7gen Bloc

Nicely put.

I wish more people would read this!

Three counter-points to what Tom Fredman wrote:

1) Contrary to a common mistake, the country of Georgia is located in Western Asia, not Eastern Europe.

2) Last month Georgians did not "revolt" against Russia. They only tried "to liberate", Balkan style, the city of Tshinvali from its own Ossetian citizens, and then decried to their Western backers when Russians prevented them from “saving the city by destroying it” (here is a one-minute BBS video on it, and here is a decent chronology of events)

3) If investment in education and scientific institutions directly led to fruitful commercial innovation, then Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, with their free universal education on all levels and their massive investment in science would be the most productive countries on Earth, perhaps celebrating their victory over the not-entirely-literate, under-investing in science America.

Instead, they lost the Cold War, while we are continuing to lose it by meddling, at great expense, in many regions of the world whose history, current reality and even proper geographic place we don't really know.

The main key to successful innovation is not really investment in science and R&D (although it helps), it is collective and individual risk-taking, otherwise known as entrepreneurship. Unleash it in your place of work, in your community, indeed, in your entire country, and there will be no need to bemoan the shortage of innovation. But I wrote about it in the previous comment over here.

Andrei Vorobiev
Former Visiting Research Professor, School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky

It's a nice pie in the sky liberal thought, but as usual with liberal thoughts things don't work that way. There is always somebody being a bully (Russia) and if we have the means to stop it so be it. Instead of a grand scheme that will never happen (dumping billions into GA or AL or whichever state or all) just act locally and do what you can. Take your own bags, recycle, show by doing and not by preaching. If asked, then say what you feel appropriate. Buy green power that lots of power companies offer. Try not to buy bottled water. Consumers have the power. I don't live in Germany and don't need a social system thank you.

(It seems to me that the productivity of any presidential campaign field office can be enhanced by adding a selection of high-performing air cleaning plants to the personal working space of each volunteer, and to the space in general. Perhaps an organization or company possessing sufficient clout might communicate that recommendation to an appropriate individual within the campaign?)

While I don't agree with everything Friedman has said, I think he has voiced what's on the mind of many young Americans, including myself. It's not difficult to fear that our country is declining, especially in our current economic climate, but my bigger concern is the stability of our future. The thing is, innovation doesn't need to be "nurtured" by the government in order to flourish (although it certainly can't hurt). For, I believe, those who innovate will do so because they love to. But it does need to be nurtured if they want to keep it in America.

"If only we could get rid of the same-old politics and spend the good taxpayers money on things that the majority think we should."

Well, yes, who wouldn't agree with that? Believe me, I wish we could do more in GA. We recently moved here from NY for a better quality of life, only to find out that our boy couldn't play outside for half the summer for fear of poisoned air! Who would have believed that Atlanta air is worse than New York City!

I agree with some of Greenery's comments about doing what you can as an individual, but too I often the same people not buying bottled water are those sitting with a $100K 401K fund invested in GE, Lockheed Martin, Philip morris, GM and the rest. If you really want to make a difference, make sure that your investments are in line with your ideals. Nothing hits the guys in power more than taking your money away.

Finally, on your comment "We need to treat teachers as well as we treat bankers", I believe we do. In fact I see nothing but disdain for bankers recently but I would happily shake the hand of any teacher and thank them for their contribution. If you are talking about monetary terms, then you have 2 choices: Privatize education or nationalize banking. :)

Matt.

While i understand where you are coming from i can't help but be appalled that you would compare the 2 Georgia's as though it is simply apples that we are comparing. Tell me, who in the USA Georgia is being murdered and thrown to the streets for no reason? You might want to be a little more sensitive to the families in the country Georgia that are being treated like the Jews during the holocaust. These people are in agony, and you are concerned about health care? We have only had health care for maybe 60 years if that. Life shouldn't revolve around health care and renewable energy. And if that is what it is all about for you then maybe you should write a piece and urging that we drill everywhere in the US that oil exists. Then when the cost of oil and gas resides everyone can afford health care.

With all the people in need here in our own country I for one am so tired of turning on the news, reading the papers and seeing more of our money leaving our country when so many here need it. If other countries helped us even half as much as we helped them, we would all be better off! I have known numerous numerous families here in our country that couldn't or cannot still get any assistance at all because they don't fit into the increasingly smaller cookie cutter mold that you have to jump hoops through to get any help! I'm sooooo tired of it! As long as there is one senior citizen starving in the USA because they cannot buy their food and medicine OR one child going to bed hungry OR one vet sleeping in the street WE SHOULD NOT BE GIVING EVERYONE ELSE HANDOUTS! This is not to say I'm against helping others or don't have feelings----just take care of your own house first!

Good point about Georgia aid in the USA!
"You will know a tree by it's fruits"- Matthew 7:15-20

Don't forget that in (Europe) Georgia invaded the independent territories 1st and killed appox. 2000 Russian citizens which was a provocation for Russia.

Also most likely the CIA was heavily involved with the provocation on Russia BASED ON THE EVIDENCE OF US MILITARY CONTRACTORS FOUND IN GEORGIA AND PRESENTED IN AN INTERNATIONAL COURT.

Though the above is heavily down played in the Western media (even NPR and BBC) this info is known in Europe.

America can't always pretend be the faultless world police.

It's a selfview that cares who did what to whom. It happened. People are suffering. If the author, or the author's family lived in Georgia he would likely feel a bit different about the United States providing aid.

The U.S. is providing humanitarian *aid* such as medical supplies, not weapons support. Could any one of us look a war stricken child or family in the face and say we'd rather spend it on our own infrastructure?

It is my thinking, that a strong, healthy, democratic world keeps the U.S. stronger and safer. If we just use our resources for ourselves, we would sponsor envy, hate, and a desire to bring the U.S. down.

I know it seems insane to have any complaints when we live in one of the greatest countries in the world, but giving that amount of money to another country when we're drowning in debt ourselves seems crazy.

I happen to live in GA... I know of many families right now that are losing everything they have because of the economic downfall. We barely make enough money to pay for groceries, and gas is NOWHERE to be found. Taxes increase while the country is in trillions of dollars of debt that continues to grow.

I certainly agree in aid for those who truly need it. And there are far more deserving people than myself. However, if we continue to give out money that we don't have, we can only hurt ourlseves. We can't help anyone when America goes bankrupt. I just can't imagine how this can continue... how does the government run with this much debt?!

Right on!!!
How can we get the point to Washington??
Will anyone in politics ever see the light as we do?
We need to fire everyone in Washington and start fresh.

How will it be once the Presidential election is over?

Since we have a two-party system, in order to vote and to campaign, a lot of people organize under one or the other, affiliating themselves with a person and a platform that they may not agree with on all issues, many feeling strongly about some of those.

We seem to have a winner take all strategy, which didn't make very many people happy with George Bush.

How did we feel, experiencing a leader who said he had a mandate with a slim margin of winning (ignoring for now the contention about the validity of that election to boot)?

How will our next president govern this country in a way that lets everyone feel like they are part of this country and they have a legitimate say in how they live their lives? How will he govern this country in a way that supports us all getting along?

This is a pretty big place, but many of us are quite close neighbors, and, anyway, living here in the USA we share quite a lot: a budget, a transportation system, not to mention land, water, the species of the Earth, a reputation and relationship with each other nation in this world, and a lot of common human needs and feelings.

I think it behooves those of us in the US to get to know people and media outside of our own borders. To learn information or thoughts we may not see expressed in our own locales and to form friendships with people.

Thanks, Your turn! What do you say?