->> ...   
      
   ->>  BK>  The incredible stupidity of cutting taxes during war is exceeded   
   ->>  BK>  by the incredible stupidity of sending the tech they need to   
   ->>  BK>  destroy you to the countries most likely to try it.   
      
   ->>  BK>  Oh, and the factories to build the weapons.   
      
   ->>  BK>  And getting dependent on your potential enemies for your   
   ->>  BK>  military needs.   
      
   ->>  BK>  Damn are we screwed.   
      
   ->> I was pointing this out as far back as two/three years ago!  How stupid   
    ->> are we?   
   ->>  Export everything, no factories left of any magnitude and it seems that   
    ->> the   
      
    ...   
      
    FS> Absolutely true!  And I *did* live through those times.  I   
    FS> worked in a "defense" industry, named a "war industry"   
    FS> following Dec. 7, 1941. I was too young for the draft but   
    FS> enlisted anyway ...   
      
    Aha! You admit you were foolish. OK, back then it wasn't   
    foolish. Lots of people did it.   
      
   ->> Now we have very little to convert, and my guess is not enough skill   
   ->> level to   
   ->> even get a plant up and running fast enough to do much good.   
      
    FS> I hope responsible government officials (oxymoron?) are   
    FS> aware of this and have some hidden "master plan" to correct   
    FS> it in time ...   
      
    If you hadn't put (oxymoron?) in there I would say you are being   
    foolish now.   
      
    FS> Prior to WWII, even prior to the German invasion of Poland,   
    FS> it was apparent war was on its way.  I recall reading a   
    FS> lengthy newspaper article which outlined the great plan our   
    FS> government had in case a war *did* break out. *Everyone*   
    FS> was listed in the Federal War Plan Book, and a job for   
    FS> *all* of us was planned there.  For example (and this   
    FS> example *was* in the article) theater ushers will be made   
    FS> army officers because they're used to leading people.  That   
      
    Ah, the (oxymoron) applied even then.   
      
    FS> was no joke!!  Well, certainly not a *deliberate* one ...   
    FS> [sigh] ... then came the European War, the draft and,   
    FS> finally, Pearl Harbor ... and EVERYTHING seemed screwed up!   
    FS>  So much for the "master plan" of *those* days ...   
      
    Man plans... God laughs.   
      
   ->> Meanwhile China is marching on, often on the cutting edge.   
      
      
   ->> Too late for me to take up Chinese, but some of you yonger dudes might   
   ->> be wise   
   ->> to do so. :)  I think "Rosetta Stone" has a course. :)   
      
      
    FS> No connection to the above but I am taking a couple of   
    FS> courses on linguistics.  Because of that I'd recommend   
    FS> learning Mandarin rather than Cantonese.  Why?  Because   
    FS> Mandarin is the official language of China -- tho Cantonese   
    FS> is more popular world-wide -- and Mandarin in simpler.   
      
    Linguistics, but not languages? IOW, you are learning about   
    languages, rather than learning a language?   
      
    With Chinese I believe simpler is better. During the olympics I   
    read the Chinese govt had set up a language course where they   
    took English words and came up with Chinese terms that sounded   
    simpler. Mush like one I saw for Spanish to English. Bird is   
    Pakaro or some such. Learn is as Park-car-O. Just run the   
    sylables together.   
      
    Brother is hermano. Her-man-O.   
      
      
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
   ... "Where the future begins...tomorrow."   
   --- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]   
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