The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers

Joke of the Year.
The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers - Bernanke at No1; Obama at No.2;

for fixing the US Economy. True they really succeeded in fixing it! Unemployment in US- official 10%, unofficial 20% or near abouts. growth -ve or zero. A little confused, there. No. of US Banks failing every month in double digits. Gold and other commodities gains in value in an unprecedented manner, more so since there is no currency, which world can depend on anymore.

These days, everyone gets garlanded for their intentions, and not for what they have achieved, starting with the Nobel Peace prize.

Foreign Policy's First Annual List of the 100 Top Global Thinkers | Foreign Policy

The Zen-like chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve might not have topped the list solely for turning his superb academic career into a blueprint for action, for single-handedly reinventing the role of a central bank, or for preventing the collapse of the U.S. ...

Shifting sands for Dubai's property dream

"In 2008, it was announced that the new Palazzo Versace hotel in Dubai would have a beach which featured refrigerated sand. At the moment the only people getting cold feet are the people looking to invest in Dubai. And while that situation continues, many of Dubai's construction projects will remain on ice."

It uses as much electricity as an entire city. And every time the toilet is flushed they've got to pump water half a mile into the sky," Jim Krane, author of "City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism".

Shifting sands for Dubai's property dream - CNN.com

For the past decade, Dubai has been home to the greatest concentration of cranes anywhere in the world as billions of tonnes of concrete, steel and glass have refashioned the city skyline.

It is a "Prisoner's Dilemma"

It is a "Prisoner's Dilemma" - for China and many other countries having huge reserves in USD. If they withdraw funds from US, the USD loses value and their reserves in USD gets hit. If not, in any case USD loses value and your funds gets hit. And the country which acts first by withdrawing from USD loses the least, b...ut gets punished by the US. And if it doesn't withdraw, in any case it loses its assets.Read more

China is trying at least to diversify its assets. It is also earmarking further investments in Euro And Yen as well as in raw materials and companies & assets around the world.

China doesn't look much better off!!

“same boat, mutual help” (help one another, we’re all in the same boat)
—Chinese saying.

The biggest mall in the world is not the famous Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. It’s the South China Mall outside of Guangzhou, China.

And four years after its construction, the mall sits virtually empty of both shops and shopp...ers.

The Hummer which marked the end of GM is being bought by China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy
Industrial Machinery Co.

China doesn't look much better off!!Read more

A resurgence in China? | Energy Bulletin

Source: www.energybulletin.net

If you plan for a year, plant a seed. If for ten years, plant a tree. If for a hundred years, teach the people. When you sow a seed once, you will reap a single harvest. When you teach the people, you will reap a hundred harvests.—Kuan-Tzu (Taoist, died 645 BC)

"The Dragon spews fire at the Elephant"

""There was a time when
the Sandhurst-trained Indian military personnel retired to the cool hill
stations and spent the sunset of their lives playing bridge or going for long
walks and regaling their visitors with their wartime stories while sipping
wh...isky.






Nowadays, the smart ones among the retired generals and top bureaucrats take up
residence in Delhi's suburbs and overnight transform themselves into "strategic
thinkers".""

"The Dragon spews fire at the Elephant"Read more

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan

Source: atimes.com

Asia Times Online. The Asia News Hub providing the latest news and analysis regarding economics, events and trends in business, economy and politics throughout Asia.

Bubble in bubbles - time to close bar

Bubble in bubbles - time to close bar:

Looks like superficial arguments. Positively true for China. But unlikely where India is concerned.

"Asset prices are being driven more by unusually low interest rates than economic fundamentals": where, in India !!!

BloombergUTV: Expert Opinion, Stock Market Expert Columns, Market Expert Interviews, Expert Financia

Source: www.bloombergutv.com

Know more about market with market experts as BloombergUTV.com offers market expert views, expert opinion, stock expert columns, market expert interviews, expert financial advice, stock market expert blogs.

Berkshire on US economy!

"There's a German saying: Man is too soon old and too late smart. We were too late smart. We finally realized that railroads now have a huge competitive advantage, with double stacked railcars, guided by computers, moving more and more production from China, etc. They have a big advantage over truckers in huge classes ...of business." Berkshire co-Chairman Charlie Munger's comment a couple of year back.

Read this along side Buffets statement "an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States".

Do we presume Berkshire believes American economy will be more and more dependent on moving products from China.

Very Un Buffetly!!

3 reasons - 1. The man who says he hates derivatives, used also derivatives ( selling puts) as a way of investing in the railroad industry, BNSF (BNI). 2. Says in his own words "an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States" 3. The man who never agreed to split the Berkshire share, agree...s to a 50:1 split. Is it really a spit or splintering!!!

When the firm has a huge amount of money to invest, it is difficult to find an industry which can last more than 20 years, especially in present day US.Read more

Berkshire to Acquire Burlington Northern - WSJ.com

Source: online.wsj.com

Berkshire Hathaway agreed to buy the portion of Burlington Northern railroad it doesn't already own for $26 billion in cash and stock. The acquisition would be the largest ever for Warren Buffett's

India beats china to it!

“The biggest single central-bank purchase that we know about for at least 30 years in such a short period,”

It is not as much like "it showed large buyers are ready to accept the current price levels", but more like compared to holding USD reserves, it may be wiser holding gold.

Gold Climbs to Record as India’s Central Bank Buys From IMF - Bloomberg.com

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Gold jumped to a record after India’s central bank bought 200 metric tons of the metal from the International Monetary Fund, heightening speculation that there may be more official purchases.

More on India buying gold from IMF.
When one is buying and another selling, it doesn't increase price. If a hype is made, and many more want to buy, and there is not enough available at that price, then only a bubble is created. And now may be a hype is being created.

http://www.bloombergutv.com/experts-opinions/market-experts-column/659/india_shows_hedge_fund_savvy_with_gold_buy.html