January 14, 2011 Santiago, Chile I want to start out this end-of-week missive by reiterating one immutable fact: no place is perfect… and in these tumultuous times which I call the ‘Age of Turmoil,’ no country is going to be completely immune to the looming problems which face the world,
By the late 200s AD, the economy of ancient Rome was in serious distress. There was hardly a single year during that entire century without some major crisis– civil war, barbarian invasion, plague, imperial assassination, political scandal, or economic depression. It was so bad, in fact, that historians refer to
Look, things aren’t feeling so bright and cheery in the US right now. And the sad truth is that there are some tough times ahead. We usually bring you stories on Friday that are absurd or even infuriating. I’m sure you’ve seen enough of that this week. So we thought
[Editor’s note: Tim Price, London-based wealth manager, is filling in for Simon today.] “The media select, they interpret, they emotionalize and they create facts.. The media not only reduce reality by lowering information density. They focus reality by accumulating information where “actually” none exists.. A typical stock market report looks
Turmoil in Europe is even more evident today as a result of massive debt, austerity measures and desperate bailouts. Everyone is currently holding their breathe in anticipation of an eventual Eurozone collapse however, some people are more pessimistic than others. Author Wolfgang Münchau for one believes that this Euro crisis will not
I was in Paris recently, in a park near the Louvre museum enjoying a lazy summer day. I wasn’t the only one with such a great idea, there were probably a few hundred others enjoying the sunshine– children playing football, kissing lovers entwined on the grass, businessmen on a lunch
He has ruled through 12 US Presidents, a string of military dictatorships, several coups, and a historic transition to democracy. At 81 years of age, King Bhumibol of Thailand has really seen it all. Despite his essentially ceremonial position, King Bhumibol is revered, almost worshiped, by his people– not like
August 17, 2011 Zell am See, Austria Did you know that the word ‘idiot’ is actually derived from the origins of democracy in ancient Greece? Thousands of years ago, a Greek citizen who demonstrated disinterest in politics was labeled ‘idiotes’; it literally meant ‘private person,’ which curiously enough was a
Reporting from Becici, Montenegro In March 2010, President Obama signed into law one of the most arrogant, unfeasible bills ever to hit the books. Known as FATCA [Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act], it was enacted as part of the inappropriately titled HIRE Act; the law requires that foreign banks must
March 28, 2011 Phoenix, Arizona, USA I had a really great weekend. Ernest Hancock, the of the libertarian radio show ‘Declare your Independence’ invited me to his 50th birthday party at his home in Phoenix after our interview on Friday; I happily accepted and hopped a flight. I’ve met few
March 28, 2011 Phoenix, Arizona, USA I had a really great weekend. Ernest Hancock, the of the libertarian radio show ‘Declare your Independence’ invited me to his 50th birthday party at his home in Phoenix after our interview on Friday; I happily accepted and hopped a flight. I’ve met few
February 28, 2011 Tulum, Mexico There’s major shift occurring right now in financial markets. Sure, the food and freedom riots that are spreading across the globe are a major indicator that civil unrest follows very closely behind resource shortages and economic turmoil… but there’s something else that I’ve noticed recently–
If you’re reading this and under 30, let me be absolutely clear about one indubitable point: your government is going to sacrifice your future in order to pay for its own mistakes from the past. To give you an example, students in London came out to the streets in droves
October 13, 2010 Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania I had a really great conversation with Neil Strauss last night, author of Emergency. If you haven’t checked out the book, I would really encourage you to find it and read it. In his book, Neil tells a very compelling story. Years
September 28, 2010 Kiev, Ukraine I gave a speech last night in Kiev to a large audience of bright, young minds who are about to start their professional lives and wanted to find out more about global opportunities. The topic of my remarks was how to survive and thrive in
