On: Never short a country with $2 trillion in reserves?

[ErrantX]

Not completely. A lot of it was built by explorers and entrepreneurs. There is a difference nowadays; but lots of parallels too.

[fauigerzigerk → ErrantX]

Admirable as they may be individually, they were part of a very tiny social class and their funding came from the ruling cleptomaniac families.

[ErrantX → fauigerzigerk]

You dont see this today either?

[fauigerzigerk → ErrantX]

I do see it, but access to opportunities is now much broader than it was in Europe's aristocratic past.

[Quarrelsome → fauigerzigerk]

What, like the Bushes?

[fauigerzigerk → Quarrelsome]

I'm afraid it used to be much worse, even if it's hard to believe after having just suffered through the Bush years. I grant you that ;-)