Just How Bad is the State of These United States?
I grow rather weary of hearing what is wrong with the United States (Having a child in middle school, learning "social studies" via Newsweek), so, I thought, let's see what all the fuss is about and how we stack up against the rest of the planet. We are neither the best, not the worst statistically. However, it is apparent that we have a quality of life and a robust economy that encourages others to either love us or hate us. Of note: one list on which the US does not appear is a startling list of country's which engages in slavery. There are several forms of slavery; but most frequently children and women sold for sex. Facts and Figures courtesy of the US State Department, The CIA Factbook, The United Nations and Unicef. For anyone wishing to move to say, France, be my guest; although you might want to move to Iraq where the quality of life is a bit better. (statistically speaking)
The US ranks 4th in population - behind: China, India and the EU
The US ranks 1st in purchasing power parity followed by: EU, China, Japan and India
The US ranks 157th in Birth Rate
The US ranks 110th in Death Rate *Interesting note: Iraq ranks 181 (lower), while Germany Ranks: 56th. (Ranks based on deaths per 1000 of population)
US ranks 184th in Infant Mortality
US ranks 48th Life Expectancy at Birth (Japan ranks 6th)
US ranks 131 - Total Fertility Rate
US ranks 69th - HIV aids/adult rates
US ranks 10th - People Living with Aids
US ranks 34th - HIV Deaths
US ranks 4th - Labor Force
103rd Inflation Rate
US ranks 49th Unemployment Rates (France Ranks 101st)
US Ranks 36 - Public Debt
US ranks 3rd in Oil Production, ranking 1st & 2nd - Saudi Arabia & Russia
The US ranks 4th in exports
The US ranks 1st in imports
The US ranks 4th in telephones
The US ranks 3 in Cell Phones
The US ranks 2nd in Internet Users
*The EU is first
The US ranks 1st in Military Expenditures followed by: China, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Germany & Italy - Bermuda ranks 166th - the Sundan 67th (spending - 587,000,000) Cuba, 68th (572,000,000) - (France?!!)
Countrys by Tier - Human Trafficking, Includes Trafficking for sex slaves, children, and women as well as trafficking for slaves (work) 3 being the worse case.
Tier 3
Belize
Dominican Rep.
Kazakhstan
Suriname
Bosnia & Herzegovnia
Georgia
Liberia
Turkey
Burma
Greece
North Korea
Uzbekistan
Cuba
Haiti
Sudan
Tier 2 (Disapproving of, but not necessarily effecting change)
Albania Croatia Laos Saudi Arabia
Angola El Salvador Latvia Senegal
Armenia Equatorial Guinea Lebanon Serbia & Montenegro
Bahrain Estonia Malawi Sierra Leone
Bangladesh Ethiopia Malaysia Slovak Republic
Belarus Finland Mali Slovenia
Bolivia Gabon Mexico South Africa
Brazil The Gambia Moldova, Rep. Sri Lanka
Brunei Guatemala Mozambique Tajikistan
Bulgaria Honduras Nepal Tanzania
Burkina Faso Hungary Nicaragua Thailand
Burundi India Niger Togo
Cambodia Indonesia Nigeria Uganda
Cameroon Israel Pakistan Ukraine
Canada Jamaica Philippines Venezuela
China, Peoples Rep. of Japan Qatar Vietnam
Congo, Dem. Rep. of Kenya Romania Zambia
Costa Rica Kuwait Russia Zimbabwe
Cote dIvoire Kyrgyz Rep. Rwanda
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Excuse me but...
On Friday, March 4, 2006, University of North Carolina college newspaper reported an incident involving an Iranian Graduate Student who rented an suv and ran down 10 pedestrians in the name of "Allah". Apparently, these were no ordinary pedestrians because they were students gathered off the main thoroughfare; not intended to be accessible by motorists.
Two points: The student interviewed about the incident was quibbling about whether or not the injured individuals were technically pedestrians and there was no mention of a terrorist attack on progressive (collegiate) soil....anywhere outside of University of North Carolina's newspaper website..and some conservative blogs who thought this incident might be of some import.
March 6th, Monday: the first national coverage is seen on cable news networks.
Two points: North Carolina Campus arguing that this was a "tragic" incident, not a terrorist incident and no one is mentioning the fact that a terrorist attack has taken place on United States soil; specifically the soil owned by a state college. (There are broader implications here)
Tuesday, March 7th: Still no local (Western Massachusetts) news regarding the terrorist attack in the name of "Allah" on a North Carolina Campus. Foxnews.com changes headlines to: UNC Grad Student in court on alledged hit and Run. There is no indication of an incident in North Carolina on either CNN.com and or in the New York Times.
What is the big deal about this Iranian graduate student running down his peers in the "Name of Allah"? Is this terrorism, or simply an unfortunate in incident?
First, the student, graduated from UNC last May. Secondly, the student rented a van to run down American's because "Muslim's are being poorly treated in America". All in the "name of Allah".
First, this means that former VP Al Gore's message to the Arab world that their fellows are being mistreated in the United States apparently has gotten through to the right people. As a reminder Mr. Gore made these statements in Saudi Arabia. There was little to no coverage of this on US news outlets, but plenty on Arabic television as well as Arabic newspapers. Mr. Gore is the new poster child for Al Queda.
Meanwhile the US newspapers and other media outlets were focused on a hunting incident involving VP Cheney.
An act of violence designed to make an ideological statement and to change policy is:
Terrorism
Secondly, this Iranian student did not attempt to kill American lawmakers, the President, the Vice President, a Senator a Congressman or a homemaker. He chose to run down students. Colleges are generally the most progressive institutions in our nation. Progressives and other liberals who despise the government that keeps this nation together (they prefer socialism), are, of course, playing down or totally ingorning this story.
France, 1936: Find a comparison to the attitude of the French prior to their alliance with a gentleman named Hitler and today's US Progressive movement.
Is this an isolated incident and will the next rental car, backpack, bicycle or modped be packed with enough explosives to insure a 72 virgin suicide? When will the US government grow a background and label seditious and treasonous speech just that?
On Friday, March 4, 2006, University of North Carolina college newspaper reported an incident involving an Iranian Graduate Student who rented an suv and ran down 10 pedestrians in the name of "Allah". Apparently, these were no ordinary pedestrians because they were students gathered off the main thoroughfare; not intended to be accessible by motorists.
Two points: The student interviewed about the incident was quibbling about whether or not the injured individuals were technically pedestrians and there was no mention of a terrorist attack on progressive (collegiate) soil....anywhere outside of University of North Carolina's newspaper website..and some conservative blogs who thought this incident might be of some import.
March 6th, Monday: the first national coverage is seen on cable news networks.
Two points: North Carolina Campus arguing that this was a "tragic" incident, not a terrorist incident and no one is mentioning the fact that a terrorist attack has taken place on United States soil; specifically the soil owned by a state college. (There are broader implications here)
Tuesday, March 7th: Still no local (Western Massachusetts) news regarding the terrorist attack in the name of "Allah" on a North Carolina Campus. Foxnews.com changes headlines to: UNC Grad Student in court on alledged hit and Run. There is no indication of an incident in North Carolina on either CNN.com and or in the New York Times.
What is the big deal about this Iranian graduate student running down his peers in the "Name of Allah"? Is this terrorism, or simply an unfortunate in incident?
First, the student, graduated from UNC last May. Secondly, the student rented a van to run down American's because "Muslim's are being poorly treated in America". All in the "name of Allah".
First, this means that former VP Al Gore's message to the Arab world that their fellows are being mistreated in the United States apparently has gotten through to the right people. As a reminder Mr. Gore made these statements in Saudi Arabia. There was little to no coverage of this on US news outlets, but plenty on Arabic television as well as Arabic newspapers. Mr. Gore is the new poster child for Al Queda.
Meanwhile the US newspapers and other media outlets were focused on a hunting incident involving VP Cheney.
An act of violence designed to make an ideological statement and to change policy is:
Terrorism
Secondly, this Iranian student did not attempt to kill American lawmakers, the President, the Vice President, a Senator a Congressman or a homemaker. He chose to run down students. Colleges are generally the most progressive institutions in our nation. Progressives and other liberals who despise the government that keeps this nation together (they prefer socialism), are, of course, playing down or totally ingorning this story.
France, 1936: Find a comparison to the attitude of the French prior to their alliance with a gentleman named Hitler and today's US Progressive movement.
Is this an isolated incident and will the next rental car, backpack, bicycle or modped be packed with enough explosives to insure a 72 virgin suicide? When will the US government grow a background and label seditious and treasonous speech just that?
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Every day the news, whether it be paper, internet, television or other electronic media, has become increasingly negative. There was a time when one could at least count on a lighthearted piece or two or three in their local daily paper, on their local evening news; a piece that had little to do with any editorial political agenda. Many people I have spoken to decry the fact that there is bias in what has become to be known as the mainstream media. Sadly, these are the same decent human beings who, at one time, believed that a destructuring of traditional values was essential for civil rights of all peoples to fully develop in both Europe and America. Of course, armed conflict of any kind, was simply unnecessary and those that appeared to be warriors, despicable. These people were smoking, literally. I was one of those individuals.
There are several things that I learned about the past as a student of history, notwithstanding the biggest point- it is doomed to repeat itself if society does not take lessons by looking at not only yesterday or last week, but the last 20, 50, 100 years.
There were several continents involved in a major conflict in the 1940's; progressive political judgments and a live and let live attitude led to what became World War II. The political parties involved in allowing the conflict to develop and those initially involved believed in one thing only. That religion, of any sort, was a bad idea.
The stakes are much higher in this century - two of them are most disturbing - there are few countries with the capabilities to bail out their neighbors, the United States being one of them, and there are simply more countries involved.
Here's a few thoughts on what could happen, or what should happen in a nightly newscast.
While watching the latest nightly newscast about the local zoo and a new exhibit, the newscaster could comment on how cute and fluffy the cub, monkey, etc., is and how much your family should visit the zoo for a day to relax. (Instead of the following: Finally, this black bear cub has found a home with the local zoo. If it were not for the current administrations total lack of regard for the environment, cubby here, would be allowed to stay at home in the wild!)
A diplomatic conversation:
"Excuse me, Mr. Ambassador to the Sudan, are you seriously telling me that millions of dollars in aid and materials are being held back from starving millions, who are suffering from aids, because you are concerned that some political warlord might take offence and the French and the Germans can't agree on what brand of truck needs to be flown in?"
"Here's what we are going to do; we're delivering everything, we're bringing in our troops, we'll shoot a few people who are trying to prevent the aid from taking place, and then we'll leave to applause when it is over."
"Oh and by they way, Sean Penn is going to make a movie about it - about how American's are hero's; he's had a change of heart since his citizenship was revoked and he's been living in France."
Just a thought.
There are several things that I learned about the past as a student of history, notwithstanding the biggest point- it is doomed to repeat itself if society does not take lessons by looking at not only yesterday or last week, but the last 20, 50, 100 years.
There were several continents involved in a major conflict in the 1940's; progressive political judgments and a live and let live attitude led to what became World War II. The political parties involved in allowing the conflict to develop and those initially involved believed in one thing only. That religion, of any sort, was a bad idea.
The stakes are much higher in this century - two of them are most disturbing - there are few countries with the capabilities to bail out their neighbors, the United States being one of them, and there are simply more countries involved.
Here's a few thoughts on what could happen, or what should happen in a nightly newscast.
While watching the latest nightly newscast about the local zoo and a new exhibit, the newscaster could comment on how cute and fluffy the cub, monkey, etc., is and how much your family should visit the zoo for a day to relax. (Instead of the following: Finally, this black bear cub has found a home with the local zoo. If it were not for the current administrations total lack of regard for the environment, cubby here, would be allowed to stay at home in the wild!)
A diplomatic conversation:
"Excuse me, Mr. Ambassador to the Sudan, are you seriously telling me that millions of dollars in aid and materials are being held back from starving millions, who are suffering from aids, because you are concerned that some political warlord might take offence and the French and the Germans can't agree on what brand of truck needs to be flown in?"
"Here's what we are going to do; we're delivering everything, we're bringing in our troops, we'll shoot a few people who are trying to prevent the aid from taking place, and then we'll leave to applause when it is over."
"Oh and by they way, Sean Penn is going to make a movie about it - about how American's are hero's; he's had a change of heart since his citizenship was revoked and he's been living in France."
Just a thought.
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