The thing is, the categories we're number one in are those that don't give one a warm and fuzzy feeling. That is, unless you're into war games or maiming and killing other human beings.
No surprise that we lead the world in weapons of mass destruction - sad nonetheless. But hey, as long as the military - industrial - congressional* complex is happy with our position, I guess that's all that matters, right?Compliments of TomDispatch and Frida Berrigan:
A Nation of Firsts Arms the World By Frida Berrigan
They don't call us the sole superpower for nothing. Paul Wolfowitz might be looking for a new job right now, but the term he used to describe the pervasiveness of U.S. might back when he was a mere deputy secretary of defense -- hyperpower -- still fits the bill.
Face it, the United States is a proud nation of firsts. Among them:
First in External Debt:
The United States owes $10.040 trillion, nearly a quarter of the global debt total of $44 trillion.
If you think that won't come back to bite the economy in the ass one day, you're dreamin' . . . .
*Yes, in Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1961 address to the nation, he did include the Congress in the equation. Funny how that's been minimized over the years.
2 comments:
I am a 2 tour Vietnam Veteran who recently retired after 36 years of working in the Defense Industrial Complex on many of the weapons systems being used by our forces as we speak.
Politicians make no difference.
We have bought into the Military Industrial Complex (MIC). If you would like to read how this happens please see:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/spyagency200703
Through a combination of public apathy and threats by the MIC we have let the SYSTEM get too large. It is now a SYSTEMIC problem and the SYSTEM is out of control. Government and industry are merging and that is very dangerous.
There is no conspiracy. The SYSTEM has gotten so big that those who make it up and run it day to day in industry and government simply are perpetuating their existance.
The politicians rely on them for details and recommendations because they cannot possibly grasp the nuances of the environment and the BIG SYSTEM.
So, the system has to go bust and then be re-scaled, fixed and re-designed to run efficiently and prudently, just like any other big machine that runs poorly or becomes obsolete or dangerous.
This situation will right itself through trauma. I see a government ENRON on the horizon, with an associated house cleaning.
The next president will come and go along with his appointees and politicos. The event to watch is the collapse of the MIC.
For more details see:
http://rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com/2006/11/inside-pentagon-procurement-from.html
Thanks for the input, RCG.
I have to agree that politicians make little difference . . . Talking about and changing the ingrained system are definitely two different things.
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