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by John Kennedy
Well I’m sure you’ve all played this game at some point in your life and maybe you still are with your children, yes the board game that teaches you the basics of capitalism.
Just like life we start off with nothing (well most of us do) and then the dice are rolled and depending on your luck and what sort of upbringing your parents had your whole life does seem to be mapped out for you.
You see if you work hard, pay your bills, do the right thing by your family and friends and then save a little you may be able to afford a deposit for a house and with that comes the modern version of the ball and chain, a mortgage which should ensure that you won’t go on strike, well maybe the odd 24 hour one just to make you feel like you are still in a trade union that stands up for those hard earned rights.
You see like the board game when the bank is bust the rules advise the banker to write out a few IOU’s and wait for the money to start rolling in again and then all should return to normal. Yes the bank can resume lending and you and I can continue to roll the dice leave life to chance and if we don’t stray from the straight and narrow we shouldn’t end up in jail, but remember depending on how well you are doing in life you may be able to afford a fantastic lawyer or barrister and therefore play your get out of jail card.
Life is a game and the G20 have started to roll the dice that hopefully will underpin our way of life and kick start the global economy once again. This will not be a quick fix but more of a steady march towards a better regulated world economy where risk is assessed properly and we all get the credit we deserve or need pending a truthful proper credit check.
The worry is though that as we seek better regulation we forget that the rules of the game have actually created opportunity for nearly all and we must resist the temptation to over regulate for if the dice become loaded and you remove the chance of a double six or the opportunity to create wealth we could all suffer from over regulation and with that much slower growth.
The trick will be for the world and you and me is to remove the excesses of the chance card but increase the and reward the community chest and with that reward the globe on a more even and equitable basis. With climate change a major card played by the protesters in London maybe the real winner at this game of monopoly with be the rebirth of the global economy and the planet itself for we need and seek newer cleaner greener technologies that will create opportunity for us all and with that protect the way of life we have all become used to here in the west.
Gordon Brown our Prime Minister certainly rolled a double six this week so let’s hope it won’t be long before I and hopefully you pass go and collect two hundred.
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