Is Wal-Mart liberal, part two?
So now Wal-Mart is opening its Chinese stores to union organizers. Granted, China's state-run union is about as powerful and menacing as a guinea pig playing Chopsticks. But? It's the spirit of the thing.
And now I'd like to play prophet for a bit. A part of the Middle East crisis that isn't talked about much is the impending water crisis there. At the same time that the Middle East is steadily draining down its oil reserves, its population is exploding and its arable land is being exhausted. The demand for water in the Middle East will increase about 50% over the next twenty years- and that's assuming people don't become more affluent and start demanding water for flush toilets and fripperies like that.
Israel, which is mostly desert anyhow, has long been a leader in water purification technology. This year, Israeli firms made a number of important deals with overseas partners and new startups have been soaking up (get it? get it?) venture capital and government grants.
Annnnnd, so?
So imagine that twenty years from now, when the oil money is starting to dry up and the water riots are just beginning, Israel goes to the Arab states and says: "Here. We have all the clean, cool, refreshing water you could ever need. We'll build you a pipeline. All you have to do is play nice with us."
It's a real possibility. Of course, you'd have to assume that the non-state players like Hezbollah and the PLO have been eliminated or satisfied sometime in the next twenty years. And that's not terribly likely.
Jessica and I wrote most of our wedding speech last night. It contains nothing about pirates.
And now I'd like to play prophet for a bit. A part of the Middle East crisis that isn't talked about much is the impending water crisis there. At the same time that the Middle East is steadily draining down its oil reserves, its population is exploding and its arable land is being exhausted. The demand for water in the Middle East will increase about 50% over the next twenty years- and that's assuming people don't become more affluent and start demanding water for flush toilets and fripperies like that.
Israel, which is mostly desert anyhow, has long been a leader in water purification technology. This year, Israeli firms made a number of important deals with overseas partners and new startups have been soaking up (get it? get it?) venture capital and government grants.
Annnnnd, so?
So imagine that twenty years from now, when the oil money is starting to dry up and the water riots are just beginning, Israel goes to the Arab states and says: "Here. We have all the clean, cool, refreshing water you could ever need. We'll build you a pipeline. All you have to do is play nice with us."
It's a real possibility. Of course, you'd have to assume that the non-state players like Hezbollah and the PLO have been eliminated or satisfied sometime in the next twenty years. And that's not terribly likely.
Jessica and I wrote most of our wedding speech last night. It contains nothing about pirates.