Comments on: Fear or elation: where are you?

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:39:35 +0000

Great point Karen.

By: Karenv

Karenv — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:34:10 +0000

Detlef, I am not an American and see things from the outside as well and I already see trust in the US eroded. How could it be any other way? Corruption? Deregulation? I don’t see business as usual with the US in the rest of the world. I think it will be a slow process of the States becoming a major power but one of several. Things are changing. The US economy may be the largest at the moment but I dare say it is not the strongest.

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:46:23 +0000

Hi Ian,
I love your line “able to jettison our capture by the past…” The choruses of fear mongering are all rooted in the broken system. Bold moves are never rotted in fear or the problem: they are in response to vision and a solution.

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:43:25 +0000

Thanks for clarifying “ugly” for us Detlef. I think it might be an understatement.

By: Ian Harris

Ian Harris — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:03:31 +0000

Good work! I agree totally. For those of us who have nothing to lose these circumstance represent the most exciting opportunity of our lifetime. Unfortunately we have to maintain a positive attitude to embrace the opportunity. This is not always easy when around us we hear the opposite message. If we are able to jettison our capture by the past we will find this task easier. Thank you Richard. Ian Harris´s last blog post..The Survival Trap is a free download and good read over the holiday period

By: Detlef Cordes

Detlef Cordes — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:38:08 +0000

Hi Karen, thank you for commenting on my comment. America is the biggest debtor of the world, it's dubbed "capital junkie of the world" as the United States depend on billions of Dollars streaming in from the outside every single day. This stream is continuing, people and governments all over the world are entrusting Uncle Sam with their savings. If they no longer do, the world economy collapses and with it the concept of "money" collapses. Which would be ugly, as 6 billion people cannot organize their lives and interact exchanging e.g. mussels. Detlef Cordes´s last blog post..Caring, Sharing, Weird Dialogue

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:40:27 +0000

Ted,
Your attitude is nothing shot of being an inspiration. I know I;m rooting for you and look forward to finding ways to help you on your quest.

By: ted villa

ted villa — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:36:02 +0000

Another excellent conversation. As someone who lost his job in December this whole thing is a blessing in disguise. I've had an idea to pursue my own venture for a while. The layoff was the motivator to make it happen. Is the market tough? Sure. Is there opportunity? Indeed. If I'd kept my gig I'd be miserable and sweating the next round of cuts but now I'm out here, hustling, networking meeting smart people and formulating how to ride this thing out and I'll have my answer in the end. If I make it as an entrepreneur cool, if I don't, I don't -- I can always get another cubicle job, because they will still be there, or find the next way to reinvent myself. ted villa´s last blog post..February Train Ride

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:18:17 +0000

Hello Karen,
Certainly, we all enjoy the threading of exchange and I encourage you to do that in this space at least. What’s interesting about Detlef’s perspective is not only his unique and clear voice, but that he looks at the US from the outside, and shares a sense of how America is seen from abroad.

By: Karenv

Karenv — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:00:28 +0000

I hope it’s OK to comment on a comment…

“…but a world with serious doubt about Uncle Sam’s ability to pay his debts would be a very ugly one.”

There already is doubt. Why “a very ugly one?” Things might be rough for awhile but you’d recover and/or morph into something different/better (i.e. some of the posts above) and the rest of us will be OK as well. Things are changing, powers shifting…

“Part of inspiring trust is to be a reasonable optimist.” I wonder if, in the past, optimism and arrogance have been a little confused.