#Let’sPlay
Let’s play a game. No previous knowledge or experience required, just a bit of imagination.
Start.
Option A: Zambia to stop exporting copper
Option B: Zambia to over time cut the export of copper.
In 2030, Zambia will stop exporting copper for 10 years – will resume exporting copper in 2040.
Zambia now has 10 years to become self sufficient, or stock pile whatever it’s going to need as a way of managing risk, e.g. if the United States in retaliation stops selling tractors to Zambia.
Remember the story about the seven years of prosperity followed by the seven years of famine? It’s in Genesis chapter 41. So think something along those lines.
Why?
Exporting needs to be an option and not a requirement.
Why?
One of the most important lessons I learnt recently, is to only worry about, and focus on what you can control. Too often we worry about things we don’t have control over, we worry, we complain, we cry, we chuck a fit – the rich won’t give us any more money.
OK. So they won’t give you anymore money. OK. Do you have control over that?
What do you have control over? Not giving away stuff for free? Yes. Not selling stuff cheaply? Yes.
The 20 year over-simplified-I’m-not-an-economist idea above is just one idea on how you get to reason about your choices. So that it does not seem as though eveything is just happening to you and you have no control.