Friday News Roundup - International
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-05-18/friday-news-roundup-international
Greece's new caretaker government was sworn in Thursday, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would consider economic stimulus options there. A U.N. monitor team was evacuated from northern Syria. The war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Ratko Mladic was suspended over prosecution errors. James Kitfield of National Journal, Nadia Bilbassy of Middle East Broadcasting Center and Thom Shanker of The New York Times join guest host Tom Gjelten for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
Guests
James Kitfield
senior correspondent, National Journal.
Nadia Bilbassy
senior U.S. correspondent, MBC TV -- Middle East Broadcast Centre.
Thom Shanker
Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times; co-author of "Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda."
![Image of Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda [Hardcover]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41cmlMnbn9L._SL75_.jpg "Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda [Hardcover]")
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The Afganistan is called the "Grave of empires". Staying there one year more won't make any difference. British are our faithful vassals, they will do what we will tell them to do.
It definitely seems that the evidence lands on the policy of the Governments need to spend money in order to help ease all the corresponding recessions. The argument therefore seems to be about how the money is spend so a platform for growth can be created. If this is the case when the question is how do we spend the money.
A starting point from a U.S. centric point of view would be to shift $1 trillion a year from transfer payments (that have a 1 to 1 payback) to infrastructure (blended 1 to 2.5 payback). Create a independent U.S. infrastructure bank with well paid people (goal is to avoid corruption) and allow private money to co-invest along public money (goal of successful projects). The U.S. needs these investments. Millions of jobs will be created, incredible technologies will be supported and a competitive edge will be generated for the next generation. Could Europe create something like this to help solve the current political problems?
create a war tax to cover wars and free war money to civilian project. This way the cost of wars would become obvious to our population and we would have massive projects to deal with chronic unemployment.
That is a good idea. Maybe a 5% mandatory tax on everyone if the nation goes to war.
Yes, we have scattered Al Queda out of Afghanistan, but they are probably lying low in Pakistan and Kashmir. What prevents Al Queda from returning to Afghanistan in force once the West withdraws, and using it as a staging ground new attacks?