The Arab Spring has turned into a blazing hot summer where, as I write this, Libyan rebels are finishing up taking control of their capital city and Egypt is in the throes of convulsions following the start of Mubarak's trial and the recent terror attacks emanating from the Egyptian Sinai.
Meanwhile, in Great Britain, gangs of mostly disaffected youths have recently rioted in the streets, demanding exactly nothing. In the United States, the world's largest economy was nearly brought to its knees by political gridlock between a Democratic President and a Republican controlled House of Representatives. In short, it seems as if the world is convulsing and the economy along with it.
This Isn't Doomsday
The first thing to realize is that even with all the unrest we see in the world, things are very likely to turn around. The chances that this down economy will last for decades (or centuries) are extremely slight, so much so in fact that it's really not worth discussing doomsday possibilities (in spite of what some far left and far right nuts like to spout off about the end being nigh). Therefore, even though things may look bleak right now, it's important to keep a positive long term outlook.
Buy Value
If you want to make money in this economy, at least in the long term, I suggest looking for value. In other words, rather than chasing trends (for example, gold, just tanked after rising steadily for weeks), I suggest that you take advantage of the unrest to look for things with real value which are currently selling at bargain basement prices.water walking ball
As an example, consider staple or brand name companies in struggling economies. For example, the Greek Coca Cola distributor may well be a good deal right now since all Greek stocks are down. However, the odds that Coca Cola in Greece will simply disappear completely are slim to none.
Another good example would be to carefully track the worth of Apple (AAPL), in light of the resignation of CEO Steve Jobs, the recognized powerhouse behind this powerhouse company. While the company's stocks may still be trading at over $300 per share, this may be the right time to look at AAPL as a binary option, offered by companies like 24option and StockPair.
Bottom Line
Yes, the world is a scary place right now with a handful of doomsday theorists saying that the recent riots and the advent of the Arab Spring signify that a permanent global shock is underway. However, I see no reason to think that these problems are any different than those we have seen in the past or will see in the future. So save money and buy value. That's the way to make money even in the face of global unrest.