The whole point of investing through global themes is to put the wind at your back [Ed: apt accompanying picture of the Boston Marathon].

Long term global themes - the ageing of Europe and Japan, the Development of China, the growing shortage of clean water - are impossible to stop, however many bullets are flying in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Pursuing long term themes in your investment marathon is likely to give you a better chance of breaking the tape. Provided you've got the endurance, the wind of long term economic change should push you along at a merry pace.

Indeed, long term GTI demographics (the median age of 80mn Egyptians is only 24) drive Cairo's political restiveness, and also provide hope for muscular economic growth if a political solution can be achieved

But there's another investment wind that may be just as strong, and, if it's applied to global thematic investing it will put a further spring into your stride.

This investment wind - now a significant part of our own GTI portfolio of stocks - is a type of business with an attribute so powerful that it is a wonder that it is so seldom discussed. And there may be good reasons.

These businesses are so powerful that governments - of all political hues - look upon them with suspicion, and often try to legislate against them. The media is often denied access to their byzantine corridors. "Sell-side" brokerage firms tend to emphasize their competitors as there is little prestige in touting well-known names.

"Buy-side" investment managers, a race paid to appear clever, often miss them because they're too obvious, or are scared off by the higher valuations that quality confers.

And the investing world in general -witness the screeds of indiscriminating and purely quantitative sector analysis produced by City analysts (yawn!) - tends to miss the point by comparing ordinary apples with, well, plums.

Finally, history is so marked by occasional traumatic failure that it is generally assumed that these businesses sow the seeds of their own destruction.
Indeed, it is only by being truly "global" -one of the choruses of this newsletter - that they can truly protect themselves in the longer term. So what is this quality that gives these companies a real edge?

Dominant position

David Fuller's view GTI's 'dominant position' thesis is likely to be of interest to most long-term investors, illustrated with examples a plenty. This is original, well researched copy from an experienced team.

Lastly, don't miss the "Ageing Population" theme story, certain to bring a smile to anyone over 65.