 Saturday, February 14, 2004
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From the Editor of the Right Wing Wacko Newsletter.
The Global Economy and Thoughts on Kerry and Viet Nam
Terence R. Wilken
WE NOW LIVE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY. How often have you heard that phrase? It is true. So what is so important about this fact?
It is time to look at our pay checks. We in America have just taken a twenty per-cent pay cut in the last year. Our dollar has lost 20 % of its value to foreign currencies. What are we to do? If we want to keep our life style at the same level as last year, then we will have to just take out another loan on our house. Thank goodness that Japan is working hard to keep the dollar from falling even faster that it has. They are buying the dollar in the form of our bonds which is an attempt at keeping the dollar up and as a side affect, keeping our interest rates down. Let us hope that they do not run out of Yen.
Foreign banks are keeping their interest rates at a low level, or are in the process of lowering their rates. They want their currency to become weaker in order to strengthen the dollar. They want to keep selling goods to the US. We now have a race to the bottom. Every country wants the American dollar to remain strong, and keep their currency at a low value. In order for us to buy, their currency must remain weak. This helps keep the price of their goods cheaper to the American buyer. The other side affect is that it helps to keep the price of their labor down. They know that we love to buy, and at the same time our Companies will export jobs overseas in order to enhance their bottom line. Even Ross Perot has elected to transfer jobs overseas. One of his major Companies is doing exactly that. I wonder what happened to the giant sucking sound. I guess that Ross felt like it sounded like the sound of money.
There is one exception to the above. That is South Africa, and their currency the Rand. The government of South Africa has decided that a strong currency is what they want, and have raised their interest rates. Since they are an exporter, and not a buying nation, this action may do more harm than good. Time will tell.
Well now I wish to go on a Rant!! For those long followers of the RWWNL, you know that I was in the Military. I served a year in Vietnam. It took me over 30 years to be able to talk about the fact that I was there, and about my experiences. I truly understand those that still cannot face what they experienced. Now all of that is coming out with the political situation. It makes me want to ask some questions.
Why is John Kerry now a War hero? I can assure you that he was not a hero when he returned from service. There were no hero's. Wearing a uniform in this country in 1970 was not the "in" thing to do. I had to wear my uniform in order to have the military pay for my air fare. I can assure you that I would have given anything for some air miles back then.
Is John Kerry a War hero because he protested the war when he returned? Maybe politics entered into his thinking when he returned from Vietnam. Even though my family, and everyone that I knew were against the War, protesting was the last thing that I would have done. I think that this is true of a lot of other veterans of this War (conflict).
Now to my feelings on George Bush. I was once asked if I had any bad feelings about the men that served in the National Guard, and did not go to Vietnam. My answer then and now, is NO! I absolutely harbored no bad feelings. I did not care if they ever showed up for duty.
What occurred over 30 years ago should not be a part of who our next President should be. The Vietnam War was a political event over 30 years ago, and it caused a lot of bad feelings on both sides of the issue. It also affected the ones that served. It certainly does not belong as part of today's political strategy.
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