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Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 12:06:21 -0800
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Thanks for this forum, it's the first time i get interested in what's
going on on the list. I'm happy to see that brain-washing hasn't been
effectif to all. Me too, i have lived and worked in several countries
before coming here, and of course there are always pro's and contras.
I found Monas contribution substantial, in the sens that it doesn't
just challange details of every day life here in the states. The first
time i was really concerned here, was when cnn announced that over 90%
of americains want to bomb Afghanistan even with civilians killed. Any
comment here is unnecessary i think. From that day on, i tried to be a
bit more aware about what's going on here.
For instance, did you know that 2.7% of americains are not free
(prisoners), in the freest country of the world?:
http://www-tech.mit.edu/V115/N34/prisoners.34w.html
Let's make a rough calculation. If the US claims having 5% (of active
population) of unemployed people, you can probably add those 2.7% (2.7%
of total population). Not adding those who are working for the huge
army, you come easily to around 8 % which is close to the west german
unemployement rate. Direct comparison would be to easy of course, since
in america a lot need two jobs just to survive, whereas in Europe, even
un unemployed lives better. Is this economic model really that
successful? United States prefers to invest in police force, security
enforcement and army to keep 2.7% of the population in control instead
of investing in some social effort. By the way, this prisoners rate
corresponds to a dictaturship.
Let's be indifferent, and let's say, i don't care. But this faschistic
approach has unfortunately consequences also elsewhere, for instance in
Columbia. Americans are the biggest consumers of any kind of drugs.
Drugs, "it's the american people who want's that", but in this case
apparently not their goverment (Free market?). The fault must of course
be given to somebody else, non american, and the problem is treated
with the only universal medicine they have, the army. Did you know who
is the biggest financial support of most University labs in Engineering
in the states? The army. So, be aware, many of you are working in army
labs, without wanting to admit it. Many start-ups here get also money
from the army. Again, let's say, i don't care, and let's use the
common, simplifying sentence, "the army, always has been the driving
engine for technology". But when if a sosciety starts to see everthing
through the windows of the army, this sentence is obsolete. Make you're
own idea and name this coutry as what you think:
The medias are unfortunately not very free...
http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3222--249089-,00.html
The real motivations to go to Afghanistan...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,579174,00.html
how they are good friends ...
http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3214--255465-,00.html
some goodd infos, and very good comments written just after Sept.11,
how true it still is...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4266289,00.html
I also read from somebody nice and shurely well thought, how kids
friendly US is. Did you know that at 4 they hav to sing the national
hymn every morning at school and that there is a banner
holder "proudly" designated every day. Well, I have done swiss army,
but also at the army you don't do it every day, just once per course.
To me this ressembles to a certain Jugend, unfortunately just even
younger. In the school for small kids it is usual that parents give
donations. Imagine what happened if the parents just could not do it
for two kids because they didn't have enough salary? Their names was
cited for NOT having donated, instead they would have cited the ones
who did. The kids of course found that very friendly.
For the every day life the really good thing i find, is that they
promote the settling of foreigners here.
Best regards,
B. Guldimann
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Received on Thu Feb 28 2002 - 20:16:28 PST
