Actually income gains can happen everywhere at the same time and pretty much has been happening throughout history. The world, as a whole, is a much wealthier place today than 50 or 100 or 1000 years ago. As long as humans increase productivity wealth is created, whether it is measured in money terms or not.

It is quite possible for wealth to increase in Asia, Europe, Africa and all over the world at the same time. All we have to do is create more. Technology has played a big roll in that, especially since the industrial revolution. If we double crop production, wealth is created. If we were to discover how to store electricity effectively on a large scale, all countries would become wealthier. Wealth is not a zero sum game, where one has to be poorer so another can become wealthier. Where Wall Street (or the CME) is concerned, yes it is a zero sum game. For every winner there has to be a looser. Lots of things are. But every crop we produce, every car we manufacture, every electric (or manual) can opener made, etc., etc., wealth is created and living becomes easier/better. That is why we do it. And all countries can do it at the same time.

John