David Korten America Quotations

But in the past, US companies have been able to increase their profits through downsizing in the US, through colonizing other people's resources, and through the increase of globalization.

What I would tell the Europeans, but also the Asians and the Latin Americans, is: keep the excesses of Wall Street out of your system.

The EU will face problems similar to the US: an increasing gap between the citizens and decision makers in Brussels and a perceived or even real lack of democracy.

The fact is that these bankers and traders are taking claims of wealth out of the system; they are not doing any productive work.

It will take some time before a politician will capture the imagination of the American people and have the vision and understanding to do what is necessary for a better future for the people of America and the world.

If I would need to make a prediction I still believe Kaplan's scenario is very plausible.

Money flows into the US, and inflates US assets, and allows the US to have a monstrous trade deficit. That means we are consuming more than we are producing.

My own experience in the third world was that even if people started to make more money, the cost of living and housing increased often faster than the wages.

More and more surveys in the US are indicating a change in values taking place among consumers, who become more concerned about quality of life, food, health and the environment.

My claim is that we do not have a market economy, but a capitalist economy.

In order to find solutions to the increased poverty around the world, it is absolutely essential to keep the bigger picture in mind.