Does This Sound Eerily Familiar?
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said political leaders are discussing the idea of closing the world’s financial markets while they “rewrite the rules of international finance.”
“The idea of suspending the markets for the time it takes to rewrite the rules is being discussed,” Berlusconi said today after a Cabinet meeting in Naples, Italy. A solution to the financial crisis “can’t just be for one country, or even just for Europe, but global.”
The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression is claiming another casualty: American-style capitalism.
Since the 1930s, U.S. banks were the flagships of American economic might, and emulation by other nations of the fiercely free-market financial system in the United States was expected and encouraged. But the market turmoil that is draining the nation’s wealth and has upended Wall Street now threatens to put the banks at the heart of the U.S. financial system at least partly in the hands of the government.
The Bush administration is considering a partial nationalization of some banks, buying up a portion of their shares to shore them up and restore confidence as part of the $700 billion government bailout. The notion of government ownership in the financial sector, even as a minority stakeholder, goes against what market purists say they see as the foundation of the American system.
Germany called on Friday for a set of global rules to help tackle the global financial crisis, saying it was time to put an end to ad hoc solutions.
"We need global rules for the markets," German Finance Minister Peer Steinbruck said.
Is this all seeming a little end-times-esque? If we wind up with a truly global economy, or one far more global than we even have now, is it so hard to believe a step or two down the road is a card, and then an implant, that you must have to buy anything?
Are we watching the foundation laid for the events in the book of Revelation? Or am I just paranoid?
Filed under: Christianity • Doug • Economics & Taxes • Religion
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I’ve thought for 25 years that we’re the Babylon of Rev. 18. We’re the only nation that passes the “duck” test. It seems like the U.S. and the world is moving toward fascism or socialism but I’m not sure which. Things will never be the same, that’s for sure.
We’re not heading towards fascism nor socialism. It’s a change of direction, from a more conservative, military adventuristic, American exceptionalism, bigger gov’t (in a neo-conservative sort of way) democratic capitalist direction to a more liberal, less military adventuristic, more internationally cooperative, more responsible spending (perhaps – it remains to be seen for sure), living within our means democratic capitalist direction.
It’s all under the umbrella of a capitalist democratic society. People are getting unnecessarily up in arms (hopefully not literally) and need to take a breath and perhaps have a drink.
So, Dan, is it “getting up in arms” to even consider that this could be part of God’s judgment on a country (and world) that worships Mammon and a birthpang (more than a burp) on the road to Christ’s return? For that matter, is it now gauche to cry out with John, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”?
By all means, cry out, “Come quickly.” Just don’t accuse your fellow citizens and Christians of things they don’t support; that is, don’t say, “Look at all the socialists and fascists in our country! That’s a sign of the end of days!!” because then you’ve built your “prophecy” on strawman arguments.
Wouldn’t that be akin to Jeremiah saying, “Woe to you, Israel, for sacrificing your children to Molech. God’s judgment is nigh!!” but saying that when Israel had NOT, in fact, sacrificed children to Molech. If part of a prophecy is built upon a misconception or outright lie, then it is not much of a prophecy.
Easy now, I didn’t accuse my fellow citizens of anything. It’s just that history is clear that hard times often bring increased government control. Surely you can’t disagree with that.
I think stan in san diego has a good point about hard times often bring increased government control. Now whither or not that is a good or bad thing, only time will tell.
I haven’t been overly concerned about ‘end-times’ stuff my self, since I feel that most of the prophecies have already been fulfilled in AD 70. 🙂
†Deo adjuvante, non timendum
†With the help of God, there is nothing to fear