• William Laraque, Managing Director at US-International Trade Services


• 23.07.2015 01:00 am
undisclosed

These are the times that try men's souls: the summer soldier and sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph.

Thomas Paine, The Crisis, December 1776

Democracy and Reputational Risk

In sum, financial systems are undergoing upheaval. In the process, the role of commercial banks, investment banks, community banks, credit unions, microlenders and economic development organizations will be altered as these investment avenues become more inclusive, more diffuse and more egalitarian. In the final analysis not only are the returns from the Saudi-American profit sharing model higher but its investment process is more democratic and less violent than the alternatives. What we have done is to create a platform which makes the profit sharing model more democratic still.

Einstein said that "any intelligent fool can make a system bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and enormous courage to move things in another direction."

The reputational risk of economic and job development programs affect the human consciousness.

The signal of democracy in financial services and nation building must be modulated so that it can be received through all the noise from all the empty vessels, from all the empty nonsense and propaganda; all the role/goal confusion of plutocracy and tyranny. This is what America stands for. This is what the torch of Liberty stands for. Liberty is the Light, the lamp beside the golden door.

The Rock

All of the economic development models I have written about face the same impediments in the actualization of success in the pursuit of happiness. The obstacles for the investor and trade participants are political risk, economic risk, foreign currency risk, cybersecurity risk as well as reputational risk. We will deal with each one of these risks in due course. Cybersecurity risk is particularly asymmetrical and we will deal with this risk in XIV. "Running Against the Wind."

Rocks represent the best and the worst of humanity. They represent the Spring of hope with Hamilton and Napoleon. They also represent the Winter of discontent with Hamilton who killed Aaron Burr, his brother, not far from the Statue of Liberty. Napoleon brought law and administration. He also brought war, violence and death.

Do you see the Light?

"Do you hear the people sing?"