Why despondent ?
"I feel despondent, as if there is an orgy at some hot club and I am stuck on the highway in the middle of nowhere"
I would have thought you might have made some initial introductions which lead to the party....
The very good news is many parts of your family are doing well for themselves in today's new environment. They are not working for GM or some state enterprise in France or some bank in China so insolvent that even the dumb US banks won't buy it, waiting for the inevitable .... which means more time, energy and money is availible for building a future for your other responsibilities, from short term employees to a certain Coconut.
Oh, and maybe something nice for Mommy and Daddy this Christmas ;-)
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I have cousin who is trial lawyer. A very succesful trial lawyer, who has been making over seven figures a year (and maybe sometimes eight figures) for about 10 years now....
There's a little envy there, but not that much.
Silicon Valley often seems to have some party where I either got my invitation late in the mail, or didn't make the list...
And has inspired much more envy....
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Bauxite for the smelter comes from Jamacia, I assume ?
Location in Trinidad - natural gas + rule of law + English language.
I can just see China building something in Venezuela, and then after Chavez starts appropriating too much of the revenue, certain interests in China ask certain parts of the US Government to exert appropriate pressure/influence/persuassion on Vz to play straight... we might have to do favors so certain nations central banks will keep buying Treasury bills.
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I like the win-win-win
Oh by the way, I don't TEOTWAWKI means most people get poorer, even in those developed nations with lots of credit card debt.
I think almost everyone that participates will win, with rising living standards. Of course some will do better than others...
The sure way to lose is to not participate - being isolated by geography, like far inland China, Siberia, central Africa, etc.
Or a isolated government - North Korea comes to mind.
My major point is world trade and development is a positive sum game, not zero. I also think there is some moderate tendency to spread out capital, developent, etc. (in line will El Mat's observations of capital spreading) Instead of last man standing, most everyone one will be standing - but in their own separate economic/technical/geographic world.
A Pollyana view....and maybe a realistic view. |
