Against the Destruction of the Nation State

            What Wolfgang H. Reinicke may have intended to read as a utopian, hand holding, peaceful way toward a safe global marketplace, read more as an economic version of Dracula.  Whether one is dealing with his ideas on the ‘safe’ transfer of dual-use technologies, or the idea of the destruction of the nation state, a feeling of dread and fear is likely to set in.  The ideas expressed by Reinicke are naïve and don’t take into account human nature.

            To deny globalization is happening is to bury your head in the sand and live in a state of denial.  For those who see what is transpiring the question is how best to regulate and maintain safety in areas such as dual-use technology transfers.  Reinicke claims that, “By far the best and most effective export controls are a company’s sales and marketing agents.”   It’s hard to imagine that was written with a straight face, but not only does Reinicke endorse this idea, he argues that governments should join with business (with business having a greater amount of influence) and in essence regulate themselves.  There is an 800lb gorilla in the discussion that was not dealt with by Reinicke, and that is human nature.  It is nice to believe that corporations and individuals will act in a moral way, but history has shown that man has an inclination to act in a way beneficial to himself.

            The idea of the elimination of the nation state is absolutely terrifying.  Global governance by one body, and that body being subservient to the needs of corporations, would destroy individual liberty.  No longer would there be a ‘police officer’, in the form of a nation, that one could look to for help when they are being exploited.  What form of law enforcement would regulate this global no borders world?  What form of government would overlook that law enforcement body?  And what body would keep an eye on that global government?  Reinicke’s idea that the nation state is on its’ deathbed is hopefully for us all a stretch.

            Although I disagree with almost every aspect of Reinicke’s article, it does address some very important issues.  In contrast to the article, dual-use technology transfer should be in the hands of government and not in the hands of a corporation who could stand to profit from it.  Also, the blissful way in which Reinicke referred to the end of the nation state should send a chill up the spine.  Globalization in time may destroy personal liberty and individuality.

Jeffrey Brandon Lee

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Eliminate the International Monetary Fund and Let Free Markets Work!

            The International Monetary Fund is one of the most controversial international institutions of our time.  It has been accused of anything from bailing out rich investors to forcing countries to open up to foreign companies.  In “Argentina and the Fund: From Triumph to Tragedy” by Michael Mussa another flaw is made apparent, and that is the IMF’s ineptness in enforcing its own policies.

            The Argentine crisis of the late nineties and early 21^st century was a clear example of the complex nature of international trade.  As was mentioned in the reading, I do believe that sovereign default is a necessary occurrence in capitalism.  While I do think that Mussa was a little biased toward the fund, he did make clear some of the shortcomings that occurred in the IMF’s policies.  One of the main flaws that nearly jumped off the page was the continued lending by the Fund even when there was little hope that the help would change the course that the country was headed in.  With all the knowledge that resides at IMF headquarters you would think that a red flag would have been raised before lending the additional billions of dollars.

            One idea I don’t think Mussa dealt with effectively is that of corporate inertia.    The pride that was initially felt with the ‘triumph’ of the Funds efforts in Argentina must have solidified its purpose in the minds of its directors, but I’m sure that changed once things began to take a turn for the worst.  With Argentina facing possible insolvency and the restructuring of its debt the directors of the fund were probably willing to throw as much money at the problem as was necessary, because if their efforts failed there would be questions as to usefulness of the fund.  So as happens in many companies, the executives will do just about anything to prove their necessity and legitimacy. 

            Since the fund was Mr. Mussa’s former employer it is understandable that he maintains a little bias in favor of the Fund, but many readers of his work will ask the question of whether its existence is necessary.  In my opinion it is not.  Countries of the world need to enact more effective fiscal and monetary policies, and if they fail to do so there should not be the parachute, that is the fund, there to save them.

Jeffrey Brandon Lee

small faith, Great God (Published 2010)

     Have you ever wondered if God was listening to you during those dark times in your life? My wife and I are living proof that although His timing is not our timing, it definitely is the right time!

     It all started during the third year of running my own courier company in the Colorado Springs area. Though sales growth had leveled off because of the slowing economy, I hoped that some of my new ideas would gain some traction in the business sector.

     About this time, I began a desperate struggle with anxiety—and, at times, I was sure I would lose the battle. Rapid weight loss followed, dropping me from 225 to 180 pounds.

     One day while sitting in my home office looking at the beer bottles from the night before piled in the trash can, I shook my head disgusted with myself. Suddenly, a deep feeling moved within, a feeling saying I was to stop drinking alcohol that day. It’s not that I see anything wrong with having a beer or glass of wine, but I felt God was laying it on my heart to give it up. Without a second thought, I never picked up another alcoholic drink. 

     God helped me through that period with relative ease as the desire to drink was just no longer there. I started attending church more often and spending most of my waking days listening to Christian music, reading the Bible, and attending every possible church function I could. But two things didn’t change: first, my business slowed even further as my best client ended its partnership with my company; second, my anxiety worsened as I began thinking negatively about myself as a husband and provider. And then the best thing any man could want happened—my wife became pregnant with a baby boy.

     The challenging time for our family continued as I finally had to close down the business, file bankruptcy, and look for a job in a struggling economy. Anxiety dominated my thoughts as I watched my wife’s abdomen grow with our son. At times I would be excited; but when alone with my thoughts, I was terrified about how I was going to provide for them.

     We managed to make ends meet with help from family, all the while remaining in prayer and slowly ridding ourselves of everything sinful in our lives. Everyone encouraged us that God would reward us for what we were doing and assured us that He heard our prayers.  Personally, I wasn't looking for things to get better, I was just hoping they wouldn't get worse. But then came the prayer…. 

     I prayed while I drove (eyes open), “God, I will serve You no matter what!” At that moment, I looked down for a second and then back up again—just in time to see my front end ram the back of the vehicle in front of me. My first response was to think, Are you kidding me? Relying on my faith, I refused to give in but praised God for whatever His purpose was in the accident. The owner of the vehicle happened to be a Christian and because I didn’t have insurance at the time God led him to forgive me for the expenses. Thank you, Jesus!

     Soon thereafter, my brother Preston came to live with us while he worked on a job site in the area. He is a hardworking man who, when a teenager, was in love with God. Life has dealt him some rough hands and he was just trying to hang on. Now there were two of us trying to encourage each other and I continued to proclaim my faith in God through everything.

     One night on the way home from picking up Preston from his job, a truck made an illegal turn in front of us and my car was totaled. I was at a loss. Why had God let this happen? Here I was trying to serve Him with all my heart and that same heart was about to break under the stress of events.

     Finally, the sun began to shine and our Lord showed up (although He had always been there). I was offered a tech support job with a major telecom company and the pay was more than enough to get us by. Soon after the offer, our son was born, bringing great joy into our lives. The only problem still remaining was the fact that we had no cars.

     One night, my wife’s mom called to say that she would co-sign for us on a car. With that blessing, we bought a brand new vehicle with a great interest rate. We were so thankful to God for His having met that need, but we knew we needed another car for my wife.

     Our credit was so bad after the bankruptcy that few would lend money to us. We had one offer at nearly 22% interest. In our frustration, we decided to check one last dealer. In another awesome way, God gave us favor with the dealer and we got a loan for another brand new car at 15% interest, still high, but drastically lower than the previous rate.

     While walking through these tough times, we learned a great lesson: when you’re crying out to the Lord, remember He is ALWAYS listening. He will answer your prayers! His answer may not be in the way you expect, but not only will it be the right time, you will look back on it with a greater faith as He brings you through tough times. 

     My wife and I want to encourage you to keep pressing forward, being faithful, and praising God in all things.

Jeffrey Brandon Lee