Apple worth MORE than the GDP of Poland and Saudi Arabia.

[Justice wanted]

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/apple-now-worth-staggering-500-billion-hit-1-172209227.html

Apple (AAPL) crossed an amazing milestone in after-market trading yesterday, when its market capitalization exceeded $500 billion for the first time. To put this in perspective, the tech juggernaut is now more valuable than the gross domestic product of Poland, Belgium, Sweden and even Saudi Arabia.

Apple is one of the only one of four companies in history to break this mark, and unlike others that have briefly traded in this neighborhood--Microsoft (MSFT) and Cisco (CSCO) --Apple has the potential to not only sustain this value but blow past it.

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I'll be honest I got a C in economics in high school I understand the very general min. I mean I understand when our economy is effected and understand general concepts BUT this scared the HELL out of me.

You have a Company who is WORTH more money than a countries GDP. Something is either seriously wrong in the world or me.

Humble opinion here...Maybe this is part of the reason why we have the recession and situation we have in the world today.

[Ian David]

1. So, let Apple buy Saudi Arabia! Half the world's problems solved! n/t

[DJ13]

2. Im NOT going to stand in line overnight just to buy gas!

[onehandle]

4. iGas!!! Oh Boy!

[Ian David]

5. You mean iGas. n/t

[Posteritatis]

6. If Apple sold gas wouldn't it be about $15/gallon? (nt)

[KamaAina]

8. Oh SNAP!

Prepare to be set upon by a horde of enraged Apple acolytes...

[onehandle]

9. Ironically, it would be $15 a gallon, if not for subsidies. nt

[former9thward]

11. It might be $15 a gallon but it would get you 200 miles to the gallon.

[newblewtoo]

12. Well of course it would

Only the kewl kids would buy iGas. Everyone else would use, gasp, Microgas, more bang for the buck with more crashes.

[MadHound]

3. Hell, our military budget is larger than many countries' GDP.

I'm more worried about what we're spending on our military than what private citizens are spending on Apple products.

[Earth_First]

7. +1000

An Army of iConsumers are not invading foreign countries anytime soon...

[Justice wanted]

10. I completely hear you on that one and understand what you are saying.

[Pholus]

13. Too bad a bit of this money isn't used to improve the lives of the workers who made it for Apple.

Seriously. 12 hour days 13 days on 1 day off for $20/day? If Apple was such a great company who cares I would think they force foxconn to hire three workers for every two they have but pay them the same amount and reduce the hours. Since it costs $14 of labor to make an iPhone I am talking only about a $7 more but a vastly improved life for their workers.

Of course, as has been explained to me elsewhere -- this is a BUSINESS with responsibility to the stockholders. A ready made justification for the GOP core philosophy: if you CAN exploit someone for "cheap labor", you are a bleeding heart do-gooder if you don't.

I'll sign off now before I take the next obvious step in the logical train which evokes Godwin...

[jpgray]

14. I don't know how you convince millions to provide you $200 profit margins on a phone.

Especially when its main utility is convenience in consuming content.