In the mercantalist age after 1500, that nation was Spain, with its mountains of silver. Recently, for China, Southeast Asia and others, that nation has been the US.

However, its looking increasingly like someone is going to have to come up with a new trick, because that particular trick seems to be wearing thin.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.