Although I believe in "a women's right to select the time she has her own children" year's ago I found it unseemly that a group of capitalists were working hard to be the first to set up the abortion clinics across the nation to cash in on Roe V Wade. Americans just don't seem to have much of a sense of propriety when it comes to money on either side of the political spectrum.
REH ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 11:12 PM Subject: RE: [Futurework] FWD: Ralph Nader "The Pentagon Connection" > > This makes the point quite well. > > ----------------------- > > SECURITY GROUP LOBBIES FOR QUICK LEGISLATION > A recently formed group called the Homeland Security Industries > Association (HSIA) met this week with members of Congress to push for > quicker government spending to strengthen homeland security. The HSIA > currently has about 100 members and considers itself a broad, umbrella > group for any company with a stake in U.S. homeland security. Bruce > Aitken, president of the HSIA, said the $2.9 billion reportedly spent > by the U.S. government in 2002 for IT projects related to security was > "diminutive compared to what it can be and what it should be." Celia > Wexler of watchdog group Common Cause said the HSIA is one of several > new lobbying organizations intent on getting "a piece of the > multibillion dollar homeland security pie." Wexler said that although > some groups like the HSIA do have positive impacts on certain issues, > voters and lawmakers should be cautious about the efforts of such > groups, some of which are simply "diving in for big bucks." > IDG, 16 January 2003 > http://www.idg.net/ic_1020867_9677_1-5046.html > > > -----Original Message----- > From: mcandreb [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 8:51 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Futurework] FWD: Ralph Nader "The Pentagon Connection" > > > Published on Friday, January 17, 2003 by CommonDreams.org > "The Pentagon Connection" > by Ralph Nader > > I wonder how Seymour Melman feels these days. For over half a century, > this Columbia University industrial engineering professor (now emeritus) > has been researching, writing and speaking about the massive > overspending on the military portion of the federal budget and how this > waste is de-industrializing America, costing millions of jobs and > starving the investment in public works -- repairing the crucial > physical capital of America. > > Recently, he prepared a memorandum called "The Pentagon Connection" > where he recounted the massive redundancy and costliness of various > weapons systems -- such as the next wave of fighter planes, missiles, > submarines and aircraft carriers -- and the opportunity cost so adverse > to the domestic needs of our country. Remember, the U.S. no longer has a > major opponent that used to justify huge military budgets. Both Russia > and China are converting quickly to the state capitalistic-oligarchic > model and the Soviet Union is no more. > > First, Professor Melman cites the Report Card for America's > Infrastructure that was issued by the American Society of Civil > Engineers. (asce.org/reportcard). One and a third trillion dollars are > estimated for the repair of twelve categories of public works, including > schools, drinking water systems, sewage systems, airports, public > transit, bridges and roads. > > The Engineering society found what any person who observes -- great > needs coming from great disrepair and decay. Adding $618 billion for > repair of U.S. housing and railroads brings the capital improvement > needs to a $2.0 trillion market, he notes. > > Mr. Melman, whose knowledge of U.S. industry is legendary, adds:"Every > manufacturing industry whose products are required for repairing and > modernizing America's infrastructure is left out by the federal > government's military plans." And expenditures. > > The military economy drains the civilian economy and this trend has been > accelerating into what Melman called a "huge change" in the American > economy. He writes: "This deindustrialization has happened so quickly > that America's capacity to produce anything is seriously undermined. For > example, last year the New York City government announced its plans to > buy a new fleet of subway cars. Though this contract is worth $3-4 > billion, not one U.S. firm responded. Of 100 products offered in this > fall's L.L. Bean catalogue, 92 are imported and only 8 are made in the > U.S.A." > > "Closing U.S. factories has not only left millions without work, but has > also diminished the U.S. production capability required for repairing > our broken infrastructure," Melman says. Melman doesn't mention it in > his memo, but previous studies have demonstrated that a million dollars > in civilian investment creates more jobs than a million dollars in > military weapons systems. > > The states and cities are reporting deeper deficits. This year, the > states will be over $60 billion in the red. Taxes and tolls are going > up. Necessities are being cut -- outlays, Melman points out, for > schools, libraries, fire and police departments, sanitation department, > child welfare, health care and services for elderly people. But there > are hundreds of billions for Soviet-era type weapons driven by the > weapons corporations and their campaign cash for key members of Congress > who decide the distortions of your tax dollars. > > Recently, Bob Herbert, a columnist for the New York Times, interviewed > the well-known financier, Felix Rohatyn, who was involved in the > response to the City's fiscal crisis in the 1970s. The current fiscal > crisis ofthe states and cities is, to Mr. Rohatyn, very serious. > > Mr. Rohatyn told Mr. Herbert that he believes that a $75 billion-a-year > program of federal assistance to state and local governments combined > with a $75-billion-a-year tax cut for working people would provide a > substantial boost to the economy, and over time would result in the > creation of several million jobs. > > But, in spite of polls (as well opinions expressed by military experts, > like retired General Anthony Zinni) showing that a large majority of the > American people do not believe that President Bush has made the case > that Iraq threatens the U.S. nor do they want him to commit our troops > unilaterally, the White House chief is willing to spend at least $150 > billion and incur casualties pursuing this obsession while ignoring > life-saving needs in our country. > > For a copy of the entire Melman memorandum, send a self-addressed, large > stamped envelope to Professor Seymour Melman, Department of Industrial > Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, NY > 10027. > > ### > > > > > FAIR USE NOTICE > This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not > always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are > making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding > of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, > scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes > a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section > 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section > 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those > who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included > information for research and educational purposes. For more information > go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to > use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go > beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. > > > Common Dreams NewsCenter > A non-profit news service providing breaking news & views for the > progressive community. > Home | Newswire | About Us | Donate | Sign-Up > > © Copyrighted 1997-2003 www.commondreams.org > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
