slideshow

This is the companion piece to Domestic ABCs of June 15, 2011.

Austerity—the concept of a nation living within its means will spread across southernEurope as European authorities, the IMF, and global financial markets demand change.  The Greek people hate it

Banks (European)—one of the major incentives for German and French leadership to throw hundreds of billions of euros atGreece,Ireland, andPortugal?  G & F banks own massive amounts of bonds issued by the smaller nations

China—government efforts to keep inflation and excessive lending under wraps…while also avoiding a real estate bubble…should see this juggernaut’s growth pace slow somewhat

Dollar—with no shortage of critics, the American currency will remain the global community’s “primary currency” for years to come

Europe—here’s thinkin’ the Germans and the French wish they had never heard of the “European integration” concept

Financial System—theU.S. and global financial systems emerged from the Great Recession bruised and battered, but still largely viable.  The eventuality of a Greek default in one form or another could challenge it again

Global Economy—slowing down a bit as theU.S.,China, andIndia downshift. Europe will be sluggish (with the exception of a solid German economy)

Hunger—a child starves to death every six seconds somewhere in the world.  Can’t we work together to stop this travesty?

Inflation—higher oil and food prices have hurt hundreds of millions of people around the globe

Japan—very sluggish economic growth (at best) over the past 20 years, after powerful performance in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.  Tens of millions of Japanese citizens wonder, “What Happened?”

Korea (North)—massive failure of this centrally planned economy leads to frequent “saber rattling.”  Meanwhile, the South Korean economy continues to prosper

Latin & South America—growth prospects from mild to strong, withBrazil leading the way.  Excessive government bureaucracy and corruption in the region will limit gains

Mexico—even as drug cartel violence dominates the headlines, economic growth has been the best in 10 years.  Greater employment opportunities at home are most welcome

Neighbor to the North—Canadian economic growth has slowed in recent months.  Still, by most measures, this nation is outperforming its southern neighbor

Oil—major advances in exploration and production technology should help keep prices under control over the longer-term horizon.  At the same time, what happens inNorthern Africa and theMiddle East still counts big-time

Politics—a number of major nations have moved to the “right” in recent elections, with an eye toward reversing some of the massive government expansion of prior years.  TheU.S. in ’12?

Quagmires—as before, there never seems to be a shortage.  Today’s list includesAfghanistan,Chechnya,Iran,Iraq,Libya, theSudan, and theMiddle East

Russia—corruption, crime, and questions about whether Medvedev or Putin will be “minding the store” in coming years make life a challenge

Saudi Arabia—whether the tens of billions of dollars the Saudi king is throwing at unemployed young people will keep social unrest under warps will be a key factor in oil prices in coming years

Travel—spending on global tourism remains solid, even as visitors largely avoid political “hot spots.”  Those visiting theU.S. are BIG spenders

U.S.A.—nearly three times the size ofChina’s $5.5 trillion annual economy…with one-fourth as many people.  In my book that says American workers are roughly 10-12 times more productive

Volatility—pick any descriptor…economic…financial market…political

Wallets—lighter these days for millions of people around the world after the Great Recession led to the loss of more than 50 million jobs globally.  Hits to retirement funds and housing values globally hasn’t helped either

eXports—a bright spot of overall sluggishU.S. economic growth of the past 12 months, with nearly a 20% annual rise.  Like it or not, a modestly weaker dollar has helped

Young People (around the world)—facing a rising tax burden in coming decades to finance the retirement years of Baby Boomers (and Boomers’ parents) if minor changes are not soon made

Zones (trading)—as before, Asian, European, and North American trade zones will dominate trade flows