ABSTRACT
The movie stars Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis are not the only shareholders in this chain of restaurants but they are the kind of people associated with Planet Hollywood. To understand today's world with its gigantic income differences one would be inclined to go back to the original works by the American 20th century genius, Thorstein Veblen. The dilemma is that the cultures outside of the Anglo-Saxon sphere may have to become more similar to American culture in order to be able to compete. In the spread of global communications channels and the Internet the first steps have been taken towards a global open society. The making and governance of the ozone layer hole clearly shows that international coordination may work. American geologist King Hubbert is today world famous for his prediction about the peak in time of American oil production. The chapter concludes by suggesting the introduction of what one could call the 'global Veblen tax'.
