Is there any relationship between climate and the overall soundness of an economy?

Very interesting question. You would have to take into account quite a few variables to know.

Hahaha.. I met a philosopher once who had this idea. ‘The tropics don’t produce many Nobel Prize winners in Science. I mean, who wants to sit in a lab, or even a classroom, when you could go surf on the beach?’

I disagree – Iceland and Ireland have been bailed out. Smaller economies are the linking factor I think.

Good point

How much did the US government have to give the banks in the US?