by Michael Wilkerson | Mar 29, 2025 | Africa, Banks, Bitcoin, Blog Articles, CBDCs, Crypto, Finance, Inflation, Monetary System, Sanctions, Technology
It used to be that if you lived in a remote village in Africa, or for that matter, Southeast Asia, Latin America, or even behind the Berlin Wall in Eastern Europe, you had desire and need for U.S. dollars, but no easy way to access them. You couldn’t readily exchange...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jan 21, 2025 | Africa, Blog Articles, Economy, Finance, Inflation, Russia, Sanctions, Technology
Lab-grown diamonds are cannibalizing the overpriced luxury market Something strange has been happening in the diamond market in recent years. In an inflationary period where other “store of value” commodities such as gold and silver have been appreciating in value,...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jan 12, 2025 | Africa, Economy, Historical, Politics, Trade, USA, Why America Matters Book
How Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, inadvertently planted the seeds of slavery in the future United States The first permanent English settlement in the New World was founded in 1607 in Jamestown. Set in the Colony of Virginia, Jamestown...
by Michael Wilkerson | Oct 13, 2024 | Africa, Blog Articles, BRICS, CBDCs, China, Economy, Finance, Geopolitics, Monetary System, Russia, Sanctions, USA
Will the gold-backed UNIT Challenge U.S. Dollar Dominance? Later this month, Russia will host the sixteenth BRICS Summit, bringing together its member countries for Head of State level discussions on trade, monetary policy, security, and other matters. This capstone...
by Michael Wilkerson | Aug 7, 2024 | Africa, Banks, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, China, Covid-19, Economy, Finance, Inflation, Japan, Monetary System, Politics, USA
One of the surprising things I repeatedly observed as a CEO of a public company investing in financial services in Africa was that banks there—and in many emerging markets—don’t actually lend, at least not to businesses or people. Rather than provide much needed loans...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jan 23, 2024 | Africa, Armed Forces, Blog Articles, China, Finance, Geopolitics, Politics, USA, War
Working in Africa through much of the past decade, I saw signs of Chinese imperialism everywhere. The investment company I ran, mostly funded by US and Canadian investors, would face off against CCP-backed entities in business dealings and financing transactions. This...
by Michael Wilkerson | Oct 19, 2023 | Africa, Armed Forces, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, China, Russia, Sanctions, USA, War
The United States needs to get serious about the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its primary geopolitical tool, the BRI. This week China hosts its third international conference focused on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the development...
by Michael Wilkerson | Sep 20, 2023 | Africa, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, BRICS, Energy, Finance, Inflation, Politics, Sanctions, USA
Much of the commentary on the motives behind the expansion of the BRICS trading alliance announced last month has been centered on the anti-American bias of the coalition. Specifically, that behind the smiley-faced façade of an ostensible economic cooperation...
by Michael Wilkerson | Aug 18, 2023 | Africa, Blog Articles, Politics, USA
In the years following the Second World War, the leaders of a victorious and confident United States exchanged the God of their Puritan forefathers for the gods of fortresses, war, and imperial ambition. These they would serve — though their fathers knew them not —...
by Michael Wilkerson | Mar 3, 2023 | Africa, Armed Forces, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, China, Energy, Finance, Inflation, Politics, Russia, Sanctions, Ukraine, War
Following the launch of Russia’s “special military operation” and invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Joe Biden and EU leaders confidently asserted that Western sanctions would bring the Russian economy to its knees. A primary stated objective of sanctions was...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jan 5, 2023 | Africa, Armed Forces, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, BRICS, China, Energy, Finance, Inflation, Politics, Sanctions, Stormwall Book, USA, War, Why America Matters Book
2022 was a year of surprises: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, persistent inflation fueled by energy costs, the collapse of FTX and crypto markets, the revelations of the Twitter Files, and one of the worst equity markets in recent history, to name but a few. 2023 is...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jul 20, 2022 | Africa, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, China, Energy, Finance, Inflation, Politics, Stormwall Book, USA, Why America Matters Book
The world is facing a looming food crisis. The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said at the end of June 2022, “There is a real risk that multiple famines will be declared in 2022. And 2023 could be even worse.” Even before this crisis, around...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jul 16, 2022 | Africa, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, China, Finance, Inflation, Politics, Russia, Sanctions, Stormwall Book, Tariffs, Ukraine, USA, War, Why America Matters Book
Lightning strikes above the Manhattan skyline after a summer storm in New York in 2014. (Photo credit: Reuters) Article published on July 15, 2022 by Bryan Jung of The Epoch Times To read the entire article, please CLICK HERE. War sanctions against Russia,...
by Michael Wilkerson | Jun 15, 2022 | Africa, Biden Administration, Blog Articles, China, Energy, Finance, Inflation, Stormwall Book, USA, War, Why America Matters Book
If there is anything upon which the Western consensus has agreed in recent months, it is that the Russian government is evil and must be stopped. America’s preferred way of arresting Russian efforts has been the use of economic sanctions against Russian President...
by Michael Wilkerson | Apr 19, 2021 | Africa, Blog Articles, Election 2020
The question of election integrity is not going away. As Justice Clarence Thomas recently pointed out, addressing weaknesses and opacity in election processes and voting laws isn’t just about 2020. The efforts being undertaken currently across the substantial...
by Michael Wilkerson | Mar 21, 2021 | Africa, Blog Articles, Stormwall Book
I’ve been distraught over the past few months to see the rising incidence of violence towards Asian-Americans in what are clearly racially motivated assaults. These race-based attacks, whether in the form of verbal insults and harassment, or physical intimidation and...
by Michael Wilkerson | Dec 23, 2020 | Africa, Blog Articles, China
Every child is taught that there are wolves in the woods, but that preparation can keep them at bay. Today, America is faced with new challenges both from within and outside our borders. One of the biggest threats is the rise of China and her growing alliances with...
by Michael Wilkerson | Dec 17, 2020 | Africa, Blog Articles, Stormwall Book
I’ve recently had the opportunity to chat with various media and podcast outlets about my book Stormwall: Observations on American in Peril and my thoughts on the path forward for our country. Add these to your podcast queue, and let me know what you think about...
by Michael Wilkerson | Oct 12, 2020 | Africa, Blog Articles, Covid-19, Election 2020
It has been called the most contentious and controversial US presidential election ever. The nation never seemed more divided. Throughout the campaign, the Democrats called the Republican candidate everything from a liar, to a madman, a cheat, a traitor, an enemy of...
by Michael Wilkerson | Apr 7, 2020 | Africa, Blog Articles, Covid-19
In The Fortunes of Africa, author Martin Meredith describes a Dutch sailing ship that dropped off a load of laundry for the Khoikhoi, the local inhabitants of the southwestern cape of Africa whom Europeans called Hottentots. The year was 1713. The Khoikhoi washed the...