North Korea on Wedneday morning test-fired at least six
missiles, including one inter-continental missile that appeared to have
failed in flight, in a highly provocative move on the US's Independence
Day that will invite a strong diplomatic response.
...Pyongyang, which last February declared it had become a nuclear
state and soon after said it no longer felt bound by a moratorium on
missile testing, has been working on its missile programme but it was
not known whether its technology has advanced to allow it to fire
long-range missiles.
Srimad-Bhagavatam,
Canto 10: The Summum Bonum,
Chapter 1: The Advent of Lord Krishna,
Introduction
When
the residents of
this earth become atheistic and godless, they descend to the status of
animals like dogs and hogs, and thus their only business is to bark
among themselves. This is dharmasya glani, deviation from the
goal of life. Human life is meant for attaining the highest perfection
of Krishna consciousness, but when people are godless and the
presidents or kings are unnecessarily puffed up with military power,
their business is to fight and increase the military strength of their
different states. Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state is
busy manufacturing atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war.
Such preparations are certainly unnecessary; they reflect the false
pride of the heads of state. The real business of a chief executive is
to see to the happiness of the mass of people by training them in
Krishna consciousness in different divisions of life. Chatur-varnyam
maya srishtam guna-karma-vibhagashah (Bhagavad-gita
4.13). A leader should train the people as brahmanas, kshatriyas,
vaishyas and shudras and engage them in various
occupational duties, thus helping them progress toward Krishna
consciousness. Instead, however, rogues and thieves in the guise of
protectors arrange for a voting system, and in the name of democracy
they come to power by hook or crook and exploit the citizens. Even
long, long ago, asuras, persons devoid of God consciousness,
became the heads of state, and now this is happening again. The various
states of the world are preoccupied with arranging for military
strength. Sometimes they spend sixty-five percent of the government's
revenue for this purpose. But why should people's hard-earned money be
spent in this way? Because of the present world situation, Krishna has
descended in the form of the Krishna consciousness movement. This is
quite natural, for without the Krishna consciousness movement the world
cannot be peaceful and happy.
