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Sensible Economics How to maintain American Economic Dominance without reverting to Bush's ideas - by Sophia Barkat There are many sane and creative ways to maintain America's economic dominance in the world. Instead of fighting over what remains of oil, create alternative energy sources. Instead of spending half a trillion dollars on buying tanks and airplanes spend it on alternative energy sources. When have the best minds not come to America if they were given research opportunities. Today a large chunk of NASA staff are from India. At the memorial service held for people who perished in the Columbus tragedy the US Navy Chaplain said something to the extent of "Give us more sons and daughters from all over the world so that we can continue our great mission." Clearly some people are thinking in the right direction. I understand people are angry over Sept 11th. They should be. Bush pledged more than one billion dollars for Homeland Security but has delivered just one million. The raised terrorism alerts have created the need for higher police and firefighter and EMT personnel. Instead in a recent television interview a government official from Minnesota reported they had to lay off police etc in 46 States. Apparently Bush Jr.'s new budget has proposed another 1billion for Homeland Security. Now we know that oil reserves are tight for Europeans and Japanese. Competing with them in the world market is not easy. So let's come up with some good ideas. 1) Japan and Europe want better transportation - sell electric trains to them. Instead of invading countries that sell oil to them use the manpower at home. The automobile lobby is so powerful and easily threatened by the concept of public transportation that this idea to export electric trains or some better public transportation concept will never gain floor. 2) produce better products that Europe - what is it they produce cheaper/better than the US anyway? And what does the US produce these days that the world buys apart from the financial products, computers, MICROSOFT products and weapons of mass-destruction? Even then software can be reverse engineered and is being sold for nothing outside America. Apart from planes, bombs and military goods and US Govt. Bonds the US has no edge. The US imports manpower worldwide. Corporations have moved to poor countries that lose US business the moment they become a little richer. Clearly, CEO's are thinking about profit-maximization. The recent backlash on US companies worldwide will affect everyone, not just CEOs in America. I think that this war will solve nothing long-term and should not make one think American Economic Dominance is ensured by it. Real challenges lie ahead. Alienating the world until 2017, when Middle East Oil is expected to run out will not be useful. What will you do with more oil and industries in America are not coming up with things the world wants? Some people might argue that there is no need for technological changes to occur. Most of the world is poor. They don't and cannot afford new technology. Whatever the US stagnates at the world can live with. But what about the American Way of Life? How will Americans, who are so used to being the technologically superior country, just get used to stagnant ideas? I know the scenario is extreme but so are the steps taken by Bush Jr. If things unfold this way, we could be looking at the demise of America - just like we did in the UK with the Industrial Revolution. Homeland Security Budget by Trevor Batten "Sophia Barkat" <quietpoly@yahoo.com> wrote: "I understand people are angry over Sept 11th. They should be. Bush pledged more than one billion dollars for Homeland Security but has delivered just one million. The raised terrorism alerts have created the need for higher police and firefighter and EMT personnel. Instead a government official from Minnesota reported they had to lay off police etc in 46 States. Apparently Bush Jr.'s new budget has proposed another 1billion for Homeland Security." Yes, these kinds of conjuring tricks are upsetting British voters too. Blair keeps announcing all sorts of wonderful improvements to key services (education, transport, health care, etc...) but in practice things don't seem to improve. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to track down exactly what is happening when the problems are hidden away in the practical details. Following your example: Has Bush now proposed a total of 2 times 1 billion dollars -or only 1 billion plus 1 million -and will the earlier process be repeated so that maximal 2 million is actually on the table? by Sophia Barkat Re: Homeland Security Budget Trevor asked about the proposed Homeland Security Budget. Below are two links with rather confusing numbers for the budget. Here's what I got from the Dep. of Homeland Security website regarding this year's proposal: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0120.xml "The President's FY '03 Supplemental Budget requests $3.5 billion for the Department of Homeland Security," it says. Now, here's what I got from the White House website about Bush's Homeland Security Plan: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/homeland_security_book.html Look at the FUNDINGS FOR HOMELAND SECURITY GRAPH. It notes that figures between FY 1995-1997 were estimates. Are the figures in ORANGE ALL estimates? How about those in Green? Supposedly no one knows how to explain color codes. Look at the Pie Chart for Homeland Security Distribution of FY 2003 Request for Activity. The type is illegible. If I am not wrong the two links propose two different budgets. Can someone make sense of this, please? |
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