?
There is much more to the story, but one overall statement in an Economist editorial is particularly quotable: "These trends suggest that anyone who assumes the United States is now at the zenith of its economic and political power is making a big mistake." This is something to think about, although a qualifier appears in the next sentence: "There are plenty of other ways in which America could weaken itself economically or politically, but demography will offer a fine basis for future growth and strength." (Source: The Economist.)
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
