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Global Investing Archives

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China, Vietnam, and the New Domino Theory - 2006-09-05
Though I doubt he’ll land on the roof of the Hanoi embassy, US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s arrival in Vietnam this week is symbolic. Vietnam – vacated in bitterness by Marine helicopter three decades ago – is the newest staging ground for western capitalism.

Caffeinated Commodities - 2006-08-29
Every day it’s a new brew. Coffee can give you a heart attack. Or it can fight cancer. It can make investors rich or turn poor farmers towards the cocaine industry. Today we filter the economics inside a cup o’ joe.

The dollar drops - your money grows! If... - 2006-08-22
The image is comical until you realize what it means. In an ad I saw yesterday for an Israeli foreign currency exchange service, Uncle Sam dangles from a parachute down your computer screen. "Wake up," the Hebrew letters read, "The dollar is falling!"

Paying for War - 2006-08-15
After days turned into weeks, we have now come to the close of a full month of high-intensity conflict between Israel and Lebanese militia Hizbullah. As the armies cautiously tiptoe back to previously held positions, residents and businesses in two countries must start the financial tally of reassembly.

Where There's Water, There's Fire - 2006-08-08
The last time I headed to the Middle East during the summer, my ever-cautious mother asked me if I packed my raincoat. “No,” I answered, “It doesn’t rain there in summertime.” No one knows this better than the residents of Southern Lebanon, whose precious Litani River is about to resume its longtime role as a territorial boundary and resource rope in a regional tug-o-war.

World Trade on the Ropes - 2006-08-04
In the boxing match of global commerce, the World Trade Organization is in a position to award championship belts. Unfortunately, though, the fighters too often walk away from the ring.

The Oil War No One Sees Coming - 2006-07-25
There is an oil crisis in the making in the Near East. Ethnic divisions and the international War on Terror are at play, and escalation means jeopardy to major supply routes. This is not Lebanon. This is Georgia.

Beirut Burns, Oil Boils - 2006-07-18
It's stifling here in Baltimore. Across the United States and throughout much of the world, summertime is making its full force felt and inspiring us to withdraw into the shade.

From the Western Wall to Wall Street - 2006-07-11
It has often been said that Israel is the best house in a bad neighborhood. Locked in a state of nearly constant warfare at varying levels of intensity, economic growth could understandably take a backseat to security. Instead, this small country nestled near the oil-rich Gulf States has cultivated its own natural resources – brains.

Mexico vs. Mexico - 2006-06-27
Mexico lost, but the Mexicans play on. Following the national soccer selection’s fall to the Argentinean team on one of the most spectacular shots of the World Cup this weekend, the United States’ southern neighbor and its citizens are now left to decide which political goals it will aim for over the next four years.

Fresh Legs - 2006-06-20
It’s been a good couple of weeks in the World Cup so far. I have been rooting for the underdogs, as you might imagine from an emerging market bull like me. Unfortunately, the traditional powers have held sway (with a few exciting exceptions like Ghana’s trouncing of the Czech Republic), and I know just why. Legs.

Beyond the Iron Curtain - 2006-06-06
Winston Churchill would not recognize this side of the Iron Curtain. The buildings of Tallinn are tall and proliferating, and the cab drivers are as savvy as they are sneaky. An abundance of tourists, especially from Finland, have flooded into the Estonian capital in recent years. The 27 different operating "takso" (taxi) companies race to scoop up the foreigners and pump up the meters.

Energy - It Depends! - 2006-05-30
We've talked a great deal in Wealth Daily about energy independence and what it means for the 21st century energy economy. The idea is that each country should be able to stand on its own two feet in order to gain the fuel to grow. But here in the Baltic States, the major players want to be interdependent as well, joining grids to power everyone's future.

Monetary Lag - What a Drag! - 2006-05-26
I abhor lag. Having surmounted jetlag, I now have to deal with latitude lag up here at 57°N in Riga. Only five hours of true nighttime means little sleep for your correspondent, but plenty of time to think. Now, monetary lag is foremost in my mind. Let me explain.

Money - It's a Gas - 2006-05-02
In China, roads are being built. Other roads that have already been constructed are torn up and repaved. With an urban unemployment rate of 8%, the government has to have people do something...so sometimes they have them undo something.

Hopkins Hears a Hu - 2006-04-18
Man, I missed China. I missed delicious dumplings, eye-popping neon signs, and bombastic speeches. I especially missed the speeches. Halfway between high school coach and preschool teacher, Chinese bureaucrats have a flair for the sentimental as motivation. Last week in England, I refueled my reservoir of rhetoric.

The Premier's Old Coat - 2006-03-28
When you ask a stranger for directions in China, you'd better ask another. Though "which way is the post office?" wouldn't normally fall within the realm of opinion in most countries, I've learned that in China, saving face is more important than misleading someone.

Web Warriors - 2006-03-17
The great Baltimorean H.L. Mencken once quipped, "War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands." We remain unfortunately stagnant in our progress towards Mencken's horizon, but our contemplation of the belligerent institution is now a new source of profit.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is - 2006-03-14
It's the most infuriatingly oblivious statement I've ever heard, and it's all too common: ""If other countries want the American dollar, they've gotta speak English!"

Red Nightmares - 2006-03-07
Lenin stares at me while I sleep. I know it's not something you'd expect from an editor of Wealth Daily, but let me explain my motivation. The red satin banner on the wall next to my bed bears the face of that famous Bolshevik, and the following words in Russian...

Nukes and Naan - 2006-03-03
Christopher Columbus left home for India. He didn't get there. Our own president, George W. Bush, has found his own path, following the trail of corporations and entrepreneurs who made their way - correctly, unlike Columbus - to India to join East and West in the new and vital high-tech bridge between sides of the world.

Bra Wars: China Strikes Back - 2006-02-28
The Cantonese streets of Hong Kong are packed with Mandarin speakers, yammering away about the sights and sounds of their favorite Special Administrative Region.

PayPal Philanthropy - 2006-02-21
Last Friday, I introduced you to the mechanism of micro-finance as a catalyst of the future world economy.

Banking in Bengali - 2006-02-17
There's an unwritten rule in international business: the more dangerous the opportunity, the more enticing and astronomical the rewards could be.

Another Fulcrum - 2006-02-15
I remember riding in the front seat of a car in China and noting the nameplates of the cars in front of me, wondering, "Will names like Dongfeng ever roll off the tongues of American consumers?"

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