21 me like Americans are no longer as welcome as we once were. The economics of new information technol- ogy should favor greater dispersion. In North America, as discussed often with Dr. Farrell, the national security complex will likely disperse the manufacturing and technology base throughout America. So, while urbanization may continue, don’t be surprised if it spreads into cities such as Boise, Austin, Nashville, Cincinnati, and Pitts- burgh that have universities and enjoy clusters of high-tech and specialized skills. Before you choose to live in a megacity, there are several risk issues to consider—all of which we cover on an ongoing basis on The Solari Report. Transnational Crime: The current global economy has emerged from a model that uses organized crime to pool capital. Organized crime has become an integral profit line of the banking and corporate infrastructure. Large banks and corporations and the governments that front for them are not only married to the mob—they are the mob. Consequently, our existing establishments and infrastructure and a great deal of employment and family income are dependent on organized crime. This can make for two problems in any specific location. The first problem is street criminals and their operations, including physical violence. This reflects the day-to-day harvesting that is part of a model dictated by the folks at the very top of society. Any individual criminal is expendable in a high-turnover capacity—the cash flows they generate are not. The second problem is a leadership class that has risen to power through organized crime (including illegal uses of government spending, credit, and securities). This group has a very different set of values than wealthy people who made their money from adding real productive value. Street crime is usually easier to navigate than living with a leadership that enjoys poison- ing, maiming, and killing with impunity—and does so regularly, particularly if you fail to affirm their social prestige. I find that the larger the urban area, the greater the intensity of these two problems is likely to be. When I went to Mexico City earlier this year, I told my allies that I was headed there. I got several frightening emails saying, “You cannot go to Mexico City. It’s not safe; it’s dangerous.” Of course, downtown Mexico City is perfectly safe and lovely, but you wouldn’t know that by read- ing the headlines. The purpose of those headlines is to deflect blame from the center and to keep your tourist dollars at home. It is true, however, that I tend to avoid Latin and South America. That is because, without strong local contacts and relationships, it is more dangerous for someone like me to deal with U.S. intelligence and secret society oper- ations in those areas than in the United States. Who do you think Mexican drug cartels work for or are allied with? Transnational crime knows no borders. Before you move to a megacity, please assess the organized crime from top to bottom of the social strata of the area. Then, ask the ques- tion of whether the leadership provides for a healthy space for law-abiding citizens. Some megacities do. Unfortunately, my interpretation of the fires in Paradise, California—as well as in other countries in the developed world—is that we are entering a period in which “all bets are off” in many places. This is one reason why I live mod- estly and spend at least half of my time living nomadically. In periods of rapid change, “movement is life.” Technology and the Shift from Global 2.0 to 3.0: The future of megacities raises a question I asked in The Rise of the Asian Consumer: Question #2: What will the impact of robotics be, including in agriculture and manufacturing? One McKinsey study said that by 2030, auto- mation would replace 236 million workers in As American as apple pie and the Sopranos.