Why are American Cars so BIG?

[mr bill]

What happened to Fleet 500, Mr.Bill et al?

I went to New York City for a week. :- P

[brum]

Obviously my last comment fell on Deaf ears.

This one didnt, Brake, i thought i better respond because none else did.

[Matra et Alpine]

You will never find a perfect country. But the U.S. comes about at close to that as any other country.

Finally a sensible reply on the subject

Any other country is as close to perfect as the USofA.

That's why people stay in other countries and why not everyoen in the USA is living the dream.

[Fleet 500]

Finally a sensible reply on the subject

Any other country is as close to perfect as the USofA.

That's why people stay in other countries and why not everyoen in the USA is living the dream.

Then why are millions of people either immigrating or trying to immigrate to the U.S.?

Depends on what is considered "perfect." But it is a fact that the U.S. gives more to other countries in aid (money, food, soldiers, etc) than any other country. The U.S. doesn't have to be that generous with aid, but she is. I wonder... if the world's only superpower was Germany or Russia, how generous their governments would be?

[DodgeNitroBIRM]

Why ?

I think it's the same in the UK except when deep snow.
I've been told that it can tear the road up and cost more in repairs.

SO as always, a life is given a $ value

We don't get that many snows here in Virginia. But when we do get them, it usually ends up being mostly ice or sleet.

Yes, sudded tires and chains do destroy roads, when they do, it can be more dangerous because of the large potholes that can be created and the chunks of road from the studded tires can fly up and into the windshield of the car behind.

The ones I'm not sure about are the glass fiber (?) tires sold on like the Tire Rack and other on-line tire stores. As far as I know, it will pass the State Inspection.

[brum]

Then why are millions of people either immigrating or trying to immigrate to the U.S.?

Depends on what is considered "perfect." But it is a fact that the U.S. gives more to other countries in aid (money, food, soldiers, etc) than any other country. The U.S. doesn't have to be that generous with aid, but she is. I wonder... if the world's only superpower was Germany or Russia, how generous their governments would be?

Firstly there are millions imgrating or trying to imagrate all over the world. One other thing you say "the U.S. gives more to other countries in aid than any other country" this is because of a few things but i rekon the main one is -the amount of money that they have, most countries like Aus, we give a huge amount but it just wouldnt be possible to give the amount or anywhere near it because there is simply not a big enough population or wealth.

[Fleet 500]

Firstly there are millions imgrating or trying to imagrate all over the world. One other thing you say "the U.S. gives more to other countries in aid than any other country" this is because of a few things but i rekon the main one is -the amount of money that they have, most countries like Aus, we give a huge amount but it just wouldnt be possible to give the amount or anywhere near it because there is simply not a big enough population or wealth.

But the point I was making is: If there were other countries as rich as the U.S., I wonder if they would be as generous. I suspect that if countries like Germany, France or Russia were extremely rich and had plentiful resources, they would not be as generous as the U.S. is. I do realize that there are other countries that give much in aid, like Great Britain and Australia.

[Matra et Alpine]

But the point I was making is: If there were other countries as rich as the U.S., I wonder if they would be as generous. I suspect that if countries like Germany, France or Russia were extremely rich and had plentiful resources, they would not be as generous as the U.S. is. I do realize that there are other countries that give much in aid, like Great Britain and Australia.

erm it actuallis the other way round.

Those countries pay the ascribed sums to assist the UN programmes around the world.

The US hasn't by a BIG way in the past.

So they are already "better" on an equivalency factor !!!!

From 2003 EU UN funding resolution ......
"The EC budget provides some €300m per year for UN agencies eg for development (UNDP) and humanitarian (WFP) assistance. When combined with national contributions from Member States, the EU is the largest contributor to UN operations."

and the most recent single UK figures ( so proabbly larger due to inflation ) ....
The UK is the sixth largest contributor to the UN Regular Budget; the fifth largest contributor to UN peacekeeping budgets; and one of the largest voluntary contributors to UN funds and programmes and Specialised Agencies. In 1998, the UK's total contribution to the UN exceeded £330 million.
( from a country of 70million people )

[Fleet 500]

In case you haven't heard, the U.N. has become a very corrupt organization.

[Matra et Alpine]

In case you haven't heard, the U.N. has become a very corrupt organization.

Only because of the bully-boy tactics of one of it's members.

made worse by purile coverage and refusal to fund the many programs the UN undertakes. Sorry, F, but my experience is that few American actually know what the UN does around the world as it only gets coverage in US media when it's about wars and intervention ( when the US either wants it or blocks it ) Now you MAY know what they do and the many programs in place to PREVENT conflict and starvation around the world but your above comment would suggest otherwise.

It's sad to say that just as the League of Nations was doomed due to the US unwillingness to sign the declarations ( despite them being founded on Woodrow Wilson's work ) I think the UN may fall due to the US beligerence

[henk4]

or in other words, now that the USA has become the only superpower, and its curent leaders behaving accordingly, why do they need the UN for. They are only interfering with the "war on terror""

[Fleet 500]

Are you guys forgetting about the "Oil for Food" scandal? Money which was supposed to go for food went instead to Saddam and the U.N. stood by and did nothing:

http://www.capwiz.com/cfif/mail/onec...lertid=6159501

The record of recent history of the U.N. is not very good...
(From the Reader's Digest, Nov., 1995)

- At the height of the Ethiopian famine, when U.N. employees were literally passing the hat among themselves to aid dying victims, the General Assembly voted $73.5 million to build a U.N. conference center in the Ethiopian captial, Addis Ababa. Eleven years later the huge center is not yet completed, and projected costs are $107 million. It is expected to be empty much of the time.

- Last Sept., the U.N. decided to scrap a $938,000 headquarters security system that had never been used. The staff union held up the activation of the turnstile system that would have read electronic ID cards, claiming fear of health hazards from radio waves. The real reason? The turnstiles' clocks could record the exact time employees arrived and departed. The staff didn't want the have their time tracked.

- In 1945, when the U.N. began, it had a staff of 1,500 and an annual budget of less than $20 million. Today, the U.N. has some 53,000 employees costing $10 billion a year, of which the U.S. pays more than 25%. "The model home designed by the founders in 1945 has become a sprawling, ramshackle structure," says Britain's Sir Brian Urquhart, a former U.N. Under Secretary General and a leading advocate of reform. The result, notes former U.S. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, is "widespread waste, profiteering, overstaffing and mismanagement."

- One U.N. employee in Mali embezzled $560,000 before he was caught. Another in Kenya siphoned off $368,000.

There's more to the article, but I think you get the point.

[Matra et Alpine]

Are you guys forgetting about the "Oil for Food" scandal? Money which was supposed to go for food went instead to Saddam and the U.N. stood by and did nothing:...
There's more to the article, but I think you get the point.

And name ONE government in the world where all those same things do NOT happen ?

Scottish Parliament is our own ashamed act. Costing nearly 400 million pounds againsta project 80 !!! For a countyr with 6 million people - atrocious.
We've toppled some of the culprits and the rest will be going at the election

But do you hold back your taxes to your government because of all the scandals there ? No, because you recognise the need and general good and try to get the corrupt ones out. Just as the UN needs to sort it's house so does every large organisation in the world.

So, I agree that it's not perfect, NEVER said it was. But it's advantages, when funded, are a benefit to the whoel world.

Oh, and where was the 25% funding from the US data come from ?
Even under the funding agreements the US are not required to provide that much AND they've NOT BEEN PAYING their dues in the past years. So I suspect a little manipulation of the statistics - like the US is paying 25% of the salaries paid out - could quite believe that, BUT the UN uses money to distribute GOODS which have to be donated/paid for. No hard to see the US is paying 25% of all of it based on numbers I've seen published ( tho' they were nearly 4 years ago now). Just suspicious - as ever - of any statistic.

AND FINALLY, I'll take a direct quote from the same Sir Brian Urquhart on the UN in an interview he gave back in 1996 .....
Incidentally, the United States is the only country that actually makes money out of the UN, contrary to the general belief, because the UN is located in the in the United States and spends a lot of money here, much more than the U.S. pays in dues
oops

[Falcon500]

It's sad to say that just as the League of Nations was doomed due to the US unwillingness to sign the declarations ( despite them being founded on Woodrow Wilson's work ) I think the UN may fall due to the US beligerence

Now how are we supposed to feel secure in a world with no semblence of unity? to me the UN to some extent stood for something worthbelieveing in Nations working together to make the world a better place....if you cant believe in something like this then what can you believe in?

And without such a power keeping the worldin cheak what will happen to us? without an incredable force keeping everyone else on their toes who will continue doing this...America surer thehy could do that...but they cant be everyhwere...as i said these comments dont make my island home seem so isolated...and it makesme wonder what faith can we place in anything if this can happen?

[Fleet 500]

And name ONE government in the world where all those same things do NOT happen ?

Oh, and where was the 25% funding from the US data come from ?
Even under the funding agreements the US are not required to provide that much AND they've NOT BEEN PAYING their dues in the past years. So I suspect a little manipulation of the statistics - like the US is paying 25% of the salaries paid out - could quite believe that, BUT the UN uses money to distribute GOODS which have to be donated/paid for.

AND FINALLY, I'll take a direct quote from the same Sir Brian Urquhart on the UN in an interview he gave back in 1996 .....
Incidentally, the United States is the only country that actually makes money out of the UN, contrary to the general belief, because the UN is located in the in the United States and spends a lot of money here, much more than the U.S. pays in dues
oops

My point being the U.N. has much corruptness... as I have shown.

The 25% figure was in the article I mentioned (written by Dale Van Atta). I don't know what the figure is today, but in 1995, it was 25%.

I (and many other Americans) believe the U.S. should get out of the U.N. It's not the same organization as it was when founded.