Those are my exact thoughts. I actually made a post about it on here not too long ago! You are correct, most of the growth is in the third world, which is a net loss in terms of wealth. Growth has come to a standstill in the first world.

ALSO -- they have inordinate legal bills, child molestation cases stacked behind them, I'm sure tons of other litigation as well. They often settle out of court to control the bleeding, but even a fat cat can only bleed for so long.

-Dave

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.' They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

- John Lennon