We all have preconceived impressions about warfare, and generally it is correct – if a state or government is very well funded it could afford to spend the most money on advanced weapons and pay for a standing regular military. Along with reasonable administration it should have staying power and then comes the exception. In a book called Mongols, Huns and Vikings by Hugh Kennedy published by Cassell & Co, London, UK, 2002, Mr. Kennedy says the Nomads were the exception. The groups were the Nomads – who were mobile but equally important could retire or retreat to areas where others would not follow. The Huns and Mongols went to the grasslands of eastern Asia – lack of grain and very cold winters would stop people. The Arabs went into the desert (same problem) and the Vikings had superior ships.

Being a nomad was in fact being a warrior. To live on lands which do not produce an abundance of food and having to deal with the climate means the skills acquired just to live makes the person have the basis of being a warrior. Before the use of gun powder or guns, people depended on the bow and arrow and the sword. The nomads added the horse to the bow and arrow to make them a deadly combination. Another advantage was leadership in nomad society was based on skill and wisdom in warfare and hunting. It does not take long to determine if you have good knowledge – if you did you could rise up to leadership levels. The first order was to conquer your on lands before you conquer other parts of the world, which is the reason why until the Nomads left their lands, the writers in Europe did not pay a great deal of attention to them.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, we pay attention to those companies which are in our immediate horizon, if we recognize we are bias. Being bias can be a very good thing, you pay attention to those opportunities which are immediately around you and which are easy to follow. The easy to follow is the key, people are people and they all tend to do the same basic thing to earn an income. Some go into government and administration of the lands; some go into construction of buildings; some go into servicing of the others; and some go into the grey area of economy and will be known as the usual suspects to the law. Along the lines, we all want to live off more than we earn and have savings and thus investments. If you have investments as long as it is reasonably diversified and the country is stable, there are few reasons to look outwards. When you country is invaded, life changes and having ready cashable investments is a great thing. Investing is something in between and since we never know what is going to happen, being paid along the way – in dividends is always a good thing to have.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions