Ben wrote:
> Deborah Terreson wrote:
> > In article 
,
> "Turin"
> >  wrote:
> >
> > > "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN"
> > >
> > > Face it.  America's heyday is over...
> > >
> > >
> > > "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not
> > > partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
> > > of her plagues.
> > >
> > > "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God
> > > hath remembered her iniquities.  Reward her even
> > > as she rewarded you, and double unto her double
> > > according to her works: in the cup which she
> > > hath filled fill to her double.
> > >
> > > "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived
> > > deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give
> > > her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen,
> > > and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day,
> > > death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall
> > > be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the
> > > Lord God who judgeth her."
> > >
> > > (~Revelation 18:4-8 --- prophecy of Babylon's final destruction)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8191.htm
> > >
> > >
> > > America No. 1?
> > >
> > > America by the numbers
> > >
> > > by Michael Ventura
> > >
> > > 02/03/05 "ICH"  - - No concept lies more firmly
embedded in our
> > > national character than the notion that the USA is "No.
1," "the
> > > greatest." Our broadcast media are, in essence, continuous
> > > advertisements for the brand name "America Is No.
1." Any office
> seeker
> > > saying otherwise would be committing political suicide. In fact,
> anyone
> > > saying otherwise will be labeled "un-American." We're an
"empire,"
> > > ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An
> > > empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in
> order
> > > to function. Yet the delusion is ineradicable. We're No. 1.
> Well...this
> > > is the country you really live in:
> > >
> > > The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York
> Times,
> > > Dec. 12, 2004).
> > >
> > > The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical
> > > literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
> > >
> > > Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth.
> Seventeen
> > > percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The
> Week,
> > > Jan. 7, 2005).
> > >
> > > "The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans
> with
> > > less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all
> of
> > > the other countries'" (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book
The
> > > European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly
> Eclipsing
> > > the American Dream, p.78).
> > >
> > > Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that
> American
> > > businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT,
Dec.
> 12,
> > > 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere!
> > >
> > > "The European Union leads the U.S. in...the number of science and
> > > engineering graduates; public research and development (R&D)
> > > expenditures; and new capital raised" (The European Dream, p.70).
> > >
> > > "Europe surpassed the United States in the mid-1990s as the
largest
> > > producer of scientific literature" (The European Dream, p.70).
> > >
> > > Nevertheless, Congress cut funds to the National Science
> Foundation.
> > > The agency will issue 1,000 fewer research grants this year (NYT,
> Dec.
> > > 21, 2004).
> > >
> > > Foreign applications to U.S. grad schools declined 28 percent
last
> > > year. Foreign student enrollment on all levels fell for the first
> time
> > > in three decades, but increased greatly in Europe and China. Last
> year
> > > Chinese grad-school graduates in the U.S. dropped 56 percent,
> Indians
> > > 51 percent, South Koreans 28 percent (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004). We're
> not
> > > the place to be anymore.
> > >
> > > The World Health Organization "ranked the countries of the world
in
> > > terms of overall health performance, and the U.S. [was]...37th."
In
> the
> > > fairness of health care, we're 54th. "The irony is that the
United
> > > States spends more per capita for health care than any other
nation
> in
> > > the world" (The European Dream, pp.79-80). Pay more, get lots,
lots
> > > less.
> > >
> > > "The U.S. and South Africa are the only two developed countries
in
> the
> > > world that do not provide health care for all their citizens"
(The
> > > European Dream, p.80). Excuse me, but since when is South Africa
a
> > > "developed" country? Anyway, that's the company
we're keeping.
> > >
> > > Lack of health insurance coverage causes 18,000 unnecessary
> American
> > > deaths a year. (That's six times the number of people killed on
> 9/11.)
> > > (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005.)
> > >
> > > "U.S. childhood poverty now ranks 22nd, or second to last, among
> the
> > > developed nations. Only Mexico scores lower" (The European Dream,
> > > p.81). Been to Mexico lately? Does it look
"developed" to you?
Yet
> it's
> > > the only "developed" country to score lower in
childhood poverty.
> > >
> > > Twelve million American families--more than 10 percent of all
U=2ES.
> > > households--"continue to struggle, and not always successfully,
to
> feed
> > > themselves." Families that "had members who
actually went hungry
at
> > > some point last year" numbered 3.9 million (NYT, Nov. 22, 2004).
> > >
> > > The United States is 41st in the world in infant mortality. Cuba
> scores
> > > higher (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).
> > >
> > > Women are 70 percent more likely to die in childbirth in America
> than
> > > in Europe (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).
> > >
> > > The leading cause of death of pregnant women in this country is
> murder
> > > (CNN, Dec. 14, 2004).
> > >
> > > "Of the 20 most developed countries in the world, the U.S. was
dead
> > > last in the growth rate of total compensation to its workforce in
> the
> > > 1980s.... In the 1990s, the U.S. average compensation growth rate
> grew
> > > only slightly, at an annual rate of about 0.1 percent" (The
> European
> > > Dream, p.39). Yet Americans work longer hours per year than any
> other
> > > industrialized country, and get less vacation time.
> > >
> > > "Sixty-one of the 140 biggest companies on the Global Fortune 500
> > > rankings are European, while only 50 are U.S. companies" (The
> European
> > > Dream, p.66). "In a recent survey of the world's 50 best
companies,
> > > conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European" (The
> European
> > > Dream, p.69).
> > >
> > > "Fourteen of the 20 largest commercial banks in the world today
are
> > > European.... In the chemical industry, the European company BASF
is
> the
> > > world's leader, and three of the top six players are European. In
> > > engineering and construction, three of the top five companies are
> > > European.... The two others are Japanese. Not a single American
> > > engineering and construction company is included among the
world's
> top
> > > nine competitors. In food and consumer products, Nestl=E9 and
> Unilever,
> > > two European giants, rank first and second, respectively, in the
> world.
> > > In the food and drugstore retail trade, two European
> companies...are
> > > first and second, and European companies make up five of the top
> ten.
> > > Only four U.S. companies are on the list" (The European Dream,
> p.68).
> > >
> > > The United States has lost 1.3 million jobs to China in the last
> decade
> > > (CNN, Jan. 12, 2005).
> > >
> > > U.S. employers eliminated 1 million jobs in 2004 (The Week, Jan.
> 14,
> > > 2005).
> > >
> > > Three million six hundred thousand Americans ran out of
> unemployment
> > > insurance last year; 1.8 million--one in five--unemployed workers
> are
> > > jobless for more than six months (NYT, Jan. 9, 2005).
> > >
> > > Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea hold 40 percent of our
> government
> > > debt. (That's why we talk nice to them.) "By helping keep
mortgage
> > > rates from rising, China has come to play an enormous and
> > > little-noticed role in sustaining the American housing boom"
(NYT,
> Dec.
> > > 4, 2004). Read that twice. We owe our housing boom to China,
> because
> > > they want us to keep buying all that stuff they manufacture.
> > >
> > > Sometime in the next 10 years Brazil will probably pass the U.S.
as
> the
> > > world's largest agricultural producer. Brazil is now the world's
> > > largest exporter of chickens, orange juice, sugar, coffee, and
> tobacco.
> > > Last year, Brazil passed the U.S. as the world's largest beef
> producer.
> > > (Hear that, you poor deluded cowboys?) As a result, while we bear
> > > record trade deficits, Brazil boasts a $30 billion trade surplus
> (NYT,
> > > Dec. 12, 2004).
> > >
> > > As of last June, the U.S. imported more food than it exported
(NYT,
> > > Dec. 12, 2004).
> > >
> > > Bush: 62,027,582 votes. Kerry: 59,026,003 votes. Number of
eligible
> > > voters who didn't show up: 79,279,000 (NYT, Dec. 26, 2004).
That's
> more
> > > than a third. Way more. If more than a third of Iraqis don't show
> for
> > > their election, no country in the world will think that election
> > > legitimate.
> > >
> > > One-third of all U.S. children are born out of wedlock. One-half
of
> all
> > > U.S. children will live in a one-parent house (CNN, Dec. 10,
2004).
> > >
> > > "Americans are now spending more money on gambling than on
movies,
> > > videos, DVDs, music, and books combined" (The European Dream,
> p.28).
> > >
> > > "Nearly one out of four Americans [believe] that using violence
to
> get
> > > what they want is acceptable" (The European Dream, p.32).
> > >
> > > Forty-three percent of Americans think torture is sometimes
> justified,
> > > according to a PEW Poll (Associated Press, Aug. 19, 2004).
> > >
> > > "Nearly 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2002, the
last
> > > year for which such data are available" (USA Today, Dec. 21,
2004).
> > >
> > > "The International Association of Chiefs of Police said that cuts
> by
> > > the [Bush] administration in federal aid to local police agencies
> have
> > > left the nation more vulnerable than ever" (USA Today, Nov. 17,
> 2004).
> > >
> > > No. 1? In most important categories we're not even in the Top 10
> > > anymore. Not even close.
> > >
> > >
> > > The USA is "No. 1" in nothing but weaponry,
consumer spending,
> debt,
> > > and delusion.
> > >
> > >
> > > Reprinted from the Austin Chronicle.
> > > www.citypages.com/databank/26/1264/article12985.asp
> >
> > Oh yeahhhhh...
> >
> > It's gonna be fun watching the FoxNews weenies squeal like pigs in
a
> poke
> > when the shit hits it.
> >
> > Here's another one Turin. Last Tuesday, the WSJ ran two really
> interesting
> > articles - one about how China has made inroads in EVERY country in
> Africa
> > in the last 5 years. They are building infrastructure across the
> continent.
> > They are rebuilding the Nigerian rail system, have paved 80% of the
> state
> > highways in Rwanda, are working in over a dozen countries
rebuilding
> > electrical grids and telephone services, are running the largest
> copper mine
> > in Zambia. And are increasing their influence while America is
barely
> > hanging on, and in many cases, losing influence.
> >
> > Here's a full paragraph from the article:
> >
> >  "China has simply exploded into Africa, as in 'Katie-bar-the-door
> stuff.'"
> > says Walter Kantsteiner, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state
> for
> > African affairs. Adds Rep. Ed Royce, a Californian Republican and
> vice
> > chairman of a House subcommittee that deals with Africa: "China's
> increasing
> > engagement in Africa is a concern and we need to focus on it before
> Beijing
> > becomes fully established."
> >
> > Here's the rub: China has no qualms about doing business with
> countries like
> > Nigeria, or other brutal, corrupt dictatorships. It is dropping 300
> million
> > in Zimbabwe to rebuild it's electrical grid, Mugabe's UN sanctions
be
> > damned. Also, since most of the businesses going in are state
owned,
> they
> > turn a modest 3% profit, if at all, while Western businesses so
used
> to
> > short term, high profits for the stakeholders, won't even consider
an
> effort
> > unless at least a 15% profit margin is sustainable.
> >
> > The Chinese are setting up their long term access to resources,
while
> > America is jerking off, all full of itself and arrogantly cocksure
> that we
> > alone have the plan that will win.
> >
> > The other article was about the Silicon Valley engineers who are
> > increasingly faced with the inability to get their own kids to
choose
> > technical careers.
> >
> > Some paragraphs from this article:
> >
> >   But some of the nation's tech elite - including many immigrants
who
> > benefitted greatly from engineering careers - are finding even
their
> own
> > children shun engineering. One oft cited reason: concern that dad
and
> his
> > contemporaries will ship such jobs overseas.
> >
> >   Venture capitalist Promod Haque, for example, is in an ironic
bind
> when it
> > comes to advising his own kids. Like many other Silicon Valley
> financiers,
> > Mr. Haque has recently begun funding tech startups in India and

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