And part of it has to do with the fact that we had become the growth engine for the world based on accumulating debt and consumption.

WHITEHOUSE: Meeting of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness | The White House

Saudi Arabia has been one of the most radicalizing forces in the Middle East at the same time that it has been the steady engine behind the world's oil economy.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Obama's devastatingly mixed signals

This may have actually served investors well over the past 25 years, when the U.S. was the economic growth engine of the world and its strong investment returns were strong.

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