Received: from mailhost.chi1.ameritech.net (mailhost1-chcgil.chcgil.ameritech.net [206.141.192.67]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with ESMTP id h1P1iaP11523 for <nifl-esl@nifl.gov>; Mon, 24 Feb 2003 20:44:36 -0500 (EST) Received: from LabK ([67.38.127.158]) by mailhost.chi1.ameritech.net (InterMail vM.4.01.02.17 201-229-119) with SMTP id <20030225014437.WCLQ9465.mailhost.chi1.ameritech.net@LabK> for <nifl-esl@nifl.gov>; Mon, 24 Feb 2003 19:44:37 -0600 From: "John Kamplain" <john_kamplain@albanyparkcommunitycenter.org> To: <nifl-esl@nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8603] RE: Re: War as a cross-cultural issue Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 19:46:52 -0600 Message-ID: <FLEIJPFJGNEBFCGDMABPMEDGCEAA.john_kamplain@albanyparkcommunitycenter.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: <00a001c2dc69$bc61d480$09150785@fedu.fukuiu.ac.jp> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Status: O Content-Length: 2139 Lines: 59 Your reply to your student was as asinine as your posting here. Comparing the social insurance systems of England, Canada, and most of Europe is problematic for a number of reasons which should be obvious: 1. The sheer size of our population vs. theirs. 2. The age and demographic of our population vs. theirs. 3. The level of immigration and welfare state of our country vs. theirs. Some other topics that would have been of interest in a class: 1. The social security system is in trouble. What reforms could save seniors who are in it and save us from paying forever for it? 2. What is the ROI on social welfare vs. Military Intelligence? I could go on, but I doubt you care. You seem to me to be already decided on topics as it is. It would have been interesting to compare these systems quantitatively, and/or come up with some ideas on alternatives to the current system in the US, That would have been a good EFF (contextual) type activity. But I'm sure that was all lost on you as it's much more fun to blow holes into something than it is trying to find ways to keep it afloat. The world is a lot more complex than you're views give it credit for. I feel sorry for your students. > -----Original Message----- > From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Charles > Jannuzi > Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 7:02 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8600] Re: War as a cross-cultural issue > > > One Japanese student (one in a political activist group) asks: > > The US plans to spend 5-6% of its huge GDP on 'military and intelligence'. > > Currently Japan spends less than 1% on its military. > > Why does the US need so much military spending, especially when tens of > millions in the US lack health insurance? > > My reply: most OECD and many developing countries have better social > insurance systems than the US. Eventually the US will have to > deal with this > issue. Right now its government is in self-denial. > > Should I have discussed how Japanese went hungry and without health care > back in the 1930s during the Great Depression? > > Charles Jannuzi > > > > > > > >
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