Why making things could come back into fashion

One result of the financial crisis may be that our focus will shift to things we need, rather than things we want. And people may return to investing in simpler, more tangible things.

The bell of American finance has cracked. It was a long time coming, as I'll show you. The biggest change in the American economy in the last generation or so has been the rise of finance at the expense of making things. This seemed to work for a while, but like a boxer who has a habit of dropping his hands, America finally caught one on the chin.

Every crisis, though, brings opportunity. In this one, investors will go back to investing in simpler, more durable things (at least until forgetfulness kicks in). For instance, investing in a company that supplies grains to hungry people looks like a better bet than investing in one that sells mortgages to people who can't afford them. The focus will shift to things we need, rather than things we want.

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