The past week has seen a series of sweeping global developments — from the military mutiny in Russia that was suddenly averted, to the historic US visit by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the same time US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bejing with trade and mutual cooperation on the table. These major events, amidst unfolding regional drama and changes, could portend opportunities for the US and free markets, according to DICK BOVE, chief financial strategist at ODEON CAPITAL GROUP.  “China took a major hit last week,” says BOVE. “But the biggest coup of all was India, they can’t be anti-US anymore.” The CONVERSATION looks in more detail at this seeming pivot in global commerce and trade. “China is an export dependent economy, if it does not export, it does not have an economy,” says MAT VAN ALSTYNE, ODEON co-founder and managing partner, underlining one of China's main priorities and the benefits of peaceful co-existence with neighbors. What could go wrong? JOHN AIDAN BYRNE raises questions about the internal stability of the Chinese economy from high youth unemployment to a weak consumer sector.

New data from BOVE shows the US money supply as a share of the world’s money supply, has been steadily declining — from a high of nearly 90 percent in the 1950s to some 20 percent in recent years.  We examine what that means for the greenback. The dollar is still the globe’s major currency. Despite a push by many countries to destabilize it, the US dollar is the main currency held by central banks worldwide. Elsewhere, the demographic crisis in Western nations continues with the sharp drop in US fertility rates offset by sustained levels of immigration.  Finally, we look at the decline and fall of once mighty empires from the Roman to the British Empires.

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