Czytasz wiadomości znalezione dla zapytania: Essentials Of Economics With M

India provides competition for Silicon Valley and likewise, China is also a large, growing economy, supported by a large army. They are friends and useful trading partners to America, so even if India is much more likely to nuke Pakistan than Iran is to attack America, they are still given more autonomy. They are also more predicable because the leadership is well aware of playing the game of world politics, while a dictator in a country with a small population might be more eager to act 'rashly'.

So since they are not going to nuke us err.... the US in the near future they can have atomics? They are good trading partners so they can do whenever they want with everyone else? Give me a break. Pakistan is a dictatorship too and a brutal one. They have atomics but they are "America partner" so its ok?

How the UN is going to stop Iran or North Korea from developing atomic bombs if their traditional enemies, Israel and South Korea have an advanced nuclear program????

imfho it's impossible to stop this process which started on august 6, 1945 with Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Check the documents about "the decision". Did anyone here asked yourself why Truman chose this two cities and not the capital Tokio or the greatest military center in Japan (kokura) but the most populated cities since Tokio was evacuated???

http://www.dannen.com/decision/

Maybe the Iran's government scientific staff share the same opinion of Truman's about nuclear energy.

You can search for the full stuff at naira but the first link has the essential.

http://www.archives.gov/

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wiolisia, Kinia, Patka, tosiek, Dziękuję

Patka, już wklejam informacje ze strony uczelni- dostępne tylko w języku angielskim:

A graduate of the specialisation has gained knowlegde which is essential to run a business in the modern international trade. Learning two foreign languages (incl. a professional language) is an additional profit of the specialisation.

CHOSEN SPECIALISATION SUBJECTS:
The programme includes among other following specialisation subjects:
• foreign trade economics
• international business law
• international econiomical relations
• a company in an international trade
• accounting international transactions

WHAT KIND OF KNOWLEDGE YOU WILL OBTAIN
After graduating „International business and fiance”, a graduate will be able:
• to prepare and close the deal in international trade
• to hold business negotiations
• to promote products in international trade
• to estimate the finance in international investments
• to manage the risk in international companies, for example in insurance companies

WHERE YOU COULD WORK?
A graduate of the specialisation is prepared to work in following institutions:
• in the foreign trade institutions and shipment: in the marketing departments which promote their products in the international trade in the company’s accounts which deals with international turnover
• in the international shipment companies, in the departments of international
• in the insurance companies
• in the international concerns which invest in Poland more and more often
• in public institutions
• in banks and financial institutions
• in consulting agencies, which often cooperates with international concerns, as well as work on the international markets

http://www.wsb.gda.pl/wwwGdansk/2007759.xml

Money has become the most frequently uttered word these days.It has come a long way to become the most powerful symbol of strength, dilligence and richness today. To better understand the role of money in the modern world,we should look into the main and essential functions of money, also the factors which made the world dependent on it. It has been argued that the world could not function properly or could not even exist if there was not money.Let's imagine a situation when you want to buy something to eat, but you don't know how to "pay" for your daily products such as bread and milk. Before money was invented people were interchanging different products such as fruit or meat in order to get, for example, warm fur skins for winter instead.It was called a barter and it was the part of natural economy and capitalism where everything has its own value. Our economy is based on the money that the goods also are. There is the very old proverb: "No gain without pain". If we do not work we cannot earn our living because we are not given salaries, which means we are not able to pay the bills for electricity, water, gas, central heating, not to mention paying taxes. We cannot even fulfil the basic human needs which are the full stomach and the feeling of security. Some people find it difficult and they just cannot cope with the reality of living in the materialistic world. Others are more willing to take away the part belonging to them, no matter what the cost. The lust for power and the greed for profit made the world a huge battlefield where only the best and the most cooperative people have chances to make fortunes and to live in the lap of luxury.
The most important thing is that the social, political and economic crises cannot be solved without money. Lack of money is responsible for many personal tragedies including the hunger of children in Africa who die also because of insufficient number of medicines and vaccines. It is not,however, the fault of money itself, but the people who do not want to share with others are to blame. The guilty are often the leaders of the countries who prefer spending money on armaments instead of helping the weak and ill. There are places like North Korea or Argentina we can meet the three-year-old children who live in the streets and count only on themselves.
In summary I should repeat the main idea of the topic: Money makes the world go round.As far as I am concerned, I do not think it is possible to live without money or substitute it with something else. One thing is sure. Everyone needs money. Some more. Some less. Money can harm or help. Everything depends on who owns it.

Mariusz K. Esej ten został wysoko oceniony przez jednego z moich wykładowców(czyt.lektorów).Myślę że i wam może się do czegoś przydać.Pozdrowienia!!

Ten tekst został poddany korekcie przez moderatora

Country:
Germany

Kind of school (primary, secondary, vocational, …):
Secondary

Age of pupils/students (from … to):
13 - 16

Name of school/institution:
Grund- und Hauptschule Weiler im Allgäu

Name of headmaster:

Mr. Walter Schaefer

Street:
Schulstr. 17

Postcode/city:
88171 Weiler - Simmerberg

Phone school/institution:
08387 / 92 060

Fax school/institution:
08387 / 92 0627

Email school/institution:
sekretariat@vs-weiler.de

Internet school/institution:
www.vs-weiler.de

Idea of project/subject:

Attention: we are looking for partners especially from the eastern parts of Europe !! Salt, an important commodity of past centuries, opens routes throughout Europe.

Description of the project:

Salt is and was an essentiel and valuable food. From a few mining places it had to be distributed in all regions of Europe. An important road network, so-called "Salt Roads" was the result which acquired additionally to the economic purpose great political and cultural importance as well.

We intend to study the subject "Salt Roads" under the following theoretical and practical aspects:

a) The physical importance of salt as an essential mineral
b) Historical and social cultural background:
- Graph of the road network in the twin regions
- Production and transportation of salt in the past and nowadays
- Influence on political decisions
- Exchange of culture and technology along the "Salt Roads"

c) In the practice part we plan to visit a salt mine and to make a walking tour on a section of a selected "Salt Road" together with our twin schools.

Coordinator/contact person:

Mr. Walter Schaefer

Email coordinator:

sekretariat@vs-weiler.de

Well Montez, to be honest most of the kids I teach here have no idea of markets before they come in, and little when they come out.

Adam Smith will get you into the question of economic theory, but there is a lot of theory to go through. I suggest that everyone take courses in micro and macro economics in college. This stuff comes back in strange ways.

I would also pick up a good book on business law. West publishing has a very good undergraduate text on business law- how to buy and sell, what is a contract and when it exists, all the way to corporate management, insider trading, etc. This is a good class to take as an undergrad (and most colleges offer some course in commercial law or business law). But if you can't do it, grab the book.

One added plug for a course in business law- it's an introduction to about 75% of what you will see in law school. So if you are thinking of practicing law, take business law as an undergrad.

I would also suggest a course in personal finance. The difference between money markets and savings accounts, between bonds and stocks, how to develop a portfolio, etc. That kind of stuff.

You don't get much of that in college, and it's a shame. The way to make money these days is not by working for it, but by knowing how to invest it to make more. The beauty of that is, the more you know about how to make money with money, the less you have to work. This would allow you to pursue a career doing something you enjoy without necessarily sacrificing quality of life.

I really can't emphasize this enough. Guys essential, but women especially. My father past away when I was young and left my Mom with little but a house and a little extra property. No insurance, no protfolio. Over the space of the next few years she had to learn how to invest and manipulate money while raising two boys. If you think of the possibility that one day you may lose a spouse or be incapacitated from working in your career, it's good to know how to make money other ways.

My gosh! A discussion on Max Weber on No Mutants Allowed. Who would have thought!

I agree with you, but I can't recall Weber ever giving us a definition of a failed or weak state and that's unfortunate. Zartman wrote a good book on collapsed states and there is also the distinction of quasi- and juridical states. In fact I can't find a good definition of a weak state any where (but then try to find a good definition of terrorism- like pornography who know it when you see it).

If you look around the globe, few states really satisfy that definition today. For example there are parts of Brazil that don't look like a strong state, the institutions just don't work and the state is used for profit. Our friends from Indonesia can also relate this to the Suharto regime and the political mess there. But then historically there have not been many Weberian strong states. That's why many of the elements for finding a state drop out and you get left with the notion of monopoly of violence for the defining characteristic. If you got it, you live, if you don't you die.

But on the other elements, I think Tilly has made a good showing that many of the other things we take for granted that states do have, historically been about war-making or the economic essentials to make war- against foes domestic and foreign. The creation of a bureaucracy- to tax, to develop an economy or to regulate internal conflicts (a judiciary and a police force) are kind of about the use of violence within the state for the state's means. The question is not whether the state is a means of repression- rather its about who controls the state.

I would be wary to put much stock in the notion of the relationship between the state and society. There are a lot of weak democracies out there, and many of the strongest states have historically been autocracies. I think Weber's take on legitimacy is often misconstrued. I don't think he was talking about legitimacy between people and state, but the loyalty of the bureaucracy to the state. Remember Weber's talking about a recently unified Germany that has rapidly become a power of Europe, but one that is still going through growing pains.

By the end of the game, I was level 20 and had 37292 caps, and finished 24 quests. I also had a locker full of stuff to sell. And I mean full like it would slow down my game whenever I opened it, so I had to split it into two lockers. I found money to be really easy to get in this game.

As for the price of stimpacks, I really don't know. It's too early in the morning for me. Logically, due to the sheer number you find, I would say they'd be incredibly cheap. However, realistically, they should be more expensive to make them at least a bit difficult to get a huge amount of them. In case you're wondering, I had 479 stimpacks at the end. I had been buying them whenever I saw them, just because I needed to spend money.

By the way, I was playing on normal, simply because my first play through of any game is normal, but I did turn that up to hard after awhile.

Cool, thanks for that info. I've actually been investigating further (since I'd like to make this game as "sim-like" as I can) and I found that about 10,000 bottlecaps IRL weighs about 52 pounds. So I'm starting to think of possibly limiting the economy by adding weight to the caps so you literally can only carry so many (taken into account the PC essentials like armor, 3 or 4 weapons of choice etc). I want the game to move toward things having VALUE even if the economy is "shrunk" in numerical terms. Maybe make 10,000 caps the upper limit of what you'd call "rich" in the game and have all items priced with that ceiling in line.

So you could no longer go on buying sprees and instead would have to resort to scavenging as much as possible and only buy what you really need/can. So no more zillion stimpacks and 9000 rounds of ammo.

Course it would still be fairly easy to collect caps since they are all over the place but physical limitations would keep things from going crazy & having tons of money with nothing to spend it on etc. *sigh* man it's frustrating trying to undo & counteract beths design. Why can't they make sure the economy is balanced & functional/useful? It just pisses me off to no end that they didn't even put in the sufficient effort to ensure it was properly done IMO..

Look, Ma! I'm innovating!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10115247

If you wondered how Bill Gates topped the Forbes rich list for the 11th year
with a personal fortune of US$46.5 billion ($63 billion), look no further than
the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.

Patent 525484, accepted by the office and now open for objections until the
end of May, says Microsoft invented and owns the process whereby a
word-processing document stored in a single XML file may be manipulated by
applications that understand XML.

It is one of a raft of patent applications Microsoft has dumped on the
overworked staff of the office, and on patent offices worldwide.

No proszê. Kto by pomyla³. MS wymy¶li³ XML jako format dokumentów... Ciekawe
ile miliardów w³o¿yli w badania które teraz chc± zabezpieczyæ patentami.
Równocze¶nie druga schizofreniczna po³ówka mózgu Billa G. domaga siê reformy
systemu patentowego:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/11/ms_patent_reform/

Microsoft yesterday called for reform of the US patent system, claiming that
the long-term health of the system is threatened both by a flood of patent
applications and an "explosion of sometimes-abusive litigation". That's how MS
general counsel Brad Smith put it during a speech to the American Enterprise
Institute in Washington, DC.

Ale mo¿e chodzi razcej o to co pod dalej:

more consistency among international patent systems

znaczy, opatentujemy tam gdzie to siê da zrobiæ (siê da, to siê zrobi), a
owoce zbieramy globalnie. Wujek Sam oczywi¶cie jest ¶wiadom tego jakie to dla
nas wa¿ne i oczywi¶cie pomo¿e:

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050309/95243_1.html

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2005-- The Bush Administration will
continue to promote intellectual property rights as a diplomatic priority and
an essential building block for expanding the global market economy, according
to a leading Commerce Department official, Phillip J. Bond.

"We understand in the U.S. government that intellectual property is one of the
most important forms of property you can have in a digital age," Mr. Bond,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology, said in an interview posted this
month on Gartner's Web site at www.gartner.com/fellows. "Yes, we have some
real challenges but ultimately we're going to see the seeds of property
ownership - intellectual property ownership - blossom."

Boy, that will be fun! Amerykañska aberracja? Nie, po prostu tryumfalny pochód
globalnej gospodarki XXI wieku z jej naciskiem na IP. Tam, gdzie przejdzie,
tam ju¿ bêdzie na wieki kwit³ 'the blossom of property ownership'.

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* "Never seen O-Sensei on film? Here's how!"

We are offering a special set of four outstanding DVDs featuring Aikido
Founder Morihei Ueshiba including the recently-released Takemusu Aiki. These DVDs
contain rare film clips of Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei at various stages of his
life. These 4 DVDs retail normally for $159.80, but during this special you
will save more than 30% off as this special offers sells for $109.95 plus
shipping & handling.

Read the whole entry: http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=3823
----------------------------------------------------------------------

* "Recommended reading: "The Expansion of Aikido Abroad" by Kisshomaru
Ueshiba"

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the
Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of
the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of
the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder
Morihei Ueshiba.

Recently, relations between Japan and a number of other countries have grown
close in many respects. Everywhere Japanese products are overflowing in
foreign markets. No matter where you go in the world, you can find the foot steps
of Japanese tourists. Ties between Japan and foreign nations are flourishing
not only in the economic realm but also in relation to Japanese culture and
things Japanese. Prior to the Pacific war when I was still a young man, who
could have imagines the present level of exchange between Japanese nations
abroad?

Read the whole entry: http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=3822

----------------------------------------------------------------------

* "Thoughts on Putting Ki back in Aikido Practice"Mike Sigman

Although I have a career of interest and practice in Asian martial arts that
goes back to the early 1960's, I need to stress that my particular interest
since about 1974 has been mostly about how to replicate and train a type of
strength I felt in a visiting Aikido sandan at a party near Miami, Florida.
Following that trail has led me through years of Aikido, of Taiji (Tai Chi),
Xingyi, Bagua, and a lot of visiting and discussions with numerous stylists
from many other arts (Japanese, Chinese, and Indonesian). My interest and
focus in actual martial prowess waned after I encountered these skills because I
see them as the heart of the real Aikido and the quintessence of what harmony
with the universe really means.

One thing that became clear, gradually, was that everyone with knowledge of
these skills is demonstrating and talking about the same core abilities, no
matter where they're from or what style they're doing. The reason for the
ubiquity of the Yin-Yang symbol and the common traditional beliefs throughout
Asian martial arts (not to mention calligraphy, Asian dance, etc.) becomes
clear after a while: these body skills are quite ancient and have had time to
spread all over Asia and for widely disparate arts to contain many of the same
codifications of knowledge that were developed centuries ago about "ki" (qi,
prana,etc.) in the focused sense of the body usages called "ki". It would be
too much of a digression in this discussion to deal with the entire spectrum
of what ki is and the attendant belief structures, so while acknowledging
that there is a lot more to the topic, let's keep the focus on some of the body
skills.

Read the whole entry: http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=3821

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo of the day:

This is a rare photo taken around 1955 in front of the Aiki Shrine in Iwama
with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba posing alongside Morihiro Saito Sensei.
Saito Sensei, who is recognized as one of aikido's greatest technicians,
developed a teaching curriculum that emphasized a balance between taijutsu and
weapons training.

View Photo: http://www.aikidojournal.com/potd.php?page=117

I am glad you read and like this piece lisemeit... and this is the final part...

Given this, the Scotist doctrine of the primacy and haeceittas are not doctrines which are little more than historical curiosities in the history of theology or metaphysics. They are vibrant,vital, important bases on which the Franciscan movement can formulate an approach to environmental theology and ethics on a solid theological, Christological and philosophical base rather than on naĂŻve, romantic, idealistic notions of St. Francis âloving animals and all creation.â This is not to say that Francis is to be taken out of the equation, quite the opposite, hi place and role is crucial, but romanticism is not a solid base on which to ground a contemporary Franciscan theology of environmental care. The primacy of the human nature of Jesus and the haeceitt as of this nature and all other created natures guarantees their right to be that which they are. So that whaling, the hunting of the tiger, the destruction of the rain forests, the mining of the earth to dust etc., attack the body of Christ in the sense of martyrdom.

Thus, a Franciscan approach to environmental theology is grounded on firm theological-philosophical and Franciscanological bases, and needs further development through the studyof political theory, economics, anthropology, environmental ethics, ecology, socio-cultural studies- failure to do this means failure to accept redemption because the created nature of Jesus is not left behind at the Resurrection but is glorified in its transcendence of historical and existential limitations and is now at the heart of the Godhead. The Scotist doctrine of the primacy of the human nature of Jesus and the doctrine of heaceitt as have much to teach theworld â if only we can translate it and make it relevant and meaningful not just for Franciscans but for all those who seek the divine with a sincere heart.

Have a good evening...

To me, you have shared in the last two posts the essential philospies of this life.

Life was the 'so called' a matter of survival. But the Scotist Doctrine states, 'God is the core/centre'.

Living in this world is an ongoing life learning experience. There were times when one thought that life was about 'finding my own way to survive', but only to seek God's assistance when one was confronted with both welcome, and unwelcome challenges.

How lost one was!

So how did one arrive here? (the fact is, God is the original!!)

I dont dwell on my previous lackness (eventhough I am still.........), at least one has already arrived at the stage of realisation that inspired to put faith into practice, in order 'for God is in', therefore, like it or dont like it, God is the original in everything, including politics, education, relationship, environments (nature, social, career path).

There is 'no separation', agree?

Most importantly, Life is a Romantic Journey! with or without a human being companion,

extracted this from Matangi Tonga there.

dated 16 December 2005.

THE Pacific Island island Kingdom of Tonga is about to make history. Tonga is due today to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on what are arguably the worst terms ever offered to any country, according to an analysis of leaked documents released today by international agency Oxfam.

"The terms of Tongaâs accession package are appalling," said Oxfamâs Phil Bloomer. "This is one of the worldâs smallest and most vulnerable economies, and the extortionist demands being made on it should have no place in a 'development round'. Apparently, the rhetoric of development means nothing at the WTO when pitted against the commercial interests of the worldâs richest countries."

As the price of joining the WTO, the remote, impoverished nation (population 100,000) will be forced to slash the tariffs on which it depends to pay for vital public services such as health and education.

"Tonga will have to fix its tariffs at levels lower than any other country in the history of the WTO, with the sole exception of Armenia," said Bloomer. Tonga will be allowed tariffs of no more than 20% on any product. In comparison, the US applies a 350% tariff on beef imports, and the EU applies an equivalent tariff of over 300% to block sugar imports. Such low tariffs threaten to wipe out Tongaâs vulnerable farmers and small businesses.

Releasing the analysis today, Oxfamâs Phil Bloomer said: "Both the EU and the US were active in the negotiations which led to this atrocious deal. This highlights the grotesque double-standards in operation at the WTO. It sets a very depressing tone for the talks."

Other terms of the deal are also extremely worrying for Tongaâs development. The country is being forced to open many of its vital services to foreign companies, including all levels of education, hospitals and telecommunications, imperilling access to essential services for the poor.

On education, these commitments go well beyond those of any of the rich countries which negotiated the deal. Other commitments, a number of which exceed current WTO rules, remove Tongaâs right to employ the industrial policies that rich countries and the Asian Tigers used to promote development.

this is the bit i don't take to (conclusion):

Oxfam New Zealand executive director, Barry Coates said: "Tonga is being ganged up on by the rich and powerful. To our shame, New Zealand, as a member of the working party that negotiated Tongaâs accession, has participated in this process. Tonga's future development has been put at risk, and New Zealand has acted contrary to its own policy of allowing its Pacific neighbours to use international trade to enhance their development."

this is the most disturbing part. i cannot understand what with the tariffs being lowered.

i mean look at the US and UN.

let alone NZ. but didn't we (NZ) oppose such deals. i mean this is contrary to what was said before the cow spoke. lol.

i'm really confused now. is this change inevitable. if we pursue. or have we already pursued. lmfao. am i late.

anyhow. i don't understand why we would be forced to open up when we are having to lower our tariffs while sitting on a 2 peanuts worth economy. lol.

anyhow that's my little jotter of a 2cent piece.

Much luv
Beg

Capitalism is economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods.

Democracy is from of political rule whereby society freely choose (via voting) whom they want as a government.

They are both as different as apples and oranges.

Historically, Tongaâs economic system has not been capital based since the government owned and operated the bulk of services and industries in Tonga, thereby being the largest of all employers in the country.

Economic reports and advise over the years to the Tongan government have always advised to move away from this economic approach since its damaging to Tonga's fragile economy.

This advise has proven too true many times over and now sees Tonga in the poor economic state that its now experiencing.

In essence Tonga does not have the population or GDP to support itself. In particular the size of the government and the expenses that the government places back onto the people is simply "not-doable".

That is the reason why Tonga operates each and every budget in deficit and must borrow money just to balance its annual budget.

Thatâs just plain stupid.

Its better that the government cuts expenses and operates the country without a deficit.

Other factors to help improve this situation is for the government to stop funding non-essential and private outgoings of the royal family and ministers.

As Sionoa as recently noted, the government has funded the kings $60,000 overseas south east Asian holiday and the PM's (and his associated contingent) recent touring overseas costing the tax payer $100,000.00

This is foolish spending for a country this is deep in debt with no way out.

Privatisation would have alleviated some of Tongaâs pain. But corruption in the government put and end to that when the TEPB - power was supposed to have been privatised in which the government should have received ongoing commissions from the lease of the power assets and rights of generation. But instead this backfired on Tonga since Shoreline never paid anything to the government for the use of government assets and rights.

Same went again for TongSat in which Tonga should have received part of teh revenue of USD 50 million per annum. But doesnât get a cent.

This was repeated over and over with the royal children raping the capital infrastructure and asset base of Tonga and not providing the country with any revenue in return.

Even if Tonga did have oil and gas & mineral deposits, the country would never benefit as the royals would "own the businesses" and not repay any lease or commissions back to the government.

Until this issue is corrected, Tonga will remain in its current state. The only way to correct this is to prevent one single person from controlling the country and ensure accountability to all those that run the government.
i.e. Democracy is the solution that will improve Tonga's economic position.

Stone, for once, I finally found an issue where I fully agree with you.

Stoney has a good point.

A palangi saying goes like this. "The proof is in the pudding.."
And in this case, as Maka has pointed out, the proof of the education system is in the results that the students achieve.

I agree with Maka. A performance based system is what is needed.

The Minister of Education needs to be accountable for the results. And if the results of the students if poor or less than previous years, then this is a reflection on the operation of the ministry and the standard & quality of the education provided to the students.

You cannot get blood from a stone. And if you have poor quality education, the output will be poor student results.

The results of a students education in high school go with him/her for the rest of their lives.

The Minister of education has a huge responsibility to provide the best possible education for Tongan students that can be afforded.

The Link Between the Amount of Remittances and Education
There is a direct link between education and remittances as I will explain.

Given that Tonga is totally dependant on remittances from Tongans working overseas, it is vital that our students are given the best education that will lead them into good jobs overseas so that they can support their families.

In reality, the education of Tongan students is the only lifeline that is given to Tongans.

Without a decent education, Tongans cannot obtain jobs overseas. Without that, there will not be remittances.

Considering the consequences of failing to provide proper education for Tongans can cause catastrophic consequences for the future economy the selection, qualifications and skills of the minister of education is vital.

A Ministry with the Right Skills, Qualifications and Leadership

It is now evident that the current minister does not have the skills necessary to provide the quality of education needed for Tongan students.

This issue must be dealt with for the survival of Tonga.

Again, I can only steer the discussion into democratically elected people that have and can demonstrate the skills necessary to run the education department.

The existing system of appointment of ministers by the king is failing Tonga. Each minister and prime minister is appointed by the king on the basis of their allegiance to the king, nothing more. There is no requirement for the ministers to demonstrate their leadership or skills in their nominated ministry.

In this case, there is no requirement for the minister of education to provide an outline, plan or demonsrate his leadership of how to improve the education system for Tonga.
The ministers are then forced into passing laws that are for the benefit of the king. Failing to do so will result in their removal from their job. With the fall in the students results we have seen the system failing.

Where the Current Political System Fails the Students

This system is failing Tongans. Ministerial decisions are made on the basis of ministers maintaining relationships with the king, rather than the benefit of Tongan students.

The education budget is virtually non existent as most of the funds are used for non-essential services. The king receives $1 million dollars a year of tax payers funds to maintain his lifestyle.

Money has been sucked out of the education budget for the repayment of personal loans of the kings friends. Over the past 6 or more years, a loan of $20 million was taken from China and used by the kingâs business associates for personal use.

This $20 million could have been used to enhance the education system as Blundell noted above. This money could have set up a totally parallel copy paste system with Aust/NZ Post Secondary Education system in which students completing courses in Tonga can literally walk into a job in Sydney or Auckland. âŚNo questions askedâŚ.

Cocoluv made the right suggestion of obtaining CISCO and Microsoft accreditation courses in Tonga. Cocoluv has provided and excellent idea.

This all needs money, and good management. Unfortunately for Tonga, this money is mismanaged and those with the right leadership are kept out of the government.

This must change.

Blundell,

Is it the responsibility of other countries to provide job opportunities for Tongans?]

Hello Ozguy

Thank you for the question. My answer is a big YESSSSS and NOOOOO.

It is a BIGGG YESSSSS based on the concept that Tonga or any third world country is an essential component/part of the International Community. It is therefore the ethical, moral and social responsiblities of the Developed Countries, especially NZ and Australia, and for the economic stablity of the Pacific Region in long term, that they should assist as much as they can to create employment for the Tongans/South Pacific Islanders.

It is a BIGGG NOOO because Tonga does not have oil like Kuwait.

What are the responsibilities of the Tongan government, should they have some share in the responsibility of job deevlopment for their own people??

The fact is, whether I agree with the leadership/management of Tonga or not, the Government is implementing strategies aiming on creating job opportunities for the people.

Having said that, now consider this....The Tongan government has obtained a $115 million dollar loan from China. The funds are for construction and civil works inside Tonga.
The work is being done solely by Chinese- No Tongans.

Consider the harsh and drastic consequences of what this will do to Tonga.

This is what SHOULD happen.

The $115 million should be provided to Tongan construction companies, civil engineers and other workers. They should be the ones that are doing the work inside Tonga, not the Chinese.

But this is how the money will be spent.

China will not exactly give the money to Tonga. It will send over its civil engineers, construction workers and materials to Tonga. The works will be completed and then the money will then pass to the workers & companies inside of China. The money will not even touch the sand of Tonga.

So think about this Blundell. This is a double whammy. Tonga looses twice!

1- Tonga loses from not having the jobs for any construction, civil works and designs.

2-Tonga loses because the $115 million dollars is not even going into Tonga's economy. (IF the money was paid to Tongan workers, at least the money would be then placed into Tongas own economy!)

So my point here is- ..Forget about what Australia and the US are not doing....But...
What the H3LL is the Tongan government doing to provide jobs for its own people?

Thank you Ozguy.

Yes, I hear you, however, you've just demonstrated here how Australia also does similar to the Chinese.

I dont blame Tonga for not having the appropriate skills that are needed for the Construction work as you've stated in your post because Australia, New Zealand and America have lured the skilled Tongans to their countries.

It will take ages to train the Tongans to do the construction work efficiently and effectively in Tonga, and many issues will involve including Occupational Health & Safety.

what option is left for the government? They have no choice but to also propose that the chinese are to the job. May be that is the condition of the loan.

Ozguy, you've just demonstrated that the need for this loan by the Tongan Government is genuine. ummmmmmmmaaaaaaaa....

I agree. I do not think Tonga will find a solution that is identical to other systems. I believe that government should not just be represented by the people but also the culture and the little nuances that make Tonga, well Tonga.

What works for one country may not work for another as their are just way too many differences.

Hello Beezley

Tonga is similar to a big organisation in any democratic system or western country. When the leadership and management sytem of the organisation is inappropriate and dysfunctional, communication breakdown occurs. The biggest problem in Tonga is organisational communication; the 'users' (people) of the services provided by the government are hurt.

It is a small country, but the people are unrest. This is the reflection of poor leadership. Therefore one may argue that the King of Tonga is not a capable leader. How many times do Tongan people see the King ordinarily walks at Hala Taufa'ahau or go to the villiages to greet the commoners? How many times does the King of Tonga informally walk to the office of the frontline staff of his own government to thank them and to show his appreciation for their services? How many times the government staff met the Prime Minister of Tonga in an informal 'morning tea'?

The King of Tonga, Nobles, Chieves, Prime Minister, and the Cabinet Ministers need to learn and gain 'people skills'. It is essential for them to start with 'interpersonal communication skills, group skills and organisational communication skills. These skills will teach them on how to motivate the people of Tonga in all level to participate and to work together with them to develop and build Tonga.

Whats the use of having a PHD in Economics but can not communicate effectively with his subordinates? They work together for one organisation (i.e Tonga) but they are enemies socially.

The majority of the commoners love 'Akilisi Pohiva because he has interpersonal and group skills. He has reached out to the people in their own level and limitations.

A director of a company in Australia may read this post and wonder how on earth a leader of a small country like Tonga find it hard to both formally and informally communicate with the people of his own.

The prime minister of Australia, John Howard greet the people on his way to work or whereever he goes. The Government Ministers try to find as much time as they can to go and greet the base frontline staff. It makes a big difference, because people feel that 'they belong together...

The people of Tonga need to be reassured by their leader, ie. King that they are cared for eventhough the economy of the country is getting worst. People can go without 'sugar and salt' as long as they feel that they belong together. This is definitely what a King for, is to reassure the people that he is doing his best and the government to develop the economy.

The leadership of Tonga, particulary the Royal family and Nobles should change their way of approaching the people of Tonga if they want to maintain the monarchy sytem.

Hello Beezley

Tonga is similar to a big organisation in any democratic system or western country. When the leadership and management sytem of the organisation is inappropriate and dysfunctional, communication breakdown occurs. The biggest problem in Tonga is organisational communication; the 'users' (people) of the services provided by the government are hurt.

It is a small country, but the people are unrest. This is the reflection of poor leadership. Therefore one may argue that the King of Tonga is not a capable leader. How many times do Tongan people see the King ordinarily walks at Hala Taufa'ahau or go to the villiages to greet the commoners? How many times does the King of Tonga informally walk to the office of the frontline staff of his own government to thank them and to show his appreciation for their services? How many times the government staff met the Prime Minister of Tonga in an informal 'morning tea'?

The King of Tonga, Nobles, Chieves, Prime Minister, and the Cabinet Ministers need to learn and gain 'people skills'. It is essential for them to start with 'interpersonal communication skills, group skills and organisational communication skills. These skills will teach them on how to motivate the people of Tonga in all level to participate and to work together with them to develop and build Tonga.

Whats the use of having a PHD in Economics but can not communicate effectively with his subordinates? They work together for one organisation (i.e Tonga) but they are enemies socially.

The majority of the commoners love 'Akilisi Pohiva because he has interpersonal and group skills. He has reached out to the people in their own level and limitations.

A director of a company in Australia may read this post and wonder how on earth a leader of a small country like Tonga find it hard to both formally and informally communicate with the people of his own.

The prime minister of Australia, John Howard greet the people on his way to work or whereever he goes. The Government Ministers try to find as much time as they can to go and greet the base frontline staff. It makes a big difference, because people feel that 'they belong together...

The people of Tonga need to be reassured by their leader, ie. King that they are cared for eventhough the economy of the country is getting worst. People can go without 'sugar and salt' as long as they feel that they belong together. This is definitely what a King for, is to reassure the people that he is doing his best and the government in developing the economy.

The leadership of Tonga, particulary the Royal family and Nobles should change their way of approaching the people of Tonga if they want to maintain the monarchy sytem.

Spot on Blundell.

The notion that the Royals and the government are seperate classes to that of the people will only drive a wedge people the royals and the people.

You said it correctly, even the PM of Australia goes out to schools and hospitals and supermarkets to meet and talk with the people.

He goes on TV and the TV station asks very personal & sticky questions that are obviously embarrasing and difficult to answer.

Non the less, the PM still puts his neck out there and exposes his decisons to public scruitny allowing everyone to understand exactly why he made his decisions and what future decisions will be made.

The people are fully informed as you have noted.

The people may or may not agree with hid decisions, but in the very least they are informed and the PM faces a high level of criticism of any decisions that are not popular with the public.

This has now become evident over the PM's work choices legislation. The public dont like it and it looks like the PM will lose his job over this. Well welcome to democracy!

And herein lies the problem with Tonga. There is no transparency. No one is permitted to question the decisions Sevele (or the king) makes. Sevele is not held responsible for his decisions and even if his decisions are in the face of public opposition and he has no support- Sevele still survives to contuine making bad decisions!

The only consultation that the government did was with the NCPR report. But the PM then turned his back on the public again, threw the NCPR report out of the window and implemented his own agenda for political reform.

A PM with an attitude like this would never survive in business or in the real world.

Sevele will never be elected as a Peoples Rep again. He is everything BUT. Sevele was initially elected by the people as their rep- but has turned his back on them.

He is a traitor. And that is now he will be remembered in history, Sevele as the last PM appointed by a Tongan Monarch was a traitor to teh people of Tonga.

Major changes in Governance from Kingdom of Tonga.

The Island Kingdom moving towards developing economies encounters many challenges due to influence of Western Civilizations and acceptance by the Tongans of economic developments over the years. Tonga was never colonized according to our history. Yet, through economic development and treaties with developed countries, Tonga needed adoptions of foreign written ideology to ensure stability in national activities.

Constitution, Law and Regulations

King George Tupou 1 invited Palagi, as advisers to The King and carrying out tasks for vital posts in government due to our native people incompetence in those days. Do not undermine the ability of Tongans coz legal matters were formulated by Palangi. Hence, interpretation of the written legal documents was a major barriers for Tongans eligibility to hold Govt Office either being a Ministers or being a Managers in Ministries.

Over about 100 years, the exercise was sort of a action learning training, where Tongans did the field works and Palangi executed managerial tasks. After 130 years of academic accomplishment and field works, one of our fellows Tongan occupied the post of Acting Chief Justice â Hon. Taniela Tufui. Tongans were start taking up Ministerial post in 1960s and being Head of Department/General Managers In 1970s!

Moreover, Tongan are crying out for Political Reform, which is a step closer to many changes to the legal matters in The Kingdom in years to come.

Autonomy

The Government of Tonga had been by The King subject to Legal matters and moral of the Tongans for the past 130 years. There were great autonomy rest with The King and Ministers in the general administration of Public Funds and ensuring stability in vital aspects of national matters.

The rapid developments for the past 40 years raise economic activities, where migration to overseas countries was the major national source of income in addition to foreign aids was the major funding source for developments. These developments raise a need for increase in the number of Ministers and Government Ministries and Department.

Most of the criticisms about current structure of Government of Tonga are expressed in three broad Principles :

a. Challenging the autonomy given to Authorities.

In the absence for more 100 years of proper Public Institution to ensure fair trade, auditing, serious frauds, corruptions, Public Complains, etc while Public demands for such means to ensure accountability, transparency, and official tribunal prior to any submission at the Justice at High Court.

There were 2 phases in resolving to reduce autonomy on Ministers and Civil Servants.

1. Transitions through Human Resource Performance Appraisal

Measurement of Civil Servants Performance Appraisal and rewards were under revisions to justify pay and core tasks. (The exercise induce hardships and stage was skipped)

2. Government focus on core functions

The Government will provide essential services while others may be either cooperatise or privatize.

b. The opportunity of a final decision to be done or have been done.

This could be illustrated when we are watching fro the Grandstand a rugby union game.

c. Distortion of Information to gain Public Support.

This is the worse scenario of politics, which may destroy Tongan livelihoods.

To be continued!

There are contribution factors that can either
direct/ obliterate Tonga .

The Prime Minister has the courage needed
for a leader to verbally defend Tonga in the
eyes of the International Community.

He is not reluctant to make decision for the country
regardless his critics.

Does he overestimate himself?
Does he overestimate the economy of Tonga?
Is he ignorant? or does he trust God as we
have been raised to believe that God works
miracles, especially when we have no hope?

However, the Prime Minister is not interested
in working with the people of Tonga even
though he was elected by the people to be
their representative. If the PM has interests
in working with the people, he would have
developed consultation strategies for the
community, before a decision is finalized and
implemented. In particular, to consult with
the community groups such as, PSA, Leaders
of the Churches, Democratic Party, &
Community groups, before any decision
implemented that can directly affect the
welfare of the Tongan community.

The Government (PM & Ministers) do not work
together. When the PM does not make the
effort to consult with the community as
highlighted, it also indicates that the PM,
Govt. Ministers & Dept. Directors, and frontline
staff do not work as a team,lol.

The PM and Ministers should be individuals who
can influence the behavior of the people for
purpose of achieving a goal.

Unless they (leaders)
start from the basic functional leadership
processes, they can never be successful on
influencing others.

Functional Leadership:

Plan: seek all available information;
make a workable plan/strategy; establish
priorities; check resources

Initiate: brief the people on the goals/objectives/aims/tasks;explain why
the goals/objectives/aims and tasks are necessary

Support/Monitor: they should report
the progress;maintain standards;maintain discipline

Control: they should keep discussion
and/or consultation and actions relevant
to the goals/objectives/aims/tasks;influence
work pace; clarify and define policy when required.

Evaluate: they should be able to
summarize the progress; and periodically
review objectives

The functional leadership should also
integrates with the needs of the Community
, such as,

Plan: by involving the people and
share commitment; by consulting and
agreeing with community groups/organizations
on standards

Initiate: by setting and maintaining
standards; and by obtaining feedback.

Support/Monitor: by coordinating
community effort; reconciling conflict;
encouraging and developing ideas and
suggestions; and by relieving tension and
humour,lol.

Control; by prodding the community
to a decision or to action; by summarizing
progress; by answering questions/enquiries.

Evaluate: by assessing the community
performance; by recognizing success and
learning from failure.

The integration of the functional leadership
and the needs of the Community should also
acknowledge the Individual needs such as:

Plan: by establishing any special
knowledge or skills possessed by individuals
which are relevant to the goals/objectives;
by clarifying aims and gaining acceptant
of goals.

Initiate: by setting targets; and by
delegating.

Support/Monitor by encouraging
and expression acceptance of individual
contributions; by reconciling or airing
disagreements; by listerning, enthusing,
advising, reassuring and by recognizing effort.

Control: by monitoring progress;
and by training and guiding

Evaluate: by checking the feasibility
of an idea, and by assessing performance.

The above, are essential elements of
developing a learning environment that can
also unite the people of Tonga to work together
in order to achieve the goals/objectives.

Do we know the goals/objectives of the Royal
Family, PM and Ministers for the people of Tonga?????????????????????????????????????

There are a limited number of bonded warehouses in Tonga. Importing Companies such as cigarette importers, alcohol, vehicles and white goods retailers have previously been provided with licenses to have bonded warehouses.

In most of these businesses, the decision to actually commence as a business has been dependant upon receiving a bonded warehouse license from the government,.

The rationale for requiring a bonded warehouse license is to have the capacity to import goods and store those imported goods on site without having to pay the associated import taxes immediately upon pickup of goods.

This is essential for the cash flow of a business and is often the critical factor in the operation of a business.

For example an importer of cigarettes is normally required to pay import taxes before he/she picks up the container from the wharf. If you consider those taxes could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, you then realise the cash the importer would need to have up front.

This causes a cash flow problem for many businesses in Tonga as they often save costs of transport by importing a container or more of goods (as its more economical to fill the container and send it full rather than half full- the transport costs are the same regardless)

So before the goods are even sold, the importer is required to pay out around 30- 40 % of the cost of the goods just in taxes. Imagine the burden this causes on the importer.

By using a bonded warehouse the importer can bring in the container and have it sealed (bonded) on his own site whereby the customs has the key to open the lock.

When the importer would like to take some of the stock out of the container, he contacts the customs and open it and then the importer pays the tax only on the goods that are removed from the container, this providing the importer control over his cash flow and replenishment of his stock.

Without bonded warehouses, the costs of goods would be higher since the importer may need to support a bank loan to pay for the import duties, or his cash flow may be reduced, pushing prices higher for the consumer.

So when the government said that it was cancelling all bonded warehouse licenses, most if not all of the businesses that have bonded warehouses did backflips along Fatafehi Rd to the Prime Ministers office.

Their complaints, being very reasonable . And a petition calling on the PM to resign being justified.

These people have setup their business spending hundreds of thousands on the basis of the license. Cancelling the license spells death to many of the businesses and will increase costs to the consumer. Not to mention loss of jobs.

If the license was initially granted on the condition that it would later be revoked without reason by the government, I would assume most of the importers would not have setup their businesses due to the cash flow issues noted above. But this was never the case.

This type of behaviour by the government is typical and keeps investment out of Tonga, and investment confidence at ground level.

Investors look at the policies and decision making of the government before they step foot inside Tonga.

Previous examples of bad decision making that damages business confidence included the âśOne Domestic Airline Policyâ that saw the removal of a highly beneficial essential airline business for Tonga.This resulted in the demise of business confidence, fall of tourism and saw the loss of many jobs and income into Tonga.

The government must remember to think out the scenario before it acts. The cancellation of bonded warehouse licenses is just another example of the government acting without proper public consultation and not being able to see the implications of its decisions.

Its evident that the level of incompetence in the government is so high that these foolish decisions are continually made to the detriment of business development and the economy.

This is why there is a critical need for the government to be democratically elected. Business & investors will have more confidence in a suitably qualified government-of which they can have a say in electing, that understand the issues of business and investment compared to a Royally appointed group of nobles, friends and associates where the terms âśConflict of Interestâ and lack of Transparency are muted inside the walls of parliament.

Amigo
I`ll be still trying in Engish, although I realise that I schouldn`t :-).
You gave two eventually reasons of military conflict between Russia and USA. Both are interesting, but I thing your`e wrong about it.
I dont finde this conflict impossible, but reasons would be differend.
First, there is something common for both, polish and american culture, despite the differends of polish catholic and typical WASP.
This is the place of FREEDOM, as an universal myth in the political commonwealth tradition. We share it. And sometimes, especjally in crisis situations, when there is too hard to calculate profits and risk, myths becames to be the last points of orientation. Our way of understunding that word is similar. Poles nad Americans are individualist and idealist, which doesn`t mean that those values allways determinate that what we do (Americans can be very pragmatic as welle), but I would not ignor this factor of thinking.
If you try to understund some historical events, just simple accaunt of interests is ussualy not inough, to explaine the reasons of conflicts, especjally - military conflict.
So if some of former moscows satelite countries, having an american guarrantie of security, wil behave himself offensive to Russia, and Russia will be forced (in your`e opinion, of course) to military responce (even limited), it could start uncontroling mechanism of escalation, like in 1914.
Because if French or nowadays Germany will give up any challange, Americans will not. For them it is the question of honor, iven if for neutral observer it is only the question of credibility.
Americans will faight against EVRY power or superpower, which could start to play for world supremacy for himself, or play against they`re world supremacy, which they belive is the necessery condition to survive for them (and certainly it is). They did it in the past, they will do it in the future as welle.
This was the reason of they`re involvment in all big world military conflict in XXcen., against Germany, Japan or Soviet union"".
Second potencjal reason is very material: oil.
USA is the biggest consumer of oil and they`re economy is strongly depended on security of oil delivery and price of it. If oil is cheaper, USA economy is doing better. Completly differend than Russia. Oil price is compareble importante for your economy, but you`re intrested in highest prices of oil, as a biggest world producer and exporter. In your position on the market, you can control the prices. And it is very easy to send a couple of dollars to Iraq, to keep anti-american resistance still alive, and prices of oil still high.
Having such big interests, and possibilities (contacts with servents of former Saddam regime based on many years tradition weapon delivery), I would`nt be surprize what is beyonde this "cold age" in american-russian relations....
I dont know if above is a fact or only fiction, but I belive that if it is even only the possibilitie, it is inough for Americans to activly prevent it.
And there is also very sensitive question of acces and control of exploatation Caspian Shelf, second largest source of oil in the world.
I think that question of control of that area (exploatation and pipelines) is essential, to undrestund what is going on.

[ Dodano: Sro 01 Cze, 2005 ]
In 2001 I was afraide that Americans wil give you carte blanche to restore the empire, because of the war "against terror". Now I feel much better, when I see that they were not so naive, to let you do that.

If you will try to rebuild the empire so much, as till now, next generations of russian people will live in isolation and proverty. I would rather recomend you the way of Japan or Germany after the war. You`ve loose this war (cold war) as welle. Material and moral.
As fast as you will admit it, you could start to build normal relation with the world outside.
But if you will stay with you superpower myth and dreams, you will isolate you`re self, and you will only strenght the ability to create fear as only feeling to you from outside world.
Choice is yours.

The first post-Enlightenment president?

Ronald Reagans presidency brought the end of Soviet-block communism and changed most peoples views of how a market economy should be run. These achievements owed as much to gut feeling as to reason
Reuters

WHEN Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the United States 40th president, most clear-thinking people clearly saw that he was not going to be the right man for the job. Only a fortnight from 70 when he became president, the one-time minor film actor often glazed over in cabinet meetings. He disliked painful arguments with awkward colleagues. He could fail to notice curious things going on behind his back. He was a definite non-intellectual. He was bound, in short, to be a bumbler of a president.

Instead of which, the Reagan presidency of 1981-89 brought the end of Soviet-block communism, changed most peoples views about how a free-market economy should be run, and gave another generation of self-confident life to the American idea. Mr Reagan, who died on Saturday June 5th aged 93, turned out to be one of the two or three most effective presidents of the past half-century; some would say the best of them all. Now the intellectuals can start musing about the hidden strengths that overcame all those too-evident weaknesses.

To be sure, the weaknesses sometimes prevailed. The darkest episode of the Reagan presidency was the Iran-contra affair. The president secretly authorised the sale of American-made weapons to some supposed moderates in the Iranian government; part of the money raised by the sale was then given to the contras, the American-backed rebels fighting the communist government of Nicaragua.

Reagans motives were, up to a point, respectable. The grateful Iranians were supposed to arrange the release of Americans held hostage in Lebanon (though America had sworn it would never bargain with hostage-takers). But the whole thing involved much lying, some blush-making quibbles when the lies were found out, andif you believe the official storya president who did not know what his officials were up to with the contras. Here was woolly, hands-off, prevaricating Reagan at his worst.

His instincts worked better with the economy, but even here things did not happen as he wanted when he wanted. The dramatic tax cuts of his first year did not bring the swift soaring of production, and therefore of revenues, that he had been led to expect; instead, it was the budget and trade deficits that soareda trend that is once again fashionable under George W Bush. Reagans presidency ended with inflation down but public spending taking almost as big a share of GDP as eight years earlier. No Reagan revolution here, it seemed.

Yet in fact the seeds of the revolution had been sown. Reagan persuaded his opponents that his goals should be their goals tooan economy wedded to enterprise, not corporatism, a flexible labour force, and a welfare policy the next generation would be able to afford. The revolution had come, after all, and had converted its enemies. Reagan made safe the way for Bill Clinton, just as in Britain Margaret Thatcher did for Tony Blair. And now the green shoots of the same revolution can be seen in Italy and Spain, and tomorrow may shyly show themselves even in Germany and France.

Luckily for the world, Reagans instincts produced swifter results in foreign policy. He came into office convinced that America stood for a good idea, the Soviet Union for a bad one; that the notion of a balance of power between themmutually assured destructionwas thus morally wrong; that the Russians bulging military muscle had no real economic power behind it; and so that, if a rearmed America stood nose-to-nose with its adversary, and politely refused to budge, it would win the day.

He was right. By the year he left office the Russians had lost Eastern Europe; two years later they abandoned communism. And here too Reagan suddenly found the converts crowding round. A large part of the chin-stroking classes of America and Europe had thought the clumsy fellows cold-war policy unnecessary and dangerous. When it worked, it became retrospectively obvious. In geopolitics, at least, Reagan suddenly collected a lot of supporters.

How did he do it? By being primally American: nonchalant, ever-hopeful, tough as an old boot when necessary. By plucking the heart, in speeches written for him by speechwriters who knew what phrasesthe surly bonds of earth, the boys of Pointe du Hocwould flow naturally off his lips. But above all by knowing that mere reason, essential though it is, is only half of the business of reaching momentous decisions: you also need fine-tuned instincts. I have a gut feeling, he said again and again in his diaries. Ronald Reagan, those intellectuals may decide, was the first post-Enlightenment president.

And so stupid presidents became fashionable.

We have heard these results. What's up? Why are the Europeans so pissed off with the vote? Does this have to do with employment?

What does this say about satisfaction with governments? How do you folks see this turning out?

"Does this have to do with employement"...Heh.

There's an essential difference that a lot of people don't seem to grasp immediately between elections for a nation's own governing body and EU elections. A nation's own elections have their own ways of fluctuating, mostly depending on how happy the people are, determined much by matters such as unemployement, economy, health care, wars, etc.

Despite what a lot of people think, tho', people understand the difference between EU elections and national elections. A vote against the governing body in the EU Parliament is nót a vote against the governing body AS the governing body, it is simply a vote against the governing body's stance towards the EU. This article seems to grab this concept pretty firmly, which is why it keeps referring to Euroscepticism.

And therein lies the problem. Good old Euroscepticism.

You see we don't like the EU. Seriously. Welsh, we were once talking about post-war Europe and you mentioned that without the help of the US, Europe wouldn't have become the stable body able to grow something like the EU. I simply replied with "And we're supposed to be grateful for that?" (or something in that tone)

Now, the part of the people that knows something about the EU or thinks it knows something and are unhappy aren't voting for the parties which they agree with most, they're voting for the parties that make a rumbling sound towards the EU that they can agree with. Pro-EU parties are, overal, getting their asses kicked. Eurosceptics, especially the new party popping up shouting "we need reform" or "FUCK THE EU", are getting the most votes.

The other side of the coin is the extermist parties. When turnouts began to drop, the first ones to suffer are always the central parties. Why? Because a lot of their voters are barely interested people, who just mutter "I'm voting what my old da' used to vote". Extreme left and even moreso extreme right can get their voters riled up, whipped in a frenzy, and interested even in something so boring as a European election.

I don't consider the outcome a problem. I mean hello, wake-up call. We need to drop this constitution bullshit, since the only thing the constitution is shaping up to be is an afferimation of the power of the Big Three. Instead, we should concentrate on FINALLY fixing the goddamn electoral system and the internal administrative system of the EU. It's a mess. The only directly elected body of the EU, the Parliament, NEVER does anything to stop decisions made by the council. It sickens me.

And quite frankly, I think these elections should be invalidated because of the turnout. I mean hardly 45%, the stuff may be normal in the USA (ehehehe), but over here I think we should need at least 51% for any election to be valid, and I prefer the 80% of normal, healthy national elections.

Understand, tho', that the turnout and voting choices are both a result of heavy unhappiness with the EU as an institution. And this is justified. Right now, the EU is a mess and would be better of being disbanded than existing onwards in the same insane trend.

think most people are over valuing their potential for being targetted, but this probably doesn't skew the survival ratio since I think most people are over-rating their chances at post blast survival.

The future of nuclear weapons is in smaller tactically applied nuclear weapons. Smaller is better in this case because it will be used inside a penetrator case for maximum deep-earth viability and more weapons can be produced due to the limitation on available nuclear material and wealth. Beyond this, the larger weapons have diminishing returns on the amount of additional blast energy you receive. It is much more economically feasible to field a large arsenal of smaller weapons than a small arsenal of exceedingly large weapons.

(I am well versed in targetting scenarios seeing as how my Dad is one of the guys who tells congress what cities will be targets and what the effects will be)

Primary targets are major military installations with those which are nuclear capable at the very top of the list. This serves to restrict the enemy's capability to counter attack.

Secondary targets are nuclear storage and production facilities (examples of this include major government laboratories which store nuclear materials). This serves to cripple an enemy's capability to create weapons in the near future which could result in a counter attack.

Tertiary targets are goverment and economic centers. So Washington DC and New York are your targets. This is to prevent the enemy from rebuilding.

Attacks will occur in that order assuming the enemy is using even a lick of sense. And as such living within the blast range of El Toro is a guaranteed screwage, but living near Houston means you had better have been smart enough to have gotten the Hell out of dodge long before the bombs fell there.

I would also like to point out that most nuclear effects of any lasting danger can be avoided using some precautions. As long as you avoid the effects of flash blindness, the flesh searing of the thermal pulse, and are far enough away to not get crushed by the blast winds, then you stand a very good chance of surviving long enough to get out of there with your life. The effects of EMP can lead to electrical discharge from large metal objects, and this is an effect which should be avoided if possible. Additionally ground activiation is not a very long-lived phenomena and as such you will be able to traverse ground previously affected by a nuclear blast without being irradiated by high doses of gamma rays.

Now fallout can present a danger to the uninitiated, but having read my dad's book on nuclear survival techniques I can be fairly sure that I would survive (at least initially) assuming I was in Riverside and not Livermore where my parents live, since my parents live only a few miles from LLNL where my dad works which is a secondary target. Irradiated dust will poison local food and water supplies and as such securing a sealed source of food and water will be essential to initial survival. Once you have secured food and water one's primary objective will be to achieve self-sufficieny through obtaining a means of hunting or foraging for food in an area with a native water supply that was outside the fallout zones. Remember people trucks are not going to continue delivering food to your local grocery store if all of a sudden nuclear war has decimated the country's economy and government. (EDIT): After some discussion with my dad it turns out that the byproducts listed on most websites is off and does not list the necessary gammas. Apparently ground activations by neutrons can make some fairly nasty gamma emmitors especially with veins of manganese and silver nearby. But as a good precaution getting a nice think blanket around you would be a good idea. It will stop alphas cold, and low energy betas. High energy betas and gammas are still going to give you a hard time.

Now I am pretty certain that without time to study up on local plant life I would be without a sustainable food source and would thusly be doomed to eventual extinction due to a lack of food and/or water. If by some miracle a nearby agricultural station were left intact (UCR does have green houses), then it might possible for me to farm enough food to survive, but it stands to reason some idiot would just as soon loot the place breaking the seal on the place in the process and thusly doom me yet again.

So on a scale of 1-10 I would rate my survival chances at a solid 5. Not great, but not piss poor either.

OOC - I'm introducing my character slowly on purpose, it is a rather more sensitive situation than most I'm used to playing in, and as such I'm approaching with caution. Don't want to rush things. Also, it is Slayer nature to not want outsiders involved unless absolutely essential. Will be joing you guys soon though.

IC -

Whatever the politics are, our prime goal must be to break these blockades. The chaos that they are causing is too great to worry about the repercussions of that action. We must make our move now.

This anarchy may be bad, but think about what will happen if the raiders stay banded together, they could form an army the likes of which these Wastes have never seen and overrun our land. No, we must put a stop to this by dividing the factions.

That will take too long, the solution we need must be immediate. Tabis cannot go through this for much long before it collapses, even if the blockades ended today, Tabis economics would be devastated.

I see that there is no way we could decide between us which course is the correct one, and that decision is not ours to make anyway. We will see what our superiors have to say, and act accordingly. I am sure they will have you take some immediate action, but throwing away the potential of another kind of solution is something I do not think that they will do.

I think that I must go out and see this blockade for myself before I can properly judge the situation, breaking through it with a small group should not be a particularly difficult task. What we would need to do afterwards would be the difficult part, ride straight into the raiders territory. There is a lot that could be done to devastate their efforts.

What about Kroeger and McKinner? This was the first word Razor had had in the conversation. If it is McKinner who is the one holding back the caravans, with the blockade as his excuse, perhaps with out him they could keep shipping, each one weakening the raiders numbers. As for Kroeger, he seems to be what is keeping the raiders here together.

Youre suggesting we simply kill them, both of them? Fang asked.

Rather blunt, but yes, that would suffice. Without Kroeger, the raiders could never keep things together.

I will look into it. Fang said confidently. As soon as were done here Ill head back to the inn, see what I can come up with..

Ok. The other Slayer acknowledged. I will contact our superiors and see what they have to say about the matter. I definitely feel that the deaths of these two would far aid our cause. I can offer you assistance here, but beyond that, breaking the blockade is entirely up to you. Whether or not you can convince Laramie to start running caravans after Mckinners ban of it expires with his death will also greatly effect the outcome.

Mckinner is a sensitive mater. Razor interjected. He plays a large part in local politics, and is no doubt not alone. His death could be complicated, is something that will take much preparation and planning on my part, however Kroeger is away from home, and he certainly is at home. With the raiders warring beneath his feet, he has no true friends. He can be killed easily.

Fine. Fang concluded. We will meet here again at sun down, by then Kroeger, the traitor, will be dead. I will also see what I can find out about Mckinners contacts.

Fang turned to leave, the Paladin quickly disappeared into shadows of the warehouses. Headed once again for the light of day. By now, the Paladin thought, the sun would be well up above their heads, and the paradise of morning would soon be ending for the scorching heat of the day to come.

Be careful, Fang. Razor called as the paladin left. Watch out for a man named Grim. He has been asking a lot of questions, poking his nose in our business. Whether he is friend or foe is not discerned, but be on the watch. Ever vigilant, my Brother. Speak to you again at Sun Down.

OOC - I can have the assassination attempt fail if any of you needs Kroeger alive, if not I'll have him (at some point) killed although he will most likely reveal a good deal of the plot first.

I will probably have Grim and Fang meet in the inn sometime soon, depending on how long it takes for you to resolve your current situations.

As for new characters, if there are any people considering joining, could they please post here and we can then find a way to work them into the plot rather than worrying about people that might not exist.

"If we cannot live proudly, we die so!"
-Eladamri, Lord of Leaves

Każdy składnik Classic Whey ma najwyższe BV-czyli największą możliwą przyswajalność. Classic Serwatka jest szczególnie bogata w trzy rozgałęzione aminokwasy (BCAA) i jest dobrym źródłem Glutaminy. Ponadto, Classic Serwatka zawiera mniejsze frakcje białka zwane Microfrakcje, w tym Alfa-laktoalbumina, beta-laktoglobulina, immunoglobuliny, Glycomacropeptidy, Lactoferriny, które pozytywnie wpływają na podniesienie odporności organizmu.Classic Serwatka jest instant,co znaczy że łatwo ją mieszać w szejkerze, lub nawet w szklance, więc można czerpać korzyści z białek w dowolnym miejscu! Classic Whey jest idealnym uzupełnienie białka w diecie.

100% Classic Whey Product Details:

lend Of Whey Protein Concentrates, Isolates And Hydrolyzed Peptides!
Classic Whey is Optimum Nutrition's premium, economy protein supplement and is made with 100% Whey Protein. Each serving provides a time-tested blend of Whey Protein Concentrates (WPC), Ion-Exchange Whey Protein Isolates (IE), Micro-filtered Whey Protein Isolates (MF), and partially hydrolyzed Whey Peptides - each of which are considered to be of the highest biological value (BV) because they are loaded with indispensible amino acids and very easily digested and absorbed. Classic Whey is particularly rich in the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and is a good source of glutamine and glutamine precursors.

In addition, Classic Whey contains smaller proteins called microfractions including alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, immunoglobulins, glycomacropeptides, and lactoferrin that may have various health and performance benefits beyond supplying essential nitrogen-based compounds. Best of all, Classic Whey is instantized to mix easily in a blender, shaker cup, or even with just a glass and spoon, so you can enjoy the benefits of whey proteins just about anywhere! However you use it, Classic Whey is an ideal protein supplement for most nutrition programs.

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Calcium 140mg
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Potassium 240mg

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Basic Information:

Company of Origin: General Motors.
Make: Chevrolet Citation (1980-83), Citation II (1984-85).
Country of Origin: Canada (GM of Canada), U.S.A (Chevrolet, Pontiac), Mexico (GM of Mexico).
Model Types: Coupe (2 door), Sedan (4 door hatchback).
Engine Types: 2.5L L4, 2.8L V6, 2.8L V6.
Drive: Front-wheel drive
Fuel Tank Capacity (2.8L V6 models): 57 litres/15.1 U.S gallons.
Estimated fuel mileage (2.8L V6 model): 21mpg city/28mpg highway.
Steering: Power Steering (though unreliable in some models).
Transmission: Automatic (5-speed optional).

History and Development of the Chevrolet Citation:

Over the course of an era that stretched from the post-war period to the early 1970's, the focus of General Motors, and indeed the entire automobile industry, was on engine power, styling, and size in the design of new automobiles. Scarcely a mention was made of fuel economy in a period in which a litre of gasoline could be bought for under 7 cents. However, this era in automobile manufacturing was forced to a screeching halt with the 1973 OPEC oil embargo on the United States, which resulted in gasoline prices doubling or tripling in a short period of time. With the rapid rise in the cost of fuel, concerns about size and engine power in an automobile were pushed aside by consumers in favour of fuel economy. Yet at outset of the energy crisis, U.S automakers were caught off guard, having only traditional fuel-guzzling models to offer. Thus, consumers in their search for fuel-economy began to turn to smaller Japanese imports en-masse, resulting in a drop in sales by North American automakers. Recognizing the trend towards smaller and more fuel efficient automobiles, General Motors began planning for the release of a revolutionary new design of automobile code-named the X-body at the Chevrolet advance design studios in April, 1974.

In August of 1974, a group of engineers and design specialists met to discuss the proposals that had been submitted over four months of planning. From this conference came a consensus that to attain the efficiency standard which the X-body project was designed to meet, front-wheel drive in combination with a transversed engine configuration was essential. After this consensus was reached, work began in earnest on prototypes which at the outset consisted of Volkswagen and Fiat type designs with modifications. Yet by 1975, it became evident that the X-body's pace of development was to be a top priority at General Motors, and its implementation would have to be accelerated. In order for this to occur, General Motors designated the X-body concept as a corporate undertaking, which elicited the cooperation of the Pontiac, Buick and Oldsmobile divisions of the company in developing a working prototype X-body model.

In July of 1976, the first prototype X-body automobile, by this time given the model name "Citation", was completed at a total cost approaching $700,000. Over the next two years, a series of prototype Citations were constructed, with each new series moving the X-body line of automobiles closer to a model suited for mass production. By July of 1978, the Citation model been tested and redesigned to a standard suitable for production, yet the automobile was not to be released for another nine months, due to supply concerns.

After five long years of proposals, prototype testing, pilotline manufacuturing and redesign to fix minor glitches, the Citation model was finally released for the 1980 model year in April, 1979. The new model was heralded by General Motors as being a "new direction for the new decade", demonstrating the commitment of the company to quality, efficiency and progressive change in the face of difficult circumstances. Following the introduction of the Citation, many consumers returned to General Motors in their pursuit for efficiency, as the new model was much lighter (800 pounds lighter than all previous GM models from 1977) and fuel consumption was reduced drastically.

From the 1980 model year until 1983, the Citation model of coupes and sedans was mass produced and became a popular make of automobile among small-car buyers. After some minor redesign, the Citation II model was released for the 1984 model year, with production continuing until the close of the 1985 model year.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2356159/50b-hole-in-economy

"Job losses are mounting as the Government advised that the country is staring down the barrel of a $50 billion recession.

Inland Revenue staff were told yesterday up to 250 jobs would be axed as government departments are told to tighten their belts and Finance Minister Bill English has issued a stark warning of trade-offs in the May Budget, which will outline a plan to tackle ballooning debt.

Superannuation entitlements, Working for Families, interest-free student loans and social welfare benefits were not under threat. But tax cuts in 2010 and 2011 would only go ahead if they were affordable, Mr English said.

The recession was expected to blow a $50b hole in the economy during the next three years, plunging the Government further into the red as costs climb and tax revenues fall.

"That's $50 billion we will not recover as a nation, and $50 billion that cannot be taxed by the Government," Mr English told a business audience in Auckland.

Labour leader Phil Goff said the Government was softening the public up for a broken promise on tax cuts.

"I think [Mr English] is making the situation as black as he can in order to justify breaking a promise on tax cuts and slashing services to New Zealanders."

Layoffs at Inland Revenue have alarmed the Public Service Association. The union said the cuts coincided with an increase in workload because of tax changes and KiwiSaver.

"Our concern is that job cuts in the public service will push workloads to unmanageable levels that will threaten the provision of essential public services like those at Inland Revenue," national secretary Richard Wagstaff said.

Inland Revenue commissioner Robert Russell said the redundancies among the department's 6000 staff were voluntary at this stage.

The department, like other businesses, was having to tighten its belt, he said. Normally it would try to avoid redundancies by applying a sinking lid, but with the economy so uncertain, staff were staying put.

"People who used to be very confident about being able to leave a job today and getting a new one tomorrow just don't have that confidence."

The State Services Commission also said this week it was cutting about 20 jobs. Public service layoffs are expected to accelerate during the next few months as spending is scrutinised by a Cabinet razor gang.

Ports of Auckland said yesterday that it was cutting 30 jobs.

Mr English warned that with the economy now in what was likely to be its sixth quarter of recession, and government gross debt set to double in the next three years, the Government had no choice but to bring debt under control or leave the country "especially vulnerable".

With no change in policy, debt would reach 70 per cent of gross domestic product by 2023 equivalent to $30,000 for every New Zealander.

If left to rise to those levels, it would eventually require "radical steps to bring it under control".

"We will not let that happen."

- TRACY WATKINS and VERNON SMALL, Dominion Post"