Complicating the current credit crunch crisis and worldwide economic downturn is the fact that some 75% of emerging markets have a political risk rating of medium high or extremely high. This is critical information to North American- and Europe-based business involved in and interested in expanding to new markets in the natural resources and manufacturing sectors, according to London, UK-based Control Risks, an independent, specialist risk consultancy.

This red flag should serve as a wakeup call to those expanding companies when engaged in the process of entering these markets to be more aware of these added political risks and seek to alleviate these risks.

With many investors worrying daily about the rough rides of the major stock exchanges, is there any hope on the horizon?

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Online retailing and the digitization of information goods have changed the commercial environment: Virtual shelf space is infinite, consumers can search through endless options, and the marginal cost of reproducing and distributing products is now low.

These conclusions come from “The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More”, authored by Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine.  He argues that the sudden availability of niche offerings more closely tailored to consumer's tastes will lure them away from homogenized hits. The “tail” of the sales distribution curve, he says, will become longer, fatter, and more profitable.

While almost everyone on Wall Street hypes stocks, and the proponents of globalization continue to sing from their hymnbook, I have thought for a long time that all this economy will suffer a great crash.

I am not alone. Over a week ago, the highly respected Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)  published a report which warned investors that we are on the brink of one of the worst stock and credit market crashes in 100 years. The author, Bob Janjuah, Senior Credit Strategist at the Royal Bank of Scotland said,: