A Video Look Ahead at 2012
Friday, December 30, 2011 at 6:29PM Most of you are already away from your computers/iphones/ipads and taking another long weekend for the New Year. And we salute you! As for me, I am sitting at one of my offices in Acapulco... a bar named Mangos, working on my laptop. This is as close as I come to "taking time off". I just move from my apartment to Starbucks and then to a beach bar in Acapulco and work from here! But it beats a cubicle, no?
Acapulco has been great. I was away for a few months, mostly based out of Cabo San Lucas since September, but Cabo just made me realize how special Acapulco is. For one, you might as well be in the US in Cabo... there is nothing Mexican there, save for the Carlos and Charlies and Senor Frogs to make timid and unadventurous Americans feel like they've just experienced another culture. Secondly, the weather in Acapulco is second to none in the world if you like hot and sunny every day of the year. It ranges between 29C/84F to 35C/95F every single day of the year. In Cabo right now you need a jacket at night... Here they don't know what a jacket is.
As well, the US caused "war on drugs" violence all but stopped here a few months ago. In reality, it was NEVER an issue... not for anyone who lives in the tourist area... nor for anyone who had no involvement in the drug trade. But, it did scare off a lot of tourists. Well, now, nothing has happened for months. I've asked around and no one knows why. I think I know why, though. Down here they are still all very connected... and they are all very family oriented and, in general, of anarchist tendencies (anti-government). So, after a certain period of government caused problems the people of Acapulco said, as a whole, "enough is enough". They self-healed. Mothers, fathers, brothers, uncles and aunts just said to all their siblings who may have been involved in the honorable free-market business of supplying products to consumers, that the violence needed to stop.
It's one of the things I love most about down here. The people. Only someone who has spent time here to understand the culture would even scratch the surface of it. But, for months now, the city, almost as a living being, has said, "stop".
And, almost without hesitation, the world returned to Acapulco. I wasn't here, but there was an amazing Red Bull airshow in Acapulco Bay (the 2nd most beautiful bay in the world, IMHO.. the first being Rio de Janiero). The video is pretty cool (below). For those wondering, I live right in front of that large rock right in the middle of the bay in the AcaCondos building (where we now have a number of dollar vigilantes who own beach condos).
In recent weeks there have also been concerts on the beach, like Wisin and Yandel (world famous latino artists: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3nnvpscjUY). The streets are full and the mood is festive. Acapulco is back. It was never going anywhere... this place has been a survivor for 500 years, orginating global trade from here to Manila 400 years ago! Something which still has most of the people in this region of part-Asian blood... and celebrating Chinese New Year fervently each year.
And, what I've realized personally is that my heart is here in Acapulco. My wife is from here and my daughter was raised here. And I am so happy to be back... and so happy to see it is self-healing from all the depredations of the US Government. Hopefully they keep a few of those high powered arms from Eric Holder to fight any future US invasion.
A VIDEO LOOK AHEAD AT 2012
But, to get back to the subject of this blog, I recorded an interview today with Phil Mackesy of HoweStreet.com/TalkDigitalNetwork.com where we talked about the coming year. I thought this would be as good as any blog to post on December 30, 2011. So, it is posted below. We'll likely have a short Weekend Vigilante tomorrow and then the next time you here from us will be next year... in 2012.
You can view the video on YouTube at the following URL: http://youtu.be/D-CFe62Gd_E or click on the video below:
All the best from us at TDV for being a part of our experience in 2011 and we look forward to a fun and interesting 2012 with you!
Jeff Berwick, the Dollar Vigilante, on HoweStreet.com/TalkDigitalNetwork.com with Phil Mackesy
Reader Comments (3)
Happy New Year to all of you too!
You say in a free market system you rarely have anything except minor bumps etc.
There were numerous booms, busts and depressions pre-central banks. A pure free market system while always the best system is not perfect and certainly not immune to the business cycle which creates booms and busts. Prior to state intervention, you had massive booms and busts every 5 years. It was very difficult to deal with it. Not a fan of state intervention but these are the facts.
If you're talking about the USA, remember that there has NEVER been a truly free-market and when it was relatively free there was no free-market in money.