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Low rate of ownership an awkward situation for world's top crude exporter ...Read the full article
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Rudy Krueger from Canada writes: There is a verse somewhere in the Bible to the effect that a responsible parent will see offspring that, "rise up and call you blessed." Arabia is a country that is building ocean front property by spending billions on sea bottom reclamation for its oil-wealthy. A corrupted revolutionary leader that had during his rise to power, promised everyone their own house, later did not - but built (as Saddam did) a collection of palaces. A reporter asked him about this apparent duplicity. He answered, "I can build everyone ten palaces for less than I can build everyone a house." We are witnessing an era in which the people of that region and religion are rising up but not to call the Saudis "blessed." Israel is the outpost of westernism in the middle east. That is the reason why its head lies uncomfortably on its pillow. The rules of international petroleum power have to change immediately. In the west we have much more important things to work on anyway. In the decade ahead 1/2 of our worker and skill base will shift from productive to dependent. 80% of the cost of health care is already experienced in the last half-year of people's lives - and an already costly system will groan under the shifting weight from supporter to depender. Modern health care will offer to increase life expectancy so that the 80% will becomne 90% and then 95% unless we learn how to ration it. The retirees that can't afford to prolong and improve their lifespan at public expense have to come to grips with whether they want a black Mercedes or a clean social conscience. The ones that can't even afford to sustain themselves financially leave alone access modern health care, already have much bigger issues to cope with. Before us is a choice - radically different perspectives or disaster. There is a Yiddish curse, "May you live in interesting times."
- Posted 06/09/08 at 4:09 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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