Tell Me I'm Wrong

Regarding business, I'm inclined to be negative.

Here are my two non-business cents (I'm on a day pass from the Living section). I think the gains were mostly based on cutting jobs and that will no longer be a source of increased profits for the foreseeable future.

I don't think consumer spending will jump up any time soon globally, because consumer confidence seems to be down and the momentary bumps of "hypomanic" exuberance have no foundation.

Without any clear vision for something that will cause people to spend we can have no coherent strategy. And without either I think what we are seeing are special interests fighting each other for dwindling parts of the pie.

What do we need? I think the heads of all influential nations need to come together and build a shared vision that will spontaneously enroll all peoples. From that a coherent strategy can follow. If this doesn't happen, we will continue to see the global equivalent of special interest countries fighting for dwindling parts of the global pie.

I think the Internet can play a critical role in providing an infrastructure to move us globally in the direction of a shared vision and shared commitment and through its potential for transparency, to smoke out and get rid of anything or anyone that derails us from that vision.