In the pre-sept 2001 CIA world factbook, the USA had, if one were to run the numbers, less than 1% of its total gross population classified as 'fit for military service'.
Virtually every other nation on earth can raise at least 10%.
If I were to hazard a guess, the reason that the USA is so concerned (esp about combat losses) is their inability to replace those losses.
This is why the new eastern european NATO members and Australia are so crucial to the immediate future of US military manpower and why autonomous fighting machines are so crucial to the mid-future.
oh and to keep it on topic, I would guess that an astronaut has to be at *least* 'fit for military service'.
I'm wondering what the CO2 content of the atmosphere was back when hadrosaurs were growing to full size in one season, great herds of thousands of them.
Herbivorous dinosaurs... they must have eaten a *LOT* of vegetation.
Could any modern ecosystem sustain this sort of animal in the sort of numbers we guesstimate from the fossil record?
Maybe the rapid and lush plant growth required by these animals required more CO2?
Also, the sahara desert was once, not *so* long ago, lush with greenery.
Either there were other areas of the planet which are now lush which were desert back then, or there is less carbon in circulation these days?
Whenever I've heard someone from the Cato institute rolled out for some commentary or interview on the BBC, they've come across as nothing less than fascists.
"When do regular trains ever go slow ? 1. When going through neighborhoods to prevent too much noise from being generated. - Maglevs are MUCH more silent, not an issue"
When they start reaching supersonic velocities they'll have to slow down! Just like concorde had to!;) Imagine a sonic boom generated at ground-level... My guess is it'd be pretty disruptive.
Totally; the problem isn't democracy in and of itself. The problem is that in the presence of corporate superpowers, democracy is extremely easily subverted.
Putin appears to be making an effort to control this sort of thing, trying to tame the power of the new Russian corporate superpowers (oligarchs) and keep them out of politics.
As for 'downhill' it depends which side you look at it from; if one were part of the corporate superpower structure one would probably believe that the rule of corporations is best as one would view oneself as being better suited to running a large organisation (such as a nation state) than a democratically elected body.
Personally, I don't think thats true, but its relativistic:-/
And 'Once special interests can'?? You don't think they already do?
So far as I can tell, American democracy is nothing more than a front for corporate superpowers.
This applies to a greater or lesser extent to other democracies, but the USA has it bad; very bad.
Not only do corporate superpowers have effective control over the mass media by which most people decide how to vote (think Chicken Noodle News and tabloids), over the means by which people working in government beauraucracies actually go about their jobs (think desktop operating systems and 'office productivity software') but they are gaining power over the very means of voting itself (think evoting).
We are witnessing a subtle and insidious change in the the governance of modern societies.
Slashdot Mirror
So I'm not the only person to have noticed this!!
Pretty gross looking stuff if you ask me...
"If the + format does loose out to - then it isnt Dells responsability that its customers bought the kit..."
No, its Dells responsibility to ensure shareholder profit.
Having to sell their customers a brand new batch of DVD drives because the originals were obsoleted can only improve profitability, no?
Hey, enough of their customers are so non-tech savvy that they will be conned into buying whole new computers.
$$$ Ka-Ching $$$$
"Every spammer says this, but remember the first rule of dealing with spammers: Spammers lie."
That would be the same as the first rule of dealing with politicians, wouldn't it?
Oh horror; maybe spammers are the politicians of the future!
"He's an excellent example of a selfish individual and capitalism at its worst."
Sounds like the ideal candidate for President...
Too right!
I don't trust *anyone* with guns. Not even the police and military...
Make that *especially* not the police or military!
With google, if you go to the 'advanced search' you can give keywords that should not appear in the results.
This is very useful for removing crap *cough*blogs*cough* from the results.
If Tivo stands for "Trash In Video Out"
will the MS version be Tito "Trash In Trash Out"?
Ok so you are *sure* its not the 80% obesity, 50% diabetes, hamburgers and couch-potato lifestyle? ;-)
In the UK, they already have!
:-P
As I understand it, their latest attempt at an 'anti terrorism' law makes it an offense to possess information which may be useful to a terrorist.
See? The Brits have banned *all* knowledge.
Beat that Mr.Ridge!!!
It could come down to demographics.
In the pre-sept 2001 CIA world factbook, the USA had, if one were to run the numbers, less than 1% of its total gross population classified as 'fit for military service'.
Virtually every other nation on earth can raise at least 10%.
If I were to hazard a guess, the reason that the USA is so concerned (esp about combat losses) is their inability to replace those losses.
This is why the new eastern european NATO members and Australia are so crucial to the immediate future of US military manpower and why autonomous fighting machines are so crucial to the mid-future.
oh and to keep it on topic, I would guess that an astronaut has to be at *least* 'fit for military service'.
From what other posters have said, the Cato institute isn't *supposed* to come across like that.
Maybe its just the BBC carefuly selecting which Cato institute people they talk to and ask them questions that get them foaming at the mouth?
After all, the beeb *does* have a political (or meta-political) agenda to push...
I'm wondering what the CO2 content of the atmosphere was back when hadrosaurs were growing to full size in one season, great herds of thousands of them.
Herbivorous dinosaurs... they must have eaten a *LOT* of vegetation.
Could any modern ecosystem sustain this sort of animal in the sort of numbers we guesstimate from the fossil record?
Maybe the rapid and lush plant growth required by these animals required more CO2?
Also, the sahara desert was once, not *so* long ago, lush with greenery.
Either there were other areas of the planet which are now lush which were desert back then, or there is less carbon in circulation these days?
yeah normally I'd agree with you, but to be honest its the only word I could think of.
Ok, maybe "Right wing, agressive, control freak, war-loving nutcase" might have summed it up in a more PC way?
Whenever I've heard someone from the Cato institute rolled out for some commentary or interview on the BBC, they've come across as nothing less than fascists.
'King' Arthur was a Romanized, Christian Celt and a damned traitor to his people and his culture.
I wonder how Canadians distinguish, phonetically,
'moose' and 'mouse'?
Or, for that matter Aussies and 'pig' vs 'peg'?
good job English doesn't have phonetic spelling really...
"I worked at the General Atomic D3D facility in San Diego"
They use Direct 3d in nuclear reactors???
Does Microsoft know about this?
"Tech Name:Mohammed Zarqa"
uh... I can see the department of homeland security getting involved in this one... *just* in case, you know.
so the USA gave up on maglev.
;-)
Whats the point in tech if you can't blow people up with it?
The Japs, on the other hand, who spend barely any money on warfare, seem to have maglev well in their, uh, sights.
thats what its good for; makes ordinary folk feel warm and fuzzy and as if they are actually involved.
"When do regular trains ever go slow ?
;)
1. When going through neighborhoods to prevent too much noise from being generated.
- Maglevs are MUCH more silent, not an issue"
When they start reaching supersonic velocities they'll have to slow down! Just like concorde had to!
Imagine a sonic boom generated at ground-level...
My guess is it'd be pretty disruptive.
"*of course, the first time they tried it, the humans broke ranks and just ran away from the orcs. What does that say?"
not an 800 pound gorilla.
Monkey I tell you! MONKEY!!!
Totally; the problem isn't democracy in and of itself. The problem is that in the presence of corporate superpowers, democracy is extremely easily subverted.
:-/
Putin appears to be making an effort to control this sort of thing, trying to tame the power of the new Russian corporate superpowers (oligarchs) and keep them out of politics.
As for 'downhill' it depends which side you look at it from; if one were part of the corporate superpower structure one would probably believe that the rule of corporations is best as one would view oneself as being better suited to running a large organisation (such as a nation state) than a democratically elected body.
Personally, I don't think thats true, but its relativistic
And 'Once special interests can'?? You don't think they already do?
So far as I can tell, American democracy is nothing more than a front for corporate superpowers.
This applies to a greater or lesser extent to other democracies, but the USA has it bad; very bad.
Not only do corporate superpowers have effective control over the mass media by which most people decide how to vote (think Chicken Noodle News and tabloids), over the means by which people working in government beauraucracies actually go about their jobs (think desktop operating systems and 'office productivity software') but they are gaining power over the very means of voting itself (think evoting).
We are witnessing a subtle and insidious change in the the governance of modern societies.