[Wftl-lug] the slowly tightening "noose" in the US

[jaguariuna at cox.net]

Hi Harry:

I fully agree with your initial opinion!!

As somebody who was "lucky" enough to graduate under a  "full", "foreign" scholarship  to the US, I may add that:

1.  3/4 of my class graduated under the "GI Bill" ->  Many economists now will argue and tell you that it did "wonders" for this country.  And that something like that HAS to come back again!! ->  I really admired those people, they made "great" engineers, because they had the working experience of radar systems, all sorts of aircraft and electronics systems, (under their belt), before getting exposed to the theoretical knowledge they wanted, and needed, to make a career out of their lives.  They "knew", in practice, what it was "all about", before they even got started ->  "Greenhorns" like me did not have a "clue" what it was all about
2.  1/4 of my class had to make do with flipping hamburgers, working for UPS loading trucks, working for Continental Airlines loading/unloading their planes, etc ->  I really do respect and admire those people too, because it was very very tough combining hard work and study altogether
3.  At that time the Charter of the University of California was:  "To give every California student, who wanted it, the right to a University Education"  ->  These days Education and Living is becoming so expensive, that Education is  only available to a few privileged
4.  This new Democratic Congress is making a step in the right direction: To reduce the interest rates on student loans ->  But still, they're talking about loans, not about grants, or outright "Aid to Education"
5.  Doing simple math on the numbers I gave you:  The Chinese graduate about 5.4 engineers per 10,000 population.  Americans do about 2.5 engineers per 10,000 population ->  However in the long run this country has to lose out, because of the sheer number of the Chinese population in existence, compared to the total US population, a 4 to 1 difference.  Added to that is the likelihood that Chinese Education is heavily subsidized, if not "free"!!  They know where the "proof of the pudding" is, because they can "see" it.  A few decades ago they were just "stone/agricultural Age"
6,  Considering these aspects, all software to students should be "free", loads of it, all they can literally manage and operate  ->  This function may be fulfilled by the existence of Linux, and further "open source software".  But all students must/should be made aware of that fact and existence of Linux, since most of the schools like Community Colleges are totally dominated and in bed with M$.  Only the "enlightened" few know about the existence and use of Linux, or are prepared to use it.

These are just a few suggestions!!  More has to be "done", not just talked about, in facing the reality out there!!

signed ->  "The New Bee"

---- Harry Holt <harryholt at gmail.com> wrote: 
> What can we do?  As an American, I have given up on trying to educate the
> politicians and voters on what the real issues are that need to be
> addressed.  The crushing national debt, falling world opinion, and worsening
> trade balance will bring the US down.  The feds are pushing their spending
> to the states, the states are placing greater burdens on the localities, and
> the localities are using their eminent domain powers (expanded by Kelo) to
> take advantage of the real estate bubble and bolster their property tax
> revenues.  China will eventually untie their economy from US dollars, and
> France, Japan, and others will start calling in their loans.
> 
> My plan has essentially 2 elements:
> 
> 1)  Buy gold
> 2)  Stockpile small arms and ammunition
> 
> I figure we have about 5 years before the collapse.
> 
> ... HH
> 
> 
> On 1/5/07, jaguariuna at cox.net <jaguariuna at cox.net> wrote:
> >
> > Hi:
> >
> > Since I seem to be sitting today on my proverbial "high horse", here it
> > goes:
> >
> > 1.  I do believe "Software Patents", (such as "codecs"), are very fertile
> > "products of very fertile monetary imaginations"
> > 2.  Software Patents, so far do not exist in the EU.  The EU, will decide
> > again July 2007, after having recently rejected the idea ->  There are a few
> > exceptions, like some patents issued to Siemens??, which brought the topic
> > back on the agenda again, for discussions in July, because of these "unfair"
> > discrepancies
> > 3.  The EU forced M$ to fork over part of their source code, under the
> > threat of big daily fines, so as to protect the smaller businesses' and
> > Governments  from "unfair" competition.  I.e,, make that source code
> > available to smaller businesses and Governments
> > 4.  I do believe the same sort of thing has happened in the PRC, (the
> > People's Republic of China), as a condition for M$ to get any business in
> > the PRC
> > 5.  China this year is expected to graduate about 650,000 engineers;  the
> > US will do about 75,000  ->  What is gonna happen with this discrepancy in
> > numbers?? And where will that leave smaller countries, such as Canada,
> > Holland, Australia, etc.??
> > 6.  China has official government departments doing research on
> > IT!!  Linux is one of the officially heavily subsidized technologies ->  I
> > haven't yet seen very big results from this.  So far they just seem to be
> > copying "stuff" invented in the "West"
> > 7.  IBM is very heavily involved with the Government of Brazil, in favor
> > of helping them with Linux.  Brazil can save a bundle each year by "not"
> > importing software from abroad, (read M$) -> I have never understood the
> > "falling out of bed" of IBM vis-a-vis M$
> > 8.  My brother in Brazil told me he might have to learn Linux against his
> > will, because the Government was considering and proposing to have all
> > Internet Tax Returns done in Linux  ->  Great idea, probably a lot safer!!
> >
> > Facing some of these points, I keep asking myself:  "Where does this leave
> > the "underprivileged" residents and citizens of the US of A??"  Pretty soon
> > they'll be deprived by law of all the goodies and sweet fruits, offered and
> > officially subsidized by other countries??  They'll be "second class world
> > citizens", through the makings of their own laws.
> >
> > The negative trade balance of the US of A is already a complete disaster,
> > totally!!  What about China's overabundant number of graduating engineers,
> > and the official government sponsorship of "open source software" adding to
> > this??  Who has got it right, who has got it wrong??
> >
> > What about all the big US and European companies already moving their
> > operations such as software and software development to mainly India and
> > China??
> >
> > I think it's time to face the realities out there!!  Wat can we do about
> > all this??
> >
> > signed ->  "The New Bee"
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Harry Holt, PMP