Today's comment is by Chuck Dolce, senior writer for The Sovereign Society, former broker and member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for nearly 17 years, where he specialized in stock index and short-term interest rate futures. He's been on location in Panama, reporting from our 2008 Total Wealth Symposium.

It's Saturday in Panama and the last day of the Sovereign Society's Total Wealth Symposium. Markets are closed and other than some weekend oil posturing, there's not too much in the news. So while most of the conference has been focused on making and protecting money - I haven't said much about the country of Panama itself. So if you'll indulge me...

Panama is truly spectacular. If you've never been, it's a country on the move. Skyscrapers rise up from what was once a depressed Central American country. Skyscrapers are built IN the ocean. Architecturally, the juxtaposition of the new and the old creates almost a surreal effect. It's 2008 on one side and 1940 on the other.
Panama is a country rebuilding itself both structurally and economically. The third largest economy in Central America, Panama specializes in service industries like banking and tourism. What were once military bases are now malls filled with excellent restaurants, bars and shops. It's now an offshore haven in the ranks of Switzerland and Lichtenstein. It has been the perfect place to host this year's conference.