Being a German I can attest to the desire of foreign countries to keep the USA economy afloat and if it wasn't for the Japanese central bank purchasing huge dollar amounts the dollar would have already devaluated much more than it has since the Iraq war started.
Yet, the fact that the Japanese central bank has to do this attest to the fact that many investors move out of the dollar since the euro is well established as a second save haven currency. Given the unbalanced budget and the huge trade deficit I expect the dollar to devaluate further. I recently moved from Germany to the US. I had the choice to get a mortgage here in dollar or a personal loan from a German bank to buy a house. Interest in Germany is lower. If I expected the dollar to gain against the euro in the long run I would have been much better of with the euro loan, but for the given reasons I don't see that happen anytime soon, especially if Bush will be reelected.
Japan now exports more goods to China (>30%) then to the USA. If this trend continues there will be less of an incentive for Japan to support a strong dollar. China currently relies on being able to export most of its goods to the USA, but as the Chinese economy matures this will become less important.
Overall the world's macroeconomic trends seem to indicate that the dominance of the US economy over the rest of the world will diminish further at an accelerated rate. Returning to the moon may be an impressive example for technological prowess and being a big fan of space exploration I strongly support it, but it will not change economic fundamentals.
The American century is coming to an end as the Asian one will come into fruition, but that does not necessarily mean that the USA or Europe will be any worse of.
I hope you will never run for president. There is such a think as to factoring in the cost in human lives into your decisions.
Given that Iraq has not been much of a threat to the US the price that America has to pay in blood seems to me to be way out of proportion. Maybe if the number gets so high that the administration reinstates a general draft you may want to reconsider your statement.
So you say that you can not compare the threats they faced nor the way they performed in military conflicts. Makes me kind of wonder how you think any comparison can be achieved.
One very interesting feature is that they can simulate quantum systems very efficently. Feynman already proved in the 70s that Turing machines can not do this in polynomial time.
Actually even a quantum computer with only a couple of dozen qubits could shed new light on spin systems. Given that spintronic has huge pratical potential I expect early (even non-solid-state) quantum computer to have some impact there.
Uranium is an unstable element and therefore always radioactive. Any uranium isotope decays over time but the half life span and therefore radioactivity levels wary significantly. Depleted uranium consists mostly of the least radioactive U-238 isotope with a half life of 4.5e+9 years.
I fear that's not how the courts will see it. If they trademarked this name for their software, the law will allow them to enforce this trademark.
After all Epiphany is a far less generic term than Windows.
The problem is really not with the company but rather with the law. If a company does not enforce their trademarks they risk losing the protection.
Since this law is what needs to be fixed (as so many other laws) it comes down to politics again. I.e. only a long and grueling lobbying campaign that brings this issue to the attention of law-makers can possibly set this right.
Maybe not in the US but internationaly there have been many incidences. (BTW the list is not complete. At least one big incident, when a German Lufthansa jet was hijacked to Somalia in the 70s, is missing.)
Just goes to show that you should not listen to the prevailing wisdom but think out of the box when trying to anticipate terrorist activities.
Outside of the US there was enough evidence that hijacking plans has always been an option for terrorists. (BTW the list is not complete. At least one big incident when a German Lufthansa jet was hijacked to Somalia in the 70s is missing.)
His articles like this one are very easy to understand even if you just had some advanced high school mathematics.
It is not rocket science. It is most certainly not on par with Einstein's early work on special relativity.
Granted having a Masters in Physics you may dismiss me as brainwashed by Academia. But IMHO his articles are anything but earth-shattering. Frankly I found them a waste of time.
Nations as a concept haven't been around for that long. Besides at least in Europe the hope is that the importance of the concept of nations will loose out to the larger entity known as European Union that was founded with the clear goal in mind to make sure that the struggle between nations (that you seem to endorse so readily) will be replaced by democratically legitimized cooperation.
Most of these mass graves contain the corpses of the Iraki Shiits who took part in the anti-Saddam unrest encouraged by the 1st Bush administration at the end of the 1st Gulf war. At that point you had the US army standing by and watching Saddam's mass killing.
The main reason for those problems is demographics. Too many people going into retirement not enough people at a working age to sustain the current system.
Slashdot Mirror
Being a German I can attest to the desire of foreign countries to keep the USA economy afloat and if it wasn't for the Japanese central bank purchasing huge dollar amounts the dollar would have already devaluated much more than it has since the Iraq war started.
Yet, the fact that the Japanese central bank has to do this attest to the fact that many investors move out of the dollar since the euro is well established as a second save haven currency. Given the unbalanced budget and the huge trade deficit I expect the dollar to devaluate further. I recently moved from Germany to the US. I had the choice to get a mortgage here in dollar or a personal loan from a German bank to buy a house. Interest in Germany is lower. If I expected the dollar to gain against the euro in the long run I would have been much better of with the euro loan, but for the given reasons I don't see that happen anytime soon, especially if Bush will be reelected.
Japan now exports more goods to China (>30%) then to the USA. If this trend continues there will be less of an incentive for Japan to support a strong dollar. China currently relies on being able to export most of its goods to the USA, but as the Chinese economy matures this will become less important.
Overall the world's macroeconomic trends seem to indicate that the dominance of the US economy over the rest of the world will diminish further at an accelerated rate. Returning to the moon may be an impressive example for technological prowess and being a big fan of space exploration I strongly support it, but it will not change economic fundamentals.
The American century is coming to an end as the Asian one will come into fruition, but that does not necessarily mean that the USA or Europe will be any worse of.
I usually just enjoy it, but maybe it works different fo lawyers ...
I hope you will never run for president. There is such a think as to factoring in the cost in human lives into your decisions.
Given that Iraq has not been much of a threat to the US the price that America has to pay in blood seems to me to be way out of proportion. Maybe if the number gets so high that the administration reinstates a general draft you may want to reconsider your statement.
So you say that you can not compare the threats they faced nor the way they performed in military conflicts. Makes me kind of wonder how you think any comparison can be achieved.
One very interesting feature is that they can simulate quantum systems very efficently. Feynman already proved in the 70s that Turing machines can not do this in polynomial time.
Actually even a quantum computer with only a couple of dozen qubits could shed new light on spin systems. Given that spintronic has huge pratical potential I expect early (even non-solid-state) quantum computer to have some impact there.
How many US soldiers died in Clinton's wars?
There are very clear rules to good reporting:
1) If it is a fact i.e. can be verified independently (footage etc.) report it as fact.
2) If the journalists reflects his or her own viewpoint mark it clearly as a personal commentary, analysis or editorial.
3) Reporting that does not fall into the above is usually hearsay and should be reported as quoting a source that either can be named or is anonymous.
At one point American journalism followed these rules and was a beacon for the rest of the world.
Men have legs. That makes it easy for them to run. WDEs that pose an imminent threat tend to be bulky and far less mobile.
Coming from Europe all your media seems way right off center.
... to news blogs like the Agonist made me very aware of how late the established news media picks up stories - if they pick them up at all.
Internet is the way to go if you want to stay well informed.
Short answere from a EU citizen: Yes.
I am terribly sorry, but for vital thinks you rather trust yourself and not some friendly nation that tends to behave more and more eratic.
Uranium is an unstable element and therefore always radioactive. Any uranium isotope decays over time but the half life span and therefore radioactivity levels wary significantly. Depleted uranium consists mostly of the least radioactive U-238 isotope with a half life of 4.5e+9 years.
I fear that's not how the courts will see it. If they trademarked this name for their software, the law will allow them to enforce this trademark.
After all Epiphany is a far less generic term than Windows.
The problem is really not with the company but rather with the law. If a company does not enforce their trademarks they risk losing the protection.
Since this law is what needs to be fixed (as so many other laws) it comes down to politics again. I.e. only a long and grueling lobbying campaign that brings this issue to the attention of law-makers can possibly set this right.
Maybe not in the US but internationaly there have been many incidences. (BTW the list is not complete. At least one big incident, when a German Lufthansa jet was hijacked to Somalia in the 70s, is missing.)
Just goes to show that you should not listen to the prevailing wisdom but think out of the box when trying to anticipate terrorist activities.
Outside of the US there was enough evidence that hijacking plans has always been an option for terrorists.
(BTW the list is not complete. At least one big incident when a German Lufthansa jet was hijacked to Somalia in the 70s is missing.)
I assume it is just a matter of time that the company E.pihany will challenge the name for the Gnome browser claiming a trademark infringement.
You act as if no plane was ever hijacked before 9-11.
... please, please take such things into consideration when casting your vote in 2004.
His articles like this one are very easy to understand even if you just had some advanced high school mathematics.
It is not rocket science. It is most certainly not on par with Einstein's early work on special relativity.
Granted having a Masters in Physics you may dismiss me as brainwashed by Academia. But IMHO his articles are anything but earth-shattering. Frankly I found them a waste of time.
It is sad that you chose to ignore the more common definitions of socialism and communism.
Nations as a concept haven't been around for that long. Besides at least in Europe the hope is that the importance of the concept of nations will loose out to the larger entity known as European Union that was founded with the clear goal in mind to make sure that the struggle between nations (that you seem to endorse so readily) will be replaced by democratically legitimized cooperation.
Most of these mass graves contain the corpses of the Iraki Shiits who took part in the anti-Saddam unrest encouraged by the 1st Bush administration at the end of the 1st Gulf war. At that point you had the US army standing by and watching Saddam's mass killing.
So why the unseemly haste to war? Given that Iraq was no imminent threat and the Bush administration knew it, why didn't they let Blix finish his job?
The main reason for those problems is demographics. Too many people going into retirement not enough people at a working age to sustain the current system.
How about giving us a link if the sources are just "everywhere"?