[FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! do.rflex [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:48:05 - Subject: [FairfieldLife] Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke The Pentagon Strangles Our Economy: Why the U.S. Has Gone Broke By Chalmers Johnson, Le Monde diplomatique Alternet, April 27, 2008 http://www.alternet .org/story/ 83555/ The military adventurers in the Bush administration have much in common with the corporate leaders of the defunct energy company Enron. Both groups thought that they were the smartest guys in the room -- the title of Alex Gibney's prize-winning film on what went wrong at Enron. The neoconservatives in the White House and the Pentagon outsmarted themselves. They failed even to address the problem of how to finance their schemes of imperialist wars and global domination. As a result, going into 2008, the United States finds itself in the anomalous position of being unable to pay for its own elevated living standards or its wasteful, overly large military establishment. Its government no longer even attempts to reduce the ruinous expenses of maintaining huge standing armies, replacing the equipment that seven years of wars have destroyed or worn out, or preparing for a war in outer space against unknown adversaries. Instead, the Bush administration puts off these costs for future generations to pay or repudiate. This fiscal irresponsibility has been disguised through many manipulative financial schemes (causing poorer countries to lend us unprecedented sums of money), but the time of reckoning is fast approaching. There are three broad aspects to the U.S. debt crisis. First, in the current fiscal year (2008) we are spending insane amounts of money on defense projects that bear no relation to the national security of the U.S. We are also keeping the income tax burdens on the richest segment of the population at strikingly low levels. Second, we continue to believe that we can compensate for the accelerating erosion of our base and our loss of jobs to foreign countries through massive military expenditures -- military Keynesianism ... By that, I mean the mistaken belief that public policies focused on frequent wars, huge expenditures on weapons and munitions, and large standing armies can indefinitely sustain a wealthy capitalist economy. The opposite is actually true. Third, in our devotion to militarism (despite our limited resources), we are failing to invest in our social infrastructure and other requirements for the long-term health of the U.S. These are what economists call opportunity costs, things not done because we spent our money on something else. Our public education system has deteriorated alarmingly. We have failed to provide health care to all our citizens and neglected our responsibilities as the world's number one polluter. Most important, we have lost our competitiveness as a manufacturer for civilian needs, an infinitely more efficient use of scarce resources than arms manufacturing. Fiscal disaster It is virtually impossible to overstate the profligacy of what our government spends on the military. The Department of Defense's planned expenditures for the fiscal year 2008 are larger than all other nations' military budgets combined. The supplementary budget to pay for the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not part of the official defense budget, is itself larger than the combined military budgets of Russia and China. Defense-related spending for fiscal 2008 will exceed $1 trillion for the first time in history. The U.S. has become the largest single seller of arms and munitions to other nations on Earth. Leaving out President Bush's two on-going wars, defense spending has doubled since the mid-1990s. The defense budget for fiscal 2008 is the largest since the second world war... Read complete article at link: http://www.alternet .org/story/ 83555/ * - Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
Is it really democracy, or is it something more like corporate capitalism? --- Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! do.rflex [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:48:05 - Subject: [FairfieldLife] Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke The Pentagon Strangles Our Economy: Why the U.S. Has Gone Broke By Chalmers Johnson, Le Monde diplomatique Alternet, April 27, 2008 http://www.alternet .org/story/ 83555/ The military adventurers in the Bush administration have much in common with the corporate leaders of the defunct energy company Enron. Both groups thought that they were the smartest guys in the room -- the title of Alex Gibney's prize-winning film on what went wrong at Enron. The neoconservatives in the White House and the Pentagon outsmarted themselves. They failed even to address the problem of how to finance their schemes of imperialist wars and global domination. As a result, going into 2008, the United States finds itself in the anomalous position of being unable to pay for its own elevated living standards or its wasteful, overly large military establishment. Its government no longer even attempts to reduce the ruinous expenses of maintaining huge standing armies, replacing the equipment that seven years of wars have destroyed or worn out, or preparing for a war in outer space against unknown adversaries. Instead, the Bush administration puts off these costs for future generations to pay or repudiate. This fiscal irresponsibility has been disguised through many manipulative financial schemes (causing poorer countries to lend us unprecedented sums of money), but the time of reckoning is fast approaching. There are three broad aspects to the U.S. debt crisis. First, in the current fiscal year (2008) we are spending insane amounts of money on defense projects that bear no relation to the national security of the U.S. We are also keeping the income tax burdens on the richest segment of the population at strikingly low levels. Second, we continue to believe that we can compensate for the accelerating erosion of our base and our loss of jobs to foreign countries through massive military expenditures -- military Keynesianism ... By that, I mean the mistaken belief that public policies focused on frequent wars, huge expenditures on weapons and munitions, and large standing armies can indefinitely sustain a wealthy capitalist economy. The opposite is actually true. Third, in our devotion to militarism (despite our limited resources), we are failing to invest in our social infrastructure and other requirements for the long-term health of the U.S. These are what economists call opportunity costs, things not done because we spent our money on something else. Our public education system has deteriorated alarmingly. We have failed to provide health care to all our citizens and neglected our responsibilities as the world's number one polluter. Most important, we have lost our competitiveness as a manufacturer for civilian needs, an infinitely more efficient use of scarce resources than arms manufacturing. Fiscal disaster It is virtually impossible to overstate the profligacy of what our government spends on the military. The Department of Defense's planned expenditures for the fiscal year 2008 are larger than all other nations' military budgets combined. The supplementary budget to pay for the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not part of the official defense budget, is itself larger than the combined military budgets of Russia and China. Defense-related spending for fiscal 2008 will exceed $1 trillion for the first time in history. The U.S. has become the largest single seller of arms and munitions to other nations on Earth. Leaving out President Bush's two on-going wars, defense spending has doubled since the mid-1990s. The defense budget for fiscal 2008 is the largest since the second world war... Read complete article at link: http://www.alternet .org/story/ 83555/ *
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
Corporate Capitalism withi it's feature of Limited Liability is one of the major causes of Industrial and economic development. Or else no trader or Business would take risks with unlimited liability. Pooling of Capital which no single individual can do it on his own was made possible. The Negative side is it led to irresponsible decison making and Greed. Corporate irresponsiblity is one of the major problems which we face today. The only solution is to introduce Partially extended Limited Liability in which about 5% percent of the total Capital pooled by the company be held in a permanently frozen deposit with the Federal Bank. Only when the company is Liqudated the Federal bank should release the funds to help the liquidation process. Angela Mailander [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:53:24 +0100 (BST) Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke Is it really democracy, or is it something more like corporate capitalism? --- Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! - Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! An nobody listened to: We must face the fact that the United States is neither omnipotent or omniscient that we are only 6 percent of the world's population; that we cannot impose our will upon the other 94 percent of mankind; that we cannot right every wrong or reverse each adversity; and therefore there cannot be an American solution to every world problem. ~~ President John F Kennedy - from his speech delivered at the University of Washington in Seattle, November 16th, 1961 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=8448 do.rflex [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:48:05 - Subject: [FairfieldLife] Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke The Pentagon Strangles Our Economy: Why the U.S. Has Gone Broke By Chalmers Johnson, Le Monde diplomatique Alternet, April 27, 2008 http://www.alternet .org/story/ 83555/
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
Well, whatever you call it, it seems irresponsible and, in all likelihood counterproductive, to impose it at the point of a gun. Moreover, I'm not convinced that the agenda is economic development rather than depopulation. And then, even if it's economic development, whose development are we talking about in the case of, say, Iraq--Iraqi development or American development? --- Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Corporate Capitalism withi it's feature of Limited Liability is one of the major causes of Industrial and economic development. Or else no trader or Business would take risks with unlimited liability. Pooling of Capital which no single individual can do it on his own was made possible. The Negative side is it led to irresponsible decison making and Greed. Corporate irresponsiblity is one of the major problems which we face today. The only solution is to introduce Partially extended Limited Liability in which about 5% percent of the total Capital pooled by the company be held in a permanently frozen deposit with the Federal Bank. Only when the company is Liqudated the Federal bank should release the funds to help the liquidation process. Angela Mailander [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:53:24 +0100 (BST) Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke Is it really democracy, or is it something more like corporate capitalism? --- Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! - Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
[FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! Most (or at least many) people believe that the _de facto_ foreign policy of the US government has been to act to promote the continuation of the US citizen's lifestyle, rather than to promote democracy or any other idealist goal. I think that a fair claim can be made that THIS goal has been subverted to promote the interests of specific individuals and groups over the national interests of the American public in general, but that you're fooling yourself if you think our national goals have been lofty for a very long time. Lawson
Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Why the [Invincible] U.S. Has Gone Broke
I agree completely. The planned demise of the middle class has been ongoing over my life-time. a --- sparaig [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Jason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to World War 2 in 1945, America was trying to promote Democracy and Republicanism all over the world. At that time, the two major enemies of US was Britain and Spain.!! From 1945 when the world lapsed into an Ideological Cold War, The US position changed upside down and Promoting right-wing Dictatorships all over the world was considered the best strategy to combat Communism. Dictatorships are easier to control and democracies have complications. In September 11th 2001, the US position again changed upside down and Promoting Democracies all over the world was considered the best strategy by the Pentagon and the CIA. In other words, You guys are returning back to Pre-1945 position. In other words, You are back to square one.!! Most (or at least many) people believe that the _de facto_ foreign policy of the US government has been to act to promote the continuation of the US citizen's lifestyle, rather than to promote democracy or any other idealist goal. I think that a fair claim can be made that THIS goal has been subverted to promote the interests of specific individuals and groups over the national interests of the American public in general, but that you're fooling yourself if you think our national goals have been lofty for a very long time. Lawson Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
