Very well written about the fall of the Roman Empire. Americans are the
only ones who don't see the fall of the US empire. It will happen like a
thief in the night and be as swift as the winds of a hurricane. In 10~20
years time, the US as most know it won't exist.
Hugo Chavez made a very powerful observation last Friday while in New York.
Chávez singled out the United States as the most wasteful country, saying he
was shocked when a quarter of all the cars he counted Thursday morning on
New York streets had one person in them.
"That's crazy, one person with a huge car ... that is using up gas and
polluting the atmosphere," he said at a news conference. "The world cannot
tolerate this model of development called the American way of life."
''Mr. Bush represents the most crude and savage imperialism that threatens
the world,'' Chávez said as he arrived Thursday for the U.N. summit in New
York.
Mr. Chavez is very right. The US represents less then 5 % of the world's
population but consumes over 33 % of its resources. Not just
consumes....wastes. While millions go to bed hungry, we throw half the food
on our plates into the garbage. Such wastefulness can not continue. There
is a chastisement coming and the people of the US are going to pay a hefty
price for their wastefulness.
Yet, according to Jim Elwell, capitalism will save us all. Too bad Jim
won't survive the cataclysm to know whether he is right or wrong. But I
would put my survival on him being wrong.
Dan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ezra Steinberg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, 2005-09-18 13:31
Subject: [USMA:34532] Re: spelling
I think Pat's point might be that UK spelling differentiates between a tool
for measurement (e.g. micrometer, pronounced my-KRAH-muh-ter) and a unit
(or
subunit) of measurement (e.g. micrometre, pronounced MY-kroh-mee-ter). US
English merges the two spellings and therefore provides no visible
differentiation of the two classes of words.
As for America's mighty rise to power, I think our current situation is
reminiscent of these descriptive words of a famous British historian:
"In the second century of the Christian era, the Empire of Rome
comprehended
the fairest part of the earth, and the most civilised portion of mankind.
The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown
and
disciplined valour. The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners
had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful
inhabitants enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth and luxury. The
image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence: the
Roman
senate appeared to possess the sovereign authority, and devolved on the
emperors all the executive powers of government. During a happy period
(A.D.
98-180) of more than fourscore years, the public administration was
conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the
two
Antonines. It is the design of this, and of the two succeeding chapters,
to
describe the prosperous condition of their empire; and afterwards, from
the
death of Marcus Antoninus, to deduce the most important circumstances of
its
decline and fall; a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still
felt by the nations of the earth."
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Chapter 1
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 10:00 AM
Subject: [USMA:34531] Re: spelling
Daniel Jackson, 17 September 2005:
>...The common mispronunciation of key-low-me-ter as kill-om-et-er
> is directly a result of the mis-spelling of the word.
This is not true at all -- the spelling metre vs. meter does not
affect which syllables are accented. "killAHmeter" is perfectly
consistent with many other English words (e.g., hygrometer,
odometer, spectrometer, thermometer).
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