“While the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan ‘study’ the mechanics of issuing a new form of cash, China has pulled ahead and has been testing its digital Yuan since April 2020.” – AsiaMoney

China comes at digital currency without the promise of anonymity but from the over-reaching surveillance of state-run accounts. Global chief investment officer at Deutsche Bank, Christian Nolting, wrote in a report on crypto-currencies published in April: China “could complement, or displace, increasingly widely used private-sector crypto-currencies.”

In other words, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Binance Coin, would remain fringe players while China’s Yuan dominates global currencies.

Former CIA analyst Yaya Fanusie, now a digital currency expert and an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, points to the recent example of Swedish fashion retailer as an example of how China might deal with those who step out of line. When H&M expressed concern over China’s use of forced labour in cotton production in the Xinjiang region, China pulled H&M products from their sites and mobile apps. NPR reported, “Two Chinese celebrities have already severed deals with the Swedish brand. Chinese state media outlets are now calling out other Western clothing brands — including Nike, New Balance and Burberry — for not using Xinjiang cotton. ‘Pure and flawless Xinjiang cotton cannot allow any forces to smear or blacken it,’ a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said.”

But former director of the digital currency institute at the People’s Bank of China, Yao Qian, claims surveillance is not the intent a digital Yuan. At the International Finance Forum in Beijing on May 30, Bloomberg news reported that Yao told a panel, “Helping the government see all transactions in real time was not the intention of the Chinese central bank.”

Still, data and information would be accessible in real time. Each transaction would reveal the location of the account holder and their purchase. We do not need a Jerry Jenkins / Tim Lahaye novel series to envision how this might play out on a world stage.

Perhaps you can quote the passage: I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated (Malachi 1:2-3) and so you stand with Israel no matter what. “God said it; that settles it.” The “it” in this case are prophesies regarding Israel. (And oh how we Christians love prophesies—why it’s our very own virtual future reality game.)

For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. (Psalm 135:4)

The Lord said to Abram, “I will make of you a great nation [Israel], and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-4)

Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

All the nations of the earth will gather against Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. (Zechariah 12:3)

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet [Jesus] will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. (Zechariah 14:1-4)

After World War 2 and the horror of The Holocaust, sticking by Israel seemed to be the patriotic thing to do, but now across the world, and now even in the U.S., support for Israel is declining. “It seems that the Israeli government’s decision to abandon large segments of the liberal, progressive Democratic public and gamble only on the Evangelicals might end up costing us dearly,” said Dr. Yoav Fromer, head of the Center for the Study of the United States at Tel Aviv University.

In a 2018 survey, 75% of American Evangelicals supported Israel. And yet even among American Evangelicals 18-29 years old, support for Israel dropped. Dr. Motti Inbari of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, points out that those in the survey who support Palestinians had more political reasons.

“They were less supportive of Israel but not because they are less religious, but because young Evangelicals don’t look at political issues the same way. It’s a generational divide.”

In fiscal year 2019, the United States provided Israel with $3.8 billion in military aid. Israel also benefits from around $8 billion in American loan guarantees. Israel’s annual budget is 387.717 billion. America’s financial support is around 3%. Should the U.S. pull funds Israel’s finances would take a hit but not a substantial blow. The bigger issue is our military support and shared military information. Were the U.S. become a foe rather than an ally, Israel would stand alone against the world.

The prudent sailor watches the wind and swells and keeps a weather eye out for squalls. If you squint through the binocs you can see clouds gathering on the horizon.