All Capitalists Now?

People often look to the creation of dynasties. We see sports starts with offspring that become sports stars, even in different sports. We see the children of politicians becoming politicians. Lawyers beget lawyers and so on. We even have a famous dynasty of economists, with Larry Summers being the latest in his family's line. I have no such aspirations, but I am watching out. My children have sort of followed me with sports: my eldest daughter plays soccer, coaches and referees, and that's the same triple header as me. My youngest daughter may turn into a financier; it's early days but I am looking out.

"Come on, Dad. Let's play 'Monopoly'. It's my favourite game." I don't know who first exposed my child to this vice, but she is hooked.Barely able to count, she is swooping around the board and building property like a small Donald Trump--he too, followed his father's business career. Alright, she did not grasp the principles easily at first and when she got houses she did not realise that it was a likely money spinner, but she learned fast. "Come on, pay up. That's $5. I'm getting rich." Is this how capitalism spreads, I asked myself, as I had to shift focus from the English soccer to see my small fortune dwindle and hers rocket ahead.

I was sharing out the money because I knew she could not really manage the counting, but the child is not fearful. "Let me be the banker, now, Dad. I can do it." Well, as I looked at my meagre $2 stake, I was tempted to let her spread the love on me as she readily put her hand into the bank vaults as I rolled the dice, keen to give me money that matched the spots on the dice. But I could take the money and not let he do the same for herself. I explained, but she looked disappointed. When a philanthropist is thwarted, it is a sad sight. "Ok. I get it," she crowed, and she had. In fact, she became a tight-fisted banker a little too readily, and even as I went past Go, it was hard to get my $2.

I also had to stop her paying herself rent when she landed on her own property. Where are the financial regulators when you need them?

I hope that after her day off school due up tomorrow that she wont want to go into heavy training and ask what is the sub-prime crisis. But, that little face and its grin have started to take on a change that could worry a feeble parent. I hear the mantra, "Gimme the money," and I wonder what is she really learning. Nothing bad, I hope.