[Rhodes22-list] A Global Intelligence Briefing For CEOs

Brad Haslett flybrad at gmail.com
Tue Mar 27 11:20:26 EDT 2007


Hank,

For a good read on the declining birth rate read "America Alone" by Mark
Steyn.

Brad


On 3/27/07, Hank <hnw555 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Lee,
>
> His credentials are pretty impressive and what he rights makes sense to
> me.
> Maybe Brad can chime in with his opinion of the China section.
>
> The part about the declining birthrate I found very interesting.  I
> believe
> you can even break it down further.  Meyer breaks it down by ethnicity,
> but
> not by socio-economic status.  From my personal observation while living
> in
> Mexico, The upper and middle class are having fewer babies, while the
> lower
> class have more.  For example, In my wife's family, her parents had 8
> children and most families from that generation had at least 4.  Of my 8
> kids, none of them have more than 2 children and so far everyone has said
> that is enough for them.  While this is certainly not the rule for EVERY
> family, I believe it does show a trend that should be considered.
>
> Hank
>
>
> On 3/27/07, KUHN, LELAND <LKUHN at cnmc.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hank,
> >
> > I can't speak to the accuracy of Mr. Meyer's assessment, but it's
> > certainly well worth the read.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Lee
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Hank [mailto:hnw555 at gmail.com]
> > Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 12:19 PM
> > To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] A Global Intelligence Briefing For CEOs
> >
> > Very interesting reading.  Nothing against either party, just some keen
> > observations on the world as it now exists.
> >
> > Hank
> >
> >
> > A Global Intelligence Briefing For CEOs
> >
> > Herbert Meyer
> >
> >
> >
> > Currently, there are four major transformations that are shaping
> > political,
> > economic and world events. These transformations have profound
> > implications
> > for American business owners, our culture and our way of life.
> >
> >
> >
> > 1. The War in Iraq
> >
> >
> >
> > There are three major monotheistic religions in the world: Christianity,
> > Judaism and Islam. In the 16th century, Judaism and Christianity
> > reconciled
> > with the modern world. The rabbis, priests and scholars found a way to
> > settle up and pave the way forward. Religion remained at the center of
> > life,
> > church and state became separate. Rule of law, idea of economic liberty,
> > individual rights, human rights all these are defining points of modern
> > Western civilization. These concepts started with the Greeks but didn't
> > take
> > off until the 15th and 16th century when Judaism and Christianity found
> > a
> > way to reconcile with the modern world. When that happened, it unleashed
> > the
> > scientific revolution and the greatest outpouring of art , literature
> > and
> > music the world has ever known.
> >
> >
> >
> > Islam, which developed in the 7th century, counts millions of Moslems
> > around
> > the world who are normal people. However, there is a radical streak
> > within
> > Islam. When the radicals are in charge, Islam attacks Western
> > civilization.
> > Islam first attacked Western civilization in the 7th century, and later
> > in
> > the 16th and 17th centuries. By 1683, the Moslems (Turks from the
> > Ottoman
> > Empire) were literally at the gates of Vienna. It was in Vienna that the
> > climatic battle between Islam and Western civilization took place. The
> > West
> > won and went forward. Islam lost and went backward Interestingly, the
> > date
> > of that battle was September 11. Since them, Islam has not found a way
> > to
> > reconcile with the modern world.
> >
> >
> >
> > Today, terrorism is the third attack on Western civilization by radical
> > Islam. To deal with terrorism, the U.S. is doing two things. First,
> > units of
> > our armed forces are in 30 countries around the world hunting down
> > terrorist
> > groups and dealing with them. This gets very little publicity. Second we
> > are
> > taking military action in Afghanistan and Iraq. These are covered
> > relentlessly by the media. People can argue about whether the war in
> > Iraq is
> > right or wrong. However, the underlying strategy behind the war is to
> > use
> > our military to remove the radicals from power and give the moderates a
> > chance. Our hope is that, over time, the moderates will find a way to
> > bring
> > Islam forward into the 21st century. That's what our involvement in Iraq
> > and
> > Afghanistan is all about.
> >
> >
> >
> > The lesson of 9/11 is that we live in a world where a small number of
> > people
> > can kill a large number of people very quickly. They can use airplanes,
> > bombs, anthrax, chemical weapons or dirty bombs. Even with a first-rate
> > intelligence service (which the U.S. does not have), you can't stop
> > every
> > attack. That means our tolerance "for political horseplay" has dropped
> > to
> > zero. No longer will we play games with terrorists or weapons of mass
> > destructions.
> >
> >
> >
> > Most of the instability and horseplay is coming from the Middle East.
> > That's
> > why we have thought that if we could knock out the radicals and give the
> > moderates a chance to hold power, they might find a way to reconcile
> > Islam
> > with the modern world. So when looking at Afghanistan or Iraq, it's
> > important to look for any signs that they are modernizing. For example,
> > women being brought into the workforce and colleges in Afghanistan is
> > good.
> > The Iraqis stumbling toward a constitution is good. People can argue
> > about
> > what the U.S. is doing and how we're doing it, but anything that
> > suggests
> > Islam is finding its way forward is good.
> >
> >
> >
> > 2. The Emergence of China
> >
> >
> >
> > In the last 20 years, China has moved 250 million people from the farms
> > and
> > villages into the cities. Their plan is to move another 300 million in
> > the
> > next 20 years. When you put that many people into the cities, you have
> > to
> > find work for them. That's why China is addicted to manufacturing; they
> > have
> > to put all the relocated people to work. When we decide to manufacture
> > something in the U.S., it's based on market needs and the opportunity to
> > make a profit. In China, they make the decision because they want the
> > jobs,
> > which is a very different calculation.
> >
> >
> >
> > While China is addicted to manufacturing, Americans are addicted to low
> > prices. As a result, a unique kind of economic codependency has
> > developed
> > between the two countries. If we ever stop buying from China, they will
> > explode politically. If China stops selling to us, our economy will take
> > a
> > huge hit because prices will jump. We are subsidizing their economic
> > development, they are subsidizing our economic growth.
> >
> >
> >
> > Because of their huge growth in manufacturing, China is hungry for raw
> > materials, which drives prices up worldwide. China is also thirsty for
> > oil,
> > which is one reason oil is now at $60 a barrel. By 2020, China will
> > produce
> > more cars than the U...S. China is also buying its way into the oil
> > infrastructure around the world. They are doing it in the open market
> > and
> > paying fair market prices, but millions of barrels of oil that would
> > have
> > gone to the U.S. are now going to China. China's quest to assure it has
> > the
> > oil it needs to fuel its economy is a major factor in world politics and
> > economics. We have our Navy fleets protecting the sea lines,
> > specifically
> > the ability to get the tankers through. It won't be long before the
> > Chinese
> > have an aircraft carrier sitting in the Persian Gulf as well. The
> > question
> > is, will their aircraft carrier be pointing in the same direction as
> > ours or
> > against us?
> >
> >
> >
> > 3. Shifting Demographics of Western Civilization
> >
> >
> >
> > Most countries in the Western world have stopped breeding. For a
> > civilization obsessed with sex, this is remarkable. Maintaining a steady
> > population requires a birth rate of 2.1. In Western Europe, the birth
> > rate
> > currently stands at 1.5, or 30 percent below replacement. In 30 years
> > there
> > will be 70 to 80 million fewer Europeans than there are today. The
> > current
> > birth rate in Germany is 1.3. Italy and Spain are even l ower at 1.2. At
> > that rate, the working age population declines by 30 percent in 20
> > years,
> > which has a huge impact on the economy.
> >
> >
> >
> > When you don't have young workers to replace the older ones, you have to
> > import them. The European countries are currently importing Moslems.
> > Today,
> > the Moslems comprise 10 percent of France and Germany, and the
> > percentage is
> > rising rapidly because they have higher birthrates. However, the Moslem
> > populations are not being integrated into the cultures of their host
> > countries, which is a political catastrophe. One reason Germany and
> > Francedon't support the
> > Iraq war is they fear their Moslem populations will explode on them. By
> > 2020, more than half of all births in the Netherlands will be
> > non-European.
> >
> >
> >
> > The huge design flaw in the post-modern secular state is that you need a
> > traditional religious society birth rate to sustain it. The Europeans
> > simply
> > don't wish to have children, so they are dying.
> >
> >
> >
> > In Japan, the birthrate is 1.3. As a result, Japan will lose up to 60
> > million people over the next 30 years. Because Japan has a very
> > different
> > society than Europe, they refuse to import workers. Instead, they are
> > just
> > shutting down. Japan has already closed 2000 schools, and is closing
> > them
> > down at the rate of 300 per year. Japan is also aging very rapidly. By
> > 2020,
> > one out of every five Japanese will be at least 70 years old. Nobody has
> > any
> > idea about how to run an economy with those demographics.
> >
> >
> >
> > Europe and Japan, which comprise two of the world's major economic
> > engines,
> > aren't merely in recession, they're shutting down. This will have a huge
> > impact on the world economy, and it is already beginning to happen. Why
> > are
> > the birthrates so low? There is a direct correlation between abandonment
> > of
> > traditional religious society and a drop in birth rate, and Christianity
> > in
> > Europe is becoming irrelevant. The second reason is economic. When the
> > birth
> > rate drops below replacement, the population ages. With fewer working
> > people
> > to support more retired people, it puts a crushing tax burden on the
> > smaller
> > group of working age people. As a result, young people delay marriage
> > and
> > having a family. Once this trend starts, the downward spiral only gets
> > worse. These countries have abandoned all the traditions they formerly
> > held
> > in regards to having families and raising children.
> >
> >
> >
> > The U.S. birth rate is 2.0, just below replacement. We have an increase
> > in
> > population because of immigration. When broken down by ethnicity, the
> > Anglo
> > birth rate is 1.6 (same as France) while the Hispanic birth rate is 2.7.
> > In
> > the U.S., the baby boomers are starting to retire in massive numbers.
> > This
> > will push the "elder dependency" ratio from 19 to 38 over the next 10 to
> > 15
> > years. This is not as bad as Europe, but still represents the same kind
> > of
> > trend.
> >
> >
> >
> > Western civilization seems to have forgotten what every primitive
> > society
> > understands, you need kids to have a healthy society. Children are huge
> > consumers. Then they grow up to become taxpayers. That's how a society
> > works, but the post-modern secular state seems to have forgotten that.
> > If
> > U.S. birth rates of the past 20 to 30 years had been the same as
> > post-World
> > War II, there would be no Social Security or Medicare problems.
> >
> >
> >
> > The world's most effective birth control device is money. As society
> > creates
> > a middle class and women move into the workforce, birth rates drop.
> > Having
> > large families is incompatible with middle class living. The quickest
> > way to
> > drop the birth rate is through rapid economic development. After World
> > War
> > II, the U.S. instituted a $600 tax credit per child. The idea was to
> > enable
> > mom and dad to have four children without being troubled by taxes. This
> > led
> > to a baby boom of 22 million kids, which was a huge consumer market that
> > turned into a huge tax base. However, to match that incentive in today's
> > dollars would cost $12,000 per child.
> >
> >
> >
> > China and India do not have declining populations. However, in both
> > countries, there is a preference for boys over girls, and we now have
> > the
> > technology to know which is which before they are born. In China and
> > India,
> > many families are aborting the girls. As a result, in each of these
> > countries there are 70 million boys growing up who will never find
> > wives.
> > When left alone, nature produces 103 boys for every 100 girls. In some
> > provinces, however, the ratio is 128 boys to every 100 girls.
> >
> >
> >
> > The birth rate in Russia is so low that by 2050 their population will be
> > smaller than that of Yemen. Russia has one-sixth of the earth's land
> > surface
> > and much of its oil. You can't control that much area with such a small
> > population. Immediately to the south, you have China with 70 million
> > unmarried men -- a real potential nightmare scenario for Russia.
> >
> >
> >
> > 4. Restructuring of American Business
> >
> >
> >
> > The fourth major transformation involves a fundamental restructuring of
> > American business. Today's business environment is very complex and
> > competitive. To succeed, you have to be the best, which means having the
> > highest quality and lowest cost. Whatever your price point, you must
> > have
> > the best quality and lowest price. To be the best, you have to
> > concentrate
> > on one thing. You can't be all things to all people and be the best.
> >
> >
> >
> > A generation ago, IBM used to make every part of their computer. Now
> > Intel
> > makes the chips, Microsoft makes the software, and someone else makes
> > the
> > modems, hard drives, monitors, etc. IBM even outsources their call
> > center.
> > Because IBM has all these companies supplying goods and services cheaper
> > and
> > better than they could do it themselves, they can make a better computer
> > at
> > a lower cost. This is called a "fracturing" of business. When one
> > company
> > can make a better product by relying on others to perform functions the
> > business used to do itself, it creates a complex pyramid of companies
> > that
> > serve and support each other.
> >
> >
> >
> > This fracturing of American business is now in its second generation.
> > The
> > companies who supply IBM are now doing the same thing, outsourcing many
> > of
> > their core services and production process. As a result, they can make
> > cheaper, better products. Over time, this pyramid continues to get
> > bigger
> > and bigger. Just when you think it can't fracture again, it does. Even
> > very
> > small businesses can have a large pyramid of corporate entities that
> > perform
> > many of its important functions. One aspect of this trend is that
> > companies
> > end up with fewer employees and more independent contractors.
> >
> >
> >
> > This trend has also created two new words in business, integrator and
> > complementor. At the top of the pyramid, IBM is the integrator. As you
> > go
> > down the pyramid, Microsoft, Intel and the other companies that support
> > IBM
> > are the complementors. However, each of the complementors is itself an
> > integrator for the complementors underneath it. This has several
> > implications, the first of which is that we are now getting false
> > readings
> > on the economy. People who used to be employees are now independent
> > contractors launching their own businesses. There are many people
> > working
> > whose work is not listed as a job. As a result, the economy is perking
> > along
> > better than the numbers are telling us.
> >
> >
> >
> > Outsourcing also confused the numbers. Suppose a company like General
> > Motors
> > decides to outsource all its employee cafeteria functions to Marriott
> > (which
> > it did). It lays off hundreds of cafeteria workers, who then get hired
> > right
> > back by Marriott. The only thing that has changed is that these people
> > work
> > for Marriott rather than GM. Yet, the headlines will scream that America
> > has
> > lost more manufacturing jobs. All that really happened is that these
> > workers
> > are now reclassified as service workers. So the old way of counting jobs
> > contributes to false economic readings. As yet, we haven't figured out
> > how
> > to make the numbers catch up with the changing realities of the business
> > world.
> >
> >
> >
> > Another implication of this massive restructuring is that because
> > companies
> > are getting rid of units and people that used to work for them, the
> > entity
> > is smaller. As the companies get smaller and more efficient, revenues
> > are
> > going down but profits are going up. As a result, the old notion that
> > "revenues are up and we're doing great" isn't always the case anymore.
> > Companies are getting smaller but are becoming more efficient and
> > profitable
> > in the process.
> >
> >
> >
> > Implications of the Four Transformations
> >
> >
> >
> > 1. The War in Iraq
> >
> >
> >
> > In some ways, the war is going very well. Afghanistan and Iraq have the
> > beginnings of a modern government, which is a huge step forward. The
> > Saudis
> > are starting to talk about some good things, while Egypt and Lebanon are
> > beginning to move in a good direction.
> >
> >
> >
> > A series of revolutions have taken place in countries like Ukraine and
> > Georgia. There will be more of these revolutions for an interesting
> > reason.
> > In every revolution, there comes a point where the dictator turns to the
> > general and says, "Fire into the crowd." If the general fires into the
> > crowd, it stops the revolution. If the general says "No," the revolution
> > is
> > over. Increasingly, the generals are saying "No" because their kids are
> > in
> > the crowd.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks to TV and the Internet, the average 18-year old outside the U.S.
> > is
> > very savvy about what is going on in the world, especially in terms of
> > popular culture. There is a huge global consciousness, and young people
> > around the world want to be a part of it. It is increasingly apparent to
> > them that the miserable government where they live is the only thing
> > standing in their way. More and more, it is the well-educated kids, the
> > children of the generals and the elite, who are leading the revolutions.
> >
> >
> >
> > At the same time, not all is well with the war. The level of violence in
> > Iraq is much worse and doesn't appear to be improving. It's possible
> > that
> > we're asking too much of Islam all at one time. We're trying to jolt
> > them
> > from the 7th century to the 21st century all at once, which may be
> > further
> > than they can go. They might make it and they might not. Nobody knows
> > for
> > sure. The point is, we don't know how the war will turn out. Anyone who
> > says
> > they know is just guessing.
> >
> >
> >
> > The real place to watch is Iran. If they actually obtain nuclear weapons
> > it
> > will be a terrible situation. There are two ways to deal with it. The
> > first
> > is a military strike, which will be very difficult. The Iranians have
> > dispersed their nuclear development facilities and put them underground.
> > The
> > U.S. has nuclear weapons that can go under the earth and take out those
> > facilities, but we don't want to do that. The other way is to separate
> > the
> > radical mullahs from the government, which is the most likely course of
> > action.
> >
> >
> >
> > Seventy percent of the Iranian population is under 30. They are Moslem
> > but
> > not Arab. They are mostly pro-Western. Many experts think the U.S.
> > should
> > have dealt with Iran before going to war with Iraq. The problem isn't so
> > much the weapons, it's the people who control them. If Iran has a
> > moderate
> > government, the weapons become less of a concern.
> >
> >
> >
> > We don't know if we will win the war in Iraq. We could lose or win. What
> > we're looking for is any indicator that Islam is moving into the 21st
> > century and stabilizing
> >
> >
> >
> > 2. China
> >
> >
> >
> > It may be that pushing 500 million people from farms and villages into
> > cities is too much too soon. Although it gets almost no publicity, China
> > is
> > experiencing hundreds of demonstrations around the country, which is
> > unprecedented. These are not students in Tiananmen Square. These are
> > average
> > citizens who are angry with the government for building chemical plants
> > and
> > polluting the water they drink and the air they breathe.
> >
> >
> >
> > The Chinese are a smart and industrious people. They may be able to pull
> > it
> > off and become a very successful economic and military superpower. If
> > so, we
> > will have to learn to live with it. If they want to share the
> > responsibility
> > of keeping the world's oil lanes open, that's a good thing. They
> > currently
> > have eight new nuclear electric power generators under way and 45 on the
> > books to build . Soon, they will leave the U.S. way behind in their
> > ability
> > to generate nuclear power.
> >
> >
> >
> > What can go wrong with China? For one, you can't move 550 million people
> > into the cities without major problems. Two, China really wants Taiwan,
> > not
> > so much for economic reasons, they just want it. The Chinese know that
> > their
> > system of communism can't survive much longer in the 21st century. The
> > last
> > thing they want to do before they morph into some sort of more
> > capitalistic
> > government is to take over Taiwan.
> >
> >
> >
> > We may wake up one morning and find they have launched an attack on
> > Taiwan.
> > If so, it will be a mess, both economically and militarily. The U.S. has
> > committed to the military defense of Taiwan. If China attacks Taiwan,
> > will
> > we really go to war against them? If the Chinese generals believe the
> > answer
> > is no, they may attack. If we don't defend Taiwan, every treaty the U.S.
> > has
> > will be worthless. Hopefully,China won't do anything stupid.
> >
> >
> >
> > 3. Demographics
> >
> >
> >
> > Europe and Japan are dying because their populations are aging and
> > shrinking. These trends can be reversed if the young people start
> > breeding.
> > However, the birth rates in these areas are so low it will take two
> > generations to turn things around. No economic model exists that permits
> > 50
> > years to turn things around. Some countries are beginning to offer
> > incentives for people to have bigger families. For example, Italy is
> > offering tax breaks for having children. However, it's a lifestyle issue
> > versus a tiny amount of money. Europeans aren't willing to give up their
> > comfortable lifestyles in order to have more children.
> >
> >
> >
> > In general, everyone in Europe just wants it to last a while longer.
> > Europeans have a real talent for living. They don't want to work very
> > hard.
> > The average European worker gets 400 more hours of vacation time per
> > year
> > than Americans. They don't want to work and they don't want to make any
> > of
> > the changes needed to revive their economies.
> >
> >
> >
> > The summer after 9/11, France lost 15,000 people in a heat wave. In
> > August,
> > the country basically shuts down when everyone goes on vacation. That
> > year,
> > a severe heat wave struck and 15,000 elderly people living in nursing
> > homes
> > and hospitals died. Their children didn't even leave the beaches to come
> > back and take care of the bodies. Institutions had to scramble to find
> > enough refrigeration units to hold the bodies until people came to claim
> > them.
> >
> >
> >
> > This loss of life was five times bigger than 9/11 in America, yet it
> > didn't
> > trigger any change in French society. When birth rates are so low, it
> > creates a tremendous tax burden on the young. Under those circumstances,
> > keeping mom and dad alive is not an attractive option. That's why
> > euthanasia
> > is becoming so popular in most European countries. The only country that
> > doesn't permit (and even encourage) euthanasia is Germany, because of
> > all
> > the baggage from World War II.
> >
> >
> >
> > The European economy is beginning to fracture. The Euro is down.
> > Countries
> > like Italy are starting to talk about pulling out of the European Union
> > because it is killing them. When things get bad economically in Europe,
> > they
> > tend to get very nasty politically. The canary in the mine is
> > anti-Semitism.
> > When it goes up, it means trouble is coming. Current levels of
> > anti-Semitism
> > are higher than ever. Germany won't launch another war, but Europe will
> > likely get shabbier, more dangerous and less pleasant to live in.
> >
> >
> >
> > Japan has a birth rate of 1.3 and has no intention of bringing in
> > immigrants. By 2020, one out of every five Japanese will be 70 years
> > old.
> > Property values in Japan have dropped every year for the past 14 years.
> > The
> > country is simply shutting down.
> >
> >
> >
> > In the U.S. we also have an aging population. Boomers are starting to
> > retire
> > at a massive rate. These retirements will have several major impacts:
> >
> >
> >
> > *         Possible massive sell-off of large four-bedroom houses and a
> > movement to condos.
> >
> > *         An enormous drain on the treasury. Boomers vote, and they want
> > their benefits, even if it means putting a crushing tax burden on their
> > kids
> > to get them. Social Security will be a huge problem. As this generation
> > ages, it will start to drain the system. We are the only country in the
> > world where there are no age limits on medical procedures.
> >
> > *         An enormous drain on the health care system. This will also
> > increase the tax burden on the young, which will cause them to delay
> > marriage and having families, which will drive down the birth rate even
> > further.
> >
> >
> >
> > Although scary, these demographics also present enormous opportunities
> > for
> > products and services tailored to aging populations. There will be
> > tremendous demand for caring for older people, especially those who
> > don't
> > need nursing homes but need some level of care. Some people will have a
> > business where they take care of three or four people in their homes.
> > The
> > demand for that type of serv ice and for products to physically care for
> > aging people will be huge.
> >
> >
> >
> > Make sure the demographics of your business are attuned to where the
> > action
> > is. For example, you don't want to be a baby food company in Europe or
> > Japan.
> > Demographics are much underrated as an indicator of where the
> > opportunities
> > are. Businesses need customers. Go where the customers are.
> >
> >
> >
> > 4. Restructuring of American Business
> >
> >
> >
> > The restructuring of American business means we are coming to the end of
> > the
> > age of the employer and employee. With all this fracturing of businesses
> > into different and smaller units, employers can't guarantee jobs anymore
> > because they don't know what their companies will look like next year.
> > Everyone is on their way to becoming an independent contractor. The new
> > workforce contract will be, "Show up at the my office five days a week
> > and
> > do what I want you to do, but you handle your own insurance, benefits,
> > health care and everything else."
> >
> >
> >
> > Husbands and wives are becoming economic units. They take different jobs
> > and
> > work different shifts depending on where they are in their careers and
> > families. They make tradeoffs to put together a compensation package to
> > take
> > care of the family. This used to happen only with highly educated
> > professionals with high incomes. Now it is happening at the level of the
> > factory floor worker. Couples at all levels are designing their
> > compensation
> > packages based on their individual needs. The only way this can work is
> > if
> > everything is portable and flexible, which requires a huge shift in the
> > American economy.
> >
> >
> >
> > The U.S. is in the process of building the world's first 21st century
> > model
> > economy. The only other countries doing this are U.K. and Australia. The
> > model is fast, flexible, highly productive and unstable in that it is
> > always
> > fracturing and re-fracturing. This will increase the economic gap
> > between
> > the U.S. and everybody else, especially Europe and Japan.
> >
> >
> >
> > At the same time, the military gap is increasing. Other than China, we
> > are
> > the only country that is continuing to put money into their military.
> > Plus,
> > we are the only military getting on-the-ground military experience
> > through
> > our war in Iraq. We know which high-tech weapons are working and which
> > ones
> > aren't. There is almost no one who can take us on economically or
> > militarily. There has never been a superpower in this position before.
> >
> >
> >
> > On the one hand, this makes the U.S. a magnet for bright and ambitious
> > people. It also makes us a target. We are becoming one of the last
> > holdouts
> > of the traditional Judeo-Christian culture. There is no better place in
> > the
> > world to be in business and raise children. The U. S. is by far the best
> > place to have an idea, form a business and put it into the marketplace.
> > We
> > take it for granted, but it isn't as available in other countries of the
> > world.
> >
> >
> >
> > Ultimately, it's an issue of culture. The only people who can hurt us
> > are
> > ourselves, by losing our culture. If we give up our Judeo-Christian
> > culture,
> > we become just like the Europeans. The culture war is the whole
> > ballgame. If
> > we lose it, there isn't another America to pull us out.
> >
> >
> >
> > Herb Meyer served during the Reagan administration as special assistant
> > to
> > the Director of Central Intelligence and Vice Chairman of the CIA's
> > National
> > Intelligence Council. In these positions,he managed production of the
> > U.S.
> > National Intelligence Estimates and other top-secret projections for the
> > President and his national security advisers. Meyer is widely credited
> > with
> > being the first senior U.S. Government official to forecast the Soviet
> > Union's
> > collapse, for which he later was awarded the U.S. National Intelligence
> > Distinguished Service Medal, the intelligence community's highest honor.
> > Formerly an associate editor of FORTUNE, he is also the author of
> > several
> > books.
> >
> >
> >
> > *Herbert Meyer*
> >
> > *P.O. Box** 2089***
> >
> > *Friday Harbor**, **WA** **98250***
> >
> > *(360) * Fax*
> >
> > *Email: herbmeyer at storkingpress.com*
> >
> > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments,
> is
> > for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain
> confidential
> > and privileged information.  Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or
> > distribution is prohibited.  If you are not the intended recipient,
> please
> > contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the
> original
> > message.
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >
> __________________________________________________
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