Turin wrote:
> 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=2E70).
> > > >
> > > > "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.S.
> > > > 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=2ES.
> 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

--- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 100