The Qatar Investment Authority is in talks about taking a strategic stake in National Bank of Greece, the eurozone countryâs biggest lender. People familiar with the discussions say the Gulf stateâs sovereign wealth fund, via its unit Qatar Holding, would acquire about 5-7 per cent of NBG, about â¬250m ($304m), in line with an investment policy of buying stakes below 10 per cent in financial institutions. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d2ac3208-839b-11df-b6d5-00144feabdc0.html Quatar seems on a buying spree...
Anyone remember the 70's, and all the fear of Japan taking over the world, buying up everything in the US? This could be our only chance, for the 2nd and 3rd world to come in and bargain hunt. Otherwise we are staring into the abyss, as they say. The western world (and I include Japan here) has had its day in the sun. It will be someone else's turn to be ascendant now. Westerners will have to learn to live with that. It is the way of the world. The obese and lazy who think they are entitled to everything will be replaced by the young, hungry, and ambitious. Which is as it should be. The attitude of our so-called leaders reminds me of my dear pet. She used to try to bag birds and squirrels, tear the legs off of any insect who dared to show itself in the house, and generally kick ass. After all these years of treats, petting and indulgence, she just snoozes all day, her plump little body spilling onto the pillows of the king size bed, and commences meowing if the food dish is not brimming full or if her neck is not being scratched enough. Lucky for her, there is no end to the stimulus packages available here. It's going to be all tuna treats and cream until her number is up. The rest of us ought to know better.