Dear Log,
The New York Times story "America will be the chef and its Nato allies the bus boys who stay to clean up the mess" pictures a possible future US/Nato relationship that is asymmetric in just about every possible way.
But that the asymmetric relationship is already here, and a better description of it is "The Good Cop / Bad Cop Act". You know: "Look kid, I wanna believe you. I care about your hyoomon rights. But the US over there, he just wants to hurt you!" "UNG!" "See, he's angry. He's getting his night-vision goggles on and everything." "I'm ah fuck you up!"
The trick with that, as with all acts, is to not forget it's an act.
While education gets a lousy 1% increase on an already horribly small budget the US appears to never run out of money for bombs and warfare. Did you know public schools sell advertising space and make deals with Coca-cola distributorships to keep them funded for books and other programs that money is continually cut for? It's an abomination. Well, I suppose soldiers don't need to know how to read and write and think to bomb stuff.
Re:it's so depressing
chromatic on 2002-02-09T00:56:43
If I didn't live in a state that spent 53% of the general budget on education, I might also think that money is the simple and effective answer.
:) Still, if you go by the sign out front, I'm an alumnus of Pepsi High School.
Re:it's so depressing
hfb on 2002-02-09T17:24:05
In a country that is supposed to be a "civilised" nation we spend 10x more money on bombs than education. For once, I'd like to see education be overwhelmed with cash for teachers who are underpaid and understaffed while the airforce has to sell billboard space on the fighter jets. For a nation that gives a lot of rhetoric to "family values" and "for the children" the statistics for education and general welfare of children on major issues such as education and healthcare are very disturbing. Only 17% of this nation has a basic undergraduate college education.
Re:it's so depressing
pudge on 2002-02-10T03:44:35
Bombs cost a lot more than books, last I checked... Re:it's so depressing
pudge on 2002-02-10T03:55:22
"Only" 17%? That seems quite high to me. Good for us! The overwhelming majority of people have no need of a college education. Yay America!
