Colombia Blog

**kernow**

A few weeks ago we were all talking about the end of Europe. However the stronger economies are showing fairly healthy growth. So will this inspire confidence in the US and boost the US economy, a counter to the news from Greece which was blamed for dragging the US economy down. Perhaps the US will drag down the stronger European countries once again? All the while China is roaring ahead. The strengthening of the Euro and GBP may hurt the recovery too and in turn the weakening dollar may boost the US.

It is all very complex isn't it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-23/u-k-expansion-german-confidence-indicate-europe-s-recovery-strengthening.html
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**Michael** · Posted: Thu 07 29, 2010 9:00 am Post subject:

I never thought Greece was draging the US economy down, just a bunch of talking heads to make the maket drop were, there was a Fed report this week that stated in part of the country things are slowing down while other areas remain flat, I do not believe the US economy will grow much this year, there is a debateon the Bush tax cuts going on currently and if they are extended it will help and if not it will cause a drag on the economy. The talk is they will be extended for two years more but onl the middle class cut the cut for high rollers will end this year, but with gridlock in Congress who knows what we will get...........
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**kernow** · Posted: Thu 07 29, 2010 10:58 am Post subject:

With the way markets panic on the slightest bad news I wonder if they bounce back quite the same on a bit of good news. It seems a very fickle thing and seems to be largely based on the instant ability to sell off shares and equally quickly buy shares.
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**kernow** · Posted: Thu 07 29, 2010 11:03 am Post subject:

I personally think it is just a blip and that the UK will again head toward a recession. The news that there was 6.6 per cent jump in construction activity - the largest quarterly rise since since 1963. I think may bolster consumer confidence a bit, but I think things are going to get worse yet.
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**BillyB** · Posted: Thu 07 29, 2010 1:37 pm Post subject:

Not much progress to show for a trillion dollars worth of new debt. I wonder how much that works out for every job they claim to have "created" or, new terminology here, "saved"? BTW, Greece is just a gnat on Europe's economic ass, it was the trend they represented that spooked the markets.

**pedro** · Member Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Medellin

This recent article claims that the USA's public sector debt is worse than that of Greece:

Click the first link.

http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&cf=all&ned=au&hl=en&q=uncle+sam+greece+kotlikoff
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**vincent** · Posted: Fri 07 30, 2010 12:19 pm Post subject:

wish someone would 'spook' the markets as the dollar is like 1834 here now....luckily we moved here and bought the furnishings etc at 2500.
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JD · Posted: Mon 08 16, 2010 3:32 pm Post subject:

**Rubito** · Posted: Mon 08 16, 2010 5:20 pm Post subject:

Everything everybody ever bitches about about Colombia is tied to a weak peso... all the corruption and the domination of the narco-economy gets WORSE with a weak peso... a strong peso "democratizes" the economy here and forces industry to think more along the lines of added value... it internally lessens the importance of the cocaine exports and all the cronyist nepotist industries like the flowers and coffee and sugar etc...

If you really care about Colombia's LONG TERM health as a country you'd be all for a strong COP.... with a weak COP it will slide back into being a banana republic...
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**vincent** · Posted: Mon 08 16, 2010 6:12 pm Post subject:

**Borsia** · Posted: Mon 08 16, 2010 6:16 pm Post subject:

I think a stronger Euro is a stretch given that most of the countries involved are in such bad shape. If Germany is really clever they will go back to their own currency since they are the only member doing well.
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**Rubito** · Posted: Mon 08 16, 2010 9:11 pm Post subject:

Good point... the German economy should be a model for Colombia's future.... VALUE ADDED EXPORTS... DESPITE the fact that Germany's economy is even MORE export-geared than that of Colombia they are doing alright..... take note...
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JD · Posted: Tue 08 17, 2010 1:28 pm Post subject:

**vincent** · Posted: Tue 08 17, 2010 2:32 pm Post subject:

**Rubito** · Posted: Tue 08 17, 2010 8:34 pm Post subject:

**pedro** · Member Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Medellin

What kind of adding value ventures need to be created that don't already exist?

Wouldn't a lot of them fall short of being viable due to the lack of intellectual property protection in Colombia?

I mean, why bother to prove up a new idea when others will just keep copying it until all the profit is taken out?
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**Rubito** · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 1:39 am Post subject:

WTF are you going on about??? Intellectual property is taken VERY VERY VERY VERYYYYYYYYYYY seriously here. I personally think way too seriously actually.
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**pedro** · Member Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Medellin

**Rubito** · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 9:53 am Post subject:

Every big city in the world has people selling pirated material on the street corners bro.

Colombia has the LOWEST level of intellectul property theft in the whole Western Hemisphere.
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**pedro** · Member Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Medellin

**vincent** · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 11:01 am Post subject:

JD · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 11:45 am Post subject:

**Rubito** · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 1:34 pm Post subject:

Yeah JD but that's a WORLDWIDE problem, hardly specific to Colombia.

I've seen first hand how SAYCO operates and I've also seen first hand how BMI and ASCAP operate. SAYCO is WAYYYYYYYY more draconian in collecting. You'd not even believe it.

I dunno where I read that statistic, but from what I've seen here first hand I have no problem believing it.

And where's this lack of bandwidth you guys are complaining about?? My internet connection works just fine here...
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**vincent** · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 3:09 pm Post subject:

good news on your bandwidth.

can you download HBO's John Adam's series for me and burn me some cd's, I'll send you my address.

Thanks so much!
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"Arms will make you free, rule of law will give you freedom." Santander

**caliman** · Posted: Wed 08 18, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject: