OT: An Interesting Factoid

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

Hey lets not forget what happen when the USA actually lost a war... the victors became capitalist just because of all the excession consumer goods left behind. (Vietnam for all the youngsters out there).

Assuming civilization lasts long enough (about 50 more years or so), that's what I suspect will happen to China -- it will become a fully capitalist nation. And very often (though not always, I'll grant you), capitalism and democracy go hand in hand...

[Mohoender]

I don't want to be mean but Paul first statement wasn't that far from reality, but you need to do a little more math .

You currently have 28 million iraqis, right? but you can count that an average iraqi family is composed of between 7 to 10 members (0-2 grand parents or relatives, 2 parents and anywhere from 3 to 6+ kids). As a result, you need to build a home for only about 4 million families (taking a 7 members family as the rule). Then, you could have make them 200.000$ houses with the powerplants... (not that bad in fact).

As I feel like hitching your back a little more. What is the percentage of people currently living under the level of poverty in US? Our number is 13% (up from 10% before 2003 and still rising; don't worry everything fine as these people usualy don't vote). That makes 8 million people who could have had a use for that money in France alone. As good charity begins with yourself think about it.

If they were simply putting a little more money to win the peace, those poor of yours (and ours) could at least get a little something back.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by kato13

Another interesting fact: in the US nearly one third of multi million dollar lottery winners go bankrupt within five years.

About the same in France but with a very important difference, nonetheless. The remaining two third will lose everything within the next 15 years through state taxes.

The last french winner of the euromillion (around 100 million $) left the country within the following year. If you ever notice that I start to always post from outside France, you'll know that I won.

[Caradhras]

My point was not to throw money at individuals - but as with my Roman reference - build/repair roads and facilitys, improve water/power supplies, emergency services, recreational areas. I know is probably happening to some degree, and 'hearts and minds' is not new - but the cost of modern warfare is so immense these days a larger proportion of funds to the rebuilding may give a better return.

It would certainly grate on the nerves of the troops to see all the money being spent on the people who were shooting at you, but in the long run it may be a more efficient way of getting your end result than 100% of your expenditure on military.

[Targan]

I think it is well known now that a significant fraction of the funds being channelled into Iraq for reconstruction have come back to the US through embezelment. I imagine that would annoy the hell out of those who fought there too.

[headquarters]

one day war will be called what it is -organized crime .

against the soldiers that they make sacrifice and fight
against the vanquished and the dead
against the ones who inherit the conflict and its fallout down the road in a few generations

etc etc

the soldiers are usually the ones who put it on the line ,and they are quickly forgotten and left to stew in their own problems after the victory has been celebrated and the loot is safely tucked away out of sight and mind .

the dead civillians are already forgotten by then .

and the ones who profit from it all - laugh all the way to the bank ..

OK - bit of a rant there .. I feel that this is a historical fact in MOST wars .

[Caradhras]

Yes, soldiers are the tools of politicians and treated poorly.

I dont know how true it is, but I heard that after the defeat of the Spanish Armada the English sailed the fleet around long enough to let sufficient sailors to die of disease and malnutrition because they couldnt/didnt want to pay them..

[headquarters]

its really depressing some times to consider the sh*t we pull against eachother today and in history .

I guess I should be happy that I am ok and that i still have the ability to get down about the state of things from time to time and not be totally ..whats the word ..

indifferent.

Not my meaning to get all dark and sulky here guys -even though I did.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Caradhras

I dont know how true it is, but I heard that after the defeat of the Spanish Armada the English sailed the fleet around long enough to let sufficient sailors to die of disease and malnutrition because they couldnt/didnt want to pay them..

The truth is actually worse - they had them sit in port and not allow them ashore....

[Nowhere Man 1966]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

That was what he traded his clunker in for!!! Interesting concept that cash for clunkers program... Get people who have no money or bad credit to invest in new cars and then when they default have foreclosure and repo's on all the vehicles.

Hey wait a minute... isn't that what happened in the housing market????

It's hurting us in the auto parts business as well as some of the used car dealers I've talked to. Most people I hang with are the types that can only afford those $2000 to $5000 cars and that program is hurting them by taking some of those cars off the market as well as hurt those dealers who are trying to sell them. Even so, I cannot afford a car payment for a new car, program or no program. Expect repos to rise.

Chuck

[Nowhere Man 1966]

Originally Posted by Targan

Hence the beauty of a nuclear war - no need to bother with a recovery plan.

And things will be more libertarian.

Chuck