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This writer’s secular career has been influenced by the Austrian School of Economics. One of the best and most known scholars from this school was Ludwig von Mises. (He was one of its main founders.) Particularly influential was his work Human Action: A Treatise on Economics (first published in 1940).
Economists are sometimes venerated, but of course, no economist—good or bad—can predict the future with any durable accuracy. But economic clairvoyance is not why we reference the Austrian School. We are more interested in theory … the questions that explain the impact that human actions have on economies and world trends.
An esteemed friend and mentor—the late Dr. Kurt Richebächer, one of the first jet-setting “global market economists”—taught this analyst about the necessity to understand economic theory. He was a devotee of the Austrian School. Rather than relying solely upon quantitative modeling, his reasoning was that if you cannot explain the causality behind the statistic—in other words, the theory—then it can be very dangerous to rely on that economic statistic.
Most other economics schools do not bother much with such theory, but rather focus on the surface mathematics. Yes, math is useful, but the motivations of mankind cannot be modeled with numbers and formulas. Why? The human is much too complex and inconsistent. As Dr. Mises emphasized, human action is the outcome of values, beliefs, expectations, and their changes. There need be no rhyme or logical reason. Humans can change their minds on a dime … capriciously and quixotically.
In fact, humans are perpetually prone to change their minds about beliefs and values (and anything else, for that matter). This is a key characteristic that distinguishes God from man. Says the Bible: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19; cf. 1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). God does not change; humans do.
And lately, humanity has been collectively changing values and views on an epic scale as never before. Mankind has been radically changing his mind with respect to his values and beliefs (the existence of God, families, morals …etc.). In our view, such changes have been quite sudden. It is just as this popular saying implies: “Make your own reality.” Changes in views can be driven by nothing more than whimsy … having no foundation. Yet, in turn, this drives human actions.
Some observers today make the case that mankind has entered the Anthropocene Age, where human actions are thought to actually impact the universe itself. That claim may be overreaching, but not so the changes in human beliefs. They, indeed, have become overarching.
We will discuss three such changes in values and show their impact on “human actions.”
- Global Financial Fascism (Global Climate Change Actions)
Readers will recognize that concerns about global warming have struck fear into the hearts of many people. It is a concern that has swept the world in recent decades. According to a Pew Research Center survey, climate change is the top global threat in the public’s mind across 19 developed countries.
There have been world-sweeping initiatives to convince all people on earth that they are witnessing an unfolding global “climate change” crisis. This growing human belief—also considered an agenda, correct or not—is powerfully driving huge “human actions.”
But why would this be considered a change of views or values? For several reasons.
For one, it is partly a “manufactured” viewpoint that has emerged relatively recently … only several decades ago or so. Yet to date, there is no scientific proof as to the impact of rising emissions, nor the assurance that all anti-carbon initiatives being proposed today will actually make a difference in the future. There is no proven theory. And, even while there are no such proofs, it is claimed that a “scientific consensus” exists on these issues by those who promote fears of climate change. It goes without saying that those who disagree are, therefore, not allowed to be part of the consensus. Instead, they are ostracized … just as is the case with Creationists.
However, to be truthful, the world’s response to theories of climate change remains unsettled. Globally, emissions (mainly CO2 and methane) in the atmosphere are indeed rising.
Yet, global warming advocates continue to push their agenda very aggressively. This should not be a surprise, as “climate change” is potentially lucrative … at many levels. Also, it must not be overlooked that “global warming” actions give rise to oppressive controls, both domestically and globally.
Also, it would be true to say that the “global warming” proponents are not above brutal tactics in shutting down any opposition to their initiatives, scientific or otherwise. These measures, in many cases, border on financial fascism.
That said, some backlash is emerging. Certain major corporations and banks are protesting the massive “anti-carbon” regulations being introduced.
We come back to our main point. Virtually the entire world has changed its view to align with a global warming crisis … and all its threatening attendant impacts. Yet, it is not a proven matter.
- Change in Familialism: Declining Fertility
It is an earth-shaking development … a fast-emerging post-familial world. It reflects a massive change in human values that will have an alarming world impact in the future. In fact, that future is already here.
Just what is unfolding today that demographic trends reveal? In short, there are two main contributing trends—one good, the other bad. First, human longevity (length of life) has continued to increase for much of the world … to the continued surprise of actuaries. This trend is largely the outcome of advancing medical technology and prosperity. Its main impact is revealed in the aging of the population.
Traditionally, lengthening longevity has been considered a beneficial development. People are living longer than ever before. A “good old age” was once considered a blessing, according to the Bible. But sadly, today, a long life has begun to be regarded as a curse. To understand this, we must also connect another demographic trend—plunging fertility. It is a highly malignant factor that will continue to accelerate worldwide.
It boils down to this: Humanity has made an about-face and simply changed its mind on having offspring. Children are no longer considered to be a blessing from the Lord (see Psalm 127:3).
Increasingly, households are deciding not to have children—let alone starting up households at all. This is partly attributable to post- or anti-familialism. More and more, people are choosing not to marry or have children. Families are under siege.
Shockingly, not only are female fertility rates at new lows, but also male fertility is decaying rapidly. In the case of males, we must point out that the decline in fertility is not entirely the result of human choice. For some (still unexplained) reason, sperm counts have declined at a steep pace over recent decades.
Lengthening longevity and post-familialism are the major cause of the aging of the world’s population. Critically, these factors are accelerating. Today, the future has arrived … the chickens having come home to roost.
And so, the time has come where the human values shift (declining households with children) has caused alarming demographic trends. This has unleashed desperate responses … these also an extension of the endtime maelstrom of changes.
People are clamoring to save for their retirement years and to find sufficient future financial income. A very large cohort of older people will experience difficult retirement years. They will not be able to afford a comfortable retirement as they may once have anticipated.
- End of a Unipolar World
A recent G20 meeting shows that the world is no longer cow-towing to the US and other high-income countries. Even Vladimir Putin had been invited to attend.
Major countries openly refuse to align their policies with that of the US. The world is therefore bifurcating into two competing orbs. Included here are China, India, and others.
It is key to understand that this is a raw rift which will likely become much more protracted in the future. The world is becoming more polarized, broadly, into two factions—America plus EU (Anglo-Saxon) versus Rest-of-World. (The former group is essentially all of Roman influence or Roman offshoots.)
Consider the sweeping sanctions that the US and Europe have imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, which have triggered countermeasures. A form of financial fascism (weaponizing) appears to have taken place.
In the cause of fighting Russia’s actions (whether right or wrong), everything became allowable. Centralized world trade and financial systems were marshaled to shut down an entire country. We can now count on the rest of the world to never allow themselves to be held hostage by the Western Bloc of nations. If Russia can be singled out for sanctions (deserved or not), then why not any other country?
The bottom line? It is a new world. Values have changed. The Roman-type countries are to be deposed as de facto world rulers. From this point forward, the globe must be seen as two opposing factions … shifting into global rivalry between two orbs. This ushers in major change and volatility ahead. Again, such monumental shifts of global scale align with endtime agendas.
Thoughts to Ponder
Changes in human actions have had explosive impacts upon political economy and financial trends in recent decades. Changes of this type have truly been monumental … indeed, unprecedented in recent decades.
Where is this all leading? What definitely can be concluded is that changes in views and values of epic scale are unfolding in these days. It is key to see that these massive changes in views are of human nature … matters of the heart and mind.
We have no reason to expect that these changes in “human views” will lead to a better world. Quite the opposite. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We expect the opposite and see these changes as being emblematic of an endtime world. According to the Bible, changes are to come in as a flood (Daniel 9:26). It would not be unreasonable to identify the values and moral changes that we see today as a defining part of this endtime maelstrom.
“The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). The world today is again at a similar nexus point.
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Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst, research director for a major Wall Street investment bank, and head of Canada’s largest global investment operation, his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His 2002 book The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free accurately anticipated and prepared its readers for the Global Financial Crisis. A following book, Global Financial Apocalypse Prophesied: Preserving true riches in an age of deception and trouble, looks further into the prophetic future.
Contact Wilfred at: staff@eternalvalue.com
The post Mind Changers: Driving Human Actions onto the Shoals :: By Wilfred Hahn appeared first on Rapture Ready.
