SINCE TIME BEGAN : salus populi suprema est lex - the right of the people is the supreme law : IN TRUTH WE TRUST
During these next 85 years, global commerce and trade will evolve into a truly universal complex; confirming the uniform development of resources within the context of sustainability and renewability. This is the Age of Respect & Stewardship. Consider The Empire Of The Netherlands : "The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in
1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and
commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a
20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in
1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The
Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and
occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation,
the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The
country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and
participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010,
the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest
islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special
municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger
islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as
constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands." Note : The Economist
Netherlands is the sixth-largest economy in the euro-zone and is noted
for its stable industrial relations, moderate unemployment and
inflation, sizable trade surplus, and important role as a European
transportation hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food
processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A
highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force
but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and for
exports. Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners, began
circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The Dutch financial
sector suffered as a result of the global financial crisis, due in part
to the high exposure of some Dutch banks to US mortgage-backed
securities. In 2008, the government nationalized two banks and injected
billions of dollars of capital into other financial institutions, to
prevent further deterioration of a crucial sector. After 26 years of
uninterrupted economic growth, the Dutch economy - highly dependent on
an international financial sector and international trade - contracted
by 3.5% in 2009. To recover, the government sought to boost the domestic
economy by accelerating infrastructure programs, offering corporate tax
breaks for employers to retain workers, and expanding export credit
facilities. The stimulus programs and bank bailouts, however, resulted
in a government budget deficit of 5.3% of GDP in 2010 that contrasted
sharply with a surplus of 0.7% in 2008. The government of Prime Minister
Mark RUTTE began implementing austerity measures in early 2011, mainly
reducting expenditures, which resulted in an improved budget deficit in
2011. However, in 2012 tax revenues dropped, GDP contracted, and the
budget deficit deteriorated. In 2013, the government budget deficit
decreased to 3.3% of GDP due to increased government revenue from higher
taxes. However, spending on social benefits also increased, due to a
rise in unemployment benefits and payments for pensions. The high
unemployment rate and tax increases have contributed to continued
decreases in household disposable income, causing the Dutch economy to
contract."