Posted on 01/16/2005 6:06:06 AM PST by knighthawk
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
Very interesting. Thanks for the ping, Knighthawk!
bttt
It's a slam-dunk!
Have friends who live in Sweden and the stories boggle the mind. A Swedish woman came to work for the American Embassy, then got pregnant a month later and got two years off with full pay. It's the law. Companies are leaving Sweden in droves because of the incredibly high cost of benefits they are required to give workers, who often abuse the system. It's a country on the brink of financial ruin and all too typical of the rest of Europe.
It will be interesting to see how Europe blames it's imminent decline on President Bush....
Although this one is a no-brainer. Methinks the CIA is simply trying to up their batting average by finally getting something right . . . even though anyone with the IQ of a lava-rock could've made this call.
I have been predicting this for a year now. Of course the "sophisticated Europeans" see only utopia in the EU.
Oh well.....................
Old Europe is pouring in a lot of money into the new countries. They will want it back in the future to pay for their self made social system which is already bankrupt.
That's when the real problems begin.
"Old Europe needs new Europe more than the other way around.
" ... Europe could be dragged into economic decline by its ageing population."
Throw its growing Muslim population into the equation, as well. Islamism = "backwardism".
Everything is Bush's fault.
The Opel problem is now the fault of those greedy Americans, never the lazy, unproductive employees or the German people who don't want to buy the cars.
Ping
One of the "possible furtures" had a whimsical comment where they predicted that "Bollywood dominates Hollywood." Comically, this show up in a media report (i think in India) where the byline was something to the effect that "CIA predicts India will dominate in key sectors." Too funny (it also goes to show how desparate the so called "emerging powers" of the EU, China and India are to find dome scrap of eveidence that will support the notion that their fututures will come anywhere close to the hype surrounding their "emergence.")
The study does have a nice online simulator to play with. I cannot remember the URL but just google for "Study 2020 CIA" and you will find it.
These sorts of studies go on all the time, as well they should. The authors, however, are merely playing with ideas. They do not intent to "predict" anything - these studies are merely touchstones for thought, discussion and policy making. This article mischaracterizes and exaggerates the intents, claims and the meanings of these studies.
I thank God I'm not a "sophisticated European" then, because I will leave these shores long before the collapse happens. All I want is a job I can work at and I don't need no socialist utopia "supporting" me (or rather: squeezing every last dime out of me)..
History repeats itself. Putin will rise as the next Hitler.
The only thing I care about is that whatever happens, the president better issue a state of emergency and disband the state department and avoid a whole lot of bloodshed.
Goes without saying that he best not go there. Where many of you also want to go. Something about bailing their butts one more time inside of 100 years.
And for pete's stake, let's stop this stupid "they attacked us, we defeat them then we got to bankrupt ourselves to "rebuild" them."
Good post.
Same here in Germany, worked with a "Local National" who left to have a baby, she was gone for almost a year, then, when she came back...she only has to work for 3 out of 5 days.
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