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Lancaster — known throughout the U.S. as Pennsylvania Dutch Country — is about 40 minutes away from my house. And whenever I pass through the area, I'm reminded of what it means to be truly self-sufficient.
The region's many Amish inhabitants grow their own food ... help each other build their houses ... and use horse and buggies instead of gas-addicted cars. Heck, they were "green" before the term became fashionable.
I frequently interact with Amish famers at our local markets, and they are always happy and courteous. Plus, their products are top-notch. My own house was built by Amish craftsman in the 1980s from a reclaimed barn and the workmanship is impeccable. (more)
“The chart above places the Greek crisis in a global context. As expected, countries like Italy and Greece are high on the list. But surprisingly, the US is on par with Spain and Portugal. America's three-year funding requirement seems much more ominous when viewed in absolute dollars.
“Most central bankers of the world realize this fact. That's why they all wish to support Greece -- not because they care about Greece, but because they care about avoiding close scrutiny of their own finances.
“Runaway government borrowing creates a frightening context for any would-be buyer of government bonds. That's why long-dated bonds may be some of the riskiest assets on the planet at the moment.”
That would be a core component of our new “Trade of the Decade”: Buy Japan, Short U.S. debt.