I don't really think that the EU/EC would want to bury the US either. They have a love/hate thing going with most of our products. And it would not benefit their economy if the dollar totally collapsed. They still need us to buy stuff. But, as good capitolists/socialists, they might not mind if we had to pay a few more $s for our imports.

Waldo said:

1. Yeah and they brought about our current situation. It wasnt too smart for the US to give Bin Laden and other rebels combat traing and stinger missles. It was seen as OK to fight against communist Russia. But it bit us in the ass. Large exportations of weapon might actually destabalize certain hot zones in South America. Lets try and not let Venezuela repeat some of the US Gov't bad mistakes

2. Canada is not a third world country. They are responsible, friendly to the US. And their economy is stable enough to develop Nuclear Energy without a major drain on the economy. In addition to all of this they are a close ally and have proven their loyalty to the US on numerous occasions.

3. Were friends and trade partners with all those countries. They assist US in looking for terrorist. Sure Pakistan isnt the best example, but we allowed for them to develop N.E. because their enemy and neighbor India already had already been experimenting with N.E. They dont pose a threat to the US or the Global community in general. They are a team player. Iran and Vene are not. So fuck em

[Edited on Feb 20, 2006 by Dark_Templar]

aaarrrggghhh... thank's fer nuthin brudda... as if a crap baseball team & Fox News are not punishment enough


Right about the owner's nationality... I think both use U.K. holding companies though. I guess my point was how many "american" brands aren't.

considering iran received their nuclear technologies under the terms of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and would have to follow the same as they are both signatories for the transfer to venezuelia this seems like an awfully dramatic non-story

Interesting news from those minor entities oft cited in this thread as immaterial.

In short, capital is in search of innovation. The very best opportunities may be coming from places many in the US would prefer to consider "unimportant" in the grand scheme of things: India, China, Middle East, and South America. This is not simply the pursuit of lowest labor cost, but investments in biotech, security, and emerging technologies and primarily ahead of market demand.

I've just returned from Israel and Istanbul where I traveled with a group of fellow investment bankers/VCs. The trip provided ample time to discuss investment opportunities and while I consider myself reasonably well informed, the following information stunned me:

1. Capital flow to the "emerging markets" like Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, and Middle Eastern countries is approaching $700B. That is a 100% increase over the period following the dotbomb, a truly staggering number, and far ahead of what the business publications were saying a few months ago.

2. IT spending, to my way of thinking a key indicator of future innovation, is projected to increase at an annual rate of 20% throughout South American through the end of this decade. That is staggering pace of growth - even considering how much ground these countries might have to make up. Surprisingly, these countries have the capital, market momentum, and confidence to make these investments whereas here in the US, similar investments are flat.

3. The private equity groups and VCs I traveled with have combined to either invest in or purchase outright, nearly 90 companies in Mexico, primarily in high technology sectors!

^^ Good Points

[Edited on Feb 21, 2006 by Dark_Templar]

Interesting how you consider a democratically elected Venezualan President a threat but not the Pakistani President who is an Amry General who aquired power by overthrowing a (hideously corrupt) democratically elected Governemnt.

Wasn't it Pakistan's nuclear weapons program leader who sold all sorts of stuff to North Korea, Iran, and who knows who else?

Fact is, any country with decent physicists and access to uranium ore can build a nuke, if they really want to. Chemical weapons are almost trivial. Bioweapons - pathogens are everywhere, and the tech is improving all the time.
Some of us have been arguing for a long time (back into the Cold War, personally) that that means that the existing world power structure is obsolete; and it can end well or badly, but it will end. We badly need a way to convince the rest of the world that they don't actually need to kill us. Because they could.

Yeah I hate Chavez, not so much Vene. I think hes as corrupt as Pakistan, I even question the validity of the election on some points....... when he is out of office Ill be more sympathetic to Vene developing N.E.

Yeah Im not a big fan of Pakistan either, but they are helping with the iraq/afgan conflict

[Edited on Feb 23, 2006 by Dark_Templar]

Yeah hes under house arrest now


I agree that we need to convince the world that we all dont need to kill each other

[Edited on Feb 23, 2006 by Dark_Templar]