Fair point Don. Marx was in some ways proposing rather than prophesysing. ....

I worked for a company back in the 80s who had me visiting Eastern Europe and USSR selling them industrial goods. From the perspective of trade, there was no difference. The only obstacle was access to and use of each other's currency. If western markets had faith in the rouble at the time, the differences between our worlds would have been social and political but never commercial. Whilst no expert on the subject, I do wonder if the totalitarian aspects of fewer larger multinationals is what gives the market their recent slumps? lack of fiscal opportunity?

The concepts in The Foundation series went much further than economic prediction. They could have had me putting a fiver on The Owls poking five goals in yesterday.

Yes! !!!!!!!