a bit of politics and history?

[Mohoender]

Marc I agree about the situation change worldwide. We are talking a lot also in France even as the situation remain stable. My wife compare the U.S. situation to that of Spain in the 17-18th century and I found her comparison better than any others.

HQ I would have shared your analysis about Russia but as oil is going down the level of state incom in that country will go down also. I'm convinced that Russia will do good but I doubt it to be a future major player.

Jest, I know that you are very supportive of US and you are right. If I had to trust someone that would be a U.S. citizen but if I had to distrust someone that would be a U.S. politician (or banker ). I haven't been in U.S. since 2003 and that's only because I hardly consider your country a democracy anymore. DON'T KILL ME ON THE SPOT. U.S. citizens are democratic, deeply attached to their democracy, honest (in their thinking) and trustworthy, but your administration is not currently so (or so I feel). Hey people, your are the bosses, the guy in the White House and those in Congress are your employees. I might be wrong but when you take a oath that is to the people not to the government (you can say something similar about us).

Russia and China don't have much to do with this except that they have the true wealth. You are in California and if I remember well you had an issue some years ago (15 or so) about some public contractor. The governor at the time chose an american company to do the job over a japanese one. The problem was that the american company was producing everything in Korea while the japanese would have done it in the U.S., employing U.S. citizens.

One last thing, we all talk about Russia and China but don't forget India and South America; old habits die hard. Ok, the West currently represent 50% (at least) of the world financial wealth and that is shrinking quickly (not the case when it comes to industrial and raw material production) but we only represent 15% of the population. Therefore, 15% of the world is doing bad, 5% is doing terrible (I don't really know how terrible), that hardly make it for the entire humanity.

Future will be interesting, we are all living trough a great time of world history.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Marc I agree about the situation change worldwide. We are talking a lot also in France even as the situation remain stable. My wife compare the U.S. situation to that of Spain in the 17-18th century and I found her comparison better than any others.

HQ I would have shared your analysis about Russia but as oil is going down the level of state incom in that country will go down also. I'm convinced that Russia will do good but I doubt it to be a future major player.

Jest, I know that you are very supportive of US and you are right. If I had to trust someone that would be a U.S. citizen but if I had to distrust someone that would be a U.S. politician (or banker ). I haven't been in U.S. since 2003 and that's only because I hardly consider your country a democracy anymore. DON'T KILL ME ON THE SPOT. U.S. citizens are democratic, deeply attached to their democracy, honest (in their thinking) and trustworthy, but your administration is not currently so (or so I feel). Hey people, your are the bosses, the guy in the White House and those in Congress are your employees. I might be wrong but when you take a oath that is to the people not to the government (you can say something similar about us).

Russia and China don't have much to do with this except that they have the true wealth. You are in California and if I remember well you had an issue some years ago (15 or so) about some public contractor. The governor at the time chose an american company to do the job over a japanese one. The problem was that the american company was producing everything in Korea while the japanese would have done it in the U.S., employing U.S. citizens.

One last thing, we all talk about Russia and China but don't forget India and South America; old habits die hard. Ok, the West currently represent 50% (at least) of the world financial wealth and that is shrinking quickly (not the case when it comes to industrial and raw material production) but we only represent 15% of the population. Therefore, 15% of the world is doing bad, 5% is doing terrible (I don't really know how terrible), that hardly make it for the entire humanity.

Future will be interesting, we are all living trough a great time of world history.

I gotta specify - noone is going to take the US position away from them any time soon .Russia will not be able to achieve parity with the US -probably ever again.But Mother Russia is indeed a major player today -and will be even more important tomorrow.Russia now exert spressure on the EU like it could only dream of 10 years ago .And 10 years from now -who knows?

Two other major players as you say -India and Brazil will sit at the table and command attention the next few decades.

All IMHO opinion ofcourse-rthe "H" standing for humble

[Mohoender]

HQ, I'm not saying someone is going to take U.S. position any time soon. Just that things might be changing and changing fast. However, U.S. itself might well loose its position and that might already be the case. People's view is changing dramatically and I wouldn't be surprised if U.S. become one among others (a big one so).

I'm an historian and I'm strongly against prospective history as the past never tell you what the future will be. The only thing that I'm sure of is that this crisis will leave its mark. I also have some hope in the coming U.S. election (even as I don't care about who is elected, not really my business) as I would be happy to travel to Vermont again; I'm missing my firends from there. Bah! if I continue to distrust the U.S. administration, I'll travel to Canada.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

HQ, I'm not saying someone is going to take U.S. position any time soon. Just that things might be changing and changing fast. However, U.S. itself might well loose its position and that might already be the case. People's view is changing dramatically and I wouldn't be surprised if U.S. become one among others (a big one so).

I'm an historian and I'm strongly against prospective history as the past never tell you what the future will be. The only thing that I'm sure of is that this crisis will leave its mark. I also have some hope in the coming U.S. election (even as I don't care about who is elected, not really my business) as I would be happy to travel to Vermont again; I'm missing my firends from there. Bah! if I continue to distrust the U.S. administration, I'll travel to Canada.

The US is already one among several -it has hegemony /supremacy and will retain it for a long time still .But the troubles of war ,financial instability etc have given potential for other players to grow stronger is what I meant .

Why distrust the US administration ? They are like pretty much every other administration only more powerful .

[Marc]

"May you live in interesting times". The ancient chinese curse seems to float around us. .... Thinking about learning a level 0 in farming skill?

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Marc

"May you live in interesting times". The ancient chinese curse seems to float around us. .... Thinking about learning a level 0 in farming skill?

I have it

[Mohoender]

HQ, we agree about U.S., that's what I meant also.

About the administration, it's kind of personnal but there are currently too much fear and as every administration the one is U.S. is protecting its citizen first. As a foreigner and as someone saying what I think that is potentially dangerous.

For the personnal part, I usually don't travel in countries that have policies that I strongly disaprove. Paradoxaly, I can be very supportive of a people and offensive toward a government (that would be the case with Israel and currently with U.S.). The problem is that today most western governments don't like to be offended so I critisize my own (as I'm protected by my own laws). In the case of U.S., I'm happy to do it here as I found very good people developping very constructive points (also often with very different opinions). We do it with a lot of respect and I apreciate that and, morever, it helps me greatly when deffending U.S.

Moreover, while visiting Vermont, in 2003 I ran into two bad things. First at the border as I didn't know the exact adress of my friends. I lived in the US before that, I asked for help and that worked (as americans are usually helpful) but if I had ran into a stubborn custom agent that could have ended very differently. U.S. is currently holding people illegaly even in regard of the american law and constitution, and I think that Bush administration has passed laws that are outrageous. The fact that it is bigger, makes it dangerous when it is paranoyed. Second, I was almost assaulted by someone just for being French. Of course, these kind of peoples are rare but in time of incertainty they are more dangerous. Currently, I think that things are getting better but I stated that I wouldn't cross the U.S. border as long as Bush is president.

Nevertheless, during all these time I remained confident in the American as a people, despite having a lot of friends around thinking American to be bad guys, and the recent past events proved me right.

I have more concrete reasons to feel that way but I cannot talk about them as I'm not directly involved.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Jest, I know that you are very supportive of US and you are right. If I had to trust someone that would be a U.S. citizen but if I had to distrust someone that would be a U.S. politician (or banker ). I haven't been in U.S. since 2003 and that's only because I hardly consider your country a democracy anymore. DON'T KILL ME ON THE SPOT. U.S. citizens are democratic, deeply attached to their democracy, honest (in their thinking) and trustworthy, but your administration is not currently so (or so I feel). Hey people, your are the bosses, the guy in the White House and those in Congress are your employees. I might be wrong but when you take a oath that is to the people not to the government (you can say something similar about us).

There is a lot of truth in what you say. There have been times they have listened when we managed to generate enough noise but for the most part, you are correct. I'll leave it at that. As to banker and the banking system, well, I don't have a lot of trust in that and sometimes when I pay by check, I get a little paranoid. The other day, I bought some Advantage flea treatment for my cats and I wrote a check. They scanned through one of those instant check machines and it was decline. I had more than enough money in the account to cover it. I worked with a guy a long time ago, he never trusted banks, "all they do is rip you off," he says. He paid his bills in cash and money orders. I'm not a fan of banks either.

I can make a monkey of myself very easily without having the banking system doing it for me. Later I found out that the store's system could not connect to the bank somehow, if you ask me, the banking system sucks.

Chuck M.