View From America - Christmas 2002, On The Home Front

Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(Christmas 2002)

An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear or favor)---of the American Scene

On the home front.

Mr. Bush fired his two economic advisors, Mr. Paul O’Neill, (Secretary of the Treasury), and Mr. Lawrence Lindsay, (Chief White House Economic Advisor), whilst still insisting that the United States economy is strong and stable.
The US stock market apparently does not agree with this view as can be seen by the market’s daily figures.
The United States will have a year end budget deficit in excess of $150B, and currently California has the largest shortfall of all the States with a whopping $21B deficit. It would also appear that the majority of American States will have budget deficits this financial year.
The 15,000 page Iraqi Weapons Inspection report, supplied by the Saddam Hussein Government to the weapons inspection team led by Mr. Hans Blix, is being closely scrutinized by the United Nations and the White House, as to be expected appear to have the ulterior motive of finding some kind of deviation which will give Mr, Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld a reason to unleash the dogs of war against Iraq.
The United States has apparently ordered Iraq to provide the names and location of all scientists and engineers working upon, or who have worked upon, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons systems, so that they can be interviewed by the weapon’s inspection team.
In fact it is believed that Iraqi scientists are being encouraged by the United States to defect and provide information for which they and their families will be given asylum and transportation to the United States or other countries of their choice.
Can one assume that a large number of the Iraqi Scientific community were educated and obtained degrees from leading United States universities?
I seem to recall that the United States rocket and missile programs benefited from the arrival in the United States, after World War II, of Werner Von Braun and his rocket scientist team from the Peenemunde rocket manufacturing and launch complex on the Baltic.
The White House has recently released aerial photographs of what it says is evidence of Iranian preparation for building nuclear weapons. Mr. Bush himself appears to be building quite a list of prospective targets, including of course North Korea, for his war against terrorism. Perhaps we should concentrate on finishing what we started in the Balkans and Afghanistan before we extend our military resources, which are now reaching a saturation point far beyond a feasible capability limit.
Playing devils advocate: When we reach the saturation point of the full engagement and displacement of our Military Forces overseas, do you think mainland China may consider this an opportune time to undergo the reunification of Taiwan???