Economics 101
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:57 am
Economics 101
SOCIALISM
• You have 2 cows.
• You give one to your neighbour.
COMMUNISM
• You have 2 cows.
• The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM
• You have 2 cows.
• The State takes both and sells you some milk.
BUREAUCRATISM
• You have 2 cows.
• The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
• You have two cows.
• You sell one and buy a bull.
• Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
• You sell them and retire on the income.
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND/Barclays (VENTURE) CAPITALISM
• You have two cows.
• You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a
• debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
• The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
• The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.
• You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows.
• No balance sheet provided with the release.
• The public then buys your bull.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
• Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
• You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
• You decide to have lunch.
A SWISS CORPORATION
• You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
• You charge the owners for storing them.
A CHINESE CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You have 300 people milking them.
• You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
• You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• Both are mad.
AN IRAQI CORPORATION
• Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
• You tell them that you have none.
• No-one believes you, so they bomb the crap out of you and invade your country.
• You still have no cows, but at least you are now a Democracy.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• Business seems pretty good.
• You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.
A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• The one on the left looks very attractive.
A GREEK CORPORATION
• You have two cows borrowed from French and German banks
• You naturally eat both
• The banks call to collect their milk
• You are out getting a haircut
SOCIALISM
• You have 2 cows.
• You give one to your neighbour.
COMMUNISM
• You have 2 cows.
• The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM
• You have 2 cows.
• The State takes both and sells you some milk.
BUREAUCRATISM
• You have 2 cows.
• The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
• You have two cows.
• You sell one and buy a bull.
• Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
• You sell them and retire on the income.
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND/Barclays (VENTURE) CAPITALISM
• You have two cows.
• You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a
• debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
• The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
• The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.
• You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows.
• No balance sheet provided with the release.
• The public then buys your bull.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
• Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
• You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
• You decide to have lunch.
A SWISS CORPORATION
• You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
• You charge the owners for storing them.
A CHINESE CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You have 300 people milking them.
• You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
• You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• You worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• Both are mad.
AN IRAQI CORPORATION
• Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
• You tell them that you have none.
• No-one believes you, so they bomb the crap out of you and invade your country.
• You still have no cows, but at least you are now a Democracy.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• Business seems pretty good.
• You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.
A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
• You have two cows.
• The one on the left looks very attractive.
A GREEK CORPORATION
• You have two cows borrowed from French and German banks
• You naturally eat both
• The banks call to collect their milk
• You are out getting a haircut