2005.4.30=6[#120]:4703.3.22[#60+21/60]: [Inca,Iraq,Toad] 2sisRefuseGetMomPassport. 0)Nations' Size. 1)Israel<>US. 2)911. 3)Russian Oil. 4)Schiavo.

[Inca's Stone Walls] http://davideandrea.com/personal/ideas/inca_stones/ [Iraqi Girl] http://tinyurl.com/ [Toad Explosions] http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200504/s1352292.htm Cloudy sun mild: 7:50 up, mom tel Zdu several times and Jung failing to have someone to go to SF for her passport, states not going back to Taiwan. Home, 2 sons in, soon Lung then Jyun(to Giraffe School) left. Email to Dr. Chen, blog now 11:21am. 1:50pm lunch. Mei back walks to rental as S. has just answered me they have a new baby. Long topic on "0) The Size of Nations". Mei refuses to sign again, this time the rent check for Monday deposit. Not as serious as the last time refinancing from variable to fixed interest. But, this time it's almost time to be ready to leave for Taiwan. Very much pressured, so explosion, very rare for many years now. Now 5:56, finish this. O.h., 8:20-9:20 "Winter Sonata"##16/20,Back to him/her to marry, 11:55 bed. 0) The Size of Nations: "Roger Kerr Speech - The Size Of Nations", Wednesday, 2 February 2005, 11:44 am Speech: New Zealand Business Roundtable: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0502/S00021.htm "" The richest member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is Luxembourg with a per capita income estimated by the OECD (on a purchasing power parity basis) of around US$50,000, more than twice that of New Zealand. It could be argued that Luxembourg is hardly a country, merely a small region within the giant European Union economy. But Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Sweden and Finland, all OECD countries with a population of around 10 million or less, have an average per capita income above the OECD average, while tiny Iceland, with a population of a mere 300,000, is in 10th place in the 30-member OECD. Outside the OECD, Hong Kong and Singapore are of course well known cases of small, successful countries. In Africa, Botswana is a country with a growth record that has far exceeded much larger countries like South Africa and Nigeria in recent decades. Tiny Mauritius, with its remote location in the Indian Ocean, is another strong performer. An even more extreme case is Bermuda. Its population is only 60,000, it is a barren island in the mid-Atlantic, and it has no valuable natural resources. Yet its per capita income is above that of the United States and nearly twice that of New Zealand. Bermuda has prospered through low levels of government spending and taxation (it has no income or corporate taxes), respect for the rule of law (ultimately adjudicated by the Privy Council), limited government intervention in business, strict welfare policies and no welfare dependency. Bermuda is thought to have a higher level of economic freedom than Hong Kong. Of the ten countries with populations over 100 million, only the United States and Japan are prosperous. Gary Becker, a Nobel laureate in economics, has noted that since 1950 real per capita GDP has risen somewhat faster in smaller nations than it has in bigger ones. Becker argues that "dire warnings about the economic price suffered by small nations are not at all warranted". He goes so far as to say that smallness can be an asset in the division of labour in the modern world, provided economies are open to international transactions. If the debate on the economic effects of smallness and remoteness continues, as it no doubt will, it needs to engage with the findings of a recently published book by respected economists Alberto Alesina and Enrico Spolaore, titled The Size of Nations. They begin by reminding us of a fact that many have overlooked in all the talk about globalisation: that globalisation has been accompanied by a substantial increase in the number of countries. Since 1945 the number of independent countries has more than doubled, from 74 to 193. More than half have fewer people than the US state of Massachusetts, which has 6 million inhabitants. Relatively speaking, New Zealand is not as small as it once was. Why do we need reminding that the number of countries has been rapidly growing under our noses? Because we are used to thinking that globalisation eliminates national borders. In 1990, a book was published titled The Borderless World: Power and Strategy in the Interlinked Economy. Its author, Kenichi Ohmae, viewed the expanding multinational networks as having ever less attachment to any home base, so making national borders increasingly irrelevant. That is the direction in which many people have imagined a globalising world to be moving. And yet, since Ohmae’s book appeared, many thousands of kilometres have been added to the total length of international borders in our so-called borderless world. The great increase over the last 50 years in the number of countries, and their falling average size, has mostly followed the break-up of empires. Decolonisation of the old European empires added several new countries to the world list, especially in Africa. The collapse of the Soviet Union added 15 more. The continuing demise of communism in Europe led the federation of Yugoslavia to fall bloodily apart, whereas Czechs and Slovaks arranged an amicable divorce. Against the trend, Yemen reunified, and so did Germany. But I would surmise that many former East Germans regret that they did: showered as they have been with largesse by their rich Western relations, they have done far worse than their Polish and Czech neighbours, who had no choice but to sort themselves out as independent countries. This is also the lesson of foreign aid: at best it is a minor factor in helping countries to develop, and works only if institutions and policies in recipient countries are in good shape. At worst it helps prop up corrupt and ineffective governments and holds development back. The growing number and falling size of nations has often been accompanied by devolution, even within old and well-established countries. In response to growing regional sentiment, Spain has adopted a system of regional government. In the United Kingdom, Scotland and Wales, as well as Northern Ireland, now have their own assemblies. All these trends share an underlying logic that Alesina and Spolaore articulate in their book. Part of that logic is globalisation: free trade in goods, services and capital makes small countries viable. The book suggests that economists have generally regarded the size of countries as ‘exogenous’, that is, not to be explained but treated as a brute geographical fact. Yet a country’s borders are man-made, and as such they could have turned out differently and are always subject to potential change. At one time New Zealand was a dependency of New South Wales, and later had the option of joining the Australian federation. Occasionally speculation surfaces that it might yet choose that option. From an economic point of view, however, the choice is largely irrelevant. Since around 1993, when New Zealand finally established a generally sound overall framework, our trend growth rate has improved substantially and has more or less matched that of the median Australian state. "" 1) US <> Israel?? "Israeli Assassination Attack upon British Prime Minister Sends Shockwaves through United States Government", by Sorcha Faal: [[ ""Sorcha Faal is an International Researcher and Author who goes beyond the simple explanations used to explain today’s issues. “Life is meant to be more than accepting our world as separate pieces; everyone must see the interconnectedness of everything.” She is fond of saying. As a child growing up in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sorcha’s life mirrored others of her generation in experiencing in education and life an experience of freedom, thought and religion not known to her parents or grandparents."" http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index615.htm ]] and as reported to her Russian Subscribers; April 29, 2005: http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index730.htm "" Russian Intelligence Agencies are circulating reports today showing increasing concerns that the secret war being conducted by the United States against Israel may indeed be about to break into open hostility, and as we’ve previously reported about in our April 22nd report titled "United States Declares Secret War against Israel over Attempt to Collapse World Economy, New Zealand Prime Minister Targeted". Increasing these concerns was the targeting of the British Prime Ministers airplane over the skies of London this past Wednesday by members of the Israeli Mossad acting under the orders of Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, and as we can read as reported by the BBC News Service in their article titled "Lightning strikes Blair's plane" and which says, “Mr. Allen said he heard a loud bang but the prime minister, who was talking to a journalist at the time, was apparently "imperturbable".”The rest of us certainly weren't imperturbable," Mr. Allen said. "All I remember was a red and white flash just in my mind which woke me up with a start," he said. "The plane wobbled from side to side but it was also quite rough anyway because it was pretty cloudy and rainy. Lots of people looked momentarily shocked." Such was the fear of the United States towards this attack against the British Prime Minister that the Americans upon learning of it rushed both their President and Vice President to protective bunkers, and as we can read as reported by the Reuters News Service in their article titled "Bush Taken to Bunker After Airspace Scare" and which says, "President Bush was hustled into an underground shelter on Wednesday amid fears an aircraft had entered the restricted airspace around the White House, officials said. The Secret Service determined minutes later that it was a false alarm. Vice President Dick Cheney also was moved to a secure location as heavily armed Secret Service agents cleared the area in front of the presidential mansion." But not from lightning was this attack made against the British Leader but rather from one of the most advanced and secretive weapons developed by the Israelis called a Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL), and of which it is said, "The Tactical High Energy Laser program is a key component of U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation designed to counter short-range rockets." But like many other such joint programs between the United States and Israel, the Intelligence Agencies have discovered massive deception by the Israelis in not keeping their new discoveries secret but also marketing these discoveries to the enemies of the United States, including both Iran and China and as we had previously reported; “Also angering Israel was the American decision to exclude them from participation in one of the most ambitious aircraft projects of this new century, the new American Joint Strike Fighter, and as we can read as reported by the Jerusalem Post in their article titled "US dumps Israel from jet development", and which says; "The Defense Ministry is downplaying reports from Washington that it was so angry over Israeli arms transfers to China that it suspended Israel from participating in the development of the prestigious JSF fighter. United States Defense officials, quoted by Reuters, said over the weekend that Israeli representatives were no longer invited to participate in discussions about the design of the Joint Strike Fighter, known as the F-35, the next-generation warplane." United States Intelligence officials have been fearing this type of attack against their airplanes since the arrest of David Banach of Parsippany, New Jersey, an American holding duel Israeli and American citizenship, and a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces, and as we can read as reported by the USA Today News Service in their article titled "N.J. man charged with aiming laser at aircraft", and which says, "A New Jersey man was charged Tuesday under federal anti-terrorism laws with shining a laser beam at a charter jet flying over his home, temporarily distracting the pilots. David Banach, 38, is the first person charged in a rash of recent incidents in which lasers were shined at aircraft around the country." Russian Intelligence Agencies further report that after the events of this Wednesday the American Intelligence agencies removed all Israeli connected protectors of the American President from close access, and to which the War Criminal Sharon promptly retaliated by denying the American Military Forces training Palestinian Police Forces the right to arm those policemen, and as we can read as reported by the Israeli Haaretz Newspaper in their article titled "Israel rejects U.S. request to arm Palestinian police" and which says; "" c. April 29, 2005, EU and US all rights reserved. [Ed. Note: The United States government actively seeks to find, and silence, any and all opinions about the United States except those coming from authorized government and/or affiliated sources, of which we are not one. No interviews are granted and very little personal information is given about our contributors to protect their safety.] 2) 911: "The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11", by David Ray Griffin, Interlink (March 1, 2004): (1) "Media Reviews", thinking peace: http://www.thinkingpeace.com/Lib/lib104.html "" "That 9/11 has become a defining moment in our history cannot be gainsaid. But its exact significance is an exceedingly contentious question notwithstanding the seeming clarity of prevailing accounts. David Ray Griffin deconstructs those accounts with a host of unresolved puzzles strongly suggestive of some sort of culpable complicity by US officials in the event. His book presents an incontrovertible argument of the need for a genuinely full and independent investigation of that infamous day. "--Douglas Sturm, Presidential Professor of Religion and Political Science, Emeritus, Bucknell University. "" (2) Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/dzvg2 "" Editorial Reviews: From Publishers Weekly A philosopher at the Claremont School of Theology, Griffin scrutinizes the time line and physical evidence of September 11 for unresolved inconsistencies. Griffin draws heavily on three similarly skeptical examinations, by Nafeez Ahmed, Paul Thompson and Thierry Meyssan, whose The Big Lie was a bestseller in France, and which the New Republic has called "thinâ€"and thinly argued." Based on these sources, Griffin maintains that a full investigation of the events of that tragic day is necessary to answer such questions as whether American Airlines Flight 77 did crash into the Pentagon (though many will find it impossible to doubt this) and how United Airlines Flight 93 was downed. He claims that if standard procedures for scrambling fighter jets had been followed, the hijacked planes should have been intercepted in time, and that structurally, the collapse of the World Trade Center towers most likely was caused by explosives placed throughout the towers, not from the plane crashes. He strongly implies that the Bush administration had foreknowledge of the attack and sought to conceal what Griffin suggests was the Pakistani intelligence agency's involvement in the planning for the attacks. His analysis is undergirded by the theory that a significant external threat, on the scale of Pearl Harbor, was very much in the interest of the Bush administration, which he believes is intent on self-interested aggressive foreign policies. Even many Bush opponents will find these charges ridiculous, though conspiracy theorists may be haunted by the suspicion that we know less than we think we do about that fateful day. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Joseph C. Hough, President, Union Theological Seminary, New York "...ought to be read by any American who values our democracy..." "" "" As a former journalist ..., March 22, 2004 Reviewer: David E. Roy, Ph.D. "drdavid" (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews As a former journalist, I am incredulous that this overwhelming abundance of evidence, all of which points to a story of incredible magnitude, has not been seriously and thoroughly investigated by the press. Watergate, exposed by Woodward and Bernstein, potentially pales into insignificance in comparison with the implications of the data and arguments offered in this extraordinarily well-researched and clearly written book. Prof. Griffin's courage and tenacity must be admired. This is a quick and chilling read. I highly recommend it. "" 3) Russian Oil: (0) "PASSIONAL SUICIDE: Japan commits hara-kiri - loses Siberian oil pipeline to China for American Love": http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VladimirPutinRoundTable/message/82 "" Who could’ve thought less than one year ago that China will ever get oil from Siberia, ahead of Japan? At that time the deal was as sealed, Japan having clear priority to China. In the meantime though, Japan has chosen a reckless pro-American path, waiting to be stuffed with hard American weaponry, allegedly meant to defend it from China, in exchange of a total political commitment to the US’ cause, arrogantly creating additional problems to Moscow by claiming Russian territories, move staged by the US in order to distract Putin’s thoughts. Meanwhile China played obedient, carefully observing Putin’s orders: see the anti-Japanese demonstrations staged by the Chinese leadership that took place last week, threatening Japan with boycotting the negotiations for a seat in the UN Security Council. The mass demonstrations had in fact the purpose to put pressure on Japan and to “convince” it to lessen a bit its aggressive pro-American stance, pressuring it to turn back to the negotiation table with Russia. Japan was practically constrained to agree attending the memorial ceremonies set to be held in Moscow on 9-th of May, if it still wants to put hope in the tiny chance that remained for getting Siberian oil. "" (1) "Surfeited Europe Hinders Oil Companies to Export Oil Profitably", KOMMERSANT Daily, APRIL 29, 2005: http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?id=574369 "" President of Transneft oil pipline operator Semen Vaynshtok attends the 3rd international Pipline Forum in the Moscow Expo-Centre. // Interview Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko signed on April 26 a decree On Determination of the Stages of the Construction of the Pipeline System Eastern Siberia – the Pacific Ocean. Semyon Vainshtock, president of Transneft oil transporting company tells Kommersant correspondent Irina Rybalchenko about the details of the project. - You have stated that the route of the construction of the Eastern oil-pipeline will most likely have a branch tube for Daquing. Has this question been settled and who will finance the construction of this section – the Russian or the Chinese party? - The decision on the branch tube for China has not been made yet. If we decide to stretch a branch tube for China, then the construction of this 70-km section will be financed by Transneft since this section is in the Russian territory. - It is planned to pump 30 million tons of oil from the Western Siberia and 5 million tons from the Eastern Siberia after the project has started working at capacity. There are only two well-known oil-fields in Siberia – Talakanskoye (the license pertained by Surgutneftegaz) and Verkhnechonskoye (the license belongs to Verkhnechonsk-Neftegaz owned by TNK-BP, Interros and the Committee on the Handling of the State Property of Irkutsk Region).They will be producing no more that 17 million tons by 2010. Where will you get the rest of the oil? "" (2) "Japan: no money for pipeline through China", Asia Times; Apr 26, 2005: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GD26Ad02.html "" TOKYO - Japan will not contribute financially to a Russian oil pipeline construction project if a branch to China is built first, according to sources. Russian authorities are scheduled to compile their plans for construction methods and other details related to the pipeline project on May 1. "" (3) "INDUSTRY AND ENERGY MINISTER GIVES LIFE TO EASTERN OIL PIPELINE", RIAN "Novosti"; 14:28 http://en.rian.ru/business/20050428/39755116.html "" MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko signed off on building the Eastern Oil Pipeline, a route with the capacity to transport 30 million metric tons of oil per year. The pipeline is intended to pump oil from deposits in Western Siberia and will extend nearly to China. However, government officials did not mention if Russian oil would also be delivered to Japan, Gazeta.Ru reported. "" (4) "GOVERNMENT PICKS YUKOS ROUTE FOR PIPELINE", 2005-04-29 12:17 http://tinyurl.com/98pqc "" MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti) - Industry and Energy Minister Victor Khristenko has signed off on the Eastern Siberian oil pipeline, listing the various stages of the development of the pipeline, which will stretch from Taishet in the Irkutsk region to Skovorodino in the Amur region, 70 km from the Russian-Chinese border, Vedomosti reported. The government was unable to settle on a route for more than five years, deadlocked between the route that backs up to China and the route that heads toward the Pacific, of which Japan was in favor. Yukos has maintained since 1999 that the Chinese route was more expedient. Yukos was opposed by Rosneft and Transneft, which preferred the idea of the Japanese route. "" (5) "Japan ready to join Russia pipeline project", V. Khristenko; Kazinform; 22.04 / 15:28 | 127: http://www.inform.kz/txt/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=120060 "" Tokyo, April 22. KAZINFORM. - The Japanese government has confirmed readiness to take financial part in Russia's project to build a Taishet-Nakhodka oil pipeline and in prospecting and developing Eastern Siberian oilfields for filling it, Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said. He said that Tokyo wanted to have final answers to questions that are of interest to Japanese experts, including when, in what amount and where oil would come, Kazinform quotes Itar-Tass. Khristenko leads a Russian delegation to a meeting of the inter-governmental economic cooperation commission in Tokyo on Friday. "" (6) "Are Moscow and Tokyo Doubting Wisdom of Nakhodka Project?" Henry Weidel; Turkish Weekly: http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=737 "" Dmitry Medvedev's recent interview in the Russian journal Ekspert (April 4) raised eyebrows for a variety of reasons. The fact that he even consented to give an interview is news in itself. The Kremlin Chief of Staff has been largely invisible to the public eye since his appointment last year. Medvedev warned that without a unified leadership Russia could "disappear" as a political entity. He also stated that the leadership is unhappy with dissent, giving ominous signals that the Kremlin could be ready for an even stronger power grab to rein in political opposition, both in the regions and in the center. "" 4) "Terri Schiavo's Final Hours: An Eyewitness Account", Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life, President, National Pro-life Religious Council: http://www.priestsforlife.org/euthanasia/terrisfinalhours.htm "" You may have seen on the news that I was at Terri Schiavo's bedside during the last 14 hours of her earthly life, right up until five minutes before her death. During that time with Terri, joined by her brother and sister, I expressed your care, concern, and prayers. I told Terri over and over that she had many friends around the country, many people who were praying for her and were on her side. I had also told her the same things during my visits to her in the months before her feeding tube was removed, and am convinced she understood. ""