What will 2010 see? For starters, there are signs some entire countries may be in severe financial trouble: Dubai, Greece, Spain, not to mention California, by itself the fourth largest economy in the world. What happens when and if the whole jerry built house of cards we laughingly call the global economy implodes of its own inefficiencies, corruption and contradictions? What happens when the US is one of the failed states? Who will bail these countries out? Who will be the world’s banker? Think Walmart. Think of the container ships carrying Made In China to the far reaches of the globe. 

 

 

First Dubai, then Greece and Spain

The old Iron Curtain too

They fall like petals in the rain

As debts and rents come due

The World Bank trembles as the rot

Spreads slowly through the stream

While Exchequers, the whole damn lot

Insist it’s just a dream

A dream that once the handle’s found

Will turn to gold again

Smart men will turn this thing around

The only question’s when

The Chinese seeing this unfold

Demand from USA

That T-bills be redeemed in gold

And we say cannot pay

The Europeans hunker down

The Deutschmark reappears

Young Brits leave old ones in the town

The Norsemen sharpen spears

Then up spake ‘Bama at the bridge

“I’ll hold them off!” he cried

Then took a sandwich from the fridge

And shrugged and said, “I tried.”

And so it ended then and there

The world now marched in ranks

For every town now had a pair

Of lovely Chinese banks