Page 179 - The Circle of Life

The point is your exposure should always be minimised. Remember that saying

of not keeping your eggs in one basket? It is good advice in any language. In
law or rather banking terms it is called your portfolio. It should be balanced and
I am not the one to explain to you how. There are many good men doing this for

a living. Keep in mind though that any asset which is used as security or

collateral is in danger to be sold (given is a better word) to your worst enemy.
Never ever sign surety and always ring-fence assets.

I read a wonderful book the other day. The Memoirs of General William T
Sherman to be specific. Yes the famous Union General and it is probably not

well-known that he left the Army before the Civil War and became a banker
(note not a bankster) in California I believe. Now I say this often to my American

Patriot and in my other books that I have yet to read more honourable accounts
of warfare and men in my life. Keep in mind I am not an American with any

uncalled for patriotic notions on Union Generals. Besides this my American
Patriot is a Southern lady by birth!

I read many hundreds of military history books in my life (my library holds about

2000 last time we counted) and never did I find that much honour as in those
Civil War Generals of both sides. They were young men too in case your history

teacher failed to inform you. Generals Sherman and Grant were in their early
forties when they became famous. Generals Schofield and (Stonewall) Jackson in

their thirties which makes their actions so much more remarkable in my view!
They were men amongst men.

The reason for my digression to the Civil War is simple. At one stage the Banker
William T Sherman had to pay his deposits out because another Bank failed and

a general rush of withdrawals took place. (Obviously our forefathers also knew

who their worst enemy was and forgot to tell us or your worst enemy
suppressed the news somehow.) Fact is he paid every single withdrawal. Not
one person could point fingers and roar for a wash basin full of water to wash

the future Generals' hands. Can there be more honour in that kind of behaviour?

I am astonished by American History in general and if you want to know why
read Presidents Lincolns Gettysburg speech.

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