My father is a former OSS officer who is one of the first CIA. I grew up in the middle of the US international power systems and got to see it in action from very close up. I went to school at various parts of the planet earth and was allowed to run riot as a pre-adult [dropped off in other countries to have fun] by my parents.

I analyze international finance and politics because I played international finance and politics. The communist Chinese sent groups of six officials at a time to live with me in the Reagan years to teach them about capitalism. Note that they are now hyper-capitalists! I told the State Department, 'We are in trouble. They have taken to capitalism like ducks to water.' The Chinese plan to see us go bankrupt to them. They are succeeding.