EU population nears 500 million
BRUSSELS: The European Unionâs population is on course to break through the 500 million mark in 2009, new figures from the blocâs statistics agency indicated Monday. The total number of people living in the European Unionâs 27 states rose by 2.1 million, or 0.4 percent, over 12 months to January and now stands at 499.8 million people, the latest figures from Eurostat showed. It was the fourth year in a row that the population had risen and comes despite a drop in the birthrate in Germany, the EUâs most populous country. The increase was down to a moderate rise in the birth rate while the death rate had remained relatively constant, said Eurostat. 5.4 million babies had born across the 27 EU nations, up 0.3 percent on the previous year, 4.8 million people died over the same period - the same rate as the previous year. afp
<!--QuoteBegin-"Anujan"+-->QUOTE("Anujan")<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-"ramana"+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("ramana")<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Peak oil will ensure that in next 50 years the support from Wahabized KSA will diminish. And by that time India will be G-2 if things go a certain way.Add to the mix the demographic mix changing in North America. And that will cut off the Anglo Saxon support for this rentier state. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
ramana-ji
To early to write of N America. There is a huge (christian) young population in mexico for work and for warfare. Vast swathes of land, natural resources and water in Canada. Enough elites in massa who dont want a change in status-quo of unkil's corporations ruling the roost. Together they represent a mix who is better educated, with better opportunities on a system which is already established. Very high competitive advantage vis-a-vis SDREs and Cheenis.
Every (non military) powerful empire* declined due to loss of territories, or a loss of control by the "central" state to maintain cohesion of its union. None have declined by gaining territories, young populations or by forming a union by signing a document. I am sure this lesson is not lost on Unkil. But of course there are hurdles.
*I dont count the mongolian empire to be based on any system of economics.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The key to future 50 years from now is the Anglicization of the Hispanic population and a shifting of the political center southwards. The old centers might be retained for continuity but the dempgrpahic power is shfiting towards the south. I dont mean the South.
Will discuss this in the US and the World thread.
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One thing to happen will be the elevation of English from its native Anglo-Saxon roots to acquire a classical status like Latin.
US teenagers need real sex education
Honest education and confidential services are the best way to undo the damage done by abstinence-only programmes
o guardian.co.uk, Thursday 30 July 2009 15.30 BST
A high school in New York has come under fire for providing students with confidential STD and pregnancy testing â but after a decade of failed abstinence-only education programmes under the Bush administration, it's programmes such as these that are exactly what we need to promote healthy teen sexuality.
In the US teenagers are having sex as much as they ever did, but they're using contraception less and getting pregnant more. In fact, the teenage pregnancy rate has risen for the second year in a row.
It should come as no surprise that this is happening, really â after all, teenagers are just going by the book. A 2002 study found that one-third of US teenagers hadn't received any formal instruction about contraception. For those who did learn about it, false scare-tactics awaited. In Me, My World, My Future â a textbook used in public schools across the country â students are told that "relying on condoms is like playing Russian roulette." A Case Western Reserve University study found that Ohio students have been taught that the birth control pill increases young women's chances of infertility later in life. And in 2005, teens at Montana's Bozeman High School were even taught that condoms cause cancer. So why would teens want to depend on something that they're told is not only ineffective, but cancer-causing to boot?
There's no doubt that positive changes have been made under the new administration. President Obama has rightly slashed funding for most abstinence-only education programmes in the 2010 budget, and redirected that money to teen pregnancy prevention programmes that have been proven effective. But 25% of the $164m marked for teen pregnancy prevention would be open to abstinence-only programmes, leaving open the possibility that the reign of sexual misinformation continue in US schools.
Now, American parents would like their teenagers to be taught that the only surefire way to avoid pregnancy and STIs is abstaining from sex â because that's the truth. But the truth is also that the vast majority of parents want their children to learn about contraception in sex education classes. Ninety-five percent of Americans will have pre-marital sex; the best way to prepare young people for their sexual futures is to ensure they're able to make healthy, well-informed decisions.
Parents who care about the health of their children, and Americans who care about the health of the nation, need to do more than shake our heads at the statistics and hope our school programmes change. We have to reverse the damage that was done to a generation of young people, and proactively support healthy sexual choices for teenagers. Yes â this means condoms in schools, emergency contraception being available to teens over the counter and programmes such as the one in New York that ensure teenagers' privacy. Now isn't the time for moral and political debates about teen sex, it's time for action to make teens healthy again.
<b>AP sources: Russian subs patrolling off East Coast</b> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense officials say two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines have been patrolling in international waters off the East Coast for several days.
The officials tell The Associated Press that while they haven't seen such unusual activity since the Cold War, the military is not overly concerned. They say the Russians have a right to conduct naval exercises and are operating according to international law.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--emo&:o--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ohmy.gif' /><!--endemo--> NEW YORK: A new book has taken the lid off the secret lives of US presidents, as described by Secret Service agents who have protected them over
the years.
The book, titled 'In the President's Secret Service', written by New York Times best-selling author and Newsmax chief Washington correspondent Ronald Kessler, is based on exclusive interviews with more than a hundred current and former agents.
The book has spilled spicy details about former and current White House residents, right from John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton to Barack Obama
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/N...452.cms?curpg=1
<!--QuoteBegin-ramana+Aug 5 2009, 12:00 AM-->QUOTE(ramana @ Aug 5 2009, 12:00 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->The key to future 50 years from now is the Anglicization of the Hispanic population....
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One thing to happen will be the elevation of English from its native Anglo-Saxon roots to acquire a classical status like Latin.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Isn't this what Islam did when it conquered others?
<!--QuoteBegin-shamu+Aug 6 2009, 01:21 PM-->QUOTE(shamu @ Aug 6 2009, 01:21 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-ramana+Aug 5 2009, 12:00 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ramana @ Aug 5 2009, 12:00 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->The key to future 50 years from now is the Anglicization of the Hispanic population....
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One thing to happen will be the elevation of English from its native Anglo-Saxon roots to acquire a classical status like Latin.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Isn't this what Islam did when it conquered others?
[right][snapback]100150[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Not really,there is good thing if hispanics are anglicized.Hispanic mind is mafia-minded,they praise those who win money whitout work(likr drug cartels).It to much slakeness in hispanic mentality.By anglicization dont mean adopting english language(though not a bad thing to learn until an world artificial language may apear) or adopting english food or costume.
Here you go -
<b>White House: 'War on terrorism' is over</b>
<b>'Jihadists' and 'global war' no longer acceptable terms</b>
Not sure what US is doing in Afghanistan?
<b>Hypocritical West stands up against Russia</b>
<b>Three Deadly Western Imports</b>
Sohu, China
World Wealth Redistributed
After Two Hundred Years
By 汤æå²
Translated By Guangyong Liang
24 July 2009
Edited by Jessica Boesl
China - Sohu - Original Article (Chinese)
The total population of China and India now exceeds two billion. Now that they are beginning to compete for resources with people in Europe, the U.S. and Japan, the world's wealth will be redistributed. The direction of the flow of wealth has begun to reverse itself after two hundred years.
In ancient times, production equipment had not yet been developed. Natural resources would not have been able to feed the entire population and wars among countries were usually battles for resources.
The competition for survival of the fittest encouraged scientific and technological progress, as well as the development of civilization.
The Industrial Revolution began in Europe. Over the course of two hundred years, every country in Europe took advantage of the Industrial Revolution to strengthen its military might. Europeans nearly conquered the entire world as their colonies grew and the world's resources were sent to Europe.
On the other hand, the Industrial Revolution tremendously expanded the scale of the economy and an enormous amount of capital was required for investment in factory equipment. Thus, a capital market was effectively born. Profits made in the capital market enabled large transnational enterprises to emerge. European countries lost control of their colonies and could no longer use their guns to gain access to resources. Instead, they began to use economic means to determine who would have access to resources. Transnational enterprises played an important role in this transition.
Thirty years ago, the economic growth rate of the European, American and Japanese economies far exceeded that of today's developing countries. The U.S., Europe and Japan acquired both resources and wealth.
Thirty years ago, Europe, the U.S. and Japan produced two thirds of the world's steel. Even today, the U.S. is home to only five percent of the world's population but consumes 25 percent of the world's available resources. Thirty years ago, I was studying in the northeast of the U.S. In winter, the temperature was minus ten degrees outside, but inside it was warm as summer. I had to wear short sleeved clothing.
Over the past thirty years, the poorer countries have begun to develop their economies. The overall standard of living needed to be improved. Therefore, additional resources were necessary. The world's wealth must be redistributed now that more than two billion people in China and India have begun to compete with the six hundred million people living in Europe, the U.S. and Japan for resources. Fortunately, this redistribution of wealth constitutes economic warfare rather than an all-out war of guns, and will be carried out according to economic laws.
In the competition for resources, prices will be responsible for redistributing resources. Cheap labor from developing countries replaces European and American labor, allowing developing countries to earn foreign exchange. Developing countries also compete for resources with Europe and the U.S. in the global market, leading to the price hikes of natural resources in the past few years. The world's wealth is gradually flowing to developing countries from Europe, the U.S. and Japan.
Wealth starts to reverse its direction of flow within two hundred years. Europe, the U.S. and Japan can no longer maintain the same standards of living as in the past and heat in winter will not be enough. However, no country will simply sit by and watch its standard of living deteriorate. Thus, frictions and conflicts among nations begins. In response to the huge trade deficit in the 1980s, the U.S. placed a limit on Japanese cars, making the dollar stronger than the yen and leading to economic stagnation in Japan for 20 years.
The best solution is that Europe, the U.S. and Japan utilize science and technology to assist developing countries with their own productivity and let them have experience economic growth even while these developed countries prosper.
However, the human history is one of constant competition for resources. The tidal wave of wealth redistribution has begun.
Huanqiu, China
<b>
U.S. Softens But Not
To Flatter China</b>
By Fu Yong
China-U.S. relations involve dialogue not only between the worldâs largest developing country and the worldâs largest developed country, but also between the worldâs largest debtor nation and the worldâs largest creditor nation.
Translated By Afra Tucker
30 July 2009
Edited by Jessica Boesl
China - Huanqiu - Original Article (Chinese)
<b>
The first round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue came to an end on 28 July in Washington, D.C. This two-day dialogue achieved its goal of making people focus on the progress already made by the two countries in energy, the environment and climate change.</b> The two sides drafted a memorandum that focuses on guiding the two countries toward long-term cooperation in energy preservation, emissions reduction, a low-carbon economy and responding to climate change.
Vice-Premier Wang Qishan views economic stimulus as the key task facing both the U.S. and China. As such, both China and the U.S. agreed to continue promoting economic recovery while resisting protectionist policies.
The U.S. adopted an unprecedented, positive and pragmatic attitude throughout the discussions. Squarely placing Chinaâs concerns over its own interests, the U.S. properly evaluated the key role China will play in the recovery of the world economy. In this sense, particularly noteworthy is how the U.S. changed its critical stance and pressure tactics. No longer caught up in the Renminbi currency issue, discussion points were limited to finding mutually beneficial strategies for economic recovery, energy, the environment and terrorism. This high-level emphasis on China-U.S. relations and new U.S. approach to such relations embody every aspect of both overt and covert details.
<b>
The clear change in the attitude and position of the U.S. is not, as many people have suggested, designed to purposefully destroy China via excessive praise, nor by using a positive attitude to change the flow of benefits. </b>Instead, this kind of passivity and cooperation reflects the current and future roles of China and the U.S. within the global financial system. China-U.S. relations involve dialogue not only between the worldâs largest developing country and the worldâs largest developed country, but also between the worldâs largest debtor nation and the worldâs largest creditor nation. It is also a dialogue between the originator of the international economic crisis and the forerunner of global economic recovery.
These are key dialogues; however, they can only be considered part of a long-term, slow-moving process. In terms of reaching a consensus, this first round only serves to verify that China and the U.S. have long maintained a strategic economic relationship. No plan has been devised for a feasible solution. During such a weighty process, the imbalance of the world economy is embodied in the relationship between the U.S. and China. White House National Economic Chairperson Lawrence Summers used âthe balance of nuclear terrorismâ to describe a new era of China-U.S. relations. Chinaâs foreign exchange reserves exceed US$2 trillion and close to two-thirds consist of U.S. assets; principally, the U.S. national debt. China has lent the majority of its assets to the U.S. government, so it goes without saying that China is facing a risk. However, if China dumped its U.S. assets, their value would spiral rapidly and China would suffer a great loss. Therefore, the U.S. must simultaneously attempt to maintain the stability of the dollar, continue lending to other countries and alleviate Chinaâs concerns.
<b>
The first round of dialogues has clearly not produced a distinct timetable nor course of action to resolve the imbalance between the U.S. and China. The issue of the security of China's investments in U.S. assets is an inevitable in such discussions. </b>However, the U.S. is once again making only verbal promises. When we clearly expressed our concern for the security of the U.S. national debt, Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner reiterated the U.S. intention to control the printing of new money, inflation and the financial deficit and to raise savings rates.
However, everyone knows that talk is cheap. Adjusting the global imbalance is, necessarily, a gradual process and the China-U.S. imbalance will only intensify. Objectively speaking, there is no plan to work hard now to enjoy carefree living in the future. The only way forward is by addressing the foundation of China-U.S. strategic interests, continuing to maintain dialogue and aiming for gradual relief.
In order to restructure the foundation of China-U.S. dialogue, Obama cited Menicus during the opening ceremony of the dialogue, saying, âthere are the footpaths along the hills. If suddenly they be used, they become roads; and if as suddenly they are not used, the wild grass fills them up.â However, the meaning of these words does not adequately summarize the atmosphere of the China-U.S. dialogue. China and the U.S. will not only need to communicate diligently in order not to allow the path of cooperation to âfill up with wild grass,â but will also need to emphasize the exchange of courtesies and mutual benefits. It is obvious that one key achievement of the first round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue, though only a beginning, was the establishment of a new model for dialogue and a new framework for cooperation.
<b>A link between wealth and breeding The best of all possible worlds?</b>
<img src='http://media.economist.com/images/20090808/CST874.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Han Jul 23, 2009 6:01 PM GMT
To every one who think that china is not fair with bussiness , one thing i want to tell every one and that is we are future superpower. so decide if you want to be foe or friend , i pity americans ,i know they can't move there lazy a$$ to work they are totaly dependant on china for products , we can provide high class products. India is too small infront of china to talk about.China's only competition is with american ,i am sure we will beat them in couple of years.
<b>Do Americans share Obama's dream?</b>
The President is creating a nation that many citizens did not expect to be living in, says Justin Webb
By Justin Webb
Published: 6:51PM BST 07 Aug 2009
<!--QuoteBegin-HareKrishna+Aug 6 2009, 04:00 PM-->QUOTE(HareKrishna @ Aug 6 2009, 04:00 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Hispanic mind is mafia-minded,they praise those who win money whitout work(likr drug cartels).It to much slakeness in hispanic mentality.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is more of a racist statement. There are drug cartels in many places, and it is bad to blame the poor locals for its side effects.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->By anglicization dont mean adopting english language(though not a bad thing to learn until an world artificial language may apear) or adopting english food or costume.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How do you know it is not that? I would interpret anglicisation as assimilation of Hispanics into Anglican society. Many of their original practices will be lost in that process (just like what happened to Anglo-Indians).
<b>America Cannot Cheat China Like It Cheated Japan</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->For anyone who knows a little about how America has dealt with past financial crises, it is hard not to worry about the security of China's wealth. Historically, the U.S. dollar has depreciated after almost every financial crisis. The final result has always been that other countries suffer losses, while America successfully passes off the burden of the crisis. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In 1971, because of the demands of countries vying to sell short their U.S. currency for gold, President Nixon flatly declared an end to the linkage of the U.S. dollar to gold. In the end, the United States survived the crisis by shirking its duty to other countries. In the mid-1980s, the U.S. dollar exchange rate greatly increased, hindering exports and causing a decline in manufacture. In 1985, the United States signed the âPlaza Agreementâ with Japan and other countries, forcing the Japanese yen and other currencies to greatly appreciate, surviving a crisis once again, while Japan paid the price of having several years of economic stagnation.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->China is not the Japan of 20 years ago. Only by putting China at ease can America maintain its international reputation â and only then can America gain Chinaâs support on many issues. This type of support for the America of today is something the United States cannot do without. If Americans want to cheat China like they cheated Japan in the past, they will certainly lose the Chinese peopleâs trust, and cause U.S.-China relations to regress, resulting in both sides losing.
For anyone who knows a little about how America has dealt with past financial crises, it is hard not to worry about the security of China's wealth. Historically, the U.S. dollar has depreciated after almost every financial crisis. The final result has always been that other countries suffer losses, while America successfully passes off the burden of the crisis. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In 1971, because of the demands of countries vying to sell short their U.S. currency for gold, President Nixon flatly declared an end to the linkage of the U.S. dollar to gold. In the end, the United States survived the crisis by shirking its duty to other countries. In the mid-1980s, the U.S. dollar exchange rate greatly increased, hindering exports and causing a decline in manufacture. In 1985, the United States signed the âPlaza Agreementâ with Japan and other countries, forcing the Japanese yen and other currencies to greatly appreciate, surviving a crisis once again, while Japan paid the price of having several years of economic stagnation.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->China is not the Japan of 20 years ago. Only by putting China at ease can America maintain its international reputation â and only then can America gain Chinaâs support on many issues. This type of support for the America of today is something the United States cannot do without. If Americans want to cheat China like they cheated Japan in the past, they will certainly lose the Chinese peopleâs trust, and cause U.S.-China relations to regress, resulting in both sides losing.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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