The US is running an $800 billion annual trade deficit in traditional goods and services. Yet, because Americans consistently earn a higher return on their investments abroad than foreigners earn on their US investments, US debt is rising at perhaps only half the rate that it might otherwise.
En 2006, Goldman Sachs, la vénérable institution de Wall Street à l'épicentre de la mondialisation financière, a versé plus de 16 milliards de dollars de rémunération à ses 25.000 salariés et distribué 9 milliards à ses actionnaires - un total largement supérieur au revenu annuel de la plupart des pays africains.