It's all very interesting. I wonder the same thing regarding the markets. They say, over the long term the markets always grow, always get bigger, always make money. And I wonder, how much bigger can things get?

BtGoG, i really hadn't thought about it too much when i wrote that rant, seeing as i'm deeply engaged in the Day From Hell here at the office (see shouting thread for details) but like i said this has been on my mind for years, in that subtle inexpressible kinda "i have a bad feeling about this..." manner.

/nerdtastic

i'm not a hemp-flag-waving hippie or even close

I'm pretty close, and some days I think we're all fucked.

I had heard something about this, but I had no idea it was so widespread. Yikes.

They say, over the long term the markets always grow, always get bigger, always make money. And I wonder, how much bigger can things get?
I have been wondering the same thing lately. A lot. I just don't see that a continuously growing "economy" is in any way sustainable when it is all theoretical anyway. If actual money had to change hands with every share trade, we would see a much more realistic picture of how much wealth there really is, because so much of it seems to be made of promises and smoke rather than actually being based in any form of reality. No matter what you say, you will never convince me that the millions of dollars gained and lost on sharemarkets every day are anything but pretend money (except for those who get out while they are ahead and cash up, but they are in the minority) I know that people dismiss this kind of thinking as failing to understand how global economies operate and blah blah blah, but I still think it will come back to earth one of these days with a thud that will be felt all over the globe and that this will change the global society into something we wouldn't even recognise today. Who knows, it may just be the saving of us, so although I'm looking toward the economic future with a pretty pessimistic outlook these days, the failure of the global economy could turn out to be what saves the human race in the long term. In the meantime, we are building

It's interesting to think that the whole deck of cards could be brought crashing down over something as small as bees. Kind of fitting, in a poetic sort of way.

lonefrontranger captures my... oh, forget it.