conspicuous consumption based on credit
Ah, that's what you think of the Louisiana Purchase, the Transcontinental Railroad, and America's world leadership in the twentieth century. We can agree to disagree.
If you cherry pick words from a person’s arguments to make it seem they are saying something other than what they actually said, then yes, it would be better to agree to disagree. I will leave it as “that is not what I said.”
Shifting gears, though, where do you live in Panama? I just sold my business. I am opening a corporation in Belize through which I will trade forex, ADRs, derivatives and some equities (though not based on US Exchanges). I am considering SEVERAL countries to live. I hitchiked thru Central America on the way to Colombia (and no, I did NOT hike the Darien Gap, lol... I flew), and then down to Lima. I fell deeply in love with all things Latino, and have vacationed in the area many times since. Panama is really nice, once you get up in the Mts. a little. Sea level is kind of oppressive to me.