Where are we headed?

"Investment Biker" by Jim Rogers (finished reading on April 18, 2002).

The book is about Jim Rogers (and his girlfriend Tabitha Estabrooks) journey around the world riding BMW motorcycles. It is not only a memoir of this journey, but also a look at how a prosperous investor determines how to invest.

First hand experience, history, and prospects for the future all seem to be important. Although it is a concept I've thought of before (due to a background in history), it is interesting to hear others ponder the "lifespan" the United States will have. History has shown that all countries are dynamic. The rise and fall of governments and the changes in geographic borders has been constant. It is somewhat apathetic and naive to think that the United States is above such a fall. I in now way would want this to happen but in looking reviewing history most great countries rot from within (sometimes it comes from outside). I believe that a large percentage of the population are apathetic (I am not above this in some respects). How many of us take an active interest in politics with the belief that we really can change things? Although we may vote in national elections, how many take the time to follow local elections which often have more impact on our daily lives?

Another thought provoking statement from Rogers "The success of a country, a culture, an enterprise, a people-particularly a very great success-also contains the seeds of its decline, possibly its destruction." (p72) The United States reached a pinnacle? The United States saw incredible growth during the Industrial Revolution. Not only were there new inventions and innovations in the fields of transportation, food production, construction, and farming but there was also a fundamental change in the individual and the families. At the turn of the century and in the succeeding decades huge numbers of people moved from rural locations to the prosperous new cities where industrialization created offered new opportunities. The "assembly-line" method of production was one of many steps that while being an incredible time-saving and money-making device actually would lead to a loss of jobs in the American market place. Later the growth of computers and the subsequent mechanization of American industry further has led to a drop in the number of employees need in many industries. I am not against computers or the future. These innovations do not need to be seen as the "seeds" of our destruction. It is time for innovation. Maybe it is time to focus on questions like what are we producing in this country. I am not against other countries being prosperous who are we to deny the individuals and countries bettering themselves. Let's not produce just to produce...there is enough of that coming over from China. Let's look towards energy, food, and sustainability. That should be our future.

Another topic Rogers discusses is the idea of progress. He says, "I know all the arguments of how we must stop the boot heel of progress, how we must preserve the way things were in the good old days. I'm not convinced there were any good old days." (p 57) Time and the continuous push for so-called progress seems to promote this euphemism of the "good old days."


One of the dilemmas is that we can't stop change, and is it anyone's right to deny what would appear (to most) to be progress and prosperity to developing groups or nations. Sounds like the continuous dilemmas that anthropologists try to deal with. For the good of whom? Are we (in general) trying to just maintain a museum like quality among what are considered traditional life ways? How does this hurt/hinder the growth and development of people?


...take a breather...

I think it would be interesting to hear what Jim Rogers' opinion of today's world climate is in comparison to those offered in this book. The book was written prior to September 11, 2001. His ideas on the growth of Muslim influence and the prophetic statement that the fight would not be so much of capitalism vs. communism but instead Christianity vs. Muslim is interesting. Rogers suggested that communists would no longer be the scapegoats and that instead Christians would be put on the spot.

Well, enough for today. Maybe I should have mentioned the investing...wait...I did. Invest in ourselves and others.