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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43159)	8/26/2002 7:36:36 PM
From: Bilow	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

Hi IQBAL LATIF; Re: "Get real- was ‘US just trying to stop people from fighting who want to fight more than they want peace’ in Vietnam?" While there is no doubt that the people in South Vietnam wanted victory more than they wanted peace, it is an undeniable fact of history that the US was not there to "keep them from fighting". The US was there to ensure that the non communist side won. Re: "Real Politicks is more about controls, ideologies and extending economic influence, that is in nutshell has been and shall be the ultimate objective of any global empire." I agree, more or less. But the historical reality is that the US extension of economic influence has been most successful when unaccompanied by military power. South Vietnam is a great example. Now that the war is over, and the US has pretty much given up trying to influence the local regime, US economic influence in all of Vietnam is finally beginning to flourish. This is exactly the opposite of what would be predicted by those who believe that it is the military that is the strongest part of the United States. While the US is strong militarily, it is not able to convince its own citizens not to smoke, how is the US going to create a policy that will convince citizens in other countries to like the US? It is an impossible task, but getting them addicted to Coca cola and Dunkin Donuts, that is an easy task, and that is where the US reigns supreme. That US cultural supremacy is due to the fact that everything gets tried here, and only what is naturally, universally, attractive to the human species is able to compete. If the US hadn't been involved in the South Vietnamese quagmire this transition would likely have happened a decade or so earlier. Hell, look who won the war, but Communist Vietnam is now a member of ASEAN, the group that fought them for years: cif.rochester.edu Here's a prediction: Within 20 years, Vietnam will be a democracy, and allied with the United States (against China). Furthermore, this will come about almost completely peacefully. -- Carl

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43159)	8/26/2002 8:34:58 PM
From: JEB	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

So, you are saying 9/11 was the birth of an empire. It is the day the American public awoke to the need?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43159)	8/27/2002 9:40:00 AM
From: Rascal	Respond to of 50167

Such a concept! It makes me think about my favorite phrase "You are what you measure." We used to measure everything by the GNP (Gross National Product, Which would include overseas production) Now we measure and run all the government's numbers based on GDP (things produced within our geographic borders) When a corporation moves off shore does their production count in GNP or GDP? When a corporation does it's production in Mexico, I assume it does not count in GDP. I wonder what the growth and productivity would look like if we recalibrated and used the GNP again. I am not an economist, obviously. Your concept has set me to thinking. I hope to be corrected by the smart people on this board who know more about this subject.