The "World is Curved" is actually about Capitalist Entrepreneurship

Ateneo Professor on Entrepreneurship

Angono, Rizal  PHL   | August 10, 2012

I bought books from Books for Less 3 weeks ago and I read "The World is Curved by David M. Smick one of the "most insightful strategist of modern times"  He has met central bankers, even the head of ECB now, with Ben Bernanke, Alan Greenspan and advised regularly:    former Pres. Ronald Reagan, George Soros (the currency speculator), Michael Steihart, Stan Druckermiller.  Bill Bradley, Jack Kemp.

He is familiar with Japanese finance officials, and even met the former strongman of Singapore Lee Kuan Yu.
He started at an early age, advising Reagan on financial policy.

What amaze me in his book is his regular mention of broad theme of the book -  "capitalist entrepreneurship"  The Central Banks are helpless to control now the ocean of cash (as much as more than $l00 tirllion) and what drives this ocean of money is "capitalist entrepreneurship"   This money knows no religion or political belief (even the Red Guards/Communists are entrepreneurs in China)

This cash moves across borders and industries quickly.

Public policy that are restrictive, that are anti trade and globalization can make this money move away

Now these entrepreneurs are not exactly moral as we have seen in US financial crisis where the regulators and investment bankers were not so transparent  about what they are selling.

But by and large, the growth in money and finance worldwide were due to this capital entrepreneurhsip

l.  After the fall of Berlin wall, and despite the wide gap between East and West Germany, and despite strong labor forces, the mergers and acquisitions at Germany forced by the capitalists entrepreneurs made industries:   save costs, streamline, and employ non unionized workers.  Because of this Germany's currency became stronger to the detriment of Italy and even UK.

2.  Margaret Thatcher removed the barriers to industries - the unions,  that allowed UK to move forward. In US that was Pres. Reagan forcing the hand of air traffic controllers - unions that sapped the public and the industries.

3. Japan will not be able to reignite entrepreneurship because of its very conservative structure.  Banks after a series of merger are more conservative and do not favor lending to entrepreneurs.

4.  Nations still flock to US and US dollar because of the perception that US is still the center of innovation and entrepreneurship.  Nobody comes close.  Europe does not come close.  And Euro, British pounds, as a result take a beating.

He observes that Euro was a mistake because it does not recognize the wide differences in market economies:   the costs and the market demands.  E.g.   Italy marketing shoes to Asia.  A strong Euro would not make them competitive in Asia.  But that would favor Germany who sells MB and BMW.  Thus you could not have one currency for EU.

Globalization and promotion of international trade, economic zones are conducive to entrepreneurship.  Champions of this have been former Pres. Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, Sen. Schu.   Hillary Clinton is anti globalization.

The current crop of politicians in US are anti globalization of finance and think that US is insular vs global events.  But nothing could be farther from truth because the world takes the dollar as reserves and trading currency.  Its value to the world is being watched by everyone.

US is beginning to:

l.  Tinker with class war, ie, differential taxation of masses and the rich

2. Promote anti trade policies  -  restrictive investment on strategic/defense/IT/ communication industries.

3.  Anti China, anti outsourcing policies/laws.

Anything that hinders free movement of trade and finance will stop capitalist entrepreneurship and will do more harm than good to the US and the world at large.

What do you think?