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Politics : Dutch Central Bank Sale Announcement Imminent? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sea_urchin who wrote (19921)	12/26/2003 5:21:02 PM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 81164

Searle, Nice segue from the Fall of Rome to today's politics. Here's another view that we won't see expressed in the corporate U.S. media: Message 19630622 Apparently, even the mildest of rebukes for the Repukes is now being censored off "the Big Show": newyorkmetro.com

To: sea_urchin who wrote (19921)	12/26/2003 5:50:09 PM
From: mcg404	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 81164

Merry Christmas Searle, <I would say that the problem confronting the US has very little to do with regulation, specialization or complexity but rather with the expansion of a nation beyond its ability to sustain itself by the legal means which are available to and within the nation.> My discussion with Ray originated with his suggestion that the mad cow problem illustrated the need for additional (or better) regulation to which i used the Tainter essay to demonstrate why i thought there were limits to the utility of such an approach to solving problems. So, while I didn't initially mean to imply it was relevant to the bigger issue of <the problem confronting the US>, since you suggested it, i'll take the bait. Globalization is just a form of specialization. Instead of being self-sufficient as a country we are going to trade. And for what we can’t trade, we’ll <[expand] the military …with the express purpose of acquiring (appropriating) essential assets, particularly oil>. And instead of self-sufficient communities with local economies, where there is a close connection between business decisions and the impacts of those decision (and maybe some constraints on business decision (non-regulatory, of course) resulting from the coercive power of community disapproval) we’re going to allow <The agglomeration of super-large, corporate entities amongst the very rich and the effective control of the state apparatus by them.> And finally, to make sure no one saves any money but gets it into the hands of businesses before it devalues, we’re going to <[print] money and [create] debt against fictitious/dubious assets faster than ever before in history and at a rate which is not only unacceptable by known standards but which is also unsustainable>. So, you see, all our problems are the result of specialization. All of which, can be avoided if we just recognize the downside of too much specialization and take steps to support local self-sufficiency. And the great part is…we can just DO THIS. Don’t need to win any elections, fight corporate corruption, or get rid of any ‘bad guys’. All we have to do is spend our money wisely and starve those to who we previously, thoughtlessly granted our proxies. I know I’m dreaming but it’s the holiday season, allow me to enjoy my fantasy for awhile... (g) John

To: sea_urchin who wrote (19921)	12/27/2003 6:47:43 PM
From: sea_urchin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 81164

> it looks to me like the US is already well down the same slope of state expansion/currency debasement/national living-beyond-its-means as was seen in the decline and collapse of Rome. And this is the opinion of a professor emeritus at Tokyo Women's Christian University, specializing in U.S. history. asahi.com >>>I fear, however, that the current arrogant self-righteousness of the United States, which is increasingly causing the superpower to swerve from the path of international collaboration, will undermine the nation's foundation if left unchecked. There is an ominous sensation that America is taking the first arrogant step down the road to decline, following in the footsteps of so many past global empires. <<<