A Balkan Lesson On Investing
In the Balkans, the grandparents studied Russian, the adults speak German, and the kids are learning English.
This is due to shifting foreign influences, first from the USSR, second from Germany, and third from the United States.
Let’s ask three questions, which frame an important lesson we can learn from the Balkans.
Question: “Why learn anything new?”
Answer: “Greater opportunities”
Question: “Why learn a new language?”
Answer: “Greater opportunities with specific people.”
Question: “Why learn Russian?”
Answer: “Greater opportunities with Russian people.”
If you’re looking for opportunity, it makes sense to forge ties with those with the most influence and power (whether that’s Russians, Germans or Americans) but the lesson from the Balkans is the groups with clear dominance change over time.
Who is worth affiliating with?
- Russians? Germans? Americans? Chinese?
- The Pagans? The Jews? The Christians?
Who is worth partnering with?
- Macy’s? Walmart? Ebay? Amazon?
- AOL? Yahoo? Google?
Who’s Language Should You Learn?
Predicting future winners is ideal, but this often isn’t possible.
Every president, CEO and religious leader believes their organization is approaching inevitable dominance. Can you really predict the next leader, or the next or the next?
Assuming you cannot predict the future decisions of Russia or Google, here is what you can do.
- Cap your investments in the current leader, aware that they will likely lose their dominance.
- Invest your profits from Ebay to begin selling through your own website.
- Make transferrable investments that are valuable to you whether Russia, America, Walmart or Amazon is in control.
- Learn engineering, not Russian.
Finally, be aware that each entity, whether a country or a company, has a vested interest in your decision and may be deliberately attempting to influence you through propaganda or marketing.