Writing the Rules for a New World

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  • Posted By: onemind @ 01/02/2009 1:59:01 PM

    From the article, "How can we make government work for the vast majority of people, for future generations, for the broad welfare of society?"

    We also have to ask how we can make Wall Street work for the vast majority of people, for future generations, for the broad welfare of society? That seems to run contrary to the 'let the chips fall where they may' and the 'trickle down' philosophies of capitalism. We need establish a better balance from an understanding that we are all in this together.

    A social point not often brought up...many young people go for MBAs due to parental and/or peer pressure. I know personally that many who have done this are unhappy in their investment banking jobs. I worked for an investment bank and on several occasions the younger associates admitted to me they wish they'd done something else. This brings one to consider individual talent and desire. We aren't all cut out to work in the financial market. Many who work in it go through life as the round peg in the square hole. There are kids whose talents are in the sciences or arts for example but none the less there they are drudging through their days in financial firms because the money is better. That misplacement of talent and desire represents a loss to society as a whole.

    I don't believe in redistributing the wealth from people who work to people who (due to laziness) don't work but we have already redistributed the wealth to those on Wall Street and this needs to change. We need scientists, mathematicians, and yes even people in the fine arts to create a truly great society. We don't need to be favoring a huge imbalance to financial people. Let's face it, who do people have more respect for? The police officer on the beat or the stockbroker? One risks his life for you. The other risks your money for him. Something isn't right with the compensatory picture. Hopefully things will be adjusted into a healthier.

    • Posted By: McLovinB @ 01/02/2009 11:25:21 PM

      When I got my MBA, I felt as though the one goal of that training was to produce people who were able to value and protect capital through proper accounting, management, risk allocation, budgeting, etc.
      I do not feel sorry a bit for people who chose that path of education. Rather I am stunned at their collective incompetence. If American managers had simply sought to preserve capital through increased productivity and reasonable growth of businesses, then the world would be a much better place right now.
      Somebody should do a regression of the MBAs per thousand population vs. bankraptcies, defaults, scandals, and large operating losses. I think it would show that MBAs have turned out to be history's great destroyers of wealth.

      I have no idea what people in new MBA programs, say, of the last decade or so, have been taught, but it was demonstrably worthless.
      You mention that investment bankers are less valuable to society than policemen? You are much too kind. Society would have been better off if they had become garbage collectors, or simply unemployed.

      • Posted By: Asst_Prof @ 01/03/2009 7:14:08 PM

        I almost hate to admit it since I teach in a "Top 20" MBA program, but I agree with McLovinB and onemind. In particular, I agree that people in math, science, fine arts, etc. create wealth and a great society ... and, in a perfect world, the MBAs *assist* in that creation. Without getting bogged down in why MBA programs don't prepare people very well to assist in societal wealth creation, I would only say that we all--and particularly the people who go into MBA programs--would benefit tremendously by an increased emphasis on liberal arts education. Perhaps this would help those with MBAs to think a little more broadly and carefully about their role in society, and whether what they are doing is a Good Thing.

        • Posted By: RandyHiggins @ 01/05/2009 4:30:11 PM

          All true because B school became a way to gather windfalls not produce value. Creating a REIT may be profitable but it produces nothing, derivative investments were profitable but created nothing of value. Windfalls do not encourage the productivity that basic manufacturing, agriculture, and services provide a society.

      • Posted By: Asst_Prof @ 01/03/2009 7:14:57 PM

        I almost hate to admit it since I teach in a "Top 20" MBA program, but I agree with McLovinB and onemind. In particular, I agree that people in math, science, fine arts, etc. create wealth and a great society ... and, in a perfect world, the MBAs *assist* in that creation. Without getting bogged down in why MBA programs don't prepare people very well to assist in societal wealth creation, I would only say that we all--and particularly the people who go into MBA programs--would benefit tremendously by an increased emphasis on liberal arts education. Perhaps this would help those with MBAs to think a little more broadly and carefully about their role in society, and whether what they are doing is a Good Thing.

  • Posted By: RandyHiggins @ 01/05/2009 4:20:31 PM

    '...two massive forces. ...cheap credit...vast new pools of capital" except that neither of these was reality in a historical sense. They were illusions created by pseudo-economics. Now individuals are paying an exorbitant price for credit and no one can find capital pools. So the expense of credit was just deferred and the capital was spent before anyone could determine the value of derivatives. It won't get better until all concerned can see where the actual value in any investment is.

  • Posted By: GlobalPeon @ 01/05/2009 3:16:05 PM

    If all that governments needed to ensure a prosperous economy were a printing press and the ability to nationalize companies and industries, then Argentina and Zimbabwe would be the richest nations on the planet.

  • Posted By: GlobalPeon @ 01/05/2009 3:07:53 PM

    Yes, if only we could concentrate all the power into the hands of a few elite running the new One World Government, all of our problems would be solved! No more pesky national sovereignty. No more irritating individual freedoms. Just think of it - the elites would have total control and power over the masses. I'm sure they would be benevolent and let us keep all the crumbs we could eat --as long as we comply with all their regulations and don't complain. After all, they are the experts and know exactly what is best for the collective good.

  • Posted By: gardener09 @ 01/05/2009 2:48:23 PM

    "As bad as it looks, the current financial crisis will end. I don't know when or how, but the combination of government interventions will eventually work. Why do I say this? Because governments are more powerful than markets."

    Despite making statements as catastrophically stupid as this, this person gets published. The tragedy, though, is that there are catastrophically ignorant people out there who will believe this nonsense.

  • Posted By: aztriman @ 01/04/2009 11:09:01 PM

    The problems we are experiencing are not due to "success." They are due to bad policy. Bad currency policy (no gold standard) and bad fiscal policy (too much debt) are what caused our current problems. The ability to "print money" is not a costless event. Every dollar "printed" reduces the value of every dollar in existence. This author, like so many, don't understand the problem, and as a result they propose the wrong solutions.

  • Posted By: Glenno @ 12/31/2008 8:13:17 PM

    "Washington has a unique power, it can print money"?? Every country can print money and if that is the receipe for a good economy then Argentina would have ruled the world today. America has spent it way to bancrupcy, with no savings and nobody to lend America more money the printing press is the last resort which will destroy the currency.

    Only in America can Venezuela be viewed as a huge threat. It is a democratic country (at least until America is able to overthrow the government) and the only "crime" they have commited is to oppose US influence where it does not belong.

    Russia's biggest security threat is the US military buildup on their borders. So before labeling Russia as aggressive maybe try to think howthey can react any diferent with an aggressiv american military on their borders.

    • Posted By: MisterLuverman @ 01/04/2009 10:41:05 PM

      Dear Fareed,

      Please stick with politics, not economics. You go ahead and put your trust in the bozos who got us into this mess in the first place; who couldn't recognize an internet bubble, a housing bubble, and debt bubble of epic proportions.

      To claim that government is more powerful than markets...only a card-carrying member of the Communist party would have the audacity to make such a ridiculous comment.

    • Posted By: dclark345 @ 01/01/2009 7:09:18 PM

      Venezuela is not considered a huge threat.

      Also, Russia threatens any Eastern European nation that does not kneel to their will. The missiles systems are just a response to Russian threats. By the way, do you remember Georgia?

      • Posted By: McLovinB @ 01/02/2009 1:59:52 PM

        Yeah. I remember Georgia.

        Russia was serving a UN mandate to keep its forces in Ossetia, and it was being pelted with rockets on a daily basis from Georgia. Russians and Ossetians were killed. Hmmm. I wonder what Israel would do in a similar situation... oh.. I guess we have the answer to that.
        Russia invaded to take out missile sites and Georgia sought to bring US forces in. McCain said... WE ARE ALL GEORGIANS NOW!.... remember? After Russia pulled forces out, as it told people it would do from the beginning, the US gave Georgia 4.5 billion dollars in aid.
        All the attention on the Olympics allowed all kinds of spin to be put on that, but those are the facts. Furthermore, realize that Georgia would be Russian today if Russia wanted it that way. Russia does not want that. It does not recognize Ossetia as a sovereign nation, but it also knows that if it does not keep troops there, that they would probably kick the heck out of the Georgians as they have in the past. Or maybe the Georgians would be coming in looking for revenge.
        What a mess. But tell you what. It is Russia's mess, not an American mess, YET.

      • Posted By: Kuksha @ 01/02/2009 7:49:19 AM

        By the way you though have studied that provoker Saakashvili has done! You know at least that Saakashvili has carried the president of Poland on disputable territory - to get under bombardment and then to shout for the whole world. Too most if the president of Israel has carried Bush to Gaza Strip during war.

    • Posted By: dclark345 @ 01/01/2009 7:11:58 PM

      Russia is the one threatening Eastern Europe with their aggressive actions. The missile systems are a response to their aggression.

      No one considers Venezuela a big threat, Chavez is a blowhard who is doing nothing to build up his nation with their oil profits. He is just squandering the money they have brought in.

  • Posted By: jerralc @ 01/04/2009 7:00:34 PM

    As a Citizen of the United states I am amazed at what has happened the last 44 years as we have seen the rejection of the truth of the Word of God. We do not need order or rules we seem to think we are smarter than God and look at what we have reaped. Greed; more is better has ruined so many Americans to where it has grown to hurt everyone we deal with in our world. Life is not easy for never can we rely on mans wisdom it is Gods wisdom and understanding we need to have the knowledge that makes us better not worse.
    We have Governments that have gotten rrid of truth and the ability to trust one another. We have a economical world that wants more and more, not wanting to reeally help the poor but oppress the porr. We have religions that were not mention in this articale that is the most powerful element in our world. Look at what is going on with terrorism and how it is the dogmatic people that believe in someone else beside God who created us and gave us a Son Jesus to take away our sins as we confess or wrong. Lets come to grips with reality we need a Government, we need ana Economical base and we need a religion that is based upon the truth the way and the Life and that is God Word.
    Lord hel p us to get back to the basic so we can begin to enjoy one another on planet earth as we worship, reverence, pray to God and have Faith in God and hope in God that His well will be done in all of us. Jesus is ready to say that is enough and call the Church home and let the world defend for it's self against the forces of evil.
    I am ready and want suffering to stop, creed to stop, dogmatism to stop and and heaven to begin as I put my trust in the King of King and the Lord of Lords.
    Thank you Jerral Campfield 2forgive.org

  • Posted By: m.firer @ 01/04/2009 5:34:51 PM

    Liberal arts education vs conservative education, the latter's goal is to further increase the dominance over environment and people? So surely liberal arts educatin will continue to be treated as a joke. The true wealth costs NOTHING. It's free. Can't be bought. Can't be sold. This can be realized ONLY in the moment of a true crises, until then we're hanging in this bubble, living on a credit, in debt. But I'm telling you, it'll be reverted. Call it a revolution of minds if you like. Now THAT will be the great project of 21st century. A world beyond ideaologies and markets.

  • Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 01/04/2009 1:50:51 PM

    By: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet Of Environment.

    Since China is the indisputable leader of the entire world as mandated by Environment/God/Devil, naturally China should dictate all the rules and laws of this world. Opposition from any other nations will result in their total destruction and unbearable sufferings.

  • Posted By: phasti @ 01/02/2009 10:57:55 AM

    I am shocked by the comments I've seen so far. To me, theynappear to be written by those, and they are many - let's call a spare a spare - from the neocon conservative Republicans - who still see or want to see the USA (by the way, why do you all keep calling us "America", Canada is also iAmerica and Mexico, too - we are the United States" and are part of America!) as the biggest and the baddest and thus we make all the rules and don't need to listen to anybody. All of you nbeed to read Friedman's "The World Is Flat"!! You still don't get where this world is heading and do not understand or belive in Globalization. Fareed Zakaria, just like Thomas Frtiedman, are brilliant men. If only Fareed had been born in the USA (I don't think that was the case), he's make a great president becuase he understands what's happening, not the 3 of you who have just commented!!

    • Posted By: myrian luciana @ 01/03/2009 8:26:32 AM

      Clap clap man!!!

  • Posted By: myrian luciana @ 01/03/2009 8:20:43 AM

    Any country can print money. Any country can develop a way do solve its own problems. But if the solutions are all related to the stupidity and greed of the governors, so there we will have problems again. Good governments must have good people in them, and this depends on us, the voters.We have to watch them, every single day.

  • Posted By: wilsan @ 01/01/2009 12:26:39 PM

    This is Newsweak, the original "in the Tank for Obama" support Group. I don't give this rag much credence.

    Fareed is better than most of Newseeek's propaganda writers, but he misses one important concept; if any individual country can not fix their OWN problems, what good is it to bring dysfunctional countries together to fix the global problems?

    Fix our problems first - then, and only then, go fix the world.

    • Posted By: McLovinB @ 01/02/2009 1:48:30 PM

      Hmm. Seems like an ideology being formed here.
      But fixing America's problems, such as money for GM and debauching the currency, this is going to make America stronger?
      And these dysfunctional countries... these are what exactly? Countries with trade surpluses and high savings rates?
      In short, it seems to me that you want to fix America's problems, but you ignore that America IS the problem. In other words, if America had not been broken for the last decade or so, the world would be puttering on just fine. Fix America, and you will not need to worry about fixing the world.

  • Posted By: S2009 @ 01/02/2009 1:31:56 PM

    The continued talk about global cosmopolitans, no borders, coordination etc. are just more of the same. The premise that globalization is here and not going away is simply wrong. Globalization has been a massive failure. It is akin to making the argument that because your house price tripled at the peak (no discussion of the current value) whatever was must have been a steaming success. Just in time globalization is a faiilure plain and simple. It has created epic malinvestment that will result in prolonged stagnantion (or worse) for as far as the eye can see. Serious thinkers, I assume you consider yourself one, would do well to consider what the world would look like if globalization and financialization had not been pushed to limits that are simply inefficient. What might a world look like under Buffets, one of your own, balanced trade regime? Would China not have grown at 9% (lies, more lies and statistics) CAGR? Yes. But then nor would they be dealing with a regional resettlement issue. Would the US have stagnated and been forced into a period of capital accumluation as oopposed to spendthriftness? Yes. Would that capital no be available to be employed in productive ventures? Yes. For all the discussion of jihadism that gets tossed around, globalization and free trade are two consepts which never measure up to the parallel. Why? becuase these two things are akin to thier rails of conventional geopolitical dogma. If there were ever a term that deserve to be mentioned in the same breadth as jihadism, it is free trade. The globalization one worlders and their integration begets stability (read concentration of power) are the modern day equivilant of the money changers. They need to be driven from the temple, so says FDR. yet again "they" are emodied in the central banks around the world and their apologists in the debating halls around the world. Serious thinkers I would contend can;'t possibly belive that the soltuion to a problem lies in more of the same medicine.

  • Posted By: S2009 @ 01/02/2009 1:31:36 PM

    The continued talk about global cosmopolitans, no borders, coordination etc. are just more of the same. The premise that globalization is here and not going away is simply wrong. Globalization has been a massive failure. It is akin to making the argument that because your house price tripled at the peak (no discussion of the current value) whatever was must have been a steaming success. Just in time globalization is a faiilure plain and simple. It has created epic malinvestment that will result in prolonged stagnantion (or worse) for as far as the eye can see. Serious thinkers, I assume you consider yourself one, would do well to consider what the world would look like if globalization and financialization had not been pushed to limits that are simply inefficient. What might a world look like under Buffets, one of your own, balanced trade regime? Would China not have grown at 9% (lies, more lies and statistics) CAGR? Yes. But then nor would they be dealing with a regional resettlement issue. Would the US have stagnated and been forced into a period of capital accumluation as oopposed to spendthriftness? Yes. Would that capital no be available to be employed in productive ventures? Yes. For all the discussion of jihadism that gets tossed around, globalization and free trade are two consepts which never measure up to the parallel. Why? becuase these two things are akin to thier rails of conventional geopolitical dogma. If there were ever a term that deserve to be mentioned in the same breadth as jihadism, it is free trade. The globalization one worlders and their integration begets stability (read concentration of power) are the modern day equivilant of the money changers. They need to be driven from the temple, so says FDR. yet again "they" are emodied in the central banks around the world and their apologists in the debating halls around the world. Serious thinkers I would contend can;'t possibly belive that the soltuion to a problem lies in more of the same medicine.

  • Posted By: richardhenricks @ 01/02/2009 9:54:35 AM

    All the countries that Mr. Zakaria would like to see inherit the world will have to stop being Third World Countries before they can do it. The only thing he has proven thus far is that, much like the rest of the world, he would love to see America fail. He needs to tweak his misinformation a bit more. (not sure where all those question marks came from)

    • Posted By: McLovinB @ 01/02/2009 12:53:02 PM

      Wow. Denial. What nerve of some Americans to call your bankers third world countries.
      Americans did this to themselves. GM, Madoff, the Bush wars and deficits. It is pitiful and counterproductive to blame that on others.
      But even blaming only them would not be sufficient.... you are going to blame the fact that Americans have had basically no savings for decades on third world countries? How did that work? China told millions of Americans to sign mortgages without reading them? Russia told Americans to buy SUVs?
      How can you say that these countries would like to see America fail? They are America's largest creditors. I think you lack perspective here.
      Watch who you are calling a third world country bub. Get in line to ask for your loan to keep your government going. People in other countries have been saving, but you better ask nicely if you want them to bail you out... AGAIN.
      Americans have not stumbled once or twice. They have now destroyed more capital --- a loss to world civilization --- than Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin, and Hitler combined. Poof... GONE! The seed corn of civilization just frittered away on stock market schemes, mortgage and insurance scams, bad management, war, and a lot of etceteras. Please stop thinking that all this was just an honest mistake and that other countries are just chuckling and muttering "oops" quietly. It is a huge failure attributable to idiocy or kleptocracy. Whichever it is, the US has become a huge credit risk. That is the reality.

      Maybe instead of watching Rambo and Rocky movies, people in the US should be watching Trading Places and Americathon.

  • Posted By: sayitboldly @ 01/02/2009 12:32:43 PM

    The Bible says "The government will be on His shoulders.." Its interesting to note that when Jesus came the first time we of course killed him but not before he quoted same book as mentioned above...but he stopped at a certain point indicating when he comes back the second time he will pick up where he left off. HE said on his first visitation The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

    2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD
    But he stops here...and says today you have seen this fulfilled....the next verse is....and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

    3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

    4And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

    5And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

    6But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

    7For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

    8For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

    9And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.

    10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

    11For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.


    So God will come back....the bible predicts it...it also predicts a one world government with a world dictator that everyone will love at first because he will be able to solve problems....

  • Posted By: McLovinB @ 01/02/2009 12:32:14 PM

    It is a disorganized article.
    One of the greatest contradictions seems to be the assertion that America has lost power, authority, etc., but it must make the rules. Uh. Yeah. Right.
    The US is looking a lot like Donald Trump nowadays: Puffed up about how it nearly bankrupts its creditors while further indebting itself. The GM bailout underscores the stupidity of the US situation. Leave it to Zakaria to fall for the illusion that the US will be calling the shots by default (pun intended) in the new world. If you believe that D. Trump is a business genius, you will fall for anything, I guess, even a bad toupee. It is amusing to see all of the America-firsters on this board struggle to defend borrow-spend-borrow-spend-borrow-spend as something the world should emulate. Since when did a Visa card become a US passport? No shame in bankruptcy? --- Must be the US.
    Someone is saying that Zakaria is always accurate. Well, I think it is accurate to say that the processes shaping the new world are now out of US hands. What the US will do now is inflate its way out of this mess. Yes, it will buy more, but all of those purchases will just put Americans increasingly in debt to other countries, where people who live in deserts do not buy speedboats, seventy year olds do not buy cabins for ski vacations, and twilight industries are not bailed out with public treasure. Everyone would fall in line behind the US if everyone spent money as foolishly as Americans, to be sure. But that is clearly not the case. Oh, and that is to say nothing of the hubris and horror of war, which is apparently a habit that the American government cannot kick.
    As the dollar plummets and Volcker tries to burn out an inflationary problem that will make 1982 look like a cake walk, who will be making the rules? America? As real wages continue to fall, taxes go up, and foreclosed homes moulder, the US will simultaneously tell its citizens to spend more to stimulate the economy, save more for their own retirements, and accept higher taxes to pay for hubris.
    And then it will tell other countries what to do? Not likely.

  • Posted By: rakimi @ 01/02/2009 12:30:46 PM

    The future belongs to those who would do more for humanity. Mr. Zakaria is looking for ways to improve the world. He may be wrong in his assessment, at least he is not hidding behind a petit conservatism or autarcy. Whether we like it or not, the world is changing and the real challenge is if we are prepared to meet or wait till we are forced to comply. In this case, we loose too much and become what the former Russia has witnessed.

  • Posted By: nostraseamusdotcom @ 01/02/2009 11:20:13 AM

    Where is this post-American world, Mr. Zakaria? Over the summer, I read in another publication that emerging markets such as China and India would weather the impending downturn in the American economy. When the bubble burst, Russia crowed that it made up one pole of the new world financial axis. Now there are riots in China because workers aren't being paid and Russia closes its financial markets for days at a time. For years the rest of the world, and indeed our own president-elect, has condenmed American consumerism. We buy too much. We drive too much. We eat too much. Well, now the world is looking for Americans to start spending again. I find it amazing how the rest of the world is so quick to consign America to irrelevance until the rest of the world needs a few boots on the ground or plasma tvs purchased.

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