A homeless view of economics

The guy with the blackberry stopped  in his tracks, observing the homeless man on the steps of a bank. "That's the man I've been looking for," he muttered to himself, "but I'll have to wake him up. If I give him a buck he'll certainly cooperate." So he touched the man on the shoulder.

"Hello there! I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Oh...about what? Are you a policeman?"

"No, not really. Are you in love?"

"In love! I was, once. I'm waiting for another chance. It was great. We ate crackers and looked at the moon every night."

"What do you think about imperialism?

"What  do I think about what?

"Imperialism."

"What's that?"

"You mean to say you don't know?"

"Is it a brand of beer, dark perhaps?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, what is it?

"That's what I want to ask you.

"Got a piece of bread?"

"No...but here's some chewing gum. So. Out with it! What's imperialism?"

"I'm not sure. I remember once my friend used that word."

"How? In what way?"

"He said it was a couple of guys grabbing everything."

"He said that?"

"Yea. But to tell the truth I don't have the foggiest..."

"Your friend was wrong. We produce things so you can live better."

"Really?"

"Yea. See this? It's a blackberry. We've made it for you."

"For me? Woh!"

"We make lot's of things for you."

"Why do I have to have those things?"

"That's not the point!"

"Where do you get the stuff to make those things with?"

"Oh, here and there, especially in Latinamerica and Africa."

"Is that what imperialism is, an expedition for raw materials?"

"Sort of. But it brings progress. Imagine what the world would be like without computers, without space rockets, without pilotless airplanes, without..."

"You make all of those things?"

"Just a few of them. There are a lot of guys making things. They need money and banks and workers and many more things to make things you could never imagine. That's what imperialism does. It takes raw materials from poor countries and turns them into millions of useful objects."

"Where can I get one?"

"One what?"

"An imperialism."

"Hmm. Imperialism is a concept, a way of organizing society. It's not something you can buy and sell. Anyway...I think you'll have to wait a bit."

"How long?"

"That depends...Oh, I wonder if I could borrow your bycycle."

"I'm sorry. It's broken. Could you fix it for me?"

"I'd love to but I have to get to the Board of Directors meeting in five minutes. Thanks for the chat. See you!"