Is There a Lasting Solution?
PRIME MINISTERS and presidents have talked about it. Business leaders and banking heads have tried their hand. Executives of giant corporations have done what they could. But what is the present state of international trade?
From Washington, D.C., comes this report by the Secretary of the Treasury, James Baker: “While projections suggest some reductions in those [trade] imbalances in 1987, they may well increase again in 1988 and remain at politically and economically unacceptable levels.”
From Seoul, South Korea, is this news item: “Anti-American sentiment has been rising among dissidents and students in South Korea, partly because of what they see as American protectionist moves against Korean products. . . . The United States was trying to sacrifice Korea to help to cut its trade deficit.”
Concerning Europe, we have this report: “The 12-nation European Community [EC], the world’s biggest trading bloc, . . . says Japanese companies are trying to make up for lost sales in the United States by exporting more to Europe . . . [Member nations of EC] are worried about more unemployment as a result of imports, and they are threatening fresh curbs against Japan.”
Clearly, even though the political leaders and financial ministers of the world have tried hard, their ideas have not worked. Trade relations between the nations continue to worsen, and the rounds of accusations are reaching the point of ignition. Is there anyone who knows how to deal with these problems?
The One With the Solution
Whoever it is that can successfully solve the world’s financial difficulties and other woes must be capable of cutting through the deep-rooted obstacles of nationalism, selfish ambition, uncertainty, and hopelessness. His ideas must be different from, yes, even opposite to, the law of the jungle on which the present-day economic system is based. Is there such a person?
Yes, there is, and his teachings are known internationally. He expounded what has come to be known as the Golden Rule: “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.” And he also taught: “Practice giving, and people will give to you. They will pour into your laps a fine measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. For with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you in return.”—Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:38.
Do you know who this person is? He is none other than Jesus Christ, whose teachings are widely lauded but seldom followed. In fact, most people feel that these teachings are too idealistic, too impractical, and will never succeed. Do you, perhaps, also feel that way? Then, why not examine the practices among the followers of Jesus Christ in the first century and see how these principles, based on genuine love, worked?
The Lasting Solution
About the year 55 C.E., the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian congregation in Corinth and mentioned an offering, or contribution, made by the Christians in European Macedonia and Achaia to help their fellow Christians in Asiatic Palestine. This, of course, was a noble gesture on their part, but Paul explained: “By means of an equalizing your surplus just now might offset their deficiency, in order that their surplus might also come to offset your deficiency, that an equalizing might take place.”—2 Corinthians 8:14.
Even though what we have here is not a case of commercial business, the principle involved is noteworthy. What it accomplished was an equalizing of surpluses and deficiencies. Yet is it realistic to expect principles based on love to work in today’s dog-eat-dog world of international commerce? No, it is not. Thus, the only lasting solution involves a radical change, which God himself purposes to accomplish.
Pointing forward to these trouble-filled days, Bible prophecy foretold: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will . . . crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” (Daniel 2:44; Psalm 110:2) This Kingdom that “the God of heaven will set up” is the one for which Jesus Christ taught his followers to pray in these words: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:10) World events and fulfilled Bible prophecies confirm that the time for that Kingdom to go into action is near at hand.
Can you imagine what conditions will be like with only one government ruling over the entire earth? No longer will there be exchange rates. No longer will there be tariffs or trade wars. No longer will there be price fixing and protectionism. Everyone will come under one righteous new system not only economically but also politically, religiously, and in every other respect.
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Only when people work together in love will mankind’s problems be solved