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Shortly after the Marines rolled into Baghdad and tore down a statue of Saddam Hussein, I visited the Ministry of Oil. American troops surrounded the sand-colored building, protecting it like a strategic jewel. But not far away, looters were relieving the National Museum of its actual jewels. Baghdad had become a carnival of looting. A few dozen Iraqis who worked at the Oil Ministry were gathered outside the American cordon, and one of them, noting the protection afforded his workplace and the lack of protection everywhere else, remarked to me, "It is all about oil." _______________________________ pyramid | fun word game

A half-century ago, Afghan women pursued careers in medicine; men and women mingled casually at movie theaters and university campuses in Kabul; factories in the suburbs churned out textiles and other goods. “There was a tradition of law and order, and a government capable of undertaking large national infrastructure projects, like building hydropower stations and roads, albeit with outside help. Ordinary people had a sense of hope, a belief that education could open opportunities for all, a conviction that a bright future lay ahead. All that has been destroyed by three decades of war, but it was real.” __________________________________________ pyramid | fun word game

You look like a young Eric Idle! Brings to mind oddles of wacky roles. Neighbors, buddies, maybe an over protective dad in a teen romantic comedy! John Karyus http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004030/ http://tookuspookus.com/ ____________________________________________ pyramid | fun word game

It's hard to imagine how Angle can recover from this sort of constant public humiliation. Outside of her teeny Tea Party constituency, she's giving mainstream Republicans and independents absolutely no reason to vote for her. Her repeated refusal to face the media and answer questions about her positions demonstrates a supreme lack of confidence and a mortal fear of public embarrassment. Neither of which are qualities we want in a U.S. Senator. To Reid, she's the gift that keeps on giving, and his best asset in his campaign for re-election. ================== Life Insurance Calculator | Life Insurance Comparison

A large part of the federal debt is held by other government branches, such as the Fed, Social Security etc. The number that is relevant in this context is the federal debt held by the public. This number against the GDP is estimated to reach 68% in 2019, up from the current 54%, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Some economists, like Krugman, see the federal debt as relatively benign, arguing that the government is still able to borrow at historic low interest rates of 3.5%, indicating that the financial markets are not worried about the solvency of the US government. Krugman compares the US debt against Belgium and Italy in the 1990 with a net debt to GDP ratio of 118% and 114% respectively, without going through a financial crisis. Other economists, like Greenspan, consider the increasing levels of debt "very dangerous", creating further downward pressure on the US$, higher interest rates, and a considerable risk of high inflation, not because the economy cannot manage higher levels of debt, but because of Congress trying to prevent the Fed from reducing the monetary stimulus when it becomes necessary. =================== Life Insurance Calculator | Life Insurance Comparison