This is my speech from the Houston World Affairs Council on May 19, 2008 – covering the comparative investment environments of Venezuela and Nigeria, the rise of state-owned energy companies, the decline of Washington’s soft power, and the new competition gap facing investors.

Here is an interesting talk by Edwin M. Truman of the Peterson Institute on the potential threat (or lack thereof) of sovereign wealth funds to the United States: Question: Do sovereign wealth funds pose a risk to the United States? Answer: We live in a risky world, but the economic and political risks to the [...]