Never really thought about the Phillipines. My original plan was to open shop near Havanna around 2025. By that time, either the USA will be Communist like Cuba, or Cuba will be capitalist like the USA! :D
Either way, lots of Americans will be travelling to Cuba!
Apart from that, long-distance flights will cost a fortune in 20 years. Which makes Cuba an even more obvious destination for Americans!
16 years
By that time, either the USA will be Communist like Cuba, or Cuba will be capitalist like the USA! :D
LMAO!!! :D
I guess Cuba gonna lose first on this business... I don't think Fidel will live 99 years, and his brother Raul is just waiting for his funeral to sell the country to the US... But that just gives you more time to save money for the island!!! I jitter your plan! ;)
16 years
LMAO!!! :D
I guess Cuba gonna lose first on this business...
Well, I also guess they´ll lose but who knows if maybe the USA loses, too? I´m not seriously suggesting they´ll ever be Commies (that was a joke!), but do we really know how the world will look like in 2025?
Who would have thought the Berlin Wall dissappears overnight? That the USSR disintegrates in a matter of a few months?
16 years
Well, I also guess they´ll lose but who knows if maybe the USA loses, too? I´m not seriously suggesting they´ll ever be Commies (that was a joke!), but do we really know how the world will look like in 2025?
In a long term, USA will lose as well. US economy will collapse due overproducing and overspending. The same thing happens as it was with the Soviet Union, maybe without the disintegration part, but for the same reasons, according to the game theory...
The major question is rather about how the rest of the world will suffer that?
Who would have thought the Berlin Wall dissappears overnight? That the USSR disintegrates in a matter of a few months?
Such things can happen any day, although there is a previous tension in the air for a long time, just like a high air pressure before a storm.
I'd like to shoot a joke for this topic:
Comrade Lenin and comrade Trotsky walks on the riverside of Neva, on 26th October, 1917.
Trotsky says: My dear comrade Lenin, let's drink some vodka!
Lenin: No, my friend, we can't.
Trotsky: But comrade Lenin...
Lenin: I refuse to drink today and I recommend you to do the same...
Trotsky: But why? A tiny bit of vodka won't hurt...
Lenin: Because that's how we started yesterday and can't you see how it finished???
16 years
In a long term, USA will lose as well. US economy will collapse due overproducing and overspending. The same thing happens as it was with the Soviet Union, maybe without the disintegration part, but for the same reasons, according to the game theory...
We hijacked another thread! :)
Overproducing? They aren´t producing anything any more!
I had a conversation with an American last weekend. He predicted the USA will "go down burning", Lebanon-style, soon. I think that´s unlikely, but his scenario wasn´t really unplausible.
Remember the collapse of Argentina´s economy. Two things saved them from "going down burning":
1. The people remained calm and civilized. There was some looting of supermarkets, but not much else. In the USA, half of the population is armed. There are militias (nutcases training warfare in their nearest forests) and private armies (Blackwater and others)
2. Hugo Chavez bailed them out. He paid back all of Argentina´s IMF debt and told Argentina´s new government to pay him back sometime later when they feel they can afford it. Nobody will have enough money to bail out the USA after a severe financial crash.
16 years
We hijacked another thread! :)
Oh, indeed! Maybe we talk about this topic a bit too much... ;)
Overproducing? They aren´t producing anything any more!
Anyway, this neo-libertarian idea of "the market will take care of itself" will heavily damage the uncontrolled markets. It should be a state responsibility, but since a their motto is everything for sale, also it is lobby interest to keep it that way, they cut the tree under themselves. I think a politician is less interested in political ideas but more likely in business interests these days.
I had a conversation with an American last weekend. He predicted the USA will "go down burning", Lebanon-style, soon. I think that´s unlikely, but his scenario wasn´t really unplausible.
Following the history, great empires has been always falling into chaos and rebellion. This scenario doesn't go that far from historical endings. My American friends (all expats) have left the US mainly the same political and safety reasons. They all foretold that this kind of freedom leads to anarchy.
Remember the collapse of Argentina´s economy. Two things saved them from "going down burning":
1. The people remained calm and civilized. There was some looting of supermarkets, but not much else. In the USA, half of the population is armed. There are militias (nutcases training warfare in their nearest forests) and private armies (Blackwater and others)
Then US will be disintegrated such as USSR... And such apocalyptic stories like Mad Max will be alloyed with the western films...
2. Hugo Chavez bailed them out. He paid back all of Argentina´s IMF debt and told Argentina´s new government to pay him back sometime later when they feel they can afford it. Nobody will have enough money to bail out the USA after a severe financial crash.
The US has always bailed himself certain ways. Printing new bills, raising up oil prices, conquering territories... I don't think the government would mind to collapse the world economy just to keep up the US' one. :(
16 years
I had a conversation with an American last weekend. He predicted the USA will "go down burning", Lebanon-style, soon. I think that´s unlikely, but his scenario wasn´t really unplausible.
It's a frightening thought. The biggest mistake that has happened in US politics lately is the divisiveness. The way that Bush got into power was "divide and conquer". They shouldn't play that game on their own country.
In the USA, half of the population is armed. There are militias (nutcases training warfare in their nearest forests) and private armies (Blackwater and others)
Yeah... this is very scary. I think their numbers have been reduced after they bombed Oklahoma City, but it's still bad.
We hijacked another thread! :)
I hope you don't mind that I moved this section of the thread here.
16 years
It's a frightening thought. The biggest mistake that has happened in US politics lately is the divisiveness. The way that Bush got into power was "divide and conquer". They shouldn't play that game on their own country.
I think the root goes deeper. IMHO, there are two problems:
1. The two-party system. With only two parties, elections will always be decided in the middle, because the fringe opinions will always vote for the guy closest to their own opinion. It´s impossible to establish a party to the left of the Democrats, because that would result in Republican victories for decades. Same the other way round.
The ultimate consequence is that all candidates drift to the most mediocre and their policies become indistinguishable.
2. The weak role of parties. In Europe, it´s practically impossible to make a political career as an independent. This has some disadvantages, but the bonus that your party will pay for your campaign. You don´t have to raise the funds for yourself, which makes life much harder for lobbyists.
I hope you don't mind that I moved this section of the thread here.
Not at all. :)
Oh, indeed! Maybe we talk about this topic a bit too much... ;)
Oh well. I wouldn´t be surprised if the ancient Greeks spent their whole time predicting how the Roman Empire would go down burning... until they did! :D
Anyway, this neo-libertarian idea of "the market will take care of itself" will heavily damage the uncontrolled markets. It should be a state responsibility, but since a their motto is everything for sale, also it is lobby interest to keep it that way, they cut the tree under themselves. I think a politician is less interested in political ideas but more likely in business interests these days.
I think it´s safe to say the neo-libertarian idea is pretty dead. If the Social Democrats wouldn´t have embraced that idea in the 90ies ("New Labor" in the UK, "Neue Mitte" in Germany etc) so strongly they would win landslide victories everywhere in Europe now.
Following the history, great empires has been always falling into chaos and rebellion. This scenario doesn't go that far from historical endings. My American friends (all expats) have left the US mainly the same political and safety reasons. They all foretold that this kind of freedom leads to anarchy.
I wouldn´t predict these Mad Max scenarios seriously. What happens instead is "Brazilification". In Latin America, the wealthy live in suburbian bubbles with own security. There are enough rich people in the USA to sustain bubbles like that. Maybe we will also see those bubbles in Europe, but much more in America. The question is, what happens outside of these bubbles and it comes close enough to Mad Max anyway. There is some sort of law and order in Brazilian Favelas - it´s Mafia law and order.
In Brazil I was amazed to see that overland buses travel in convoys for security reasons - a Toyota with armed security dudes escorts convoys of 10 or 20 coaches during the night. The police (as well as the government, generally) is totally useless.
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