China's Solution to Unemployment

Not being a capitalist state, China has no corporations with stockholders as such.

Nevertheless, it does need to confront the problem of unemployment.  The way it handles the problem is by having people, as a resource to make use of, do the work of machines. 

What's happened in Western societies is that machines do the work of people with even greater efficiency.  So, either these countries must live with more unemployment but large profit margins for the stockholders to reap or must encourage companies to hire people do work that machines might do with greater productivity.

In China the individual is motivated to go to work (or to school) because his primary meal is served there.  I've seen construction workers delight in the interaction among them as they handle construction materials.  I've seen, too, clerks in stores, howbeit there's many more than actually are needed, enjoy each other's company!  The point is, there's much to be said for an oversupply of workers in the workplace. 

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

--Updates: completed Social Change Item "Harassing Austerity Programs Lead to Anarchy";
                    WHACK-O Theory VI  on US Secret Financials;
                    WHACK-O Theory VII on Iran and Turkey relations;
                    Rumination on Class Warfare.

(--Foot-left ankle-much better and I've getting around.)

--Have been using the Cracker Barrel current events discussion group at University of Nevada, Lifelong Learning Center, as a sounding-board for some of the ideas in these Blogs; and I hope to be able to continue to do so.  This group is the best I've encountered at the universities' Lifelong Learning Centers I've attended.

--Working again on the Demise of Western Dominance in power politics.  

Theory VII: Turks join with Iran

The Turkish military leadership has just voluntarily "resigned."  I think they haven't actually resigned, though its administrative Government may believe so.  I think they've been elevated to work out any extant deal with Iran.

It is known in some circles that Iran has an ally in China.  Iran is really the winner in the Iraqi War, recently completed, in that it is very likely that al-Sadr will come to rule Iraq.  I think China is approving of this-- Iran's--success.

In any event, the Middle East is coming out as being Muslim!  And, I think the militaries of Turkey, Iran and Egypt are to be reckoned with as its dominating force.  Altogether, they comprise the core of the new resurgence of the Muslim faith.

I understand that NATO is aligned with the Arab League to resolve the Libyan statemate.  The area's military might is the necessary ingredient.  Incidentally, Yemen appears to be folding; and Syria's President appears to be capitulating, i.e., on his way out.

I'm beginning to think all the former major powers are WHACK-O, too!

Theory VI: US Secret Expenditures and Revenues

Just a theory; just a theory!

Many years ago, I heard one of my high school teachers tell how he was in Military Intelligence in WWII.  He said his job was cataloging paintings from the Nazi booty that presumably were to be shipped to the US as part of its share.  I doubt the list he created was widely distributed.

Then, at the last discussion meeting of current events at the Lifelong Learning Center, the presenter of the group I was in mentioned that President George Bush, the 43rd, would really run up a deficit of over a trillion dollars in a period of time, but would make it seem it was only $ 300 billion.  The gimmick was, he kept some items--possibly, the two war costs and the tax cuts for the rich, even items of Medicare Part D--off the books."  So, there's an apparent way to keep some federal expenditures "secret."

MSNBC on Friday was explaining where some of the Clinton surplus came from.  Apparently, there were revenues brought about by the US' initializing NAFTA, possibly involving a corporate windfall, which also added to the federal government coffers.  The report I heard further appeared to claim that it was this pool of federal infusion that Bush felt would pay for the wars and the tax cut for the rich (which was to last the decade), etc.  If so, other secrets, only on the revenue accounting side of the ledger.

Then too, I wonder whether the US bases, over 714 worldwide, in some 170 countries, are not really profit centers.  The countries where US bases are located obviously benefit from the modicum of stability the presence of US troops brings about.  Perhaps, the US might be receiving monies from grateful governments.  Another secret?

Or how about Iraq?  Might the US financially benefit from its 2 victories there--either in direct payment or from the oil companies who are developing Iraq's wells?  After all, the saying goes, "To the victors go the spoils!"  If so, more secrets.

I met some tourists from England on a bus recently; and we got talking about the golden days of the English Empire--which prompted me to ask, "Okay, where has England stashed its wealth from those glory days?"  Their reply: "Our government isn't blabbing!"

It just stands to reason that a major power won't show openly its real accounting books, simply because there are many enemy nations who would love to peruse them.              

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

--I've been incapcitated with a broken ankle for the past 3 months.  Getting back to the blogs now.  Sorry for the temporal hiatus.

--Note that in my blogs "Moslem"="Muslim"--no connceptual difference between these words. 

March 31, 2011 Thursday

--I had an unexpected move from El Paso, Texas back to Reno, Nevada on the 15th of this month.  I just couldn't cope with the need to speak Spanish there.  I've been to El Paso many times over the past 10 years, but this time it became a necessity to speak Spanish--at my downtown residence, at my downtown Senior Center, where I ate, and generally, about town.  I encountered El Paso as a Mexican city!  And my Spanish is lousy, though I tried.

--I've been working on the item "The Demise of the Western World" under the Social Change topic.  So far, I've put together three themes within the scope of the item: A. Regional Dominate Nation; B. Outsourcing; C. Ecological Edicts' Compliance.  The item is complex, to be sure; but very important.  I think these themes cover the dynamics of the item; and as the item focuses upon a world-wide change (hopefully, for the better), I don't think I should look for further themes, though I'm certain they exist within its range.  Comprehendez?  Now, please explain what I've just written to me, the author!   

al-Sadr, where are you?

Well, I attended a lecture on the Middle East, speaking Professor Robert Wren.

I came away convinced by the things he said and by my own deliberative processes, that Iraq needs a strong leader.  The country is a hodgepodge of diverse cultural elements, for too many years at each other's throats.  The central government in there now is practically non-functional in such ways as supplying electricity and clean water; keeping the streets clean.

I think England would admit it simply pieced elements like in a jigsaw together to form a nation; but a nation at odds with itself.

So, al-Sadr, where are you?