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EASTERN EUROPE
(Continued from page 6}
droves to Hungary to take advan–
tage of better quality merchan–
dise at bargain prices.
By sorne yardsticks, Hungary is
the most prosperous nation in
Eastern Europe, surpassing East
Germany (which in t urn has
passed Great Britain in per-capita
income). The Budapest regime
carefully allows a measure of free
political expression to vent dis–
sent.
On the other end of the scale,
in Romanía, authorities maintain
the tightest política! reins at
home. By doing so, Moscow per–
mits the Bucharest regime a wide
latitude in foreign affai rs, from
extensive trade contacts wi th the
West to even recognition of ihe
state of Israel.
In nearly every case, Moscow
has had to permit freedom in
sorne majar area-either compar–
ative freedom on the home front
or political latitude in interna–
t ional affairs. But never both at
the same time.
A Way Out for Moscow?
Nowhere in this simmering cal–
dron of Eastern Europe are either
the Russians or the Soviet-backed
national communist governments
loved. A recent clandestine sur–
vey in Poland, conducted by a
French magazine, revealed that
only three percent of those ques–
t ioned would vote for the Com–
munist Party in free elections.
The Soviet empi re is kept in
line only by the threat of superior
military force. But even this has
its limits in the event of wide–
spread civil unrest throughout the
region.
"The hostility between these
societies and the Soviet Union,"
notes political analyst William
Pfaff, "poses a basic and lasting
problem for the Soviet govern–
ment. These states are never
going to provide the totally reli–
able zone of security the Soviet
Union wants. It is time this is
recognized in the Kremlin."
There is an answer-"the only
solution," says Mr. Pfaff, to the
February 1981
Soviet dilemma- the "Finlandi–
zat ion" of Eastern Europe. Under
such a process, the Soviets would
be encouraged to release the East–
ern European societies to enjoy
their autonomy_:_within a con–
trolled European framework guar–
anteei ng Soviet security interests.
(The term " Finlandization" de–
rives from the somewhat restricted
foreign policies that Finland, an
otherwise free neighbor of the
Soviet Union, can carry out.)
"This so lution," adds Mr.
Pfaff, "will be extremely difficult
to achieve. It will requi re intelli–
gence in the West as well as in
Moscow, and self-discipline in
Eastero Europe. But it is the only
solution."
Bible prophecies clearly indi-
SHOPPERS CROWD STREETS
in War-
saw, Poland's capital. Polish economy
is under severe stress. Rationing of key
food items began at end of 1980.
cate sorne such "solution" –
which would radically redraw the
political map of Europe.
Restored Roman Emplre
Viewing the events unfolding in
Eastern Europe, Editor in Chief
Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in a
co-worker letter dated August 27,
1980:
"Will Poland free itself from
Soviet domination and join with
Yugos1avia, Romanía and possi–
bly Czechoslovakia- and with
Germany, Italy, France, Spain,
Portugal and Austria-in a resur–
rected medieval 'Holy Roman
Empire' to domínate Europe and
equal the U.S.S.R. and the
U.S.A. in world power?"
The Bible clearly indicates that
this final end-time restoration of
the Roman Empi re will be com–
posed of "ten horns," meaning
ten nations or ruling entities
(Revelation
17: 12).
This system
will exist at the return of Jesus
Chr ist to this earth to establish
the Kingdom of God.
The second chapter of the book
of Daniel tells of the same tíme–
not far in the future when the
Kingdom of God, pictured as a
great stone "cut out without (hu–
man) hands" wi ll crush this final
system of human government to
domínate the world. Here this
ten-nation system is pictured as
having his feet "part of iron, and
part of clay" (Daniel 2:33).
Note that the toes--obviously
ten-correspond to the ten
national units of Revelation
17.
The original Roman Empire
was broken into two "legs"- the
Eastern empire in Byzantium (lat–
er Constantinople, today Istanbul)
and the empire in the West in
Rome. Thus it is very possible that
the restored end-time system will
be composed of two distinct yet
cooperative parts: the first com-
li:
prising sorne of the present Com-
1
mon Market nations of Western
~
Europe, the second from Central
t
and Eastern Europe grouped
•
~
around elements of the communist
"Comecon" organization.
Watch Austria Too
What is transpiri ng in Poland
today is the first concrete step in
the refashioning of western, cen–
tral and much of eastern Europe
into a new arrangement.
Significantly, Mr. Armstrong
mentions Austria as one of the
nations to watch. Austria is a neu–
tral nation on the eastern fl ank of
noncommunist Europe. Even to–
day it acts as the bridge between
East and West Europe. But in a
reconstituted Roman Empire,
Austria-with its renowned capi–
tal, Vienna, the seat of authority
for the Holy Roman Empire for
hundreds of years- would be in
the very center of things.
Kept on display in the Schatz–
kamer or Royal Treasury in theold
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