A Banking Fantasy
"Financial worth and accessible assets will be readily visible by scanning the right hand."
The bipolar banking world is rocking and reeling. As Jay Leno joked, “Well at least bank robberies are down. There’s no money in the banks to rob, and the thieves can’t afford gas for the getaway car.” What will the future be if the dollar dies? Where is it heading? No one knows, but here is a parody of possibilities . . . banking in 2050?
Banking and the World Economy
The twentieth century saw the world radically shrink due to the speed of world travel and instant international communication. This trend will be extended to the world economy as well. Isolated national economies will be a thing of the past giving way to a one-world economy. The collapse of monetary systems, bank failures, and runaway inflation experienced by the developing nations will force the issue of a one world economy. The monetary systems of the nations will give way to the creation of an international system of exchange called the “IU” or the “International Unit.” As the IU begins to catch on, the nations will quickly realize they must participate to survive, and soon the entire world will operate on the IU system as well as every person in the global community.
This one world economy will have a vast affect on the well-being of the peoples of the world. Instead of 6% of the world controlling 50% of the world’s wealth, the economic disparity will partially disappear through the creation of the IU system. Goods and services from underdeveloped nations will have new parity in the world economic system thus reversing widespread poverty. Instead of 80% of the world living in substandard housing and 70% being unable to read, the middle class of the world will expand to approximately 80% leaving only 10% below the poverty level and approximately 10% very wealthy.
Banking and the Personal Economy
Personal banking will be radically affected and greatly simplified. In the early decades of the twenty-first century, identity theft will become rampant. As a result of this increasing problem, the banking industry will be forced to seek a new form of exchange and credit. The International Monetary Fund will create the IU to overcome the current crisis of identity theft. The yen, franc, ruble, euro, dollar, pound and all other forms of currency will be replaced by the IU. Initially, the change over will be voluntary, but slowly the nations as well as individuals will realize they must comply to survive. The IU will be an electronic means of exchange, and all forms of currency, paper money as well as coins, will be of value only for collectors. Personal banking will be built around each person’s identity or IU. At birth, each person will receive an IU identification chip which will be inserted beneath the skin of their right hand. This will be an infrared identification—an all-inclusive, singular form of identification replacing social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, credit cards, bank numbers, and all other forms of ID. The IU will serve as a “right to buy and sell.” A small percent of the world population will refuse the IU system, but they will be forced to live in isolated areas living off the land. The IU identity will be invisible to the naked eye, but readily read by scanners. Bank robbery will be a thing of folklore. There will be no money to steal. Robbery will be limited to personal property. Laundering money as well as credit card theft will be a thing of the past. It will be virtually impossible to steal personal identity because the IU identity mark will be linked to a person’s DNA. The genetic code of the human body will be the PIN or password to access the IU. At a point of transaction, the DNA and IU must match. This will solve many of the major problems of the world, and will be hailed as a genius solution. The transactions of drug dealer and buyer will be so easily traced that they will be forced to barter drugs for goods and services. Drug dealers, unable to deal with cold cash, will be unable to sell their drugs, and the underground world of crime will also face extinction without being able to deal with the anonymity of cash. Delinquent alimony payments will also be a thing of the past since obligations will be easily tracked and deducted from the person’s IU account.
The community bank will be a thing of the past. Since transactions will take place electronically, there will no longer be a community bank to visit. Bank buildings erected at the turn of the century will be turned into Community Caring Centers. Cookies and coffee, once available to the banking customer, will now be available for the destitute on a regular basis along with sandwiches, soups, and salads. Any needy individual will be able to visit a CCC and receive assistance. Those low on IU’s will be able to do community service to replenish their IU account. Counseling, psychiatric care, temporary shelter, job training will all be offered at the former banks, now CCC’s.
The IU chip will also calculate calories consumed compared to calories burned in the body. When the calorie input begins to exceed calories burned, the IU chip will send a signal to the stomach that will make food nauseating. Excess food among the wealthy will be distributed to the needy throughout the world. Health on an international level will greatly improve as obesity becomes an obsolete word and starvation is nearly eliminated.
Financial worth and accessible assets will be readily visible by scanning the right hand. Loans and borrowing will also be transacted using the IU system. When a person borrows money, they will sign an “IOU” while giving a “UIO” to the lender. Loans and credit will require qualifying assets and ability to pay. When a person runs out of IU’s they will be unable to purchase food, clothing or other life basics, but they will be able to replenish IU’s by visiting a CCC and doing community service.
Banking on What is Certain
All of this is imaginative, but here is rock solid information regarding the future economy and state of things to come.
And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name (Revelation 13:16-17 NASB).
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— (Revelation 18:11-20 NASB).
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NASB).
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea (Revelation 21:1 NASB).
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Pastor Dave Beckwith
© 2004 Dave Beckwith
