The Motorcycle Diaries

This last weekend, I saw the wonderful movie, The Motorcycle Diaries, a dramatization by Che Guevara of the roadtrip that changed his life. While I don't agree with all that Che did in his life, the movie is very moving, and gives pause even to a rabid capitalist like me. It helps to put in perspective the significance of electoral wins by Evo Morales, the indigenous cocoa-grower who won the presidency of Bolivia. Don't get me wrong - I think am a strong believer in free markets ... I have seen even modest reforms alleviate poverty in India, a poverty sustained by a bureaucracy for half a decase. In fact, governments in some cases can be far more ruthless than any corporation.

Anyway, this thoughtstream has just motivated me to add yet another book to my "wishlist" of books I intend to read in the next few weeks/months - Hernando De Soto's The Mystery of Capital. I had heard de Soto a long time back being interviewed by Bill Moyers, and found myself riveted.