Thomas Smicklas

What Does It Take to Become a Truly Competent Investor?

Investing is very simple - in hindsight.

I remember the Wall Street Journal having an annual "contest" between a respected stock picker and a chimp throwing darts at the NYSE listings. The chimp almost always won.

Although we are all serious investors, having a sense of humor about it all is not a bad quality to possess.

How to Inspire More Panic in the Economic Crisis

Leave it to a socialist government (and Spain has the real McCoy) to almost gleefully anticipate the fall of capitalism and the necessary rise of big government to resolve all of the problems to live life happily everafter.

I recommend he take a break and play a game of "catch the terrorist" with a Basque buddy.

Great Depression Not Imminent, But Inevitable

Much like the old Soviet Union "we will bury you" period of history, those predicting the demise of the West accompanied with the implied rise of another system is interesting, but flawed.

As Churchill remarked, "democracy is the worst form of government, except for all of the others". Corruption in the West is eventually exposed and is the exception, not the rule. Corruption and deceit in India, Russia, China and many like societies elsewhere is not only endemic, it is accepted.

Regardless, enjoyed reading your opinion.