Thanks, Bill, I thought that was outstanding. Of course, it's probably because I agree with almost everything he wrote, except his statement that bird flu kills half the people it infects. Actually, it appears that bird flu is not very deadly at all. Most people have not died from bird flu, and it looks as if there are many people who get bird flu and don't even know they have it because it's so mild.

Thank you for sharing that, Bill. It was a very interesting and informative read. I must say, however, that I had a problem with some of the prose (haunted as it is by the ghost of L. Rukeyser) and so I have to ask a very naive question: is the Club of Rome something other than the Catholic Church?

number2son:

The Club of Rome was the group behind the founding of the Common Market, which grew up to be the EU. It was also the name of a New Wave band out of Chicago in the 1980s. Neither group was formally affiliated with the Pope.

Bill:

Thanks for the Don Coxe link. It is truly amazing what one can get free on the internet these days.

Hi Bll and friends,

Anybody know if (and where) we can download future publications by Don Coxe of BMO Harris?

Disregard my earlier question. Basic Points can be found here: http://corporate.bmo.com/publications/basicPoints/default.asp

cheers.

TempusFugit,

Thanks for the filling that rather large hole in my knowledge of economic history.

Also, while I'm here -- I just saw that Garcia is the likely winner in the Peruvian presidential election. That should give a boost to the oil and mining stocks doing business in that country.