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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (130323)	1/3/2001 10:37:09 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1571420

Tim, I would say that having the ability to protect our country its allies and its interests amounts to a good and beneficial program. Yes, I know. Our manifest destiny as a nation is to protect the world. And the world is very willing to let us spend the $$$ to do just that. If we were truly develop the abilities and awareness of our people, we would have less need for guns and war. Guns and war are not symbols of an advanced people, one that is evolving. Technology has changed a lot. Human nature changes much slower if at all. Just as private guns deter and defend against criminals, our military deters and defends against anyone who would attack us, our allies or our intrests. Being able to defend these things robustly with reduced risk to our militarry and our country decreases the chance that we will actually need to go to war. I understand that thesis and to a degree I support it, but its my opinion that increased military spending is unnecessary when there is no real enemy. If you think the military wastes money, you should take a look at some of our foriegn aid programs. I don't condone any program that psses away $$$. We all ready spend a lot of money helping Russia and some of our other potential enemies (like North Korea). Other countries (like China) it doesn't make a lot of sense to offer aid to at the moment. The tools these countries really need to build their economy are not checks from the US, but rather free and non-curupt governments, free markets, and solid rule of law. I am not suggesting we send them checks; food yes, $$$ no. What I was suggesting is to help them develop the tools to become self sufficient economically.....such as training in factory management or business fundamentals, developing effective assembly line production....whatever the need is as well as the $$$ to buy equipment needed to renovate existing factories and industries. Require that the equipment be American made so that we also benefit. And btw don't think this is a goodie twoshoes liberal talking. Getting Russia back on its feet economically is in our very best interests. I fear "the sleeping bear of the north" not for its nuclear weapons but for the anarchy and darkness that exist right below its surface. The sooner Russia develops a solid and thriving middle class, the safer I will feel. To the extent that we can help them achieve this what we can do is cheap and some of it is all ready being done but there is little we can really do here, the countries have to do this themselves.* We agree.....not suggesting doing it for them, just giving them the help and push they need. ted