‘Every individual is continually exerting himself to find out the most advantageous employment for whatever capital he can command. It is his own advantage, indeed, and not that of the society which he has in view. But the study of his own advantage naturally, or rather necessarily, leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to society… He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was not part of his intention’ - Adam Smith, founder of capitalism.
America has always been and will always follow this ideology radically.
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| Ambition is facilitated by freedom. And that propels America to the top. |
Review the history of countries. Is there any country that is not ambitious. But America has always been the most ambitious country. Leading in professions and fields, world hegemony in military and economy. But which country has both great ambition and the government creates the maximum conditions for its citizens to do business and develop? Only America.
Ambition on the one hand, it can destroy a person when he just indulges in it. But on the other hand, it's the driving force that drives him up and up. Like war, it must be there to promote the development of society. It's war in any way. From military to economy, culture.
One country has risen dramatically recently: Israel, with its rapid development. Going from nothing to an economic, high-tech and even military powerhouse. The US and Israel have much in common. Like the US, Israel is also a country of immigration. But mainly ethnic Jews. Jewish immigrants always have a strong desire to develop and start a business. America is different, America is a multi-ethnic and religious immigrant country. This gives the United States a much larger and more diverse internal strength. On the other hand, Israel's motivation is to develop to protect the homeland and the country. But America's driving force is the ambition to lead and hegemony. Different goals, different results.
Is Switzerland free? It is impossible to claim that they are 100% free if freedom is demanded in the true sense of the word. But Switzerland is one of the few countries with a direct democracy. The majority of the people can reject the laws enacted by the state. But why is Switzerland not the leading power? Because Switzerland has never been ambitious.
Does China have ambitions? Very ambitious. But they also have never been free to develop, do business, and are not really protected in terms of personal property.
America has always been ambitious and also does a pretty good job of its liberal ideology. In the context that the world is moving from a unipolar US-led order to a multipolar one. America will always be in its number one position. Because while other countries are still developing industrial production, self-sufficient in technology and currency. Then the US still went before holding a lot of cards. Much of the intellectual property in the most sophisticated semiconductors remains in the United States. The best artificial intelligence companies, the largest data warehouse are also in America. Quantum computer technology is also leading US companies. The key technologies of the future are in their hands. The problem is not how strong the dollar is in the world, nor where oil and gas will be extracted, who will be sold, or what payment will be made. The problem is that the world will still be very dependent on American products, and will still have to do a lot of business with the US. Simply because they hold an important resource: ambitious individuals free to pursue their own interests.
So what about less developed countries? The issue they need to focus on is not how their domestic currency compares to other foreign currencies. Will the USD lose its dominance, or where will Bitcoin fit into the international reserve and payment system? History has proven, in all currency wars, short-term benefits don't always rescue from long-term recession and unemployment. As a small nation, its currency value is low compared to the currencies of wealthier countries. To be proactive, learn from Israel. Learn and master essential skills and technologies. There's no need to lead, but figure out how to turn it into a strength. Use that as an inherent strength to create genuinely valuable products. When they do that, they will persist no matter how the global stage shifts.
‘I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.’ - Adam Smith
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