| A.
R. Kakhsaz Company
an accountancy corporation
Member
American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants
International associates:
Tavana & Co.
Chartered Accountants
Toronto, Canada
Tel.416-229-2221
|
• Is America in decline?
Measuring an empire's influence
or might is not an easy task. But
as far as economics are
concerned, we can consult
objective metrics to get an
unsullied look at where the U.S. --
or at least its business -- ranks in
the global order.
(1) Five years ago, nearly a third of
the world's 2000 largest publicly
traded companies were based in
the U.S. Since then, that total has
fallen by 36 percent. Taking over
their spots have been businesses
from the emerging BRIC countries
(Brazil, Russia, India and China).
Since 2004, the number of
BRIC-headquartered firms that
can be counted among the world's
largest has doubled to 258.
(2) Some scholars have called the
growth of multinational firms over
the 20th century, the new face of
modern imperialism. And that's
true in one sense, American
businesses have lived up to that
notion by earning a growing share
of their profits from overseas -- 28
percent last year, versus just 4
percent in 1948. But at the same
time, globally, American
businesses' earning power has
declined dramatically this decade
compared with those from other
nations.
(3) To get a further sense of where
the U.S. could be headed, it may
be helpful to look back at the
economic fates of past world
powers. While the United
Kingdom and Germany saw sharp
drops in their global economic
presence as their respective
empires contracted, Japan and
Brazil experienced robust growth
post-imperialism. And U.S.'s path
has so far looked more like the
former group rather than the latter.
The U.S. has been in relative
economic decline for almost 40
years. China was once the world's
largest economy, and if present
trends continue, it will reclaim that
title before mid-century.
•
For more of the Generalist,
please visit ARKCPA•COM.
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• theGeneralist, a
one-page monthly
publication of the accounting firm of
A.R. Kakhsaz Company, is in its 16th
year of providing information, presented
fairly and accurately, from sources we
can depend upon and trust.
• Formula One Racing: The
2010
F1 season starts on March 14 in
Bahrain. From there the circus will
travel all over the globe, hitting 18
countries of five continents for 19
races. Around 600 million viewers
from all around the world tuned in
for the 2008 season, making F1
one of the most popular sports in
the world.
• Utility is when you have
one
telephone. Luxury is when you
have two. Opulence is when you
have three. And paradise is when
you have none.
• Shamrock is a plant with
leaves composed of three leaflets.
According to legend it was used by
Saint Patrick in explaining the
doctrine of the Trinity and it is now
used as the emblem of Ireland.
An artificial or real shamrock leaf
is customarily worn on St. Patrick's
Day. An Irish saying holds that "If
you're lucky enough to be Irish,
then you're lucky enough." On St.
Patrick's Day it seems that
everyone is Irish. Ireland's patron
saint, St. Patrick, performed
baptisms and founded churches
and schools where he taught
about the Trinity and converted his
countrymen to Christianity. When
he died in 461 A.D., Christians took
a break in Lent to celebrate the
saint's life, to renew themselves
spiritually and to offer prayers for
missionaries worldwide.
Nowadays, St. Patrick's Day is
celebrated with parades and
fireworks, dances and parties,
drinking Irish beer and whiskey
and wearing green.
•
We see more in numbers
than just numbers...
Ali R. Kakhsaz, CPA, MAcc
www.arkcpa.com
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