"Babylon" Will Fail

Today I decided to send you to the New York Times. They have an interesting chart well worth a little study. Be sure to hover your mouse over each country to give you the details of the various loans.

The Corporatist economic system of today has all the big banks and countries linked together. A relatively minor problem in one country could quickly impact a lot of other countries in a unstoppable cascade. 

The main thing I want you to take away from the chart is the large amount that the US Government owes. 

The irony is that formerly communistic countries like Russia and China are net creditors on the international scene. 

Habakkuk 2 has an interesting passage about "Babylon":

⁶ “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

   “‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods 
   and makes himself wealthy by extortion! 
   How long must this go on?’ 
⁷ Will not your creditors suddenly arise? 
   Will they not wake up and make you tremble? 
   Then you will become their prey. 
⁸ Because you have plundered many nations, 
   the peoples who are left will plunder you. 
For you have shed human blood; 
   you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

 ⁹ “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, 
   setting his nest on high 
   to escape the clutches of ruin! 
¹⁰ You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, 
   shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. 
¹¹ The stones of the wall will cry out, 
   and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

¹² “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed 
   and establishes a town by injustice! 
¹³ Has not the LORD Almighty determined 
   that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, 
   that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? 
¹⁴ For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD 
   as the waters cover the sea.

 ¹⁵ “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
   pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
   so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! 
¹⁶ You will be filled with shame instead of glory. 
   Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed! 
The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, 
   and disgrace will cover your glory. 
¹⁷ The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, 
   and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed human blood; 
   you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

The whole system is corrupt, and it is destined to fail.